Warriors fly to new heights in memorable 2023-24 campaign

The Warriors raise the Ed Chynoweth Cup on May 15 at their home rink.

Jagger Firkus and Brayden Yager got to add an epilogue to a season to remember for the Moose Jaw Warriors.

On Saturday, the two Warriors stars took home some big hardware at the CHL Awards ceremony held at Uptown North Main in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Firkus, who is a skilled right-winger, was named the winner of the David Branch Player of the Year Award along with officially being handed the Top Scorer Award. Yager, who is a gifted centre, took home the Sportsman Player of the Year Award.

Firkus, who turned 20-years-old in late April, topped the entire CHL in regular season scoring with 126 points coming off 61 goals and 65 assists to go with a plus-31 rating in 63 games with the Warriors. The Irma, Alta., product became the first member of the Warriors to ever take the CHL’s player of the year award.

He was the second player from the Warriors to capture the Top Scorer Award, which was first presented in 1994. Jayden Halbgewachs took that honour in the 2017-18 campaign.

Brayden Yager is the CHL’s Sportsman Player of the Year.

Yager, who turned 19-years-old in early January, had a stellar campaign setting career highs in the regular season in goals (35), assists (60), points (95) and plus-minus (plus-19) in 57 games. He collected only 20 penalty minutes on the campaign.

The Saskatoon area product became the third Warriors player to capture the Sportsman Player of the Year Award. Jason Bast first took that honour back in the 2009-10 campaign, and Justin Almeida took home that award in the 2018-19 campaign.

Both Firkus and Yager were members of Canada’s world junior team this past season too.

The award wins came one day after the Warriors saw their historic for the franchise campaign come to an end. On Friday, the Warriors fell 7-1 in the semifinal contest the Memorial Cup tournament being held at the DOW Event Centre in Saginaw, Michigan, to the host Spirit from the OHL.

The Spirit will face the OHL champion London Knights for the CHL title in the Memorial Cup championship game on Sunday (5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN).

In 2023-24, the Warriors hit the ice with one of the most talented and deepest teams they’ve ever had. They finished fifth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 44-21-0-3 mark.

Jagger Firkus is the CHL’s player of the year.

The Warriors went on an inspired post-season run posting a 16-4 record in the WHL Playoffs to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup and become WHL champions for the first time in team history. They became the first team from Moose Jaw to capture the WHL title since the Moose Jaw Canucks claimed the league crown in the circuit’s inaugural campaign in 1966-67.

On the way to getting to the WHL Championship Series, the Warriors took an epic Eastern Conference Championship Series against the Saskatoon Blades in seven games. A total of six of the seven games in that set were decided in overtime, which is a WHL record for a seven-game series.

The Blades topped the WHL’s regular season standings with a 50-13-2-3 record and led the series with the Warriors 3-2. The Warriors claimed the series thanks to a 4-3 overtime win in Game 6 in Moose Jaw and 3-2 overtime triumph in Game 7 at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

Warriors 17-year-old sophomore right-winger Lynden Lakovic had the extra time winner in both of those contests. The 13,240 spectators that attended Game 7 in Saskatoon of that series included five fan busses of Warriors supporters who made the trip to the contest from Moose Jaw.

Moose Jaw proceeded to sweep the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL final. The Warriors series clinching victory in Game 4 of that set on May 15 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre played out in almost perfect fashion for the team and fans.

Atley Calvert was a star with his hometown Warriors.

The Warriors and Winterhawks were locked in a 2-2 tie until veteran centre Brayden Schuurman scored for the Moose Jaw side with 5:53 remaining in the third period. Warriors standout overage import left-winger Martin Rysavy sealed victory and the 4-2 final score in his squad’s favour potting a long distance empty-net goal from deep in his own zone with 2:27 remaining in the third.

Over the final 2:27 of the third, the victory was able to sink in for the Warriors and the 4,732 spectators jammed into the team’s home rink. The noise in “The Hangar” after the third period clock hit zero would rival the loudest noise levels ever heard in the club’s raucous old home arena the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was best known as “The Crushed Can.”

The impossible dream came true with the Warriors becoming WHL champions. Warriors captain and star defenceman Denton Mateychuk was named the MVP of the WHL Playoffs. In the Warriors 20 outings in the WHL Playoffs, Mateychuk collected 30 points coming off 11 goals and 19 assists to go with a plus-19 rating.

He followed up on an impressive regular season where he recorded 75 points on 17 goals and 58 assists to go with a plus-35 rating. Mateychuk was also a member of Canada’s world junior team this past season too.

Martin Rysavy (#19) had some key goals for the Warriors.

Playing at the Memorial Cup for the first time in team history, the Warriors dropped their first round robin game to the Spirit and second round robin contest to the Knights by respective 5-4 scores in both outings.

The Warriors picked up their first ever win at the Memorial Cup tournament in their third round robin game downing the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs 5-3. That win allowed Moose Jaw to earn a berth in the event’s semifinal game.

With how close Moose Jaw’s first two games were against OHL foes, there was pretty good optimism going into the semifinal clash with the Spirit. No one could have seen the Spirit’s fourth line that included centre Ethan Hay, right-winger Lincoln Moore and left-winger Sebastien Gervais going out and having their best games of their major junior careers.

In Saginaw’s 7-1 win, Hay, Moore and Gervais combined to collect four goals and six assists. They each posted a plus-four rating. They were also all pointless at the Memorial Cup tournament going into that semifinal encounter. 

Hay, Moore and Gervais should rightfully get full credit to raising their respective games in one of the biggest contests you can play in as a major junior player.

