Paterson gets one last hurrah from Saskatoon

Former Blades centre scores twice in Winterhawks win

Josh Paterson celebrates his first goal with the Winterhawks.

    Josh Paterson received his final salute from Saskatoon.

    The former Saskatoon Blades centre turned out to be the man of the moment on Saturday night at the SaskTel Centre. Suiting up for the visiting Portland Winterhawks, Paterson received a rousing ovation after a short video tribute played on the scoreboard big screen from the 3,872 spectators in attendance.

    The 19-year-old Edmonton, Alta., product scored two power-play goals in the second period to help power the Winterhawks to a 5-4 victory over the Blades in a highly entertaining WHL regular season game.

    At game’s end, Paterson was named the first star of the contest, and he received another round of applause from the spectators in attendance.

Josh Paterson scored twice for Portland.

    In the Winterhawks dressing room, he was presented military helmet given to the club’s hardest working player.

    Paterson was playing in just his second game with the Winterhawks having been dealt to Portland before the WHL’s trade deadline on Thursday.

    “It was a special night,” said Paterson, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds. “It was a quick turnaround, and they’ve been a great team to me.

    “They’ve welcomed me in like family. I’m just really excited to see where the rest of the season takes me.”

    As Paterson was interviewed, a couple of Blades office staffers walked past and gave him a pat on the back. While he was focused on helping the Winterhawks win a game that was a battle of two of the WHLs top teams, he was touched by the video tribute that played at the 4:15 mark of the first period.

    “It was nice to get recognized,” said Paterson, who played 246 regular season games with the Blades over three and a half seasons collecting 74 goals and 64 assists. “I’ve been here for a long time and had a lot of memories here.

    “It was nice to see that on the jumbotron.”

    Paterson was sent to the Winterhawks along with a second round selection in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and a fourth round pick in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft to the Blades in exchange for another Edmonton, Alta., product in 19-year-old left-winger Ryan Hughes.

Josh Paterson scores his first goal with the Winterhawks.

    Hughes was held off the scoresheet on Saturday night playing on a line with Blades 17-year-old star centre Kirby Dach.

    Paterson started the contest centring a forword line for Portland that had speedy 18-year-old Mason Mannek at right wing and Highland Village, Texas, product Cross Hanas, who turned 17-years-old earlier this month, at left wing.

    As the night moved on, Paterson was moved to left wing on Portland’s top line playing with star captain Cody Glass at centre and overage star Joachim Blichfeld at right wing.

Blades G Nolan Maier stops Winterhawks C Josh Paterson.

    With the Blades holding a 3-1 lead, Paterson potted his first power-play goal at the 5:13 mark holding his ground in front of the Blades net to cut the host side’s lead to 3-2. The tally was Paterson’s first goal with the Winterhawks.

    Glass and Blichfeld picked up helpers on that tally.

    “It was a nice relief,” said Paterson. “It was always great to score against the old team, and it was even special that it was that quick of a turnaround.”

    Paterson’s second power-play goal was a near copy of his first one, and it tied the contest up at 3-3 at the 8:52 mark of the second. Centre Jake Gricius and Glass picked up assists on that marker.

Mason Mannek had the winning goal on Saturday for the Winterhawks.

    Overall, Saturday’s contest was a high-paced back-and-forth affair. The Blades took a 2-0 lead and held a 2-1 edge heading into the first intermission.

    In the second period, Saskatoon went up 3-1 early in the frame only to see the Winterhawks roar back with three straight goals to take a 4-3 advantage.

    The Blades were able to tie things up at 4-4 heading into the second intermission.

    With 2:30 remaining in the third period, the Winterhawks scored the winning tally. A bad angled shot from defenceman Matthew Quigley hit the toe of Blades star netminder Nolan Maier and sat loose in the crease of the Saskatoon net.

    Mannek was positioned in front of the Saskatoon goal and he knocked the puck into the net to ultimately give the Winterhawks the win. The Herriman, Utah, product had a pair of goals and an assist in Portland’s victory.

Max Gerlach scored twice for the Blades.

    With just over a minute to play, the Blades had a golden chance to tie things up, when left-winger Gary Haden stole the puck from a Winterhawks defenceman in front of the Portland net and quickly fired a shot on goal.

    The glove hand of Winterhawks netminder Shane Farkas robbed Haden from recording a potential equalizer.

    Max Gerlach scored twice for the Blades, while Kyle Crnkovic and Dach had singles.

    Seth Jarvis tallied for Portland with 41.8 seconds remaining in the first period.

    Maier made 34 stops in goal for the Blades. Farkas turned away 35 shots in goal for the Winterhawks.

    “It was a great game,” said Paterson. “There were two of the top teams in the league, and it was great to see that battle.

    “It was very entertaining for the fans.”

Gary Haden had a chance to tie things late for the Blades.

