Canucks latest reminder COVID-19 pandemic is not over

A Bo Horvat card.

The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks have unfortunately become the poster example that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is not over.

While vaccines for COVID-19 are rolling out across Canada, some areas of the country increased restrictions to try and combat the virus as variants of concern become an increasing issue.

Over the Easter weekend, the halt of the Canucks NHL season caught the attention of the country.

As of Monday night, the Canucks have 17 players on the NHL’s COVID protocol list. The list doesn’t mean a player has tested positive, but a player could be a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Another unnamed player from the taxi squad is quarantining as a high-risk close contact, and three members of the Canucks coaching staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

It is reported that the NHL and the Canucks are proceeding under the belief they are dealing with the highly-transmissible P.1 variant, which was first identified in Brazil. At the moment, Vancouver is a global hotspot for the P.1 variant.

The P.1 variant is believed to be more transmissible and is capable of infecting people who were once infected by the original strain of COVID-19.

It is believed vaccines for COVID-19 that have been created to date are less effective on the P.1 variant, and people who get the variant can experience more severe sickness compared to the original strain of the virus.

It is believed younger people are more susceptible to a severe outcome, if they get infected by the P.1 variant.

The Canucks COVID-19 troubles began on March 30, when centre Adam Gaudette was pulled from practice after next day results from the previous day’s testing came back positive for COVID-19.

A Brandon Sutter card.

Last Wednesday, defenceman Travis Hamonic found out he had tested positive for COVID-19 from testing done the previous day after he participated in a morning skate. The Canucks ultimately held two on ice sessions with infected players.

That resulted in last Wednesday’s NHL regular season game between the Canucks and the visiting Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena being postponed 90 minutes before puck drop.

By this past Friday, the Canucks had seven players on their COVID protocol list. Another seven players were added this past Saturday and situation grew to the levels it sat at on Monday night.

Those on the COVID protocol list included the likes of forwards Bo Horvat, Jayce Hawyrluk, Brandon Sutter and Antoine Roussel, defencemen Tyler Myers and Quinn Hughes and netminder Braden Holtby, who is an alumnus of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

The Canucks have had a couple of instances where dehydration was severe enough that team medical staffers were dispatched to player homes to administer IV drips to players.

There have been reports that many family members of Canucks players have tested positive or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

As of Monday night, the Canucks have had six games postponed due to this COVID-19 outbreak including tilts with the Flames in Calgary this coming Thursday and Saturday.

The Canucks last played at Rogers Arena when they fell 5-1 to the visiting Winnipeg Jets on March 24.

At the moment, the Canucks are slated to play again on April 12 against the Oilers in Edmonton.

The Canucks have played 37 of their 56 regular season games for the current campaign posting a 16-18-3 record. They sit eight points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff berth in the all-Canadian North Division.

At the moment, there is no clear certainty as to when the Canucks will return to the ice.

An Antoine Roussel card.

In an interview with Eric Francis of Sportsnet.ca on Monday, former NHLer Brent Sutter, who is the head coach, general manager and owner of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, said he is concerned for his son Brandon, who plays for the Canucks, and Brandon’s family.

Brent confirmed that Brandon had indeed tested positive for COVID-19, and even though Brandon is 32-years-old, Brent said the parental instincts have kicked in, and he wished he could at his son’s side helping him out.

At the moment, no professional team in North America has had a rougher time dealing with COVID-19 than the Canucks have had.

The Canucks are an example that shows how real the COVID-19 pandemic still is.

Of course, the mixed messages are plenty when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. An MLB regular season game on Monday that saw the Toronto Blue Jays down the host Texas Rangers 6-2 drew 38,238 spectators to the 40,300 seat Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

The state of Texas is allowing 100 per cent capacity for sporting events.

Many that are against everything that is being done on the restrictions front to combat the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to pop the champagne corks at Monday’s developments Arlington celebrating the end to the pandemic.

It should be noted that the United States is still experiencing at least 50,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day, which is still an improvement of daily increases of 200,000 new cases at the start of the year.

