Tim Leonard behind the Mintos bench. (Photo courtesy P.A. Mintos)
It was a full circle moment for Tim Leonard.
As part of the announcement for being part of the 2026 class
for the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame, Leonard, who is going into the Hall
as a builder, and members of his class were introduced to a crowd of 2,463
spectators at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre before a Prince Albert
Raiders home WHL regular season contest on February 6. The Raiders hosted the
Lethbridge Hurricanes on that night, and it hit Leonard that he coached the
head coaches of both teams.
“It is crazy,” said Leonard. “When they brought us out on
the ice at the Raider game to introduce everybody that is going in this year, I
get out on the ice, and look across at the benches, and there is Ryan McDonald.
“On the other bench where Lethbridge is Matty Anholt, and I
coached them both. It was fitting, and it was a great feeling.”
Way back at the start of the 2002-03 campaign, Leonard
joined the Prince Albert Mintos Under-18 AAA Team as an assistant coach. He was
working on a staff led by head coach Ron Bonneau. One of their first decisions
was to offer a roster spot to McDonald, who was an underage 14-year-old centre
that came out to Mintos camp just to get some extra skating work.
This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.
Josh Pillar jets up ice for the Huskies on November 29.
Josh Pillar will always crack a smile
when someone brings up his one full season stand with the Prince Albert Mintos
Under-18 AAA Team.
In the current day, Pillar is a 23-year-old veteran centre
playing out his third season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. The
Warman product played a key role for the Huskies in the 2024-25 campaign
culminating in the squad’s 19th Canada West Conference championship
win this past March.
Pillar is no stranger to lengthy post-season runs. During
his 15-year-old season in 2017-18, he experienced one of those in “Hockey Town
North.”
After suiting up with the Mintos as an associate player call
up for two games in the 2016-17 season, Pillar joined the Mintos on a full-time
basis for the following campaign. He helped the Mintos finish third overall in
the SMAAAHL regular season standings with 32 wins, nine losses and three extra
time losses.
This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.
HC Ryan McDonald, centre, addresses the Raiders players in a timeout.
What would that scrappy 14-year-old Prince Albert Mintos
forward from 2002 have said if someone told him he would become the head coach
of the Prince Albert Raiders one day?
Way back in 2002, Ryan McDonald attended training camp and
skated in practice sessions with the Mintos under-18 AAA team looking to get some
extra ice time before playing in his upcoming under-14 season. The young
14-year-old who lived on 11th Avenue East made an approach to the
Mintos coaching staff, who elected to have him on the ice as an extra skater
for drills.
The Mintos were looking to have a fairly strong team that
season, and they would have a number of forwards who all had great campaigns
including Chris Wilson, Tyler Mugford, Cole Fern, Scott Vaughan and Dallas
Thiessen. As the skating sessions went on, an idea came up about offering
McDonald a spot on the Mintos forward group as a 14-year-old underage player.
Ron Bonneau, who was the Mintos head coach that season,
brought the idea up amongst the team’s older players, and they thought it would
be a good idea to have McDonald on the team. When offered the spot, McDonald
was more than happy to suit up for the Mintos.
This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.
Landon Kosior in action for the Huskies in February of 2024.
Landon Kosior and a number of other Prince Albert
connections have put the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey Team
on quest to capture Canada West Conference and U Sports national titles.
Last Saturday at Merlis Belsher Place on the University of
Saskatchewan campus, the Huskies concluded their regular season downing the
University of Manitoba Bisons 4-2. That win allowed the Huskies to improve to 23-5
and lock up first place in Canada West and home ice advantage through the
conference playoffs. The last time the Huskies pulled that feat off was back in
the 2018-19 campaign under now retired legendary head coach Dave Adolph.
U of S is also rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.
The Huskies roster includes Kosior and Keaton Sorensen, who
are grads of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. U of S’s roster includes Rhett
Rhinehart, who started his WHL career with the Raiders, and Ty Prefontaine, who
played the first three games of his WHL career with the Raiders before playing
most of his major junior career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Josh Pillar and Ashton Ferster are grads from the Prince
Albert Mintos under-18 AAA team who are skating with the Raiders. Prince Albert
product Ethan Regnier came up through Prince Albert’s minor hockey system and
found his way to the Huskies after playing in the WHL with Swift Current
Broncos and Everett Silvertips.
This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.
Raiders’ Wiesblatt and family highlight of
opening round
Ozzy Wiesblatt was selected by the San Jose Sharks.
For arguably the first time ever, the most memorable moment
of the first round of the NHL Entry Draft was the final pick.