    Saskatoon fell to 26-13-6 with the setback but remains one point ahead of Portland for third overall in the WHL. The Blades were playing their 10^th game in 17 days since returning from their WHL Christmas break.

    They return to action this coming Friday, when they host the Regina Pats at 7 p.m. local time at the SaskTel Centre.

    Portland improved to 26-12-3-2 and won five of six outings on a road trip playing all six WHL East Division teams. That road jaunt concluded with Saturday’s win over the Blades.

    The Winterhawks now enjoy six days off. They return to action next Saturday when they host the Everett Silvertips at 5 p.m. local time at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

    Having spent the last two nights staying with the Winterhawks in a hotel, Paterson will spent Saturday night staying with his Blades billet family. On Sunday, he will load up his car and head out to Portland.

The Winterhawks celebrate their victory over the Blades on Saturday.

    “It will be weird waking up and not seeing the same guys in the room every day,” said Paterson. “I’m looking forward to the next chapter here, and it will be a great opportunity for me moving forward.”

    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 get Hughes, give up Paterson to Winterhawks

The Blades traded Josh Paterson to the Winterhawks on Thursday.

    The Saskatoon Blades added a dynamic and skilled forward on WHL trade deadline day, but it came with a bit of a cost.

    Before Thursday’s 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time league trade deadline, the Blades acquired 19-year-old left-winger Ryan Hughes from the Portland Winterhawks. To get Hughes, the Blades sent veteran 19-year-old centre Josh Paterson, a second round selection in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and a fourth round pick in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft to Portland.

    The players involved in the deal are both Edmonton, Alta., products.

    Hughes, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 153 pounds, made the Winterhawks as a list player in his 16-year-old season. In 223 career regular season games in Portland, Hughes piled up 64 goals and 87 assists.

    In helping the Winterhawks build the WHL’s fourth best record so far this season at 25-11-3-2, Hughes, who was an assistant captain in Portland, has appeared in 36 games collecting 17 goals, 23 assists and a plus-five rating in the plus-minus department.

    Paterson was selected by the Blades in the second round and 25^th overall in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft. Since making Saskatoon’s roster as a 16-year-old rookie, Paterson, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, became a reliable two-way centre.

    In 246 career regular season games with the Blades, Paterson has 74 goals and 64 assists. In helping the Blade build the WHL’s third best record to date at 26-12-5 in the 2018-19 campaign, Paterson, who was a Blades assistant captain, appeared in 41 contests collecting 14 goals, 18 assists and a plus-eight rating.

    “First and foremost, we want to thank Josh (Paterson) for everything he has done for us and his parents, Sheryl and Brad,” said Blades general manager Colin Priestner in a release. “They’re at a lot of games and have become a big part of the Blades family over the past four years.

    “Josh was the first player I ever drafted and him signing with us when we were an unproven young team was a big deal for us, and I’ll always be grateful to Josh for that.”

    Priestner was pleased the Blades could pick up Hughes.

    “To get a first line, dynamic left-winger in Ryan, there’s always a price to pay,” said Priestner in the release. “To acquire a player with the speed and skill that Ryan possesses, along with 27 games of playoff experience, was big for us and for our coaching staff.

    “It’s difficult to find players who can produce like he can, and at the speed he can, and he’s coming from a great program that he’s spent the past four years in. These deals are never easy to make, but we’re very excited to add Ryan to our group and we’re looking forward to seeing him on the ice this weekend.”

    The Blades return to action on Friday, when they host the Calgary Hitmen (20-16-3-1) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. The Blades and Winterhawks will go at it on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

Raiders add trio before deadline

Boston Bilous in action for the Oil Kings last season.

    The Prince Albert Raiders tweaked with their roster adding a trio of players before Thursday’s WHL trade deadline.

    The Raiders acquired 17-year-old goaltender Boston Bilous from the Edmonton Oil Kings in exchange for a conditional sixth round selection in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft. Bilous, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 173 pounds, is in his second full WHL season.

    With the Oil Kings, he has appeared in 10 games this season posting a 3-4-1 record, a 3.56 goals against average, a .859 save percentage and one shutout.

    The Raiders also picked up 18-year-old defenceman Loeden Schaufler from the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for an eighth round pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft. Schaufler, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 184 pounds, has appeared in 21 regular season games this season split between the Kootenay Ice and Thunderbirds posting two assists and a minus-eight rating.

    The Raiders added 17-year-old forward Bryce Bader and a conditional sixth around WHL Bantam Draft selection from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for WHL rights to 17-year-old forward Quinn Olson and a conditional sixth round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft.

    Bader, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 205 pounds, has appeared in 10 regular season games in the current campaign with the Hitmen posting four goals and a plus-two rating.

    All three players still possess the potential to make a great impact in the league in the future. At the moment, they add extra depth to the Prince Albert roster.

