Online noise around Blades’ “Pride Night” game just noise

Contest was ultimately just a good night at rink

A Saskatoon Blades “Pride Night” T-shirt.

For some social media trolls, the fact the Saskatoon Blades had a “Pride Night” game for a third straight season was a sign that the Apocalypse is upon us.

When it came to the reality at the rink, it was just a good hockey game night.

On Friday, the Blades partnered with Discover Saskatoon to hold their “Pride Night” game for a third straight season when they faced the Red Deer Rebels in a WHL regular season contest. The Blades use the game to honour the LGBTQ+ community.

Saskatoon’s WHL squad collaborates with local inclusion groups and organizations in planning what will go on in those particular nights.

While about two or three trolls between the Blades social media Facebook and Instagram accounts said no one would show up and there would be a protest, a total of 3,758 spectators turned out to the SaskTel Centre on Friday and there were no protests.

Those that showed up saw the Blades prevail 4-2 in an entertaining contest on the strength of import star right-winger Egor Sidorov recording a hat trick and an assist. The 19-year-old, who is in this third season in the WHL, had the big night with his parents in attendance flying over from Belarus to watch him play a live WHL game for the first time.

Overall, that contest felt like a regular night at a Blades WHL home game where a tip of the cap was given to LGBTQ+ community. In the grand scheme of things, that is what you want to get out of a “Pride Night” game.

Helen Thunderchild sings the national anthem on Friday night.

The first two times the Blades held a “Pride Night” game a tonne of the comments that appeared on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts promoting that contest were downright horrible to read. On Twitter, anonymous accounts often made cringe worthy comments.

On January 22, 2022, the Blades held their first “Pride Night” game where they dumped the Winnipeg Ice 7-2. Just two days later, Emilie Castonguay was hired as an assistant general manager by the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.

I found a Twitter, which is now known as “X,” account state something unflattering about the Blades “Pride Night” post. That account had just over 100 followers and was based in Alberta, which fed into some bad stereotypes there that Saskatchewan seems to share.

After the announcement came out that the Canucks hired Castonguay, that same account wrote a comment that all women and just men in same sex relationships have no place in hockey. I was stunned that someone would write those exact words out, but with how crazy the state of the world is, maybe I shouldn’t have been that stunned.

Cringe worthy comments hit the Blades social media accounts the second time they hosted a “Pride Night” game in the 2022-23 campaign. Leading up to the Blades third “Pride Night” game on Friday, I only saw a handful of awful comments on “X,” and those comments again came from anonymous accounts.

The OUTSaskatoon booth at the Blades’ “Pride Night” game.

Horrible comments were made more on the Facebook and Instagram posts the Blades made about the “Pride Night” game. 

From what I could gather, it seemed there were about six total accounts making all those comments on the Blades Facebook and Instagram posts about the “Pride Night” game.

All of those accounts appeared to be connected to real actual people, and it looked like five of them were indeed from Saskatoon and the area surrounding Saskatoon. 

Those accounts were a step up in the fact those people let their actual names stand by what they were saying.

If you really want to know who those people are, feel free to scroll through the posts the Blades made on their Facebook and Instagram accounts on their “Pride Night” game. In the grand scheme of things, that was a small group of people attempting to make a big bark.

At the game itself, Saskatoon Pride and OUTSaskatoon both had booths set up in the concourse. A chuck a puck contest was being held for a Blades “Pride” themed jersey from their first “Pride Night.”

The Saskatoon Pride booth at the Blades’ “Pride Night” game.

Some of fans came to the game wearing the Blades “Pride” themed game worn jerseys they won on online auctions from the first two “Pride Nights.”

The Blades logo on their video scoreboard was rainbow coloured, and Helen Thunderchild, who has done a lot of work helping the LGBTQ+ community, sang the national anthem.

Blades mascot Poke Check had a “Go Blades” sign that was rainbow coloured and rainbow coloured tape ran up the handles of the push scrapers the Blades Blue Crew used to scrape the ice during media timeout stoppages.

The Blades players had “Pride Tape” on their sticks during warm-ups. They didn’t wear any “Pride” themed jerseys on this night or have “Pride Tape” on their sticks come game time. They sported their regular attire that goes with their white uniforms.

During the second intermission, a video piece was shown on Luke Prokop, who was first person to play in the WHL having come out as openly gay. Prokop is currently playing professionally for the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.

