Saunderson delivers OT win, 2-0 series lead for Blades

Saskatoon outlasts 47-save performance by Rebels’ Wutzke

Ben Saunderson (#2) reacts to scoring the OT winner for the Blades.

Ben Saunderson lived out a dream hockey moment.

On Sunday at the SaskTel Centre, Saunderson’s Saskatoon Blades found themselves locked in a 1-1 tie in overtime against the Red Deer Rebels in Game 2 of a WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series. Late in the extra session, the 19-year-old offensive-defenceman put his instincts in the offensive zone to work.

Blades captain Trevor Wong drove with the puck down the right wing boards into the Red Deer zone. Saunderson elected to pinch down into the left faceoff circle to provide Wong a passing outlet.

The Blades mob Ben Saunderson after he scores his OT winner.

Wong passed the puck across the front of the Rebels goal to Saunderson. Saunderson wired home the winning goal while being hooked down by Rebels rookie import centre Samuel Drancak with 2:59 remaining in the extra session.

The rearguard’s tally gave the Blades a 2-1 overtime victory in front of 8,051 spectators. The crowd did their best to try and blow the roof off the SaskTel Centre after Saunderson’s goal went into the Red Deer net.

“I would say it is something you dream of,” said Saunderson, who was a plus-two in the plus-minus department on Sunday. “You’re playing mini sticks in the basement as a little kid, and you’re counting down the clock or you’re in overtime.

Fans at the SaskTel Centre celebrate the Blades OT win.

“You score a goal like that and hear everyone go crazy it is unbelievable.”

The win allowed the Blades to take 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven set. The series now switches scenes to Red Deer for Games 3 and 4, which will be held at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

As Saunderson was being hooked to the ground when he scored his overtime winner, he wasn’t able to follow the path of the puck into the Red Deer net.

The Rebels react to their OT loss on Sunday.

“To be honest, I didn’t see it go in,” said Saunderson. “I just heard the crowd.

“I heard the crossbar. I didn’t see it go in, but I heard the crowd and knew it went in. A goal like that is definitely something I’ll remember for a while.”

Saunderson said he decided to make his pinch, when he saw Wong jet down the right wing of the Red Deer zone. The Rebels skaters also had their eyes locked on the Blades captain creating a backdoor opportunity.

“I saw Wonger (Wong) going down the far side there,” said Saunderson. “I know he is always looking for pass.

Ben Saunderson had a goal and an assist for the Blades on Sunday.

“He is an incredible playmaker, so I thought I would jump in. He found me, and I found the net.”

Saunderson’s winner came at the expensive of Rebels 17-year-old rookie breakout netminder Chase Wutzke. The Debden, Sask., product was spectacular making 47 saves to keep the Rebels in the game.

Rebels interim head coach Dave Struch said Wutzke was fantastic on Sunday.

“He gave us a chance,” said Struch. “It is something that he for us against Medicine Hat (in a first round series win) as well.

Chase Wutzke made 47 saves for the Rebels on Sunday.

“They have a real good team. They have some high end players that create those shots. Overall for Chase (Wutzke) to play the way he did with a good bounce back game for us, it gave us a chance.”

Sunday’s game got out to a tight checking start. At the 13-minute mark of the opening frame, the shots on goal between the two clubs were tied 2-2. After the opening frame ended, the Blades held a 7-2 edge in shots on goal.

Thanks to a power play opportunity that carried over from the opening frame and two more power-play chances inside the first eight minutes of the second for the Saskatoon side, the Blades began to really pepper Wutzke. At the 10:30 mark of the second, the Blades held an 18-3 advantage in the shots on goal department.

Evan Gardner made 24 saves for the Blades on Sunday.

The Blades finally broke through on the scoreboard with 8:50 remaining in second on a tally that was set up by a smart play from Saunderson. He put a long bank stretch pass off the boards that sprung Blades star centre Fraser Minten on a two-on-nothing break into the Rebels zone with right-winger Rhett Melnyk.

