Wheat Kings, Blades, Ice in final sprint for Subway Cup

WHL campaign to conclude at end of regular season

The Wheat Kings do their traditional head bump goal celebration.

For a second straight year, the WHL won’t be handing out the Ed Chynoweth Cup to a league champion.

On Monday, the major junior circuit announced its 2020-21 campaign will officially come to an end at the conclusion of its abbreviated regular season. The decision was made due to ongoing challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which include navigating public health orders and restrictions on travel across international and provincial borders.

In the 2020-21 campaign, each team is playing a shortened 24-game regular season which is being held for developmental purposes. Due to some teams experiencing positive COVID-19 tests, nine out of 10 clubs in the B.C. and Central Division will play campaigns that are shorter than 24 games.

The Kelowna Rockets will play an even shorter season due to the fact they had nine games postponed after team activities were suspended due to a coronavirus outbreak. On Wednesday, the WHL announced only one of those contest will be made up meaning the Rockets will play a 16 game regular season.

The B.C. Division’s other four teams in the Kamloops Blazers, Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants and Victoria Royals will all play 22-games each.

On Wednesday, the Calgary Hitmen were cleared to return to play after undergoing a 14-day isolation period and a halt of team activities due to a positive COVID-19 test. All members of the Hitmen cohort have tested negative for COVID-19 in the latest round of testing.

The Hitmen had six games postponed. After the WHL announced rescheduled games on Wednesday, the Hitmen learned they will be able to make up three of their lost games meaning they will play 21 regular season contests.

The Hitmen return to play Friday, when they host the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will still get all 24 of their regular season games in.

The Edmonton Oil Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels will play 23 regular season games each.

The Tri-City Americans have been sidelined due to a positive COVID-19, and they have had five games postponed. No word has been mentioned on dates to make those games up, which means teams in the B.C. Division might not play a 24-game slate as well.

The WHL will still crown champions in each division.

For the East Division, that means the Brandon Wheat Kings, Saskatoon Blades and Winnipeg Ice are engaging in a final sprint for first place and the right to win the Subway Cup. Subway is sponsoring the East Division bubble at the Brandt Centre in Regina and championship trophy that will be given to the first place team.

The Blades have enjoyed a number of wins in the Regina bubble.

The seven clubs in the bubble in Regina have not had their schedules disrupted due to positive COVID-19 tests.

Currently, the Brandon Wheat Kings have the inside track to first place extending their current winning streak to five games with their 6-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday.

Nolan Ritchie scored twice for the Wheat Kings, while Lynden McCallum, Rylan Thiessen, Brett Hyland and Vincent Iorio all had singles. Matthew Ward replied with a single for the Broncos.

Ethan Kruger made 17 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Wheat Kings. Isaac Poulter turned away 27 shots to take the loss in goal for the Broncos (4-16-1).

The Wheat Kings top the East Division with a 16-3-2 record. Brandon will lock up first place if it wins its final three straight games.

The idle Saskatoon Blades, who have a 14-3-2-1 record, sit three points behind the Wheat Kings for top spot with one game in hand.

The Winnipeg Ice also sit three points behind the Wheat Kings after posting a 6-5 overtime victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Wednesday.

Jakin Smallwood netted the winner for the Ice at the 1:46 mark of the extra session. It was his second tally of the contest.

Peyton Krebs and Skyler Bruce each scored twice for the Ice. 

Cade Hayes led the Warriors with a pair of goals and an assist. Riley Krane, Jagger Firkus and Daemon Hunt all had singles for Moose Jaw.

Brayden Yager picked up a pair of assists for the Warriors, while Krane had a helper to go with his goal.

Carl Stankowski made 24 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Ice. Boston Bilous turned away 37 shots to take the setback in goal for the Warriors (8-11-2).

The Ice improved to 15-5-1 with the win. They are playing their second campaign as the Winnipeg Ice after moving out of Cranbrook, B.C., following the 2018-19 campaign. The franchise was known as the Kootenay Ice, when it was located in Cranbrook.

The Blades have a game in hand on the Ice.

Saskatoon will face Winnipeg on Friday and go at it with Brandon on April 28.

The Regina Pats (8-9-2-1) Warriors and Prince Albert Raiders (7-10-2-1) will jockey for fourth, fifth and sixth place in the Division. The Broncos are locked into finish in the basement of the East Division.

Teams in the B.C. Division will play for the RE/MAX Cup sponsored championship trophy. Due to the fact teams in the B.C. and Central Divisions won’t play an equal amount of games, the WHL hasn’t announced how it plans to crown champions in those divisions.

The WHL also announced on Monday the season end WHL awards will recognize individual award winners from each division as opposed to the traditional celebration of conference-based award winners.

Peyton Krebs in action for the Ice franchise in November of 2018.

The WHL Awards, which will be celebrated digitally following the conclusion of the 2020-21 campaign, will culminate with honourees in each major awards category on a league-wide basis.

While the WHL did valiant work to ensure its member teams got on the ice, the major circuit, which plays under the CHL umbrella, has to be thankful luck fell its way too.

On Tuesday, the OHL cancelled its entire 2020-21 campaign without being able to play a single game. The COVID-19 pandemic never subsided enough in Ontario to create a situation for the OHL to get back on the ice.

Desjardins recaptures Tigers career wins record

Willie Desjardins works the Tigers bench in December of 2019.

Willie Desjardins is once again the all-time leader in career regular season head coaching wins for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

On Monday, the Tigers slipped past the visiting Red Deer Rebels 3-2 at Co-op Place. That victory marked the 376^th career regular season win for Desjardins as the Tigers head coach. The Climax, Sask., product is also the team’s general manager.

Desjardins collected his wins serving as the Tigers head coach from 2002-10 and since returning to the team in 2019.

Desjardins surpassed the 375 wins put up by Shaun Clouston, who served as an assistant and then associate coach with Desjardins from 2003 to 2010. Desjardins previously held the Tigers career record for regular season coaching win before Clouston became the team’s head coach.

Clouston picked up his initial head coaching wins with the Tigers from 2008 to 2010, when Desjardins was away involved with coaching duties with Canada’s world junior team. Clouston picked up the bulk of his wins serving as the Tigers head coach from 2010 to 2019 along with becoming the team’s general manager from 2012 to 2019.

Clouston was released from the Tigers following the 2018-19 season to allow Desjardins to return to the roles of head coach and general manager. Clouston has served as the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers since the split with the Tigers.

Desjardins’ career record with the Tigers sits at 376-198-64 with the third column accounting for ties, overtime losses and shootout losses. Clouston’s career record behind the Tigers bench is 375-241-46.

In the Tigers win on Monday over the Rebels, Medicine Hat never trailed in the contest getting singles from Ryan Chyzowski, Rhett Parsons and Oren Shtrom.

The Rebels replied with singles coming off the sticks of Dallon Melin and Chris Douglas.