    The Raiders, who sit first overall in the WHL at 35-5-0-1 and are rated first in the CHL’s Top 10 rankings, return to action on Friday, when they host the Portland Winterhawks at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

Hofer heads to Portland

Joel Hofer is now a member of the Winterhawks.

    The Portland Winterhawks might have made the most significant trade one day before Thursday’s WHL trade deadline that will likely give them a bigger chance to go on a long playoff run.

    On Wednesday in a blockbuster move, the Winterhawks acquired 18-year-old goaltender Joel Hofer from the Swift Current Broncos in exchange six WHL Bantam Draft selections. Portland gave up its first round selections in 2019 and 2021, a second round pick in 2020, a third round pick in 2019, a fourth round pick in 2020 and a fifth round pick in 2020.

    Hofer has appeared in 49 regular season games over two campaigns for the Broncos posting a 14-24-5 record, a 3.55 goals against average, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts.

    He was the Broncos backup goalie last season when they won the WHL title and appeared in the Memorial Cup tournament in Regina. Last June, Hofer was selected in the fourth round and 107^th overall in the NHL Entry Draft held in Dallas, Texas.

    With the Broncos going under a massive rebuild, Hofer has done his best to hold the Swift Current side in games as the starter this season. In 30 regular season games with the Broncos in the current campaign, Hofer has posted a 6-21-3 record, a 4.02 goals against average, a .904 save percentage and one shutout.

    The Broncos sit last in the 22-team WHL with an 8-29-2-1 record.

    The Winterhawks sit fourth overall in the WHL at 25-11-3-2.

    The Broncos return to action on Saturday, when they host the Seattle Thunderbirds (13-21-4) at 7 p.m. at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex.

    The Winterhawks resume play on Friday, when they travel to Prince Albert to take on the Raiders at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

    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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Rookie Crnkovic pushes Blades past Thunderbirds

Kyle Crnkovic had a big night for the Blades.

    It appears 16-year-old rookie left-winger Kyle Crnkovic is going to have an extended stay with the Saskatoon Blades top six forward unit.

    If the young Chestermere, Alta., product is dropped off the team’s top two lines, the Blades coaches will likely have a lot of doubts regarding if they are doing the right thing.

    Playing on a line with 17-year-old Tristen Robins at centre and 18-year-old Eric Florchuk at right wing, Crnkovic had a goal and two assists to push the Blades past the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-3 in a WHL regular season contest on Tuesday night before 3,037 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

    The outburst was Crnkovic’s first multiple point night of his WHL career, and he now has three goals and six assists in his last nine games.

    “It felt really good,” said Crnkovic, who has four goals and nine assists in 27 games this season. 

    “Obviously, it is awesome to get the two points, and to contribute, it feels awesome.”

Kyle Crnkovic has three goals and six assists in his last nine games.

    Over the last stretch of games for the Blades, Crnkovic, who stands just under 5-foot-7 and weighs 153 pounds, has been very noticeable with the energy he brings on every shift. While he may be the smallest player on the ice in most of Saskatoon’s games, he doesn’t shy away from battles or going into the corners or in front of the net.

    During his last nine games with the Saskatoon squad, Crnkovic’s offensive talents are showing through, which saw the Blades select him in the first round and 10^th overall in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. He has seen extra playing time during the Blades last four games due to the fact star 17-year-old centre Kirby Dach has been out with a lower body injury.

The Blades celebrate a power-play goal from Josh Paterson (#61).

    Blades head coach Mitch Love has enjoyed seeing Crnkovic take off.

    “You could see the confidence growing,” said Love. “I think obviously that comes with added ice time.

    “As a hockey coach, you want to find that trust in those young kids. He is doing a good job away from the puck, which is earning him more ice time. Nobody has ever questioned his offensive capabilities here and his skill set, and I think that was very evident tonight.”

    So far this season, Crnkovic believes he has given a solid effort every night, but he has received some breaks offensively as of late.

    “I think I have been playing the same way,” said Crnkovic. “I think just some luck is coming my way.

    “I am just trying to keep playing hard the second half.”

Blades G Dorrin Luding (#31) stops Seattle LW Andrej Kukuca.

    After the Thunderbirds took a 1-0 lead early in the first, Crnkovic went to work. At the 15:24 mark of the opening frame, he slipped a backhand shot past Thunderbirds netminder Cole Schwebius on a breakaway to tie things up at 1-1.

    Just 2:06 after that tally with the Blades working on the power play, Crnkovic had the puck at the left side boards in the Seattle zone. He centred a smart pass to centre Josh Paterson, who knocked home his 14^th goal of the season to give the Blades a 2-1 lead.

    Crnkovic was pleased he could make both plays

    “They were both good,” said Crnkovic. “They were both good to get.

    “It feels good to contribute and help the team win.”

