“Celebrate good times, come on” – Outdoor sports get go ahead in Saskatchewan

Ethan Campbell fires in a pitch for the Sask Five Giants in 2020.

Outdoor door sporting groups in Saskatchewan got to pop the champagne corks, because they found out they are going to play.

On Tuesday, the Government of Saskatchewan announced public health orders around outdoor sporting events will be eased as part of Step One of the province’s Re-Opening Roadmap, which is set to commence this coming Sunday.

Originally, outdoor sports were part of Step Two of the Re-Opening Roadmap. The easing of measures for indoor sports remains in Step Two of the Re-Opening Roadmap.

The current public health orders were brought in to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

A Government of Saskatchewan release that was issued on Tuesday stated the change was made with regards to outdoor sports due to the lower risk of transmission of COVID-19 in outdoor settings along with how well the vaccination effort for COVID-19 has progressed in the province.

Starting on Sunday, the Government of Saskatchewan said competition and game play for outdoor sports can proceed as long as competition meets a number of requirements. The requirements are similar to when outdoor sporting events were conducted in Saskatchewan from July through to November of 2020.

Participants may not compete if they are feeling unwell.

Players and coaches are encouraged to screen for COVID-19 symptoms prior to arriving to practice or play. The Government of Saskatchewan encourages the use of its self-assessment tool for COVID-19, which can be found by clicking right here.

Jordan Kulbida fires a pitch for the Saskatoon G Force in 2020.

League play is allowed, but tournaments are not permitted.

There is no interprovincial travel. Teams that compete in interprovincial leagues need to contact the Government of Saskatchewan’s Business Response Team before beginning play.

Capacity must comply with public health orders for public outdoor gatherings for each playing surface or game area. Public outdoor gatherings are set to expand to a limit of 150 people on May 30.

Common areas, such as those where there are multiple playing surfaces, must be in compliance with gathering limits in public health orders.

Individual and protective equipment should not be shared. When equipment is shared like helmets or bats, cleaning and disinfecting must occur between each use.

Commonly touched equipment used for game play like game balls in football must be routinely replaced or disinfected during the course of practice or play.

Coaches, officials and players who are not on the field are not required to wear masks outdoors under the public health orders.

There is to be no hand shaking or high-fives.

Spectators are not required to wear masks outdoors. Spectators must remain in designated areas, and spectators not from the same household should maintain two metres of physical distancing.

Hand sanitizer approved by Health Canada or soap and hand washing water stations should be available to participants and spectators.

Action from the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League in 2020.

There is to be no sharing of water bottles.

Public washrooms, when available, are to be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Contact information of coaches, officials, and player should be recorded by the home team and maintained in order to assist with contact tracing for 30 days in the case of a confirmed COVID-19 case.

As an overall observation over the last 15 months, outdoor sports were able to be held in Saskatchewan with a lot less disruptions compared to indoor sports.

Even when it came to contact sports like tackle football, outdoor sports for the most part played out according to schedule.

Indoor sports seemed to have a bigger problem when it came to dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks. That likely had a lot to do with the fact most minor hockey rinks in Saskatchewan have ventilation that is similar to the decommissioned ancient Rutherford Rink, which is on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

The glass system that rings on top of the board system in hockey rinks helps trap air molecules on the ice surface.

A number of gymnasiums and indoor sports facilities are old and have poor ventilation too.

Most indoor sports facilities that have been built in Saskatchewan in the past 15 years actually do have much better ventilation, which helps prevent the spread of COVID-19.

When indoor sports get going, they might provide the true test of how well the vaccination effort for COVID-19 has worked.

Action from the Kinsmen Football League in 2020.

Due to how well the outdoor sports seasons went in Saskatchewan in 2020, it makes sense to get them going first. In golf, Saskatchewan was able to crown provincial champions in 2020.

The Sask Five Giants were able to take the Under-18 AAA Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League championship last year too.

Pretty much everyone involved with outdoor sports in Saskatchewan has to be over the moon happy about Tuesday’s announcement.

Here is hoping the upcoming season that will hit outdoor surfaces across Saskatchewan goes well for all.

Racist comments directed to Bear just sad, other notes

"I'm here to stand up to this behaviour... I'm proud of where I come from. I'm proud to be from Ochapowace First Nation. I'm not just doing this for myself. I'm doing this for all people of colour & for the next generation."

Ethan Bear's statement in response to racist comments. pic.twitter.com/3CK6DENnHC

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 26, 2021

The aftermath of the Edmonton Oilers elimination from the NHL playoffs shows how much work needs to be done to counter the idiots in society.

On Monday night or Tuesday morning depending on where you live in Canada, the Oilers dropped a 4-3 triple overtime heartbreaker to the Jets in Winnipeg in Game 4 of a first round NHL playoff series. Kyle Connor netted the winner in marathon match for the Jets.

With the loss, the Oilers were swept in the best-of-seven series 4-0 and eliminated from the NHL playoffs.

Following that loss, some moronic supposed supporters of the Oilers sent racist comments and messages over social media to Oilers defenceman Ethan Bear. Bear, who is of Cree decent, is from the Ochapowace First Nation in Saskatchewan.

Bear’s girlfriend, Lenasia Ned, brought the comments to light with a social media post of her own on Tuesday. The post erupted into an outpouring of support for Bear.

During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Oilers general manager Ken Holland condemned the behaviour of those who sent the racist comments to Bear.

On Wednesday evening, Bear and Ned put out a message on Oilers social media lines speaking out against the racism they encountered, while also thanking the overflowing messages of support they’ve received.

Ethan Bear raises the Ed Chynoweth Cup as a WHL champ in 2017.

It is sad and unfortunate that this still happens in society. It shows there is still a long way to go in the journey to combat racism.

Bear has played two full seasons and one partial campaign with the Oilers. The 23-year-old has been a great ambassador for the game and role model.

Before joining the Oilers, Bear played one game as a 15-year-old call up and four full seasons with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. In his storied career with the Thunderbirds, Bear appeared in 264 regular season games posting 66 goals, 126 assists and plus-50 rating in the plus-minus department.

He played a key part in helping the Thunderbirds win the WHL championship in his final season in the major junior ranks in 2016-17, while also being named the WHL’s top defenceman.