Beckett Langkow made 27 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers (12-3-0-1). Chase Coward turned away 32 shots to take the setback in goal for the Rebels (2-15-2).

“It’s been an honour to be part of such a great organization,” said Desjardins to Adam Jones of TigersHockey.com. “I’d like to thank (Tigers owners) Darrell and Brent Maser for their support.

“I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by some great people over the years, and because of that, we’ve had some success. The players win the games. Without their hard work and determination, we wouldn’t be here.”

The Tigers return to action on Thursday, when they travel to Edmonton to face the Oil Kings.

Marleau tops NHL career regular season games list

A Patrick Marleau card.

It seems fitting that a special NHL milestone moment would go to Patrick Marleau

Taking the opening faceoff on right wing for the San Jose Sharks on Monday against the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas, Nevada, Marleau became the NHL’s all-time leader in career regular season games played at 1,768 when the puck dropped.

The Aneroid, Sask., product, who is playing in his 23^rd NHL season, broke a record that was viewed at one time to be untouchable.

The previous mark of 1,767 career regular season games was held by the iconic “Mr. Hockey” in Gordie Howe, who was born in Floral, Sask., and raised in Saskatoon. The late Howe played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings from 1946 to 1971.

He helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955.

Howe skated in one final NHL campaign in 1979-80 for the Hartford Whalers playing in all of the Whalers 80 regular season games turning 52-years-old near the end of that season. In his 1767 career NHL regular season games, Howe piled up 801 goals and 1,049 assists for 1,850 points.

On top of his time in the NHL, Howe played six campaigns in the now defunct World Hockey Association with the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers from 1973 to 1979. During those six seasons, Howe appeared in 419 regular season games posting 174 goals and 334 assists for 508 points.

He helped the Aeros win the Avco Cup as WHA champions in 1974 and 1975.

During the Sharks game on Monday, Marleau wasn’t able to pick any points as the Golden Knights posted a 3-2 victory after a tiebreaking shootout. Marleau was given a chance to try and score in the tiebreaking shootout, but he was unsuccessful.

He received a salute from both team following the game.

The 41-year-old Marleau has always carried himself with dignity and class. When Howe’s NHL record for career regular season games played fell, it was fitting that Marleau was the one to do it.

Before breaking into the NHL, Marleau played two seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds from 1995 to 1997 appearing in 143 regular season games collecting 83 goals and 116 assists for 199 points.

After the Sharks 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Wednesday where Marleau picked up an assist, he has appeared in 1769 regular season games posting 566 goals and 631 assists for 1,197 points.

CFL delays start of season to August 5

Andrew Harris rumbles up field for the Bombers in 2017.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still delivering huge hits to the CFL.

On Wednesday, the CFL announced it will be delaying the start of its 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Training camps were expected to open in the middle of May and the first exhibition game was set for May 23.

Originally, the league planned to kick off the regular season on June 10, where each club would play a standard 18-game regular season campaign.

Now the CFL is targeting Aug. 5 for the start of the circuit’s regular season, where each club will play 14 regular season games each. The Grey Cup is being rescheduled for Dec. 12 as opposed to Nov. 21.

The CFL was unable to get a season off the ground in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last CFL game was played on November 24, 2019 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alta., and saw the Winnipeg Blue Bombers stomp the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 to win the Grey Cup.

In a released statement, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said the Aug. 5 date is a target date, because the league’s plans are subject to change due to the state of COVID-19 across the country.

In order to play on Aug. 5, Ambrosie said the CFL would need approval from public health officials across Canada of the circuit’s plans for protecting players, coaches and fans. The commissioner added the CFL would need permission from governments to host a significant number of fans in the stands in a significant number of venues at the start of the season and the rest of the venues soon after that.

Ambrosie said the CFL has contingency plans in place in case factors beyond the league’s control delay the start of the season beyond Aug. 5.

“The bottom line is we are optimistic we will have a season in 2021, culminating in a great Grey Cup,” said Ambrosie in a statement. “Everyone who loves the CFL can help us and their communities.

“Please, when it is your turn, get vaccinated. And please follow your local public health guidelines on measures including wearing a mask and social distancing.”

There was no work on where the CFL’s talks on working in partnership with the XFL were at. There was no mention about the CFL’s efforts to secure federal government funding in order to play in 2021.

The CFL failed to get government grants that would allow the circuit to hit the field in 2020.

Once again, CFL fans have to continue to hurry up wait to see if the league they love will be back in 2021.

Government of Nova Scotia nixes women’s hockey worlds

The Government of Nova Scotia dropped the axe on the women’s world hockey championship.

On Wednesday, Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin withdrew permission for the 11-day tournament citing concerns over increasing COVID-19 numbers and the circulation of COVID-19 variants.

Nova Scotia imposed new travel restrictions this week barring people from outside the province from entering unless travel is essential or the travels are permanent residents of Nova Scotia. People from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are exempted from the ban, which goes into effect at 8 a.m. Thursday Nova Scotia time.

The International Ice Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada were informed early Wednesday morning that the event was called off. Women’s worlds were scheduled to be held May 6 to 16 in Halifax and Truno, N.S.

Hockey Canada was holding its selection camp for the women’s worlds in Halifax, and Wednesday was supposed to be the final day of that camp. An intrasquad game that was supposed to close the camp on Wednesday afternoon ultimately wasn’t held.

Saskatoon products Emily Clark and Sophie Shirley were taking part in the selection camp.

The 2021 women’s worlds were first slated to be held in April but were pushed back to the May 6 to 16 dates before being cancelled. They were also supposed to be held in Halifax and Truno in March of 2020 before being called off due to COVID-19 concerns.

The IIHF will work with Hockey Canada told a women’s worlds later in 2021 but no commitment was made Wednesday to hold it in Nova Scotia.

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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The time I psyched myself out interviewing “Mr. Hockey”

A Gordie Howe card from the 1980s.

Till this day, the only time I really psyched myself out for an interview as when I talked to “Mr. Hockey.”

That day came way back in December of 1999, when I was an intern general assignment reporter for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. I was working with fellow interns Jillian MacPherson and Vanessa Lee compiling a list of what Saskatchewan’s movers and shakers were doing to ring in the new millennium.

The assignment was something each of us worked on between the daily stories we typed out. Between working on daily stories, you phoned some of the most well-known persons in the province and asked what their plan was for New Year’s Eve.

I tracked down a number of person’s from the sports world including Saskatchewan Roughriders greats Don Narcisse and Bob Poley. At that time, I already knew both personally.

 I decided to see if it was possible to track down all-time hockey icon Gordie Howe, who was nicknamed “Mr. Hockey.”

Howe was born just outside of Saskatoon in Floral and grew up in “The Bridge City.”

He has since passed away on June 10, 2016 at age 88.

Through the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, I got contact info for Howe’s publicist, who set up the interview. The publicist gave me a time for when Howe was to call.

I had never talked to Howe in my life. As the time neared for the phone call, 23-year-old me, who sometimes felt indestructible at that age, started to get nervous.

