De La Gorgendiere thankful for time with Blades

Graduating captain played entire WHL career in Saskatoon

Aidan De La Gorgendiere (#5) enjoys a goal with his teammates.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere never imagined how important the Saskatoon Blades would be when it came to being there for the ups and downs of the late teenage years of his life.

Way back in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, the Blades selected De La Gorgendiere in the first round and fifth overall. In late May of 2017, the Langley, B.C., product took part in an introductory press conference along with good friend Kyle Crnkovic, who is currently playing with the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds at the Memorial Cup tournament in Kamloops, B.C.

A short time after the Blades drafted De La Gorgendiere, the reliable defenceman found out his mother, Marla Meginbir, had been diagnosed with cancer. She would pass away on November 12, 2019 at age 51, when De La Gorgendiere was skating through his 17-year-old sophomore season with the club. 

With the support of the Blades he had though that time, De La Gorgendiere couldn’t imagine playing for another WHL team.

“I’m going to be really thankful and happy,” said De La Gorgendiere about playing his entire WHL career with the Blades. “I wouldn’t be here without the Priestner family (and Blades owners) drafting me at 15-years-old and not really knowing what to expect.

“My first year, it was a really big learning experience for me. They’ve been awesome to me. This past year was awesome.”

De La Gorgendiere missed the tail end of the Blades abbreviated season in 2020-21 when they were playing in a bubble environment at the Brandt Centre in Regina due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world. During his first campaign as the team’s captain in 2021-22, De La Gorgendiere missed the last part of the regular season and the entire WHL Playoffs due to season ending shoulder surgery.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere, right, at his first Blades presser in 2017.

In his 20-year-old campaign this past season, De La Gorgendiere appeared in 65 regular season contests with the Blades posting 12 goals, 53 assists and a plus-19 rating in the plus-minus department. He skated in all of the Blades 18 post-season games posting three goals, 14 assists and a minus-two rating.

De La Gorgendiere helped the Blades post a 48-15-4-1 regular season record to finish fourth overall in the WHL and 10^th in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Blades advanced to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series for the first time in 29 years where they got swept by the Winnipeg Ice.

In a WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Blades fell behind the Red Deer Rebels 3-0 before rallying to take the best-of-seven set 4-3. The Blades became the third team in the history of the WHL to comeback after being down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series to take the set 4-3. 

They joined the 1996 Spokane Chiefs and the 2013 Kelowna Rockets as the three clubs to pull off that comeback.

During the first round of the WHL Playoffs, the Blades eliminated 17-year-old phenom centre Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats in an exciting seven-game series. The Blades drew over 10,000 fans for the first three home games of that series and a sellout crowd of 14,768 spectators to the SaskTel Centre for their 4-1 victory in Game 7.

Overall, De La Gorgendiere found this past season to be his most enjoyable campaign with the Blades.

“It was probably the most fun I’ve had just with our group we’ve had and how tight we are off the ice,” said De La Gorgendiere, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 184 pounds. “I think that has big correlation to our play on the ice there.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere spent his whole WHL career with the Blades.

“Playing in front of sold out rinks was pretty cool, especially when there is 15,000 people cheering for your team. The fans were awesome for us this playoff run.”

De La Gorgendiere’s WHL career came to an end on May 3, when the Blades dropped a 3-2 decision to the Ice in Winnipeg’s Game 4 Eastern Conference Championship Series win at the SaskTel Centre. After the Blades saluted their fans while being saluted themselves by their faithful, De La Gorgendiere was the final Saskatoon player to step off the ice.

Before coming off the ice, he first gave a stick to some friends in the crowd. De La Gorgendiere then reflected on all the good memories he collected playing for the team before stepping off the ice to depart for the dressing room. He also felt sad at the same time knowing his time playing for the Blades had come to an end.

The star rearguard was also happy to think about how far the team had come during his time with the club. When he joined the Blades, they were going through a stretch of missing the post-season for five straight campaigns.

That drought came in an end in De La Gorgendiere’s rookie year in 2018-19 finishing fourth overall in the league with a 45-15-8 mark. This past season, the Blades had their longest post-season run since making the WHL final in 1994, when they fell in seven games to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Kamloops Blazers.

“It is pretty cool,” said De La Gorgendiere about seeing the Blades progress during his time with the squad. “I think being part of that culture change around our organization and a lot of change that happened throughout those years.

“I’m fortunate enough to stick around through it all, so I’ve kind of seen it. I’m so fortunate to be around here. I tried and did my best for this team and this organization and helped with my leadership qualities I guess.”

Aidan De La Gorgendiere was the Blades captain the past two seasons.

The now 21-year-old earned the respect of players and coaches around the WHL during his playing career. Ice head coach James Patrick, who played 1,280 career regular season games in the NHL as a defenceman from 1983 to 2004, would like to see De La Gorgendiere play in the professional ranks. The two talked in the handshake line for a short visit after the Ice eliminated the Blades.

“For me, certainly in the last two years he was one of the best defencemen in the league,” said Patrick. “I’d put him up in the top two or three D.

“Every game we played them over the last couple of years he was a handful for us. He was a guy who played 30 minutes a night. He could join as a fourth man.

“He is as mobile a D as there is on the blue-line. I told him what an outstanding career he has had here. I told him I know he can play at the next level, and I hope he gets that opportunity.”

Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said that De La Gorgendiere did a tonne for getting the Blades to where they are today.

“What a job at building a culture, because it is not just the coaches,” said Sonne, who was named the WHL’s coach of the year for this past season. “The players have to want that too.

“Sometimes, they don’t, and there is the push back. He steered the ship. When we left the room, he steered the ship in terms of fitness culture, in terms of how we do business, in terms of how we act, how we work in practice.

“Incredible leader. I’m very, very proud of him. He has a very long pro career coming.”

De La Gorgendiere is still exploring what his future options are in continuing his playing career. He added that one of the biggest honours he received in his time in Saskatoon was being named the captain of the Blades.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere (#5) hugs Tanner Molendyk.

