Broncos drop OT heartbreaker at Memorial Cup

Titan might take up villain status at CHL tourney

Giorgio Estephan had a pair of goals on Saturday.

    Swift Current Broncos will have another chance to show off their perseverance after suffering a deflating loss to open play at the Memorial Cup tournament.

    The WHL champions opened the CHL title tournament on Saturday watching leads of 2-1 and 3-2 disappear due to short-handed goals from the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The two clubs went to overtime locked in a 3-3 draw.

    At the 2:58 mark of the extra session, Titan defenceman Noah Dobson deflected a centring pass from behind the icing line of the Swift Current zone off a Broncos defender to Acadie-Bathurst left-winger Liam Murphy in front of the Swift Current goal. Murphy directed the puck around the right pad of Broncos star netminder Stuart Skinner into the goal to give the Titan a 4-3 victory before an announced crowd of 6,237 spectators at the 6,484 seat Brandt Centre in Regina.

    While the Titan are known for scoring short-handed goals, it is almost unheard of for the Broncos to give up two short-handed tallies in one game. That ultimately turned out to be the difference that allowed Acadie-Bathurst to pull out victory.

    The Titan scored first on Saturday, when centre Samuel Asselin deflected home a point shot from defenceman Olivier Galipeau at the 8:02 mark of the first period.

    The Broncos stormed back before the opening frame ended. With 7:42 remaining in the first, Broncos star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen deflected home a backhand shot during a net scramble working on a power play to tie things up at 1-1. With 61 seconds to play in the first, Broncos centre Giorgio Estephan took a cross-ice feed from offensive defenceman Colby Sissons and buried a shot to give Swift Current a 2-1 edge.

    Early in the second period, Titan captain Jeffrey Truchon-Viel hit Steenbergen from the side and sent the Sylvan Lake, Alta., product flying awkwardly into the boards.

Colby Sissons had a key assist for the Broncos.

    Steenbergen was assisted off the ice by Broncos athletic trainer Jamie LeBlanc and did not return to the contest.

    Max Patterson finished the game playing on the Broncos top line with captain Glenn Gawdin at centre and Finnish import Aleksi Heponiemi at left wing.

    Still, the Broncos seemed to be control and were working on a power play late in the frame. With 1:53 remaining in the second, Truchon-Viel chipped the puck out of his own zone up the boards to spring Asselin on a short-handed breakaway. Asselin tucked home a shot between Skinners legs to tie things up at 2-2.

    Swift Current quickly answered back at even strength. Working down low in front of the Acadie-Bathurst goal, Estephan backhanded home the rebound of his own shot to give the Broncos a 3-2 lead with 48.5 seconds to play in the second. He had an assist on the Broncos first goal for a three-point night.

    If there were any thoughts that Estephan’s second goal might hold up as the winner, those thoughts changed at the 5:51 mark of the third with the Broncos working another power play. An errant Swift Current pass sprung the Titan on the rare three-on-one short-handed break.

    Titan defenceman Adam Holwell drove hard to the net and knocked home the rebound of a shot from Acadie-Bathurst centre German Rubtsov to force a 3-3 tie. That set the stage for Murphy’s overtime winner.

    Skinner turned away 35 shots to take the setback in goal for the Broncos. Evan Fitzpatrick stopped 24 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Titan.

    The Broncos had some missed opportunities where they could have taken better control of the contest. Leading 2-1 early in the second, Steenbergen fired a shot off the crossbar before leaving the contest due to injury.

    Shortly after the start of the third with the Broncos holding a 3-2 edge, Gawdin had a breakaway, and he was turned away on his first shot and on a rebound chance by Fitzpatrick.

Tyler Steenbergen left Saturday’s game after being injured on a hit.

    The Titan played with good speed and skill and also brought a real pest type edge to their game trying to get under the collective skins of the Broncos players. It was the type of edge that would be loved by those that are fans of the Titan and would be hated by those that were fans of the Titan’s opponents.

    Asselin, a 19-year-old who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 181 pounds, resembled former NHL great Theo Fleury, who was also a former star of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, during Saturday’s game. Fleury was well-known for putting up points and stirring up tensions on the ice.

    Due to the fact the Memorial Cup is a neutral tournament, it is unlikely the host Regina Pats will be able to bring back Senator Denise Batters to play “Pop Goes the Weasel,” when Asselin takes the ice to play the Regina squad. In the late 1980s, Batters was a Pats organist and played that very tune when Fleury would step on the Brandt Centre ice surface as a member of the Warriors.

    The round robin portion of the Memorial Cup continues on Sunday, when the Titan battle the Pats at 5 p.m. at the Brandt Centre in a clash of 1-0 teams.

Silvertips overagers gave their all to Everett

Matt Fonteyne graduated as a standout leader for the Silvertips.

    When the Everett Silvertips fell in the WHL Championship series, it brought an end of an era for the club.

    On Sunday at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex in Swift Current, the Silvertips fell 3-0 in Game 6 of the WHL title series to the host Broncos before a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators. The Broncos took the best-of-seven set 4-2.

    The loss brought an end to the major junior careers of Silvertips overagers Matt Fonteyne, Patrick Bajkov and Kevin Davis. All three were drafted by the Silvertips and spent their entire WHL careers in Everett playing there for five complete seasons.

    The trio helped Everett finish third overall in the WHL with a 47-20-2-3 record. They were key players in the Silvertips run to the WHL Championship series for the first time since the club’s inaugural campaign in 2003-04.

