Better to be asterisks champ than no champ at Memorial Cup

Old Regina Pats collectables from the 2000-01 campaign.

    Being the asterisks champ is fine and dandy, if you are the host team at the Memorial Cup.

    On Sunday, the Memorial Cup tournament host Regina Pats will try to capture junior hockey’s most prestigious trophy for the fourth time, when they face the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 5 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. The Pats last claimed the Memorial Cup back in 1974 downing the Quebec Remparts 7-4 in the national final held in Calgary Alta.

    Of course, there are a lot of sports purists that will be big time upset, if the Pats win the CHL title after bowing out in the first round of the WHL playoffs.

The Pats celebrate a goal by Nick Henry on Wednesday.

    The Pats did finish seventh overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 40-25-6-1 record and were bounced in a tough seven game series to the Swift Current Broncos, who were second overall in the WHL regular season at 48-17-5-2.

    The Broncos would move on to win the WHL title and go 0-3 in the round robin portion of the Memorial Cup dropping each of their contests by a one-goal margin.

    Regina was idle for 45 days before taking part in the Memorial Cup. It appears the coaches and players used that time constructively, as the Pats seem to be fresher and physically stronger than the three league champions at the event.

    The Pats story this season eerily mirrors the story of the Pats from the 2000-01 campaign, when the franchise last hosted the Memorial Cup. In both campaigns, the Pats were hovering around .500 at the WHL Christmas break, they made a number of trades after the Christmas break leading to the WHL’s trade deadline to strengthen the club, had a strong second half of the regular season, bowed out in the first round of the WHL playoffs and had a strong showing at the Memorial Cup.

Pats captain Barret Jackman in action in 2000.

    In the 2000-01 campaign, the Pats finished fourth overall in the WHL with 40 wins, 27 losses, three ties and two overtime losses. They fell to the Calgary Hitmen in six games in the first round of the WHL playoffs and sat idle for 47 days before taking part in the Memorial Cup.

    The Pats fell in their first two round robin games before downing the WHL champion Red Deer Rebels 5-2 in their final round robin game and eliminating the OHL champion Ottawa 67’s in a standings tiebreaker game 5-0.

    At that time, I lived in Regina and spent a lot of social time around the Pats. During the break, the players’ consensus was they didn’t care about arguments about not deserving to be there or getting in by the backdoor.

    They were working hard over those 47 days off, so you might as well go out and win the thing and proved you belong in that event. For a club that did bow out in the first round of the WHL post-season, the players on the Pats that season were incredibly tight. 

    They were backed by the support of a bigger group of friends they made that campaign through the University of Regina’s athletic teams.

Members of the Pats, the U of R Rams football team and the U of R Cougars teams were frequently out together in the same social circles.

Filip Novak in action for the Pats in 2000 at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre.

    The Pats bonds were really evident during a heartbreaking 5-4 overtime semifinal loss to the Val-d’Or Foreurs on May 26, 2001. With the game tied 3-3, Pats captain Barret Jackman scored on a beauty set up from behind the Val-d’Or net by power forward Garth Murray to give Regina a 4-3 lead.

    The Foreurs forced overtime inside of the final minute when a point shot by star forward Simon Gamache deflected off the stick of Pats left-winger Kevin Korol past netminder Chad Davidson into the Regina goal to create a 4-4 tie. That set the Foreurs up to win the contest in overtime, when a centring pass from Val-d’Or defenceman Chris Lyness from behind the Pats net hit Davidson’s stick deflecting into the goal.

Garth Murray warms up for the Pats in 2000.

    The setback was a gut punch for the Pats, who came so terribly close to making the CHL’s championship game.

    A day later, the Foreurs fell in the Memorial Cup final 6-5 to the Rebels in overtime with defenceman Doug Lynch scoring the winning goal.

    Unlike the Pats squad of 2000-01, the current Pats entered the 2017-18 campaign on the heels of reaching the WHL Championship series last season for the first time in 33 years. Regina fell in the 2017 battle for the WHL title in six games to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

    Star centre Sam Steel, centre Jake Leschyshyn, left-winger Nick Henry, left-winger Robbie Holmes and defencemen Josh Mahura and Liam Schioler are the holdovers from that team.