Aiden De La Gorgendiere looks to make a pass for the Blades.

    The Thunderbirds scored late in the first and early in the second to go ahead 3-2.

    At the 13:49 mark of the second, the Blades tied things up at 3-3, when captain Chase Wouters tipped home a shot from linemate Max Gerlach.

    Before the second frame expired, Blades 16-year-old rookie defenceman Aidan De La Gorgendiere broke into the Seattle zone on a rush and slipped a pass to right-winger Eric Florchuk to spring him in alone on the Thunderbirds goal.

    Florchuk slipped a shot between the legs of Thunderbirds netminder Cole Schwebius to give the Blades a 4-3 lead with 2:40 remaining in the frame. Crnkovic picked up his second assist of the game on Florchuk’s tally.

    The rookie winger said he has enjoyed playing on a line with Florchuk and Robins and has enjoyed the fact he is starting to contribute offensively.

A young fan cheers on Blades LW Riley McKay.

    “At the start it was tough just getting used to the league,” said Crnkovic. “I think as it has gone on and getting comfortable with the players around me, it is getting a lot better.”

    Zach Ashton, captain Nolan Volcan and Matthew Wedman replied with singles for the Thunderbirds. Wedman had an assist and won a third period fight against Wouters to record the Gordie Howe hat trick for Seattle.

    Ashton’s tally was the first of his WHL career. The 17-year-old defenceman was acquire in a trade with the Blades last Wednesday, which saw veteran defenceman Reece Harsch, who is in his 19-year-old season, land in Saskatoon.

Eric Florchuk (#17) fires a shot on goal for the Blades.

    Harsch, who was playing his fourth game with the Blades, was happy to get the win against his former team.

    “It felt pretty good,” said Harsch. “I had a lot of memories with those guys and that team and that organization, so it definitely felt good to get the win tonight.”

    Dorrin Luding turned away 33 shots in goal for the Blades, who improved to 26-12-5 to sit third overall in the WHL. Schwebius stopped 28 shots in goal for the Thunderbirds, who fell to 12-21-4.

    Love was pleased his side controlled a scoreless third period, where the Blades held a 14-9 edge in shots on goal. 

Matthew Wedman had a Gordie Howe hat trick for the Thunderbirds.

    The Saskatoon bench boss thought his team spent too much time in its own zone in the second frame.

    “For our guys to regroup and outshoot them in the third period I thought we really did a good job of limiting their offensive opportunities,” said Love, whose club was playing their eighth game in 13 days. “There were a lot of shots from the outside.

    “I am real proud of the guys’ effort, especially in this stretch of hockey. This has been a grind for our guys. It was very noticeable tonight against a very heavy and competitive team in the Thunderbirds.

    “We stuck with it and found a way to win a hockey game.”

    The Thunderbirds return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Prince Albert to take on the Raiders (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

    The Blades return to action on Friday, when they host the Calgary Hitmen (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

Going forward into the rest of the season, Crnkovic said wants to keep playing as well as possible.

The Blades celebrate their victory over the Thunderbirds on Tuesday.

    “I am just going to try and play my game and work hard every day in practice and I think just try and contribute to the team any way I can,” he said.

    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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Harsch fitting in with Blades, nets goal in 5-2 win

Reece Harsch was recently acquired by the Blades via a trade with Seattle.

    Saskatoon Blades newcomer Reece Harsch showed how important it was to play to the whistle.

    On Sunday before 3,627 spectators at the SaskTel Centre, Harsch was skating in just his third game with the Blades as they took on the Brandon Wheat Kings. Harsch, who is a 19-year-old defenceman, was acquired in a trade last Wednesday with the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for 17-year-old defenceman Zach Ashton and a fifth round selection in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft.

    With the Blades locked in a 1-1 tie in the first period with the Wheat Kings, Harsch found an opportune time to score his first goal with his new club.

    Left-winger Riley McKay, who is the Blades agitator, took a cross check behind the Wheat Kings goal from Brandon defenceman Vinny Iorio, and the officials were set to blow the whistle on a delayed penalty call as soon as a Brandon player touched the puck.

Reece Harsch scored his first goal with the Blades on Sunday.

    The Wheat Kings players on the ice seemingly stopped, when Iorio’s cross check occurred. Blades centre Josh Paterson had the puck at the left side of the Brandon goal, and he slipped a pass across the front of the net to Harsch, who pinched down from the point.

    Harsch skated to the Brandon net untouched and slipped a shot past Wheat Kings netminder Jiri Patera to give the Blades a 2-1 lead. Saskatoon ultimately skated to a 5-2 victory in the WHL regular season clash.

    “It was pretty special,” said Harsch, who has three goals and eight assists in 31 games played between the Thunderbirds and Blades this season. “It was a nice pass by Patty (Josh Paterson).