    In the process, the Silvertips advanced past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

Patrick Bajkov led the Silvertips in regular season scoring this past season.

    Thanks to the work of that trio, the Silvertips still have never missed the playoffs during the franchise’s 15 seasons of existence.

    Fonteyne, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 170 pounds, was selected in the third round and 66^th overall by the Silvertips in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft. The strong two-way centre was the team’s captain this past season, where he appeared in all 72 regular season games netting 35 goals, 53 assists and a plus-27 rating in the plus-minus department. During his career with the Silvertips, Fonteyne, who is from Wetaskiwin, Alta., appeared in 340 regular season games piling up 82 goals, 127 assists and a plus-42 rating.

    Bajkov, who stands 6-feet and weighs 185 pounds, was selected in the sixth round and 128^th overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, and the skilled right-winger was the Silvertips leading scorer this past season appearing in all of the team’s 72 regular season games collecting 33 goals, 67 assists and a plus-19 rating. During his career with the Silvertips, Bajkov, who is from Nanaimo, B.C., appeared in 342 regular season games collecting 112 goals, 176 assists and a plus-44 rating.

Kevin Davis became a standout offensive-defenceman with the Silvertips.

    Davis, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 185 pounds, was selected in the first round and 11^th overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, and he developed into a sound offensive-defenceman. He led all Silvertips defencemen in scoring this past season appearing in 71 regular season games piling up 10 goals, 55 assists and a plus-29 rating. During his career with the Silvertips, Davis, who is from Kamloops, B.C., appeared in 347 regular season games collecting 26 goals, 148 assists and a plus-42 rating.

    Being based in an area covering teams in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, I don’t get to deal with clubs from the Western Conference often, where the Silvertips play out of. During the course of the WHL Championship series, I was pretty impressed with how the Silvertips overagers carried themselves, and you could tell they cared about their team. It makes you wish you could have dealt with them more.

    Here is hoping Fonteyne, Bajkov and Davis all have the best of luck as they move on to the next steps of their lives.

Getting first win key at Memorial Cup, other notes

Jake Leschyshyn and the Pats are sitting pretty at 1-0 at the Memorial Cup.

    So far at the Memorial Cup, the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the host Regina Pats are sitting pretty.

    Both teams won their opening games at the 100^th Memorial Cup tournament, which is a big thing with the way the four-team tournament in structured. The four clubs play each other in a round robin, which means each team will play three games at this stage of the event.

    As soon as a team wins a game, the club is guaranteed to play at least a standings tiebreaker contest in the playoff round. For the competing clubs, a win helps remove the anxiety of knowing if you will be playing after Wednesday. When a team gets eliminated from the event, the eliminated squad packs up and immediately departs for home and doesn’t stay to watch the rest of the tourney.

    Due to the fact this event feature three league championship teams and a sound host squad, it is hard for a club to work its way back, if it falls to 0-2. A lot of emotional energy along with physical energy gets burned pulling out of a hole that is 0-2.

    The Titan and Pats are both 1-0 and play each other on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. The winner will be guaranteed a berth into Friday’s semifinal game.

    The WHL champion Swift Current Broncos and the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs are both 0-1 and play each other on Monday at 6 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. The winning club in that contest will lock up a berth in at least a tiebreaking game, while the losing club will fall to 0-2 and need to win out to stay alive at the event.

• The 100^th edition of the Memorial Cup has some pretty cool honourary captains in Dennis Sobchuk and Guy Lafleur. Sobchuk was a star centre on the Regina Pats 1974 Memorial Cup championship team,  and he went on to play 348 regular season games in the now defunct WHA and 35 contests in the NHL. Lafleur helped the Quebec Remparts win the Memorial Cup in 1971 and he achieved star status in the NHL playing on five Stanley Cup winning teams with the Montreal Canadiens. Legendary Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster and former Boston Bruins head coach Don Cherry is honourary chairman of the Memorial Cup.
• The Pats are auctioning of the special jerseys they wore for Friday’s opening game of the Memorial Cup. The jerseys paid tribute to the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, which was a privately funded regiment founded at the outbreak of the First World War. The Pats were named after the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Proceeds from the auction go to support the Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund. The bids close on May 28 at 9 p.m. eastern time. Those looking to take part in the auction can do so by clicking here.
• It seems like a lot of people are showing up as empty seats during the first two games of the Memorial Cup. Attendance was announced at 5,678 on Friday night and 6,237 on Saturday night at the 6,484 seat facility. It is possible a lot of people no showed as part of corporate ticket packages. There has been a lot of social media and sports talk radio chatter about how ticket prices are too high. Tournament ticket packages were on sale for $700 to $750 for the general public, which was an increased from the $595 at last year’s tournament in Windsor. Ticket packages for next year’s tournament in Halifax are pegged at $320 for season ticket holders, which is the lowest price to attend the Memorial Cup in years. Former Halifax Mooseheads play-by-play voice John Moore trumpeted next year’s Memorial Cup ticket prices in a tweet.

#Mooseheads buck the #MemorialCup trend of rising ticket prices. Average price per game for past 4 years.
Quebec City 2015 $65
Red Deer 2016 $66
Windsor 2017 $74
Regina 2018 $93
Halifax 2019 $40 season ticket holders / $56 general public #CHL #SportsandMoore

— John Moore (@rinkrant) May 17, 2018

    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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Broncos return to WHL mountaintop is inspiring

The Broncos veteran celebrate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. - At some point, fans of the Swift Current Broncos likely thought they would never see their team win a championship again.

