Ayres, Blades win capped busy week a year ago today

COVID-19 pandemic changed North American world days later

David Ayres signs the Wall of Fame at Wendel Clark’s.

It was an afternoon where conversation drifted to how good the menu was at Wendel Clark’s Classic Bar and Grill.

Of course, that is going to naturally happen during a social moment during a press conference on the grounds of that establishment located in the northern part of Saskatoon.

At 2 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2020, the Saskatoon Blades were holding a press conference introducing David Ayres to the local media. Ayres at that time has become famous for hitting the ice with the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 22, 2020 as an emergency backup goaltender.

The media row at the David Ayres press conference.

He picked up a regular season victory as the Hurricanes downed the host Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 at the Scotiabank Arena. Ayres, who was 42-years-old at the time, became the first emergency backup goaltender to earn an NHL regular season win.

He was in Saskatoon on March 6, 2020 to be a guest at the Blades home game against the Regina Pats that night at the SaskTel Centre. The contest against the Pats would be the Blades WHL Suits Up to Promote Organ Donation game, and the host side would wear special Hockey Night in Canada themed jerseys for that clash.

David Ayres answers questions during his press conference.

Ayres took part in the a ceremonial faceoff before that game.

He had a kidney transplant in 2004, which has allowed him to live his life to the fullest. His mother, Mary, was the donor.

Knowing all those facts, it was fitting to have Ayres in town as a special guest for that Blades contest. Ayres would hang around in Saskatoon to be a special guest at the next night’s NLL regular season game where the host Saskatchewan Rush dumped the Vancouver Warriors 17-7.

The Blades press conference to introduce Ayres on March 6, 2020 had people in attendance from every one of Saskatoon’s media outlets, which was something that doesn’t normally happen. Everyone’s schedules broke in a way that a sizable media attendance was possible.

David Ayres (#90) takes part in the ceremonial faceoff.

As another side bonus, everyone in Saskatoon’s media circles get along with each other fairly well. The presser allowed for some short catch up visits.

At that time, everyone in the building was unaware how the world in North America was going to change due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Restrictions and shutdowns would start taking place to battle the COVID-19 pandemic just five days later on March 11, 2020.

During the Blades press conference on March 6, 2020, there were no worries about COVID-19. In some more relaxed moments at that presser, media members were discussing how good the food was at Wendel Clark’s, because a couple of the media members had eaten there previously.

David Ayers, right, is pictured with a minor hockey team.

Aside for the social aspect, the gathering was focused on Ayres’ feel good story. He would sign the Wall of Fame at Wendel Clark’s before departing to get ready for the festivities at that night’s Blades game.

For myself, I was just living in the moment focusing on my tasks during a busy day and wrapping up a busy week. That night’s Blades game was going to finish a stretch for myself where I would cover three WHL games over four days in two different centres.

The busy stretch started with an 8-3 Raiders home win in Prince Albert over the Calgary Hitmen on March 3, 2020.

People lined up at the SaskTel Centre to meet David Ayres.

For me, it was common to work busy stretches on the WHL circuit like that. I am also totally in my zone when that happens, so I was feeling really upbeat on that March 6, 2020 day.

Little did I know, that day would be the last time I saw some of the Saskatoon media members who were at the Ayres press conference and the Blades game in person to this very day.

After posting pictures of Ayres on social media, I planned to run a short little write up about him underneath my story about the game between the Blades and the Pats. The Blades could officially lock up a WHL playoff berth with a win that night.

Bernie Burtney, right, receives a WHL Distinguished Service Award.

I planned to write a longer length column on Ayres the next day.

As is my usual custom for WHL game nights, I got dressed in my suit and tie and headed out to the SaskTel Centre.

When I got to the rink, I found out I had to add another tidbit to my post for that night. Blades off-ice official Bernie Burtney was named a recipient of the WHL Distinguished Service Award.

WHL commissioner Ron Robison was in the building that night to present Burtney with his award. I made certain to get a picture of that presentation and add a short write up about it after the short write up about Ayres on my post.

Spencer Welke makes one of his 37 saves in goal for the Pats.

The game itself between the Blades and the Pats turned out to be a goalie dual. Early in the second, the Blades took a 1-0 lead on a goal coming from rookie centre Colton Dach.

It seemed like that tally would be the difference in the contest.

The Pats evened the score at 1-1 with 43.5 seconds remaining in the third period on a wild sequence of events.

A point shot from Pats defenceman Ryker Evans deflected up high into the air as a maze of bodies engulfed the crease area of the Saskatoon goal causing a net scramble.

During the scamble, Pats right-winger Riley Krane ended up on top of Blades netminder Nolan Maier, and Maier’s catching glove got caught in Krane’s skate. When the puck came down, Pats left-winger Logan Nijhoff backhanded home the equalizer that forced a 1-1 tie.

Nolan Maier made 32 saves in goal for the Blades.

The goal held up after a video review.

The Blades wouldn’t be denied victory. Just 74 seconds into overtime, the host side scored on the power play to pull out a 2-1 win and officially lock up a WHL playoff berth.

Blades left-winger Kyle Crnkovic converted a backdoor pass from linemate Tristen Robins to net the winner to the delight of most of the 4,478 spectators in attendance.

Maier stopped 32 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Spencer Welke turned away 37 shots to take the extra time setback in goal playing as an associate player call up.

Both of the Pats regular goaltenders at that time were out of the lineup with injuries.

Colton Dach scored the Blades first goal.

For a hockey game that had a 2-1 final score, there were a lot of details to pack into a game story.

I was still in an upbeat mood following the contest, and I remember joking around with Maier during post-game media interviews.

After I finished my post that night, my mind drifted to the possibilities about what could happen in the WHL playoffs.

I had no idea that would be the Blades last home game to this very day. That would also be the last WHL game I would work at the rink in person to this very day.

The Blades were on a road trip when the 2019-20 WHL season was first paused before the rest of the campaign was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kyle Crnkovic celebrates his OT winner for the Blades.

The WHL has only recently gotten back into action with teams in the Central Division playing a shortened 24 game regular season. 

At the moment, all the league’s 22 teams are slated to each play 24 regular season games with competition limited to in division play.

The seven teams that make up the WHL’s East Division including the Blades will be playing all their regular season games in a bubble environment at the Brandt Centre in Regina beginning this coming Friday.

The Blades open their schedule taking on the Swift Current Broncos at 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time on Saturday, March 13.

The Blades celebrate their OT victory.

While the WHL continues to get back into action, it will still be awhile before game days can play out again like they did for the Blades last home game on March 6, 2020.

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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“Crank” up the party – Blades lock up playoff berth

Kyle Crnkovic celebrates his OT winner for the Blades on Friday.

    Kyle Crnkovic officially got the playoff party started for the Saskatoon Blades.

    On Friday night playing before 4,478 spectators at the SaskTel Centre, the Blades entered overtime locked in a 1-1 tie with the visiting Regina Pats. The host side went on the power play 29 seconds into the extra session, when Pats right-winger Riley Krane was given a minor penalty for tripping.

    Working on the power play, Crnkovic received a backdoor pass from linemate Tristen Robins by the right side boards in the offensive zone. Crnkovic quickly wired a shot on goal putting the puck in short side on Pats netminder Spencer Welke.

    The left-winger’s tally just 74 seconds into the extra session gave the Blades a 2-1 victory in the WHL regular season clash. 

Kyle Crnkovic came up clutch for the Blades on Friday.

    Saskatoon improved to 32-24-2-3 and officially locked up a berth in the WHL playoffs for the second straight year.
    “It felt like we were at like one (standings) point is all it took, and it felt like we were there forever,” said Crnkovic. “To have that now and secure a spot, now it is just trying to work our way up (the standings).

    “It is just trying to work our way up now and just keep playing hard.”

    The Blades had to battle through a tough break that went against them late in the third period. The hosts were nursing a 1-0 lead, and it looked that score would ultimately be the final result.

    With 43.5 seconds remaining in the third, a point shot from Pats defenceman Ryker Evans deflected up high into the air as a maze of bodies engulfed the crease area of the Saskatoon goal causing a net scramble.

Logan Nijhoff scores the late third period equalizer for the Pats.

