“Rat Line” pulls Golden Bears even with Huskies in Canada West Championship series

The Golden Bears celebrate a goal from captain Riley Kieser.

    Needing a win to stay alive in the Canada West Championship series, the “Rat Line” hit top gear for the University of Alberta Golden Bears men’s hockey team.

    U of A’s forward unit centred by captain Riley Kieser flanked by Cole Sanford at right wing and Trevor Cox at left wing played like three Theo Fleurys on the ice. They brought agitation and skill knocking the University of Saskatchewan Huskies off their game on Saturday and accounted for the Golden Bears first two goals.

    When the dust settled at Merlis Belsher Place, the Golden Bears skated away with a 3-0 victory over the Huskies in Game 2 of the best-of-three Canada West final before a packed crowd of 2,643 spectators. The win by the Golden Bears evens the series at 1-1 and forces a series deciding Game 3 on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.

Riley Kieser had a goal and an assist for the Golden Bears.

    The Huskies claimed Game 1 by a 4-2 score on Friday at Merlis.

    Following Saturday’s game, Kieser said the Golden Bears entered Game 2 with the goal of coming out with a better work ethic, more intensity and were trying to avoid getting too pretty in the skill department.

    “We won one-on-one battles,” said Kieser. “We got pucks in deep and made them work in their defensive zone. It was a lot more fun game to play.”

    Kieser’s line seemed to be in the centre of all sorts of little skirmishes in the opening frame. It appeared that unit in particular had a different sort of high intensity to their game playing at their “pest best.”

    After a scoreless first period, Kieser opened the game’s scoring 19 seconds into the second period, when he ripped home a goal from the top of the left faceoff circle. Sanford picked up an assist on the tally.

Cole Sanford had a pair of assists for the Golden Bears.

    “It is always helpful to get that first goal,” said Kieser. “It definitely gives you confidence.

    “We weren’t able to get that yesterday, but we got it today and just rolled with it.”

    At the 13:46 mark of the second period, the “Rat Line” struck again to put the Golden Bears up 2-0. Kieser had the puck behind the Huskies net and slipped a beauty centring pass to Cox in front of the U of S goal.

    Cox fired home the insurance marker with Sanford picking up an assist on the play as well.

    The trio also has all sorts of playoff experience coming in both the WHL and U Sports.

    Kieser helped the Edmonton Oil Kings win the WHL and Memorial Cup championships in his final season of major junior hockey in 2013-14. Upon joining the Golden Bears, he helped U of A win the David Johnston University Cup as U Sports national champions in his first campaign with the team in 2014-15 and last season.

Trevor Cox had a goal for the Golden Bears.

    Cox and Sanford helped the Medicine Hat Tigers advance to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series in 2013-14 and were key players helping the Golden Bears win the Canada West Conference and U Sports national titles last season.

    “It is great to play with those two guys,” said Kieser. “They definitely bring a lot to the game.

    “They play with a lot of intensity and a lot of work ethic. I think all four of our lines came out hard tonight, but we were fortunate on a couple of goals, so that definitely set tone.”

    Grayson Pawlenchuk, who was the Canada West rookie of the year, capped the Golden Bears victory scoring a power-play goal from a bad angle at the 9:11 mark of the third period.

Trevor Cox (#36) and Riley Kieser (#14) agitated the Huskies.

    Zach Sawchenko stopped 20 shots to pick up the shutout win for the Golden Bears. Taran Kozun made 27 saves to the setback in goal for the Huskies.

    Saturday’s clash, which was the 510^th overall meeting between the two sides, was very much a rivalry game that included both teams delivering a lot of extra shots after whistles. The officials would attend to a scrum at one end of the ice, and something underhanded would happen at the other end of the ice.

    Huskie sophomore defenceman Sam Ruopp was slammed hard on a couple of occasions including being the victim of a hard hit from behind by Cox in the first period and being nailed by another U of A player in the third period.

Saturday’s game was filled with lots of rough stuff.

    Near the end of the contest, the Huskies became totally unraveled.

    With 2:11 remaining in the third, Huskies sophomore forward Alex Forsberg tackled Cox and was given a tripping minor, a roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct. Huskies captain Jesse Forsberg, who is Alex’s older brother, also received a 10-minute misconduct at that point in the game.

    At the 19:22 mark of the third, Huskies left-winger and agitator Jaimen Yakubowski was given a roughing major, while centre Wyatt Johnson and right-winger Carter Folk were given 10-minute misconducts during the same stoppage.

Golden Bears RW Brandon Magee and Huskies D Jesse Forsberg get tied up.

    Folk actually gave a love tap cross check to a linesman, which resulted in his misconduct.
    The Huskies finished the game with 58 minutes in penalties, while the Golden Bears had 12 minutes of infraction accessed against them.

    “It is always a good feeling to know that they are getting frustrated,” said Kieser. “You just want to keep playing your game, play the right way and you will get rewarded, and that is what we did today.”

    When the puck drops for Sunday’s series deciding Game 3 between these “forever rivals,” Kieser believes the Huskies will be over their frustrations and his side has to be ready for a most focused push back from the U of S side.

The Golden Bears celebrate their win on Saturday night.