Lucas Brenon was a steady defenceman for the Warriors.

Still, the memories were plentiful in Moose Jaw. Netminder Jackson Unger took over as the team’s starter in his third major junior campaign, and he grew into a star performer.

Star right-winger Atley Calvert, who has now exhausted his major junior eligibility, will be remembered as one of the best hometown products to ever play for the Warriors. Star centre Matthew Savoie came to the Warriors in a trade with the Wenatchee Wild and played to his billing as one of the WHL’s top players.

The Warriors third line of Schuurman, left-winger Ethan Semeniuk and right-winger Rilen Kovacevic became difference makers in the post-season.

Rysavy and defenceman Lucas Brenton took their final bows before exhausting their major junior ability. Offensive-defenceman Kalem Parker came in a trade early in the campaign with the Victoria Royals and formed a dynamic back end pairing with Mateychuk. 

Blue-liners Aiden Ziprick, import Vojtech Port and Cosmo Wilson added contributions at key moments.

Warriors fans enjoy their team’s WHL title win on May 15.

Head coach Mark O’Leary and general manager Jason Ripplinger did an outstanding job ensuring the Warriors were steered in the right direction.

For the Warriors faithful, they got a season they deserved. When the Warriors arrived in Moose Jaw at the start of the 1984-85 campaign after spending four seasons in Winnipeg, they only had four winning records in their first 16 seasons in Moose Jaw.

The small Saskatchewan city of 34,000 would always keep the faith in supporting their team. This past season, that elusive first WHL championship finally came.

Looking to the future, the folks in Moose Jaw can continue to keep dreaming big dreams for their Warriors. You have to have faith that one day that elusive first Memorial Cup title will come too.

WHL in its longest Memorial Cup drought ever, other notes

The QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan enjoy a Memorial Cup win in 2018.

The WHL’s drought when it comes to winning the Memorial Cup just keeps growing and growing.

It is now the undisputed longest drought the circuit has ever had when it comes to capturing major junior hockey’s top prize that goes to the championship team of the CHL. The CHL is the umbrella the WHL, OHL and QMJHL major junior circuits play under.

On Friday at the Memorial Cup tournament being held at the DOW Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan, the WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors were eliminated from the event with a 7-1 loss in the tournament’s semifinal game against the host Saginaw Spirit from the OHL. The Spirit advanced to play the OHL champion London Knights for the CHL title in the Memorial Cup championship game on Sunday (5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN).

Moose Jaw’s elimination means the WHL has now gone eight straight Memorial Cup tournaments without being able to win the Memorial Cup. That stretch includes the tournaments played from 2015 to 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Memorial Cup tournament wasn’t contested in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The WHL’s previous longest drought of not winning the Memorial Cup spanned seven seasons starting with the inaugural campaign the circuit came into existence in the 1966-67 campaign. That stretch included seasons when the WHL was ineligible to compete for the storied championship trophy.

In three of the first four seasons the WHL existed, the circuit wasn’t eligible to compete for the Memorial Cup as the circuit was originally viewed as an “outlaw league” by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association that governed the game in Canada at that time.

The WHL’s winless run came to an end when the Regina Pats won storied trophy for the third time in team history to conclude the 1973-74 campaign. Clubs from the WHL became eligible to play for the Memorial Cup on a regular basis in the 1970-71 campaign.

The Edmonton Oil Kings are the last team from the WHL to win the Memorial Cup, and that victory came back in 2014. Edmonton captured the WHL and CHL titles that year playing to honour the memory of former player Kristians Pelss, who was with the Oil Kings 2012 WHL championship team and passed away in June of 2013 due to a recreation diving accident.

In the championship game of the 2014 Memorial Cup tournament played in London, Ont., on May 25 of that year, the WHL champion Oil Kings downed the OHL champion Guelph Storm 6-3. It has been 10 years since a WHL team last captured the Memorial Cup.

For the WHL as a league, maybe the “Curse of the Drop” still lingers.

For the superstitious types, that event took place on May 25, 2008 after the WHL champion Spokane Chiefs downed the host Kitchener Rangers 4-1 in the Memorial Cup tournament’s championship game. After receiving the trophy, Chiefs captain Chris Bruton had the Memorial Cup fall apart in his hands as he attempted to give it to veteran defenceman Trevor Glass.

Since that drop, the WHL has only won the Memorial Cup once coming with the Oil Kings win in 2014.

Next year, Rimouski, Quebec, will host the Memorial Cup tournament with the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic taking the ice as the host squad. Will that be the time the WHL’s Memorial Cup comes to an end?

When it comes to winning the Memorial Cup, the WHL as a league has fallen into the habit of being in next year country.

• The QMJHL once went through a drought of 14 seasons of not winning the Memorial Cup as a league. In 1981, the Cornwall Royals won their second straight Memorial Cup playing out of the QMJHL. The next QMJHL club to win the Memorial Cup would be the Granby Predateurs in 1996.
• On Saturday, Medicine Hat Tigers left-winger Gavin McKenna captured the CHL Rookie of the Year award. Tigers centre Cayden Lindstrom was feted as the winner of the CHL Top Draft Prospect award. Defenceman Noah Chadwick of the Lethbridge Hurricanes claimed CHL Scholastic Player of the Year award.
• Moose Jaw Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk was up for the CHL’s Defenceman of the Year award. When the CHL handed out its major awards on Saturday, the Defenceman of the Year award went to Zayne Parekh of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.

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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Memorial Cup – Going where no Warriors team has gone before

Jackson Unger raises the Ed Chynoweth Cup on May 15.

“Why not us.”