A Gordie Howe card from the early 1990s.

The whole star stuck thing started to happen and I kept repeating in my head, “Oh my God. I am going to talk to Gordie Howe.”

With Howe having played 32 seasons of professional hockey in the NHL and the defunct WHA from 1946 to 1980, he was looked up to by hockey fans from a number of generations. That included my father, Dan Steinke, who passed away in January of 2004.

A number of my dad’s hockey stories about Howe danced through my head.

Normally when I interview athletes from the sports world including those that have significant profiles, I usually act like I already know them, and I act pretty much like you would see me on the street.

In this case, the star profile got to me.

I kept thinking in my head, “I have to refer to him as Mr. Howe to show respect.”

Howe called at the time the publicist said he would.

When I got on the phone with Howe, I was so nervous. I had to keep from freaking out that I was actually talking to Gordie Howe.

This was the one time I most remember being in awe of the celebrity of a person.

In late November of 1999, Howe had surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his left shin. Since only a handful of weeks had passed since that had happened, I vaguely remember starting the interview making joke about that.

A Gordie Howe card from the 1990s.

I don’t think I knew how to act to that, and I remember being caught off guard.

Whatever I said, Howe chucked and proceeded to give the more serious answer. The way he talked just had the best tone to it that it made you feel all good and tingly inside.

The quote I used from Howe was, “Well, we won’t be doing a heck of a lot of anything. If our grandson is playing on New Year’s, I’ll go watch him play. And that’s Nolan Howe. That’s Mark’s son.

“Nothin concrete. We’re just laid back, like we were in Saskatchewan.”

I remember thanking him for doing the short interview. It felt like I could have actually talked to him for way a lot longer than I did.

I was so awestruck and wanted to be polite about his time that I didn’t. Looking back now, I wish I would have kept the interview going.

I kept that interview tape for some time. It is possible it is still buried with the old interview tapes I have stored away.

I crossed paths with Howe at the 2007 Memorial Cup in Vancouver, B.C., when I was a beat writer covering the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers for the Medicine Hat News. I was so life consumed with covering the Tigers at that event that I didn’t get to talk to Howe.

I met a number of his family members in September of 2016, when the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades hosted a “Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day” for their home opener.

The ashes of Gordie and those of his wife, Colleen Howe, were interred at the base of the Gordie Howe statue that sits outside the SaskTel Centre.

The StarPhoenix from December 31, 1999.

I spent the whole second period of that hockey game visiting with Mark Howe and Morris Lukowich in one of the SaskTel Centre dressing rooms at ice level after a media event held during the first intermission.

I got to visit with Corey Howe and the Saskatoon lady he would later marry in Davis (Parkinson) Howe a couple of times that weekend. Corey was raised in Ohio and relocated to Saskatoon due to his romance with Davis.

All the Howe family members were down to earth and had pretty good senses of humour too. It really made me wish I hadn’t psyched myself out over the phone with Gordie all those years back.

Still, the memory of how awestruck I was during that short phone chat with Gordie in December of 1999 makes me smile and chuckle to this day.

Raiders’ Guhle signs with Les Canadiens, other notes

Kaiden Guhle has signed with the Canadiens.

Kaiden Guhle didn’t have to wait long after the NHL Entry Draft to sign his first contract in the big league.

On Tuesday, the 18-year-old defenceman with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Just two weeks earlier on October 6, the Canadiens selected Guhle in the first round and 16^th overall in the NHL Entry Draft.

The NHL Entry Draft was held via video conference call from the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, as opposed to being live in an NHL centre due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Last season as a 17-year-old sophomore, Guhle, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 184 pounds, appeared in all of the Raiders 64 regular season games piling up 11 goals, 29 assists and a plus-23 rating.

The Sherwood Park, Alta., product appeared in 65 regular season games in 2018-19 as a 16-year-old rookie posting three goals, 14 assists and a plus-17 rating. He focused more on playing a defensive role on a defensive starting six where the other five members were all 19-year-old veterans helping the Raiders with a WHL Championship.

As a blue-liner, Guhle has a special blend of talents very few have.

Back in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, the Raiders selected the gifted offensive-defenceman first overall in the first round.

Guhle was one of the two players the Raiders had selected first round in this past NHL Entry Draft and proceeded to sign three-year NHL entry-level contract.

This past Friday, Raiders right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks selected Wiesblatt in the first round and 31^st overall in the NHL Entry Draft.

• Nelson Nogier, a graduate of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels, resigned with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets inking a two-year, two-way contract on October 14. The defensive-defenceman has played his four career seasons in the professional ranks in the Jets system. Last season, Nogier spent the entire campaign with the Jets AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, appearing in 58 regular season games collecting one goal, eight assists and 45 minutes in penalties.
• Rugged right-winger and Regina product JC Lipon recently wrote an article in The Park Journal detailing the journey of his hockey career. The Park Journal is a first-person account media platform similar to The Players’ Tribune. Lipon talked about his rise to star status with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and how he got shuffled and slotted in the AHL ranks skating in the system of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets for seven seasons. Lipon is now playing in the KHL with Dinamo Riga. The piece he wrote can be found by clicking right here.
• Kevin Nastiuk, who is a former star goaltender with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and was a member of their 2004 WHL Championship team, has started a new goaltender training company called Nastiuk Goaltending. Nastiuk had a lengthy career in the North America’s minor professional ranks and in the professional game in Europe. His goaltender training company website can be found at NastiukGoaltending.com.
• On Monday, Lethbridge Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt celebrated his 60^th birthday. Since joining the Hurricanes in June of 2014, Anholt has twice won the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Executive of the Year including taking that honour for this past season.
• On Monday, Evan Hardy Collegiate Souls football team linebacker Zach Zary committed to joining the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team. Zary is an athlete who is talented in many sports. When he was a child, he wanted to play one of football, hockey or soccer for the Huskies. Zary’s father, Darren, is a long time ace sportswriter for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. As good as Darren is as a sportswriter, he is an all-star dad and his ability to be a good father exceeds his abilities as a sportswriter.
• On Wednesday, the University of Calgary Dinos football team announced Bailey Taylor had joined their program as a defensive back. Taylor was a rookie running back with the Saskatoon Hilltops last season, and he helped them win a sixth straight CJFL title.
• On Wednesday, the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association cancelled all its winter championships in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in June, the CCAA cancelled all its fall championships and last month the CCAA/Curling Canada championship was cancelled. The CCAA won’t host any national championships for the 2020-21 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• News surfaced over the last two days that the Boston University Terriers athletics program has paused all in person practices and training due to an increase of COVID-19 cases on campus. The pause will be re-examined next week. The Terriers women’s hockey team include captain and Saskatoon product Nara Elia and Clavet, Sask., product and third-year forward Mackenna Parker. Elia and Parker are graduates of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team.