    “It was great vision by him. I was just able to slip it through the arms of him (Patera). What do you know, it went in.”

    Following his goal, Harsch realized something else must have happened on the play. Since McKay wasn’t hurt, Harsch’s goal was celebrated and the focus returned to the game.

The Blades celebrate Reece Harsch’s first period goal.

    “I didn’t really notice it until after I was just looking at the net to see if the puck actually went in,” said Harsch, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 198 pounds. “Then, I looked up and I just saw McKay laying on the ground.

    “I’m not really too sure what happened actually.”

    Harsch played three-and-a-half seasons with the Thunderbirds before arriving in Saskatoon. During his time in Seattle, he helped the Thunderbirds win a WHL title in the 2016-17 campaign and qualify for the Memorial Cup tournament, which was held that season in Windsor, Ont.

Goalie Jiri Patera (#33) makes one of his 32 saves on Sunday.

    With Saskatoon having finished a stretch of playing three games in three days on Sunday, Blades head coach Mitch Love said Harsch brought everything that was expected from a veteran presence. Saskatoon lost 19-year-old defenceman Nolan Kneen to a lower body injury in Friday’s 2-1 overtime win over the Regina Pats, which added extra significance to Harsch’s arrival.

    “He (Harsch) is a very calming influence back there,” said Love. “He doesn’t seem to be rattled by too much.

    “He is an experience guy who has been to a Memorial Cup and won a league championship here. I am sure there is not a lot that gets to him. That is the way he plays the game.

Nolan Maier makes one of his 27 saves in goal for the Blades.

    “He has definitely helped our back end, especially this weekend.”

    Harsch’s play has also impressed Blades captain Chase Wouters.

    “I thought he (Harsch) has played really well,” said Wouters. “He is a really good addition to the back end.

    “He is a right-handed shot that like to get pucks up early, and he is a big body out there. He helps us a lot.”

    “He won the championship there (in Seattle). He adds a piece to our group that we don’t have.”

    Harsch said he has been accepted really quickly into the group the Blades have.

    “It is awesome,” Harsch. “It is a little different coming to a (new) team. I only knew a couple of guys.

Max Gerlach scored the Blades first goal on Sunday.

    “Guys were so nice. They’ve been really helpful for me.”

    In Sunday’s contest, the Wheat Kings got a quick jump on the host side with left-winger Ben McCartney scoring 53 seconds into the contest to take a 1-0 lead.

    The Brandon lead didn’t last. Just under three minutes later, Blades overage right-winger Max Gerlach potted his 24^th goal of the season to tie things up at 1-1.

    Harsch then potted his tally to give the Blades a 2-1 edge. With 43.3 seconds remaining in the opening frame, Wheat Kings star right-winger Luka Burzan scored on a two-man advantage to even things up at 2-2.

    From there, the Blades slowly took control of the game.

    At the 3:27 mark of the second period, the Blades jumped ahead 3-2, when Paterson slid home a goal underneath Patera.

Luka Burzan had the Wheat Kings second goal on Sunday.

    Saskatoon extended its advantage to 4-2 at the 7:45 mark of the third period, when right-winger Zach Huber knocked home a loose puck in the crease of the Brandon goal.

    Blades star netminder Nolan Maier made a sensational kick save on a breakaway by McCartney. Saskatoon import defenceman Emil Malysjev rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal with 33.8 seconds remaining in the third.

    After going ahead in the second period, Blades 17-year-old rookie defenceman Majid Kaddoura left the game for a short time, when he was hit by Wheat Kings right-winger Baron Thompson. Thompson received a major penalty for checking to the head and a game misconduct, and that play will be automatically be reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

    Kaddoura actually got cut on the play by his own stick. He finished the game after getting stitched up.

Zach Huber (#19) scores to put the Blades up 4-2 in the third period.

    Maier made 27 stops in goal for the Blades, who sit third overall in the WHL at 25-12-5. Patera turned away 32-of-36 shots to take the setback in goal for the Wheat Kings (16-15-3-3).

    “I really liked how our guys battled tonight,” said Love, whose team has played seven games in 11 days since returning from the WHL Christmas break. “I think it was evident.

    “We had a few guys leave the hockey game in stretches just because they put themselves in the battle. That was the big message going into today’s hockey game of just playing the game the right way the way we want to play with structure and what not.

    “At the same time, we just needed to be more competitive and have a little bit more fight, especially against a team that was sitting here waiting for us. I was very proud of our guys and our effort, and we are going to try and build off of that.”

The Blades celebrate their 5-2 win on Sunday.

    The Wheat Kings return home to host the Portland Winterhawks at 7 p.m. local time at Westoba Place.

    The Blades return to action on Tuesday when they host the Seattle Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. local time at the SaskTel Centre.

    Harsch said he has lots of good memories from his time in Seattle, and it will be strange for himself to face the Thunderbirds so soon after being traded to Saskatoon.

