2023-24 Blades brought Saskatoon together

Fans came to SaskTel Centre in droves for playoff run

Fraser Minten gives a souvenir stick to a fan at a May 3 home game.

In an agonizing defeat, the Saskatoon Blades fans ensured their team got a thank you.

On May 7, the Blades faced the Moose Jaw Warriors in Game 7 of the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series and a campaign high crowd of 13,240 spectators poured into the SaskTel Centre. The teams would go to overtime locked in a 2-2 tie. It marked the sixth time the two sides went to overtime in what has been viewed as the greatest post-season series ever played in the history of the WHL.

Just 36 seconds into overtime, Warriors 17-year-old sophomore right-winger Lynden Lakovic drove down the right wing into the Saskatoon zone. From a bad angle, Lakovic backhanded the puck toward the Saskatoon net.

Warriors star overage right-winger Atley Calvert drove towards the Saskatoon net while being covered by Blades utility winger Tyler Parr. The puck from Lakovic’s backhand deflected off Parr’s skate into the Saskatoon net to deliver the Warriors to a 3-2 victory in the extra session.

Fans at the SaskTel Centre cheer on the Blades.

The Warriors went on to sweep the WHL Championship Series 4-0 over the Portland Winterhawks. Moose Jaw is currently playing in the Memorial Cup tournament in Saginaw, Michigan, that determines a CHL champion.

In the Game 7 encounter between the Warriors and Blades, Moose Jaw had a sizable contingent of supporters that filled five fan busses that made the jaunt to Saskatoon. When Lakovic’s OT winner went in, the Warriors fans in attendance broke into a joyful, cloud nine type of feeling celebration.

After the initial momentum of the celebration of the Warriors fans died down, the Blades supporters, who filled the vast majority of the building, showered down a salute to their heroes who were trying to process at that point what happened.

Following the traditional post-series handshakes, the Warriors were presented with the Eastern Conference championship trophy and departed the ice to the applause of their fans that gathered around their bench area.

Some of the signs Blades fans brought out at warmups.

Once the Warriors departed, the Blades did a sticks raised lap to salute their supporters in attendance and the fans returned their own heartwarming salute. Captain Trevor Wong, who had just played his final career WHL game, skated around giving applause to the fans and motioning to the chest that he took them to heart.

Some of the Blades players would linger on the ice for a lengthy stretch processing the end of their campaign before finally making their way to the team’s dressing room.

In the days that followed, fans were phoning into radio shows and commenting on various public forums that they were proud of the team. They were saying everyone with the team from players, coaches and management could hold their heads high for how they played in the post-season run and especially in the epic series clash with Moose Jaw.

The reaction was much different compared to post-season runs the Blades made in the early 1990s. When the Blades made the WHL Championship Series in 1992 and 1994 and lost both of those trips in seven games to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Kamloops Blazers, the fans were proud of those runs, but there was an undercutting undertone.

Trevor Wong salutes the SaskTel Centre crowd on May 7.

You would have fans phoning into sports call in shows, TV shows and sending feedback to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix newspaper that then general manager Daryl Lubiniecki was the lead weight that was holding the Blades back. Throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s, Lubiniecki was with the Blades full-time mainly as the general manager, and the team won about 60 per cent of its games and made numerous long runs in the WHL Playoffs.

The long runs didn’t result in any WHL titles or Memorial Cup championships. Back in those days, the general manager of the Blades in Saskatoon was usually treated like the general manager of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders as being hated by the fans, or at least the ones that were vocal and there were a lot of those.

If you run into Lubiniecki these days, he often makes jokes of the fact the fans wanted him to be fired when he was the Blades general manager. He adds in the present day everyone in Saskatoon loves him now, and he always gets a warm reception when he attends Blades games as a fan.

When Mike Priestner’s family bought the team before the start of the 2013-14 campaign, team management put an emphasis on attracting new fans and creating links to the community. That continued as the Blades were moved under the umbrella of the newly created Sask Entertainment Group with the Priestner family having purchased the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush in May of 2021 and an expansion franchise in the Western Canadian Baseball League in March of 2023 that has become the Saskatoon Berries, who just embarked on their inaugural season.

Charlie Wright was reliable on the back end for the Blades.

The Blades faithfully kept up their school visits, visits to minor hockey teams as guest coaches and various other works in community outreach. That has resulted in the team drawing more new and younger fans with their long post-season runs the past two seasons, and those fans have fallen in love with the team.

In 2022-23, the Blades averaged 4,506 spectators per game over 34 home dates and 8,780 spectators per contest over 10 home post-season dates. 

During the 2023-24 campaign, the Blades averaged 5,166 spectators per game over 34 home dates and 9,332 spectators per contest over nine post-season home dates.

The Blades average attendance for the regular season was the highest it had been since the team drew an average of 6,040 spectators to 36 home dates during the 2012-13 campaign, when the club hosted the Memorial Cup tournament. The squad’s post-season average attendance figures are believed to be the best they have been since those runs in 1992 and 1994 to the WHL final, when capacity at the SaskTel Centre was configured for around 11,300 spectators for hockey games.

The new supporters carry their fandom in a more healthy way. They usually have busy lives and that includes families who have children working their way through minor hockey. For those members of the Blades faithful, jaunts to the SaskTel Centre for Blades games are a break from those lives.

Easton Armstrong became a Blades fan favourite in 2023-24.

For the young kids at the games, they see players like Wong, Egor Sidorov, Brandon Lisowsky, Fraser Minten, Easton Armstrong, Vaughn Watterodt, Alexander Suzdalev, Tanner Molendyk, Charlie Wright, Ben Saunderson John Babcock, Evan Gardner and Austin Elliott as their heroes. Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said it has been cool to drive to work in the mornings and see kids going to school wearing Blades jerseys and Blades gear.

Blades general manager Colin Priestner said he had fans coming up to him in the concourse during the Game 7 loss to the Warriors passing on thank you messages for the post-season run.

It should be noted the Blades do have a good block of legacy fans that follow the team through thick and thin. There are some legacy fans that base the happiness of their lives around the Blades winning or losing and do moan the fact that the team has never won a league title or a Memorial Cup since being formed in 1964. The grips on that front have faded more to the background.

Reminders that the Blades have never won a league title or a Memorial Cup come loudly from the fans of the club’s archrivals in the Prince Albert Raiders. Raiders fans ensure that those non-successes by the Blades are always remembered.

Egor Sidorov had 50 goals and 88 points in the 2023-24 regular season.

Still, the 2023-24 campaign was a special one for the Blades. They topped the WHL’s overall standings with a 50-13-2-3 record for 105 standings points. Saskatoon won 50 or more games in a regular season for just the third time in team history and hit 100 or more standings points for the sixth time since the franchise first hit the ice in 1964.

Wong led the Blades in regular season scoring with 101 points coming off 15 goals and 86 assists. Sidorov had a memorable campaign setting career highs in the regular season for goals (50), assists (38) and points (88).

Wong hitting 100 points and Sidorov collecting 50 goals marked the first time Blades players had realized those accomplishments since the 1995-96 campaign.

In the WHL Playoffs, the Blades took out the Raiders in five games in the first round and swept the Red Deer Rebels 4-0 in a WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Brandon Lisowsky has been a consistent point producer.

Tonnes of great memories were made.

Any sadness that came resulted from the realization that an end of an era likely had come for a core group of Blades players. 

Wong, Armstrong and Wright were in their 20-year-old seasons and have now exhausted their major junior eligibilities.

It is expected Minten, Sidorov, Lisowsky and Suzdalev will all be in the professional ranks next season. They all have NHL entry-level contracts and will be in their 20-year-old seasons. 

Molendyk could be back as a 19-year-old player, but there is a very real chance the Nashville Predators could elect to keep him in the NHL.

Wong, Sidorov and Lisowsky were basically one of the Blades forward lines for the last three straight seasons. It will be different not seeing them together on the ice together as a unit wearing the “Pac-Man” jerseys.

With all that in mind, there are lots of young child aged fans that attended games at the SaskTel Centre over the past two seasons that will remember watching this generation of Blades as a childhood highlight years from now.

The Blades celebrate an OT victory on May 3.

These were “smile because they happened” times in Saskatoon that brought a lot of much needed good feelings to the city in a world today when it seems there is lots to complain about in seemingly every walk of life.

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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Blades had memorable 2023-24 campaign with bittersweet end

Members of the Blades dwell on the end of their season on May 7.

All involved with the Saskatoon Blades thought they would be preparing right now to play in the Memorial Cup tournament.

Instead of competing for a CHL championship, they are coming to the realization they had a spectacular campaign in 2023-24 that came to a heartbreaking end. The Blades topped the WHL’s overall standings with a 50-13-2-3 record for 105 standings points. Saskatoon won 50 or more games in a regular season for just the third time in team history and hit 100 or more standings points for the sixth time since the franchise first hit the ice in 1964, which was two seasons before the WHL was formed.

For large stretches of the campaign, the Blades top the CHL’s Top 10 Rankings and were rated sixth in the final edition of those ratings.

In the WHL Playoffs, the Blades downed their archrivals in the Prince Albert Raiders in five games in a first round series and swept the Red Deer Rebels in four games in an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Blades proceeded to play in an epic Eastern Conference Championship Series against the Moose Jaw Warriors that went to seven games with six contests being decided in overtime. The six overtime games played in one seven game series is a WHL record.

Trevor Wong salutes the SaskTel Centre crowd on May 7.

The series deciding Game 7 of that set was played on Tuesday, May 7, before a campaign high crowd of 13,240 spectators at the SaskTel Centre. The Blades and Warriors went to overtime locked in a 2-2 tie. The contest had a devastating end for the host side.

Just 36 seconds into overtime, Warriors 17-year-old sophomore right-winger Lynden Lakovic drove down the right wing into the Saskatoon zone. From a bad angle, Lakovic backhanded the puck toward the Saskatoon net.

Warriors star overage right-winger Atley Calvert drove towards the Saskatoon net while being covered by Blades utility winger Tyler Parr. The puck from Lakovic’s backhand deflected off Parr’s skate into the Saskatoon net to deliver the Warriors to a 3-2 victory in the extra session.

The Warriors went on to sweep the WHL Championship Series 4-0 over the Portland Winterhawks. Moose Jaw begins playing at the Memorial Cup tournament in Saginaw, Michigan, taking on the OHL’s host Spirit on Friday at the DOW Event Centre (5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN).

The Blades after losing what many consider was the best post-season series in the history of the WHL were left to wonder about what might have been.

Charlie Wright goes for a final lap at the SaskTel Centre on May 7.

Captain Trevor Wong, who exhausted is major junior eligibility with the Game 7 loss to the Warriors, came to the Blades in a trade with the Kelowna Rockets on September 28, 2021, which sent centre Colton Dach to the Rockets. Wong was thankful he got to be a member of the Blades for three full seasons and that owner and governor Mike Priestner and general manager and president Colin Priestner had been outstanding to him since his arrival in Saskatoon.

“It is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my hockey career so far,” said Wong, who led the Blades in regular season scoring with 101 points coming off 15 goals and 86 assists. “I can’t thank the organization in CP (Colin Priestner) and Mike (Priestner) and the coaching staff and teammates who brought me in when I was 18.

“I was pretty bummed out when I got traded to be honest not knowing much about Saskatoon and coming to the cold. Just being a Blade is everything to me and embracing the culture and what it means to truly be a Blade and not just on the ice but being a great person in the community and being a great teammate. The organization here wants to build great men and not just hockey players.

“I thought I have kind of embraced it. I’ve tried to put it throughout the boys and throughout the locker room to the younger guys.”

Easton Armstrong processes the end of his WHL career on May 7.

Along with Wong, dependable defenceman Charlie Wright and star left-winger Easton Armstrong also used up their major junior eligibility playing out the 2023-24 campaign as 20-year-olds. Wright was a career member of the Blades joining the squad on a full-time basis in his 16-year-old season. Armstrong was acquired in a trade with the Wenatchee Wild early in the 2023-24 campaign.

Colin Priestner was proud of work everyone with the franchise did for the team. He admits the conclusion of the campaign was bittersweet.

“The run we went on is something you dream of,” said Priestner. “It just ended in kind of a nightmare.

“To think of how close we got, and I still feel like we have the best team in the country I truly do. I feel like we deserved to win (in Game 7 versus the Moose Jaw Warriors). I feel like we were in an unbelievably great series with another great team.

“I feel like we outplayed them substantially (in Game 7) and out chanced them on a two-to-one ratio. For whatever reason, it goes off one of our player’s skates and in and that is it. The plug is just pulled so fast from the season.”

The Blades welcomed lots of new fans to the SaskTel Centre.

The Blades have been strong in each of the past two seasons. In the 2022-23 campaign, the Blades finished fourth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 mark. In the WHL Playoffs, they won two series in seven games over Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats and the Rebels before being swept in the Eastern Conference Championship Series 4-0 by the Winnipeg Ice.

Saskatoon has drawn more new and younger fans with their runs the past two seasons. In 2022-23, the Blades averaged 4,506 spectators per game over 34 home dates and 8,780 spectators per contest over 10 home post-season dates. During the 2023-24 campaign, the Blades averaged 5,166 spectators per game over 34 home dates and 9,332 spectators per contest over nine post-season home dates.

Priestner said it has been amazing to a younger generation of fans who have fallen in love with the team come out to games and the people of Saskatoon and area get excited for the team. He was in awe seeing the 13,240 spectators that came out for their Game 7 campaign ending loss to the Warriors.

“You see there are 13,000 people there, and people were coming up to me in the concourse and saying thank you so much for this run,” said Priestner. “I just wish that I was able to deliver a championship to these people in this city, because everybody believed in us.

Egor Sidorov had 50 goals and 88 points in the 2023-24 regular season.

“We did everything we could to bring this city a championship, and they deserved it. They supported us like unbelievably.”

The Blades hit the ice with a number of stars that included import right-winger Egor Sidorov, left-winger Brandon Lisowsky, centre Fraser Minten, defenceman Tanner Molendyk and netminders Evan Gardner and Austin Elliott. Blades fans took a number of other players to heart who brought a high level effort to every game including forwards Vaughn Watterodt, Rowan Calvert, Lukas Hansen, Parr, Misha Volotovskii and William James along with defencemen Ben Saunderson, John Babcock, Grayden Siepmann, Nicholas Andrusiak and Morgan Tastad.

Sidorov, who played his third full season with the team, had a memorable campaign setting career highs in the regular season for goals (50), assists (38) and points (88).

Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said the biggest thing for him that stood out for the 2023-24 squad was how tight the players were.

“They just care about each other,” said Sonne. “They love each other.

Fraser Minten was a big play performer for the Blades.

“They’re brothers. That is what produces the heart – the level of heart you see. The lack of quit.

“They just don’t stop, so that is probably the biggest thing.”

Sonne said it has been a joy to see the players truly enjoy becoming part of the community of Saskatoon and the surrounding area.

“I’m the hockey coach of a junior team, so the hockey side is obviously the main focus,” said Sonne. “But, me and our staff, ownership and management, our priority is helping young men grow into be great citizens, husbands, fathers and I will say this group, these 20-year-olds, the guys graduating from this program are like the best of the best citizens.

“They’re going to be the leaders of our society in the future.”

While the Blades wish they could have pulled out a victory in Game 7, Wong was pleased his squad went down fighting.

“I think as a team we’re very proud of ourselves,” said Wong. “Six games went to overtime in a seven game series.

The Blades react to their season coming to an end on May 7.

“It could have gone either way, and one bad bounce kind of our season is over just like that. We’re very proud of the way we pushed back and played the whole game. We’re very proud of what we accomplished this season.

“There are no heads hanging, because we are proud of ourselves.”

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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Blades outgun Rebels 8-5

Saskatoon takes commanding 3-0 series lead on Red Deer

Ben Saunderson (#2) battles on the boards. (Photo: Taylor Lachance)

It hadn’t been this easy to score since the original Woodstock in 1969.

On Tuesday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium, the goals came in bunches as the Saskatoon Blades faced the host Red Deer Rebels in Game 3 of a WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series. The game was an entertaining one for the 4,411 spectators in attendance, but it was also likely a nightmare for the coaching staffs of both teams.

When the dust settled, the Blades skated away with an 8-5 victory and a seventh straight win in the WHL Playoffs. With the win, the Blades take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Saskatoon will attempt to close out the series in Game 4 set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. local time at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

Game 3 began with a surprise as associate player call up Taylor Tabashniuk, who turned 17-years-old in March, started the contest in goal for Red Deer. Tabashniuk was playing his first career WHL game in either the regular season or post-season. He played this season with the Regina Pat Canadians under-18 AAA team before joining the Rebels.

Peyton Shore suited up as the Rebels backup goalie as an associated player call up. Shore, who is 15-years-old, played this season for the Rink Hockey Academy’s Under-17 team in his hometown of Winnipeg, Man.

The Rebels had to dress the associated player call ups as both of their regular netminders were out of the lineup. Second-year netminder Rhett Stoesser was out due to an undisclosed ailment. Stoesser has yet to dress for a game in the series against the Blades.

Breakout rookie puck stopper Chase Wutzke was out with an undisclosed injury. In the Blades 2-1 overtime victory in Game 2 on Sunday in Saskatoon, Wutzke was bowled over by Blades overage star left-winger Easton Armstrong on an offensive rush at the 5:59 mark of the third when the contest was tied 1-1.

Armstrong was given a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct. On Monday, he was suspended by the WHL with the length of the suspension to be determined.

Tanner Molendyk (#24) controls the puck. (Photo: Taylor Lachance)

Wutzke finished Game 2 playing heroically making 47 saves in the extra time setback.

In Game 3, the Rebels were thwarted on the first scoring chance of the contest just 13 seconds into the game. Rebels gritty left-winger Carson Birnie backhanded centred a pass from the right wing of the Saskatoon zone to the front of the Blades net to Rebels star centre and captain Kai Uchacz.

The puck deflected off Uchacz’s skate towards the Saskatoon net, but Blades breakout star rookie netiminder Evan Gardner made a sharp stop to keep the game scoreless. No one could have suspected the goal gusher that was to come at that time.

Shortly after that stop, the flood of goals started. Just 2:36 into the opening frame, Blades 20-year-old defenceman Charlie Wright fired home a shot from the left faceoff dot to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.

The Rebels responded 14 seconds later when overage winger Carson Latimer, who was a one-time member of the Prince Albert Raiders, slid home a low shot to the right side of the Saskatoon net to even the score at 1-1. The officials video reviewed the tally and confirmed the goal did indeed count.

At the 7:31 mark of the first, Blades centre Rowan Calvert fired home a shot from the left faceoff circle to put the visitors back in front 2-1. 

Just 20 seconds later, Blades star import right-winger Egor Sidorov blew down the right wing and got in alone on the Red Deer net. He snapped home a shot to the low left side of the Red Deer goal to give the Blades a 3-1 advantage.

With 8:24 remaining in the first, Birnie scored a short-handed goal off a midrange shot from the right wing boards to cut the Blades lead to 3-2.

The offensive surge continued in the second. Just 2:16 into the frame, Rebels second-year defenceman Quentin Bourne, who was playing right wing, fired home his first career WHL goal in either the WHL regular season or post-season to even the score at 3-3.

Kai Uchacz (#19) gets tied up. (Photo: Taylor Lachance)

The Blades jumped back out in front 4-3 just 41 seconds later on the smart play by captain Trevor Wong. Rebels offensive-defenceman Mats Lindgren was slow to get possession of a loose puck in his own zone, and Wong stole the puck right out from under the rearguard. Wong quickly snapped a shot past Tabashniuk to give the visitors a one-goal edge once again.

With the teams playing four-versus-four hockey due to off-setting penalties, Sidorov scored his second of the contest to push the Blades lead out to 5-3.

As is a traditional Rebels trait, they didn’t quit. With 4:58 remaining in the second, Rebels star winger Kalan Lind scored on a wraparound to cut the Blades lead to 5-4.

After Lind’s goal, the Blades elected to pull Gardner. He stopped 16-of-20 shots sent his way. Austin Elliott turned away 16-of-17 shots playing the rest of the way in relief and would end up picking up the win in goal for the visitors.

Following the goaltender change, Sidorov proceeded to complete his hat trick tallying with 1:25 remaining in the second to give the Blades a 6-4 advantage heading into the second intermission.

The Blades pushed their edge out to 7-4 at the 6:27 mark of the third. Blades star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky received a smart pass in the left slot from Wong and fired home his third of the post-season to give the visitors their three-goal edge.

At that point, the Rebels appeared to be sinking in quicksand. With 10:42 remaining in the third, Rebels import right-winger Frantisek Formanek pitch forked Blades defensive centre Lukas Hansen in the gut.

Formanek was given a major penalty for spearing and a game misconduct. His infraction will be automatically be reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

The Rebels proceeded to show more resilience as gritty left-winger Talon Brigley elected to make the highlight reels. While working the kill for Formanek’s major, Brigley took the puck away from Sidorov in the Red Deer zone.

Talon Brigley had a sweet goal. (Photo: Taylor Lachance)

Brigley jetting down the ice into the Saskatoon zone down the left wing, put a spinorama move on Blades offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk and roofed home a shot to the top right corner of the Saskatoon net for a short-handed goal to trim the visitor’s lead to 7-5. The Blades finished 1-for-4 on the power play in the contest, while giving up two short-handed goals.

A short time after Brigley’s goal, Uchacz had a dangerous chance to score, but he was stopped by Elliott, who was able to freeze the puck. Blades head coach Brennan Sonne called a timeout after that chance to settle his players down and get them to refocus for the rest of the frame.

With 3:13 remaining in the third, the Rebels pulled Tabashniuk for an extra attacker. Hansen scored his first of the post-season into an empty net with 1:20 remaining in the third to round out the 8-5 final in favour of the Blades.

Tabashniuk turned away 31-of-38 shots to take the setback in goal for the Rebels.

Wong collected three assists to go with his goal for a four-point night. Lisowsky had a pair of assists to go with his goal for a three-point night.

If the Blades are able to wrap up the series in Game 4 on Wednesday, they will ensure the Eastern Conference Championship Series will be an all-Saskatchewan battle for the first time since 1993. The winner of the series between the Blades and Rebels will face the winner of the other Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Swift Current Broncos.

On Tuesday, the Warriors downed the Broncos 5-3 in Swift Current in Game 3 of that series to take a 2-1 lead in that set.

Back in 1993, the Broncos swept the Regina Pats 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Championships Series. Swift Current advanced to the WHL Championship Series where they got past the Portland Winterhawks in seven games.

Coming into the series between the Blades and Rebels, the Blades were tabbed as the favourites. They topped the WHL’s overall standings with a 50-13-2-3 record and were rated sixth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings. They took down their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders 4-1 in a first round series.

The Blades celebrate their win. (Photo: Taylor Lachance)

The Rebels had an up and down regular season finishing fifth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and eighth overall on the circuit with a 33-26-3-6 mark. They took out one of their biggest rivals in the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 in a first round series.

Last year when the Blades and Rebels met in an Eastern Conference semifinal, the Rebels claimed the first three games of the set, and the Blades rallied back to take the next four games to take the series 4-3. The Blades became just the third team in this history of the WHL to face an 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series to rally back to take the set 4-3.

The Rebels face a bigger challenge to rally back to win this year’s series than the Blades did a year ago. Red Deer will try to make a series comeback, but it appears the Blades have way too much in their favour to let this one slip away.

Huge thanks to Lachance for photo help

A big thank you goes out to Red Deer Rebels team photographer Taylor Lachance for the first five photos that appear in this post.

He did a tremendous job with these photos. The WHL has a tonne of talented team photographers, and they do an outstanding job of capturing memorable moments on the major junior circuit.

Armstrong’s suspension could linger for Blades, other notes

Easton Armstrong in action on Sunday for the Blades.

Everyone on the Saskatoon Blades might be holding their collective breath with regards to how long Easton Armstrong’s latest suspension could run.

On Monday, the WHL suspended Armstrong for a length still to be determined for receiving a charging major and a game misconduct in the Blades 2-1 overtime victory over the Red Deer Rebels in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series. Armstrong, who is the Blades star overage left-winger, was suspended for bowling over Rebels breakout rookie netminder Chase Wutzke at the 5:59 mark of the third period, when the contest was tied 1-1.

Wutzke finished that contest making 47 saves in a heroic performance. He missed the Rebels 8-5 setback in Game 3 on Tuesday in Red Deer against the Blades with an undisclosed injury.

Armstrong’s suspension on Monday marks the third time in the last two seasons where he has been suspended by the WHL. In the Blades 3-2 regular season victory over the Broncos in Swift Current on February 10, Armstrong was given a major penalty for goaltender interference and a game misconduct resulting in a two game suspension.

In February of 2023, Armstrong served a two-game suspension for receiving a charging major and a game misconduct as a member of the Winnipeg Ice.

The WHL is likely evaluating Armstrong’s status as a repeat offender before offering an official ruling on his latest suspension.

Armstrong was acquired by the Blades in a trade very early in the 2023-24 campaign with the Wenatchee Wild. In 62 regular season games played between the Wild and Blades, Armstrong had career highs in goals (34), assists (22), points (56) and plus-minus rating (plus-24).

In six post-season games with the Blades, Armstrong has posted five goals, three assists and a plus-four rating.

• Offensive-defenceman and captain Denton Mateychuk had a pair of goals including the winner and an assist to power the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 5-3 victory over the Broncos in Swift Current in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday. The Warriors took a 2-1 lead in the set. Game 4 is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the InnovationPlex in Swift Current.
• Left-winger Matteo Danis score 82 seconds into overtime to deliver the Prince George Cougars to a 4-3 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna in Game 3 of a Western Conference semifinal series. With the win, the Cougars lead the series 3-0. Prince George will try to close out the set in Game 4 on Wednesday set for 7 p.m. local time at Prospera Place in Kelowna.
• The Portland Winterhawks are leading their Western Conference semifinal 3-0 over the Everett Silvertips. They will try to close out the set in Game 4 on Friday at 7 p.m. local time at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. The Winterhawks took Game 3 of the series 4-3 in overtime in Game 3 on Monday. Offensive-defenceman Carter Sotheran had the overtime winner for the Winterhawks. The series between the Winterhawks and Silvertips has faced the challenge of having to schedule around events at Everett’s rink.

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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Babcock feels sense of belonging with Blades

Playoff series with Rebels resumes Tuesday in Red Deer

John Babcock is a steady defenceman with the Blades.

John Babcock belongs in “Blade City.”

The 19-year-old defensive-defenceman had been a career member of the Kelowna Rockets. That all changed on January 10 in a three-way trade involving the Rockets, the Saskatoon Blades and Edmonton Oil Kings before the passing of the WHL’s Trade Deadline.

After that deal, Babcock was heading to Saskatoon to join the Blades. The Blades were a team that reached the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship series in 2022-23 falling in four games to the Winnipeg Ice.

When Babcock came to the Blades, they were battling for first overall in the WHL and succeeded in topping the regular season standings with a 50-13-2-3 mark. They have 12 players on their roster from their playoff run in 2023, and the returnees included a core that have been either career Blades or members of the team for a long period of time.

Babcock knew he was coming to the team to strengthen up their defensive unit with a focus on protecting the defensive zone. The North Vancouver, B.C., product developed an instant connection with his new teammates and the organization.

“First off, I want to say like I couldn’t be happier being here,” said Babcock, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 204 pounds. “It is such a great spot.

“Coming in, I was very welcomed. We have such a great group in there. Everyone was super, super welcoming.

“For me personally, I have to bring intangibles to every game. I have to be hard to play against and reliable defensively.”

On Sunday, Babcock had one of the key plays that allowed the Blades to down the visiting Red Deer Rebels 2-1 in overtime in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series at the SaskTel Centre. In one sequence inside the final eight minutes of the extra session, a scramble occurred in front of the Saskatoon net.

John Babcock came to the Blades in a big trade on Jan. 10.

A shot from Rebels star winger Kalan Lind got through Blades breakout rookie netminder Evan Gardner and was trickling toward the goal-line. Babcock stopped the puck with his skate and kicked it under a fallen Gardner to get a stoppage.

A short time later with 2:59 remaining in the extra session, offensive-defenceman Ben Saunderson scored the overtime winner for the Blades that also gave them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It was definitely nice to get a win,” said Babcock, who had four goals, 13 assists and a plus-26 rating in the plus-minus department in 64 games played between the Rockets and Blades in the 2023-24 regular season. “It is definitely nice, but the job is not finished.”

Now the series shifts to Red Deer for Games 3 and 4 to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday night respectively at 7 p.m. local time at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Last year when the Blades dropped the first three games before rallying for four straight wins in an Eastern Conference semifinal series win over the Rebels, the Saskatoon side won two out of three games in Red Deer.

For Babcock, it will be a new experience playing games in the WHL Playoffs in Red Deer.

“I’ve never played in the post-season in Red Deer,” said Babcock. “From what the guys were saying, it is going to be a great crowd out there.

“Hopefully, we can get two more wins out there.”