    “It is do or die again,” said Kieser. “We came out battling for our lives today, and we’re going to do the same tomorrow.
    “It is going to be a great game.”

    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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Shirley gets special Christmas gift from Hockey Canada

Grace Shirley will play for Canada at under-18 worlds.

    Christmas came a few days early for Grace Shirley.

    On Friday, the 16-year-old skilled forward with the Saskatoon Stars was added to Canada’s roster for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 Women’s World Championship, which runs this coming January 6-13 in Dmitrov, Russia. Shirley joins current Stars teammate Mackenna Parker and former Stars teammate Willow Slobodzian on the Canadian squad. Parker, who is the Stars captain, lines up at forward, while Slobodzian, who plays for the Cornell University Big Red women’s hockey team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks, is a defender.

    The fourth Saskatchewan product on the team comes from Gull Lake in defender Taylor Kirwan, who is the captain of the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats.

    For Shirley, this has to come as a nice surprise after finding out she had been left off the original roster that was announced back on Nov. 16. She follows in the strides of her older sister, Sophie, who played for Canada’s under-18 team at two worlds and is currently a member of the national development team.

    Older brother, Collin, is a rookie forward with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team.

    With the Stars this season, Grace Shirley has piled up 20 goals and 14 assists in 16 regular season games to sit second in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League’s scoring race with 34 points. 

Grace Shirley is second in SFMAAAHL scoring this season.

    In 75 career regular season games with the Stars, Shirley has posted 60 goals and 44 assists. She is only the eighth player in the history of the SFMAAAHL to score 60 or more goals in regular season play during her career.

    Shirley, who stands 5-foot-4, turned heads as a 14-year-old rookie in the 2015-16 campaign with the Stars netting 18 goals and 14 assists in the regular season helping the Stars post a 24-4 record.

    In the playoffs, she enjoyed her signature moment with the Stars netting the overtime winning goal that clinched the SFMAAAHL championship series in March of 2016. Shirley’s winner over the Diamond Energy Wildcats in Swift Current game the Stars a 4-3 victory in Game 4 of the series and a 3-1 win in the best-of-five set.

    Shirley is eligible to play for Canada’s under-18 team again next season, so she could have the rare opportunity to play twice at the under-18 women’s worlds just like Sophie did.

    For now, Grace Shirley will likely enjoy what is in store for her this coming January, when she plays on a Canadian squad that contains a large number of familiar faces.

Clark makes cut for Olympics

Dream come true 🍁 Humbled and honoured to be representing Canada in PyeongChang!

A post shared by emclark.26 (@emclark.26) on Dec 23, 2017 at 4:54pm PST

    Emily Clark experienced her biggest hockey milestone to date on Friday, which will allow her to fulfill a huge dream.

    Clark was one of the 23 players named to Canada’s women’s team that will play in the 2018 Winter Olympics, which run Feb. 9-25 in PyeongChang, South Korea. The 22-year-old forward is the youngest player on the Canadian women’s team that will play in the Olympics.

    The Saskatoon product is also the only player from Saskatchewan on the Canadian women’s team roster that will play at the upcoming Olympics.

    While Clark has been a member of Canada’s centralized senior national women’s team roster this season, there were no guarantees she would make the cut to play in the Olympics. Due to the fact all the players in Canada’s national team program are highly skilled, the fact Clark made the roster for the Olympics has to be viewed as a major accomplishment.

    Before joining the centralized roster, Clark, who stands 5-foot-7, played three seasons in the NCAA ranks for the University of Wisconsin Badgers appearing in 113 overall games registering 56 goals and 62 assists. She is expected to return to the Badgers next season to play out her final campaign of NCAA eligibility.

    Clark played for the Okanagan Hockey Academy Female Prep team for two seasons from 2012 to 2014 before joining the Badgers.

    From 2009 to 2012, Clark played three seasons with the Saskatoon Stars recording 45 goals and 46 assists in 82 regular season games. She helped the Stars make the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series in each of her campaigns with the team.

U Sports men’s hockey all-stars make their mark

Logan McVeigh had a goal for the U Sports all-star squad.

    The U Sports men’s hockey circuit is often an under-appreciated elite league in Canada, but the likely turned some heads in a two-game exhibition series against prospects that aimed to make Canada’s world junior team.

    As part of the selection process to make up the Canadian world junior squad, the prospects looking to make that team faced a U Sports all-star squad in a two game exhibition series at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. The U Sports squad swept the series posting a 3-0 win on December 13 and 4-3 on December 14.

    In the Dec. 13 match, the U Sports squad received a first period power-play goal from Luke Philp, who plays for the U of Alberta Golden Bears, and third period empty-net tallies from Michael Clarke, who plays for the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men and Logan McVeigh, who plays for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. The U Sports side fired 24 shots on goal.

    Hockey Canada had their world junior goaltending prospects play for both teams in the series. In the 3-0 win, Colton Point and Carter Hart, who would both make Canada’s world junior team, backed the U Sports side to victory playing about 30 minutes each.

Cole Sanford had a two-goal night for the U Sports all-star team.

    Point, who plays for Colgate University in the NCAA ranks, turned away 14 shots starting in goal, while Hart, who plays for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, made 18 stops to finish the back half of the contest.