On Tuesday night, the NHL Entry Draft was held via video conference call from the
NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, as opposed to being live in an NHL
centre due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As the opening round was
broadcast on TV, the players who were to be selected watched the proceedings at
home with their families.
The TV
broadcast had the use of Internet cameras to get live looks into the home of
the players who were selected in the first round.
The San
Jose Sharks made the final selection at the 31st overall spot in the
opening round. Doug Wilson Jr., who is the Sharks director of scouting, announced
the pick using American Sign Language and his voice that his club had picked
Ozzy Wiesblatt of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.
Ozzy Wiesblatt finished second in Raiders scoring last season.
The picture
cut away to a picture of the Wiesblatt household, which was a scene of a
euphoric and joyous celebration.
Wilson
announced the pick via sign language because Wiesblatt’s mom, Kim White, has
been deaf since birth.
She had to
raise Ozzy, his three brothers and one sister as a single mom since 2014.
Ozzy’s brothers are all high level hockey players.
The oldest
brother, Ocean, played in the junior A ranks with the Portage La Prairie
Terriers last season. The second oldest brother, Orca, is a member of the WHL’s
Calgary Hitmen, and the youngest brother, Oasiz, is highly touted prospect with
the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
Wilson’s special touch in announcing Ozzy Wiesblatt’s
selection gave the opening round its signature moment.
Ozzy Wiesblatt with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Left-winger Alexis Lafreniere of the QMJHL’s Rimouski
Oceanic may have gone first overall to the New York Rangers, but it felt like
the night really belonged to Wiesblatt and his family.
Adding to the story
is the fact the 18-year-old Calgary, Alta., product is a really good player,
who deserves to be a first round selection.
As a
16-year-old rookie in 2018-19, Wiesblatt, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 182
pounds, appeared in 64 regular season games posting 15 goals, 24 assists and a
plus-30 rating. By the end of that season, Wiesblatt often found himself on a
line at right wing with star overage centre Noah Gregor and star left-winger Cole Fonstad as
the Raiders topped the WHL regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2 record.
Wiesblatt
played in all of the Raiders 23 games in the WHL playoffs posting five goals,
five assists and a plus-six rating helping deliver a WHL championship to “Hockey
Town North” for the second time in history.
Ozzy Wiesblatt is one of the Raiders top offensive players.
This past
season as a 17-year-old sophomore, Wiesblatt skating in all of the Raiders 64
regular season games finishing second in team scoring with 25 goals, 45 assists
and a plus-20 rating. He helped the Raiders post a 36-18-6-4 record and finish
first in the WHL’s East Division for the second straight year.
Wiesblatt’s
draft selection was the topper for banner day for Prince Albert at the NHL
Entry Draft.
Kaiden
Guhle, who is the Raiders ultra-talented offensive-defenceman, was taken 16th
overall by the Montreal Canadiens. The 18-year-old Sherwood Park, Alta.,
product’s selection alone normally would give the Raiders a memorable night.
Back in the
2017 WHL Bantam Draft, Guhle was selected by the Raiders in the first overall
in the first round. Since that time, he has been living up to that high
selection.
Kaiden Guhle was selected by the Montreal Canadiens.
As a
16-year-old rookie in 2018-19, Guhle played in 65 regular season games
collecting three goals, 14 assists and a plus-17 rating in the plus-minus
department. He focused more on playing a defensive role on a defensive starting
six where the other five members were all 19-year-old veterans.
Last season
as a 17-year-old sophomore, Guhle, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 184 pounds was
thrust into a bigger role and was looked upon to provide more offence. He
appeared in all of the Raiders 64 regular season games piling up 11 goals, 29
assists and a plus-23 rating.
As a
blue-liner, Guhle has a special blend of talents very few have.
The
selections of Wiesblatt and Guhle marked the third time in team history the
Raiders have had two players picked in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
Wiesblatt
and Guhle weren’t the only individuals with Prince Albert ties to shine in the opening
round of the NHL Entry Draft.
Prince
Albert product Braden Schneider, who plays for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, was
selected 19th overall by the Rangers.
Braden Schneider was selected by the Rangers.
The 19-year-old Schneider, who
stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 202 pounds, had a breakout campaign posting seven
goals, 35 assists and a plus-nine rating in 60 regular season games with the
Wheat Kings last season.
The
graduate of the Prince Albert Mintos Under-18 AAA team has established himself
as one of the WHL’s elite offensive-defencemen.