    When the Broncos claimed the WHL title on Sunday night before a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex in Swift Current, the sight on the ice had to have felt surreal among the euphoric joy. The Broncos skated to a 3-0 victory in Game 6 of the league title series with the Everett Silvertips to take the best-of-seven set 4-2.

    It was one of those nights you wish would never end, if you were associated with the Broncos.

    Back in 2004-05, the Broncos missed the WHL playoffs posting a 22-41-6-3 record to end a streak where the franchise had made the post-season in 31 consecutive campaigns. During many points on that run of making the playoffs in consecutive years, the Broncos were often seen as one of the powerhouse clubs in major junior hockey, while playing in the smallest market of the Canadian Hockey League.

The fans at the i-Plex cheer on the Broncos.

    Since missing the post-season in 2004-05, the Broncos have been good, but they have never really been viewed as being great.

    From the 2004-05 season to the 2015-16 campaign, the Broncos won only one playoff series taking out the Regina Pats in a best-of-seven series 4-2 in 2008. Besides missing the post-season in 2004-05, the Broncos failed to make the playoffs in the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2015-16 campaigns.

    During the time period from 2004 to 2016, it seemed like Broncos fans saw some of their best players go on to do brighter things with other clubs. In 2010-11, star forward Cody Eakin was dealt to the Kootenay Ice in a blockbuster trade.

Glenn Gawdin has been a great captain for the Broncos.

    With Eakin, the Ice won the WHL title and appeared in the Memorial Cup championship tournament to battle for the CHL title.

    In 2015-16, the Broncos dealt star forward Jake DeBrusk to the Red Deer Rebels, who were hosting that season’s Memorial Cup. DeBrusk helped the Rebels advance to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship series for the first time in 12 years and make an appearance in the semifinal of the Memorial Cup tourney.

    It felt like Swift Current had been given the unwelcome title of “outpost” status. From 2004 to 2016, you would often hear rumours that players didn’t want to go there because it was too much of a fishbowl.

    When players did get there, they realized the fishbowl effect did not mean the fans were hyper critical of the team and players. Like any major junior centre, criticisms do come up. What you did find was a group of fans that longed to love their team.

    If the people in Swift Current saw a Broncos player as a genuine good person, they would have your back in a serious way.

    Still, the fact that results weren’t coming on the ice was discouraging, and it was common to see crowds of around 1,800 at the i-Plex during many regular season games from 2004 to 2016.

Broncos head coach Manny Viveiros lifts the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    In July of 2009, the Broncos hired former NHL player Mark Lamb to be the team’s head coach and general manager, and he remained with the club until June of 2016 departing for a head coach position in the American Hockey League. 

    During his years in Swift Current, Lamb made it an emphasis and did a huge amount of leg work building up the respect of the Broncos to encourage players to come to the team and encourage fans to come out to games.

    When the Broncos were on the road, Lamb and Swift Current team members developed a reputation for being one the best groups to deal with among media in other centres. That was all part of the gritty leg work that was put in towards building a good reputation for the Broncos.

    Under Lamb, the Broncos brought in current stars in captain Glenn Gawdin and right-winger Tyler Steenbergen through the WHL Bantam Draft, Russian defenceman Artyom Minulin from the CHL Import Draft and offensive defenceman Colby Sissons as a list player. Lamb also acquired gritty left-winger Kaden Elder and sound defensive defenceman Sahvan Khaira via separate trades with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Tyler Steenbergen (#17) has been a shining star for the Broncos.

    In July of 2016, the Broncos brought Manny Viveiros on board as the team’s head coach and director of player personnel. Viveiros was remembered in WHL circles for being an extremely talented offensive-defenceman with the Prince Albert Raiders from 1982 to 1986, and he played a key part in helping the Raiders win the Memorial Cup in 1985.

    He had a lengthy career playing professionally in Europe and transitioned into being an elite level coach once his playing days concluded. The Broncos made a great out of the box move in hiring Viveiros for his first head coaching position in North America. Often in the hockey world, coaches working overseas get overlooked when positions open in North America.

Aleksi Heponiemi has come through in big moments for the Broncos.

    Viveiros took over a good foundation that was in place and brought the Broncos to another level with their play on the ice. They added left-winger Aleksi Heponiemi from Finland before the start of the 2016-17 campaign and placed him on a line with Gawdin and Steenbergen.

    Together, that trio has become one of the best lines in the history of the Broncos and one of the most memorable forward units in the history of the WHL.

    The Broncos posted a 39-23-4-6 record in 2016-17, took out the Moose Jaw Warriors in a tough seven game first round playoff series before falling to the Regina Pats in a tough second round seven game series, which Swift Current had led 3-1.

    In Game 6 of the series with the Pats, the Broncos held a 3-1 lead in the second period and Gawdin had a breakaway on Pats netminder Tyler Brown. Brown made a robbery of a save to allow the Pats to rally back and take that contest 5-3.

Mascot Charlie Horse meets the Broncos’ fans.

    Had Gawdin scored on that breakaway, it was more than likely the Broncos would have taken that contest and advanced to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series.