    In the Dec. 14 match, Golden Bears defenceman Jason Fram scored on a rebound with 6.5 seconds to play in the third period to break a 3-3 tie and give the U Sports side a 4-3 victory. Golden Bears forward Cole Sanford scored twice and had an assist for the U Sports side, while Stephen Harper, who plays for the Acadia University Axemen, netted a single. The U Sports side fired 27 shots on goal.

    Harvey Samuel, who plays for the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, stopped 13-of-15 shots playing about the first 30 minutes for the U Sports side. Michael DiPietro, who plays for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, stopped 11 of 12 shots sent his way. Both Samuel and DiPietro were cut from Canada’s world junior team.

    Alex Formenton, who plays for the OHL’s London Knights, Kale Clague, who plays for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, and Robert Thomas, who also plays for the OHL’s Knights, replied with singles for the Canadian world junior prospects side. All three made the world junior team.

    Besides McVeigh, the Canadian squad included three other members from the U of S Huskies in forward Josh Roach, defenceman and captain Kendall McFaull and netminder Jordon Cooke.

    Saskatoon product Boston Leier, who plays forward for the Axemen, was a member of the U Sports squad as well.

Josh Roach was one of four U of S Huskies on the U Sports all-star squad.

    The majority of players that make up the squads in U Sports are players who had solid careers in the major junior ranks. They often elect to play at the university level to get a degree to help transition over to life after hockey.

    In the professional game, players that sign three-year NHL entry-level contracts often see their hockey careers end, when those deals expire. Usually, those players are focused entirely on hockey, so it is a bit jarring to transition into a post-hockey career life at that point.

    Most U Sports players improve during their careers in the university ranks. When they graduate at age 25 or 26, they are starting to reach their physical primes, and the professional ranks would be wise to look at giving those players contracts.

    It seems like major junior players often get ignored, when they move on to play Canadian university hockey. Having a U Sports all-star squad sweep a two-game series against Canadian world junior hopefuls helps bring university players to the forefront.

    U Sports men’s hockey is an elite amateur league, and it shouldn’t be ignored.

    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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Crooks breaks out for U of A in Canada West title clincher

Golden Bears third period surge does in Huskies

Jamie Crooks celebrates scoring his first of three goals for U of A.

    In what had been a forgettable run on a personal level through the U Sports playoffs, Jamie Crooks finally had a banner night for the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

    During U of A’s 28-game regular season, Crooks led the Golden Bears men’s hockey team with 15 goals and he equaled rookie teammate Tyson Baillie with a team-high 26 points. Through the Golden Bears first four games in the Canada West conference playoffs, Crooks had just one assist and was searching for his first goal.

    On Sunday at the ancient Rutherford Rink in a winner take all Game 3 of the Canada West championship series with the host U of Saskatchewan Huskies, Crooks came alive to deliver the Golden Bears a conference title.

    With the teams locked in a 2-2 draw entering the third period of Sunday’s clash, Crooks converted a nifty passing set up from linemates Stephane Legault and Tyson Baillie to put the Golden Bears up 3-2. That started a surge, where the Golden Bears scored three times in two minutes and 16 seconds to build a 5-2 edge.

Tyson Baillie looks to set up a play in the offensive zone for U of A.

    Taylor Cooper got the second goal in that surge and Crooks capped the outburst with his second of the night.

    After Huskies centre Jordan Tkatch scored to cut the gap to 5-3 with 8:04 remaining in the third, Crooks sealed the win potting his hat trick goal into an empty cage with 30 seconds to play in the frame. The 6-3 victory by the Golden Bears allowed them to take the best-of-three Canada West championship series 2-1 and disappoint most of a packed crowd of 845 spectators.
    The win marked the 14^th time in the last 17 years the Golden Bears captured the Canada West championship.

    A year ago, U of S swept the conference final 2-0 held at Rutherford against U of A.

    “It feels good,” said Crooks. “I was a little bit frustrated before that not having any (goals) in the playoffs yet.

    “I trusted in (Golden Bears head coach) Serge (Lajoie). He told me to shoot the puck, and I trusted that. I just put it on net, and it went in.”

Huskies forward Josh Roach (#7) drives a shot on the U of A net.

    For a lengthy time on Sunday, it seemed like the Huskies were going to repeat as conference champs. At the 4:56 mark of the first period, Golden Bears netminder Brendan Burke lost track of the puck behind his net, and Huskies rookie forward Carson Stadnyk dumped the puck into an open right side of the U of A goal to give the hosts a 1-0 edge.

    The Huskies appeared to go ahead 2-0 a few minutes later, but a goal by captain Kendall McFaull was ruled to have been knocked home with a high stick. After 20 minutes, the Huskies were rolling and outshooting the Golden Bears 13-6.

    Just 90 seconds into the second, the Golden Bears tied things up at 1-1, when rookie centre Luke Philp scored on a short-handed breakaway chance to the blocker side of Huskies star goalie Jordon Cooke.

Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke turns away a wraparound chance.

    The Huskies went back in front 2-1 working on a power play just before the midway point of the frame, when rookie winger Connor Gay scored off a rebound.

