Raiders deliver spectacular night for Vance, beat Pats 6-4

Long time business head inducted to Wall of Honour

Bruce Vance, second from right, was honoured on Friday night.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Bruce Vance might have known all the 2,383 spectators in attendance at the 2,580 seat Art Hauser Centre on Friday night.

Before the Prince Albert Raiders 6-4 WHL regular season victory over the Regina Pats on Friday night, the long time business head of the Raiders was inducted to the Raiders Wall of Honour in the builders’ category. His plaque on the Wall of Honour sits next to that good friend and long time co-worker in the late Donn Clark, who held the positions of head coach, director of hockey operations and general manager during his time with the team.

The Raiders were paying tribute to Vance, who is putting up a valiant fight against Stage IV colon cancer, for all he did with the team from 2001 to 2015. From director of marketing to business manager and director of marketing, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say Vance might have at some point in time done every business function in the Raiders office during his time with the team. Often, he was the guy that made the Raiders go.

Plaques for Donn Clark and Bruce Vance on the Raiders Wall of Honour.

Even when Vance moved on to become the Marketing and Sponsorship Coordinator for the City of Prince Albert, he still did some volunteer work with the team. That work often required his help for a special event like the jersey retirement night of the #4 for legendary Raiders defenceman Dave Manson on February 12, 2016.

“Being involved in the community was very important,” said Vance in a video address to the crowd. “The Raiders are such a passionate part of Prince Albert.

Bruce and Liane Vance, centre, watch video tributes for Bruce.

“This community is so welcoming. It was easy to become immersed in the community as a team and as a family. To work for 14 years here in junior hockey in Prince Albert was very special with a number of great moments including games where we had the Teddy Bear Toss all the way to haunted houses.

“We gave away a truck and many other fun things. We got involved in the community events like ‘Bring Back the Magic’ (campaign), the Special Olympics Power Breakfast and the Father Daughter Gala. Over the 14 years, it was incredible to work with some great staff, players, board of directors and fans many of whom are still good family friends.”

Vance more then walked the walk when it came to community involvement. If you try to name every community thing he was involved with, you would inevitably forget a sizable amount of things.

Bruce Vance, centre, walks out to centre ice.

Vance involved himself in numerous ways in the community coaching, managing and volunteering due to the sports and activities his son, Jon, and daughters, Briane and Jessica, were involved with. A lot of the involvements continued after all three of his children moved into adulthood. That included being involved with the Esso Cup female under-18 AAA national championship hockey tournament held in Prince Albert this past April.

Vance served as co-manager alongside his wife, Liane, with the Prince Albert A & W Bears, now known as the Prince Albert Northern Bears, from 2011 to 2015. He served as president of the Crescent Acres Community Club for seven years and was named Softball Saskatchewan’s volunteer of the year in 2009.

The scene after Bruce Vance drops the ceremonial faceoff puck.

Family is very important to Vance too. Missing special events like graduations or presiding over Briane’s wedding is unthinkable. One of the reasons he started working for the City of Prince Albert was it allowed more time him to see Jessica play goal in the U Sports ranks. Jessica had a spectacular career playing for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Team that included Canada West Conference MVP honours in 2017-18.

Vance also got to travel to Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in March of 2019 to see Jessica play for Canada’s women’s hockey team that won silver at the FISU Winter Universiade.

Bruce Vance shakes hands with Raiders captain Eric Johnston.

Along with his family at home, Vance had a family in the Raiders. The team collected numerous video tributes from former players, coaches, staffers and family friends that were shown through the course of Friday’s contest. Josh Morrissey, who plays defence for the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, was one of the Raiders alums that sent in a video tribute.

Another one of the video tributes that came in was from NHL referee Chris Schlenker, who played defence for the Raiders in the second half of the 2003-04 season and the entire 2004-05 campaign, where the Raiders made it to Game 7 of the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series.

“When I think about my time in Prince Albert, it is still the best time of my entire hockey life,” said Schlenker. “It was because of the people of Prince Albert, the team and the overwhelming support for the Raiders around there.

Bruce Vance shakes hands with Pats captain Tanner Howe.

“The first guy I think about when all of that comes to mind is you. There is nobody who lives the green and gold more than you. You really felt you were a part of the team with us even though you weren’t going on the ice.

“I’m so, so proud of you. I’m happy you are being recognized tonight. Take care my good friend.”

During the pre-game ceremony for Vance, a number of video tributes were played for Vance coming from the likes of former Raiders play-by-play voice Brian Munz, Manson, former coach and player Peter Anholt, former coach Wade Klippenstein, former captain Jeremy Colliton, former NHL Toronto Maple Leafs star Wendel Clark, who is Donn Clark’s younger brother, and Betty Clark, who is Donn Clark’s wife. Vance is a huge Maple Leafs fan.

Aiden Oiring breaks into the offensive zone for the Raiders.

Munz also traveled into Prince Albert for the festivities for Vance from Winnipeg, where he is the director of communications for Golf Manitoba.

Vance applauded all the tributes. He came out to centre ice to a standing ovation from all in attendance.

After accepting the plaque he gets to keep for his Wall of Honour induction, Vance is his customary fun style got the job quickly making an immediate puck drop for the ceremonial faceoff between Raiders captain Eric Johnston and Pats captain and Prince Albert product Tanner Howe. Both players had a chuckle while pictures were taken before Johnston scooped up the puck.

The Raiders did their part to ensure the night would have a perfect ending. They scored first, fell behind 2-1 at the first intermission and proceeded to storm ahead 5-2 early in the third period. From there, they cruised to victory by the 6-4 final score.

The Raiders celebrate a goal from Easton Kovacs (#8).