    During the process of the 2016-17 campaign, the loud and raucous sellout crowds of 2,890 returned to the i-Plex on a regular basis. With a solid core of veterans set to return for the team’s training camp in August of 2017, there was optimism around the Broncos that the team could hit greater heights.

    It still seemed those types of thoughts still belonged in a dream. Getting to Game 7 of the second round was treated like a major accomplishment to be celebrated.

    Going into 2017-18, the Broncos weren’t listed in the CHL’s Top 10 rankings in the pre-season poll. They would be a staple in those ratings for the rest of the campaign.

Netminder Stuart Skinner (#74) tracks the puck during a net scramble.

    The Broncos finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season with a 48-17-5-2 record. As the WHL’s trade deadline neared, they actually loaded up to help the team make a long playoff run.

    On Nov. 25, 2017, a blockbuster trade with Calgary Hitmen brought the Broncos skilled overage centre Matteo Gennaro and gritty left-winger Beck Malenstyn. On Jan. 9 a day before the WHL’s trade deadline, the Broncos acquired skilled overage centre Giorgio Estephan, star netminder Stuart Skinner and gritty right-winger Tanner Nagel from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in another blockbuster trade.

    In Swift Current, locals would have a hard time remembering the last time the Broncos made these “all in” types of moves on the trade front.

Centre Matteo Gennaro was a big addition from Calgary for the Broncos.

    Viveiros was named the WHL’s coach of the year and Heponiemi was voted the league’s most sportsmanlike player due to the regular season the Broncos had.

    The Broncos proceeded to advance through the first two rounds of the WHL playoffs downing the Pats in a tough seven-game series in the first round and the Moose Jaw Warriors, who finished first overall in the WHL in the regular season, in a seven-game battle in the second round.

    Having made the Eastern Conference Championship series for the first time since 2001, fans in Swift Current could have likely said it was a great run, if it ended there.

Colby Sissons has been a rock on the Broncos blue-line.

    After dispatching the Hurricanes in six games in an extremely competitive conference championship tilt, the Broncos were back in the WHL Championship series since last winning it in 1993. They would face the Everett Silvertips, who finished third overall in the league at 47-20-2-3 and had a superstar in net in Carter Hart.

    At one point, it looked like the dream would end there. Everett took Game 1 in Swift Current 2-1 and held a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes in Game 2 at the i-Plex. Little anyone know, the “Miracle at the i-Plex” was about to take place.

    The Broncos scored once in the second to pull to within 3-1. They entered the ice for the start of the third period behind a rousing ovation from their home crowd.

    With Steenbergen scoring with 1:37 to play in the third, the hosts pulled even at 3-3. Estephan competed the comeback scoring at the 9:27 mark of overtime to give the Broncos a 4-3 win.

    In Game 3 in Everett, the Broncos trailed 2-1 in the third period, and Gawdin came to the rescue. He had the equalizer with 3:17 to play in the third and scored the winner at 2:40 of overtime to complete a hat trick performance in a 3-2 Broncos victory.

Artyom Minulin has helped anchor the back end for the Broncos.

    The Broncos returned to Swift Current for Game 6 holding a 3-2 lead in the series. On Sunday at the i-Plex in Game 6, the Broncos and their fans lived out a dream night that culminated in a 3-0 championship clinching victory. 

    They persevered taking the title playing a record 26 games in one WHL post-season surpassing the 25 games played by the Portland Winter Hawks in 1979 and the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1986.
    The Broncos WHL title wins this year, in 1993 and 1989 mark the last three times a Saskatchewan team has captured the league crown.

    For the Broncos fans, they had to be beside themselves watching their team skate around the i-Plex ice surface and celebrate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Even the most optimistic Broncos fan might have thought that sight was impossible.

    Swift Current reclaimed its place as the “title town” of the WHL. In the city “where life makes sense,” the Broncos had proven that anything is possible.

The fans of the Broncos got to see their team win a WHL title at home.

    Now the Broncos will try to win their second Memorial Cup in team history. Their only CHL title win to date came on May 13, 1989.

    On that day, the residents of Swift Current descended on Saskatoon to watch their Broncos pull out a 4-3 overtime victory over the host Blades at Saskatchewan Place in the tournament’s championship game on Tim Tisdale’s winner.

    The Broncos qualified for this year’s Memorial Cup winning the WHL crown 29 years to the day of winning major junior hockey’s biggest prize.

    This year’s Memorial Cup is about a two-and-a-half hour drive east on the Trans-Canada Highway in Regina beginning on Friday when the host Pats face the Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton Bulldogs (8 p.m., Brandt Centre).

Athletic trainer Jamie LeBlanc, left, and his daughter enjoy the WHL title win.

    The Broncos hit the ice for their first game at that event on Saturday against the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan (2 p.m., Brandt Centre).

    Broncos fans might to get see one more surreal sight, if their team lifts the Memorial Cup as CHL champions after the tournament’s title game on May 27.

    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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Broncos are the West’s best

Swift Current wins third WHL title in city’s history

The Broncos celebrate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – For the first time in 25 years, Swift Current is the “title town” of the WHL.

    On Sunday before a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex, the host Swift Current Broncos blanked the Everett Silvertips 3-0 in Game 6 of the WHL Championship series. With the win, the Broncos claimed the best-of-seven series 4-2 to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    For the Broncos, it marked the third time they’ve won the league title in the team’s history in Swift Current.
    Their other victories came back in 1989 and 1993. Those three title win by the Broncos mark the last three times a Saskatchewan based team has captured the WHL crown.