    The hosts appeared they would head to the second intermission with a lead, but the Golden Bears had other ideas working on a power play of their own. With 1:49 to play in the second, a U of A point shot deflected off a Huskies player to Golden Bears winger Cole Sanford in the slot. Sanford buried a shot to force a 2-2 tie.

    That set the stage for the visitors to surge ahead in the third.

    Cooke turned away 29-of-34 shots to take the loss in goal for the Huskies, who were rated second in the U Sports top 10 rankings. Burke made 32 stops to earn the win in net for the Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in the U Sports top 10 rankings.

Defenceman Dylan Bredo leads a rush up ice for U of A.

    “I think we knew coming in here it would be very difficult,” said Lajoie. “We have the utmost respect for the Huskies, the program, the tradition of excellence that they have here under (head coach) Dave Adolph.

    “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew this third game was going to be difficult. I thought both team played extremely hard.

    “Our compete level was exactly where it needed to be. We were just hopeful we would get rewarded for all the hard work.”

    The Huskies topped the Canada West standings in the regular season with a 21-5-2 mark. The Golden Bears finished second with an 18-8-2 record.

    “There is not a whole lot of difference between these two teams,” said Crooks. “I guess our shots went in, and theirs didn’t.

    “It was a tight fought series, one of the best series I have been a part of, and it was really good to play in.”

    Both the Golden Bears and Huskies qualified for the University Cup national championship tournament, which will be held March 16 to 19 at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Crooks said any possible encounter with the Huskies in that event would be a hard match.

The Golden Bears enjoy the spoils of their Canada West title win.

    The 25-year-old Vermilion, Alta., product said his team is focused on capturing another national title. U of A captured the University Cup for the 14^th and 15^th time respectively in 2014 and 2015 but got knocked out in the quarter-final round last year.

    As a sense of superstition, Golden Bears captain Brennan Yadlowski wouldn’t touch the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy, which is given to the Canada West title winner, after Sunday’s game.

    “It feels good, but we are not done yet,” said Crooks. “It is not our ultimate goal.

    “We still want to go to Fredericton and win there. We have a ways to go yet, but it does feel pretty good.”

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

In Cooke the Huskies trust

Netminder gives Dogs edge in Canada West final against U of A

Jordon Cooke had another spectacular season for the Huskies.

    On Thursday, Jordon Cooke was a repeat winner as the goaltender of the year in the Canada West conference, and this weekend he gives a distinct edge to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team in their quest to repeat as conference champions.

    The Huskies host their forever rivals the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the second straight year in a best-of-three Canada West final at the ancient Rutherford Rink. Game 1 is set for Friday at 7 p.m.

    Game 2 follows on Saturday at 7 p.m., and if necessary Game 3 will be held Sunday at 7 p.m. The Huskies finished first in Canada West with a 21-5-2 record, while the Bears were second with an 18-8-2 mark.

    Last year, the Huskies swept the Golden Bears 2-0.

    Both teams will ice four solid forward lines and three strong defensive pairs. When it comes to goaltending, the Huskies have the edge thanks to Cooke, who was also named the top netminder in U Sports last season.

Jordon Cooke plays the puck behind his net.

    The 23-year-old Leduc, Alta., product was a prized recruit for the Huskies back at the start of the 2014-15 campaign. He arrived on campus having won the Canadian Hockey League’s goaltender of the year award. Cooke was overlooked by the NHL ranks being deemed too small standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 180 pounds.

    In recent years, NHL scouts lean towards goaltenders that stand a least 6-feet tall in height or taller.

    Since Cooke joined the Huskies, he has displayed the form that allowed him to be named the top goalie in the major junior ranks. Cooke hasn’t rested on past accomplishments, and has improved as his university career has progressed. He admits he strives for constant improvement.

    “I definitely set my goals to be better,” said Cooke during a media scrum Thursday at the Rutherford. “I constantly want to get better. I want to be recognized, and hopefully down the road, pursue a pro career.

    “If I could repeat from the previous year, that would be a big achievement. We didn’t really loose a whole lot of guys on our team. A lot of our team is a young group of players.

    “When you have a team like this, it is pretty to have good success.”

    Cooke turned away 56 of 58 shots in last year’s Canada West championship series with U of A. In four encounters from the current campaign, Cooke turned away 126 of 132 shots he faced from the Golden Bears in four games, and the Huskies won three of those encounters. The last of those games saw Cooke post a beauty 45-save shutout performance in a 4-0 Huskies win on Dec. 3, 2016.

Jesse Forsberg had a breakout campaign.

    At the moment, Cooke has U of A’s number. With him in goal, you would think the confidence of the rest of his team has to be fairly sound. During the regular season, Cooke posted a 19-4-2 record, a 1.94 goals against average, a .929 save percentage and four shutouts.

    Cooke wasn’t the only conference award winner from the Huskies this season. Third-year rearguard Jesse Forsberg captured the Mervyn “Red” Dutton Trophy as the top defenceman in Canada West. Huskies head coach Dave Adolph was named the Canada West coach of the year for the third time in his career, with the last two wins coming back in the 1997-98 and 1999-2000 campaigns.

    Cooke and goaltending partner Daniel Wapple also claimed the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy for the lowest goals against average posted a duo in the conference at 2.11.