During his first three seasons with the Blades, De La Gorgendiere watched how Chase Wouters carried himself as captain of the team. The two became good friends, and once De La Gorgendiere became captain, he would contact Wouters to talk about various variables about the leadership role.

Overall, De Le Gorgendiere wanted to carry on the outstanding work Wouters put in as the Blades captain. De La Gorgendiere was proud to be the captain of the Blades.

“It means a lot to me,” said De La Gorgendiere. “I pride myself in being a good teammate and a good person and trying to be a leader for our team.

“Young guys coming in, I try and welcome them and make them feel comfortable. I’d say I pride myself in wearing this letter. I’m just happy I could be that guy for this team.”

DaSilva inks extension with Blades, named associate coach

Dan DaSilva, back row centre, checks out action from the Blades’ bench.

Dan DaSilva will be back with the Saskatoon Blades as part of the team’s coaching staff.

On Wednesday, the club announced DaSilva, who is from Saskatoon, signed a two-year extension with the team and has been promoted from assistant coach to associate coach. DaSilva, who is 38-years-old, joined the Blades before the start of the 2021-22 campaign and has helped the club post an 86-41-7-2 over the past two seasons.

Last season with DaSilva on a staff led by head coach Brennan Sonne, the Blades finished fourth overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 record and were rated 10^th in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. In the post-season, the Blades advanced to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series for the first time in 29 seasons falling in a sweep to the Winnipeg Ice.

In an Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Blades fell behind the Red Deer Rebels 3-0 before rallying to take the series 4-3. With that rally, the Blades became the third team in the history of the WHL to rally from behind down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series before coming back to take the set 4-3. They joined the 1996 Spokane Chiefs and the 2013 Kelowna Rockets as the three clubs to pull off that comeback.

“I’m very happy to be coming back for another two years,” said DaSilva in a release. “I’d like to thank the Priestner family and (associate general manager) Steve Hildebrand for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.

“The organization has been unbelievable to me and my family over the past two years, and so it was an easy decision to return for two more. I look forward to getting back to work with the coaching staff and players later this summer. We have a great group, and I see big things happening over the next two seasons.”

A graduate of the Saskatoon Contacts under-18 AAA team, DaSilva played right wing for three seasons from 2002 to 2005 with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks appearing in 200 WHL regular season contests piling up 76 goals and 75 assists for 151 points. He moved on to play professionally for 15 seasons from 2005 to 2020 with various clubs in North America and Europe.

“Since day one, Dan has been a leader with his care and passion for the players,” said Sonne in a release. “His positivity within the coaches’ office and in the dressing room is infectious, and his growth as a coach has been exponential.

“The best coaches are those that are simultaneously good people and (have) good hockey minds, and when you already have one within your organization, you do your utmost to retain them.”

DaSilva rejoins Sonne’s staff that features assistant coach Wacey Rabbit, goaltending coach Jeff Harvey, assistant coach Jerome Engele and video coach Braeden Dahl.

Blades deal Roulette to Chiefs

Conner Roulette in action for the Blades in the WHL Playoffs.

Conner Roulette will be finishing up his WHL career with a team other than the Saskatoon Blades.

On Wednesday, the Blades dealt the 20-year-old standout right-winger to the Spokane Chiefs for a second round selection in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft and a third pick in the 2027 Prospects Draft. The Blades acquired Roulette in a trade on August 30, 2022 with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

In the 2022-23 campaign, Roulette appeared in 60 regular season games with the Blades recording 24 goals, 39 assists and a plus-19 rating in the plus-minus department. He picked up another three goals and four assists in the Blades 18 games played in the 2023 WHL Playoffs.

In 191 career WHL regular season games played with the Thunderbirds and Blades, Roulette has posted 73 goals, 107 assists and a plus-59 rating. Roulette was selected by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round and 111^th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

“We would like to thank Conner for a great season with us,” said Blades general manager Colin Priestner in a release. “He was a great player on the ice and his leadership with Indigenous youth in our city will have a lasting impact.”

With having dealt Roulette to the Chiefs, the Blades now have six players who could return this coming season to compete for three 20-year-old sports. Defencemen Charlie Wright and Spencer Shugrue along with forwards Jayden Wiens, Trevor Wong, Justin Lies and Jake Chiasson are the players that could potentially be battling for the Blades three 20-year-old spots. Chiasson has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

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Quick learner – Valkyries find big time playmaker in Lundquist

Drew Lundquist ran for 137 yards on six carries on Sunday.

Drew Lundquist only needs a handful of opportunities to show how explosive she can be on the football field.

On Sunday afternoon, Lundquist only had six carries playing running back for the Saskatoon Valkyries in a WWCFL regular season game at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Lundquist, who is in her second campaign with the team, piled up 137 yards on those six carries scoring touchdowns on runs of 29 and 70 yards.

Her efforts allowed the Valkyries to improve to 3-0 romping past the visiting Winnipeg Wolfpack 59-0. The contest was ended at halftime due to injuries that were piling up on the Wolfpack side, who dressed about 20 players for Sunday’s clash. The Wolfpack fell to 0-3 with the lopsided loss.

Drew Lundquist (#25) breaks out of tackle attempt on a run.

Lundquist was on the Valkyries practice roster in 2021 and used her first full campaign as an active roster player in 2022 as an opportunity to learn and get better. She did have a couple of big outings as the Valkyries won their seventh WWCFL title in team history.

Coming into 2023, Lundquist knew she was going to have more playing time as the number two running back behind star starter Sarah Wright and wanted to be ready to make an impact.

“This year, I definitely wanted to set the intentions of coming in prepared and being ready to play knowing that there aren’t very many running backs,” said Lundquist. “I do have to know my stuff.

“It was learning the playbook early and trying to get those reps in early and definitely training in the off-season trying to get ready. I think I set my intentions early of just trying to be the best I can this season.”