Babcock said the Blades, who were rated sixth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings, expected the series with the Rebels to be a physical one. He thought the physical play increased from Game 1 to Game 2. The blue-liner added it helped his squad played and eliminated their archrivals in the Prince Albert Raiders in five games in the first round of the post-season to get set for the Rebels.

John Babcock loves his teammates with the Blades.

“It (Game 2 versus the Rebels) was definitely a little bit more chippy than in Game 1,” said Babcock. “Personally, I feel like Prince Albert prepared us very well for that.”

When Blades hit the ice for Game 3 against the Rebels in Red Deer, Babcock said his squad has to continue to strive to be as consistent as possible.

“We just have to play our game,” said Babcock. “I feel like we didn’t have the best first two periods, but we have a very mature group.

“I know we’re going to come out flying for Game 3.”

As for Red Deer, Rebels interim head coach Dave Struch liked the improved effort shown by his club in the 2-1 overtime setback in Game 2 compared to the 4-1 loss his club suffered in Game 1 this past Friday. Struch is looking for his players to build off of their showing in Game 2.

“We need this exact same effort that we had (in Game 2),” said Struch. “You bottle up this energy that we had in the third period especially and into overtime and pour it out on the ice.

“I thought the other night was a regular season game that is played in the first month of the year. (Game 2) was a playoff game playing against a good team.”

The Blades will enter Game 3 without the services of star overage left-winger Easton Armstrong. At the 5:59 mark of the third period of Game 2, Armstrong was given a charging major and a game misconduct for bowling over Rebels breakout rookie netminder Chase Wutzke. 

On Monday, the WHL suspended Armstrong for that hit with the length of the suspension to be determined.

Reflecting on Game 2, Blades head coach Brennan Sonne thought his team played with great passion and desperation after the Rebels scored early in the third period to tie the contest at 1-1. 

John Babcock (#55) and the Blades celebrate Sunday’s OT win.

He wants to see his squad play with that passion and desperation for an entire game, and he said his players are good at hearing the messages from the coaching staff.

“I think this team listens,” said Sonne. “I said that the other day.

“It could be structure. It could be compete habits or whatever. When we show them the main three areas that we need to address, it is not like they don’t listen.

“That is all we do. I’m not Al Pacino and the speech or anything like that. We just show, and because they care, because they’re proud Blades and because they love each other, they’ll respond.”

Winterhawks get big bounce in OT in Everett, other notes

A positive bounce on the road has the Portland Winterhawks one win away from the WHL’s Western Conference Championship Series.

On Monday night at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash., the visiting Winterhawks found themselves locked in a 3-3 tie in overtime with the host Silvertips in Game 3 of a Western Conference semifinal series. With 4:05 remaining in the extra session, Winterhawks offensive-defenceman Carter Sotheran fired a high shot from the point that deflected off the glass behind the Everett net, hit the back of star Silvertips 20-year-old netminder Tyler Palmer and bounced into the Everett goal.

That tally by Sotheran, which was his second goal of the contest, gave the Winterhawks a 4-3 victory before a mainly stunned gathering of 3,431 spectators aside from a contingent of supporters for the Portland side. With the win, the Winterhawks now lead the best-of-seven series 3-0.

Due to scheduling conflicts at the Angel of the Winds Arena, the Winterhawks have to wait until Friday to see if they can close out the series in Game 4 set for 7 p.m. local time.

The Silvertips actually jumped out to 3-0 lead in Game 3 on Monday. Kaden Hammell and Beau Courtney scored in the first period, with Courtney’s tally coming on the power play, to give the host side a 2-0 edge. Just 18 seconds into the second, Silvertips captain Ben Hemmerling netted his fourth goal of the post-season to push Everett’s lead to 3-0.

Before the second frame came to an end, Sotheran, with his first of the contest, and star 20-year-old centre Gabe Klassen scored for the Winterhawks to cut the Silvertips lead to 3-2. Sotheran’s tally came on the power play. Just 42 seconds into the third, Winterhawks 19-year-old centre Kyle Chyzowski tallied on the power play to even the score at 3-3.

At the 3:45 mark of the third, Winterhawks star import netminder Jan Spunar stopped Silvertips centre Carter Bear on a penalty shot.

That set the stage for the dramatics that happened in overtime

Spunar made 44 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Winterhawks. Palmer turned away 46 shots to take the setback in net for the Silvertips.

Sotheran had an assist to go with his two goals. Klassen had a pair of assists to go with his goal. Hemmerling had an assist to go with his marker.

The Winterhawks will be trying to advance to the Western Conference Championship Series for the first time since 2015.

In Game 1 last Friday in Portland, the Winterhawks thumped the Silvertips 8-2. Another lopsided win came in Game 2 one night later in Portland with the Winterhawks coming out on top 6-2.

Originally, it was thought all games of the series between the Winterhawks and Silvertips would be as closely contested as Game 3 was. The Winterhawks finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 record and were rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings. The Silvertips placed fourth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 45-18-2-3 mark and were rated seventh in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.

• The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos is tied 1-1. The Broncos took Game 1 of the series 7-2 last Friday in Moose Jaw, while the Warriors claimed Game 2 by a 7-2 score on Saturday on home ice. Game 3 is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the InnovationPlex in Swift Current.
• The Prince George Cougars have a 2-0 series lead over the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Conference semifinal series being played between those two clubs. The Cougars claimed the first two games on home ice. Last Friday, they blanked the Rockets 4-0 in Game 1 and followed that up with a 5-0 win in Game 2 on Saturday. Game 3 is set for 7 p.m. local time at Prospera Place in Kelowna.
• If the Saskatoon Blades are able to claim their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Red Deer Rebels, that result would ensure the Eastern Conference Championship Series would be an all-Saskatchewan affair for the first time since 1993. In 1993, the Broncos swept the Regina Pats in the Eastern Conference Championship Series and advanced to win the WHL Championship Series in seven games over the Winterhawks.
• The Blades broke up their bus trip to Red Deer on Monday with a stop to visit elementary school students in Biggar, who came out to cheer on the team bus. Since the Blades have come under the ownership of the Priestner family, they’ve always had a strong ground game when it came to getting into the schools and into the community.
• Warriors offensive-defenceman and captain Denton Mateychuk leads the WHL in post-season scoring with 14 points coming off three goals and 11 assists in six games to go with a plus-nine rating.
• On Saturday, Medicine Hat Tigers 16-year-old rookie left-winger Gavin McKenna was named the winner of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network’s Bryan Trottier Most Valuable Player Award. The award is given to an Indigenous hockey player who demonstrates on-ice excellence and contributes to the Indigenous community. McKenna led the Tigers in scoring with 97 points coming off 34 goals and 63 assists in 61 regular season appearances.
• On Monday, the WHL handed out its player-of-the-week honours for the week ending on Sunday. Mateychuk was the player of the week, Cougars netminder Joshua Ravensbergen was the goaltender of the week and Blades netminder Evan Gardner was the rookie of the week. Gardner had been rookie of the week three times for the 2023-24 campaign.