That has been the mantra or catch phrase for the Moose Jaw Warriors through the WHL Playoffs and now heading into the Memorial Cup tournament, which crowns a CHL champion. The phrase references the fact that the Warriors of the current day are trying to do something no other Warriors team has done.

Heading into the 2024 post-season, no Warriors team had ever won a WHL championship. The closest any Warriors team came was back in the 2006 WHL Playoffs when the Warriors won the Eastern Conference Championship Series. They were then swept away by the Vancouver Giants 4-0 in the WHL Championship Series.

Taking on the storied Portland Winterhawks in this year’s WHL final, the Warriors captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions sweeping away the Winterhawks 4-0. They capped the sweep winning Game 4 of the set 4-2 on May 15 before a packed crowd of 4,732 spectators in their home rink the Moose Jaw Events Centre, which is best known as “The Hangar.”

The Warriors and their fans basked in the moment of capturing the Ed Chynoweth Cup with captain Denton Mateychuk being named the MVP of the WHL Playoffs. The WHL title win and the fact a Warriors player was named the MVP of the WHL Playoffs were firsts in the history of the franchise.

Denton Mateychuk was the MVP of the WHL Playoffs.

Now, the Warriors are going where no other Warriors team has gone before – the Memorial Cup.

The Warriors arrived in Saginaw, Michigan, late Wednesday night and had their first practice at the DOW Event Centre on Thursday before beginning play in the CHL championship tournament. The Warriors open the event on Friday taking on the host Saginaw Spirit from the OHL at the DOW Event Centre (5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN). The contest will be a battle between two clubs who are both making their first appearance at the event.

Moose Jaw is also the next team up that will try to break the WHL’s drought at the CHL championship tournament. The Edmonton Oil Kings were the last team from the WHL to win the Memorial Cup, and that victory came back in 2014. Edmonton captured the WHL and CHL titles that year playing to honour the memory of former player Kristians Pelss, who was with the Oil Kings 2012 WHL championship team and passed away in June of 2013 due to a recreation diving accident.

In the championship game of the 2014 Memorial Cup tournament played in London, Ont., on May 25 of that year, the WHL champion Oil Kings downed the OHL champion Guelph Storm 6-3. It has been 10 years since a WHL team last captured the Memorial Cup.

Again for the Warriors, their catch phrase fits – “Why not us.”

Matthew Savoie is one of the Warriors top forwards.

The Warriors have molded into an outstanding team. They finished fifth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 44-21-0-3 mark and improved steadily as the campaign motored on.

Moose Jaw marched through the WHL Playoffs posting a 16-4 record. The Warriors’ biggest test was a tough Eastern Conference Championship Series against the Saskatoon Blades, who finished first overall in the WHL’s regular season with a 50-13-2-3 mark.

The series went seven games with six contests being decided in overtime, and it is being viewed as the best post-season series to ever take place in the history of the WHL. On May 7, the Warriors took the deciding Game 7 at the SaskTel Centre by a 3-2 final score in overtime with winger Lynden Lakovic netting the winner 36 seconds into the extra session.

The Warriors can play four solid forward lines and deploy three sound defensive pairings.

The Moose Jaw side is best known for hitting the ice with some big star players in Mateychuk, WHL player of the year Jagger Firkus, homegrown product Atley Calvert, Brayden Yager and Matthew Savoie. They have had numerous other forwards step up in big moments like Lakovic, Brayden Schuurman, Ethan Semeniuk, Rilen Kovacevic, Pavel McKenzie, Owen Berge and Ethan Hughes.

Lucas Brenton has been solid on the blue-line for the Warriors.

On the back end, Kalem Parker has become a primetime player. The Warriors are also getting big minutes from Lucas Brenton, Cosmo Wilson, Aiden Ziprick and Vojteck Port.

In goal, Jackson Unger has grown into become a championship caliber netminder.

The Warriors also have strong guidance behind their bench from head coach Mark O’Leary and his staff.

The Spirit are going to provide a tough first test. They finished second overall in the OHL with a 50-16-1-1 record, and they were rated third in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. Saginaw fell in the OHL Western Conference Championship Series 4-2 to the eventual league champion London Knights.

Saginaw’s best known player is centre Michael Misa, who turned 17-years-old in February. Misa was granted to exceptional status to play in the OHL full time as a 15-year-old. In his sophomore campaign in 2023-24, Misa played in 67 regular season games recording 29 goals and 46 assists to go with a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department.

Defenceman Zayne Parekh led all CHL blue-liners in scoring in the regular season with 96 points coming off 33 goals and 63 assists to go with a plus-39 rating. Parekh turned 18-years-old in February and is eligible for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, which will be held June 28 and 29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Brayden Yager pictured with family, friends and the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

After the clash with the Spirit, the Warriors have two days off before playing their final two round robin games on back-to-back nights. On Monday, they face the Knights (5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN) and on Tuesday, they take on the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs (5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN).

The Warriors are in a situation where they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If they ultimately capture the Memorial Cup, they will spark the biggest celebration Moose Jaw has ever seen.

As the team’s current catch phrase goes, “Why not us.”

Knights favourites to take CHL title, other notes

The London Knights will be pegged as the big favourites to capture the Memorial Cup.

Since the start of the 2003-04 campaign, the Knights have been top franchises in all of the CHL having topped the OHL’s regular season standings seven times, capturing the OHL championship five times and winning the Memorial Cup as CHL champions twice. The Knights won the Memorial Cup on the OHL champions and host team in 2005 and again as the OHL champions when the CHL championship tournament was hosted in Red Deer, Alta.