Drew Lundquist reaches the end zone on a 29-yard TD run.

Lundquist wasn’t a stranger to the game of football when she joined the Valkyries. She played one season with the six-man team at Clavet Composite School during her high school years.

“I played soccer growing up,” said Lundquist, who handled all the Valkyries kickoffs on Sunday. “I played junior Huskies soccer.

“Once I stopped playing soccer competitively, kind of as a joke the guys in high school asked me if I would come and kick for them. I thought I would just show up. I did one practice, and they were like, ‘You know what. You are the kicker now.’

“I played one season as the kicker at Clavet Composite School. I got hooked ever since and started on the practice roster with the Valkyries. I haven’t looked back since.”

Drew Lundquist jets downfield on a 70-yard TD run.

Lundquist actually took part in a winter camp and three winter practice sessions with the Valkyries in early 2020 before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world causing massive shutdowns in March of that year. While finishing up her Grade 12 studies in 2021, she joined the Valkyries practice roster.

Last season, Lundquist got to try her hand at some kicking duties and was slated to be the number three running back on the depth chart behind Valkyries all-time great Sam Matheson and Wright. Matheson suffered a season ending injury in the team’s second regular season game in 2022, and Lundquist found herself involved in a bit more of the action offensively for the team playing behind Wright.

The Valkyries celebrate a 70-yard TD run by Drew Lundquist (#25).

“It is a little intimidating,” said Lundquist, who stands 5-foot-6. “It is hard to follow in Sam’s steps there just because she is a very, very good athlete and the same with Sarah.

“They are big shoes to fill. I just feel really blessed to be able to watch from them and learn and have them as my guidance.”

The biggest highlight of the campaign was helping the Valkyries down the Manitoba Fearless 36-6 in the WWCFL championship game on June 25, 2022 at Saskatoon Minor Fooball Field.

Makayla Sader, left, and Jackie Semple-Dyck, right, team up on a tackle.

“It was just so much fun,” said Lundquist. “It was an unreal experience.

“It is like nothing else.”

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said it has been a joy having Lundquist play on the team. Barry said she has really helped the team out with her contributions on offence and the kicking game, and the coaching staff is trying to get her in the game as much as they can.

“It has been great to have her, and we’ve been trying to get her reps,” said Barry. “Every time we get her game reps she does really well just like today.”

Sarah Wright ran in two touchdowns for the Valkyries.

The sideline boss said Lundquist has been able to pick up the game quickly due to the fact she runs with power and speed.

“She runs hard, when she has the ball,” said Barry. “Sometimes, people just try and arm tackle her, and it just doesn’t work.

“She keeps her legs moving. That is why she has so much success.”

The Valkyries as a team had lots of success against the Wolfpack on Sunday building a 49-0 lead in the first quarter before getting up 59-0 at halftime when the contest came to an end.

Just 1:51 into the opening quarter, Valkyries veteran defensive back Kelsey Murphy got the scoring going returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. Wright romped in from 19 yards out just under two minutes later to push the Valkyries lead out to 14-0.

Alex Eyolfson (#15) threw two touchdown passes for the Valkyries.

Valkyries star quarterback Alex Eyolfson hit veteran receiver Reed Thorstad for a short five-yard touchdown reception and Wright tacked on a four-yard run for a major score to give the Valkyries a 28-0 advantage.

Eyolfson hit receiver Grace McCorriston for a 11-yard touchdown toss give the Valkyries a 35-0 lead. The big plays kept coming as veteran receiver Ricki Obed returned a punt 65 yards for a major score to bulge the Valkyries advantage to 42-0. Lundquist tacked on her 29-yard touchdown run to round out the scoring in the first quarter giving the Valkyries an incredible 49-0 advantage.

Grace McCorriston hauls in an 11-yard TD catch for the Valkyries.

In the second quarter, McCorriston booted a 32-yard field goal and Lundquist added her 70-yard rushing touchdown to round out the game’s scoring.

Eyolfson completed all four passes she attempted for 45 yards and her two touchdown tosses. Defensive end Emry Halbgewachs had a sack and a forced fumble for the Valkyries. Safety Jaimyn Mantyka topped the Valkyries with five total tackles to go along with one fumble recovery.

Defensive back Danielle Girolami had an interception and middle linebacker Emmarae Dale had a fumble recovery for Saskatoon.

The Valkyries celebrate a TD catch from Reed Thorstad (#12).

Running back Pandora Turcotte accounted for most of the Wolfpack’s offence running the ball 13 times for 63 yards.

Last year, the Wolfpack forfeited a WWCFL quarter-final contest to the Valkyries on top of not being able play Sunday’s game in its entirety. On an overall league perspective, that didn’t sit well with Barry.

“I think we’ve managed to stay healthy in this abbreviated game, which I’ve never seen before,” said Barry. “I’ve never seen a team forfeit at halftime before in my 33 years of coaching.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. That was unfortunate. I hope there is some talk about it in the league.”

The Valkyries will now close their regular season schedule this coming Sunday as they travel to Regina to take on the Riot (2 p.m., Leibel Field). The Riot improved to 2-1 on Sunday downing the Fearless 33-7 in Regina. The Fearless fell to 1-2 with the setback.

Ricki Obed returns a punt 65 yards for a touchdown.

First place in the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference will be up for grabs in the upcoming clash between the Valkyries and Riot. The Valkyries took the first encounter 34-7 on May 7 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Riot would be able to claim a first place finish, if they are able to be the Valkyries by 27 or more points in the upcoming second head-to-head contest.

“They (the Riot) are going to be ready for us,” said Barry, whose team has won 23 straight games overall. “There are a couple of teams in the league that are quite good, and they’re well coached.

“They’re coming after us. Every time we’re on the field we want to be prepared. We want to try and get as many reps for all our players as possible.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get that today.”

The Valkyries enjoy improving to 3-0 on Sunday.

When the dust does settle on the 2023 season, Lundquist said the Valkyries want to complete things with another championship finish.