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Blades, Raiders focused on the right now in WHL post-season

Saskatoon tries eliminate rival Prince Albert in Game 5

Blades HC Brennan Sonne wants his team to focus on the present.

For Brennan Sonne, it is all about right now for his Saskatoon Blades.

On Friday, the Blades have a chance to close out their best-of-seven first round series in the WHL Playoffs against their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders. The two sides will do battle in Game 5 at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

The Raiders claimed victory in the first game of the series, and the Blades have won three straight since then to lead the set 3-1. Sonne, who is the Blades head coach, said his team has to have their total focus on winning Game 5.

“It is just every game is its own beast,” said Sonne. “We just have to reset and refocus, not live in the past, not live in the future and just live in the present and be ready for the start of the first period in Game 5.”

Raiders HC Jeff Truitt passes on instruction to his players.

Entering the first round series between Saskatoon and Prince Albert, the Blades came into the set as heavy favourites. They finished first overall in the WHL’s regular season with a 50-13-2-3 record and were rated sixth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings. The Raiders entered the WHL Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 31-32-2-3 mark.

Prince Albert claimed Game 1 of the series 4-3 back on March 28 to give belief that an upset is possible. The Raiders dropped a 4-3 overtime heartbreaker in Game 3 of the series at home on Tuesday. If the Raiders would have won that contest, the complexion heading into the series for Game 5 would have been different.

Max Hildebrand has a .903 save percentage in the playoffs.

Facing elimination, the Raiders lone goal is to force a Game 6 back at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert on Saturday. They are well aware their backs are against the wall.

“She is one day at a time, and one period at a time,” said Raiders head coach Jeff Truitt. “Now, it has to be at our best.

“We’ve won in that building before. We’ll see where it goes.”

Raiders star netminder Max Hildebrand has done his best to give his team a chance to win on a nightly basis. He has stopped 130-of-144 shots in the series for a .903 save percentage.

The Blades have gotten great goaltending from breakout rookie netminder Evan Gardner. Since entering the series at the start of Game 2, Gardner, who turned 18-years-old in January, has stopped 64-of-69 shots for a .928 save percentage.

Evan Gardner has a .928 save percentage in the playoffs

Raiders star 17-year-old right-winger Ryder Ritchie has been stellar in the series leading his club in scoring with six points coming on three goals and three assists. Truitt said Ritchie has found another level.

“I see a little bit of expansion to his game,” said Truitt. “He is in tight quarters.

“He is being very elusive with the puck. He is putting himself in opportunities to shoot the puck and get goals. He is also doing a good job of distributing the pucks and staying in motion.

“He is just not standing still. He is distributing and giving himself some space and putting himself in good situations to get perhaps a second opportunity. He has been great.”

Ryder Ritchie has six points in four post-season games.

Blades star overage left-winger Easton Armstrong was a member of the Winnipeg Ice last season when they advanced to the WHL Championship Series falling to the Seattle Thunderbirds in five games. When the Ice franchise moved to Wenatchee to become the Wenatchee Wild, Armstrong followed the club to the state of Washington.

He played four regular season games with the Wild at the start of the 2023-24 campaign before the Blades acquired him in a trade on October 10, 2023. The Blades gave up a third round selection in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and a conditional sixth round pick in the 2027 Prospects Draft to get Armstrong.

The Los Angeles, Calif., product said he has enjoyed his time with both franchises, and he believes the Blades have an intangible special feeling going on.

Easton Armstrong has seven points in four post-season games.

“Both teams have been unbelievable,” said Armstrong. “It has been such a good experience.

“I think this is one of the best cultures I’ve ever been a part of. That has been unbelievable. I don’t think I can really compare the two teams, because it is two complete different teams.

“I think the culture here is unbelievable.”

When the Blades took both Games 3 and 4 in Prince Albert, Armstrong was so strong in both those contest he became the target of boos from the Raiders faithful. In Game 3, Armstrong had a hat trick including the winner in the 4-3 overtime triumph. He was later credited with an assist on the Blades third goal.

The Raiders tackle Blades LW Easton Armstrong.

In Game 4 on Wednesday, Armstrong scored with 1.7 seconds to play in the first period to start the Blades on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Armstrong said it would be big for the Blades to eliminate the Raiders on Friday. At the moment, it appears the first round of the WHL’s post-season could be a quick one.

Out of the eight first round series, four of them have already ended in sweeps. In the Eastern Conference bracket, the Central Division champion Swift Current Broncos swept away the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Blades and Raiders players get tangles up.

On Thursday in Brandon, the Moose Jaw Warriors dumped the host Wheat Kings 6-2 to take Game 4 of that series and close out a sweep. The Warriors jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first period and cruised to victory from there.

The other four series in the first round all have the potential to conclude in Game 5.

Armstrong said it is big his squad is in a position to close things out at home.

“It is huge,” said Armstrong, who leads the Blades with seven points in the post-season coming on five goals and two assists. “If we get an opportunity to win on Friday night, then we get a little bit of a break towards the next series.