Minten kept the puck himself, got in close and slipped home a shot between the legs of Wutzke to give the Blades a 1-0 lead.

During the regular season, Saunderson appeared in 67 games for the Blades posting career highs in goals (five), assists (26), points (31) and plus-minus (plus-39). Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said Saunderson has grown a tonne in various ways that team’s coaching staff has a lot of trust in the blue-liner.

Fraser Minten gave the Blades a 1-0 lead in the second period.

“What can’t he (Saunderson) do,” said Sonne. “We as a staff have felt like this for a while.

“He is bright. He is brainy. He knows the structure like the back of his hand. He skates really well. He is big. He is strong. He can shoot a puck. He can make plays. He is a leader.

“He is a great teammate. There isn’t much he can’t do. Him building that this season and the belief in that as well, I think has been huge for him and for our team.”

With 3:32 remaining in the second, Rebels right-winger Dwayne Jean Jr. was given a double minor for high-sticking. That infraction will trigger an automatic review by the WHL office for a possible suspension. The Blades were unable to score on the ensuing double minor.

Kalan Lind (#13) scored the equalizer for the Rebels.

At the conclusion of the first two periods, the Blades held a 28-10 advantage in the shots on goal department.

In the third, the Rebels increased the possibility that they might be able to steal a victory off Wutzke’s performance. At the 4:10 mark of the third, the Rebels evened the score at 1-1 on a power-play goal by star winger Kalan Lind. Positioned in front of the Saskatoon net, Lind tipped home a point shot from Rebels offensive-defenceman Hunter Mayo for the equalizer.

Sonne liked how his team responded when the Rebels pulled even on the scoreboard.

“I thought we showed maturity when it got tied up actually,” said Sonne. “I didn’t really particularly like our game very much in terms of passion and desperation in the first 40.

Hunter Mayo had an assist on the Rebels equalizer.

“I thought as it got tied up we started feeling a little bit of that ‘OK we’re in a game here.’ I thought we showed desperation, which is maturity, but at the same time, you have to play with that desperation at all times. That will be the main message for the team.

“Third period and overtime, I thought we actually finally got to that level of desperation, so we have to keep that going.”

Following Lind’s equalizer, the Rebels had a huge opportunity to go ahead on the scoreboard.

At the 5:59 mark of the third, Blades overage star left-winger Easton Armstrong bowled over Wutzke on an offensive rush. Armstrong was given a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct. Those infractions will trigger an automatic review by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

Trevor Wong set up the Blades OT winner.

The Rebels were unable to score on the ensuing power play. They peppered the Saskatoon net with chances, but Blades breakout rookie netminder Evan Gardner slammed the door shut to ensure the contest remained tied.

That set the stage for overtime.

In overtime, the Blades got the first six shots on goal, before the Rebels answered with a push back. 

In one sequence inside the final eight minutes of the extra session, a scramble occurred in front of the Saskatoon net. A shot from Lind got through Gardner and was trickling toward the goal-line. Blades 19-year-old defensive-defenceman John Babcock stopped the puck with his skate and kicked it under a fallen Gardner to get a stoppage.

John Babcock had a big defensive play for the Blades in OT.

“I unfortunately made a bad turnover to cause that, but I’m glad I could kind of save the game there and get a skate on it,” said Babcock. “I just saw it over Evan’s shoulder there.

“I just slid on it and hoped for the best.”

Shortly after that sequence, Saunderson came through with his winner.

Gardner stopped 24 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades.

He has won his last 15 straight starts including action in the regular season and post-season.

Now the series shifts to Red Deer for Games 3 and 4. 

Brandon Lisowsky gathers the puck in the centre ice zone.

Last year when the Blades dropped the first three games before rallying for four straight wins in an Eastern Conference semifinal series win over the Rebels, the Saskatoon side won two out of three games in Red Deer.