“It is the ultimate goal every season is to make it to that championship,” said Lundquist. “We wouldn’t be doing it, if weren’t trying to get there.”

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Thundersbirds are WHL’s best Memorial Cup hope since 2014

Kyle Crnkovic had a hat trick for the Thunderbirds on Saturday.

If the Seattle Thunderbirds aren’t able to win the Memorial Cup, the WHL as a league might have to look into what supernatural forces it has to appease to be able to capture major junior hockey’s biggest prize.

When it comes to winning the storied trophy that is given to the CHL champion, the WHL as a league still seems to be haunted by the “Curse of the Drop.”

For the superstitious types, that event took place on May 25, 2008 after the WHL champion Spokane Chiefs downed the host Kitchener Rangers 4-1 in the Memorial Cup tournament’s championship game. It marked the second time the Chiefs captured the Memorial Cup to become CHL champions.

After winning the title in 2008, Chiefs captain Chris Bruton accepted the Memorial Cup. Bruton turned and was going to give the Memorial Cup to defenceman Trevor Glass. Glass, who was in his 19-year-old season at the time, was with the Medicine Hat Tigers the previous campaign when they won the WHL title and fell 3-1 in the Memorial Cup championship game to the host Vancouver Giants.

As Bruton reached out to hand the Memorial Cup to Glass, the trophy separated at the neck and fell to the ice to the shock of spectators in Kitchener, Ont.

Since that Chiefs win, only one WHL club has won the Memorial Cup coming with an Edmonton Oil Kings victory in 2014. Edmonton was playing to honour the memory of former player Kristians Pelss, who was with the Oil Kings 2012 WHL championship team and passed away in June of 2013 due to a recreation diving accident.

The WHL is currently in its longest drought as a league of not being able to win the Memorial Cup spanning six seasons from 2015 to 2019 and 2022. The Memorial Cup tournament wasn’t contested in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Nolan Allan had a goal for Seattle on Saturday.

The current drought saw WHL championship winning teams go on a stretch of losing 14 straight contests at the Memorial Cup tournament. That streak came to an end on June 22, 2022, when the Oil Kings downed the host Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 in overtime in Saint John, N.B., as part of round robin play.

This year’s Thunderbirds WHL title winning squad is the deepest team from the western major junior circuit that has appeared in the Memorial Cup since the Oil Kings winner in 2014.

On Saturday, the Thunderbirds hit the ice at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C., for their first action at this year’s Memorial Cup in round robin play. During that contest, the Thunderbirds showed off a microcosm of their positive traits that should serve them well in pursuit of a first CHL title in franchise history.

The Thunderbirds downed the OHL champion Peterborough Petes 6-3 in a clash that was tighter than the final score would suggest.

Peterborough skated out of the first period with a 1-0 lead off a breakaway goal by left-winger J.R. Avon. The Thunderbirds showed poise and didn’t panic. Just 39 seconds into the second, Seattle captain Lucas Ciona potted home a loose puck in the crease of the Peterborough net to even the score at 1-1.

With 4:07 remaining in the second, Petes centre Owen Beck scored a beauty on an end-to-end rush to put the OHL champions up 2-1. The Thunderbirds answered back 52 seconds later when 21-year-old star left-winger Kyle Crnkovic blew home a shot to the top left corner of the Peterborough net to even the score at 2-2.

After a tighter checking opening 40 minutes, the Thunderbirds blew the game wide open in the third. Crnkovic netted his second of the contest and star defenceman Nolan Allan potted a marker 82 seconds after that tally to give the Thunderbirds a 4-2 edge.

Lucas Ciona had a goal for Seattle on Saturday.

Allan, who has a signed three-year NHL entry-level contract with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, is relied on for his sound work defensively. He has offensive skill and showed it off sniping home a bad angle shot low in the Peterborough zone between the legs of Petes netminder Michael Simpson.

Petes 20-year-old right-winger Avery Hayes scored on the power play with 6:04 remaining in the third to cut the Seattle lead to 4-3. The Thunderbirds sealed victory with centre Jordan Gustafson scoring with 3:15 remaining in the third and Crnkovic picking up an empty-net tally to complete his hat trick with 1:34 remaining in the third to round out the 6-3 Seattle win.

Thomas Milic stopped 23 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Thunderbirds. Simpson turned away 34-of-39 shots to take the setback in net for the Petes.

At the moment, the Thunderbirds are skating through their best campaign in team history. They topped the Western Conference and finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-11-1-2 record.

The U.S. Division champions were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. Seattle’s 54 wins and standings points total of 111 points are new regular season club records. In the WHL Playoffs, the Thunderbird proceeded to win the league title posting a 16-3 mark.

After falling to the Oil Kings in six games in the best-of-seven WHL final in 2022, the Thunderbirds additions via the trade route included Crnkovic, Allan, Brad Lambert, Dylan Guenther, Luke Prokop and Colton Dach. Seattle general manager Bil La Forge pushed all the chips to the centre of the table to win right now.

Dylan Guenther was a big trade pick up for the Thunderbirds.

The trade additions bolstered a Seattle side that returned 15 players this season who were on the club’s playoff roster in 2022. Some of the key returnees included Milic, Ciona, Gustafson, Jared Davidson, Reid Schaefer, Nico Myatovic, Kevin Korchinski and Jeremy Hanzel. Seattle also benefitted from Gracyn Sawchyn putting up a pile of points as a rookie.

Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette and the coaches on his staff were able to bring this group together creating a team in Seattle that can play any style of hockey you want to play. With all that noted, the Thunderbirds are still going to have to earn everything they get at the Memorial Cup.

The QMJHL champion Quebec Remparts opened the Memorial Cup in impressive fashion downing the host Kamloops Blazers 8-3 on Friday. The Remparts have put together their own impressive campaign finishing first overall in the QMJHL regular season standings with a 53-12-1-2 record and were rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

Hockey legend Patrick Roy is the Remparts head coach and general manager. He is an icon in the province of Quebec being tabbed with the nickname “Saint Patrick.”