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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Random fun items that make you smile, maybe chuckle

The G.I. Joe season 1.1 DVD set.

Sometimes when life seems to be giving you lemons, you have to find the fun in random things.

In the half glass full department, life does seem present things that are entertaining and can perk up a smile on a daily basis. You just have to let yourself enjoy those random discoveries.

During the current days with the world engulfed in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is always wise to find things that are fun and will perk you up on a daily basis.

For myself, one of random items that is fun for me is checking out the DVD set for the 1980s animated television series G.I. Joe season 1.1. It contains the first three five-part miniseries in The M.A.S.S. Device, The Revenge of Cobra and The Pyramid of Darkness.

It also includes seven additional episodes from the TV series.

In viewing that DVD set, you shake your head and chuckle at the fact Duke gets himself captured in The M.A.S.S. Device, The Revenge of Cobra and The Pyramid of Darkness miniseries.

Duke said in the first episode that his green sheet said he was, “A man of action.”

That was an inside joke giving a nod to the 12-inch tall G.I. Joe figure line from the 1960s and 1970s. You know, that was the era when G.I. Joe dated Barbie and Ken got kicked to the curb.

Anyways, that was a sidetrack and back to the G.I. Joe DVD set.

You think it is cool that an arrow from Scarlett’s crossbow can destroy a H.I.S.S. tank.

Actually, the three female characters on the G.I. Joe team at the time in Scarlett, Lady Jaye and Cover Girl kicked the most ass. The G.I. Joe team would likely be useless without them.

You also learn the wing of a G.I. Joe Skystriker can cut a H.I.S.S. tank in half. Crazy to think the H.I.S.S. tank is viewed as Cobra’s most durable vehicle.

Wild Bill is a better pilot than Ace.

G.I. Joe and Cobra also battle it out in exotic locals like “The Sea of Ice,” “The Palace of Doom” and the “Island of No Return.”

The two foes had to join forces once to defeat “The Worms of Death.”

In another episode, Roadblock rides a rocket along with the Crimson Twins, Tomax and Xamot.

The suspension of reality really gets so stretched in G.I. Joe that it would make James Bond blush. But, that is what makes G.I. Joe fun.

Anyways, here are seven other random fun things I’ve rediscovered or come across over the past 10 days. They are listed in no particular order.

Hope you find these things fun too.

Prince Albert Northern Bears Instagram is upbeat

View this post on Instagram

We are very excited to introduce you to our new team mascot, BRIAN 🧡🖤 This ferocious, intimidating, wild creature is the next best thing to an actual bear and we barely notice the difference 🐻😊 When asked about the upcoming season, Brian stated that he’s just as optimistic as the rest of us that we can soon get the season started! Welcome to the family Brian! 🧡🖤🧡🖤 #bears #hamster #brian #hockey #aaahockey #saskhockey #covidthings #letusplay #princealbert #wildcreatures #girlshockey

A post shared by Prince Albert Bears (@princealbertbears) on Sep 25, 2020 at 6:52pm PDT

The Prince Albert Northern Bears female AAA under-18 hockey team is filled with a lot of light-hearted posts.

They will let the players take over the account leading to lots unpredictability. Recent story video of four team members heading out to the golf course was particularly entertaining.

The Bears Instagram and other social media accounts are all worth following.

Lemieux with the Stanley Cup

A Mario Lemieux card from 1991.

I found this little gem the other week featuring all-time hockey great Mario Lemieux.

It is a Pro Set card from 1991, and it pictures Lemieux raising the Stanley Cup for the first time after his Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Minnesota North Stars in six games in the 1991 Stanley Cup final.

The back of the card notes Lemieux was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner after piling up 44 points in the playoffs. That is still the second most points ever compiled in one NHL post-season.

While the card talks about Lemieux’s Conn Smythe Trophy win, the picture of him raising the Stanley Cup for the first time is cool. This Pro Set card set was very over produced, so it should be easy to track this card down.

The cute Howe couple

Davis Howe, left, and Corey Howe in 2016.

I took this picture of Davis (Parkinson) Howe and Corey Howe in 2016.

At the time this photo was taken, the two weren’t married yet, but life was leading them in that direction. Corey is the grandson of “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe, who is one of hockey’s most revered icons.

Davis and Corey are pictured in from of a Hockey Hall of Fame display containing items from Gordie’s historic hockey career. The picture opportunity was part of the lead up to the Saskatoon Blades home opener that season to honour Gordie Howe titled, “Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day.”

Davis got a kick out of press release then Blades president Steve Hogle wrote up about her romance with Corey. Corey was raised in Ohio and moved to Saskatoon after meeting Davis.

Davis chuckled, “Yep, I lured him here.”

Belichick’s “I don’t give a *&#!” look

Bill Belichick, this morning: pic.twitter.com/482qJ9vjCu

— Boston.com Patriots News (@BDCPatriots) September 23, 2020

We all know how much New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick “enjoys” dealing with the media, and this picture shows it.

This picture was taken from a press conference last Wednesday with Belichick, who has won six Super Bowl titles with the Patriots and is one of the NFL’s all-time leaders in career head coaching victories.

Belichick doesn’t care what anyone things of him, and he will wear what he wants to pressers. The likelihood his high he slept in his office the previous night.

Barbie takes up hockey, is Canadian?

Barbie is taking up playing hockey.

This was an interesting find.

A new collectors’ version of Barbie has come out with her taking on the career of being a hockey player. Of course, this is a promotion done with Tim Hortons.

You also can’t help but notice there is a maple leaf on Barbie’s jersey. Does that mean Barbie has her Canadian citizenship?

I haven’t seen Barbie depicted as a hockey player before, so this was fun to see.

Blaster’s band back together

Blaster, centre, back together with his crew.

Walmart has the reissued Blaster Transformers toy from 1985 on its store shelves.

I actually own one of the originals that came out way back in 1985. Blaster had four original tapes that came out of his chest. I was missing one of the four tapes named Eject, which I was able to purchase online.

After Eject arrived, I was able to get Blaster’s original band back together. Pictured, from left, is Ramhorn, Eject, Blaster, Rewind and Steeljaw.

The nostalgia in this picture is just too sweet.

Huskies football video is kick ass

This promotional video for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team is kick ass.

Huskie Athletics at the University of Saskatchewan did an incredible job of putting this together. On top of being fun, it gets you fired up for Huskies football.

It makes you wish there was a season this year. The pump up feeling of this video makes you excited for the time when the Huskies return.

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

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Blades set to hit another homer with home opener

Team to honour former captain with return of the Pac-Man

Dave Chartier, left, speaks to reporters about Bruce Gordon.

    On an emotional level, the Saskatoon Blades appear to be set to match the spectacle of last year’s home opener at this year’s home opener.

    Almost a year ago, the Blades opened the 2016-17 campaign with “Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day” where the club saluted hockey icon in the late Gordie Howe and interred his and the ashes of his late wife, Colleen, at the base of the Gordie Howe statue that resides in front of the SaskTel Centre.