During his time in the WHL, it was common for a huge contingent of people from the Ochapowace First Nation follow Bear around the WHL circuit. You could easily spot Bear’s supporters wearing Thunderbirds jerseys with Bear’s name and #25 adorned on the sweater.

While the racism Bear and Ned encountered over the past couple of days was disappointing, it was uplifting to see the support they’ve received. People from all walks of life have rallied around the rearguard and his girlfriend.

With that noted, racism is still a problem in society. Here is hoping we all strive to try and be more responsible on that front.

• On Tuesday, the Kamloops Blazers announced general manager Matt Bardsley has resigned from the hockey club for personal reasons. Bardsley, who grew up in San Jose, Calif., said in the release that he and his wife and their children have been unable to see their family, who live in the United States, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to leave the Blazers is a family move. Bardsley, who is 50-years-old, became the Blazers general manager on June 1, 2018. The Blazers have posted an 87-54-9-3 regular season record in three seasons with Bardsley as general manager. The Blazers finished in the B.C. Division in each of the past two seasons. Bardsley was the executive of the year for the Western Conference in 2019-20.
• On Tuesday in his Taking Note blog, Gregg Drinnan reported Brandon Wheat Kings director of business operations and sales and sponsorship Rick Dillabough has retired. Dillabough has been with the Wheat Kings since 1989 and served in various capacities with the team over the years handling the bulk of the communications and media relations duties. He was one of the hardest working office staffers on the circuit and arguably the most respected and well-liked. Dillabough will be missed a tonne on the WHL circuit, and all those who know him hope he enjoys the next stage of his life.
• On Wednesday, the Calgary Hitmen announced Dallas Thompson would not be returning as the team’s director of player personnel next season. Thompson had been with the Hitmen for six years.
• Tickets are on sale for the May jackpot for the Saskatchewan Amateur Football Mega 50/50 lottery. The funds from this 50/50 lottery will go to support the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder and the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot. The draw date will be May 31. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
• Recently, Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press typed out a story that officials from the National Women’s Hockey League and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association have kept the lines of communication open with each other. With that said, there didn’t seem to be any new enlightenments with regards to professional women’s hockey. The NWHL’s six teams attempted to play a season in a bubble environment in Lake Placid, New York, from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5, but the loose bubble failed as COVID-19 infiltrated teams. The NWHL completed a playoff round March 26 and 27 in Boston, Massachusetts, where the Boston Pride downed the Minnesota Whitecaps 4-3 in the Isobel Cup championship game. The PWHPA is holding a Secret Dream Gap Tour tournament at the moment in Calgary, which started Monday and runs through to this coming Sunday. Spencer’s story about the NWHL interacting with the PWHPA can be found by clicking right here.
• On Wednesday, Hockey Canada announced its provincial and territorial BFL Female Coach of the Year award winner. In Saskatchewan, Brandy West-McMaster of Regina was the high performance award winner, and Stephanie Ferguson of Saskatoon was the community coach winner.

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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Beloved Sasakamoose leaves great trailblazing legacy

Fred Sasakamoose 1933-2020

Fred Sasakamoose, right, at the 2018 Memorial Cup.

When I first met Fred Sasakamoose way back on February 25, 2004, he was underestimating the epilogue of his life.

We had a long visit in the old conference room on the second floor of the Prince Albert Daily Herald office building. I was interviewing him for a story for the next day’s paper.

Sasakamoose had recently been in Shaunavon, Sask., as a guest at the Hockey Day in Canada festivities. He attended on an invite from CBC.

During a banquet at that event, longtime Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Dick Irvin Jr. introduced Sasakamoose to the crowd. Irvin summarized Sasakamoose’s place in hockey history.

He was one of the first Indigenous players to play in the NHL. He made his NHL debut on November 20, 1953 with the Chicago Blackhawks playing against the Boston Bruins.

Sasakamoose played one more game with the Blackhawks before being sent back to the junior Moose Jaw Canucks.

With the Canucks in 1953-54, Sasakamoose appeared in 34 regular season games collecting 31 goals and 26 assists. In February of 1954 after the Canucks season finished, Sasakamoose was called back up to the Blackhawks.

The centre played in 11 games in total with Chicago collecting no points and six penalty minutes.

Irvin’s father, Dick Irvin Sr., coached Sasakamoose in Chicago.

At the time I interviewed Sasakamoose in February of 2004, he was 70-years-old. He thought at that time what took place in Shaunavon was a high point in his life.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brigette Lacquette (@briglacquette)

“That put the icing in my life,” said Sasakamoose. “The finishing touch of the cake.

“The finishing touch on my life, when they put on the icing by Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, by CBC Hockey Night in Canada, (and) by the people of Shaunavon for the invitation. I hope they read this in Shaunavon, and what I finished saying.

“It was the greatest moment of my life.”

Little did Sasakamoose know, his story took on a bigger life from that point.

He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. The Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation member became a member of the Order of Canada in 2018.

On top of those honours, Sasakamoose has been inducted into the Saskatchewan First Nations Sports Hall of Fame, the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame, the Meadow Lake Wall of Fame, the FSIN Circle of Honour and the Canadian Native Hockey Hall of Fame.

Today we are sadden to hear the passing of @FredSasakamoose. You will be greatly missed by our indigenous communities. You have paved the way and allowed us to believe in our dreams. #warrior #leader #Inspiration #nativepride pic.twitter.com/B7pvNFHhCC

— Jordin Tootoo (@Jtootoo22) November 25, 2020

He continued to be an incredible positive influence on young Indigenous athletes and that developed into lifelong friendships into adulthood.

Sasakamoose spoke on the real hard subjects too. Much of his childhood was spent at the St. Michael’s Indian Residential School in Duck Lake, Sask. During a Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing in Prince Albert in 2012, he publicly acknowledged that he was sexually abused by other children at the school when he was nine years old.

At age seven, he and his brother, Frank, were whisked away by the government to the school.

Sasakamoose overcame all of that adversity to make it to the NHL. Following his time in the NHL, Sasakamoose’s playing career concluded with time spent in various minor leagues.

When he was done playing, he became a band councilor with the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation and served one six-year term as Chief.

He spent a large amount of time developing sports programs for Indigenous children.

On Tuesday, Sasakamoose passed away at age 86 after recently being hospitalized for COVID-19.