Roy is as ultra-competitive a person you will find, and his teams are always well prepared for opposing clubs. It is speculated this will be the 57-year-old’s last ride with the Remparts before he departs for a potential head coaching position in the NHL. That might give the Remparts another emotional edge to win the Memorial Cup.

On top of that, the Petes and Blazers could bounce back and still be factors in how the Memorial Cup plays out. Those clubs will meet Sunday at 3 p.m. local time at the Sandman Centre. The Thunderbirds and Remparts will go at on Monday at 6 p.m. local time at the Sandman Centre.

The Blazers could be the WHL club that ends that circuit’s Memorial Cup drought.

Kevin Korchinski has been a mainstay on defence for Seattle.

Still with the way things look at the moment, the Thunderbirds are the WHL’s best bet for capturing the top prize in major junior hockey.

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Holynski plays with passion and intensity for Valkyries family

Rookie season in 2019 had big impact on defensive standout

Danaye Holynski (#55) has been a stellar DE for the Valkyries.

Danaye Holynski always tries to live out the belief that one of her early coaches with the Saskatoon Valkyries had in her.

Holynski joined the Valkyries defensive line as a rookie in 2019 after starting on the defensive line with the Tommy Douglas Collegiate Tigers Football Team and toiling on the Valkyries practice roster in 2018. While playing as a starter on a high school boys tackle football team would help Holyski in transitioning to the powerhouse Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League, she remembered one position coach wouldn’t let her ride on past accomplishments.

Holynski recalled that as she got going in the 2019 campaign she was really challenged by defensive position coach Justin Filteau. There were times Holynski felt she was doing good but wasn’t doing good enough.

On June 1, 2019, Filteau passed away in a plane crash one day before the Valkyries played their final regular season contest of that campaign against the Riot in Regina. Filteau had been at a social function in Medicine Hat, Alta., and was flying to Moose Jaw, Sask., and planned to meet up with the Valkyries for that final regular season game. The Valkyries would gut out a 22-7 victory over the Riot after finding out the news about Filteau.

Five days later after a team practice, Holynski was named the team’s “Treat of the Week” award winner for her efforts in a 37-0 victory over the Manitoba Fearless in Winnipeg on May 26, 2019. Word came from the Valkyries coaches that Filteau was pushing hard for Holynski to be named the winner of the weekly team award. That would happen to be the last game he coached with the Valkyries.

It hit Holynski at the time how important it was to have had Filteau as her position coach and that feeling has only grown over time.

“It was awesome,” said Holynski, whose Valkyries (2-0) host the Winnipeg Wolfpack (0-2) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. “He was on me, and it was stressful at times.

Danaye Holynski (#55) is a playmaker of the Valkyries defence.

“Now that I look back, it was because he saw a player I didn’t see yet. Now that I look back, it was awesome. He pushed me past what I thought I was able to do, because he believed in me.

“That I will forever keep close to my heart that he pushed me that hard.”

As a rookie, Holynski made explosive and hard hitting plays to help the Valkyries post a perfect 9-0 record in winning their sixth WWCFL championship in that season. These days Holynski has become a dominate player on the Valkyries defensive line often lining up at one of the end positions.

Her style of play is near identical to that Bobby Jurasin, who starred at defensive end for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1986 to 1997. Holynski helped the Valkyries win their seventh WWCFL championship in 2022, and she played for Canada that year in the International Federation of American Football’s Women’s World Championship that ran in late July and early August of that year in Vantaa, Finland.

After Filteau’s passing, Holynski said you saw in a big way the Valkyries being family. The team dedicated the 2019 campaign to Filteau.

Holynski said the team’s leadership played a huge role in helping everyone come together and cope with Filteau’s passing. On defence, some of the key leaders from that season included Jaime Lammerding, Beth Lalonde, Emmarae Dale and Ehjae Chan.

That rookie season left at lasting impact on Holynski.

Danaye Holynski (#55) makes a tackle in the 2023 WWCFL final.

“It was an amazing first year,” said Holynski, who stands 5-foot-6. “Unfortunately, we lost Filteau that year, but I think that brought our team together on a whole different level.”

These days the 22-year-old Holynski is one of the Valkyries veterans. She looks to help the team’s newcomers on the field and ensure they feel accepted on the team.

“I feel like I definitely try to,” said Holynski. “I try to be a role model as much as I possibly can.

“I try to help them out if needed.”

Overall, Holynski said the team still has the same family feeling and vibe as it did when she was a rookie. She often still sees herself like she did in her rookie year.

“Honestly, it feels the same,” said Holynski. “It doesn’t feel much different.

“I think everyone we all look at each other at the same level. Obviously, we look up to each other, but we don’t really look down on each other. It kind of feels the same nothing too different.”

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said you could see early on the Holynski was going to be a gifted player, when she first started practicing with the team.

“I’ve known Danaye for a long time,” said Barry. “She played tackle football in high school at Tommy Douglas with the boys.

Danaye Holynski (#55) teams up on a stop in the 2023 WWCFL final.

“She was a starter on that team. She was an exceptional wrestler. I coached her in junior Huskies for a number of years.

“Just seeing her when she started being a practice roster player for us you could see she was going to be pretty special.”

Barry said experience and being focused on off-season training has helped make Holynski a better player over the years. The sideline boss said his defensive line star causes a lot of matchup problems for opposing teams. Along with what Holynski can do physically on the field, Barry said a leadership role is coming naturally to her as well.

“Even though she is young, she is a leader on our team already, so that is exciting,” said Barry. “She is such a positive person too.

“She has so much fun out here that it is just great to have her in that leadership role.”

Before taking the field for the Tigers, Holynski got her start in the tackle game playing in Saskatoon Minor Football’s six-a-side program, so she has been playing the sport for over a decade. She loves everything about the game and would like to play for Canada at the next women’s worlds, which are set to be held in 2026 with the location and dates still to be announced.