    This year in a campaign where the Blades return to their famous Pac-Man look from the 1980s to the early 1990s, the club will honour a former captain who wore that logo and made a lasting impact on Saskatoon after his hockey days. 

    When the Blades open their regular season schedule on Friday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre against the Swift Current Broncos, the blue and gold will honour Bruce Gordon, who was well-known for his career with the Saskatoon Police Service that spanned 28 years, in a pre-game ceremony.

One of the Blades team pictures featuring Bruce Gordon.

    The Marsden, Sask., product came to the Blades in a trade with the Medicine Hat Tigers early in the 1980-81 campaign, and the grinding winger quickly became the Saskatoon club’s captain. He would leave the major junior ranks following the 1981-82 campaign having collected 17 goals, 53 assists and 552 penalty minutes in 112 regular season games with the Blades.

    Following his time playing hockey, Gordon moved on to build a distinguished career with the police starting out on regular patrol, becoming a detective sergeant in the sex crimes unit and then to major crimes. Gordon became well-known for cracking cases that appeared to be unsolvable.

    At age 50, he retired from policing to study law at the University of Saskatchewan with the goal to become a defence lawyer. Gordon graduated from law school last spring, but on June 8, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. On June 29, a special ceremony was held at the Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon to call the 54-year-old to the bar.

    This ceremony is traditionally held in autumn, but an exception was made in Gordon’s case to hold the ceremony earlier due to his cancer diagnosis.

Bruce Gordon’s old Blades uniform on display.

    The Blades announced their plans to honour Gordon, who also coached minor hockey and volunteered at local road races, during a press conference on Monday at the SaskTel Centre. A fitting trio of characters who have character were brought in to speak at the presser who all have links to both the Saskatoon Police Service and the WHL.

    The trio included Dave Chartier, who was one of Gordon’s former teammates with the Blades and a former partner with the police service, and he talked about his deep friendship with the hard-working forward. Long time veteran Blades assistant coach Jerome Engele, who was a former Blades defenceman from 1966 to 1971 and built his own distinguished career with the Saskatoon Police Service, also delivered a short but heartfelt tribute. Both Chartier and Engele are retired from the police service.

    The third member to speak was Patrick Nogier, who played goal for two seasons in the WHL from 1985 to 1987 split between the Kamloops Blazers and Broncos and is still an inspector for the Saskatoon Police Service, and he spoke about Gordon’s never give up characteristics.

    Chartier was a 17-year-old rookie defenceman when he became teammates with Gordon in 1981-82, when the latter was embarking on what would be his final season in junior hockey. They developed a lifelong friendship and actually live next door to each other in the current day.

Inspector Patrick Nogier speaks about Bruce Gordon.

    Chartier will be one of a number of former teammates on hand for Friday’s festivities including Brian Skrudland, Daryl Stanley, Todd Strubey, Roger Kortko and Ron Dreger. Dennis Beyak, who is the voice of the Winnipeg Jets and the Blades assistant general manager during Gordon’s years, will be the emcee for the ceremony. Jackie McLeod and Daryl Lubiniecki, who both had long runs in the roles of head coach and general manager of the Blades, will also be on hand.

    During the presser, Chartier recalled one of the many recent talks he had with Gordon.

    “I asked him if he was scared,” said Chartier. “He said he was not scared.

    “He was just sad. He was sad for things that he won’t see his grand kids (and) his great relationship with his wife (Chris). It doesn’t surprise me one bit that he said he is not scared.

    “As a young guy going to training camp, I saw the determination and the lack of fear that he had as a leader for the Blades.”

    Engele spoke about how members of the police service are held to a higher standard than what is expected of the general public and that the Blades players are expected to hold themselves at a higher level away from the rink and treat everyone with respect. 

Long time Blades assistant coach Jerome Engele talks about Bruce Gordon.

    He said Gordon fit those expectations perfectly.

    “Bruce (Gordon) was a very good example of that as a police officer,” said Engele. “You couldn’t ask for a better person to work with - a harder working person.

    “I would call him a police officer on the ice. He was a hard-nosed hockey player who did his job and worked extremely hard.

    “You would put him more in terms of a plumber level player when he was on the ice. When he was on the ice, he carried a lot of respect.”

    Nogier, whose son Nelson played defence for the Blades from 2012 to 2014, worked with Gordon in the sex crimes unit for a couple of years. The former netminder spoke that the members of the police service think of Gordon when evaluating potential new officers noting the former Blades captain’s integrity and work ethic.

    “When we are looking to hire new prospective young individuals that want to join our police service, we are looking for people that bring certain characteristics with them,” said Nogier. “We look for the person that we know is going to be put into a situation and take those situations on head on.

Blades president Steve Hogle outlines the festivities for Friday night.

    “I heard that there was only six degrees of separation from talking about the sporting world and the policing world. What I’ve learned that when it comes to hockey there is only 1.5 degrees of separation when it comes to that.

    “When I met Bruce (Gordon), I knew quite quickly that this was an individual that for obvious reasons had all those characteristics.”

    Besides former teammates, police officers from Saskatoon and Regina will be attending Friday’s game along with lawyers, triathletes and cross fit athletes. Gordon completed as a triathlete and also took part in ironman competitions.

    During Friday’s game, the Blades will be raising money for cancer research at the Royal University Hospital with the auction of a Kelly Chase signed jersey, the sale of “Be Like Bruce” t-shirts and the proceeds from the night’s 50/50 draw.

A display of some of the Blades Pac-Man jerseys.

    “He (Gordon) exemplified at the rink what a teammate was all about,” said Chartier. “He didn’t want any glory.

    “He took care of each and every one of us. I think we all owe him the respect of coming back this Friday and saying thank you.”

    Blades president Steve Hogle expects few tears will be shed during the festivities on Friday night for Gordon.

    “Everybody he came into contact with was absolutely blown away about how he put others first,” said Hogle.

    “The impact he has had on people is made obvious to us by the reaction that we’ve seen with the alumni, with the police, with the triathlon community, with the legal community, with the cross fit community and they are all rallying and coming out on Friday night.”

    The tribute for Gordon is more than justified. You would be hard pressed to find anyone else that wore the team’s old Pac-Man logo that went on to have bigger impact on the Saskatoon community than Gordon did.

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

Top 10 memories of 2016

Rush captain Chris Corbeil raises the Champion’s Cup.

    Wow! I am amazed at how much happened this year.

    This year seemed to be incredibly busy, but it was a good busy. Through using this blog and freelance opportunities, I traveled all across the three Prairie provinces piling up memories in 2016.

    During the busy times in my final three years in the mainstream media, I wasn’t able to enjoy everything I was involved with because the busy schedule was an overload one. Now that I am flying solo, I feel like I was able to set my busy schedule to a point where I could soak in and enjoy the experiences I was going through.

    While 2016 will be remembered for the fact that way too many celebrities passed away, I will still look back on the past 12 months with fondness, because I believe I had a good year.