In the 2023-24 regular season, the Knights topped the OHL standings with a 50-14-1-3 record and were ranked second in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. They marched through the OHL playoffs with a 16-2 mark.

Left-winger Denver Barkey led the Knights in regular season scoring with 102 points coming off 35 goals and 67 assists to go with a plus-45 rating in the plus-minus department. He turned 19-years-old in April and has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Right-winger Easton Cowan, who turned 19-years-old last Monday, finished second in team scoring in the regular season with 96 points coming off 34 goals and 62 assists to go with a plus-38 rating. Cowan, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, put up his regular season totals for the Knights in 54 games.

Sam Dickinson topped all Knights players in defencemen scoring in the regular season with 70 points coming off 18 goals and 52 assists to go with a plus-56 rating. Dickinson is skating through his 17-year-old sophomore season.

The Knights have gotten strong play in goal from overage netminder and hometown product Michael Simpson. In 48 regular season games, Simpson has posted a 34-10-2 record, a 2.61 goals against average, a .905 save percentage and four shutouts.  

Last year, Simpson backstopped the Peterborough Petes to an OHL championship. He was traded to the Knights on September 26, 2023.

The Knights open the Memorial Cup tournament at the DOW Events Centre in Saginaw, Michigan, taking on the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs on Saturday (2 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN). The Voltigeurs finished second overall in the QMJHL in the regular season with a 48-14-5-1 mark and were rated eighth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. They marched through the QMJHL Playoffs with a 16-3 record.

The last time the Knights were in the Memorial Cup in 2016 in Red Deer they claimed the championship game in dramatic fashion. They trailed the QMJHL champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 2-1 in the third period until centre Christian Dvorak scored with 4:11 remaining in the frame to force a 2-2 tie and overtime.

In overtime, winger Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner to deliver the Knights to a 3-2 victory. Time will tell of London has that type of dramatics in store for this year’s tournament.

• For the time ever, the three league champions vying to capture the Memorial Cup to become CHL champions captured their major junior circuits sweeping their respective championship series. The Drummondville Voltigeurs swept the QMJHL Championship Series, the London Knights pulled out the brooms to take the OHL Championship Series and the Moose Jaw Warriors had the brooms in hand to sweep the WHL Championship Series.
• When the Moose Jaw Warriors won their first WHL championship, I was happy for a lot of people I know in Moose Jaw who have either worked for the team, covered the team or cheered for the team. The list includes in no particular order Kelly Remple, Randy Palmer, Bill Harris, Jason Hawley, James Gallo, Marc Smith, Todd Ripplinger, Jason Ripplinger and Olivia Howe.
• Teams from the QMJHL have won the Memorial Cup the last four times it has been contested. At last year’s Memorial Cup tournament hosted in Kamloops, the QMJHL Quebec Remparts won the Memorial Cup led by then head coach and general manager Patrick Roy.
• On Wednesday, Portland Winterhawks star defenceman Luca Cagnoni signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. The 19-year-old blue-liner was selected by the Sharks in the fourth round and 123^rd overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Cagnoni led all WHL defenceman in scoring in the 2023-24 regular season with 90 points coming off 18 goals and 72 assists to go with a plus-47 rating in the plus-minus department in 65 games.
• On Thursday, the Calgary Hitmen announced that Paul McFarland as the team’s new head coach. McFarland spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. On March 26, the Hitmen announced they would not be renewing the contracts of then head coach Steve Hamilton and assistant coaches Trent Cassan and Don MacGillivray. The Hitmen failed to qualify for the post-season finishing ninth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 28-31-8-1 mark.
• On May 9, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a piece on Saskatchewan Roughriders long snapper Jorgen Hus becoming the honourary chair of the Complex’s “Sharing Sport Together” campaign. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I crafted a piece on the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries becoming an institution in Saskatoon. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that showed business picking up for the sports of baseball, football and softball. That post can be found by clicking right here.
• On May 15, I was back in the pages of the Prince Albert Daily Herald with a column on the Prince Albert Raiders’ work in the WHL Prospects Draft and the U.S. Priority Draft. The piece can be found by clicking right here.

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

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Moose Jaw and Warriors fans deserve WHL title win

Denton Mateychuk circles the ice with the Ed Chynoweth Cup. 

If the Moose Jaw Warriors and their fans were part of the scripted WWE Universe, they would be saluted with chants of, “You deserve this!”

This past Wednesday, the Warriors downed the visiting Portland Winterhawks 4-2 before a jam packed crowd of 4,732 spectators at the Moose Jaw Events Centre in Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series. The win allowed the Warriors to sweep the best-of-seven set 4-0 and capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions for the first time in team history.

Wednesday’s win marked the first time a club from “The Friendly City” won the WHL title since the circuit’s inaugural campaign back in 1966-67. In the 1967 post-season, the Moose Jaw Canucks claimed the WHL crown downing the Regina Pats 4-1 in a best-of-seven series for the league title.

Warriors fans cheer their team winning the WHL title.

Now just five days after that monumental victory by the Warriors, it is likely some of the teams’ fans are wondering if that night actually did happen. The ending of the Game 4 victory over the Winterhawks played out perfectly for the Warriors faithful to soak in the reality that their team was going to win the WHL title.

With the two sides locked in a 2-2 tie, Warriors hard-working centre Brayden Schuurman fired home what would be the game and series winning goal with 5:53 remaining in the third period. Following that tally with 2:27 remaining in the third, Warriors standout overage import left-winger Martin Rysavy scored an empty-net goal with a long distance shot from deep in his zone to round out the 4-2 final in favour of the Warriors.

