WHL’s Eastern Conference final opens on
Friday
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| Evan Gardner covers up a puck in goal for the Blades. |
It might be unfair to just look at the guys playing between the pipes when it comes to a hockey playoff series, but the reality is the netminders are the first players anyone checks out when a team wins or loses in the post-season. When it comes to the conference championship round in the WHL Playoffs, a goalie making one or two impossible saves usually makes the different in which team moves on and which club heads into the off-season thinking about what might have been.
This year’s WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series features two clubs in search of their first league title as the Saskatoon Blades take on the Moose Jaw Warriors. The best-of-seven series begins on Friday with Game 1 set for 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
This also marks the first time the Eastern Conference final will be an all-Saskatchewan battle since 1993. Back in 1993, the Swift Current Broncos swept away the Regina Pats and advanced to win the WHL title.
In the 2023-24 campaign, the Blades finished first overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 50-13-2-3 record and are 8-1 advancing through the first two rounds of the post-season. Saskatoon was also rated sixth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.
The Warriors placed fifth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 44-21-0-3 mark and are also 8-1 in advancing through the first two rounds of the post-season.
Saskatoon is in the Eastern Conference final for a second straight year. Moose Jaw is in the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2012.
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| Jackson Unger became the Warriors starting goalie this season. |
The Blades front end features captain Trevor Wong, who had 101 points in the regular season coming off 15 goals and 86 assists, star right-winger Egor Sidorov, who has 50 goals and 88 points in the regular season and star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky, who had 42 goals and 80 points in the regular season.
Saskatoon’s other top players up front include star centre Fraser Minten, who is a big prospect of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, Alexander Suzdalev, star overage left-winger Easton Armstrong, while Vaughn Watterodt, Lukas Hansen and Rowan Calvert provide great depth.
The Blades will be without Armstrong for the first two games of the Eastern Conference final as he finishes out a four-game suspension for receiving a charging major and a game misconduct in the Blades 2-1 overtime win over the Red Deer Rebels at home on April 14.
Armstrong was given his infractions in Game 2 of the series with the Rebels after he bowled over Red Deer netminder Chase Wutzke.
The Warriors counter with 19-year-old star centre Jagger Firkus up front, who lead the WHL in regular season scoring with 126 points coming off 61 goals and 65 assists. Atley Calvert, who is a 20-year-old centre, had 47 goals and 95 points in the regular season for the Warriors, while centre Brayden Yager, who turned 19-years-old in January, had 35 goals and 95 points in the regular season.
Moose Jaw’s other top players up front include savvy veteran Matthew Savoie, Brayden Schuurman and Czech import Martin Rysavy, while Lynden Lakovic, Pavel McKenzie, Rilen Kovacevic and Ethan Semeniuk provide sound depth.
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| Trevor Wong posted 101 points in the regular season. |
The Blades have no problem rolling out a group of seven on the back end in Tanner Molendyk, Charlie Wright, Ben Saunderson, John Babcock, Grayden Siepmann, Nicholas Andrusiak and Morgan Tastad. The Warriors counter with captain Denton Mateychuk, Kalem Parker, Lucas Brenton, Connor Schmidt and Czech product Vojtech Port.
In goal, the starters for both teams weren’t WHL starters a season ago. All eyes will be focusing to see how they handle the bright lights of the Eastern Conference final.
Evan Gardner had an outstanding breakout rookie campaign for the Blades. Gardner, who turned 18-years-old in January, appeared in 30 regular season games for the Blades posting a 21-5-2 record, a 1.91 goals against average, a .927 save percentage and four shutouts. The Fort St. John, B.C., product’s goals against average was the lowest in the WHL and his save percentage topped the circuit.
In the WHL Playoffs, Gardner has appeared in eight games for the Blades posting a 7-0 record, a 1.66 goals against average, a .928 save percentage and one shutout.
Unger is in his third season with the Warriors, and he has improved as he has carried the starter’s load in the 2023-24 campaign. In 54 appearances in the regular season, Unger, who turned 19-years-old in January, posted a 35-15-2 record, a 3.08 goals against average, a .908 save percentage and three shutouts.
In nine appearances in the WHL Playoffs, Unger has posted an 8-1 record, a 3.29 goals against average, a .903 save percentage.
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| Jagger Firkus topped the WHL in regular season scoring. |
If Unger falters, the Warriors would have to turn to 17-year-old rookie Dimitri Fortin or have to dress 19-year-old veteran Evan May.
Going into Eastern Conference final, one would have to give the Blades the edge in net with Gardner’s performance this season and the fact the Blades can turn to Elliott if need be.
Still, the opportunity is there for the netminders on either side to create a reputation at the WHL level of being a championship level clutch puck stopper. Now we get to see who will be “the guy” in net and take their game to the next level.
Cougars, Winterhawks battle for Western Conference
title
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| Zac Funk led the WHL with 67 goals in the regular season. |
The Prince George Cougars will face the Portland Winterhawks in a best-of-seven set to determine who advances to the WHL Championship Series. Game 1 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. local time at the CN Centre in Prince George.
The Cougars finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 49-15-1-3 mark and have gone 8-1 in the post-season. Prince George topped the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.
The Winterhawks finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 mark and have won all eight of their outings in the post-season. Portland was rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.
The Cougars are making their first appearance in the Western Conference final since 2007. The Cougars franchise has won one WHL title coming back in 1981, when the club was located in Victoria.
Since setting up shop in Portland on June 11, 1976, the Winterhawks have been one of the WHL’s most storied teams winning three league titles in 1982, 1998 and 2013. They also captured the Memorial Cup as CHL champions on two occasions in 1983 and 1998.
This will be Portland’s first appearance in the Western Conference final since 2015.
The Winterhawks were the original Edmonton Oil Kings franchise that existed in the Alberta capital from 1950 to 1976. During those years as the Oil Kings, the franchise claimed WHL titles in 1971 and 1972. The franchise won Memorial Cup titles in 1963 and 1966 before the WHL played its inaugural campaign in 1966-67.
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| Gabe Klassen had 106 points in the regular season. |
Hudson Thornton, who is 20-years-old, topped the Cougars in defence scoring with 74 points coming off 18 goals and 56 assists.
Joshua Ravensbergen has had a breakout season as a 17-year-old rookie netminder for the Cougars. In 38 appearances in the regular season, Ravensberger posted a 26-4-2 record, a 2.46 goals against average, a .907 save percentage and six shutouts.
Star 20-year-old centre Gabe Klassen led the Winterhawks in regular season scoring with 106 points coming off 35 goals and 71 assists. James Stefan, Nate Danielson and Josh Davies give the Winterhawks explosive firepower up front.
Star 19-year-old defenceman Luca Cagnoni topped the WHL in defence scoring during the regular season with 90 points coming off 18 goals and 72 assists.
Jan Spunar, who is the Winterhawks star Czech import netminder, has had a stellar campaign. In 35 appearances in the regular season, he posted a 25-6-3 record, a 2.12 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and two shutouts.
Due to the distance between Prince George and Portland, the Western Conference Championship Series will be conducted in a two-three-two format. The Cougars host Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, while the Winterhawks host Games 3, 4 and 5.
Overall, this series has the potential to be an all-time classic.
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