Sloan Stanick, Easton Kovacs, Tyrone Sobry, Hayden Pakkala, Niall Crocker and Brayden Dube all netted singles for the Raiders, who improved to 7-3-0-1. Matteo Michels, Borya Valis, Sam Oremba and Cole Temple replied with singles for the Pats, who fell to 7-4-1.

Chase Coward stopped 22 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders. Kelton Pyne turned away 32-of-37 shots to take the setback in goal for the Pats.

Following the end of the game, the Raiders skated to the east end of the rink to the box Vance and his family were seated in and gave him and his family a salute the then proceeded to salute the rest of their faithful in attendance at their storied home rink.

The Raiders return to action on Saturday when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors (6-5) at 7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre. The Pats return to action on Sunday when they travel to Swift Current to face the Broncos (4-6-1) at 4 p.m. at the InnovationPlex.

Niall Crocker had a goal for the Raiders on Friday.

As Friday’s game between the Raiders and Pats went along, Vance met a steady stream of well-wishers. While cancer sent an ultimate unfair hit to Vance, it didn’t matter on Friday night.

Vance was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in November of 2013, and went on to get a no evidence of disease diagnosis in July of 2014. Liane being diagnosed with rectal cancer in July of 2018, and their family dog, Bella, was diagnosed with lymphoma that same month. Liane won her cancer battle, while Bella passed away after a year of battling the disease.

In August of 2020 about six months after Liane finished her treatment, Bruce was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer with metastases to his bones, liver and lungs. Vance’s diagnosis was terminal, and he was given 24 to 28 months to live. He has outlived that initial diagnosis.

Vance and his family have always approached their cancer battles with a positive nature and focus on doing upbeat things. That has been a huge ally in their cancer battles.

The Raiders give a salute to Bruce Vance and his family.

It has made people in Prince Albert and all the communities they have lived in take their family that much closer to their hearts.

Vance and his family very much deserved their special night on Friday. In the history of the Raiders franchise, he will live on as one of storied team’s most enduring figures.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

-------

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.

Roughriders win fourth straight in crazy fashion, CFL just insane

Samuel Eguavoen scores TD for the Roughriders on Saturday.

    Even when the road boos feel like cheers, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have to go through their share of drama to earn victory.

    On Saturday at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, the Roughriders jumped to a 20-17 halftime lead in unfathomable fashion against the host Blue Bombers in front of a packed crowd of 33,134 spectators. As the teams departed to the dressing rooms for halftime, a vocal number of people in attendance booed the host side off the field, and it was apparent Bombers fans were the ones unloading the boos.

    With 68 seconds remaining in the first half, the Bombers were holding a 17-13 lead and had the ball at the Saskatchewan seven yard line with a first and goal. Bombers starting quarterback Matt Nichols tried to throw an ill-advised underhanded pass upfield, and the ball landed right in the gut of Roughriders linebacker Samuel Eguavoen.

    Eguavoen ran the ball back 103 yards the other way for a Saskatchewan touchdown, which gave the visitors a 20-17 lead. The Roughriders first touchdown of the contest happen to come off a 97-yard interception return by defensive end Willie Jefferson.

    By halftime, Saskatchewan had scored two touchdowns off interception returns that totalled 200 yards. In any football game, that sort of occurrence is unthinkable.

    When a team gets booed off the field by its own fans, it usually feels as good as cheers for the visiting side.

Willie Jefferson scored a touchdown for the Roughriders on Saturday.

    Even with the Bombers fans giving their team the raspberries, the Roughriders weren’t able to win easy. Saskatchewan increased its lead to 26-17 by the end of the third quarter only to have Winnipeg take a 27-26 advantage opening the fourth quarter scoring 10 unanswered points.

    Brett Lauther closed the contest booting his fifth and six field goals of the game to give the Roughriders a 32-27 victory.

    Now riding a four game winning streak, the Roughriders improved to 7-4 to sit with the second best record overall in the CFL, if you go off winning percentage. The Bombers fell to 5-7 having dropped their last four in a row.

    Even when the wins are piling up for the Roughriders, it feels like they are always facing challenges. Saskatchewan’s starting quarterback Zack Collaros was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter after taking a big hit from Bombers defensive back Jeff Hecht.

    Collaros, who had found his stride in the current campaign, was placed under concussion protocol. He missed four games earlier this season due to a concussion injury.

    Roughriders star defensive back Ed Gainey went down a short time later with a leg injury.

    If both players miss any significant time, that alone might halt the Roughriders winning streak.

Zach Collaros left Saturday’s game due to injury.

    At the moment, it is too early to tell if either will play this coming Saturday, when the Roughriders host the Ottawa Redblacks (6-5) at 7:30 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

    Still, the Roughriders found a way to win namely due to the fact their defence came up with all sorts of big plays. The Roughriders defence forced Nichols and Bombers backup quarterback Chris Streveler to throw a combined five interceptions.

    Jefferson and Eguavoen had sacks to go along with the interceptions they respectively returned for touchdowns. Defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy had nine tackles and two interceptions to aid the Roughriders cause.

    Running back and former University of Auburn Tigers star Tre Mason paced the Roughriders offence carrying the ball 20 times for 117 yards and catching two passes for 13 yards.

    While the Roughriders latest win came via a crazy fashion, the CFL showed on Saturday how insane it can be.

    The Hamilton Tiger-Cats won their third in a row downing the Argonauts in Toronto 36-25. Hamilton improved to 6-5 to sit in a tie for first place in the East Division with the Redblacks. The Argonauts fell to 3-8 with the loss.

    Tigers-Cats starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed 18-of-25 passes for 307 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. This season, Masoli has passed for 300 or more yards nine times to equal a team record for most 300 yard passing games in one season set in 2013 by Henry Burris.