Holynski knows she is hitting that adult age where things can change year to year, but she is planning to keep going in the sport for the foreseeable future.

“I’m planning to play next worlds or at least tryout,” said Holynski. “My body has taken a beating with 12 years of playing.

Danaye Holynski (#55) holds up the WWCFL championship trophy.

“I’m going to try and push it out until the next Team Canada for sure.”

NOTES – Sunday’s game against the Wolfpack will be the Valkyries’ Teal game. The Ovarian Cancer Walk of Hope Committee, Saskatoon, will be on hand to bring more awareness about this deadly disease. The team will be raising funds to fight Ovarian cancer.  

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Unexpected gift – Lambert living out special time in Seattle

Brad Lambert is enjoying his time with the Thunderbirds.

Brad Lambert initially took reassignment from the hockey’s professional level to the major junior ranks like most would – as a gut punch.

Lambert, who was born in Lahti, Finland, started the season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He put up two goals and one assist in 14 games with the Moose and was held pointless in his final 10 outings with that squad.

The 19-year-old forward proceeded to join Finland’s squad for world juniors, which were jointly held in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B. Lambert, who stands 6-feet and weighs 183 pounds, had one goal in five games as Finland bowed out falling in a quarter-final 3-2 to Sweden.

Upon returning from world juniors, the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, who are the parent club for the Moose, assigned Lambert to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. The Jets had selected Lambert in the first round and 30^th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Lambert’s WHL rights were originally held by the Saskatoon Blades, and the Blades dealt Lambert’s right to the Thunderbirds on June 20, 2022.

With the Thunderbirds, Lambert was playing on a team that topped the Western Conference and finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-11-1-2 record. The U.S. Division champions were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. Seattle’s 54 wins and standings points total of 111 points are new regular season club records.

Shifting from right wing back to his nature centre position, Lambert took off with the Thunderbirds putting up offensive numbers that showed why he was a first NHL Entry Draft selection. In 26 games with the Thunderbirds, Lambert piled up 17 goals and 21 assists to go with a plus-27 rating in the plus-minus department.

As the Thunderbirds marched through the WHL Playoffs posting a 16-3 record to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions, Lambert posted six goals and 20 assists to go with a plus-13 rating in 17 post-season appearances. He missed the Thunderbirds last two games of their first round sweep of the Kelowna Rockets due to illness.

The Thunderbirds are set to open play at the Memorial Cup tournament that determines a CHL champion on Saturday against the OHL champion Peterborough Petes at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C., at 3 p.m. local time. Kamloops is hosting this year’s Memorial Cup tournament and the host Blazers open game action tonight taking on the QMJHL champion Quebec Remparts at 6 p.m. local time.

Brad Lambert has six goals and 20 assists in 17 post-season games.

Lambert said playing with the Thunderbirds has been a good thing.

“We haven’t lost a series yet, so it has been perfect,” said Lambert, with a chuckle. “We’re looking to win it here.

“Yeah, I was disappointed, but I’m just making the most out of the opportunity. It is a great team here we have and a great group of guys. I’ve had a lot of fun.”

Lambert found he had joined a Seattle side where the rest of the team accepted him right away. After making the WHL Championship Series in 2021-22 and falling to the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games, the Thunderbirds were aiming to go all the way this season. He originally played right wing on a line with two star players in Jared Davidson at centre and Kyle Crnkovic on left-wing.

The Thunderbirds made another addition helping increase Lambert’s comfort level with the team. Before the WHL’s trade deadline on January 10, the Thunderbirds acquired the WHL rights to forward Dylan Guenther, who helped the Oil Kings with the WHL title in 2022.

Guenther, who turned 20-years-old in April, started the 2022-23 campaign with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. He appeared in 33 regular season contests with the Coyotes putting up six goals and nine assists and played games with the club to January 28.

The Coyotes allowed Guenther to play for Canada at this past world juniors, and he recorded seven goals and three assists in seven games. In Canada’s 3-2 overtime win in the gold medal game against Czechia played on January 5, 2023 in Halifax, Guenther had two goals including the winner in extra time.

On February 5, the Coyotes assigned Guenther to the Thunderbirds. Guenther made his debut with Seattle on February 10 in a 6-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels at the Accesso ShoWare Centre in Kent, Wash.

Brad Lambert had 38 points in 26 regular season games with Seattle.

He started the contest on a newly created line where he was on right wing, with Lambert at centre and Reid Schaefer, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers, on left wing. The Thunderbirds have kept that unit together ever since.

“I’ve got two great shots on my wings,” said Lambert, who father, Ross, played with the Blades in 1982-83. “I just use my playmaking to get them the puck.

“They’re doing a good job of finishing.”

Lambert found he had good chemistry playing with Guenther and Schaefer and added both wingers bring different dynamics to the table.

“I know when I give him (Guenther) the puck I’m going to get it back, or he is going to create something,” said Lambert. “Just the give and goes and playing together it harder for the other team to stop.

“Reido (Reid Schaefer) is great in front of the net. He has a big body. He is great on the forecheck and a fast skater too.

“It has been a good line.”

Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette has enjoyed having Lambert as part of the Thunderbirds. The bench boss said the young forward has surprised the Seattle coaching staff with how well rounded he has been in all parts of the game.

“He (Lambert) has been great for us,” said O’Dette. “Obviously, he is a highly skilled player.

Brad Lambert loves his teammates with the Thunderbirds.

“He really integrated himself well with our team right away. He was proud to be a T-bird. He is a great skater and dynamic player.

“He also competes and plays in the hard areas. That was a pleasant surprise for us. Obviously, we knew of him, but now that we’ve had him for a while here, he is a much more complete player than what we thought.”

O’Dette said Lambert rolled during the regular season with the Thunderbirds and has continued that roll in the post-season even with opposing clubs keying more on him and his line.

“He (Lambert) has picked up in the post-season right where he left off in the regular season,” said O’Dette. “He has been real good.