Portland
Winterhawks right-winger Seth Jarvis, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 172
pounds, was the first WHL player to be picked in the first round of the NHL
Entry Draft going 13th overall to the Carolina Hurricanes. Jarvis
racked up 42 goals, 56 assists and a plus-53 rating in 58 games last season
with Portland.
Saskatoon,
Sask., product and 19-year-old centre Connor Zary, who plays for the WHL’s
Kamloops Blazers, went 24th overall to the Calgary Flames. Zary, who
stands 6-feet and weighs 181 pounds, recorded 38 goals, 48 assists and a
plus-30 rating in 58 games with the Blazers this past season.
Ozzy Wiesblatt (#19) enjoys a WHL title win.
The NHL
Entry Draft wraps up on Wednesday with rounds two to seven. Before Tuesday’s
opening round started, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced they are
targeting to begin the upcoming regular season on January 1, 2021.
The opening
round of the NHL Entry Draft on Tuesday will always be a memorable night for
the players who were selected.
For
Wiesblatt and Prince Albert as a city, it will go down as a forever cherished
feel-good night.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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The Raiders celebrate a WHL title winning goal by Dante Hannoun (#17).
The City of
Prince Albert took a bit of a gut punch this week thanks to Canada’s federal
government.
On Monday, Francois-Philippe
Champagne, who is the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities,
announced with a tweet that included a letter to SaskBuilds that 13 of 25
projects submitted through the Integrated Bilateral Agreement (IBA) have been
approved.
This deal
could potentially bring $896-million into Saskatchewan for infrastructure
projects over the next 10 years.
The
minister added approvals for 11 other projects are expected shortly.
Only one
project was not approved, which was a sport multiplex facility for Prince
Albert. The proposed multiplex would include an aquatics centre, two smaller
rinks and a larger rink that would be the new home of the WHL’s Prince Albert
Raiders.
Sean Montgomery takes a lap with the Ed Chynoweth Cup last May.
The letter
in Champagne’s tweet said the multiplex in Prince Albert was ineligible for
funding under this agreement because it would be the home to a “semi-pro
sporting franchise.” The letter said portions of the multiplex may become
eligible for funding if an appropriate revised application is submitted.
The IBA states ineligible projects include a professional or
semi-professional sports facility that is primarily a commercial operation and
lumped in facilities for major junior hockey teams into that classification.
The Bears celebrate their Western regional win in 2017.
The IBA also states Saskatchewan has to confirm the primary rational for
taking on a sports infrastructure project is to not serve as a home for
professional or semi-professional teams.
The City of
Prince Albert is reworking the proposal in order to qualify for funding under
the IBA.
This
development has sent off a firestorm between politicians over mainstream media
line and social media lines and Saskatchewan citizens over social media lines.
The bottom
line is Prince Albert deserves these facilities. That small city has given extraordinary
support to its sports community over its entire history.
The Bears are all smiles after their Western regional win in 2017.
Prince
Albert also needs these facilities.
The Frank
J. Dunn Swimming Pool that is part of Carlton Comprehensive High School and the
Marion Aquatics Centre, which is part of the former Rivier Academy, are both
aging facilities that are past their due dates. They are the only indoor pools
in Prince Albert, and they are ready to be replaced.
The minor
hockey arenas in Prince Albert like the Dave G. Steuart Arena and the Kinsmen
Arena are old barn style facilities. The Dave G. Steuart Arena is likely passed
its due date and the Kinsmen Arena is older than the Raiders current home rink
- the Art Hauser Centre - which was built in 1971.
The 2,580
Art Hauser Centre has a great history and will always be looked upon in an
iconic way as a junior hockey facility and for the memories the Mintos midget
AAA and the Northern Bears female midget AAA hockey teams have made there.
The Mintos have created many great memories at the Art Hauser Centre.
Still, the Hauser has likely reached the end of its line for all the upgrades
you can do to it.
At the
moment, the Bears don’t even have their own permanent dressing room and team
facilities in that rink like the Raiders and Mintos do.
On top of
everything, the Raiders are a community owned amateur team. They are the type
of franchise that wouldn’t be able to play in a new facility without some sort
of federal funding.
That
facility is constantly busy throughout the calendar year too.
On the
hockey side, the Raiders, Mintos and Bears are all first class organizations
that play an integral part in the community being known as “Hockey Town North.”
I myself would never be opposed to creating the opportunity for those clubs to
play in upgraded facilities.
The Mintos celebrate a home ice win last February.