    In Edmonton, the host Eskimos downed the Calgary Stampeders in a classic CFL shootout 48-42. The Stampeders, who remain first overall in the CFL with a 9-2 mark, committed seven turnovers and still had a chance to win that contest.

HC and GM Chris Jones and the Roughriders have won four straight.

    The Eskimos, who improved to 7-5, led 21-7 at one point in the first quarter and were up 48-28 going into the fourth quarter and almost ended up losing.

    The Stampeders scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and had receiver Juwan Brescacin been able to hold on to a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the fourth quarter, Calgary would have likely escaped with victory depending if the possible ensuing convert was successful.

    Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 25-of-46 passes for 491 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in that loss. Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly connected on 30-of-44 passes for 397 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the win.

    In the CFL, it doesn’t matter what record a team has entering any particular contest. Each team has enough playmakers to pull out victory on any given night.

    That is the enduring aspect that helps to make the CFL great and days like Saturday’s triple header are intriguing to watch.

“Cool cops” want it that way

Remember those #lipsyncchallenge videos from last month? Well our community asked us for one, so we're delivering! Thanks to everyone who made this possible, especially the sworn & civilian staff that volunteered their time https://t.co/Rnj49eaxYq #yxe #CommunityEngagement pic.twitter.com/2Viypz0gP5

— Saskatoon Police (@SaskatoonPolice) September 7, 2018

    I have to give you the reader a big thanks if you are reading this right now after seeing the above tweet.

    The Saskatoon Police Service gave the public a really sweet and fun video here. Down in the United States, police forces down there had been putting together videos on lip sync challenges.

    After receiving requests from some in the community to possibly get involved, the Saskatoon Police Service dropped this video on their Facebook page at 10 a.m. on Friday. It is a lip sync video to the song “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys.

    Within about two hours, the Facebook post of the video had over 83,000 views. At about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, the video has piled up over 1.4-million views on Facebook and over 20,000 views on YouTube.

    The video is great because it shows the members of the Saskatoon Police Service in a lighter and humorous mood. Actually, the members of the Saskatoon Police Service are pretty good when it comes to socializing with the public, and the video helps make them feel that much more approachable.

    The YouTube post of the video is below.

Schlenker earns full time NHL referee spot, other notes

Chris Schlenker waves off a goal in the 2016 WHL playoffs.

    Chris Schlenker earned another huge milestone recently in his career as a hockey referee.

    The alum of the WHL’s Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders was promoted full time to the NHL ranks as first reported by Scoutingtherefs.com on Aug. 31. Schlenker was brought on as a full-time professional referee to work games in both the NHL and AHL before the start of the 2016-17 season.

    He made his professional debut on Oct. 17, 2015 working an AHL game between the Toronto Marlies and the Albany Devils. On Oct. 24, 2016, Schlenker made his NHL debut in Montreal as the host Canadiens took on the Philadelphia Flyers.

    The 34-year-old product from Medicine Hat, Alta., has worked 59 NHL games since become a full-time professional official. He refereed in the AHL’s 2017 Calder Cup finals.

    During his days as a player, Schlenker, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 198 pounds, was a tough defensive defenceman. From 2000 to 2005, he appeared in 284 WHL regular season games split between the Pats and Raiders posting 25 goals, 67 assists and 718 penalty minutes.

    After playing less than a season of professional hockey in Germany, Schlenker joined the Medicine Hat Police Service and became a member of the K9 unit.

    As a member of the police service, Schlenker took up officiating. He quickly worked his way up the hockey ranks and won the Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy as the top official in the WHL following for the 2015-16 season. He worked the WHL finals and the Memorial Cup that season as well.

    At that time, Schlenker completed his fifth season as a hockey referee.

    Now entering his eight season as a referee, Schlenker has built a reputation for being solid at that craft. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he spent a number of seasons working in the NHL ranks.

• The Saskatoon Blades downed the Prince Albert Raiders 4-3 after a tiebreaking shootout in a WHL pre-season match at The Legends Centre in Warman, Sask., on Saturday night. Kirby Dach, Michael Farren and Brad Goethals netted singles for the Blades in regulation, while Spencer Moe, Kody McDonald and Lane Kirk replied with singles for the Raiders in regulation. Goethals and Farren had the only tallies in the tiebreaking shootout. Koen MacInnes made 35 saves over 65 minutes in goal for the Blades (5-0). Donovan Buskey turned away 33 shots in goal for the Raiders (0-2-0-1).
• The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team blanked the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 5-0 in a neutral site U Sports pre-season tilt at the Fairview Arena in Swift Current, Sask., on Saturday night. Nicole Fry, Kennedy Brown, Bailee Bourassa, Shyan Elias and Leah Bohlken all had singles for the Huskies. Jasey Book and Camryn Drever split the shutout in goal for U of S.
• On Friday night, the U of Saskatchewan Huskies football team improved to 2-0 downing the U of Manitoba Bisons 48-46 in a shootout in Winnipeg. Huskies quarterback Kyle Siemens completed 24-of-35 passes for 306 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. The Bisons fell to 0-2 following the U Sports regular season contest.
• The U of Regina Rams stomped the U of Alberta Golden Bears 51-13 in a U Sports regular season football clash in Edmonton on Friday night. Rams quarterback Noah Picton completed 32-41 passes for 449 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The Rams improved to 1-1, while the Golden Bears fell to 0-2.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

-------

    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.

Family feeling from Raiders bus makes Humboldt Broncos tragedy tough to stomach

Some old Raiders items with a picture of the Broncos centre ice logo.

    I always thought I had the coolest seat on the Prince Albert Raiders bus.