So sorry to hear about @FredSasakamoose today. Thank you for being a leader and paving the way for all of us indigenous hockey players and helping us dream big. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/SYAYozKDEs

— Theo Fleury (@TheoFleury14) November 24, 2020

Tributes poured in from all over the hockey world, especially from the Indigenous community.

Because of Sasakamoose’s exploits, it allowed the sport of hockey to be blessed with the likes of Bryan Trottier, Theo Fleury, Jordin Tootoo, Brigette Lacquette, Ethan Bear, Brady Keeper, Justin Nachbaur and Jaydon Dureau to follow in the strides Sasakamoose made.

Sasakamoose watched those youngsters grow with great pride and was someone they could always turn to.

A lot of Sasakamoose’s biggest impacts on a number of those individuals came after I did my interview with him back in February of 2004. During that visit, I could tell I was only scratching the surface of the wisdom Sasakamoose, who was born on December 25, 1933, had to share.

It is safe to say some great wisdom was shared with various Indigenous athletes after my visit with him in Prince Albert.

Fred Sasakamoose (#21) in Saskatoon in Jan. 2018.

During the initial aftermath of the news of his passing, it feels like Sasakamoose should have had more opportunities to continue to have a profound impact on people. He was truly a gem of a person.

If each of us could emulate a fraction of who Sasakamoose was, this world really would be a better and more understanding place.

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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Hilltops get 10 PFC all-star nods

Ben Abrook was named a PFC all-star for the first time.

    Some of the Saskatoon Hilltops biggest stars highlighted the all-star nods handed out by the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference on Tuesday.

    The Hilltops, who finished the regular season with an 8-0 record for the second straight year, received 10 all-star selections ahead of hosting the PFC final this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Edmonton Huskies at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    Tuesday’s PFC all-star selections included power running back Ben Abrook, left tackle Mason Ochs, defensive back Colton Holmes and veteran defensive tackle Jesse McNabb.

    On offence, Abrook, who is in his third year with the Hilltops and first year as the club’s full-time starter at running back, had a sensational campaign leading the PFC in rushing with 1,215 yards coming off 199 carries and scoring eight touchdowns.

    Two of the men who opened huge holes for Abrook on the Hilltops offensive line also found their way on to the all-star squad. Ochs, who attended the training camp of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, was a unanimous selection and was named an all-star for the third consecutive year.

Mason Ochs (#73) was a PFC all-star for the third straight year.

    Fifth-year left guard Ryder Klisowsky earned his first PFC all-star nod.

    Pass catchers Connor Graham and Keegan Dicks made the all-star team for the first time. Graham, who is in his fifth season, hauled in 28 receptions for 599 yards and scored six touchdowns. Dicks, who is in his third season, caught 31 passes for 494 yards and scored four touchdowns.

    McNabb, who is in his final campaign of CJFL eligibility, was named an all-star on the defensive side of the ball for a second consecutive season recording 26.5 total tackles and three sacks.

    Holmes, who also attended Roughriders training camp and was on the CFL club’s practice roster, was a unanimous selection at defensive back and took all-star honours for a second straight year. 

Jesse McNabb was a PFC all-star for the second straight year.

    He posted 17.5 total tackles, two pass knockdowns, one fumble recovery and one interception.

    Fifth-year linebacker Jadyn Pingue was named an all-star for the first time. He collected 33.5 total tackles, one pass knockdown, one fumble recovery and one interception.

    Third-year safety Brant Morrow made the all-star team as well. Morrow posted 18.5 total tackles, three interceptions, two pass knockdowns, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He returned one of his interceptions 113 yards for a touchdown in a 34-16 victory over the Thunder in Regina on Aug. 25.

Rylan Kleiter (#7) was named a PFC all-star as a place kicker.

    Rylan Kleiter made the all-star team at place kicker. 
    He connected on 18-of-22 field goal attempts for an 81.8 per cent success rate with a long of 42 yards.

    Kleiter kicked 33 conversion attempts, recorded one rouge and hauled in two touchdown receptions as a receiver to lead the PFC in scoring with 100 points.

    The Hilltops, who are currently 9-0 overall, advanced to the PFC final downing the Edmonton Wildcats 31-7 in a PFC semifinal contest last Sunday at SMF Field. The Huskies, who are 7-2 overall, took the other PFC semifinal last Sunday in Regina downing the host Thunder 20-17.

    That clash likely could be the game of the year in the CJFL.

Bear’s rise to the Oilers uplifting, other notes

Ethan Bear raised the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2017.

    One of the best stories at the start of the NHL season has to be the fact Ethan Bear is a full-time member of the Edmonton Oilers.

    The skilled defenceman has a huge backing from the Saskatchewan’s Ochapowace First Nation, where he is from. During his time in the WHL from 2013 to 2017, Bear starred with the Seattle Thunderbirds appearing in 264 regular season games piling up 66 goals and 126 assists for 192 points and a plus-50 rating.

    When the Thunderbirds would play road games in the Eastern Conference, a huge contingent of Bear’s family and friends followed the team over the course of the trip.

    When Seattle won the best-of-seven WHL Championship series 4-2 against the Regina Pats in 2017, it was estimated Bear had 500 supporters at each of the three games held in the Saskatchewan capital.

    The Thunderbirds clinched the series with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 6 at the Brandt Centre in Regina, and Bear got to take a skate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup in front of his supporters.

    Now as a third-year in the professional ranks, Bear has cracked the Oilers main roster. In the Oilers first 10 games, Bear has two goals, an assist and a minus-one rating helping the Edmonton club post a 7-2-1 record.

    His supporters from Ochapowace can be noticed at Rogers Place. If Bear elevates to star status, you can expect his Oilers jersey will become one of the biggest sellers in the league.