    The Broncos also won the WHL title in 1983, when the franchise was located in Lethbridge.

    Veteran 19-year-old netminder Stuart Skinner made 31 saves to pick up his sixth shutout win of the post-season for the Broncos, and when the dust settled, the Edmonton product tried to find a way to express the joy of the moment.

Giorgio Estephan had the first goal on Sunday for the Broncos.

    “You can’t really put it into words,” said Skinner, who had a 2.20 goals against average and a .932 save percentage in the playoffs. “These group of guys are my family.

    “I will always remember this. No one will ever forget this. You can’t put into words how incredible it is and how good it feels to lift that cup over your head.”

    The Broncos had a big start jumping out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:41 mark of the first period. While working on the power play, star left-winger Aleksi Heponiemi found centre Giorgio Estephan with a backdoor pass, and Estephan buried his 13^th goal of the post-season into an empty cage.

    As the opening 20 minutes neared a close, it appeared the Silvertips were going to withstand the Broncos initial push outside of Estephan’s goal. That changed in the dying seconds of the frame.

    Broncos defenceman Sahvan Khaira fired a shot from the point, and the puck squeaked between the legs of Silvertips star netminder Carter Hart and slid loose behind him in the crease.

The Broncos celebrate Giorgio Estephan’s power-play goal.

    Heponiemi, who is from Tampere, Finland, tucked home a loose puck to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead with 0.6 seconds remaining on the clock.

    Broncos star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen said that second goal put his team in a really good spot for the night.

    “It turned out to be huge,” said Steenbergen, who had an assist on the Broncos first goal. “We had the momentum going into the second.

    “They pushed back a little bit. At the end of the day, we got it done.”

    The Silvertips outshot the Broncos 14-8 in the second period, and Skinner’s play was key to the hosts holding on to their two-goal edge. While working on the power play early in the second, the Broncos gave the puck away in front of their own net to Silvertips left-winger Sean Richards.

Stuart Skinner makes one of his 31 saves for the Broncos on Sunday.

    Richards broke in alone on Skinner and was stoned by the Swift Current puck stopper. Later on in the second, Skinner proceeded to turn away a Silvertips chance during a frantic net scramble, and he stopped a couple of dangerous screen shots.

    “He (Skinner) is outstanding,” said Broncos head coach and director of player personnel Manny Viveiros. “He is a big reason why we are here right now.

    “Without goaltending like that, we don’t have a chance. He has been the difference all the way through.”

    In the third, the Broncos sealed things up defensively not allowing the Silvertips really any real quality chances. Russian import defenceman Artyom Minulin and centre Matteo Gennaro came up with solid shot blocks on Silvertips captain Matt Fonteyne and left-winger Connor Dewar respectively.

Broncos LW Aleksi Heponiemi (#20) gets by Silvertips RW Patrick Bajkov.

    With 6.4 seconds remaining in the third period, Broncos left-winger Beck Malenstyn rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal to put the hosts up 3-0, and that caused the spectators in attendance to explode in euphoria.

    “It is probably the most fun I have had in a playoff series especially here right now,” said Broncos captain Glenn Gawdin, who has been with the club for five full seasons. “It is nuts in here.

    “That’s what you want. To win like this makes it even more sweeter. Words can’t describe how I am feeling right now, so I am just going to enjoy it.”

    Having played with the Broncos for four seasons, Steenbergen just wanted to soak in the celebration as well.

    “It is unbelievable,” said Steenbergen. “It is one of the best feelings in the world winning, especially doing it with this group of guys.

The Broncos fans celebrate their team’s WHL title victory.

    “It is the best feeling anyone can ask for.”

    Hart turned away 22-of-24 shots to take the setback in goal for the Silvertips, who finished third overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 47-20-2-3 record.

    Gawdin, who is in his overage season and has a three-year NHL entry-level contract signed with the Calgary Flames, was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs recording 14 goals, 18 assists and a plus-10 rating in the plus-minus department in 24 post-season appearances. The Richmond, B.C., product had an assist on the Broncos second goal.

Glenn Gawdin takes a lap with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    “He (Gawdin) is everything,” said Viveiros. “He is a poster child for this league coming back as a 20-year-old and going to turn pro.

    “He wanted to get back with his teammates and finish this off right, a wonderful young man (and) an incredible ambassador for the league.”

    With the win, the Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark, advance to the Memorial Cup CHL championship tournament, which begins Friday in Regina. The Broncos claimed their only Memorial Cup title back in 1989, when the event was held in Saskatoon.

    Steenbergen is looking forward with excitement with what is next for his team.

    “It is going to be pretty crazy,” said Steenbergen. “It will be my first time there, and I can’t wait.”

    Last year, Skinner backstopped the Lethbridge Hurricanes to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series, where they fell 4-2 to the Regina Pats.
    He came to the Broncos in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 9 and is pumped to get the chance to play in major junior hockey’s most prestigious event.

Giorgio Estephan (#29) and Stuart Skinner enjoy the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    “Every single year, it has gotten closer and closer,” said Skinner. “Now, we are going to the Memorial Cup.

    “You can’t really put this into words. Being able to say that we are going to the Memorial Cup, it is unbelievable. This city has been waiting for it for a few years now. Being able to be the goalie to do it with them, it is the best feeling ever.”