    I sat next to Dave Manson, who was the Raiders assistant coach. To the outside, he is still regarded as one of the most feared players to ever lace up the skates in the NHL.

    While there were a few times where I would jokingly do something to get him fired up, the majority of the time was spent talking about everything in life. The impression of feared NHL heavyweight was replaced by seeing someone who as a great guy with an incredibly huge heart.

    We were two rows back from the front of the bus, and we had a card table to ourselves. I always thought that was a sweet perk.

    I covered the Raiders for three seasons from 2001 to 2004 for the Prince Albert Daily Herald, and during the last of those three campaigns, then head coach Peter Anholt and then general manager Donn Clark gave the invite to have me tag along on the bus to cover road games. At the time, myself and then Raiders play-by-play voice Brian Munz were the only two full-time media staffers covering sports in “Hockey Town North.”

    I tried to make the in division games that could be covered on day trips. I accompanied the Raiders on the playoff run that unfortunately only lasted for two trips in the first round.

    Anholt always told everyone you will make your best memories on the bus. When I left Prince Albert to cover the Medicine Hat Tigers for the Medicine Hat News before the start of the 2004-05 WHL campaign, I always looked back on those Raiders road trips fondly.

    The biggest thing that stuck in my mind was that there were no secrets on the bus. After a short time, you quickly begin to know the players, coaches and staff better than your own blood family members, and it feels like they know you better than their own blood family members. We all likely knew things about each other our blood families didn’t know about us.

    The Raiders were focused on winning, but that team was likely the most sociable bunch I ever dealt with on the WHL circuit. You wanted to hang out everywhere with them. The Raiders always had the reputation of having guys that were viewed as the greatest sociable guys on top of being one of the most physical teams in the WHL.

The inside of a Raiders program from the 2003-04 WHL season.

    I always seemed to cycle to the back of the bus to hang with veteran defencemen Luke Fritshaw and Chris Schlenker along with then skilled sophomore power forward Kyle Chipchura. They were all characters who had character. They always seemed to be my dinner companions too during stops at restaurants.

    I remember Travis Young always being composed and his composure might only be surpassed by the surreal calm of netminder Rejean Beauchemin.

    Seth Leonard, the team’s 50-goal man that season, and checking forward Justin Cruse always seemed to provide good humour. I was on the trip where Cruse famously shoe-checked Manson.

    I could go through the whole roster that season including the likes of captain Jeremy Colliton, Mike Gauthier, Jeff May, Brett Novak, Jordan Morgan, Brandon Peet, Dane Byers, Evan Schafer, Aki Seitsonen and everyone brings back a good memory. You also can’t forget everyone’s best friend in trainer Duane “Puff” Bartley.

    Those guys do become your family. Back then, I wasn’t that much older than the players, and a bond formed over the fact that we were all still young. We took on the world with a youthful energy.
    While there was a lot of fun with jokes, card games and movies, there were conversations about subjects in the news or authors of books, which you wouldn’t think happens on a hockey team bus.

    That is what for me makes Friday’s accident involving the Humboldt Broncos team bus so hard to stomach. While on the way to play the Nipawin Hawks in a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game, the Broncos bus collided with a semi-truck just north of Tisdale.

    I remember all those bonds on the Raiders bus and identify with how tight Humboldt’s hockey team must have been. The Broncos are one of the elite and storied franchises in the junior A ranks, so I believe the bonds on that club would be really strong.

The Broncos logo all set up for Sunday night’s vigil.

    It is conceivable I crossed paths with members of the Broncos somewhere in hockey, but I do not have any memories of the players in captain Logan Schatz, Adam Herold, Conner Lukan, Evan Thomas, Jacob Leicht, Jaxon Joseph, Logan Boulet, Logan Hunter, Stephen Wack or Parker Tobin. Same goes for head coach and general manager Darcy Haugen, assistant coach Mark Cross, play-by-play voice Tyler Bieber and bus driver Glen Doerksen.

    Stats expert Brody Hinz did like my Twitter posts about the Raiders the odd time.

    All of those names make up the 15 deceased.

    Two players have been released from hospital including forward Nick Shumlanski, and 12 are still in hospital including four in critical condition.

    As time moves on, I keep finding out I am friends with someone who was friends or family members with one of the deceased or survivors of the crash. It makes what happened hit a little more at home.

    Even with that said, I still can’t imagine what everyone connected with the Humboldt team is going through. I went to the vigil on Sunday night in Humboldt and to the one on the University of Saskatchewan campus on Monday afternoon. I believe being there to offer support helped, but I am still wrapping my head around the enormity of everything.

    I think back to the days on the Raiders bus, and I know I would have been absolutely gutted if a bus crash happened and half of everyone on board was no longer with us. As that season went on, I needed those guys.

My father Dan Steinke, left, passed away during the 2003-04 hockey season.

    I was back home with my parents in Regina for the WHL Christmas break, and my dad, Dan Steinke, was admitted to hospital just as that break was ending. He passed away due to cancer on January 4, 2004. I ultimately missed most of the first three weeks of the second half of the season.

    Anholt was in touch with me through everything when that happened. The first game I worked after my dad’s passing was on Jan. 10, 2004, and because of the bus bonds, the Raiders were waiting to be a support system.

    They won a tight 3-2 outing over the Moose Jaw Warriors, and it felt like they had some extra jump in their step to help what I was going though.

    Later on in playoffs, we went out to Winnipeg for Game 6 of a best-of-seven first round series against the Brandon Wheat Kings, who were leading the set 3-2. The Wheat Kings were forced out of their home rink due to annual Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.