    “It is going to be different,” said Harsch. “I’ve been wearing that jersey for three-and-a-half years.

    “Now coming in and seeing all these familiar faces, it is going to be different, but it is going to be pretty special.”

    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 buck Broncos 5-2 to start new year

Kirby Dach scored for the Blades on Tuesday.

    Saskatoon Blades gave the SaskTel Centre faithful sweet treat on New Year’s Day.

    In an afternoon game played before 3,818 spectators, the Blades received goals from five different players to down the Swift Current Broncos 5-2. The WHL regular season tilt was a competitive one as the Blades held a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period and a 2-1 advantage at the end of the second frame.

    The Blades opened the game’s scoring at the 13:33 mark of the first period on a power-play goal from overage right-winger Max Gerlach, who knocked home the puck from the left side of the Swift Current goal.

    Saskatoon extended its edge to 2-0 at the 2:31 mark of the second, when right-winger Josh Paterson knocked home the rebound of a shot taken from linemate Kyle Crnkovic.

    The Broncos didn’t go away. Inside of the final 20 seconds of the second, Broncos 16-year-old rookie defenceman Billy Sowa potted his second goal of the season to cut the Blades lead to 2-1.

    In the third, the Blades jumped ahead 3-1, when captain Chase Wouters converted a tick-tack-toe passing play from Gerlach and left-winger Gary Haden.

    Saskatoon’s lead grew to 4-1, when 17-year-old centre Kirby Dach scored on a breakaway with a backhand shot.

    With 4:55 remaining in the third, Alec Zawatsky scored for the Broncos to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 4-2.

Captain Chase Wouters scored for the Blades on Tuesday.

    The comeback hopes for the visitors were short lived.

    With 62 seconds remaining in the third, Blades left-winger Riley McKay cut across the front of the Swift Current goal and scored on a backhander.

    Nolan Maier made 17 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Blades, who improved to 23-11-5. Joel Hofer turned away 41 shots to take the setback in goal for the rebuilding Broncos, who fell to 7-27-2-1.

    Tuesday’s game had its feisty moments too.

    Near the end of the first period, McKay and Broncos right-winger Tanner Nagel engaged in a fight.

    There was also a skirmish at the 11:48 mark of the second period that saw fighting majors assessed to Broncos defenceman Matthew Stanley, Blades right-winger Zach Huber and Blades centre Randen Schmidt.

    The Blades return to action on Friday, when they host the Regina Pats at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. The Broncos return home to host the Portland Winterhawks on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex.

Raiders put Pats winning streak on ice

Sergei Sapego scored the winning goal for the Raiders on Tuesday.

    The Prince Albert Raiders had to put the pedal to the metal to put away a very game Regina Pats side on New Year’s Day.

    On Tuesday afternoon before 5,877 spectators at the Brandt Centre in Regina, the Pats, who are in a major rebuild, took a 3-2 lead over the Raiders in the third period. The Raiders rallied scoring the final three goals of the contest to pull out a 5-3 victory and bring an end to the Pats three game winning streak.

    The Pats downed the Raiders 2-1 when the two sides met on Sunday in Prince Albert.

    With the Pats holding a 3-2 lead in Tuesday’s WHL regular season clash, Raiders overage centre Sean Montgomery netted the equalizer from the left slot on a beauty backhand set up pass from linemate Parker Kelly to force a 3-3 tie with 8:56 remaining in the third period.

    Raiders import defenceman Sergei Sapego scored the winning goal with a point blast through a screen on the power play with 4:21 remaining in the third. Kelly cemented the win with an empty-net goal with one second remaining in the third.

    Kelly also opened the game’s scoring with a short-handed goal 19 seconds into the second period.

Veteran left-winger Robbie Holmes responded for the Pats to send the two sides into the second intermission locked in a 1-1 tie.

Noah Gregor had three assists for the Raiders on Tuesday.

    Early in the third, star left-winger Cole Fonstad scored to put the Raiders up 2-1. Just 14 seconds after Fonstad’s goal, overage defenceman Liam Schioler netted the equalizer for the Pats to tie things up at 2-2.

    Just 82 seconds after Schioler’s goal, the Pats jumped ahead 3-2 on a goal from left-winger Riley Krane. That set the stage for the Raiders final surge to win the game.

    Brett Balas made 20 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders, who improve their WHL leading record to 34-3-0-1. The Raiders are the top rated team in the CHL’s Top 10 rankings.
    Max Paddock turned away 51-of-55 shots to take the setback in goal for the Pats, who fell to 12-25-0-1.
    Raiders star overage centre Noah Gregor had three assists in the win and has recorded points in his last seven consecutive games. During that stretch, Gregor has recorded 10 goals and seven assists.