• The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey teams that won three straight Canada West Conference titles from 1981 to 1983 and the U Sports title in 1983 were announced as inductees to the Canada West Hall of Fame. Those Huskies squads were guided by legendary head coach Dave King and featured high-scoring star forward Willie Desjardins, who was the captain of the U Sports national title winner.
• In the U Sports Top 10 rankings that were released on Tuesday, the U of S Huskies men’s hockey team were rated eighth with a 2-3-1 regular season record. The Huskies have battled injuries on defence, which has hampered the squad’s performance on the ice. The ranking shows the respect the Huskies program has nationally.
• The U of S Huskies football team was rated seventh in the U Sports Top 10 rankings that were released on Tuesday. The Huskies (4-3) will face the U of Alberta Golden Bears (4-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium. The winner will be guaranteed at least a second place finish in Canada West and host a conference semifinal playoff game.
• U of S Huskies women’s hockey team star netminder Jessica Vance is two wins away from becoming the third player in program history to record 30 career wins in regular season play. Vance has appeared in 44 career games with the Huskies posting a 28-11-4 record, a 1.09 goals against average, a .953 save percentage and 16 shutouts.
• In eight overall games with the defending NCAA champion U of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team so far this season, star forward and Saskatoon product Sophie Shirley has eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Shirley is an alumna of the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team.
• The new Joker movie was really good. It is a definite movie that should be seen in theatres. I have to warn you in my opinion it was messed up too in a disturbing way. You have to expect a dark script for a movie involving The Joker as a character. This one was dark but still done in an artistic way. It is the type of movie you will likely only watch once. My cousin, Justin Chomitzky, did a great review of the movie that can be found right here.
• It was super sad to hear Aly Jenkins, who was the lead on Sherry Anderson’s curling team, died during childbirth on Sunday. A GoFundMe page has been started to help Jenkins husband, Scott, and the couple’s three children Brady, Avery and Sydney. The GoFundMe page can be found by clicking right here.

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

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

WHL Championship delivered thrills and drama

Title series between Thunderbirds and Pats was a classic

Keegan Kolesar skates with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    REGINA – Wow!

    That is the only word that was needed to describe this year’s WHL Championship series. The Seattle Thunderbirds and the Regina Pats put on a show and both were worthy of battling for the Ed Chynoweth Cup in a best-of-seven set.

    In a conclusion that was a fitting end for an overall thrilling 2017 WHL playoffs, Alexander True followed the rebound of his own shot to pop home the winner at the 12:36 mark of overtime to deliver the Thunderbirds to a 4-3 series winning Game 6 on Sunday at the Brandt Centre in Regina. Seattle claimed its first league title in franchise history with the 4-2 series win. The Thunderbirds date back to 1977, when the club was formed as the Seattle Breakers.

    At the start, the series had to be considered a tossup. The Pats finished first overall in the WHL with a 52-12-7-1 mark and were rated first in final Canadian Hockey League top 10 rankings, which were released on March 22. They were making their first appearance in the league final since 1984.

    The Thunderbirds finished fourth overall in the WHL with a 46-20-4-2 mark despite getting out to a slow start due to players getting back late from professional camps. They lost the best-of-seven league title series last year 4-1 to the Brandon Wheat Kings and returned 14 skaters who were looking to take care of unfinished business.

Alexander True scored the Thunderbirds biggest goal.

    Over the course of six games, the Thunderbirds and Pats showed their resilience. The teams were separated by the slimmest of margins, but in the end, the experience the Thunderbirds had likely helped push them to the title.

    Sunday’s Game 6, which was played before a sellout crowd of 6,484 spectators, captured the whole series perfectly. It seemed momentum wouldn’t stay with one side.

    After two straight losses, the Pats were looking to get the series back on even terms. Things started well for the hosts as star centre Sam Steel converted a nice feed from defenceman Josh Mahura at the top of the left faceoff circle on the power play to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

    Seattle came with a huge push back and outshot Regina 10-3 in the opening frame. During that stretch of Thunderbirds pressure, it appeared Pats standout netminder Tyler Brown was going to steal the game as he made stop after stop.

    Thunderbirds winger Sami Moilanen found the equalizer on the 20^th shot fired on goal from his side forcing a 1-1 tie at the 8:55 mark of the second.

    The contest proceeded to turn 16 seconds later when Thunderbirds defenceman Turner Ottenbreit received a major penalty for charging on a high hit he threw on Pats speedy winger Austin Wagner. Wagner left for the remainder of the second period and returned for the start of the third.

Austin Wagner led the Pats with 16 goals in the post-season.

    At that point, the Pats showed their “never say die” attitude. They pushed back and built momentum heading into the third period.

    In the third, the Pats hit a point where it appeared Game 7 was going to be a reality. With 8:10 to play in the frame, Mahura fired home a rebound from a shot by winger Jeff de Wit to give the Pats a 2-1 edge.

    From there, Wagner stepped into the forefront. He stole the puck from Thunderbirds defenceman Austin Strand, zipped into the Seattle zone on a breakaway and fired home his 16^th goal of the playoffs to the top left corner of the Thunderbirds net with 6:48 to play. The Brandt Centre was rocking with the Pats now holding a 3-1 lead.

    This became the point the Thunderbirds experience showed through. When everything was rolling for the Pats, they found a moment to gain traction to turn the game around again and provide the final turning point for the series.

Tyler Brown’s rebound on this blocker stop turned out to be costly.

    Just 86 seconds after Wagner’s goal, the Thunderbirds caught a break, when a pass from Seattle defenceman Ethan Bear deflected off Mahura right to Thunderbirds overage winger Ryan Gropp, who was open in the right slot. Gropp cut to the middle and fired home a shot that cut the Pats lead to 3-2 causing a short hush to fall over the Brandt Centre crowd outside of the healthy contingent that was cheering for the Thunderbirds.

    The Thunderbirds proceeded to get on the power play, and winger Keegan Kolesar fired home a beauty feed from Bear in the right slot to force a 3-3 tie with 2:54 to play in the third.

    In overtime, the Pats had a great chance to get the winner, when a shot from standout rookie winger Nick Henry squirted out from the pads of Thunderbirds goaltender Carl Stankowski. Steel tried to tap home the loose puck, but he didn’t get enough force behind the jab allowing Stankowski to make the stop.

Thunderbirds D Ethan Bear (#25) wires a shot on goal from centre ice.

    That set the stage for True to play the role of Seattle hero netting the series winner. When Brown made a blocker stop on True’s first shot, the import from Copenhagen, Denmark, was smart to go hard after his rebound, because he had a lot of empty net to shooting the winning goal into.

    Brown was heroic in the setback making 39 stops. Stankowski turned away 28 shots to become the first goalie in his 16-year-old season to win the WHL title as a starter since Dan Blackburn in 2000 with the Kootenay Ice.