    As usual, the Raiders went up the day before the game, and I had an important blood family issue to look after, when I arrived in Winnipeg. On the trip down, everyone on the bus new my situation.
    When the bus arrived in the Manitoba capital, I left to address the issue. I didn’t see everyone until the next night’s game at the storied Winnipeg Arena.

    In the last playoff game ever played at the Winnipeg Arena, the Wheat Kings claimed a 4-1 win to take the series 4-2 bringing the Raiders season to an end.

    Anholt took losing hard, but he always answered post-game interview questions honestly. With a season ending loss, emotions around the Raiders dressing room were low.

    After I interviewed Anholt, he asked how things went on the blood family front. I said they went well.

    Anholt smiled and said, “That’s good. Family is important.”

The 2003-04 Raiders are pictured on the right.

    Family is important, and the family formed on the bus is just as important. I learned that from my experiences on the Raiders bus.

    At the moment, the survivors of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash are missing a huge chunk of that bus family here in the physical world. Among the larger hockey family, people might not have a full realization of the hurt, but everyone knows it is there.

    We just hope we can play a small part in helping on the recovery trail.

    On a spiritual level, my gut tells me those that have passed on from the crash are still there to provide help to their family members on the Broncos bus who are still in this physical world. The bus family will always be there for the survivors of the Broncos bus crash as they work to find a new everyday normal and continue to be “Bronco Strong.”

    Finding the new normal won’t be an easy road for the survivors to travel, but they will have lots of help along the way.

    Editor Note - A day after this column was originally posted, Broncos team athletic therapist Dayna Brons passed away due to her injuries from the team’s bus accident. The total number of deaths from the Broncos bus accident stands at 16.
-------
    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. If you want to donate to the GoFundMe account to support the Humboldt Broncos, you can do so by clicking here. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

When Shultz stirred the pot between Raiders and Blades

The Prince Albert Raiders logo in 2004.

    Tanner Shultz loved returning to his hometown of Prince Albert as the villain when he played for the Saskatoon Blades.

    Shultz, who used to be the pest/agitator for the Blades from 2002 to 2004, came to mind when Gregg Drinnan, who is “the man” when it comes to covering the WHL, and Blades beloved play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk recently made an appearance on the WHL Unfiltered podcast. Both Drinnan and Lazaruk told some colourful stories from their time covering the circuit, and Shultz sprung to my mind with a memory in regards to the rivalry between the Blades and the Prince Albert Raiders.

    When Shultz was a member of the Blades, he returned to Prince Albert during the summer months to work and play on the city’s top midget fastpitch team. One night after one of his fastpitch games in the summer of 2003, we socialized and talked hockey. At the time, I was working as a sports reporter for the Prince Albert Daily Herald.

    Shultz, who stood 6-foot-1 and weighed 185 pounds, said that I should call him and interview him at some point during the upcoming season before the Blades were to clash with the Raiders. He said he would love the chance to trash talk the Raiders and stir the pot.

The Saskatoon Blades logo in 2004.

    In January of 2004, I decided to pursue that idea. The two teams were to meet in a home-and-home series opening with a clash on Friday, Jan. 30 in Prince Albert and concluding Saturday, Jan. 31 in Saskatoon.

    The Raiders were having a good season sporting a 29-16-4-3 record at that time. The Blades were last in the entire WHL at 6-34-11.

    Shultz had built more than a nice reputation for being loose lipped. I found out afterwards that before being fired earlier in season Blades head coach Kevin Dickie told the pest centre to be silent. That order never seemed to be followed.

    Mike Jenkins, who is now the development and marketing officer for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, was the Blades director of marketing back then, and he was one of those who was always open to doing something colourful to sell tickets. During Jenkins time with the Blades, the team held tailgate type parties before some games at a time when that wasn’t a regular occurrence in the WHL.

    When the Raiders came to Saskatoon one night, he had a “Pound P.A.” promo going, where fans could pay two-dollars to get a sledgehammer swing at a car done up in Raiders markings. The money raised went to the Blades education fund.

    Before the January 2004 home-and-home series, I called Jenkins up looking to talk to Shultz. Jenkins proceeded to give me Shultz’s billet home phone number. While Jenkins might deny it, I am pretty certain he knew the direction the interview would go on the colourful front, and it would create interest in the games.

    On a side note, Jenkins would likely get in big trouble if he did something like this on the Huskies front in the current day.

    Anyways, I get Shultz on the phone at his billet home, and he did his part. He said he really loved to get under the skin of the Raiders and he felt he could easily annoy Raiders left-winger Dane Byers and defenceman Chris Schlenker, who now works in the NHL as a referee.

    “I will try and get everyone (off of their game), but there is a couple of guys I really don’t like,” said Shultz, who was 19-years-old that season. “I will probably get in a couple of fights this weekend to make the games a bit more interesting.

    “Maybe Schlenker and Byers,” Shultz added with a chuckle. “I really don’t like that Byers. Maybe he will be ready to go this weekend.

    “I am always up for it. Sometimes, he bails out a bit. Maybe he will step up this weekend.”

    When he played at the Raiders home rink that was known as the Comuniplex at that time, Shultz went on to say he was at his happiest when the Prince Albert players, coaches, management, fans and maybe even the concession workers are upset with him. Before playing for the Blades, Shultz gained practice returning home to Prince Albert as the enemy playing midget AAA for the Saskatoon Contacts, who are still huge rivals with the Prince Albert Mintos.

    “Coming home, it is a lot more fun,” said Shultz. “You try to get the crowd on you and stuff, and it is pretty fun.

    “They are kind of harsh toward me, but that is the way I like it. I am not going to really complain about it.”

    After finishing the story, I decided the Raiders shouldn’t be tipped off as to what was said. I figured it would be best to run the story on the Friday the day of the first game and see what happens.