    Centre Logan McVeigh topped the Huskies in regular season scoring with 13 goals and 18 assists, while Forsberg led the conference in defencemen scoring with 27 points coming on 11 goals and 16 assists.

    Forward Jamie Crooks and Tyson Baillie, who took the U of A Hockey Alumni trophy as the Canada West rookie of the year, each topped the Golden Bears with 26 points. Crooks had 15 goals and 11 assists in 27 regular season games, while Baillie had 13 goals and 13 assists playing in all 28 regular season games.

    Dylan Bredo topped all U of A defencemen in scoring with three goals and 17 assists.

    Rookie Brendan Burke and fourth-year veteran Luke Siemens split time in the U of A net. Burke posted an 8-3 record, a 1.70 goals against average, a .934 save percentage and three shutouts. Siemens posted an 8-4-1 record, a 2.82 goals against average and a .905 save percentage.

Former Regina Pats winger Cole Sanford could be a wildcard for U of A.

    One wildcard in the series might be the fact the Golden Bears added Cole Sanford after the Christmas break. Sanford had two goals and five assists in 12 games with U of A, but he was a prolific goal scorer in the WHL netting over 30 goals a season in each of his last three major junior campaigns. In 260 career regular season games with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Regina Pats from 2012 to 2016, Sanford had 126 goals and 123 assists.

    In their semifinal series sweep of the Mount Royal University Cougars, the Huskies did a good job staying out of all the little chippy and trash talking battles that happened behind the play or after the whistle. They will have to repeat that behaviour against U of A.

    This series has the potential to go the distance, but when the dust settles, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Golden Bears went down to defeat again due to heroics of Cooke.

Huskies hoops women’s team underdogs

Huskies guard Libby Epoch speaks to the media on Thursday at U of S.

    In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team has found itself hosting the Canada West final four championship tournament for the second year in a row, but the defending U Sports champions are not the clear cut favourite.

    When it comes to wins and losses, the Huskies finished with in Canada West with a solid 15-5 record, but were given the conference’s top seed in playoffs due to having the most difficult schedule out of the 12 teams that made the post-season. The top 12 teams in the 17 club conference made playoffs, and they were seeded by a strength of schedule index number.

    The Huskies face the U of Alberta Pandas, who were 17-3 in the regular season in one semifinal match set for 6:15 p.m. on Friday at the Physical Activity Complex. In two regular encounters that were held at the PAC, the Pandas took the first game 72-50 on Feb. 3, while the Huskies claimed a 72-62 victory one night later.

    The Huskies, who graduated four players in their fifth-year of eligibility last season, can never be counted out due to the fact Lisa Thomaidis guides them as their superstar head coach.

    Huskies rookie guard Libby Epoch likes her team’s chances of making noise at home.

    “I think our team has just been getting better about working off each other and having that team chemistry,” said Epoch. “It has been getting even better all year.”

    “On the road, you kind of feel a sense of like pressure and urgency to kind of win. At home, you have a more comfortable feeling. I think we know what we need to do this weekend, and we will hold ourselves accountable for that.”

    The other semifinal on Friday features the U of Winnipeg Wesmen, who had a Canada West best 18-2 regular season record, taking on the U of Regina Cougars, who were 17-3 in the regular season, at 8:15 p.m. at the PAC.

    The winners of the semifinal games advance to the U Sports championship tournament, which runs March 9 to 12 in Victoria, B.C.

    The bronze medal game of the Canada West final four is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday, and the gold medal match follows at 7 p.m. It is possible the winner of the bronze medal contest could earn the one wildcard berth to nationals.

Dobler quietly sets Huskies games played record

Alyssa Dobler leads the Huskies in games played.

    Alyssa Dobler quietly worked her way into the record books for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in her final university campaign.

    The fifth-year defender played her final game at the U Sports level, when the Huskies dropped a 3-1 decision in a deciding Game 3 of best-of-three Canada West semifinal series against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in Vancouver. Dobler scored the Huskies lone goal in that contest, which was also her first and only tally at the university level.

    The defensive defender will be more remembered as the Huskies leader in career games played. In her five seasons, Dobler appeared in 137 career regular season games breaking the old mark of 136 contests set last year by feisty forward Marley Ervine. At one time, Ervine’s career regular season games played mark was a Canada West record.

    Including action in the regular season, Canada West playoffs and U Sports championship tournament played, Dobler hit the ice for a Huskies team record 159 games breaking the old mark of 155 games which was also held by Ervine. Ervine played in all her games consecutively, while Dobler’s stretch was broken up sitting out three games due to injury in her fourth season.

    Thunderbirds fifth-year forward Stephanie Schaupmeyer holds the Canada West record for career regular season games played at 139. She is finishing her final playoff run with UBC.

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

NHL shafting prospects that lack size

Adam Brooks led the WHL in scoring this past season.

    What is old has become new again if you are a small guy trying to make the NHL.

    When I covered the Regina Pats in the last half of the 1999-2000 season and first half of the 2000-01 campaign, two of their most exciting players to watch were Matt Hubbauer and Kevin Korol. Both were heart-and-soul skilled players, had tonnes of speed and competed hard night in and night out. Off the ice, they were gold in the dressing room becoming best friends with all of their teammates.