    When the end of June rolled around, I could have made a top 10 list at that point of highlights for the first six months. I could have had another for the last six months.

    Overall, I think made a solid selection for top 10 memories, but I still couldn’t believe what I left out. Memories that didn’t make the cut included attending a Garth Brooks concert in June in Saskatoon, which is a bucket list item.

    Also not making the cut was watching the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team win a Canada West title at home and being pumped they moved on to capture their first national championship. The Canada West title victory came against the U of Regina Cougars.

    Attending the first football game at New Mosaic Stadium between the U of Regina Rams and U of Saskatchewan Huskies also didn’t make the cut as did watching Saskatchewan win Football Canada’s inaugural Senior Women’s National Championship tournament.

    During my journey in 2016, this blog also doubled in readership, so I thank you all for checking in. I humbly hope I can keep earning and holding your respect as I continue onwards.

    I also did well enough I made donations to the scholarship funds of both Saskatchewan’s university football teams in the Rams and Huskies and the provinces two junior programs in the three-time defending Canadian Junior Football League champion Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder. 

    Besides the football teams, I donated to the scholarship funds of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams, the U of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team, the U of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team and to the Home Ice Campaign, which is raising funds to build a new hockey arena on the U of Saskatchewan campus.

    Now without further ado, here are the memories.

10. Final Labour Day Classic at Taylor Field

Justin Medlock boots the winning field goal for the Blue Bombers.

    The final Labour Day Classic at Taylor Field/old Mosaic Stadium between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers was a classic on many fronts.

    I spent the whole weekend in Regina enjoying and soaking in the whole weekend on the social side. The partying was so good the Saturday night before the game I was definitely not 100 per cent the Sunday morning of the game.

    A Bombers fan saw me and said, “Don’t worry. You’re still in Calgary.”

    I guess that shows where I was at in the recovery state. This was my 16^th Labour Day Classic, and with it being the last one at Taylor Field, I wanted to make it memorable, and things were perfect on the social front.

Darian Durant celebrates scoring a TD for the Roughriders.

    As the game itself went on, I was feeling better and better. The contest itself was a classic.

    With under a minute to play, Kendial Lawrence returned a punt 86 yards for the Roughriders to force a 25-25 tie. The Bombers pulled out a 28-25 victory, when kicker Justin Medlock nailed a 43-yard field goal on the last play of the game.

    The Bombers victory dampened the fact Roughriders franchise quarterback Darian Durant completed 36 of 47 passes for 399 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

    Winnipeg snapped its 11-game skid in the Labour Day Classic. While I was cheering for the Roughriders, I was happy for the Winnipeg fans, especially the regulars that make it to Regina every year for that contest. The fan bases from both sides really get along well.

    The Roughriders are 14-2 in the 16 Labour Day Classics I attended at Taylor Field. While the Roughriders didn’t get the last one, I will always remember that day and weekend fondly.

9. Rush conquer all

The Rush celebrate the NLL title winning goal from Jeff Cornwall, centre.

    I might get a little more into the Saskatchewan Rush in the future, but I will admit the first impressions were good ones.

    Former veteran WHL coach/executive and current Calgary Flames scout Brad McEwen said I would love the National Lacrosse League before the Rush played their inaugural season in Saskatoon. The Rush moved to town from Edmonton as defending NLL champions. McEwen definitely knows me, because he was right.

    After getting off the WHL playoff trail, I decided to check out the Rush as a ticket buyer. I made it to their final two home playoff games. I saw them lock up the West Final with a 12-9 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks on May 21.

    I was there when they won the Champion’s Cup to repeat as NLL champions with an 11-10 victory over the Buffalo Bandits on June 4. With the teams locked in a 10-10 draw, Rush defenceman Jeff Cornwall scored on a breakaway with 12 seconds to play to deliver the Rush to victory.

Rush forward Robert Church drives to the net for a scoring chance.

    In the win over Calgary, a SaskTel Centre record crowd of 15,192 spectators turned out and 15,182 spectators came out to the NLL title clinching game. I believe the 10 person difference depended on how many people could be squeezed into the luxury boxes on any given night.

    Between the tailgating in the parking lot, watching the Crush dance team and high-tempo non-stop game action jumping at the pace of up tempo music, Rush games are a hit. The way the province has rallied around this team is impressive.

    To top things off, the players seem pretty down to earth during the brief interactions I have had with them. I enjoyed getting the chance to watch them win it all.

8. “Thank You Mr. Hockey Day” exceeds expectations

Gordie Howe’s four children take part in a ceremonial faceoff.

    It was one of the classiest game days ever at the SaskTel Centre, and I still can’t even remember what happened as far as actual game action went.

    On Sept. 25, the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades hosted a “Thank You Mr. Hockey Day” to honour late hockey icon Gordie Howe. Howe passed away at age 88 on June 10, and the Blades were looking for a way to honour “Mr. Hockey” in his hometown area.

    When Blades president Steve Hogle found out from Howe’s children that one of his wishes was to have his ashes interred at the base of the Gordie Howe statue outside the SaskTel Centre along with the ashes of his late wife, Colleen, the wheels were put in motion for a special day.

    A private interment ceremony started open to 61 members of the Howe family started the day’s festivities in the morning. The Howe family was then taken to see the Circle Drive South Bridge, which was renamed the Gordie Howe Bridge. They proceeded to visit King George School, which Gordie attended, and one of Gordie’s childhood homes.

A fan gets her picture taken with the Gordie Howe statue.

    Before that day’s WHL clash with the Swift Current Broncos, the Blades put on a stirring 25-minute pre-game tribute. There were photos on display in various locations around the rink of the Howe family over the years. The Hockey Hall of Fame put on an exhibit to display a number of Howe items including one of his Detroit Red Wings jerseys from his NHL days and one of his Houston Aeros jerseys from his WHA days.

    I soaked in the magic of the day and renewed ties with old hockey friends and made new ones. I was able to visit with Bryan Trottier for a short while.

    The highlight was spending the whole second period hanging out with old hockey bud Morris Lukowich and Gordie’s son, Mark, who I just met at that point in time. It was fun meeting Gordie’s grandson, Corey, and his girlfriend Davis Parkinson. The two were the textbook image of the cute young couple.

    The Broncos won the game 6-0, and I couldn’t tell you how they got any of their goals. When the night ended, the Blades handed out Gordie Howe posters that contained three pictures from festivities from that day.

    It was the perfect hockey day that paid a fitting tribute to a legend.

7. Valkyries win WWCFL final 81-6

Julene Friesen runs in for TD for the Valkyries in the WWCFL final.

    That was no misprint. The Saskatoon Valkyries actually won the Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship game 81-6.

    Since I first saw the Valkyries play in their sophomore season back in 2012, I have always admired how well they approach playing the game of football and all the accomplishments they have piled up. On a warm Saturday afternoon in Lethbridge on June 25, I watched the Valkyries thump the Edmonton Storm 81-6 to claim their fifth WWCFL in their six seasons of existence.