    Greg Nicholson, who covered sports for an extended time in Prince Albert and was a Daily Herald desker, edited and laid out my story that night. He knew Shultz’s family well.

    When he check out my story, Nicholson said, “I wonder what his (Shultz’s) mother is going to say?”

    At that time, the Prince Albert Daily Herald hit the streets at 11 a.m., and on one of the coldest days and nights of the year, that story was the talk of the town. From what I heard, one of the alums brought a copy of the story into the Raiders coaches office for then head coach Peter Anholt and assistant coach Dave Manson, who is currently an associate coach with the club, to see. That happened shortly after the time the paper hit the streets.

    On the weather front, the night was so cold that people likely shouldn’t have been venturing out of their home, but 2,341 fans turned out to the Comuniplex, which could seat 2,857 spectators in the old Smarty Box seats that were in the building back then.

    Just 47 seconds into the contest and right after the puck was dropped for the game’s second faceoff, Shultz and Schlenker were on the ice, dropped their gloves and took off their helmets to duke it out. That would be classified as a staged fight and is no longer legal in the WHL. The two combatants threw bombs at each other for a good 45 seconds until the officials broke up the bout in what was one of the better fights of the season.

    The Raiders won the game 4-0 to lock up a playoff berth with Prince Albert netminder Rejean Beauchemin making 25 saves to collect the shutout. The contest had six fights in total including a second confrontation between Shultz and Schlenker and 138 minutes in penalties. Chris Savage was the referee for that contest, and years later, he would be one of the big influences that got Schlenker into officiating.

    Anholt cut to chase right away in the post-game interview.

    “Our guys read the paper and I think they understand some things were said,” said Anholt. “I thought Schlenker really stepped up tonight and showed a lot of leadership.

    “I thought our team played real well tonight. I don’t think (the fights are) that big a deal.

    “We feel we have enough toughness on our team that we can handle anything that comes our way. I don’t think we should blow things out of proportion.”

    Schlenker was ready for battle after reading my story.

    “It is just incentive to fire another guy up,” said Schlenker. “Since the pre-game meal, that was all that I was thinking about. I cut the article out in my stall.

    “I don’t really see any need for someone to do that. It worked against him (Shultz). We pretty much took it to them out there tonight.”

    Shultz was pretty proud he stirred up the pot.

    “I know sometimes we come here, and it just feels like we are playing a team in the B.C. Division,” said Shultz. “It shouldn’t feel like that.

    “I am real proud of the young guys at the end. I think we had three 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old drop the gloves. It is about time.”

    One of the undercard bouts saw rookie forward Devin Setoguchi of the Blades and rookie defenceman Jeff May of the Raiders go at it. Setoguchi, who had recently turned 17 at the time, was more known as a goal scorer and wasn’t really a fighter during his WHL career that spanned four seasons closing with one campaign with the Prince George Cougars in 2006-07.

    He has played 516 NHL regular season games with the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings.

    May, who was 16-years-old at the time, was known more as a rearguard that could supply some offence during his five WHL seasons, which concluded in 2008 with a short stint with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He went on to play in the minors and a couple of short stints in France. May has been out of professional hockey for a year.

    Courtney Gillies, who is the niece of former NHL standout Clark Gillies, shot pictures of the game that night. My standout co-worker and partner in crime on the sports beat in Prince Albert took some unreal photos of that first fight between Shultz and Schlenker. The deskers that night elected not to use them saying they were against promoting fighting in hockey, which was an odd sentiment in Prince Albert considering the Raiders rough and tumble traditional reputation.

    With the turnover in staff and the cuts in budget, I am pretty sure the photos from that night have likely disappeared into the abyss, which from a historical perspective is too bad. Media outlets all across Canada have dumped numerous pictures and rolls of video into the trash over the years due budget cuts that have caused a reduction in storage space.

    Shultz ultimately finished that season appearing in 69 regular season games with the Blades collecting six goals, four assists and 331 minutes in penalties. That was his last full season in the WHL as he concluded his major junior career with a one-game stint with the Kamloops Blazers in 2004-05.

    He eventually ended up in the U Sports ranks playing three seasons for the University of Regina Cougars men’s hockey team from 2007 to 2010. Shultz last played professional hockey with the Pensacola Ice Flyers in the Southern Professional Hockey League collecting 17 goals, 23 assists and 121 penalty minutes in 52 regular season games in 2010-11.

    The Raiders downed the Blades 5-2 before 4,512 spectators in what was then known as the Credit Union Centre to complete the home-and-home series the next night in Saskatoon. There were four fights and 72 minutes in penalties in that contest. Shultz and Byers had a bout in that game.

    Nights like that home-and-home series used to be a more common occurrence in the WHL. The league is more businesslike now as compared to then, which is due to how the game evolved over the years.

    With that said, it is still great to remember stories like this, which get lost over the years. For the younger generation, it gives a little glimpse of why the hockey rivalry between Saskatoon and Prince Albert at all levels can still get intense.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Hilltops to find out who will be "the guy"

Cole Benkic was the CJFL's top defensive player in 2015.

    When you’re the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops, a mass exodus of players equals opportunity.

    The Toppers lost 16 players due to graduation from the Canadian Junior Football League championship squad from a season ago. A handful of others moved on to other teams namely in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks.

    As head coach Tom Sargeant and the rest of his staff look at their newcomers and returning players, they have to feel a little excitement, because you wonder who in that group will be “the guy.” They have to know someone new or a returning backup is going to be “the guy,” and that person might not necessarily be someone you expect.

    Most of the Hilltops departing players were starters, but for a club that has won 18 national championships, rebuilding and reloading usually isn’t a very long process. The Toppers will be doing their best to be the first team to win six CJFL championships in seven years.