Denton Mateychuk smiles lifting the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

The empty-net tally was Rysavy’s second goal of the contest. For the final 2:27 remaining in the third, Warriors fans were able to enjoy the approaching end of the frame knowing a celebration of winning the WHL championship with the presentation of the Ed Chynoweth Cup to the Warriors would follow.

Chants went up of, “We want the cup!”

When the time in the third period expired, the cheers in the Moose Jaw Events Centre, which is also known as “The Hangar,” would rival anything heard in the team’s former home rink in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was famously known as “The Crushed Can.”

“The Crushed Can” was the spot the love affair with the Warriors and their fans took root and seemed to immediately grow into something special. The Warriors arrived in Moose Jaw for the start of the 1984-85 campaign after spending four seasons in Winnipeg, where they made one post-season appearance and were swept of the first round of 1983 WHL Playoffs 3-0 in a best-of-five series by the eventual league champion Lethbridge Broncos.

Warriors fans salute their team in Game 4 of the WHL final.

The Warriors only had four winning records in their first 16 seasons in Moose Jaw. When it came down to wins and losses, the Warriors didn’t give the Saskatchewan city with a population of about 34,000 people much to cheer about.

Still, their raucous fans continued to back them and pack “The Crushed Can.” Opposing teams were expecting to pick up wins during visits to Moose Jaw, but you were also expecting to live through an adventure too.

Fans would rain down innovative heckles that most on opposing clubs had to get a laugh out of. When you played the Warriors at “The Crushed Can,” you were playing against the Warriors and their fans. The noise the fans made came at opposing teams with force.

The fun begins in Moose Jaw after the Warriors win the WHL title.

You had to form an admiration on some level for Warriors fans, because the losing seemingly wouldn’t drive them away for long. If they did go away, they came back to “The Crushed Can” when just even the smallest positive thing happened for the team.

You also wondered if the fans were that passionate for a team that seemingly never won what those fans would be like if the Warriors ever won a WHL title or claimed the Memorial Cup as CHL champions.

The Warriors cycled through their share of good players during their first 16 seasons in Moose Jaw. Players suiting up for the Warriors over that time included Mike Keane, Kelly Buchberger, Lyle Odelein, Theoren Fleury, Curtis Brown, Ryan Smyth, Roman Vopat, Reed Low, Jamie Lundmark, Brian Sutherby and Deryk Engelland.

Matthew Savoie and Atley Calvert go to get the fans pumped up.

During those first 16 seasons, the Warriors also got in their own way at times with quick dismissals in the early 1990s of young head coaches in Lorne Molleken and Mike Babcock. Of course, they both went on to have storied careers after leaving Moose Jaw, and it made one wonder if success might have come to the Warriors earlier had they stayed.

Over those first 16 seasons, the idea of winning WHL and CHL championships in Moose Jaw was a dream.

Since the start of the 2000-01 campaign, the Warriors have been one of the WHL’s better franchises and at times they have been one of the circuit’s elite franchises. They moved into a new home in the Moose Jaw Events Centre at the start of the 2011-12 campaign and finished first overall in the WHL’s regular season standings in 2017-18 with a 52-15-2-3 mark.

Atley Calvert hugs his mom Joanne Calvert.

There were times the Warriors still got in their own way. They won their first division title topping the East Division in 2003-04 with a record of 41 wins, 22 losses, eight ties and one regulation loss.

Curtis Hunt was the club’s head coach and Lane Lambert was the assistant coach at the start of the campaign. Lambert left part way through the season to become the head coach of the Prince George Cougars. He went on to a lengthy career coaching in the NHL.

Hunt moved on to become the head coach of the Regina Pats following the 2003-04 campaign. He has been serving as the general manager of the Prince Albert Raiders for some time now including their WHL championship season in 2018-19.

In the 2005-06 campaign, the Warriors again topped the East Division with a 44-20-5-3 record and advanced to the WHL Championship Series. They were swept away 4-0 by the Vancouver Giants.

Matthew Savoie enjoys a skate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

Before the start of the 2012-13 campaign, the Warriors hired Mark O’Leary as an assistant coach. He became an associate coach before the start of the 2019-20 campaign and was promoted to head coach on January 6, 2020.

Originally from Owen Sound, Ont., the now 39-year-old O’Leary has strong ties to “The Friendly City.” He met the woman he would marry in health and fitness coach Stephanie O’Leary once he started working in Moose Jaw. Through Stephanie, Mark gained a better understanding of how much the Warriors mean to Moose Jaw.

The Warriors have sound leadership at general manager in Jason Ripplinger, who has worked in the WHL since joining the circuit as a scout for the Vancouver Giants before the start of the 2001-02 campaign. He joined the Warriors as an assistant general manager before the start of the 2018-19 campaign and moved up the general manager before the 2021-22 campaign.

Lynden Lakovic pumps up a group of Warriors fans.

Ripplinger and O’Leary have had the biggest hands in building the current version of the Warriors that are loaded with stars like captain Denton Mateychuk, Atley Calvert, Jagger Firkus, Brayden Yager, Matthew Savoie and Jackson Unger. They are supported by a solid roster that is now strong on all four lines and three defensive pairing with players like Rysavy, Schuurman, Kalem Parker, Lucas Brenton, Ethan Semeniuk, Lynden Lakovic and Pavel McKenzie all coming through in big moments in the post-season.

Above everything, all players and everyone with the Warriors recognize how important the fans have been to the team’s story. They understand the fans have stuck by the team in tough times, when other fanbases would likely have jumped ship in similar tough times.

The Warriors fans show their passion for their team.