    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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Skinner, Sissons give Broncos command of WHL final

Netminder Stuart Skinner made 32 saves in the shutout win for the Broncos.

    Stuart Skinner’s fifth shutout of the WHL playoffs has put the Swift Current Broncos one win away from capturing the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    On Wednesday night at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash., Skinner made 32 saves and offensive defenceman Colby Sissons wired home a second period power-play goal to give the Broncos a 1-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips in Game 4 of the WHL Championship series.

    With the win, the Broncos lead the best-of-seven set 3-1 and can close things out in Game 5 on Friday, which is set for a 7:30 p.m. local time start at the Angel of the Winds Arena. Swift Current last won the WHL title in 1993, which happens to be the last time a Saskatchewan-based team took the league championship.

    Skinner has posted a 15-9 record, a 2.21 goals against average, a .931 save percentage and five shutouts this post-season. The 19-year-old Edmonton product had six shutouts in the 2017-18 regular season in 56 appearances split between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Broncos.

    The third round 2017 NHL Entry Draft selection of the Edmonton Oilers was dealt by the Hurricanes to the Broncos in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 9.

    In the opening 20 minutes, the Silvertips outshot the Broncos 8-4, but Swift Current had a big early chance to go ahead when centre Giorgio Estephan deflected a point shot from Sisson off the post of the Everett goal.

    Early in the second period, Broncos left-winger Beck Malenstyn had a short-handed breakaway, but he was stoned by Silvertips star netminder Carter Hart.

Colby Sissons scored the lone goal of Game 4 of the WHL final.

    With 5:25 to play in the second and the Broncos working on the power play, Sissons streaked into the Silvertips zone on a rush and wired home a shot to the top left corner of the Everett net to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead to disappoint most of the 5,081 spectators in attendance.

    From that point, Skinner slammed the door in the Swift Current goal.

    With just under six minutes to play in the third, he stopped Silvertips right-winger Garrett Pilon on a hard mid-range drive and stoned Everett left-winger Connor Dewar, who tried to backhand home the rebound.

    After the Silvertips pulled Hart for an extra attacker, Pilon found himself alone in front of the Swift Current goal with the puck, but his shot was turned back by a left pad stop from Skinner.

Hart turned away 18 shots to take the setback in goal for the Silvertips.

    The Broncos went 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Silvertips failed to score on five chances with the man advantage.

    Overage Silvertips star right-winger Patrick Bajkov played in Game 4 after leaving to the dressing room on a couple of occasions in his club’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Broncos in Game 3 on Tuesday.

    The Silvertips, who finished third overall in the WHL regular season with a 47-20-2-3 record, are 8-1 on the road in the playoffs and 5-6 at home. The Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark, are 7-5 on the road in the post-season and 8-4 at home.

    If Everett wins Game 5 on Friday, the series will shift back to Swift Current for Games 6 and 7 if necessary, which will be held on Sunday and Monday respectively with a 7 p.m. local start times on both nights at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex.

Back in the Express with Valkyries’ Peters

Devyn Peters (#31) is a breakout running back for the Valkyries.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature on Saskatoon Valkyries running back Devyn Peters.

    Last season, Peters played linebacker on defence for most of her rookie campaign with the Western Women’s Canadian Football League team. In the league’s consolation final clash between the Valkyries and Edmonton Storm, Peters was inserted at running back on offence, and she carried the ball 15 times for 218 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 44-20 Saskatoon victory.

    The 19-year-old sophomore heads into this season as a full-time running back with the Valkyries.

    On Saturday, the Valkyries will host the defending WWCFL champion Regina Riot at 8 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium. The game was originally slated to be held at Saskatoon Minor Football Field but construction at that facility forced the contest to be moved.

    Both teams head into this contest with identical 1-0 regular season records. Last Saturday, the Riot traveled to Winnipeg, Man., and thumped the Manitoba Fearless 56-14. The Valkyries were in Winnipeg last Sunday and blanked the Wolfpack 48-0.

    The Express story on Peters can be found right here.

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

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Broncos’ comeback was epic, but WHL championship with Silvertips still a toss up

The Broncos and their fans celebrate last Saturday’s OT win.

    Will a magical Saturday night in Swift Current for the WHL’s Broncos lead to that franchise’s third league title?

    A sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators bore witness to the “Miracle at the i-Plex.”

    The host Broncos trailed the Everett Silvertips 3-0 after the first period expired in Game 2 of the WHL Championship series last Saturday. Everett captured the first contest of the best-of-seven set 2-1 the previous night.

    It appeared the Broncos were going to be down 2-0 in the series, when it switched to Everett, Wash., for Games 3, 4 and 5. The Silvertips, who finished third overall in the WHL regular season with a 47-20-2-3 mark, were the league’s top defensive team giving up the fewest goal in the regular season at 167.

    Everett’s net was being protected by Carter Hart, who backstopped Canada to a gold medal win at the World Juniors that wrapped up in January. Before the start of the series, Hart was named the WHL’s goalie of the year for a third straight campaign.

Riley Sutter and the Silvertips will respond at home.

    The Silvertips were 8-0 on the road up to that point in this year’s playoffs.

    Swift Current finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark, but the task of making a comeback was daunting.

    After the Broncos finally hit the scoreboard in the second period to cut the Silvertips lead to 3-1, Everett had at least four prime chances to pull away again had it not been for the efforts of Broncos netminder Stuart Skinner.