Still, the new case counts that are happening in the United States, Canada and the rest of the world are still a problem.

COVID-19 is still a problem that creeps up in the sports world including Canada’s sports world.

The WHL’s Kelowna Rockets are in the middle of a 14-day suspension of team activities due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

A Quinn Hughes card.

The junior A Alberta Junior Hockey League currently has six teams in the Grande Prairie Storm, Drayton Valley Thunder, White Court Wolverines, Okotoks Oilers, Camrose Kodiaks and Drumheller Dragons who are all under a 14-day suspension of team activities due to positive COVID-19 tests.

You can continue to keep listing examples like this.

Overall, the NHL’s Canucks have been the biggest recent noticeable example about how quickly things can still escalate on the COVID-19 front.

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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Noise on hockey major junior transfers misplaced

Jake Neighbours in action for the Oil Kings in 2019.

When it comes to people being upset over the transfer of major junior hockey players, the noise of the bark might be the most minor annoying thing.

In Western Canada, the idea of major junior transfers really came to light publicly on Oct. 23, when the WHL announced it had granted temporary transfers to WHL roster players to continue their development playing competitive hockey in junior A, junior B or the under-18 levels.

These loans are slated to expire on Dec. 20.

At the moment, the WHL is still planning to start its upcoming regular season on January 8, 2021. WHL clubs are planning to open training camps after the Christmas break.

Of course, the sport of hockey is trying to deal with the fact the world is in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Those in hockey are trying to do the best they can to keep the sport motoring along like those in all other aspects in life are trying to adjust to the pandemic the best they can.

Due to the pandemic, revenues that usually run to the sports world, including hockey, have been cut dramatically. As a result, many junior A hockey teams have moved more to a pay to play type of format.

Those transferring down from the WHL will have their hockey related expenses covered by their major junior club. If WHL players that transfer down have signed NHL contracts, they likely are already benefitting from getting some extra resources from their NHL team.

Cole Fonstad in action for the Raiders in 2018-19.

There have been some in the worlds of junior A, junior B and the under-18 levels who have cried foul, because a WHL veteran is taking the spot of a player that paid to play.

I think what people are forgetting is the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic. At the moment, the best way for athletes to get games in at any level is to play in leagues that are as regionally based as possible.

Leagues that have to frequently cross borders provincially or with the United States are going to have the toughest time to get going.

At the moment, Everett Silvertips overage left-winger Cole Fonstad, who helped the Prince Albert Raiders win a WHL title in 2019, is playing for his hometown Estevan Bruins in junior A’s Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Fonstad is connected with his community and odds are high he had connections with the Bruins. If he wants to play for his hometown junior A team during these crazy pandemic times, he should be allowed to do that, and that is exactly what happened in his case.

As a bonus, he gets a rare chance to play at home. The Bruins are slated to open their SJHL regular season schedule by traveling to Melville on Friday to face the Millionaires. The Bruins are scheduled to host the Millionaires on Saturday in Estevan.

Ozzy Wiesblatt in action for the Raiders last season.

Some of those raising their arms up against these major junior transfers say it will spoil the chemistry on teams in the junior A, junior B and under-18 ranks. These arguments are made with the belief that everything in the sports world will play out as scheduled without any speed bumps.

Newsflash – the world is in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. A positive COVID-19 test on any of these hockey teams could throw a schedule in flux. Just look at the headaches the CHL’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has dealt with for at least the past four weeks with multiple positive COVID-19 tests on some teams.

A number of clubs had to stop activities for being located in areas of the province of Quebec that are designated red zones.

Starting this past Monday, all hockey activities in the Manitoba capital city of Winnipeg have ceased for a period of 14 days at the moment as that centre works to halt the increase of new COVID-19 cases.

All it takes is one public health order from stopping any of these teams and leagues in their tracks.

There are no guarantees the junior A Centennial Cup national championship tournament for the 2020-21 campaign will go ahead. The Keystone Cup tournament to crown a junior B champion for Western Canada might not be played.