Saunderson said his squad is looking forward to the next two games in Red Deer, and his team will be focused on continuing what they have done in the first two contests of this year’s series.

“It is obviously pretty cool to play the same team two years in a row,” said Saunderson. “I think the series is long from over.

Tanner Molendyk, left, and Ben Saunderson huge after the Blades OT win.

“There are still a lot games to be played that could be played. I think our mentality going in there is do the same thing we did the last two games here. I think if we go in there and play our game we should be good.”

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Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy runnin’ back to Saskatoon

Blades lock up first overall in WHL

The Blades begin to celebrate a first overall finish in the WHL.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. - For the first time in 13 years the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy is runnin’ back to “The Bridge City.”

On Friday before 3,049 spectators at the 2,580 seat Art Hauser Centre, the visiting Saskatoon Blades dumped their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders 5-1 in the second last WHL regular season contest for both sides of the 2023-24 campaign. With the win, the Blades improve 49-13-2-3 and lock up first overall in the WHL regular season standings to claim the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. They will have home ice advantage through the WHL Playoffs.

The last time the Blades finished first overall in the WHL was back in the 2010-11 campaign when they posted a 56-13-1-2 record. The 56 victories are a Blades franchise record for wins in one regular season.

The Blades begin to mob netminder Austin Elliott after their win.

Overall, the Blades have finished first overall in the WHL regular season standings five times. They are still in search of their first WHL championship entering the circuit back in its inaugurals season in 1966-67.

With the loss, the Raiders fell to 31-31-2-3, but they were able to still clinch the final playoff berth locking up an eighth place finish in the Eastern Conference. Out in Swift Current, the host and Central Division champion Broncos outlasted the Calgary Hitmen 7-6.

Hitmen fell to 27-31-8-1 and were eliminated from post-season contention as they are locked into a ninth place finish in the Eastern Conference.

Brandon Lisowsky scored twice for the Blades on Friday.

As for Friday’s game between the Raiders and Blades, the Raiders jumped ahead 1-0 scoring just 95 seconds into the opening frame on a goal from 18-year-old centre Aiden Oiring. Raiders star 20-year-old left-winger Sloan Stanick centered the puck from the left corner to the Saskatoon zone to Oiring in front of the net. Oiring wired home his 21^st of the season to give the Raiders their one-goal edge.

After the host side went ahead, the Blades responded with a big push back going ahead 3-1 heading into the first intermission. 

At the 7:25 mark of the opening frame, Blades 19-year-old left-winger Rhett Melnyk fired a shot through a screen to even the score at 1-1.

Egor Sidorov (#19) tries to get past Sloan Stanick.

Just under two minutes later with the teams playing four-versus-four hockey due to coincidental penalties, Blades star offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk wired home a shot from the front of the net after receiving a beauty setup pass from star import right-winger Egor Sidorov to put the visitors up 2-1. The tally was Molendyk’s 10^th goal of the campaign.

Blades 18-year-old centre Misha Volotovskii completed the surge tallying at the 11:35 mark of the opening frame to put the visitors up 3-1.

With 7:19 remaining in the first, Raiders captain Eric Johnston engaged Blades star centre Fraser Minten in a fight. The short bout ended with Johnston getting the take down.

Aiden Oiring had the Raiders lone goal on Friday.

The Blades continued bringing the pressure in the second outshooting the Raiders 20-7 in the frame. Thanks to the play of Raiders star 19-year-old netminder Max Hildebrand, the Blades were limited to picking up just one goal late in the frame.

With 2:28 remaining in the second and working on the power play, Blades star 19-year-old winger Brandon Lisowsky scored backdoor at the right side of the Prince Albert net after receiving a pass from the left point by 20-year-old rearguard Charlie Wright. That tally allowed the Blades to go ahead 4-1, which caused the Raiders faithful to be fairly quiet for the rest of the contest from that point onward.

At the 13:29 mark of the second, