Swift Current makes charge at first in Central
Division
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| The Broncos have been enjoying goal celebrations and wins. |
Way back in the 2017-18 campaign, the Broncos went all in on a quest to win the WHL championship. They finished second overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 48-17-5-2 mark. In an epic post-season run, the Broncos captured their third league title in team history and appeared in the Memorial Cup tournament that determines a CHL champion held in Regina in May of that year.
Since that campaign, the Broncos haven’t been able to return to the WHL Playoffs until clinching a post-season berth in the current campaign.
They suffered heartbreaks in each of the past two seasons when it came to capturing a WHL post-season berth. Last season, the Broncos needed to win their last regular season game in regulation against the Tigers in Medicine Hat to make the playoffs.
In that contest played on March 25, 2023, the Broncos jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. The Tigers responded by scoring four straight goals and ultimately held on for a 4-3 victory.
Medicine Hat finished eighth in the Eastern Conference capturing the conference’s final playoff berth with a 30-29-8-1 record. Swift Current finished three standings points back of the Tigers with a 31-33-1-3 mark.
In the 2021-22 campaign, the Broncos needed to claim victory in their last regular season game played against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders to lock away a post-season berth. The Raiders came away with a 4-1 victory in that contest played on April 15, 2022 to end Swift Current’s campaign.
The Raiders took eighth place and the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with 28-35-4-1 mark. The Broncos finished two standings points behind the Raiders with a 26-35-5-2 record.
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| Conor Geekie has been a big addition to the Broncos. |
On January 4, the Broncos acquired 19-year-old star centre Conor Geekie in a trade with the Wenatchee Wild. In return, the Wild received 18-year-old defenceman Sam Ward, defenceman Josh Fluker, who turned 18-years-old on January 3, rookie 17-year-old left-winger Maddix McCagherty, first and second round selections in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft, a first round selection in the 2026 Prospects Draft and a seventh round selection in the 2027 Prospects Draft.
On January 10 before the passing of the WHL’s trade deadline, the Broncos acquired overage defenceman Tyson Galloway from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for a second and a third round selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.
To make room for Galloway, the Broncos dealt overage right-winger Tyson Laventure to the Victoria Royals for a fifth round selection in the 2026 Prospects Draft.
At first, it didn’t appear the moves were going to do much to improve the Broncos fortunes. On January 28, they dropped a 3-2 decision in overtime to the Blades in Saskatoon. Following that result, the Broncos record sat at 22-18-3-2, and they sat third in the Central Division 11 standings points behind the first place Tigers.
Since that overtime setback, the Broncos have gone 13-2-1 in their last 16 outings to improve to 35-20-4-2 to officially clinch a berth in the WHL Playoffs. They sit one point behind the Tigers (35-22-5-2) for first in the Central and have three games in hand on the Medicine Hat side.
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| Owen Pickering has 38 points for the Broncos this season. |
The contest ended with a line brawl that saw Dawson Gerwing and Petr Pavelec of the Broncos and Charlie Elick and Carter Klippenstein all being assessed fighting majors. The fight between Gerwing and Klippenstein was tabbed as being a second fight starting after the one between Pavelec and Elick.
Also during that contest, one of the spectators in the crowd threw a big plastic trash can inside the Wheat Kings bench.
As of Monday night, there hasn’t been any news if any disciplinary action will be handed out by the WHL office.
Aside from the extra-circulars, the Broncos have a solid squad. Geekie leads the team in scoring recording 86 points coming off 37 goals and 49 assists to go with a plus-46 rating in the plus-minus department in 48 games played between the Broncos and Wild.
Sophomore left-winger Clarke Caswell is having a breakout season recording 21 goals, 46 assists and a plus-10 rating appearing in all the Broncos 61 games so far this season. Star left-winger Josh Filmon is having another solid campaign posting 26 goals, 35 assists and a plus-12 rating in 58 games for the Broncos.
Offensive-defenceman Owen Pickering tops the Broncos in blue-line scoring with 38 points coming off six goals and 32 assists to go with a plus-15 rating.