    If the Pats beat the Titan on Sunday, they won’t go down as one of the greatest clubs in the history of junior hockey that is revered like the 2004-05 London Knights, the 1994-95 Kamloops Blazers or the 1970-71 Quebec Remparts.

Captain Sam Steel will look to have another big game for the Pats on Friday.

    This year’s Pats won’t be held in the same esteem as their 1973-74 club that won the Memorial Cup by capturing a league championship along the way.
    Had the Pats found a way last year to win the WHL title series against the Thunderbirds and capture the Memorial Cup, they would be in that discussion amongst the greatest junior teams having a dream season topping the WHL regular season standings with a 52-12-7-1 record.

    The current Pats still have a huge opportunity to get their hands on junior hockey’s most prestigious trophy with one more win.
   The game will attract a large number of casual fans who will be engaged in the game and not care how the Pats got to that point. They will be consumed by the game in the present.

The Pats hope to celebrate a Memorial Cup title win on Sunday.

    If the Memorial Cup on Sunday means being viewed as backdoor champions, the Pats have enough good players and character to ensure they will do everything they can to make that happen.

    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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NHL shafting prospects that lack size

Adam Brooks led the WHL in scoring this past season.

    What is old has become new again if you are a small guy trying to make the NHL.

    When I covered the Regina Pats in the last half of the 1999-2000 season and first half of the 2000-01 campaign, two of their most exciting players to watch were Matt Hubbauer and Kevin Korol. Both were heart-and-soul skilled players, had tonnes of speed and competed hard night in and night out. Off the ice, they were gold in the dressing room becoming best friends with all of their teammates.

    Despite all their positive characteristics, you had a gut feeling that no matter how hard or how well Hubbauer and Korol performed they would never play in the NHL because of their size. Hubbauer stood 5-foot-10 and weighed 194 pounds, while Korol was 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds.

    While they played hard, it was viewed players like Hubbauer and Korol would not be able to hold up to the physical pounding a player takes in the NHL. Despite posting solid statistical seasons in their major junior careers, Hubbauer and Korol were never drafted and never played a shift in the regular season or playoffs in “The Show.”

    Fast forward to the current major junior campaign that is nearing completion with the Memorial Cup tournament getting underway Friday in Red Deer. Two of the most exciting players on the Pats this season were Adam Brooks and Cole Sanford. They were key in helping Regina advance to the second round of the WHL playoffs, where the Pats fell in an exciting seven-game series to the Memorial Cup hosting Red Deer Rebels.

Matt Hubbauer used to pile up points for the Pats.

    As a 19-year-old veteran, Brooks topped the WHL in regular season scoring with 38 goals and 82 assists playing in all 72 regular season games. Sanford was an overage right-winger the Pats acquired in a trade with the Medicine Hat Tigers. In 63 regular season games in 2015-16, Sanford had 41 goals and 39 assists. In four seasons in the WHL, Sanford collected 126 goals and 123 assists in 260 career regular season games.

    Both were dynamite in the Pats 12-game playoff run. Brooks pick up seven goals and 16 assists, and Sanford posted seven goals and nine assists.

    Both also have shortcomings in the size department. Brooks stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 175 pounds, while Sanford stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 165 pounds.

    Neither player has been selected in the NHL Entry Draft, and they will likely be camp bodies when NHL training camps open this fall. That will likely be the closest either player comes to appearing in an NHL regular season or playoff game. Barring something unforeseen, Brooks will be back with the Pats next season as an overager.

    It seems like NHL scouts are just looking for players that stand 6-foot-3 and weigh in the neighbourhood of 210 pounds. Gifted Brandon Wheat Kings Centre Nolan Patrick is viewed as a perfect prospect, because he has the size, as he stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds, to go along with his outstanding skill. The Winnipeg product isn’t eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until next year, so he will have lots of time to bulk up and fill out.