    The win concluded a 7-1 overall campaign for the Valkyries, whose only loss was a 27-26 setback to the Riot in Regina on May 28. The Storm had a strong season posting a 6-2 overall mark.

    In the win over the Storm, the Valkyries may have never looked more polished in setting a new team record for points scored in a game and matching the team record for largest margin of victory.

The Valkyries celebrate their WWCFL championship win.

    It seemed you could go up and down the Valkyries roster listing a special plays each member of the team contributed in that outing.

    Julene Friesen, who is Saskatoon’s Marshall Faulk style tailback, was named her side’s player of the game. She piled up 142 yards rushing on seven carries and 109 yards on three kickoff returns. Friesen opened the game’s scoring with a 28-yard touchdown run and finished the scoring with an electrifying 82-yard kickoff return score.

    The Valkyries put together an impressive 2016 campaign with a good mix of strong veterans and talented newcomers. Going into 2017, they are set to have another strong campaign under new head coach Pat Berry. Jeff Yausie, who was the team’s only head coach before Berry took the role, will remain with the team as a position coach, but he is opening up his schedule to focus on his various roles in the sport provincially and nationally.

    With the title win in Lethbridge, the Valkyries cemented themselves as one of Saskatoon’s great sports dynasties.

6. Saskatoon Hilltops are always a great time

Jared Andreychuk fires a pass downfield for the Hilltops.

    The years change and the players come and go, but the Saskatoon Hilltops always find a way to remain one of the top amateur football programs in Canada.

    In 2016, the Hilltops claimed their 19^th Canadian Junior Football League championship in team history, their six national crown in the last seven years and their third championship win in a row. On Nov. 12 in Langford, B.C., the Hilltops downed the Westshore Rebels 37-25 to one again capture the Canadian Bowl championship trophy.

    In the process, Hilltops starting quarterback Jared Andreychuk became what is believed to be the third signal caller in CJFL history to guide a team to three straight national championship wins as a starter. Andreychuk, who exhausted his junior eligibility following the 2016 campaign, finished his CJFL career with a perfect 9-0 record in the post-season.

    The fun with the Hilltops comes from everything that goes around the team like enjoying the annual alumni game, involvement in community events or participating in team fundraising functions.

Joshua Ewanchyna runs in for a winning TD for the Hilltops.

    One of the best social functions came after the Hilltops played their final game at Taylor Field/old Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Oct. 1. The Hilltops fell behind the host Regina Thunder 26-16 with 2:21 to play but rallied for a 30-26 victory. Rookie running back Joshua Ewanchyna ran in the winning score with 48 seconds to play.

    Following that contest, the Hilltops had a nice pizza party outside the stadium for the players, coaches, team staff and player families before everyone boarded the bus to head home. It was a great time enjoying fellowship on a warm clear night in Regina.

    The Hilltops seemed built to create great memories, and those memories always help to brighten up any rough spots in life.

5.  Rams home opener and return to U of R

Ryan Schienbein catches a winning TD for the Rams.

    The University of Regina Rams home opener in 2016 ended up being more meaningful to me than I originally thought it would.

    I have strong ties to the athletics program at the University of Regina built from the years I attended school there, but it felt like things changed. After Frank McCrystal retired as Rams head coach following the 2014 season and Dick White retired as the school’s director of athletics in December of that same year, I went more than a full year without hearing from anyone in that athletics program.

    With having covered the WHL for so long, I just wrote that off as part of the business of sports. New people were in charge and they were going to do things their way and communicate with the people they felt most comfortable with. You just kind of move on while still holding a soft spot for the program.

    That changed this year when Steve Bryce, who was one of McCrystal’s former players, replaced Mike Gibson as Rams head coach, and Tanya (Hutchinson) Reynoldson, who is an alumna of the U of R’s Cougars women’s hockey program, replaced Curtis Atkinson as the school’s interim director of athletics. I started to hear from the U of R’s athletic program again.

The Rams celebrate a home opening win over the Bisons.

    I planned on seeing the Rams play one last time at Taylor Field/old Mosaic Stadium. Due to getting back in touch with the program, a quick visit turned more of an impromptu homecoming over a couple of days where I visited with coaches and met some current athletes. With Bryce as head coach of the Rams, I found out the team started renew ties with its alums which had been lost under Gibson.

    During the Rams home opener, I found myself on the field shooting pictures and it felt like old times.    
    The Rams trailed the visiting U of Manitoba Bisons 38-27 late in the fourth quarter and rallied for a 41-38 victory. With 25 seconds to play, Rams quarterback Noah Picton hit Ryan Schienbein with the game-winning touchdown pass, and the play literally happened right in front of me.

    The feeling of the Rams pulling out a game like that at Taylor Field was a definitely flashback. In that moment, it felt great to be home.

    I will always have a soft spot for the athletics program at the U of R, but I realized how special it was to feel that good about being home again that night. I have been back to a couple of other Rams games. I hope to be around at a few other U of R athletics events in the future too.

4. Run though the WHL playoffs

Jayce Hawryluk (#8) and Nolan Patrick (#19) enjoy a Wheat Kings win.

    In 2016, I so enjoyed hitting the road and getting on the WHL playoff trail.

    Originally, I planned to hit games in Saskatchewan centres, but those plans evolved to taking trips to Alberta and Manitoba. At first, it felt a bit weird to be working a WHL playoff game that didn’t include the Medicine Hat Tigers, due to the fact I covered the Tigers as a beat writer from 2004 to 2014. The last time I worked any WHL playoff games that didn’t involve the Tigers was way back in 2004.

    I was able to work a game in every round of the post-season, and I was very well received wherever I went. The two most memorable stops were Red Deer and Brandon. Both those cities’ teams went deep in the playoffs and ended up in the Memorial Cup tournament. The Red Deer Rebels were the host team and the Brandon Wheat Kings made it winning the WHL championship.

    Red Deer was really memorable due to the fact it seemed like everyone there remembered me from my days covering the Tigers. I was warmly received, and I had some good nights out on the town there. It was also interesting to see that the Rebels fans took the rivalry between the Rebels and Tigers as seriously as the fans in the Hat do.

Winger Jake DeBrusk breaks into the offensive zone for the Rebels.

    My young cousin Nelson Nogier was playing for the Rebels, and he had a chuckle when I mentioned I was having fun there. Nogier knows I like to have my moments of pleasure on the WHL beat. I made it back to Red Deer for a short time as a ticket buyer to enjoy part of the Memorial Cup tournament, which still included writing a couple of stories.

    Brandon was a blast as well. I hadn’t been to a Wheat Kings home game for a while, and it was wicked seeing the citizens of Brandon rally around that team. I was there to see the excitement when the Wheat Kings won the WHL Eastern Conference title against the Rebels.