    Three games in the series were decided in overtime, and all three were played in Regina. The Thunderbirds claimed two of those games in extra time to erase the memories of dropping three straight overtimes to open last year’s WHL Championship series with the Wheat Kings.

Thunderbirds C Mathew Barzal cuts to the front of the Pats net.

    The Pats were also without captain Adam Brooks for Games 2 to 5 of the series. Brooks was lost after being on the receiving end of an open ice hit by Ottenbreit in the second period of Game 1.
    Without their captain, the Pats showed their grit winning two out of the four games Brooks missed.

    While Regina fans weren’t happy with Ottenbreit, the Yorkton, Sask., product, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds, showed he was a sound and rugged defensive defenceman.
    He recorded seven goals, 25 assists, 92 penalty minutes and a plus-45 rating in the plus-minus department in 71 regular season games.

Sam Steel netted key goals for the Pats.

    If Ottenbreit played for the Pats, he would likely have been a fan favourite in Regina.
    Thunderbirds star centre Mathew Barzal was held pointless in Game 6, but he had his chances. The first round NHL Entry Draft selection of the New York Islanders was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs.

    Barzal missed Seattle’s first round series sweep of the Tri-City Americans due to illness, but he returned at the start of the second round and recorded seven goals, 18 assists and a plus-eight rating in 16 post-season games.

    With the WHL championship win, the Thunderbirds head to the four team Memorial Cup tournament, which begins Friday in Windsor, Ont., with the host Spitfires hosting the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Saint John Sea Dogs.

    The Thunderbirds open their schedule taking on the Ontario Hockey League champion Erie Otters on Saturday. The Memorial Cup runs through to Sunday, May 28 in Windsor.

The Thunderbirds celebrate their WHL title OT winning goal.

    Seattle will be in tough as a WHL team has only won one of the last eight Memorial Cup tournaments. The Edmonton Oil Kings are the only Memorial Cup winner coming from the WHL during that time span capturing major junior hockey’s biggest prize in 2014.

    No matter what happens in the Memorial Cup, the Thunderbirds and Pats showed in their league title series how impressive a product the WHL can be.

    They gave the circuit another classic championship series.

Ridley nears 3,800 games called

Bob Ridley calls a Medicine Hat Tigers road game in Saskatoon.

    When the next WHL season starts, iconic Medicine Hat Tigers play-by-play voice Bob Ridley will be closing in on calling his 3,800^th game.

    This season, the Tigers advanced to the second round of the WHL playoffs, where they lost a heartbreaking seven game series to their Highway 3 rivals the Lethbridge Hurricanes. That contest was marked the 3,783^rd game Ridley called as the voice of the Tigers including games in the regular season, standings tiebreakers, WHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup tournament.

    Since the Tigers began play in 1970, Ridley has called 3,363 of the 3,364 team’s regular season games, one standings tiebreaking game, all 399 contests the club has played in the WHL playoffs and all 20 contests the team has played in the Memorial Cup tournament.

    Ridley has called Tigers hockey games for 47 seasons, and for the majority of that time, he drove the team’s bus as well. If someone started next season calling an average of 80 games a season for 47 seasons, that person would still come up short of the total games Ridley has called.

    It is safe to say no one ever in the history of the WHL will ever pass Ridley’s total of game called as the play-by-play voice of one team.

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

Thunderbirds WHL title dream comes True

Seattle wins first league crown in team history with OT thriller

Mathew Barzal, centre, gives a cheer after the Thunderbirds OT win.

    REGINA – Alexander True came up true in the biggest moment in the history of the Seattle Thunderbirds.

    On Sunday night before a sellout crowd of 6,484 spectators at the Brandt Centre in Regina, True’s Thunderbirds were locked in a 3-3 tie in overtime with the host Pats and were looking to close out the WHL Championship series with a Game 6 victory.
    At the 12:36 mark of the extra session, the 19-year-old import centre from Copenhagen, Denmark, broke down the right wing, fired a shot on Pats netminder Tyler Brown, followed the rebound and popped home the WHL championship winning goal.

    True’s marker gave the Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory in game, a 4-2 win in the best-of-seven series and the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions. The win marks the first time the Thunderbirds have claimed the WHL title in team history. The Thunderbirds date back to 1977, when the club was formed as the Seattle Breakers.

Alexander True (#16) fires home the WHL championship winning goal.

   “Unbelievable feeling. It is just really special,” said True, who said the OT winner was the biggest goal in his hockey career. “I don’t really know what to say.

    “I didn’t think much. I just wanted get the puck on net. Luckily, I got the rebound and saw the net was pretty open.”

    The Pats held a 1-0 lead after the first period, but the Thunderbirds pulled even at 1-1 scoring the lone tally in the second. Regina shot out to a 3-1 lead in the third period, but Seattle replied with two markers late in the frame to force overtime.

    Feisty Thunderbirds right-winger Keegan Kolesar wired home a one-time feed from star defenceman Ethan Bear on the power play for the equalizer with 2:54 remaining in the third.

Alexander True celebrates his OT winner.

    “We’re a team that doesn’t give up,” said Bear, who had a pair of assists and was a plus-two in the plus-minus department in Sunday’s win. “We’re going to have to keep doing that moving forward.

    “Through all the adversities and injuries, a lot of guys stepped up. We really, really earned this, and it feels amazing.”

    Bear, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers, had over 100 family and friends in attendance from his home stomping grounds in Saskatchewan’s Ochapowace First Nation. The 19-year-old big time appreciated his backers.

    “It is amazing to look at all my family and all my friends,” said Bear. “I am not the only guy from (Saskatchewan), so I bet they (his Saskatchewan teammates on the Thunderbirds) feel the same.

    “It couldn’t be any better.”

    Bear, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 205 pounds, said he draws motivation from his friends and family in Ochapowace.

    “They supported me a lot,” said Bear. “Everywhere I went, they all supported me no matter what I did.

    “That really helps me push myself to get a little bit further. Hearing and seeing all the crowd we had, you know it felt like home ice. Without them, I don’t think we could have done it.”

Seattle RW Keegan Kolesar (#28) tries to slip past Regina D Connor Hobbs.