    During the scramble, Krane ended up on top of Blades netminder Nolan Maier, and Maier’s catching glove got caught in Krane’s skate. When the puck came down, Pats left-winger Logan Nijhoff backhanded home the equalizer that forced a 1-1 tie.

    The officials went to a video review to determine if there was goaltender interference or incidental contact on the goalie to possibly disallow the goal but ruled Nijhoff’s tally was good.

    “There is not really much to say,” said Maier. “I don’t want to get too much into it.

Logan Nijhoff celebrates scoring the late third period equalizer for the Pats.

    “My glove was caught in his (Krane’s) skate and someone was on me and I couldn’t really move. The puck was able to find the back of the net. I like how the guys responded.

    “The guys were really positive on the bench. They were all awesome with me just trying to keep me under control and not kind of over think or get off my game. It is good.”

    Blades head coach Mitch Love was pleased with how his team bounced back after the Pats tied the game.

    “I thought our guys did a good job of resetting themselves, because it was a little emotional there at the end,” said Love. “I’ll be honest I wasn’t real thrilled with the call.

Tristen Robins picked up an assist on the Blades OT winning goal.

    “I had seen it and seen the overhead. It wasn’t just the incident. It was the few incidents leading up to it during the game that I felt like our goalie was being interfered with.

    “That is an argument for another day, but our guys stayed with it. We were composed. We earned that opportunity in overtime on the power play and got one past the young kid (Welke).”

    The Blades came out with good jump in the opening 20 minutes outshooting the Pats 16-11. With that noted, the Pats had the best scoring chance in the opening frame when left-winger Cole Dubinsky wired a shot off the post of the Saskatoon net.

    With 3:59 remaining in the second, the Blades took advantage of a positive bounce break. 

Spencer Welke makes one of his 37 saves in goal for the Pats.

    After the Pats coughed the puck up at their own blue-line, Blades rookie centre Colton Dach quickly fired home a shot from the right point that handcuffed Welke to give the host side a 1-0 edge.

    In the third, Robins had a huge chance to net an insurance goal for the Blades, but he fired a shot off the crossbar of the Regina goal.

    That set the stage for the dramatics at the end of the third period and overtime.

    Maier stopped 32 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Welke turned away 37 shots taking the overtime setback in his second career WHL start for the Pats as an associate player call-up.

    The Pats record moved to 21-33-5-2.

    Welke was playing for the Prince Albert Mintos, who have been eliminated from the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs. 

Nolan Maier (#73) held the fort in goal for the Blades.

    The Pats, who have been eliminated from contention for the WHL playoffs, have announced Welke will remain on their roster for the rest of their regular season schedule.

    The Pats were without their two regular goalies as Donovan Buskey is listed day-to-day with a hamstring injury, while Danton Belluk is out day-to-day with an upper body injury. The Pats had a backup goalie dressed and sitting on the bench who was not listed on the gamesheet.

    “Give the kid (Welke) credit over there,” said Love. “He is an AP goalie that played real well for them.

Ryker Evans controls the puck in the offensive zone for the Pats.

    “It was tight checking game on both sides, which has kind of been the season series so far.”

    Regina also scratched left-wingers Carter Massier with and upper body injury and Cole Carrier with an undisclosed ailment.

    Pats overage left-winger Robbie Holmes was sitting out the first of a four-game league imposed suspension, and right-winger Carter Chorney was sitting out the first of a three-game league imposed suspension. Holmes and Chorney were suspended for their actions in a melee that occurred at the end of a Pats 7-4 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors in Regina on Tuesday.

Colton Dach had the Blades first goal on Friday.

    Injuries were also piling up for the Blades. Overage defenceman Scott Walford is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury and right-winger Randen Schmidt is also out with an upper body injury with his return timetable still to be determined.

    The Blades lost defenceman Rhett Rhinehart and right-winger Evan Patrician in Wednesday’s 4-3 setback at home to the Calgary Hitmen with undisclosed injuries.

    As a result, defenceman Marek Schneider, who is in his 16-year-old season, dressed for his sixth regular season game as an associate player call-up. Schneider was playing for the Mintos, and he is eligible to remain with the Blades for the rest of the 2019-20 campaign.

    Brandon Lisowsky, who is a 15-year-old left-winger, made his WHL regular season debut for the Blades. 