    The Raiders return to action on Friday, when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. The Pats are also off until Friday when they travel to Saskatoon to face the Blades at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    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 deserve more fans in the stands at SaskTel Centre

The Blades celebrate their Dec. 9 win over the Raiders.

    If fictional play-by-play voice Harry Doyle from the movie Major League had a sports talk show about the Saskatoon Blades, his intro might go something like this.

    “Hi folks, this is Harry Doyle and welcome to Saskatoon Blades Banter. In case you haven’t noticed – and judging by attendance you haven’t – the Blades have won a few lately.”

    Actually, the Blades sit fourth overall in the 22-team WHL or second overall in the 12-team Eastern Conference with a 21-10-4 record at the Christmas break. Saskatoon has the same amount of points in the standings as the Vancouver Giants at 46, but the Giants are placed third overall in the league standings due to having more wins at 22-8-2.

    While the Blades have risen to the status of being one of the WHL’s top teams, fans in “the Bridge City” seem skeptical of a franchise that hasn’t made the post-season since hosting the Memorial Cup in 2013. Saskatoon just missed out on making the playoffs in each of the past two campaigns going 28-35-7-2 in 2016-17 and 35-33-3-1 last season.

Kirby Dach is one of the Blades bright young stars.

    After 15 home dates, the Blades are averaging 3,658 spectators per game at the SaskTel Centre, which seats 15,195. The Blades haven’t been that low for an average attendance in a season since they averaged 3,361 spectators per game back in the 2003-04 campaign, when they posted a franchise worst record of seven wins, 52 losses, 11 ties and two overtime setbacks.

    The list of reasons why people in Saskatoon say they don’t go to Blades games seems to be as long as the Trans-Canada Highway.

    Traveling the WHL circuit specifically in Saskatchewan over the past three seasons has allowed me to come to the conclusion that the other four league centres in the province in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Swift Current support their teams better than Saskatoon does.

    Like Saskatoon, fans in the other four Saskatchewan centres with WHL teams have had their reasons not to go to games over the years during down times. It also seems the bad feelings disappear quickly in those centres, when the players work hard and the team shows improvement in the win column.

Netminder Nolan Maier has been sensational in goal for the Blades.

    If the team rises to the point of being one the WHL’s top clubs, the rinks in the other four Saskatchewan centres fill up.

    It feels like Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Swift Current are more blue collar than Saskatoon. That characteristic sees people in those centres rally around their hockey teams that much quicker than “Toon Town” does.

    Saskatoon as a centre seems to have a split personality. It has a sizable arts side to its personality, where a large amount of people see themselves as being sophisticated. They will go to Blades games, if it is the trendy thing to do in order to be seen.

    Those are the cards the Blades management and staff have to work with.

Maybe it would be helpful for attendance if a Starbucks was built on the grounds of the SaskTel Centre. With that said, there is great specialty coffee stand at the rink.

Nolan Kneen has been a big pick up via the trade route.

    Blades president Steve Hogle likes to explore and enjoy all of the Saskatoon’s special aspects, so maybe he can make a few more visits to the Remai Modern art museum with his lovely wife, Cathy, in a bid to help attendance. Hogle has overseen some great promotions and presentations around the game since joining the Blades in 2013.

    A number of Blades staffers have attended Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan performances during the summer months.

    It should be noted that the diehards that head to the SaskTel Centre regularly for Blades games are great supporters, so the team does have that going for them as a building block.

    With the product coming around on the ice, the Blades have to stay the course and keep up their activities of getting connected into the community like they have in the last five to six seasons. It is not a quick fix for the attendance woes, but it is a stay the course thing you have to hope pays off.

Brandon Schuldhaus has been a key trade pick up.

    The Blades best asset are their players, who interact with the public the most and are out in the community. The Blades have put together a roster full of excellent young men. The more the public gets to see that side of the players the more they will get the urge to attend games.

    For the on ice product, the Blades two biggest selling points revolve around centre Kirby Dach and netminder Nolan Maier, who are 17-year-old stars both in their second full seasons in the league. Dach has huge potential to first round selection in next year’s NHL Entry Draft.

    He leads the Blades in scoring with 14 goals and 28 assists, while posting a plus-five rating in the plus-minus department. His ability to play well on the defensive side of the game is vastly underrated.

    Maier burst on to the scene last season with a number of remarkable performances. He had some bumps in the road early on this season, but he has really found his stride over the last month to cement his reputation as being one of the best goalies in the league.

A couple of young fans cheer on the Blades.

    The Yorkton, Sask., product is having a solid campaign posting a 17-8-3 record, a 2.80 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and two shutouts.

    Dach and Maier are mirror images of recent star grads coming from a couple of the Blades provincial rivals in Adam Brooks and Sam Steel of the Regina Pats and Glenn Gawdin and Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos.