    Sami Moilanen and Ryan Gropp both netted singles for the Thunderbirds. Sam Steel, Josh Mahura and Austin Wagner all netted singles for the Pats.

    For a moment, it looked Wagner was going to have a storybook type game. With the contest locked in a 1-1 draw, Wagner was nailed with a high hit in the open ice by Thunderbirds 19-year-old defenceman Turner Ottenbreit.

    Wagner, who had been battling bum shoulder in the playoffs, laid on the ice for a few moments before being helped to the dressing room. Ottenbreit was given a major penalty for charging, and that infraction will trigger an automatic review by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

    After missing the rest of the second period, Wagner returned for the third. The speedy winger got in alone on Thunderbirds netminder Carl Stankowski and netted his 16^th goal of the post-season to give the Pats a 3-1 edge with 6:48 to play in the frame.

Thunderbirds defenceman Ethan Bear holds up the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    Bear said his Thunderbirds expected the Pats to be resilient. The Pats topped the WHL’s regular season standings with a 52-12-7-1 record and were rated first in the final Canadian Hockey League rankings released on March 22.

    In the second round of the playoffs, the Pats trailed the Swift Current Broncos 3-1 in a best-of-seven series and rallied for a 4-3 series win. In the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series, the Pats trailed that best-of-seven set 2-1 to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and rallied for a 4-2 victory.

    “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Bear. “Right from the get go, they were a team that every time they were down in a series they came back and won.

    “We knew that. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, so we just stuck to it. It feels amazing.”

    Stankowski made 28 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Thunderbirds. Brown was sensational turning away 39 shots to take the loss in goal for the Pats.

Austin Wagner (#27) celebrates his goal that gave the Pats a 3-1 lead.

    Thunderbirds star centre Mathew Barzal was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs.
    The Coquitlam, B.C., product missed the first round of the post-season due to illness, but he returned to piled up seven goals, 18 assists and a plus-eight rating in 16 playoff contests.

    The Thunderbirds will make their first appearance at the four-team Memorial Cup tournament for the first time since they hosted the event in 1992, when they lost out in a semifinal contest. The other three teams at this year’s Memorial Cup are the Ontario Hockey League champion Erie Otters, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Saint John Sea Dogs and the host Windsor Spitfires.

    The Memorial Cup begins Friday and runs through to Sunday, May 28 in Windsor, Ont.

    The Pats were making their first appearance in the WHL Championship series since 1984 and will host the Memorial Cup next year.

    After losing last year’s WHL Championship series in five games to the Brandon Wheat Kings, the Thunderbirds returned 14 skaters this season and had to survive missing key players to injuries and illness over extended stretches. Stankowski, who is in his 16-year-old season, played every minute in the post-season in goal for Seattle after star overage netminder Rylan Toth sat out with a lower body injury.

Seattle C Matthew Wedman (#21) is stopped by Regina G Tyler Brown.

    During the regular season, the Thunderbirds posted the WHL’s fourth best overall record at 46-20-4-2. In the WHL playoffs, Seattle rolled off a 16-4 mark.

    Thunderbirds long time veteran general manager, part owner and WHL legend Russ Farwell stood off to the side watching his players, coaches and staff enjoy the moment. Before he ever joined the Thunderbirds, Farwell was the general manager and architect of the Medicine Hat Tigers league and Memorial Cup championship teams in 1987 and 1988.

    After the 1988 Memorial Cup title win, he joined the Thunderbirds for his first stint as general manager, which ended with a departure to the NHL ranks in 1990. Farwell has continuously been with the Thunderbirds since getting back involved with the team in 1995.

    He wanted to savour this first personal league title win in 29 years.

The Thunderbirds get set for the team picture with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    “You appreciate it a little more I think the longer you have been doing it,” said Farwell. “This is a special group of guys.

    “It is a bigger challenge in the U.S. to build that kind of team. This year this group has really, really battled through a lot of things. It is the funniest year I have ever had right down to Carl (Stankowski) having to step in for us in goal.

    “They’ve just overcome so many things.”

    Farwell said he would always remember this league title win.

    “They are all big, but this is special certainly for our group, our scouts and everyone there in Seattle,” said Farwell. “It has been a long, long time coming.

    “We worked at it. We had a run last year. It is really special to get there and see these guys get there.”

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

Bear’s backers are the best

Thunderbirds defenceman has great support from home

Ethan Bear’s family and friends tailgate at the Brandt Centre parking lot.

    Ethan Bear’s supporters have delivered one of the best stories and sights in the WHL over the past four seasons.

    Way back in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, Bear was selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the second round and 25^th overall. That meant the rearguard from Saskatchewan’s Ochapowace First Nation would only get to make one road trip a season to play five games in home rinks of foes from the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

    Since making the Thunderbirds as a 16-year-old rookie back in the 2013-14 season, Bear’s supporters from Ochapowace have relished the time he spends playing in driving distance to home. Anytime the Thunderbirds make a road trip to play teams in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, you often saw somewhere between 30 to 40 supporters from Ochapowace wearing Thunderbirds jerseys with Bear’s name and number on them.

    The first time I saw that sight was way back on Oct. 4. 2013, when the Medicine Hat Tigers hosted the Thunderbirds at the Tigers storied former home rink, The Arena. 

Ethan Bear breaks up ice for the Thunderbirds.

    Including one appearance as a 15-year-old call up, Bear was playing his just his fifth WHL regular season at the time, and he hitting the ice for his first contest in a WHL Eastern Conference rink.

    Among the sellout crowd of 4,006 were at least 30 family members and friends wearing Bear’s #25 Thunderbirds jersey. It was pretty neat looking and seeing three rows of people all wearing the same visiting jersey in one section right by the glass near the blue-line. I could see the gathering clearly from my press box, when I covered the Tigers for the Medicine Hat News.

    Bear finished with a plus-one rating in the plus-minus department that night, and a young Thunderbirds squad erased a 4-3 Tigers lead with just under 30 seconds to play in the third period and claimed a 5-4 victory in overtime.

    Since that time, Bear grew into one of the league’s star defencemen. In June of 2015, Bear was selected in the fifth round and 124^th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL Entry Draft. 

A couple of supporters cheer Ethan Bear on at the Brandt Centre.