The Telus Cup tournament to determine an under-18 AAA male national championship hockey team and the Esso Cup tournament to determine an under-18 AAA female national championship hockey club are still at the risk of not going forward.

Rhett Rhinehart in action for the Blades last season.

It is still entirely possible the WHL season won’t get off the ground and the same goes for the OHL season.

Nothing is operating as it normally should in these COVID-19 pandemic times, and people have to remember that.

Raiders right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt and Edmonton Oil Kings left-winger Jake Neighbours have been loaned to the junior A Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Wiesblatt went in the first round and 31^st overall in October’s NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks and has since signed with the Sharks.

Neighbours was picked in the first round and 26^th overall in that same NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He has since signed with the Blues.

Let them play and keep getting competitive games with the Bandits.

The Saskatoon Blades loaned veteran defenceman Rhett Rhinehart, who will turn 19-years-old near the end of the month, to Flin Flon Bombers, who are a junior A team in Manitoba that plays in the SJHL.

Let Rhinehart skate with the Bombers.

It is possible these transfers could remain with their respective junior A through the end of the 2020-21 campaign and still not play for a national title.

Alex Bernauer in action for the Contacts last season.

At the under-18 AAA level, forward Alex Bernauer of the Saskatoon Contacts might have been a 17-year-old rookie with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades had times been normal.

The Contacts roster contains dynamic 15-year-old forwards Riley Heidt and Brayden Yager, who are pegged to be in the WHL as 16-year-olds in 2021-22. In April’s WHL Bantam Draft, Heidt was picked in the first round and second overall by the Prince George Cougars and Yager went in the first round and third overall to the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Let all three of those talented forwards be teammates on the Contacts.

The major junior transfers are something that is reasonable and should be applauded for being done to make the best out of these COVID-19 pandemic times.

ACAC cancels winter season, other notes

Megan Nagy (#1) makes a block for the Rattlers in 2012.

The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference will not be having a 2020-21 campaign

On Wednesday, the ACAC announced it was cancelling its extended 2021 winter semester season due to the fact most of its member institutions were extending on-line program delivery into the winter semester due to a surge of COVID-19 cases in the province of Alberta.

In June, the ACAC had cancelled its fall season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with Wednesday’s announcement, the ACAC will not be hosting any athletic competitions for the 2020-21 campaign.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ACAC announced it supports its member institutions’ efforts in protecting the health and safety of students and the broader community.

The released added that no status for the 2021-22 campaign has been determined at this time.

On Tuesday, the Medicine Hat College Rattlers said they had made the decision to forgo competing in the ACAC winter season in basketball, volleyball and futsal.

The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, which is the national umbrella the ACAC plays under, had officially cancelled all of its national championship tournaments in June.

• On Wednesday, the Alberta Junior Hockey League announced a member of the Whitecourt Wolverines had tested positive for COVID-19. The junior A exhibition encounters between the Wolverines and Drayton Valley Thunder have been cancelled. The two sides were set to play Friday night in Drayton Valley and Saturday night in Whitecourt.
• On Wednesday, the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers shut down their facility after receiver Kendrick Bourne tested positive for COVID-19. He immediately went into self-quarantine and is on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Later on Wednesday, receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Trent Williams were added to the 49ers reserve/COVID-19 list for being in close contact with Bourne. All four of those players are out of the 49ers lineup for their upcoming game. The 49ers (4-4) are as still slated to host the Green Bay Packers (5-2) on Thursday night.
• Gregg Drinnan put together another round up on how the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on the sports world in his Taking Note blog on Tuesday. His Tuesday 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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Sam will always be the “Man of Steel” for the Pats

Sam Steel will always be one of the Pats all-time greats.

    If you made any type of joke about how Sam Steel wasn’t the best interview subject, you automatically felt bad about it, because he was that good of a guy.

    During his time with the Regina Pats, the star centre’s actions always spoke way louder than his words. When it game to talking to the media in post-game interviews, he was more of a quiet person, but his skills in that department greatly improved as his WHL career progressed.