They all
have rich championship histories playing out of the Art Hauser Centre. Of
course, the Raiders provided the biggest high last May, when Dante Hannoun
scored the WHL championship winning goal in Game 7 in overtime at that storied
facility.
The sports
multiplex that is being proposed could act as a central sports training
facility for Prince Albert and surrounding area. It would be ideal gathering
spot in northern Saskatchewan for hockey, speed skating, figure skating and swimming.
The Art Hauser Centre has seen its share of great history.
During the
spring and summer months, the bigger rink could be used for concerts, rodeos or
community events like the Art Hauser Centre holds now.
A new
sports multiplex would bring Prince Albert and I dare say the surrounding area
communities in northern Saskatchewan into the future in a big way.
It is a
great idea with vision. Here is hoping it doesn’t succumb to rivalries and ego
in the political world.
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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Stars C Joelle Fiala celebrates a playoff game winner in Prince Albert.
Saskatoon Stars
centre Joelle Fiala was ready to take out the music man in Prince Albert.
That was before she
became one of the Stars star players.
About six to seven
years ago, Joelle was in Prince Albert watching older brother, Evan, play for
the Saskatoon Contacts in a Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League game as they
took on the host Mintos at the Art Hauser Centre. Evan would later become the
captain of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.
As for the encounter
years back in midget AAA, the Mintos won the game, and The Guess Who’s “Runnin’
Back to Saskatoon” blared over the rink’s sound system. In Prince Albert, that
tune is the victory song that gets played every time a team from “Hockey Town
North” beats a club that hails from “the Bridge City.”
Joelle, who was
around age 11 at that time, wasn’t impressed.
Evan Fiala heard the P.A. song tradition with two teams.
“When I was younger,
I would go to Evan’s games and be hearing that when he was playing midget, and
it makes me mad as a sister watching my brother,” said Joelle. “Being a player
and hearing it, the first time it is like, “Ah, what the heck.”
“I think it just
gives us more motivation. It is something to kind of joke about.
“You only really
think about it when it is playing. It is not really something that hangs over
your shoulder.”
For at least a
decade or more, “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” has played in the Art Hauser Centre
when the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders beat the Saskatoon Blades, the
Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League’s Prince Albert Northern Bears
down the Stars and the SMAAAHL’s Mintos defeat the Contacts or the Saskatoon
Blazers.
It is believed the
tradition started when Dennis Ogrodnick, who is now a retired teacher from
Prince Albert’s St. Mary High School, became the music man for the Raiders,
Bears and Mintos.
Cole Fonstad (#24) enjoys an empty-net goal last Dec. 28 against the Blades.
A few times following home ice victories by Prince Albert teams
over Saskatoon squads, Ogrodnick will write a post on Twitter saying the
“Hockey Town North” side that won sent their respective “Toon Town” opponent
“Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.”
Raiders break a franchise record scoring 3 goals in 16 seconds and send the Blades “running back to Saskatoon.” pic.twitter.com/dFXSRyobJP
The tradition of
playing this song from The Guess Who is synonymous with WHL games between the
Raiders and Blades.
This season on Dec.
28, 2018, the Raiders faced the Blades before a season high crowd of 3,130
spectators at the 2,580 seat Art Hauser Centre. With 9.1 seconds remaining in
the third period, Raiders star left-winger Cole Fonstad scored into an empty
net to seal a 4-2 victory for the host side.
The Raiders and Blades have an intense rivalry.
When the empty-net
goal was scored, “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” was played as the goal song
instead of Raiders standard goal song in Dion’s “Runaround Sue” to the most
excited cheers of the night from the crowd.
After the clock
ticked to zero, “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” again blared through the sound
system and the fans in the two sections nearest the Blades bench were singing
that tune at the Saskatoon players, coaches and staff as they departed to the dressing
room.
The tradition made
former longtime Blades head coach and general manager Lorne Molleken dislike
the song.
As for current first
year Blades head coach Mitch Love, he hasn’t placed any extra significance on
that Prince Albert tradition.
The P.A. song tradition doesn’t bother Blades HC Mitch Love.
“I’ll be honest I
don’t know if myself or any of the guys pay any attention to that,” said Love.
“It is probably more of a fan based thing for them up there, a quirky thing
that they do in terms of celebrating victory.
“You know, good on
them I guess.”
Offensive defenceman
Dawson Davidson, who was acquired by the Blades in a trade with the Regina Pats
on Jan. 8, 2018, admitted he was oblivious to the “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon”
song tradition in Prince Albert. When the tradition was explained to him, he
thought it was actually pretty cool, because it included the Stars, Blazers and
Contacts as well as the Blades.