    In early of June 2016, the Oilers signed Bear to a three-year NHL Entry-Level contract after he helped the Thunderbirds earn a berth in the WHL Championship series in May of that year.

    This season, Bear, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 205 pounds, appeared in 67 games for the Thunderbirds recording 28 goals, 42 assists and a plus-34 rating in the plus-minus department. He won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s defenceman of the year and was also named to the WHL’s Western Conference first all-star team.

    In the post-season, Bear was instrumental in helping the Thunderbirds reach the WHL Championship series for a second straight year.
    All through the journey over the years, his friends and family members kept showing up in large numbers, when the Thunderbirds visited rinks in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

    When the Thunderbirds traveled to Regina for Games 1 and 2 of this year’s WHL title series with the Pats, Bears supporters were there. They tailgated in the Brandt Centre parking lot with other family members of Thunderbirds players and were as friendly as can be. Actually, Bear’s supporters are one of the most sociable groups you will find around anywhere.

Ethan Bears looks to start a rush up ice for the Thunderbirds.

    With the series tied 2-2 following the Thunderbirds 6-1 win in Game 4 at the ShoWare Centre in Kent, Wash., on Wednesday, there will be a Game 6 in Regina on Sunday at 6 p.m. local time at the Brandt Center. You can already envision Bear’s family and friends arriving to support Ochapowace’s favourite son.
    Bear has recorded six goals, 16 assists and a plus-seven rating in 15 post-season games during the current run with the Thunderbirds.

    The Game 6 gathering and a possible Game 7 gathering on Monday night also see the conclusion of this tradition. Bear will be an overager next season, and with having an NHL deal signed with the Oilers, he will most likely be in the professional ranks in the Oilers system.

    There will definitely be mixed emotions to see the gatherings for Bear at WHL rinks come to an end. They have been one of the WHL’s great feel good stories. The family and friends got to see Bear grow and excel to the point that he will have an NHL career, so that was pretty special.

    The family and friends have been to Edmonton to see Bear play in the WHL. It would be cool to see those gathering continue one day in Edmonton in the NHL.

WHL title series a toss up despite lopsided Game 4

Seattle’s Mathew Barzal, left, slips past Regina’s Sam Steel.

    Whatever happened in Game 4 in the WHL Championship series will be contained in Game 4.

    While Game 1 to 3 between the Regina Pats and Seattle Thunderbirds were decided each by one goal, the Thunderbirds put on a show and took the Pats out to the woodshed posting a 6-1 romp in Game 4 of the series before 4,652 spectators at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash.
    Seattle held a 36-19 edge in shots on goal to add further insult to injury in a one-sided romp on Wednesday.

    With how good coaching is these days in the WHL, the likelihood of the Thunderbirds carrying any momentum from Game 4 into Game 5, which is set for 7:30 p.m. local time on Friday at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., is slim.

Netminder Tyler Brown turns away a shot in goal for the Pats.

    You can expect Regina’s veteran head coach and general manager John Paddock will ensure the Pats players quickly move past the disappointing outing in the best-of-seven series. The Thunderbirds can’t transfer any goals from Game 4 into Game 5.

    In Game 4, it seemed like way too many Pats players had an off night, where they were just not focused or seemed to think the Thunderbirds would go away after Pats star centre Sam Steel gave the visitors a 1-0 first period lead. To the Thunderbirds credit, they pounded on the Pats after Steel scored replying with six unanswered markers.

    Some of the Seattle goals were a result of the Thunderbirds being aggressive on the forecheck, and the Pats played a little too comfortable thinking a lot of situations were going to be routine.

    Even Pats star goaltender Tyler Brown had the puck stolen off his stick by Thunderbirds winger Sami Moilanen, who wrapped in what turned out to be the game-winning tally with 3:35 remaining in the first period putting the hosts up 2-1.

Thunderbirds D Turner Ottenbreit, left, wires a shot at the Pats goal.

    A Game 5 bounce back is expected from the Regina side even if star overage captain Adam Brooks isn’t able to return from injury. Brooks was injured after being leveled with an open ice hit by Thunderbirds defender Turner Ottenbreit in Game 1 of the WHL title series. The blowout loss will likely work as a wakeup call to get the Pats playing with more focus and energy.

    The Pats have progressed through the playoffs without standout centre Jake Leschyshyn, who has a knee injury, and defenceman Dawson Davidson hasn’t played since Regina’s Game 7 victory over the Swift Current Broncos in the second round due to injury.

    The Thunderbirds have been without star overage netminder Dylan Toth for the entire post-season due to a lower body injury. 

Carl Stankowski controls a loose puck in goal for the Thunderbirds.

    Carl Stankowski, who is in his 16-year-old rookie season, has filled in as the starter in spectacular fashion posting a 14-4 record, a 2.42 goals against average and a .913 save percentage playing every minute in the playoffs for the Thunderbirds.

    The rest of the contests of the WHL Championship series should resemble the outstanding action from Games 1 to 3.

    As the Pats and Thunderbirds continue to battle, the field for the Memorial Cup tournament, which is slated for May 19-28 in Windsor, Ont., is starting to take shape. The Spitfires are in as the host team, and Saint John Sea Dogs will be there as the champions of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.     

    The Erie Otters led the best-of-seven Ontario Hockey League title series 3-1 over the Mississauga Steelheads and will try to close out that set in Game 5 on Friday in Erie.

Officials have been way better than the fans think

Linesman Chad Huseby, left, drops the puck for a faceoff.

    Between the playoffs in the NHL and the WHL, it seems the fans are really upset with the men who wear the stripped uniforms, especially if you check out the chatter on social media.

    On the NHL front, I haven’t seen enough games in person or on television to make any judgments there. I have probably seen three complete NHL playoff games in total.

    I have seen a whole pile of WHL post-season games. I know this might freak some fans out, but on an overall level, I have been satisfied with the officiating in the WHL playoffs.

    I think the games have had great flow to them. For the most part, I believe the officials are nailing the black and white and the over the line calls –especially those that require a lot of judgment. 

    I believe the officials have let the soft calls go, which is a good thing. 

The officials move in to control a scrum in Game 1 of the WHL Finals.

    The officials have done great in basically distinguishing the difference between what is a trip and what is someone just accidentally slipping over an opponent’s stick.