    Despite all their positive characteristics, you had a gut feeling that no matter how hard or how well Hubbauer and Korol performed they would never play in the NHL because of their size. Hubbauer stood 5-foot-10 and weighed 194 pounds, while Korol was 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds.

    While they played hard, it was viewed players like Hubbauer and Korol would not be able to hold up to the physical pounding a player takes in the NHL. Despite posting solid statistical seasons in their major junior careers, Hubbauer and Korol were never drafted and never played a shift in the regular season or playoffs in “The Show.”

    Fast forward to the current major junior campaign that is nearing completion with the Memorial Cup tournament getting underway Friday in Red Deer. Two of the most exciting players on the Pats this season were Adam Brooks and Cole Sanford. They were key in helping Regina advance to the second round of the WHL playoffs, where the Pats fell in an exciting seven-game series to the Memorial Cup hosting Red Deer Rebels.

Matt Hubbauer used to pile up points for the Pats.

    As a 19-year-old veteran, Brooks topped the WHL in regular season scoring with 38 goals and 82 assists playing in all 72 regular season games. Sanford was an overage right-winger the Pats acquired in a trade with the Medicine Hat Tigers. In 63 regular season games in 2015-16, Sanford had 41 goals and 39 assists. In four seasons in the WHL, Sanford collected 126 goals and 123 assists in 260 career regular season games.

    Both were dynamite in the Pats 12-game playoff run. Brooks pick up seven goals and 16 assists, and Sanford posted seven goals and nine assists.

    Both also have shortcomings in the size department. Brooks stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 175 pounds, while Sanford stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 165 pounds.

    Neither player has been selected in the NHL Entry Draft, and they will likely be camp bodies when NHL training camps open this fall. That will likely be the closest either player comes to appearing in an NHL regular season or playoff game. Barring something unforeseen, Brooks will be back with the Pats next season as an overager.

    It seems like NHL scouts are just looking for players that stand 6-foot-3 and weigh in the neighbourhood of 210 pounds. Gifted Brandon Wheat Kings Centre Nolan Patrick is viewed as a perfect prospect, because he has the size, as he stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds, to go along with his outstanding skill. The Winnipeg product isn’t eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until next year, so he will have lots of time to bulk up and fill out.

Cole Sanford (#26) has never been afraid to battle in the hard areas.

    The travesty is the fact the little guys with skill don’t seem to be on the radar of NHL scouts anymore. The WHL might be the most physical of any junior hockey circuit in the world, but players like Brooks and Sanford have still flourished. Both never shy away from battling the corners or other tough areas on the ice.

    They have proven they can play and should be given a real chance to make an NHL roster.

    At one time not long ago, the door was wide open for the little guy. From a period of about 2005 to 2008, there was a serious effort to crack down on obstruction at all levels of hockey. All of a sudden, the little guy with skill became a valuable asset.

    It was during this time that brilliant puck moving defenceman Kris Russell, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds, went from being the WHL’s most valuable player in 2006-07 with the Medicine Hat Tigers to becoming an NHL regular. Over nine NHL seasons, Russell has suited up for 573 regular season games collecting 38 goals and 139 assists.

Jordon Cooke of the Huskies has been the top goalie in the CHL and CIS.

    Forward Tyler Ennis, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 160 pounds, went from being a star with the Tigers to a first round selection by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. After going 26^th overall to the Sabres, Ennis has appeared in 368 career regular season games over seven seasons collecting 92 goals and 131 assists. While he was out most of last season with a concussion, Ennis proved he belongs in the NHL.

    Unfortunately, scouts have a little too much fear that smaller players have a greater chance of suffering injuries like concussions, so that fear helps little guys get overlooked. With that said, a lot of big players have suffered their share of concussion injuries over the years too.

    As a result, you can go to a Canadian university hockey men’s game and watch players like goaltender Jordon Cooke and forward Kohl Bauml shine with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. When you see both of those players perform, you think they should be in the professional ranks but realize they aren’t because of their size.

Kris Russell has played nine seasons in the NHL.

    Cooke, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds, came to the Huskies after having an outstanding WHL campaign in 2013-14 with the Kelowna Rockets, where he was named the Canadian Hockey League’s goalie of the year. Just think about that for a second. Cooke was voted the best goalie in all of major junior hockey, and he still didn’t get an NHL contract.

    That fact right there shows how difficult it is for the small guy to gain a legitimate chance to make an NHL team.

    Cooke had a spectacular campaign in 2015-16 for the Huskies posting a 19-5 record, a 2.52 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and two shutouts. His win total set a new Huskies regular season team record, and he was named the goaltender of the year for Canadian Interuniversity Sport and was a first team CIS all-star.

    Bauml, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 170 pounds, potted 30 goals and 30 assists in 71 games as an overager with the Everett Silvertips in 2014-15. He topped the Huskies in team scoring as a rookie recording 12 goals and 21 assists in 28 games. The Saskatoon product was named the rookie of the year for the Canada West Conference and was named to the CIS all-rookie team.

    You can keep adding from there to the list of small guys who are not getting a serious NHL look. These players have kicked down the door to prove they can play. All they need is another cycle to arise where NHL scouts come to their senses to allow small players to have legitimate shots to make the league again.