Nolan Kneen controls the puck for the Blades.

    The Blades selected Lisowsky in the first round and ninth overall in last year’s WHL Bantam Draft.

    Maier said the Pats always play his club hard and gave credit to Pats head coach Dave Struch for having his side ready.
    In their four head-to-head meetings this season, the Blades and Pats have gone to extra time three times and have each posted two wins.

    “That is just their culture in Regina,” said Maier. “Dave Struch is really committed to their hard work.

    “They give us a battle every night. It never changes with them. We know what we are going to get when we play the Regina Pats.

    “They just never quit, and they work hard all the time. That is all the credit to Dave Struch.”

    The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. from the Brandt Centre in Regina.

The Blades celebrate their overtime win on Friday.

    Love is expecting his club to be better in the second half of this weekend’s home-and-home series as opposed to last weekend’s home and home series against the Prince Albert Raiders.
    Last Friday, the Blades downed the Raiders 4-2 at the SaskTel Centre before getting dumped 3-0 one night later by the Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.

    “We learned our lesson that way last weekend,” said Love. “That was mentioned to our group.

    “We have to make sure we remember what that was like. I think our start will be important in their building and just an opportunity to learn from last weekend. I’m intrigued to see where our team is at heading into tomorrow night.”

Ayres special guest at Blades Suits Up game

David Ayres, right, is pictured with a minor hockey team from Rosthern.

    The Saskatoon Blades brought in now famous NHL emergency backup goaltender David Ayres for their WHL Suits Up to Promote Organ Donation on Friday.

    Ayres became famous on February 22 for having to enter an NHL regular season game to play goal for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. After the Hurricanes starting and backup goalies were injured, the 42-year-old Ayres fulfilled his role as the emergency backup entering the contest in the second period with the visitors holding a 3-1 edge.

    He allowed goals on the first two shots he faced and turned away the next eight shots in a 6-3 victory for the Hurricanes. With that result, Ayres became the first emergency backup goaltender to earn an NHL win.
    At age 42 years and 194 days, he became the oldest goaltender to win his NHL regular season debut.

David Ayres, second from right, appears at the a ceremonial faceoff.

    He is the operations manager for the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ont., and is best known for being a Zamboni driver.

    Ayres had a kidney transplant in 2004, which has allowed him to live his life to the fullest.

    At the Blades Suits Up game, Ayres took part in the ceremonial faceoff before the contest, and he signed autographs during the first intermission. The line up to get his autograph was a lengthy one.

    For the Suits Up game, the Blades wore special Hockey Night in Canada themed jerseys and the coaches wore old school baby blue Hockey Night in Canada blazers. Blades play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk also wore one of the old school baby blue Hockey Night in Canada blazers.

    The jerseys and blazers were auctioned off in a blind auction.

    All the proceeds raised from Friday’s game will be donated to Saskatoon’s Kidney Foundation Branch.

Burtney gets WHL Distinguished Service Award

Bernie Burtney, right, receives a WHL Distinguished Service Award.

    Long time Saskatoon Blades off-ice official Bernie Burtney was named a recipient of the WHL Distinguished Service Award on Friday night.

    Burtney was presented with his award by WHL commissioner Ron Robison in a pre-game ceremony before Friday’s WHL regular season contest that saw the host Blades down the Regina Pats 2-1 in overtime.

    Burtney is currently the off-ice officials supervisor for the Blades, and he has said this will be his final season working Blades home games.

    For about the past 30 seasons, Burtney has become a key figure in the Blades off-ice game operations. He is responsible for scheduling, interviewing, hiring and management of all off-ice officials at Blades home games.

    Burtney has conducted himself in a professional manner going above and beyond the normal requirements for the voluntary role. He rarely misses a game and shows up to the rink well in advance to prepare.

    During his time workings Blades home games, Burtney has consistently provided a welcoming atmosphere for off-ice officials and makes sure all are briefed and ready to perform their duties on arrival.

    The WHL Distinguished Service Award was introduced back in 2004 and is presented annually to individuals who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes on behalf of WHL franchises. In doing so, those individuals have made an extraordinary contribution at the club and league level over an extended period.

    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.