Finishing fifth overall in the WHL regular season with a 44-21-0-3 mark, the current Warriors wanted to make history and accomplish things the club had never been able to do. After getting past a tough Eastern Conference Championship Series against the Saskatoon Blades that went to seven games including six contests decided in overtime, the Warriors captured the WHL title for the first time in team history.

Now, they head to Saginaw, Michigan, to play in the Memorial Cup tournament that crowns a CHL champion for the first time in team history. The Warriors open the event on Friday taking on the host Saginaw Spirit from the OHL at the DOW Event Centre (5:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN).

The last club from the WHL to win the Memorial Cup was the Edmonton Oil Kings back in 2014. For the Warriors, that means there is another opportunity to make more history.

Jackson Unger is pictured with family and friends after his WHL title win.

Right now for this Warriors team, anything is possible. They would like nothing better than to bring another new thrill to the fans in Moose Jaw by returning home with the Memorial Cup.

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Just too sweet – Warriors relish first WHL championship win

The Warriors celebrate winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

MOOSE JAW, Sask. – The championship reality might have been better than the dream for the city of Moose Jaw.

On Wednesday night before a jam packed crowd of 4,732 spectators at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, what seemed like the impossible dream came true. The Moose Jaw Warriors downed the visiting Portland Winterhawks 4-2 in Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series.

With the win, the Warriors swept the best-of-seven set 4-0. They became WHL champions and captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in team history.

Denton Mateychuk lifts the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

The Warriors existed for four seasons in Winnipeg before moving to Moose Jaw before the start of the 1984-85 campaign. For star Warriors 20-year-old right-winger and Moose Jaw product Atley Calvert, the moment was something that was beyond special.

“I can’t describe it,” said Calvert, who had an assist in Wednesday’s Game 4 win. “So much work had gone into this and highs and lows throughout the year.

“At the end of the day, I’m going to remember the group of guys, and obviously, the fans. They really helped us this year. It was our goal from day one.

“I knew it was going to be a special year. We had a special group, and we’re going to be brothers forever.”

Wednesday’s win marked the first time a club from “The Friendly City” won the WHL title since the circuit’s inaugural campaign back in 1966-67. In the 1967 post-season, the Moose Jaw Canucks claimed the WHL crown downing the Regina Pats 4-1 in a best-of-seven series for the league title.

Warriors fans celebrate their team’s WHL title win.

When the Warriors arrived in Moose Jaw for the start of the 1985-85 season, they only had four winning records in their first 16 seasons in the Saskatchewan city with a population of about 34,000 people, but their raucous fans continued to back them.

The backing of the fans was not lost on Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk, who was named the MVP of the WHL Playoffs. He was pumped his squad could win the WHL title for the fans.

“It is an unbelievable feeling,” said Mateychuk, who has 11 goals, 19 assists and a plus-19 rating in the plus-minus department in the Warriors 20 post-season games. “It (Moose Jaw) is an awesome city, and they (the fans) deserved it.

Warriors players lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

“I’m so glad that we could bring home a championship.”

In Game 4 on Wednesday, the Warriors and Winterhawks entered the second period locked in a 2-2 tie. With 5:53 remaining in the third, the Warriors jumped ahead on the scoreboard for good.

Warriors right-winger Rilen Kovacevic jetted into the Portland zone down the right boards. He passed the puck to the top of the right faceoff circle to veteran centre Brayden Schuurman. Schuurman wired home a wrist shot to the top right corner of the Portland goal to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead.

The Warriors lap the ice surface with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

Warriors standout overage import left-winger Martin Rysavy sealed victory and a 4-2 outcome in favour of the host side potting a long distance empty-net goal from deep in his own zone with 2:27 remaining in the third. From that point on, the celebration in the crowd was in full swing.

Schuurman scored the overtime winner one night earlier in the Warriors 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks in Game 3 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. When his eventual winner went into the Portland net in Game 4, Schuurman said he had goosebumps.

“I think this crowd just was so loud,” said Schuurman. “The players were just so fired up.

Brayden Schuurman scored the winning goal in Game 4.

“It was just pure joy and pure excitement.”

Schuurman was pleased he was able to deliver in a big moment for his team in Game 4.

“It was such a tight checking game,” said Schuurman. “We knew it was going to come down to the wire.

“We knew they were going to push. We had the confidence in our group that we were going to come out on top.”

Back in the game’s first period, Rysavy gave his squad a 1-0 lead with a power-play marker at the 8:11 mark of the frame. On the play, Warriors star centre Brayden Yager took a shot from the right side boards that was stopped by Winterhawks star netminder Jan Spunar. 

Martin Rysavy had a pair of goals for the Warriors in Game 4.

The puck sat as a short rebound in front of the Portland net and Rysavy popped home the loose puck to give the host side their one goal edge.

With 7:30 remaining in the opening frame, the game was delayed for 15 minutes as part of the lighting in the building went out due to adverse weather that existed in the city for a short time. That wouldn’t slow up either side in the contest.

Inside the final six minutes of the second period, the teams combined for a surge of three goals. With 5:29 remaining in the second, the Winterhawks found themselves working on a power play.

Winterhawks star offensive-defenceman Luca Cagnoni took a shot from the point that deflected off the stick of Winterhawks captain Gabe Klassen and then off the stick of 19-year-old centre Kyle Chyzowski into the Moose Jaw goal. That tally evened the score at 1-1.

Warriors fans cheer their team in Game 4 on Wednesday.

The Warriors jumped ahead 2-1 with 4:23 remaining in the second on a goal from star centre Matthew Savoie. With a draw in the left faceoff circle in the Portland zone, Calvert won the draw getting the puck to Savoie. Savoie roofed a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle to the top left corner of the Portland goal to restore the Warriors’ one-goal edge.