    I also believe the officials have done a great job at being consistent and usually that is the big thing competing teams look for.

    In past post-seasons, I have seen games were officials started calling all the tick-tack soft calls and stick with that the entire game. You ended up with a contest where each side has 10 power plays, and those games are usually way more frustrating to players, coaches, team management and fans compared to what has been taken place so far in the 2017 post-season.

    I think most people in the public believe officials take a class on the rules of the game and are just sent on the ice to make the calls. There is way more to officiating than that.

    There is a whole other side to the craft that includes positioning, communicating with coaches, players and sometimes management, and reading players and coaches to determine how they feel emotionally. All these factors go into helping an official read the game.

    Over the years, I have had a lot of great talks with numerous officials including former referees Chris Savage, Nathan Wieler and Devin Klein, current NHL referee Chris Schlenker and young WHL linesman Marcus Gerow. When you talk with these individuals, you realize how enormous the craft of become a good official is, how many variables you track and how you have to have skills outside of knowing how to call penalties.

Linesmen break up a scrum in Game 2 of the WHL Finals.

    You also realize these individuals have a great passion for the game that is equal to any player, coach or manager. Officials don’t want to make a mistake that will affect the outcome of a contest.

    In modern officiating, the officials on the ice at the WHL level are overseen by officiating supervisors and WHL director of officiating Kevin Muench. They work with the officials like good coaches work with the players. They are constantly teaching various tips to officials on how to do things better and also give encouragement when something is done well.

    From talking to veteran officials, they have often said Muench is really good at pointing out different ways unexpected situations on the ice can be handled, and you don’t realize it until the situation comes up and he points it out. The lower levels of hockey officials are guided by supervisors these days, and those efforts have enhanced the quality of games overall in the sport.

    The officials always consider themselves the third team on the ice, and like the participating clubs, they are constantly making adjustments.

    There will always be situations that arise where fans will freak out like the tussle between Lethbridge Hurricanes captain Tyler Wong and Regina Pats winger Dawson Leedahl, where Wong said he was bit on the finger by Leedahl in Game 4 of the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series between the two clubs.

Officials ensure potential hot spot stays cool in Game 2 of the WHL Finals.

    There will always be times not all will be pleased with a call like late in Game 3 of the WHL Championship series where Pats centre Wyatt Sloboshan was tangled up with Seattle Thunderbirds star centre Mathew Barzal. Sloboshan was given a minor for hooking and Barzal went off with a minor for embellishment in that encounter. Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk voiced his displeasure over the call on Barzal in a media conference after the game.

    Those situations always involve tight judgments, where fans on one side or the other will agree to disagree.

    After those two respective series resumed, the teams didn’t engage in any outright brawls or look for ways to make any payback. The steady flow in the games continued, which meant the officials were able to get communication and understanding across to the clubs.

    Officiating in the WHL is light years ahead of where it was 20 years ago and that is due to the fact the approach to the craft has evolved just as players and coaches have evolved.

    The art of officiating will always be a work in progress, and in the WHL, I believe the guys in the stripped uniforms are coming out on the correct side of things when it comes to doing their jobs well.

Leedahl earned NHL deal with Rangers

Winger Dawson Leedahl, left, drives a shot on goal for the Pats.

    Whispers that the NHL might come calling became a reality for Saskatoon product Dawson Leedahl on Monday, and he deserved that reality.

    On Monday, Leedahl, who has had a breakout season playing left wing for the WHL’s Regina Pats, signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the New York Rangers. When a blockbuster off-season trade brought Leedahl to the Pats in the off-season from the Everett Silvertips, he was just looking to have one last memorable year in major junior hockey.

    In four complete seasons with the Silvertips, Leedahl, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 193 pounds, appeared in 226 regular season games, recorded 37 goals, 64 assists and a minus-one rating in the plus-minus department.

    During his overage season with the Pats, Leedahl nearly matched all his career point totals in Everett piling up 35 goals, 54 assists and a plus-45 rating in 71 games in Regina playing on a line with star centre Sam Steel and extremely talented rookie right-winger Nick Henry.

    In the playoffs, Leedahl has had a huge impact for the Pats netting 11 goals, 12 assists and a plus-10 rating. He has picked up points at key times, but he positively impacted final outcomes in other ways.

Pats winger Dawson Leedahl (#71) has earned an NHL entry-level contract.

    In Regina’s 3-2 Game 3 win in the WHL Championship series over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Tuesday in Kent, Wash., Leedahl didn’t put up any points, but he might have had one of his best performances of the post-season. He was blocking shots, getting in the right positions to break up passing or transition plays by the Thunderbirds and made smart decisions when he had the puck.

    All of those gritty plays by the graduate of the Saskatoon Contacts midget AAA program allowed the Pats to preserve victory on that night.

    Leedahl, who turned 21 in March, gets involved in the feisty and dirty areas of the game, but when the game ends, he is pretty likable off the ice.

    His play in the WHL post-season was definitely the tipping point that made NHL teams come calling. He also showed the door doesn’t necessarily close on the NHL dream if you go unselected in the NHL Entry Draft.

Clark makes Canada’s centralized roster

    Saskatoon product Emily Clark is a step closer to playing in her first Winter Olympics.

    On Thursday, she was named to Hockey Canada’s centralized roster for the 2017-18 season in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

    Clark, who is a star forward with the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team and a graduate of the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA program, has been part of Canada’s women’s  national team program since 2012. That year, she helped the under-18 squad win gold at the under-18 worlds in the Czech Republic in January.
    The 21-year-old has been part of Canada’s senior national team for the past three campaigns.

    In 2016-17, Clark finished playing her third season with the Badgers posting career highs in assists (26) and points (46) in 37 games. Playing a power-forward role, Clark, who stands 5-foot-7, has piled up 56 goals and 62 assists in 111 career games with the Badgers. She still has one season of National Collegiate Athletic Association eligibility remaining.

    The centralize women’s team will be based out of Calgary and starts preparations for the Winter Olympics later this month with fitness testing. The current roster of 28 players will be cut to a final roster of 23 players in late December. The Winter Olympics run from Feb. 9 to 25 in the new year.

    Clark suited up for the Stars for three seasons from 2009 to 2012 collecting 45 goals and 46 assists in 82 regular season games.

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