Cole Sanford (#26) has never been afraid to battle in the hard areas.

    The travesty is the fact the little guys with skill don’t seem to be on the radar of NHL scouts anymore. The WHL might be the most physical of any junior hockey circuit in the world, but players like Brooks and Sanford have still flourished. Both never shy away from battling the corners or other tough areas on the ice.

    They have proven they can play and should be given a real chance to make an NHL roster.

    At one time not long ago, the door was wide open for the little guy. From a period of about 2005 to 2008, there was a serious effort to crack down on obstruction at all levels of hockey. All of a sudden, the little guy with skill became a valuable asset.

    It was during this time that brilliant puck moving defenceman Kris Russell, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds, went from being the WHL’s most valuable player in 2006-07 with the Medicine Hat Tigers to becoming an NHL regular. Over nine NHL seasons, Russell has suited up for 573 regular season games collecting 38 goals and 139 assists.

Jordon Cooke of the Huskies has been the top goalie in the CHL and CIS.

    Forward Tyler Ennis, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 160 pounds, went from being a star with the Tigers to a first round selection by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. After going 26^th overall to the Sabres, Ennis has appeared in 368 career regular season games over seven seasons collecting 92 goals and 131 assists. While he was out most of last season with a concussion, Ennis proved he belongs in the NHL.

    Unfortunately, scouts have a little too much fear that smaller players have a greater chance of suffering injuries like concussions, so that fear helps little guys get overlooked. With that said, a lot of big players have suffered their share of concussion injuries over the years too.

    As a result, you can go to a Canadian university hockey men’s game and watch players like goaltender Jordon Cooke and forward Kohl Bauml shine with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. When you see both of those players perform, you think they should be in the professional ranks but realize they aren’t because of their size.

Kris Russell has played nine seasons in the NHL.

    Cooke, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds, came to the Huskies after having an outstanding WHL campaign in 2013-14 with the Kelowna Rockets, where he was named the Canadian Hockey League’s goalie of the year. Just think about that for a second. Cooke was voted the best goalie in all of major junior hockey, and he still didn’t get an NHL contract.

    That fact right there shows how difficult it is for the small guy to gain a legitimate chance to make an NHL team.

    Cooke had a spectacular campaign in 2015-16 for the Huskies posting a 19-5 record, a 2.52 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and two shutouts. His win total set a new Huskies regular season team record, and he was named the goaltender of the year for Canadian Interuniversity Sport and was a first team CIS all-star.

    Bauml, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 170 pounds, potted 30 goals and 30 assists in 71 games as an overager with the Everett Silvertips in 2014-15. He topped the Huskies in team scoring as a rookie recording 12 goals and 21 assists in 28 games. The Saskatoon product was named the rookie of the year for the Canada West Conference and was named to the CIS all-rookie team.

    You can keep adding from there to the list of small guys who are not getting a serious NHL look. These players have kicked down the door to prove they can play. All they need is another cycle to arise where NHL scouts come to their senses to allow small players to have legitimate shots to make the league again.

Back in the Express with Nogier

Nelson Nogier will play in the Memorial Cup tournament for a second time.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a story I really enjoyed writing.

    I had the opportunity to craft a feature story on my young cousin Nelson Nogier, who is about to appear in the Memorial Cup tournament for a second time. Nogier is a 19-year-old stay-at-home defenceman with the Red Deer Rebels, who are hosting the Memorial Cup. The Rebels open the tournament on Friday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights.

    The prospect of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets was a 16-year-old rookie with his hometown Saskatoon Blades when they hosted the Memorial Cup in 2013. Nogier, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds, joined the Rebels via a trade that came shortly before the WHL’s Christmas break in 2014.

    On a personal note, I had a lot of fun interviewing Nogier, and I had so much pride and enjoyed watching him help the Rebels make it to the WHL Eastern Conference championship series, which they lost to the eventual WHL champion Brandon Wheat Kings. My story on Nogier can be found right here.

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