Portland proceeded to even the score at 2-2 with 86 seconds remaining in the second. Star Winterhawks centre Nate Danielson had the puck in the left corner of the Moose Jaw zone below the icing line.

Kyle Chyzowski had the Winterhawks first goal in Game 4.

He passed the puck across the face of the net to left-winger Marcus Nguyen at the right side of the net. Nguyen popped the puck home on a backdoor tap to pull the visitors even on the scoreboard.

That set the stage for the dramatics for Schuurman to come through with his winner in the third and Rysavy to complete a two-goal night scoring his empty-netter.

Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary was proud that Schuurman came through with a winning goal for a second straight night.

“To know what he went through just to get himself in the lineup these last two games makes it even more special,” said O’Leary. “He spent so much time on the trainer’s table.

Marcus Nguyen scored the Winterhawks second goal in Game 4.

“Again, he was a game time decision yesterday and today. For him to gut that out and score two huge goals, it is just fitting.”

O’Leary, who originally joined the Warriors as an assistant coach before the start of the 2012-13 campaign, was pumped his club could win the WHL title for Moose Jaw.

“It means everything,” said O’Leary. “Moose Jaw, I consider it home now.

“I came here 12 years ago. I met my wife here. It is home.

“To see how much it means to them, it is unbelievable. I can’t wait to share it with them.”

Matthew Savoie had the Warriors second goal on Wednesday.

Jackson Unger stopped 24 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors. Spunar turned away 22-of-25 shots to take the setback in net for the Winterhawks.

Schuurman was pumped his club could deliver a championship win for the fans.

“This is huge for the city of Moose Jaw,” said Schuurman. “Us players, we wanted to get it done for our group as well as the city.

“We’ve had them behind us the whole year, and this playoffs they’ve been incredible. It is really special to bring it home.”

During the regular season, the Winterhawks finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 mark and were rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Warriors finished fifth overall in the WHL regular season with a 44-21-0-3 mark.

Denton Mateychuk was MVP of the WHL Playoffs.

The Warriors and Winterhawks met once during the regular season back on February 28. Moose Jaw took that encounter 4-3 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

The WHL final between the two sides was expected to be tightly contested. The games were tightly contested with the Warriors always finding a way to pull out victory. Mateychuk said the Winterhawks played hard.

“They’re a very good team,” said Mateychuk. “We just maybe capitalized on a bit more opportunities than they did.

“They had a couple of posts in Game 1. Game 1 could have went either way, and that could change the series. In the end, we stayed with it and got it done.”

The Warriors begin celebrating their WHL title win.

With winning the WHL title, the Warriors advance to the Memorial Cup tournament that determines a CHL champion. The Memorial Cup starts on May 24 and runs through to June 2 in Saginaw, Michigan.

The Drummondville Voltigeurs have advanced to the event as the QMJHL champions. On Wednesday night, the London Knights swept the OHL Championship Series 4-0 after downing the Generals in Oshawa 7-1 in Game 4 of that series. The Saginaw Spirit, who fell in the OHL semifinal round in six games to the Knights, are the host squad.

The Warriors will open the tournament against the host Spirit on May 24 at a time to be announced.

Mateychuk said the Warriors will turn their collective attention towards the Memorial Cup soon. For the moment, they wanted to enjoy winning the WHL title and feel proud about advancing through the WHL Playoffs with a 16-4 record.

Brayden Schuurman enjoys a WHL title win with family.

“It is unbelievable,” said Mateychuk. “The guys played great.

“We had a hard series against Saskatoon, and we kept pushing. We didn’t give up. We came into this, and we had all the confidence in the world.

“I think that helped.”

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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Warriors fly to new heights, Winterhawks unravel

Moose Jaw leads WHL final 2-0 heading home to “The Hangar”

Atley Calvert and the Warriors lead the WHL final 2-0.

After two games of the WHL Championship Series, it has become clear which team has been more battle tested.

On Saturday in Game 2 of the WHL final, the Moose Jaw Warriors look as composed as football quarterback Tom Brady leading a team down the field on a game winning touchdown drive in the Super Bowl. The Portland Winterhawks came unglued as the game went on and looked like a five-year-old that didn’t get his or her way.

When the dust settled at game’s end, the Warriors skated away with a sound 5-1 victory over the Winterhawks. Most of the 7,361 spectators in attendance at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland exited the rink in somber fashion. Portland was well known throughout the WHL in having one of the best home ice advantages on the circuit in the post-season, and Moose Jaw neutralized that factor.

The Warriors claimed both of the first two games hosted in Portland squeaking out a 3-2 victory in Game 1 on Friday. They lead the best-of seven series 2-0.

To make the situation even tougher for the Winterhawks, they now head in to a buzz saw as the next three games will be held in Moose Jaw at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, which is also known as “The Hangar.”

Game 3 of the series is set for Tuesday at 8 p.m., and Game 4 follows on Wednesday at 8 p.m. If necessary, Game 5 is slated for this coming Friday at 8 p.m.

The Warriors are known for having one of the WHL’s most passionate fanbases. When the franchise left Winnipeg and arrived in Moose Jaw in 1984, the Warriors had only four winning records in their first 16 seasons in “The Friendly City.”

Still, the fans packed the team’s old home rink in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was best known as “The Crushed Can,” and made the building one of the most raucous on the whole circuit. Opposing teams played against both the Warriors and their fans. The fans created a noise that had a force to it.