The Blades and Raiders engage in some rough stuff.

“That would be pretty huge going into round two if we were able to finish it.”

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Blades knock Raiders down to last life with 4-1 win in Game 4

Saskatoon takes 3-1 lead in first round WHL playoff series

The Blades celebrate a goal from Misha Volotovskii (#17).

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The Saskatoon Blades are runnin’ back to Saskatoon with the chance to knock their archrivals out of the 2024 WHL Playoffs.

On Wednesday night before a standing room crowd of 2,926 spectators at the 2,580 at the Art Hauser Centre, the Blades downed the host Prince Albert Raiders 4-1 holding a 36-16 edge in shots on goal in Game 4 of a best-of-seven first round series. With the win, the Blades take a commanding 3-1 lead in the set.

They will have a chance to put the series away back in Saskatoon in Game 5, which is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

“I thought there were some stretches of some really good stuff,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne. “I’m definitely pleased with how we played overall.

Misha Volotovskii had a goal and an assist for the Blades.

“There are always little things we are looking to adjust, but in general, I thought we played really hard.”

The Blades came storming out of the gate in the opening frame. It took a number of saves by Raiders star netminder Max Hildebrand to keep the visitors at bay.

Early in the first, Hildebrand turned away a smart redirection from Blades 18-year-old left-winger Rowan Calvert from the front of the Prince Albert net. Later on in the frame, Hildebrand stoned Blades star import right-winger Egor Sidorov with a shoulder stop on a shot from the right of the Prince Albert goal.

The Blades finally broke through on the scoreboard with 1.7 seconds remaining in the first. While working on the power play, Blades star overage left-winger Easton Armstrong banged home a goal from the left of the Prince Albert net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Raiders C Turner McMillen, left, battles Blades LW Easton Armstrong.

The tally was Armstrong’s fourth goal in the last two games. He had a hat trick in the Blades 4-3 overtime win in Game 3 on Tuesday in Prince Albert.

“Every night is a new night,” said Armstrong. “You just come and try to play your hardest, and obviously, my teammates have really helped me out along the way.

“The puck has been going my way, and that has been nice.”

The Los Angeles, Calif., product was pleased he was able to break his team through on the scoreboard on Wednesday night after Hildebrand came through keeping the visitors at bay to that point in the contest.

Max Hildebrand stopped 32-of-35 shots in goal for the Raiders.

“Obviously, it is huge to score late in a period,” said Armstrong. “It brings momentum into the next period.

“I definitely thought we played a lot more full of a game tonight. We just came and played 20 guys for 60 minutes.”

The Blades kept their momentum going early in the second and benefitted from some great play by 18-year-old centre Misha Volotovskii. At the three-minute mark of the second, Volotovskii floated a shot from the point through a screen into the Prince Albert net to push the visitor’s edge out to 2-0.

Just 3:03 later, the Volotovskii had the puck on the left wing boards and centred a pass to Blades offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk. Molendyk one-timed home a midrange shot to give the Blades a 3-0 advantage.

Easton Armstrong (#27) reacts to scoring late in the first period.

“He (Volotovskii) just played hard and smart,” said Sonne, who was named the East Division’s nominee for the WHL’s coach of the year award on Wednesday. “He didn’t force anything.

“He was just getting heavy in the offensive zone and just pounced on opportunities when they were there as opposed to trying to force things and create things out of nothing.”

When the second intermission came around, the Blades went into the break holding their 3-0 advantage along with a 25-11 edge in shots on goal.

“I think at times I think that they just had the puck in our zone at will,” said Raiders head coach Jeff Truitt. “They did what they wanted to do and hemmed us in there for quite a while.

Tanner Molendyk had the Blades third goal on Wednesday.

“They are strong on pucks. From our standpoint, there had to be a little bit more emotion in that offensive zone just not standing still, so we can open up holes. We have to generate things that way.”

Truitt said there were times his Raiders had chances to come through with a traction moment to get the game turned around, and a cash in on one of those chances could have changed the game around.

“We didn’t get a lot of quality looks,” said Truitt. “We had some chances, and I think that if we would have capitalized on a few of our chances it could have been a different story.

“We have to generate more dangerous opportunities in traffic to the net. It is tough sledding out there, and you’ve got a get pucks and traffic to the net and fight for second opportunities and grind it out. We came up short here tonight.”

Ryder Ritchie scored for the Raiders in the third period.

The Raiders were able to battle back a little bit in the third. At the 4:02 mark of the frame while working on the power play, Raiders star 17-year-old star right-winger Ryder Ritchie blew into the Saskatoon zone down the left wing and potted home a shot that Blades breakout rookie netminder Evan Gardner got a piece of, but the puck flipped into the net to cut the Saskatoon lead to 3-1.

With about four minutes to go in the third, the Raiders pulled Hildebrand for an extra attacker, but the comeback wasn’t to be. Sidorov, who signed an NHL entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, sealed the final outcome scoring into an empty net with 2:01 remaining in the third.

Hildebrand turned away 32-of-35 shots to take the setback in goal for the Raiders. Gardner, who was named the East Division’s nominee for WHL rookie of the year, stopped 15 shots to pick up the win in net for the Blades.

Egor Sidorov had an empty net goal for the Blades.

The only down part for the Blades was veteran left-winger Tyler Parr had to be helped off the ice leaving the game with 16:11 remaining in the third.

Entering the first round series between Saskatoon and Prince Albert, the Blades finished first overall in the WHL’s regular season with a 50-13-2-3 record and were rated sixth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings. The Raiders entered the WHL Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 31-32-2-3 mark.

Sonne was pleased his club was able to win both Games 3 and 4 in Prince Albert after the two sides split Games 1 and 2 in Saskatoon. The Blades bench boss said the series hasn’t been easy and now the focus shifts for the opportunity his squad has on Friday at home.

The Blades celebrate their win on Wednesday.

“This is a series,” said Sonne. “This is a war.

“It is first to four. We just have to turn the page and get ready for Game 5.”

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