    During the regular season, the Hilltops are always pretty good at getting all their players on the field in games where they are running away on the scoreboard. Thanks to those moves, backups are usually ready to jump into a starting role, when a starter graduates. As a result, you could have a number of players turn out to be “the guy.”

    The Hilltops are always strong when it comes to recruiting, so there is always the possibility a rookie will step in right away and make an impact.

Quarterback Jared Andreychuk threads a pass down field for the Hilltops.

    Even with that in mind, the cupboard isn’t bare. Fifth year star quarterback Jared Andreychuk is back to lead the offence, and linebacker Cole Benkic, who was last year’s CJFL defensive player of the year, is back for his final season to guide the defence. Both will provide a steady influence on their respective units.

    Beast-type running back Logan Fischer returns for his fourth season, and fifth-year veteran receiver Tyson Sawatzky will be a key downfield target.

    On the defensive line, Blake Hermann and Tom Schnitzler are both back from a unit that was outstanding a season ago. They will likely once again cause grief for the quarterbacks of opposing teams.

    Besides containing Benkic, the Hilltops return some other strong linebackers in Cole’s brother, Adam Benkic, and Bobby Ehman. The secondary will be steadied by the leadership of James Vause, who will likely start full time at safety.

    The Hilltops will have to find a kicker due to losing Brett Thorarinsson to graduation, and he handled all those duties last season.

Running back Logan Fischer powers his way up field for the Hilltops.

    As the season moves on, the Hilltops will improve due to having one of the best coaching staffs you will find on any team. Sargeant has lots of support behind him in the likes of defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie, offensive coordinator Sheldon Ball and special teams coordinator Matt Yausie.

    The Hilltops get things going for their 70^th season as their main training camp opens on Monday at 1 p.m. at Ron Atchison Field. Their alumni game is set for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, and they open the regular season on Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field against the Winnipeg Rifles.

    It is always fun watching the Hilltops play on a Sunday afternoon at SMF Field during summer and fall, and it be cool to see if they can add another chapter to their storied history.

Will Rams versus Huskies draw at new Mosaic?

QB Noah Picton (#4) and the Rams will open new Mosaic Stadium.

    The University of Regina Rams were successful in obtaining the right to host the first game at the new Mosaic Stadium in Regina, but you have to wonder if it will be the draw the Saskatchewan football community hopes it will be.

    On Oct. 1, the Rams host the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at 2 p.m. in the inaugural game at the new Mosaic Stadium called the SaskTel Fall Classic. Ticket sales for the contest will be limited to 16,500, but you have to wonder if that game will reach that lofty attendance total.

    Since the Rams joined the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks in 1999, they along with the Huskies have had various promotions to try and spike attendance for one game to the 10,000 mark, but have come up unsuccessful. Since 1999, the biggest crowd for a university level football game in Saskatchewan has been hosted by the Huskies, who crammed 12,567 spectators to the 2006 Vanier Cup at Griffiths Stadium. The host Huskies fell in that national final to the Universite Laval Rouge et Or 13-8.

    Going into the 2016 campaign, the biggest selling point of the Oct. 1 match between the Huskies and Rams is the fact they will be playing in Regina’s new stadium, which will be best known as the home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

    The Rams are coming off a dismal and from accounts in Regina a dysfunctional 2015 season, where they were 0-8. Their attendance for their final two regular season home games at the old Mosaic Stadium were far from spectacular.

    On Oct. 17, 2015, the Rams drew 1,200 to their 49-46 loss to the University of Manitoba Bisons. The Rams closed the 2015 campaign drawing 1,100 to a 38-37 home loss to the Huskies on Oct. 30.

    Those figures are far from what the Rams drew during the days they had quarterback Darryl Leason, slotback Jason Clermont and running back Neal Hughes on their roster in 2000 when they appeared in the Vanier Cup and in 2001.

Huskies RB Shane Buchanan hits a wall of Rams tacklers.

    The Huskies 2015 campaign fell short of pre-season expectations, and they almost missed the playoffs for the first time since 2000. Had the Huskies lost their Oct. 30, 2015 clash with the Rams, U of S would have missed the post-season. The Rams led that contest 34-11 late in the third quarter before the Huskies rallied for victory.

    Huskies fans usually follow their team down from Saskatoon to Regina for games, but U of S saw its home attendance slip during a 3-5 regular season campaign.

    In 2015, the Huskies season high in attendance came in a 33-18 victory over the Rams on a Sept. 18 clash at Griffiths Stadium with 6,476 spectators. The Huskies drew 4,254 spectators to a 44-15 loss on Oct. 16 to the University of Calgary Dinos and 3,179 fans to a 41-36 loss to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Oct. 23.

    There is also a sizable minority among the Huskies supporters who heap piles of criticism on the team for going 1-10 in their last 11 playoff games, which includes a current seven game post-season losing streak. The notion that those supporters might make it to Regina to see the Huskies play is questionable. In Saskatoon, the Huskies receive the same level of scrutiny as a WHL team.

    Social media posts and press releases about the SaskTel Fall Classic keep saying tickets for the Oct. 1, 2016 clash between the Rams and Huskies are expected to go fast. That statement is highly doubtful.

    Personally, I would love to see the Rams and Huskies draw over 30,000 to SaskTel Fall Classic, but that is likely not reality.

    One thing that might boost attendance is making that clash between the Rams and Huskies a doubleheader with the CJFL teams from Regina and Saskatoon. The defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops are slated to be in Regina on Oct. 1 to take on the Thunder. That contest is set for 7 p.m. at old Mosaic Stadium, and obviously, starts after the Rams versus Huskies game is slated to finish.