Back in the Express with Nogier

Nelson Nogier will play in the Memorial Cup tournament for a second time.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a story I really enjoyed writing.

    I had the opportunity to craft a feature story on my young cousin Nelson Nogier, who is about to appear in the Memorial Cup tournament for a second time. Nogier is a 19-year-old stay-at-home defenceman with the Red Deer Rebels, who are hosting the Memorial Cup. The Rebels open the tournament on Friday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights.

    The prospect of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets was a 16-year-old rookie with his hometown Saskatoon Blades when they hosted the Memorial Cup in 2013. Nogier, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds, joined the Rebels via a trade that came shortly before the WHL’s Christmas break in 2014.

    On a personal note, I had a lot of fun interviewing Nogier, and I had so much pride and enjoyed watching him help the Rebels make it to the WHL Eastern Conference championship series, which they lost to the eventual WHL champion Brandon Wheat Kings. My story on Nogier 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.

The WHL at its best

Rebels and Pats have delivered a spectacular series

Adam Brooks (#77) of the Pats battles Rebels captain Luke Philp.

    It is almost sad that the WHL playoff series between the Red Deer Rebels and Regina Pats has to end.

    While the Victoria Royals and the Kelowna Rockets have been engaged in a thrilling second round series played in front of the Shaw TV cameras out west, the series out east between the Rebels and Pats has been the WHL at its best.

    The Rebels lead the best-of-seven set 3-2 with Game 6 set for Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Brandt Centre in Regina. Game 6 sold out on Saturday afternoon. From a pure hockey fan standpoint, you almost hope a series deciding Game 7 would be needed, which would be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer.

    The Rebels versus Pats series has had everything. You have seen the odd tight defensive game, a lot of stellar offence, red hot work on the power play, great goaltending and the odd interesting storyline. You also have two buildings that have been rocking, which has added to the overall atmosphere.

    With all the action that has taken place, you almost wish the series could go on forever.

Haydn Fleury is strong in all situations.

    The main storyline that has come out of the last two games has been the return of Rebels starting goaltender Rylan Toth, who had been out with a lower body injury since the middle of February. He was in a walking boot just before playoffs started.

    Trevor Martin took over the starter’s role and ran with it. During the playoffs, the Ardrossan, Alta., product started out playing like a money goalie, and he was a key reason the Rebels took Games 1 and 2 against the Pats.

    The Pats, who have a lot of gifted players, started to get more and more pucks past Martin, when the series shifted to Regina. “The Queen City Kids” took Game 3 by a 6-3 score and Game 4 by 6-4 count.

    In Game 4, the Rebels pulled Martin at the 12:18 mark of the second period after he stopped 18 of 22 shots. Toth entered in relief stopping nine of 10 shots fired his way before the Pats added an empty netter.

    The Rebels started Toth for Game 5 on Friday in Red Deer and the Saskatoon product turned away 28 of 29 shots fired his way in a 5-1 victory. Now the question becomes can Toth continue to deliver.

    During the series, a lot of players have delivered. Rebels captain Luke Philip has two goals and five assists to top his team in scoring for the series. Brandon Hagel has delivered too with a goal and five assists for Red Deer.

    Others like Adam Musil have come through at key times, like when Musil tipped home the power-play game winner in the Rebels 4-3 victory in Game 2.

    Defenceman Josh Mahura, who missed 70 regular season games with a serious knee injury, has been a force recording two goals, two assists and a plus-five rating in the plus-minus department. He has shown signs of being an elite player.

Connor Hobbs has been a rock on the Pats back end.

    Mahura's play has almost overshadowed the fact that Rebels star rearguard Haydn Fleury, who has been a member of Canada world junior team, has continued to handle himself well playing in all situations.

    For the Pats, Adam Brooks and Cole Sanford have been the offensive stars they have always been. Brooks, who led the WHL in scoring during the regular season, has a goal and seven assists, while Sanford has three goals and four assists.

    Overage captain Colby Williams and Connor Hobbs have been dynamite on the back end for Regina. Williams, who is from Regina, has a goal and four assists, while Hobbs, who is from Saskatoon, has two goals and three assists.

    Pats centre Jake Leschyshyn, who is in his 16-year-old rookie season, has come through in key gritty moments in Regina picking up a goal and two assists in the series.

    The power play success for both sides has been off the charts. Red Deer has connected on 7-of-19 chances for a 36.8 per cent success rate. Regina has cashed in on 11-of-30 chances for a 36.7 per cent success rate.

    In the stands, the Rebels have drawn crowds of 5,845, 4,802 and 6,185 in their three home dates. The Red Deer fan base is loyally behind Rebels head coach, general manager and owner Brent Sutter, who has always been a strong community minded person in that centre. Sutter and his family are enduring figures in the hearts of the Rebels faithful.

The Pats and Rebels battle for the puck along the boards.

    The Pats have drawn crowds of 6,247 and 6,171 in their two home games. As the oldest junior hockey franchise in the world dating back to 1917, the Pats have an entrenched and loyal following in Regina. The passion gets cranked up a few notches in the post-season making the Brandt Centre a tough place to play for the opposition.

    This series has been one to remember, but someone has to win it and advance to the WHL Eastern Conference championship series to face the defending conference champion Brandon Wheat Kings.