Dawson Davidson is cool with P.A.’s song tradition.
“I think there is
just that rivalry between the two cities that is pretty awesome,” said Davidson,
who is a Blades assistant captain. “To know it is not just us, but it is other
teams too, it just makes it that much better.
“Next time I am
there, hopefully I won’t hear it. We’ll try and prevent it. It is an awesome
rivalry.”
When he played for
the Pats, Davidson was part of their rivalry with the Moose Jaw Warriors, which
is often viewed as the greatest rivalry in major junior hockey. He said the
rivalry the Blades have with the Raiders is up there with the rivalry the Pats
have with the Warriors.
“I think it has a
lot of similarities as that one did last year and the year before,” said
Davidson. “Two of the top teams in the league kind of close on the map.
“When they get
together, it is always good games. I remember being a part of Regina (versus)
Moose Jaw. It would always be tight games, and it would be back and forth.
“It would be
physical, and the fans would be getting into it. It was an awesome environment.
It is kind of the same thing (with Saskatoon and Prince Albert).”
Grace Shirley hasn’t heard the P.A. song tradition so far this season.
The Stars haven’t
had to hear that song this season. They won all four of their regular season
matches with the Bears including two encounters in Prince Albert early last
December.
With that said,
Stars 17-year-old captain Grace Shirley, who has been a regular with the
Saskatoon SFMAAAHL squad since the start of the 2015-16 season, still recalls
what it is like living out that tradition.
“At the time when it
is happening, it is a little frustrating obviously because there is a rivalry
there,” said Shirley. “Both teams are competitive, and they want to win.
“It is kind of funny
I guess, but at the same time, it can get under your skin a little bit at the
time. Anytime you win especially against a team like that where you kind of
have history, and it is like a rivalry, obviously, it is a good feeling to like
not hear it.”
Max Gudnason and the Blazers want to keep avoiding the P.A. song tradition.
The Blazers have
avoided that tradition too so far this season. They have won all three of their
encounters with the Mintos.
The two sides close
out their respective regular season schedules against each other on Feb. 24 at
1:30 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.
Blazers 17-year-old
captain Riley Little has enjoyed the run of success against the Mintos and the
fact his team has prevented a playing of “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.”
“Last year, this is
my second year, it was kind of (crappy),” said Little, who is a standout
defensive defenceman. “This year beating them every time, it is kind of funny
and (you wonder) what they are thinking and what is going through their mind.”
Little said P.A.’s
song tradition gives his team extra motivation to beat the Mintos. He would
like to avoid being part of that song tradition for the rest of the season, but
said the Mintos have to be respected for having a good squad.
“You can’t be too
comfortable,” said Little. “Anything can happen.
“I feel it is a lot
of motivation going in there and not losing this year yet. Hopefully, we can
maintain and win the series 4-0.”
Evan Bortis and the Contacts fell in P.A. last Oct. 18
The Contacts split
their four regular season encounters with the Mintos in the current campaign.
One of the setbacks included falling to the Mintos 7-3 at the Art Hauser Centre
last Oct. 18.
“Playing P.A. is
always tough,” said 16-year-old Contacts captain Evan Bortis. “It is always a
good barnburner when they come in and we go there.
“I know it is a very
physical game, and I know we hate losing there. It is the worst feeling ever.
Winning there is probably one of the best feelings when you beat that team.”
Bortis admits it
irks him when “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” is played after the Contacts fall in
Prince Albert.
“It ticks you off a
bit,” said Bortis, who is a defensive defenceman that is finding an offensive
touch this season. “It makes you want to work harder the next time you play
them.
“It is good sometimes,
but sometimes it makes you really mad.”
Traditionally, the
Contacts and Mintos have had one of the most heated rivalries in the SMAAAHL,
and Bortis said that rivalry hasn’t died down.
The Stars celebrate a playoff win over the Bears last year.
“Everyone circles it
on their calendar when we play the Mintos,” said Bortis. “It is definitely a
big game for all of us, and we really want to beat them.
“We have a chip on
our shoulder every time we lose to them. I just enjoy playing them, and I think
our whole team does too. It is always good.”
While the four
Saskatoon teams can be irritated to different degrees, they try to take Prince
Albert’s song tradition with some fun.
As for Saskatoon
hockey fans, they often remind supporters of Prince Albert’s hockey teams that
at the end of the game they have to live in Prince Albert, and when the dust
settles, it is always better to be “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.”
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com. Music video courtesy of the wonderful work of Chanda Ulmer.
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