    The Broncos faithful became more quite, but they didn’t pack it in. When the Broncos came out for the start of the third period down two goals, they were given a rousing and warm standing ovation from their fans. It was a site you normally don’t see at most hockey rinks.

    The hosts withstood early pressure from the visitors. Offensive defenceman Colby Sissons scored to pull the Broncos to within 3-2 and his billet brother in star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen netted the equalizer to force a 3-3 tie with 1:37 to play with Skinner pulled for an extra attacker.

    A pandemonium type celebration broke out when Steenbergen scored.

    It was repeated when centre Giorgio Estephan netted the winner at the 9:27 mark of overtime to give the Broncos a 4-3 victory and conclude one of the most memorable games ever played in the history of the WHL Championship series.

Broncos D Colby Sissons, left, eludes Silvertips LW Sean Richards.

    The series is tied 1-1 going into Game 3 on Tuesday at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett at 7 p.m. local time. Games 4 and 5 will be held on Wednesday and Friday respectively at the same venue.

    No matter how the series plays out, it won’t wipe out the special night the Broncos had. The “Miracle at the i-Plex” can reach a more lofty status, if the Broncos can win the series and advance to the Canadian Hockey League’s championship tournament – the Memorial Cup. The 100^th edition of the Memorial Cup runs May 18 to 27 in Regina, Sask.

    As the WHL Championship series progresses, it is likely each game will have its own individual story.

    Both the Broncos and Silvertips present a feeling that they are both mentally tough.

    The Broncos didn’t appear rattled after losing Game 1 at home.

    The Silvertips didn’t emotionally hit the gutter after blowing their 3-0 lead to fall in Game 2.

Captain Matt Fonteyne (#17) and his Silvertips will regroup at home.

    During the Silvertips post-game press conference involving head coach Dennis Williams, captain Matt Fonteyne and defenceman Ondrej Vala, a question was thrown out to any member of the trio asking about not capitalizing on the missed chances when the team held a 3-1 lead in Game 2.

    Showing his leadership skills, Fonteyne answered the query and calm credited Skinner for his play and said the Silvertips can’t get too hung up on a good player making good plays.

    The Broncos had a special night in their Game 2 win, but it far from guarantees they will win the series. Broncos head coach and director of player personnel Manny Viveiros will have his players set for their next task going forward.
    The fact the series is tied 1-1 is likely where it should be.

    At the moment, the battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup is a toss-up, and this could end up being another classic WHL Championship series.

Best of luck to the Cougars wrestlers and men’s v-ballers

News conference @ReginaCougars standing room only #volleyball #wrestling pic.twitter.com/h4Fxt2CTn1

— Brian Webb (@Exigenomicon) May 7, 2018

    The athletes of the University of Regina Cougars men’s and women’s wrestling teams and men’s volleyball team are making their stand.

    On April 30, the University of Regina cut the three varsity programs that compete U Sports without warning. On Monday at Level 10 Fitness in Regina, the athletes from these programs held a press conference and 200 members from the wrestling and volleyball communities were on hand for the gathering along with members of the Regina media.

    Paul Tokarz and Jordan Tholl of the men’s wrestling team, Amber Wiebe of the women’s wrestling team and Michael Corrigan of the men’s volleyball team all presented an outstanding case that financial numbers don’t add up to the point where these programs need to be cut. They made a clear point on how cutting these teams will seriously damage these sports at the grassroots and high school levels in Regina and southern Saskatchewan.

    Alums and current members from the Cougars men’s and women’s wrestling teams and the Cougars men’s volleyball team fill numerous spots coaching and officiating their sports at all levels.

    The athletes went into details that they can’t transfer into athletic programs at other institutions due to the fact most teams have wrapped up their recruiting cycles and have allocated their scholarship funds.

    They stressed that if their teams could be cut without warning the same fate could be in store for the 13 remaining teams in the U of R’s athletics program.

    The athletes want their programs to be reinstated.

    Tokarz, Tholl, Wiebe and Corrigan gave an admirable performance that likely topped any performance they have given in competition.

    I like the fact they presented their case in a facility where many of the athletes from the U of R programs train out of, and invited U of R president Vianne Timmons, dean of kinesiology Harold Riemer and director of sport and community engagement and athlete development Lisa Robertson to be part of the media conference.

    That would require that trio to leave their comfortable confines of the U of R campus and actually step into the community. They elected to not attend.

    It would be really cool if the leadership of these athletes would be the thing that triggered the U of R to reinstated these three programs. These amazing young adults are handling themselves in a way more outstanding way than the older adults.

    The athletes from the wrestling teams and the men’s volleyball team will be meeting with university officials this week. I wish the athletes the best of luck in their efforts, and as an alum from the University of Regina, I am very proud of them.

    I hope the community of Regina and the alums of their programs keep supporting them in their efforts.

    These athletes should have never been forced into a situation where they have to lead the charge to get their teams back.

    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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Miracle at the i-Plex – Estephan’s OT winner caps crazy Broncos comeback over Silvertips

Giorgio Estephan, centre, celebrates his overtime winner for the Broncos.

    SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – It might not be enough to pound a stake through their heart or shoot them with a silver bullet to do in the Swift Current Broncos.

    On Saturday night in Game 2 of the WHL Championship series, the host Broncos fell behind 3-0 in the first period to the visiting Everett Silvertips.
    The Broncos scored once in the second to pull within 3-1 and dodged bullets at the end of that frame and early in the third to remain two goals back on the scoreboard.