    With the Pats, the Sherwood Park, Alta., product morphed into a superhero. He became “The Man of Steel” with all the big plays he made for the Pats.

    In 258 career regular season games with the Pats, Steel piled up 123 goals, 215 assists for 338 points and a plus-78 rating in the plus-minus department. His career assists total rates sixth all-time and points total 10^th all-time in the history of the Pats.

Pats captain Sam Steel (#23) breaks past a Titan defenceman Adam Holwell.

    Steel, who stands 6-feet and weighs 184 pounds, appeared in 44 career WHL playoff games with the Pats collecting 18 goals, 39 assists and a plus-18 rating. At the Memorial Cup tournament that wrapped up on Sunday in Regina, Steel topped the tournament in scoring with two goals and 11 assists in five games.

    He claimed the Stafford Smythe Trophy as tournament MVP and was named to the event’s all-star team at forward.

    Steel played with great skill and a great heart. You could see his passion for the game on a nightly basis.

Sam Steel plays to honour his late older brother Patrick.

    The 20-year-old plays to honour his older brother, Patrick, who suddenly passed away at age 18 on November 9, 2011. Patrick was a forward in the junior A ranks with the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, and he was found dead in his billet family’s home due to an undetected heart problem.

    From that tragedy, Sam paid tribute to Patrick assuming the mantra: Finish the play.

    Sam Steel became an easy player to cheer for. He also did everything right on and off the ice.

    I have had some friends in Regina who grew up in Moose Jaw cheering for the Warriors, who are the Pats bitter rivals. Those friends admitted that their children have grown up cheering for the Pats, and it feels wrong expect for the fact they look up to Steel so that makes everything OK.

Sam Steel makes a pass in the offensive zone.

    One friend, who has been a lifelong Warriors fan, has brought her son out to numerous Pats fans functions to see Steel. That friend told me it was impossible to hate Steel.

    At those functions, Steel will be the first player to arrive, sign autographs for every young fan that comes to meet him. He will have short visits with the young fans and show genuine interest in their lives. After two hours has elapsed and he has fulfilled every autograph request, he is the last Pats player to leave.

    It is like he is too good be true, but that is who he is.

    On the ice, you almost don’t know where to start with all the big games he had. Steel was part of a core group of players that included Adam Brooks, Chase Harrison, Connor Hobbs and Tyler Brown who helped the Pats win five series in the WHL playoffs from 2015 to 2017 and advance to the WHL Championship series in 2017 falling in six games to the Seattle Thunderbirds. Together, they were the boys next door.

    To show how magical a time it was for the history Regina major junior franchise, the Pats won a total of three playoff series from 1994 to 2014.

From left, Sam Steel, Nick Henry and Cale Fleury celebrate a goal.

    During the 2016-17 campaign, Steel was named the MVP of the WHL and topped the CHL in scoring with 50 goals and 81 assists. On March 14, 2017 when the Pats locked up first place in the WHL regular season standings with a 5-4 win over the Saskatoon Blades at the Brandt Centre, Steel had a chance to take a rip shot on goal on a two-on-one break for his 50^th tally of the season, but he made a beauty setup pass to defenceman Josh Mahura for a goal near the end of the second period.

    When you saw Steel make plays like that, you realized why the Anaheim Ducks selected him in the first round and 30^th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

    In the second of the 2017 WHL playoffs, the Pats were in Swift Current trailing the host Broncos 3-1 in Game 6 needing a win to force Game 7. Brown, who was the Pats star goalie, made a big breakaway stop on Broncos captain Glenn Gawdin to keep the Pats in the game, and Steel sparked the offence.

Sam Steel (#23) drives hard to the net for the Pats.

    With 1:24 to play in the second period, Steel sent a beauty pass across the face of the Broncos goal to a pinching Mahura, who scored to cut the Broncos edge to 3-2. Few players could have made the pass on that play that Steel did down low around the Swift Current net.