“Obviously, he is probably keyed on a little bit more in the playoffs. He has handled that real well. The height and physicality of the playoffs hasn’t bothered him at all.

“He has been really good for us.”

Lambert said the best about the Thunderbirds is he found he joined a group of good players, who are characters who have character. He enjoys coming to the rink, because he knows something fun will happen along with work getting done on the ice.

He has enjoyed playing with all his teammates on the Thunderbirds including the likes of Guenther, Schaefer, Davidson, Crnkovic, Thomas Milic, Luke Prokop, Nolan Allan, Colton Dach, Lucas Ciona, Jordan Gustafson, Kevin Korchinski, Jeremy Hanzel and Nico Myatovic.

Like himself, Guenther, Prokop, Allan, Crnkovic and Dach were all acquired via trades by the Thunderbirds since the club fell in the 2022 WHL final. Lambert said it has been cool to see the newcomers and the existing core of players come together.

“You wouldn’t know this team has been put together kind of throughout the season,” said Lambert. “You would think we have been together for many years.

Brad Lambert hopes to enjoy some good time at the Memorial Cup.

“Everyone is great and close with each other, so it is nice.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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WHL Playoffs all about the favourites in 2023

Post-season lacked drama for most part on major junior circuit

Seattle C Jared Davidson is pursued by two Ice players.

Outside of a pair of series involving the Saskatoon Blades, the WHL Playoffs were pretty “ho hum” in 2023.

In the 15 best-of-seven series that made up the WHL’s post-season bracket, the team that posted the better record in the regular season won 14 of those sets. The only time a team with the weaker regular season record took a series came in the WHL final, when the Seattle Thunderbirds took out the Winnipeg Ice in five games.

That series wasn’t that much of an upset at all.

The Ice topped the WHL regular season standings with a 57-10-1 mark and was rated third in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The 57 wins and 115 standings points are new franchise records for the Ice.

The Thunderbirds topped the Western Conference and finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-11-1-2 record. The U.S. Division champions were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. Seattle’s 54 wins and standings points total of 111 points are new regular season club records.

Looking back, you could have made a case that the Thunderbirds should have been favoured over the Ice in the WHL Championship Series.

Connor Bedard almost singlehandedly won a playoff series.

Seattle’s roster contains 10 players who have been drafted by NHL teams and seven players who participated in the last world juniors. Winnipeg’s roster contained eight players who have been drafted by NHL teams and one player who participated in the last world juniors.

Still, the WHL Playoffs were all about the favourites in 2023. When the favourites got rolling, it often produced series that were short ones.

Out of the 15 series that made up the WHL’s post-season, seven of those series ended in sweeps and three of those sets concluded in five games. Only five out of the 15 series in the WHL Playoffs could be classified as long ones with three series ending in six games and just two series needing a series deciding Game 7 to reach a conclusion.

The Blades were involved in both series that needed a deciding Game 7 in the 2023 post-season. They were involved in the playoffs most compelling series taking on Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats in the first round.

Bedard did his best to singlehandedly win that set recording 10 goals, 10 assists and a plus-eight rating in the plus-minus department in those seven contests. The Pats won the first two games, the Blades claimed Games 3 to 5, Regina was victorious in Game 6 and Saskatoon closed things off with a 4-1 victory in Game 7.

Blades utility player Spencer Shugrue (#26) became “Mr. Game 7.”

That Game 7 was played before a sellout crowd of 14,768 spectators at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon and created an electric atmosphere in the Blades home rink.

The Blades were involved with the best story when they took on the Red Deer Rebels in an Eastern Conference semifinal Series. The Rebels won the first three games of the set, and were up 2-0 after 20 minutes and 2-1 going into the third period of Game 4 at the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer.

A three-goal surge in the third period lifted the Blades to a 4-2 victory. That marked the first of four straight wins for the Saskatoon side allowing the Blades to become the third team in WHL history to rally back and win a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games of the set.

The Blades joined the 1996 Spokane Chiefs and the 2013 Kelowna Rockets as the only clubs in the history of the WHL to pull off that type of series comeback. Saskatoon took Game 7 of their series with the Rebels by a 5-2 score in front of an energized crowd of 9,489 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

Blades utility player Spencer Shugrue earned the nickname of “Mr. Game 7.” He had a goal and an assist in the Game 7 win over the Pats and two tallies in the Game 7 win over the Rebels.

Fatigue took its toll on Shugrue and the Blades gutty stars in Trevor Wong, Egor Sidorov, Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Brandon Lisowsky and the rest of the Saskatoon roster. The Blades were swept away by the Ice in the Eastern Conference Championships Series.

Ice C Matthew Savoie (#93) corners past Blades C Trevor Wong.

The Ice managed to get off the ropes in their Eastern Conference semifinal with the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Warriors led the series 2-1 and Game 4 in Moose Jaw went to overtime. Ice star centre Zack Ostapchuk scored in extra time to allow Winnipeg to take that contest 3-2 to even the series at 2-2.

Following that Game 4 win, the Ice pulled out a gritty 5-2 victory in Game 5 in Winnipeg and rolled to an 8-2 victory in Game 6 in Moose Jaw.

The Thunderbirds claimed a physical six-game set in the Western Conference Championship Series against the Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers are the host squad for the CHL’s championship tournament – the Memorial Cup. With that noted, they went full out to try and get to that event as WHL champions.

While the WHL Championship Series ended in five games, it was tightly contested. The Ice won the first contest, and the Thunderbirds rolled off four straight wins from there to claim their second league title in team history.

Game 4 of that series proved to be pivotal. The two sides entered the third period locked in a 2-2 tie, and the Thunderbirds scored twice in third to pull out a 4-2 victory at the Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash.

Had the Ice won that contest, the series would have been tied 2-2 and was guaranteed to go six games. That could have produced a different ending to the WHL final.

Thomas Milic was the MVP of the WHL Playoffs.