    The Broncos scored twice in the third with star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen potting the equalizer to force a 3-3 tie with 1:37 to play in the frame and netminder Stuart Skinner pulled for an extra attacker.

Netminder Carter Hart got over anxious with the puck resulting in a loss.

    At the 9:27 mark of overtime, the Broncos charged into the Everett zone on a rush. Silvertips netminder Carter Hart stopped a shot from Broncos centre Matteo Gennaro, and during the frantic action, Hart quickly cleared the puck up ice only to put it on the stick of Broncos forward Giorgio Estephan.

    Before Hart could react to what he did, Estephan fired home his 12th goal of the post-season to give the Broncos an improbable 4-3 victory and send a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex into a raucous frenzy.

    “I was just kind of lucky the puck rolled to me, and I got to put it home,” said Estephan. “It is definitely one that I would say we were pretty fortunate to be able to get that goal and this win.

Tyler Steenbergen (#17) celebrates his third period equalizer.

    “Skins (Skinner) kept us in the game, and that is all from him. I think we are just more of a team that is resilient. We definitely battled for that tough one tonight.

    “Everyone played a great part in that game.”

    Estephan’s goal helped the Broncos tie the best-of-seven series 1-1. Game 3 is set for 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash.

    The win by the Broncos marked the first time the Silvertips had lost on the road in the 2018 post-season having won their previous eight road games.

    The Silvertips built their 3-0 lead in the first period with singles coming from the sticks of Matt Fonteyne, Martin Fasko-Rudas and Riley Sutter. Fasko-Rudas’s goal was a tough one for the Broncos side to take, because the Skinner got a piece of the puck with his glove only for it to go into his net.

    Everett had a 17-10 edge in shots on goal after the opening 20 minutes.

Matteo Gennaro had the first goal in the Broncos comeback.

    With the Silvertips hosting Games 3, 4 and 5 of the series, Steenbergen said his side did not want to go to Everett dropping the first two games of the best of seven set.

    “Going into the second and third, we just thought that there was no way that we were going to let this one slip,” said Steenbergen. “I think our mindset in the room we were all positive.

    “We weren’t getting on each other. Moving forward from the first period, I think that we just had the mindset that we weren’t going to lose this game, and we couldn’t lose this game.

    “It was one of those must-win feelings for us. It felt like a Game 7.”

    Matteo Gennaro scored for the Broncos at the 8:17 mark of the second period to cut the Silvertips lead to 3-1.

Captain Matt Fonteyne had the Silvertips first goal of the night.

    Inside of the final minute of the second, Skinner stoned Fonteyne on a tough screen shot, and after the Broncos went on a power play, Skinner turned away Silvertips left-winger Connor Dewar on a short-handed breakaway.

    Early in the third after the Broncos power play expired, the Silvertips had two big chances to score on a rush. Everett centre Riley Sutter was stop on drive to the Broncos goal and the rebound of his shot went to Dewar as a net scramble ensued.
    The product of The Pas, Man., was denied on a paddle stop by a diving Skinner.

    “Skinner is playing very well,” said Fonteyne. “He was the WHL goalie of the month (in April) for a reason.

    “He is going to make big saves. I think we just need to keep throwing the puck on net and keep going. We can’t get too hung up on a good player making good plays.”

Colby Sissons scored for the Broncos in the third period.

    At the 6:22 mark of the third, Broncos offensive defenceman Colby Sissons fired home a shot from the point to cut the Silvertips edge to 3-2.

    That set the stage for the dramatics with Steenbergen’s equalizer and Estephan’s winner.

    Before Estephan could score his winner, Skinner turned away Silvertips Centre Riley Sutter on a powerful rush to the net and stoned right-winger Garrett Pilon on a slot drive.

    When the dust settled, Skinner turned away 40 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Broncos. Hart stopped 34 shots to take the setback in net for the Silvertips.

    “We put ourselves in an opportunity to obviously win it in regulation,” said Silvertips head coach Dennis Williams, who club finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-20-2-3 record. “Credit to Swift Current for playing the way they have all season, and they kept coming at us.

Connor Dewar (#43) was snakebitten around the net for the Silvertips.

    “When we went into overtime, it was as simple as it will take one shot. We’re in a good spot I told them. Obviously, we are trying to continue to stay positive throughout it.

    “It was a bit of a stinger there for our group, but again, it is something that we can definitely look at and learn from and comeback with a better effort on Tuesday.”

    Broncos head coach and director of player personnel Manny Viveiros was pleased to see the resilience of his club.

    “I thought Everett played very well again tonight,” said Viveiros, whose club finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark. “They could have easily won that game.

    “There was no question we were fortunate, but we were also very happy with the way we responded and came back and battled. That is something we have been doing all season long and all playoff long.

Broncos fans cheer their team’s OT winning goal.

    “You have to be able to believe, and I am very proud of the kids.”

    Estephan’s goal on Saturday was his second overtime winner scored at home in the playoffs, and the overager from Edmonton, Alta., admits it feels special to be part of his team’s long post-season run.

    “I’m just thrilled to be a part of it and be in the city,” said Estephan. “Their energy the last few games towards our team and towards us winning, it has been great.

    “I think it makes any player love to come to the rink every day and any player love to play in front of their fans. That is kind of more where it comes from for me for sure.”

    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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