In the current day, you can bet those same fans will be out to prove Moose Jaw still has one of the best home ice advantages in the WHL at “The Hangar.” The fact the Warriors lead the WHL final 2-0 and need just two more wins to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup means the fans in Moose Jaw will be absolutely giddy. They will be ready to create noise and help their team to try and win the series at home on top of capturing a championship the franchise has yet to win.

Jagger Firkus had two goals and an assist for the Warriors.

It would also be the first WHL title win for the city of Moose Jaw since the Moose Jaw Canucks franchise won the league championship the first time it was awarded back in 1967.

The Warriors and Winterhawks entered the WHL Championship Series both possessing great skill. Over the first two games, the Warriors have been a step ahead of the Winterhawks tactically.

Moose Jaw has shown to be battle hardened after winning a thrilling Eastern Conference Championship Series in seven games over the Saskatoon Blades. That series saw six contests finish in overtime and had seemingly endless momentum changes due to adjustments made by players and coaches.

The Warriors players are seemingly in a state where they aren’t going to get derailed by any ups and downs of a game. They are ready to keep battling and keep pushing ahead.

The Winterhawks seemingly haven’t adjusted tactically to what the Warriors have thrown at them. The Warriors have been able to clog up the centre ice zone taking away the Winterhawks speed and have created turnovers and jumped on the counterattack.

Portland’s players seem frustrated that their sheer skill isn’t enough to overcome their foes. As Game 2 went on, it became a more common sight to see Winterhawks players engaging in scrums. They have shown a lack of composure and perseverance.

The Warriors got out to a quick start in Game 2. At the 5:48 mark of the first, the Warriors broke into the Portland zone on a two-on-one rush with 20-year-old right-winger Atley Calvert coming up the left wing with the puck and centre Matthew Savoie coming down the right wing.

Calvert passed the puck over to Savoie, and Savoie dished it back to Calvert, who was staring at an open net. Calvert popped the puck into the empty cage to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

The Winterhawks came with a push back. With about 9:32 remaining in the first, Winterhawks star right-winger James Stefan got into the Moose Jaw zone on a contested breakaway. He put a backhand shot on goal that was turned away by Warriors star netminder Jackson Unger.

Brayden Yager scored the Warriors third goal on Saturday.

When the opening frame ended, the Warriors held a 1-0 edge on the scoreboard, and the Winterhawks had an 11-8 edge in shots on goal. The host side started to sink in quicksand in the second frame.

Just before the midway point of the second, Warriors overage import right-winger Martin Rysavy broke into the Portland zone down the right wing. He passed to the puck to 18-year-old left-winger Pavel McKenzie, who was positioned in front of the net.

McKenzie did a half toe drag and snapped a shot home past Winterhawks star import netminder Jan Spunar for his second of the post-season that gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

After falling behind 2-0, the Winterhawks seemingly started getting involved in more scrums. With 3:24 remaining in the second, a rare fight in the WHL Playoffs ensued between Winterhawks star left-winger Josh Davies and Warriors 19-year-old right-winger Rilen Kovacevic.

Just 84 seconds after that fight, two of the Warriors biggest stars made an impact on the contest. Warriors right-winger and WHL player of the year Jagger Firkus sprung Warriors centre and the winner of the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player award Brayden Yager in on a breakaway to the Portland net. Yager fired home a shot to the top right corner of the Winterhawks goal to put the Warriors advantage out to 3-0.

At that point out of nowhere, it appeared the Winterhawks got a traction moment. Warriors captain and the WHL’s defenceman of the year Denton Mateychuk made a rare error.

Mateychuk was playing the puck behind his own net, and he was pressured on the forecheck by Winterhawks standout right-winger Marcus Nguyen. The Warriors blue-liner proceeded to throw a blind backhand pass up centre ice.

Winterhawks star centre Nate Danielson quickly knocked home the errand pass into the Moose Jaw net to trim the Warriors lead to 3-1.

During a stoppage a short time later with 36.7 seconds remaining in the second, Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary called a timeout to get his squad calmed down.

Kalem Parker had an assist on the Warriors fifth goal.

In the third, Firkus ensured there would be no Winterhawks comeback. Just 15 seconds into the frame, Firkus got the puck in the right faceoff circle in the Portland zone and roofed a shot to the top left corner of the Winterhawks net to push the Warriors lead out to 4-1.

Firkus added his second of the night working a give and go with offensive-defenceman Kalem Parker at the 5:35 mark of the third to round out the 5-1 final in favour of the visitors. Firkus entered the Portland zone with the puck and dished it to Parker.

Parker skated the puck below the icing line and passed it back to Firkus, who was positioned on the doorstep at the right side of the Portland net. Firkus popped home his second of the night and 14^th of the post-season to give the Warriors their four-goal edge.

The Winterhawks outshot the Warriors 17-4 in the frame, but the Warriors were focused on shutting things down defensively playing most of the frame with their four-goal lead.

Unger stopped 37 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors. Spunar turned away 22 shots to take the setback in net for the Winterhawks.

During the regular season, the Winterhawks finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 mark and were rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Warriors finished fifth overall in the WHL regular season with a 44-21-0-3 mark.

The Warriors and Winterhawks met once during the regular season back on February 28. Moose Jaw took that encounter 4-3 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The WHL final between the two sides was expected to be tightly contested, and it still might turn out that way.

In order for that to happen, the Winterhawks need to find some composure and perseverance and make some adjustments. They face a sizable amount of work, if they want the series to return to Portland for a potential Game 6 and possibly a Game 7.

Jackson Unger stopped 37 shots in goal for the Warriors.

At the moment, the Warriors are in the driver’s seat, and they have the inside track when it comes to capturing the WHL title.

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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