Reid Dyck has rounded out as a solid starter in net posting a 22-6-2 record, a 2.66 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and two shutouts.
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| Josh Filmon has 26 goals and 35 assists for the Broncos this season. |
The Broncos will try to keep their roll going over their final seven regular season games. They travel to Prince Albert to face the Raiders (30-27-2-3) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.
Following that contest, the Broncos face the Tigers in a huge home-and-home series. The two sides meet at the InnovationPlex on Friday at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat at 7 p.m. local time.
When the WHL post-season comes around at the end of the month, it might feel like the spring of 2018 for the Broncos.
Blades on cusp of Eastern Conference clinch,
other notes
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| Brandon Lisowsky had a penalty shot OT winner on Saturday. |
The Blades lead the WHL standings with a 45-12-2-3 mark. They need to collect just one standings point in their final six regular season contests to lock up first in the Eastern Conference. Their first chance to obtain that one standings point comes on Tuesday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings (30-27-6-1) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
Finishing first overall in the WHL is another matter. The Blades need to obtain nine standings points over their last six games to lock up top spot overall in the circuit.
Saskatoon sits five points ahead of the Western Conference leading Prince George Cougars (43-15-1-3), who sit second overall in the WHL. The Portland Winterhawks (43-15-2-1), who are second in the Western Conference and third overall in the WHL, sit six points behind the Blades. The Winterhawks have a game in hand on both the Blades and Cougars.
Of course, the amount of points the Blades need to collect in the standings to finish first overall in the WHL could change depending on results involving games with the Cougars and Winterhawks.
The Blades have won their last three games in a row. In their last outing this past Saturday, the Blades downed the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 2-1 in overtime at the SaskTel Centre. Blades star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky pulled of a rarity scoring the winner on a penalty shot just 42 seconds into the extra session.
That contest saw the Blades retire the #39 of the team’s all-time great in Frank Banham. Banham played four seasons for the Blades from 1992 to 1996 appearing in 278 career regular season games collecting 190 goals and 180 assists for 370 points. He is the Blades all-time leader in career goals and points.
The last time the Blades finished first overall in the WHL was when they posted a 56-13-1-2 mark in the 2010-11 campaign, which is the club’s all-time best record for one regular season.
- On Monday, the WHL handed out its weekly awards for the week ending on Sunday. Kelowna Rockets right-winger Andrew Cristall was the player of the week, Kolby Hay of the Edmonton Oil Kings was the goaltender of the week, and right-winger Terik Parascak was the rookie of the week.
- Spokane Chiefs centre Berkly Catton is having an outstanding sophomore season. The Saskatoon product, who turned 18-years-old in January, sits fourth in WHL scoring with 105 points coming off 49 goals and 56 assists to go with a plus-11 rating. Catton is a top prospect to be selected in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft to be held June 28 and 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Medicine Hat Tigers 16-year-old rookie left-winger Gavin McKenna is going to need a big game or two in his team’s final four regular season outings to hit the 100-point plateau. McKenna has 90 points coming off 31 goals and 59 assists. McKenna is trying to become the fifth 16-year-old in the history of the WHL to record 100-or-more points.
- Saskatoon Blades 20-year-old captain Trevor Wong lead the WHL with 79 assists. He also had 13 goals to go with a plus-20 rating.
- You have to love the battle of the Edmonton Oil Kings. They have been eliminated from playoff contention and are playing out the string with a 23-36-3-1 mark. Still, they are playing every contest like it is Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.
- It is great to see Dave Dawson serving as the play-by-play voice of the Edmonton Oil Kings. He officially became the Oil Kings play-by-play voice on February 1 after former Oil Kings play-by-play voice Andrew Peard took a new role with OEG Sports and Entertainment with the Edmonton Oilers communications department. Dawson is one of the good guys in broadcasting who has more than paid his dues. It would be cool if this turned into something big for him.
- On Saturday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on young right-handed softball pitcher Emma Frisky, who was named to Softball Canada’s Under-18 Women’s National Team. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that showed the winter season in its stretch run with the spring season peaking around the corner. That post can be found by clicking right here.
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