    From that spark, the Pats tied things up at 3-3 before the second period ended and pulled out a 5-3 victory. Steel netted two goals in the Pats 5-1 victory in Game 7 of that series with the Broncos held in Regina.

    Steel kept piling up the memorable games this season being named the team’s captain at the start of the campaign in which the Pats were celebrating their 100^th anniversary and hosting the 100^th Memorial Cup. He appeared in 54 regular season contests with the Pats posting 33 goals, 50 assists and a plus-27 rating.
    On Jan. 5, he helped Canada win gold at world junior hockey championships in Buffalo, N.Y.

Sam Steel sits sixth all-time in career assists for the Pats.

    The Pats finished seventh overall in the WHL with a 40-25-6-1 record. Regina fell in a tough seven-game first round series to the Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL at 48-17-5-2 and won the league championship.

    Steel had big moments in that series. With the Pats facing elimination in Regina in Game 6 on March 31, Steel had a goal and two assists to power the Pats to a 7-2 victory to force a series deciding Game 7.

    In Game 7 on April 2 in Swift Current, Steel had helpers on both Pats goals as they dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to the Broncos. The Pats embarked on a 45-day layoff to prepare for the Memorial Cup.

    At the Memorial Cup, no one is going to forget the night Steel piled up five assists in a 6-5 round robin victory over the Broncos on May 23. He equaled the record for most assists in one game at the Memorial Cup dating back to when it started to be played in a tournament format in 1972.

Sam Steel sits 10th all-time in career points for the Pats.

    He shares that mark with Dan Hodgson of the Prince Albert Raiders from 1985 and Jonathan Drouin of the Halifax Mooseheads from 2013.

    In the tournament’s semifinal clash with the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs, Steel had the winning goal and an assist in a 4-2 victory. He picked up his assist setting up Jake Leschyshyn for an easy empty-net tally with 5.2 seconds to play.

    The Pats ultimately fell 3-0 in the Memorial Cup title game to the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The Titan claimed their first CHL championship with their victory over the Pats.

    While the Pats were heavily outplayed in the first two periods of that contest, Steel rang a shot off the goalpost in the second period and was robbed by the glove had of Titan netminder Evan Fitzpatrick in the third period.

    Coming out accept the Stafford Smythe Trophy from CHL president David Branch, Steel had tears in his eyes and was fighting to keep his composure. It was heartbreaking to see him like that.

Sam Steel looks to fire a shot on goal on the power play for the Pats.

    With a three-year NHL entry-level contract signed with the Ducks, it is unlikely Steel will return to the WHL for an overage campaign. That trophy presentation was likely that last thing he took part in wearing a Pats jersey as an active player.

    During the post-game media scrum, Steel talked about how great it was to be part of the city of Regina and how proud he was to be a member of the Pats. The reality of what happened still hadn’t sunk in.

    “I’m not sure what to think right now,” said Steel. “It is just tough.

    “Unbelievable group of guys. Even when we lost out and we were going through the training process, there was not one guy who complained.

Sam Steel, left, received the Stafford Smythe Trophy from David Branch.

    “I think it showed this tournament. We made each other proud for sure. I couldn’t be happier with the group of guys.”

    During a media availability on Tuesday, Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock said Steel has been a main part of his memory during his time with the team. Paddock became the Pats head coach and general manager before the start of the 2014-15 campaign, which was Steel’s 16-year-old rookie season with the club.

    “Four years have flown by,” said Paddock. “I think the ultimate compliment for him was he was a no maintenance guy.

    “It doesn’t matter how good he is to us, but it matters that you never have to worry about him. You need that kind of guy.

    “It is hard, but it is time. It is time for him to move on, and it is time for him to play pro. We still have a good core of guys, but he is sort of the easy guy to poster child that kind of guy in the organization, because that is what he was for us.”

The spectators at the Brandt Centre give Sam Steel one final ovation.

    Every team in the major junior ranks wishes they had a poster child type player like Steel, who could do it all. The Pats have to count themselves as being a pretty lucky team.

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.