    It might be prudent to get the Hilltops versus Thunder game moved to new Mosaic Stadium for a doubleheader and market everything as a football day in Regina. The chances of approaching an attendance figure of 16,500 would increase greatly if one had the chance to see all four of Saskatchewan’s post-secondary teams at one time.

Back in the Express with Kiselyk

Marci Kiselyk smiles after scoring a TD.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature story on Marci Kiselyk, who a star receiver for the Saskatoon Valkyries women’s football team.

    Kiselyk reflects on the Valkyries 2016 Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship campaign and the fact she has played for the Valkyries in all six seasons of their existence. She joined the Valkyries after playing five seasons with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team.

    The feature led into the fact that Kiselyk will suit up for Saskatchewan’s provincial team for the inaugural Senior Women’s National Championship that is being put on by Football Canada right now in Regina. Saskatchewan will face Quebec in the event’s championship game on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at old Mosaic Stadium.

    On Thursday, Saskatchewan blanked New Brunswick 58-0 in a semifinal match. Kiselyk caught nine passes for 171 yards and scores three touchdowns in the win.

    My Saskatoon Express story on Kiselyk can be found right here.

Schlenker off to “The Show”

Chris Schlenker will referee in the NHL.

    It is official, Chris Schlenker, who won the Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy this past season as the top official in the WHL, is heading to the NHL.

    CTV Lethbridge senior reporter Kaella Carr traveled to Medicine Hat to interview Schlenker, who is a member of the Medicine Hat Police Service, and he confirmed the news he has signed on to work in the NHL. He will take a leave of absence from the Medicine Hat Police Service starting at the end of August.

    Schlenker, who is from Medicine Hat, played in the WHL from 2001 to 2005 with the Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders. Carr worked for CTV Prince Albert, when Schlenker was a member of the Raiders.

    Both Carr and Schlenker were highly respected by the residents of Prince Albert during their time in that northern Saskatchewan city. Carr’s story on Schlenker heading to the NHL was outstanding. It can be found 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.

Schlenker going to "The Show?"

NHL job would be well-earned reward for Medicine Hat referee

Chris Schlenker waves off a goal in the WHL playoffs.

    It appears the WHL won’t have the services of its award winning official this coming season.

    Last season, Chris Schlenker won the Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s top official. On July 7, Scoutingtherefs.com reported that the Medicine Hat product was one of four officials hired by the NHL. A day later, Hockey Alberta sent out a release stating Schlenker was making the jump to the NHL.

    The NHL itself has yet to officially confirm any new referee or linesmen hires. Unlike player, coach and general manager signings, referee and linesmen hires barely register as a blip on the radar for most hockey fans. Those that care about that kind of news are usually the family and friends of an official.

    Schlenker’s case is different.

    The 32-year-old has always been popular in his hometown of Medicine Hat, and when he skated as a defenceman with the WHL’s Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders from 2001 to 2005, his popularity expanded in the hockey world in Western Canada.

    On the ice, fans loved the hits Schlenker dished out. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 198 pounds, he was a rock solid and tough defensive defenceman.

    Off the ice, he built a reputation as being a solid team guy serving as the Pats captain and as an assistant captain with the Raiders. When the Pats traded Schlenker in early January 2004 to the Raiders, his departure was greeted with sadness in Regina.

    When he arrived in Prince Albert, there might never have been player that was welcomed right away and greeted so warmly into the Raiders dressing room. In 284 WHL regular season games, Schlenker collected 25 goals, 67 assists and 718 minutes in penalties.

    After his playing days wrapped, Schlenker settled back in Medicine Hat to raise his family and pursue his career in policing. While his hockey playing days were over, his days in the game were not.

    Veteran referee Chris Savage, who had storied career wearing the striped shirt, had also settled down in Medicine Hat to pursue a career as a firefighter with the Medicine Hat Fire Department. Savage got to know Schlenker and recruited the steady rearguard to return to competitive hockey as an official.

Chris Schlenker keeps tabs on the action on the ice.

    Savage thought that Schlenker would be a natural as a referee after playing the game for an extended time at a high level. If Schlenker applied his gritty work ethic towards officiating like he did his hockey playing career and his policing career, there was no telling what doors might open for him.

    Schlenker contemplated the decision for an extended time, before becoming a hockey official about five years ago. He quickly worked his way up the officiating ranks. By the time he was skating in his third season as a referee, Schlenker was in the WHL on a full-time basis.

    The games he worked always seemed to have a nice flow to them. He let the soft calls that didn’t have an effect on the game go, and he always got the major ones right.

    He mastered the skill of communicating well with the coaches and players on both teams in the games he worked. As a former player, he often was able to spot times when tensions were about to escalate, and he was able to put out fires before they happened.

    Schlenker was professional and detailed when it came to watching game film and working with officials supervisors with regards to positioning on the ice and making the correct calls in muddy situations.

    He was making the effort to master the craft of being a referee, which takes a lot more commitment than most in the public realize.

    At the WHL level, most coaches and general managers that saw Schlenker play respected him for the work he did on the ice as a blue-liner. When Schlenker returned to the WHL as a referee, he earned a new respect from players, coaches and general managers for his efforts as an official.

    After Schlenker started working some assignments in the American Hockey League this past season, there were a lot of people in the WHL hoping he would get an NHL shot.

    A lot of Schlenker’s teammates from his Pats and Raiders days were sad the Hat product didn’t get a chance to be part of “The Show” as a player. Everyone that knows Schlenker will be pumped to see he found another way to make it to the top.

    While most of Schlenker’s assignments next season will likely be in the AHL, his eventual NHL debut will be a dream come true.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.