In Game 5 at the Accesso ShoWare Center, it seemed like it became a mental block came over the Ice players when it came to trying to shoot on Thunderbirds star netminder Thomas Milic. The Winnipeg players passed up many shooting opportunities in that contest.

The Thunderbirds skated away with a 3-1 win to claim the Ed Chynoweth Cup before a sellout crowd of 6,202 spectators and Milic was named the MVP of the WHL Playoffs.

Overall, the WHL Playoffs were predictable in 2023, and that kind of dulled the interest in the post-season outside of the Blades two series wins in Game 7 and a couple of other spots here and there.

The WHL Playoffs in 2023 just happened to be one of those years where there was a lack of drama in the post-season.

Habscheid joins Vienna Capitals as head coach

Marc Habscheid raises the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2019.

Marc Habscheid had elected to remain in Austria to coach for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign.

Habscheid, who is 60-years-old, was named the new head coach of the Vienna Capitals located in Vienna, Austria, of the ICE Hockey League in April shortly after the club’s former head coach in Dave Barr, who is 62-years-old, stepped down after two seasons. The Capitals posted a 24-17-7 record last season to finish sixth in the 13-team circuit.

Habscheid’s move to the Capitals came shortly after he resigned as head coach of Bemer Pioneers Vorarlberg located in Feldkirch, Austria. The Swift Current, Sask., product was the Pioneers first head coach and play on the same circuit as the Capitals. The Pioneers finished last on the 13-team circuit with an 11-34-3 mark.

Before heading over to Austria, Habscheid served as the head coach for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders from November 1, 2014 to July 14, 2022. He guided the Raiders to their second WHL championship in team history in the 2018-19 campaign.

Habscheid was a long time star coach in the WHL having spent time behind the bench of the Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets and the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals franchise before joining the Raiders. He guided the Rockets to a WHL championship in the 2002-03 campaign and a Memorial Cup title in 2003-04.

In 18 seasons as a WHL head coach, Habscheid has coached in 1,166 regular season games posting 582 wins, 456 losses and 128 games where his team earned standings points in ties and extra time setbacks. His 582 victories places him fifth on the WHL’s all-time career regular season wins list.

During his time as a head coach in the WHL, Habscheid’s teams made the post-season on 14 occasions and he coached in 139 games in the WHL Playoffs posting 75 wins and 64 losses. His 75 career victories in the WHL Playoffs are the seventh most in the history of the circuit.

Before becoming a coach, Habscheid had a lengthy playing career as a skilled centre skating in 345 NHL regular season games spread over 11 seasons from 1981 to 1992 with the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames where he recorded 72 goals and 91 assists.

He starred for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades from 1979 to 1982 before concluding his time on the major junior circuit playing six games with the Kamloops Junior Oilers in the 1982-83 campaign. In 148 career regular season WHL contests, Habscheid recorded 107 goals and 169 assists for 276 points. He was a member of Canada’s first gold medal at world juniors in the 1981-82 campaign.

Remparts, Petes round out Memorial Cup field, other notes

The Quebec Remparts and the Peterborough Petes will round out the field at the four-team Memorial Cup tournament.

The field already included the host Kamloops Blazers and the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds for the annual event that crowns a CHL champion. On Sunday, the Remparts captured the QMJHL title and the Petes claimed the OHL crown. The Memorial Cup starts this coming Friday and runs through to Sunday, June 4 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops.

The Remparts took the best-of-seven QMJHL final in six games against the Halifax Mooseheads. In Game 6 on Sunday, the Remparts trailed the Mooseheads 4-3 with less than three minutes remaining in the third period but rallied for a 5-4 victory before 10,300 spectators at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S.

The Remparts finished first overall in the QMJHL regular season standings with a 53-12-1-2 record and were rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Mooseheads finished second overall in the QMJHL regular season with a 50-11-4-3 mark and were rated seventh in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Petes claimed the best-of-seven OHL final in six games against the London Knights. In Game 6 on Sunday, the Petes slipped past the Knights 2-1 before a supportive home crowd of 4,101 spectators at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The Knights finished fifth overall in the OHL regular season standings with a 45-21-2 mark, while the Petes were 10^th overall with a 35-29-2-2 record.

The Memorial Cup opens on Friday with the host Blazers taking on the Remparts at 6 p.m. local time. The Thunderbirds face the Petes on Saturday at 3 p.m. local time. The championship final is slated for Sunday, June 4 at 4 p.m. local time.

• Last Thursday, Steve Konowalchuk stepped down as head coach of the Red Deer Rebels for family reasons. His family resides in Seattle, Wash. The 50-year-old Konowalchuk served as the Rebels head coach for the past two campaigns posting an 86-36-3-3 record in regular season action. The Rebels topped the WHL’s Central Division in 2022-23 with a 43-19-3-3 mark and were eliminated in the post-season in an Eastern Conference semifinal series by the Saskatoon Blades in seven games. Ryan Colville, who is 40-years-old, also resigned as a Rebels assistant coach last Thursday in order to look for a coaching position closer to his home in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Last Friday, Kamloops Blazers left-winger Daylan Kuefler signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the New York Islanders. In 54 regular season games with the Blazers this season, Kuefler, who turned 21-years-old in February, recorded 31 goals, 30 assists and a plus-32 rating in the plus-minus category. Kuefler’s assists, points and plus-minus totals were all career highs.
• The AJHL’s Brooks Bandits are building a junior A dynasty. On Sunday, the AJHL champion Bandits blanked the SJHL champion Battlefords North Stars 4-0 in the championship game of the Centennial Cup tournament held in Portage la Prairie, Man. The Bandits allowed just four goals in six games. They have won the Centennial Cup the last three times it has been awarded and four times total in team history.
• On May 9, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a piece on Evan Johnson, who is the starting right guard with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. Johnson likes giving back to the sport of football by coaching young players at the grassroots level of the game representing the Roughriders at community events. The piece on Johnson can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that shows the spring season at the Complex finally hitting high speed. That post can be found by clicking right here.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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