    Like those four recent grads, Dach and Maier don’t skip any steps in working to be better. You never have to worry about them, because you know they will always do the right thing. They personable and the perfect people you want representing your team.

    Another pair of players who are invested in the team and are veteran career members in 19-year-old right-winger and assistant captain Josh Paterson and 18-year-old captain Chase Wouters. Paterson has had a sound campaign recording 10 goals and 17 assists in 33 regular season games, while posting a plus-eight rating.

Chase Wouters has taken on a new role this season as Blades captain.

    Wouters is off to a little slower start offensively posting five goals and 10 assists appearing in all of the Blades 35 games taking over as the Blades captain this season. His work ethic has still been there. He is extremely intelligent, and you can expect the offensive totals to rise the more he finds the balance with the leadership responsibilities he has been entrusted with and his personal game.

    Overager Dawson Davidson has cemented his role as an offensive defenceman as he sits second in team scoring with seven goals and 27 assists for 34 points. He is recorded a plus-seven rating to go along with his point totals.

Dawson Davidson sits second overall in Blades team scoring.

    The duo that has really turned heads on the back end are overager Brandon Schuldhaus and 19-year-old Nolan Kneen. Both were acquired in trades during the first half of the campaign.

    Schuldhaus and Kneen have become the Blades top defensive pair, and they are the go to due in obvious shut down situations. They both offensive ability as well to go along with toughness and grit.

    Saskatoon’s blue-line improved by leaps and bounds, when they arrived in town.

    The Blades have youngsters who could turn out to be great players in the near future in 16-year-old rookies Kyle Crnkovic, who is a left-winger, and defenceman Aidan De La Gorgendiere. Both are still getting their feet wet in the WHL and have looked like regulars when they’ve hit the ice.

Josh Paterson is again putting up solid offensive totals for the Blades.

    Crnkovic, who has one goal and four assists in 19 games, has shown flashes of being very creative in recent games showing why he was selected by the club in the first round and 10^th overall in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. The Chestermere, Alta., product is already forcing the Blades coaching staff to consider using him in bigger roles.

    Speaking of the coaches, first year head coach Mitch Love has been as good as advertised. He came to the Blades having been an assistant coach and an assistant to the general manager with the Everett Silvertips last season.

    The 34-year-old came to the Blades with the reputation of being one of the best and brightest young and up and coming coaches in the league have also worked in Hockey Canada’s system. When he arrived in Saskatoon, Love gave credit to former head coach Dean Brockman and his staff saying they had done some real good working bring the players a long way.

Rookie Kyle Crnkovic could see larger minutes as the season goes on.

    Brockman and the Blades parted ways at the end of last season, and he is now the head coach and director of hockey operations with the Swift Current Broncos.

    Love, who is very accommodating, and his staff have successfully built off the foundation that they have inherited. While they look for continued improvement, they have put their stamp on the team.

    Colin Priestner has learned and improved in each season since taking over the role as Blades general manager before the start of the 2016-17 campaign. Priestner, whose father Mike owns the team, has made some really good trades over the past three years and overseen some good Bantam Drafts.

Riley McKay has provided energy playing the role of agitator.

    Priestner is showing he is turning out to be pretty accomplished in the general manager’s role, and he will likely be viewed that way when the dust settles over the long term.

    Besides bringing in Schuldhaus and Kneen, Priestner has added forwards Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk and Gary Haden via the trade route over the past two seasons, and that trio adds a lot to the Blades with regards to scoring depth.
    Left-winger Riley McKay adds more spice on the ice adding energy as an agitator, while finding ways to add offensive contributions.

    Now, it just has to become the trendy thing to do in Saskatoon to attend Blades games.

Max Gerlach has remained a hot sharpshooter for the Blades.

    On the topic of looking good, the Blades brought back their classic Pac-Man look as their regular full-time look before the start of last season. The Blades wore that blue and gold look for some of their most successful years spanning from 1982 to 1994 posting a 479-353-32 regular season record over that time. Saskatoon reached the WHL championship series wearing that look in 1992 and 1994 and falling in seven games on both of those occasions.

    The Blades Pac-Man jerseys are still one of the best looking uniforms in hockey, so hopefully the trendy folks in Saskatoon take notice of that too.

    Wearing the Pac-Mans, the Blades gave their archrivals and the number one ranked team in the CHL in the Prince Albert Raiders (31-2-0-1) one of their three losses this season. In a beauty game, the Blades blanked the Raiders 1-0 on Dec. 9 at the SaskTel Centre.

The Blades hope to enjoy a number of victory celebrations after Christmas.

    The Blades have a great group to support, and they are winning and winning is always fun. Like the other for WHL Saskatchewan centres, here is hoping all the people in Saskatoon can let loose and feel free to indulge in the fun the Blades are providing this season.

    They return to action on Thursday when the host the Raiders at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    I know the team would love to see you all at the rink.

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

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