    For now, fans in both Red Deer and Regina should enjoy the present and the remaining action of this series while it lasts.

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

Martin comes up clutch for Rebels

Career WHL backup goalie becomes playoff star in Red Deer

Goalie Trevor Martin celebrates a win with his Rebels teammates.

    RED DEER, Alta. - Not that long ago, the idea that Trevor Martin would be a money goaltender in the WHL playoffs was unthinkable.

    At best, it seemed like he would hold a career backup role in the major junior ranks. Entering this season, Martin has played in 20 career regular season games all coming in his 18-year-old campaign with the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels.

    Back on Jan. 5, 2015, the Blades traded Martin to the Rebels in exchange for defenceman Kolton Dixon. In 19 appearances with the Blades, Martin posted a 3-10-2 record, a 4.16 goals against average and a .886 save percentage. Anyone familiar with major junior hockey knows those type of numbers usually don’t help a goaltender last long at that level of play, especially when the individual is slated to be a 19-year-old sophomore.

    Fast forward to Sunday night in Red Deer, Martin came through with a huge 35-save performance to back the Rebels to a 4-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats before 4,802 spectators at the Enmax Centrium in Game 2 of a second round playoff series. The win allowed the Rebels to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 3 in Regina on Tuesday night.

    The only tally Martin could have been faulted on came on Regina’s third goal. With the Rebels trying to kill off a Pats power play, Martin fumbled a point shot from Pats defenceman Connor Hobbs, and WHL scoring champ Adam Brooks potted home the rebound with 0.3 seconds to play in the second period.

Trevor Martin makes a shoulder save on Cole Sanford.

    Brooks’ goal forced a 3-3 tie, but Martin made a number of key stops on odd man rushes to allow the Rebels to win the game.

    “He (Martin) was solid,” said Rebels head coach, general manager and owner Brent Sutter. “In the third period, he just shut the door.

    “He made some big saves in the third as he did throughout the whole night. You need that. You have to have goaltending at this time of year.

    “You have to have good goaltending. There is a lot of parity in this league. You get to this stage teams are good hockey teams, and you are going to need saves from your goalies.”

    Martin was the Rebels backup until a lower body injury knocked 19-year-old starter Rylan Toth out of the line-up back in the middle of February. Toth was in a walking boot just before the playoffs started. With Toth out for an extended time, Martin became the man for the Rebels, and he has made the best of his opportunity.

    In the regular season, he posted an 18-8-2 record, a 2.63 goals against average and a .911 save percentage in 38 appearances. The Ardrossan, Alta., product has been even better in his seven post-season starts posting a 6-1 record, a 2.29 goals against average, a .924 save percentage and one shutout - the first in his WHL career.

    Martin played a key part in the Rebels 3-2 victory over the Pats in Game 1 of their series on Saturday. He made 20 saves to pick up that win, and almost half of the stops were high quality. Red Deer’s defenceman made a number of giveaways in that contest, which resulted in Martin making a number of bailout saves.

Trevor Martin holds the fort during a net scramble.

    In Game 2, Martin was still making bailout and game changing stops. Early in the second, he turned away Pats left-winger Austin Wagner with a kick save on a breakaway chance. Martin late stoned Pats star sniper Cole Sanford from in close later on in the frame with a shoulder stop.

    During the third period, Martin was key in helping the Rebels kill off a double minor penalty assessed to star defenceman Haydn Fleury for high-sticking. Martin also made a robbery stop on Pats standout Sam Steel and denied Brooks in the final seconds of the frame to preserve the Rebels fifth consecutive win in the post-season.

    Rebels 18-year-old defenceman Josh Mahura gave Martin huge credit for the success the team has had.

    “When (Rylan) Toth came out there, he (Martin) stepped in and has been unbelievable for us,” said Mahura. “He is a backbone obviously in the net there. He has been playing unbelievable this playoffs.”

    When Toth went down, one had to wonder what the Rebels fate would be in the post-season and what their chances would be as hosts of the Memorial Cup tournament in May.

Trevor Martin makes a sprawling kick save on Riley Woods.

    Martin has become that clutch goalie every team needs to have success in the playoffs. When a netminder comes through with bailout saves like Martin has, it energizes a team.

    With Toth nearing a possible return to the Red Deer line-up, Sutter has told the Red Deer media that Martin will remain the team’s starter for the foreseeable future. At the moment, Martin has the Rebels two wins away from their first WHL Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2004.

    In Sunday’s clash, the Rebels went ahead 4-3 at the 11:18 mark of the third, when Adam Musil deflected home a point shot from Mahura. Mahura, Michael Spacek and Adam Helewka all netted singles for the Rebels, who were 2-for-4 with the power play.

    The Pats netted all their goals with the man advantage going 3-for-6 on the power play. Steel and Sanford had the other power-play markers for Regina. Tyler Brown made 28 stops to take the loss in goal for the Pats.

Trevor Martin makes a glove save in the Rebels goal.

    In Martin, the Rebels found their clutch playoff goaltender in an unexpected way. He has become one of the most uplifting individual stories in the league. When the dust settles, Martin might be the piece that allows the Rebels to go all the way in possibly winning both a league title and the franchise’s second Memorial Cup championship.

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