    In the WHL championship series, I saw one of the craziest finishes ever, when the Wheat Kings took Game 2 of that series against the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2 in overtime. The overtime winner came courtesy of Wheat Kings forward Jayce Hawryluk, who deflected a puck in off Thunderbirds goalie Landon Bow into the net from a bad angle against the right corner boards in the Seattle zone. Hawryluk was trying to hit linemate Nolan Patrick with a backdoor feed.

    During that whole run, I learned I could enjoy working the WHL post-season without being an employee of a mainstream media outlet.

    I enjoyed the games, and was impressed I enjoyed them even though they didn’t involve the Tigers. Trust me, I totally enjoy any WHL post-season game that includes the Tigers, but I also enjoy seeing how each club in the league builds on their respective histories.

    Each team has its own unique stories that are fun to tell and live through. Those stories help give the WHL its character.

3. Final Roughriders home game at Taylor Field

Rider Nation soaks in the final Roughriders home game at Taylor Field.

    On Oct. 30, it was time for one last Saskatchewan Roughriders nostalgia trip at Taylor Field/old Mosaic Stadium.

    The CFL’s oldest franchise in Western Canada was playing its final game at its iconic home park. During the drive down from Saskatoon to Regina to attend that contest, it felt weird knowing that would be the final time I would see the Roughriders play at a facility I hold close to my heart.

    The day was festive when you arrived in the Queen City. It felt like a mix between a Labour Day Classic game and when the Roughriders hosted and won the 2013 Grey Cup. The festive activities included a kick butt halftime performance from country star Jess Moskaluke, who is from Langenburg, Sask.

    The post-game ceremony definitely took you on a trip down memory lane seeing all the old photos from years past. The day provided a great celebration of all the good things that went on at Taylor Field over the years.

Terrell Sinkfield Jr. makes an acrobatic TD catch for the Lions.

    The only downer was the fact the visiting B.C. Lions came away with a 24-6 victory. It was also familiar to see the fans super engaged with the contest.

    You would have thought the Grey Cup was on the line. The passion of Rider Nation was at its best.

    When the post-game ceremonies ended, I lingered around the field just soaking in the sites and the sounds like I did when I was there for the Roughriders 2013 Grey Cup victory. It was different to walk out of there after that game to a post-game party on the Dewdney Avenue strip.

    Taylor Field was the place that memories were made, and the memories from that park will always be special. It is still weird to think I will never see the Roughriders play there live ever again.

2. Stars keep getting brighter, excite on repeat long playoff run

The Stars celebrate a SFMAAAHL title win.

    There might not be anything that can bring a bigger smile to your face than seeing the Saskatoon Stars skate to greatness and look modest and excited while doing it.

    As my young cousin Danielle Nogier was playing out her final season of eligibility as the Stars captain, I thought it would be neat to cover their playoff run like a WHL post-season run. I figured the Stars had a good shot of repeating as Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champions and returning to the Esso Cup national championship tournament. I did have dreams of the Stars winning it all.

    With the way the schedule works out in the SFMAAAHL post-season, the Stars pretty much ended up playing every second day like a team in a WHL playoff run would.

    The Stars also have an outstanding group of players, coaches, staffers and the best parents group I had ever seen around a minor sports team. I felt pretty positive that this would be a good time.

Following the Stars took me on the road to Swift Current and Weyburn provincially as well as Shoal Lake, Man. During the run, it seems readers appreciated the fact I followed the Stars and their exploits as my page views big time spiked when I wrote about them.

    I also gained a new appreciation for how well Swift Current, Weyburn and Shoal Lake, Man., back their female midget AAA teams.

Emma Johnson makes a save in goal for the Stars.

    The highlight was seeing the Stars lock up the SFMAAAHL championship series in Swift Current with a 4-3 overtime victory over the host Diamond Energy Wildcats on March 26. At the 4:08 mark of the extra session, 14-year-old Stars forward Grace Shirley drove home the winner on a brilliant shot. Her goal celebration was just as good as winning tally.

    Another special night was seeing the Stars lock up the Western regional playdown series with a 3-1 victory over the Yellowhead Chiefs in Shoal Lake, Man. Star goalie Emma Johnson was stellar making 32 save to steal that win, while 18-year-old defender Rayah DeCorby blasted home the winner in the third period and added a key empty-net insurance goal.

    I followed the Stars to the Esso Cup national championship tournament, which was held in late April in Weyburn. They made it to the tournament’s semifinal. The goal dried up at that point, and they came away with a fourth place finish.

    The whole run was spectacular. I was glad I decided to pile up the road miles.

1. Huskies get sweet title sweep for Smuk

Kendall McFaull (#2) shows off Cody Smuk’s jersey.

    During my time of being involved in sports, I have never seen as much emotion around a championship win as when the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team captured this year’s Canada West championship.

    I have seen teams win national championships and numerous conference, league and provincial titles, but the emotion I saw when the Huskies won the Canada West title in memory of former teammate and alumnus Cody Smuk was unique. Smuk was a gritty forward, who played for the Huskies from 2010 to 2014, and he was known for his hard work and being the ultimate glue guy in the dressing room. He passed away from cancer in June of 2015.

The Huskies are all smiles after a goal from Logan McVeigh.

    For the whole 2015-16 campaign, the Huskies warmed up wearing Smuk’s #24 jersey. The Huskies men’s team retired Smuk’s #24 on Oct. 24, 2015. During the campaign, the Huskies piled up their wins and matched a team record for wins in a regular season finishing first in Canada West with a 22-6 mark.

    On March 5, the Huskies swept their “Forever Rivals” the U of Alberta Golden Bears taking Game 2 of a best-of-three Canada West championship series 3-2 at the ancient Rutherford Rink. Trailing the Golden Bears 1-0 entering the third period of that contest, the Huskies rolled off three straight goals to cement a championship victory.

    After the game, Huskies captain Kendall McFaull skated on to the ice with Smuk’s #24 jersey. McFaull along with third-year forward Josh Roach helped bring Smuk’s father, Marty, mother, Darla and fiancée, Stephanie Vause, on to the ice for the team championship picture. All three attended every Huskies home game.

The Huskies celebrate a Canada West title with Smuk’s family members.

    You could feel the real emotion from the Huskies men’s hockey team as well as the Huskies women’s hockey team, who were all in attendance that night.

    I really thought the Huskies men’s team was going to move on and win the University Cup national championship tournament, which was held in Halifax, N.S. The Huskies weren’t able to pull out the fairy tale finish.

    They won their quarter-final match in thrilling style on Parker Thomas’s OT winner, but dropped an OT heartbreaker in a semifinal match. The Dogs returned home with a fourth place finish.

    Still, the emotion of the Canada West championship win will be the dominate memory for the 2015-16 campaign. To this day, my post of the recap of that night’s events is still my most viewed blog post.

    The Huskies conference title win helped bring the healing process of Smuk’s passing to as much of a closure as you could get. That is something that is absolutely priceless.

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