Poke Check with rainbow colour lettering in his signs.

While it would have been fun for the Blades to have “Pride” themed jerseys again as the ones they wore for their first two “Pride Night” games were outstanding, their “Pride Night” game on Friday had a good feeling to it in the building.

I should note once again the Blades collaborate with local inclusion groups and organizations in planning what will go on in those particular nights. When you are in the SaskTel Centre for one of the Blades “Pride Night” games, it feels like hockey is for all.

The Blades are genuine in following the belief that hockey is for all, and it great they continue to keep going with their “Pride Night” games.

Tastad nets winner for Blades, other notes

Morgan Tastad had a goal and an assist for the Blades on Saturday.

Rookie defenceman Morgan Tastad couldn’t have found a better time to pick up his first career WHL goal.

On Saturday with his Saskatoon Blades locked in a 3-3 tie with the Warriors at the Moose Jaw Events Centre in Moose Jaw, Tastad fired home the first goal of his WHL career with 4:07 remaining in the third period to give the Blades a 4-3 lead. The score held up as the final outcome to the disappointment of most of the 3,313 spectators in attendance.

On top of netting the winning goal, the 17-year-old Tastad, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 188 pounds, picked up his first career WHL point with an assist on a goal from 16-year-old rookie right-winger Hudson Kibblewhite, who scored at the 2:16 mark of the first period. Kibblewhite’s goal opened the scoring in the contest.

In 25 games this season for the Blades, Tastad has one goal, one assist and a minus-one rating in the plus-minus department.

Right before the opening frame ended, defenceman Kalem Parker potted a goal for the Warriors to even the score at 1-1. Warriors star 19-year-old centre Jagger Firkus tallied with 4:24 remaining in the second to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Star centre Fraser Minten and standout left-winger Easton Armstrong scored early in the third to give the Blades a 3-2 advantage. Warriors star 20-year-old centre Atley Calvert tallied with 7:54 remaining in the third to even the score at 3-3. That set the stage for Tastad to come through with the winner.

Blades star 20-year-old captain Trevor Wong and star import right-winger Egor Sidorov each had a pair of assists in the win. Calvert had an assist to go with his goal in the setback for the Warriors.

Evan Gardner made 30 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Blades (21-8-1). The Blades have won their last five straight. Jackson Unger turned away 22 shots to take the setback in net for the Warriors (17-12-0-2).

The Blades return to action on Sunday when they host the Calgary Hitmen (4 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Warriors get back at it on Tuesday when they host the Kelowna Rockets (7 p.m., Moose Jaw Events Centre).

• The Prince Albert Raiders dropped a 2-1 decision to the visiting Red Deer Rebels at the Art Hauser Centre on Saturday night. Zane Saab and Talon Brigley scored for the Rebels, while Sloan Stanick replied for the Raiders. Chase Wutzke made 35 saves in goal for the Rebels, while Max Hildebrand stopped 27 shots in net for the Raiders.
• The Medicine Hat Tigers slipped past the host Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 on Saturday night at Rogers Place. Cayden Lindstrom, Josh Van Mulligen and Tomas Mrsic scored for the Tigers, while Gavin Hodnett and Roan Woodward replied for the Oil Kings. Zach Zahara stopped 31 shots in goal for the Tigers, while Kolby Hay turned away 41 shots in net for the Oil Kings.
• The Swift Current Broncos downed the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-1 at the InnovationPlex on Saturday night. Luke Mistelbacher scored twice for the Broncos, while Connor Hvidston had a single into an empty net. Logan Wormald replied for the Hurricanes. Matthew Kieper stopped 21 shots in goal for the Broncos. Brady Smith turned away 22-of-24 shots in net for the Hurricanes.
• The Kelowna Rockets got past the host Regina Pats 5-4 at the Brandt Centre on Saturday night. Hiroki Gojsic and Tij Iginla each scored twice for the Rockets, while Gabriel Szturc had a single. Parker Berge had a hat trick for the Pats, who had a single from Borya Valis. Jari Kykkanen stopped 28 shots in goal for the Rockets. Ewan Huet turned away 18 shots in net for the Pats.
• On Saturday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a piece catching up with longtime softball coach Noreen Murphy, who entered the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame as a builder on September 23. The piece on Murphy can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that shows the fun that can be found at the Indoor Training Centre and shows pictures from an exciting football championship game. 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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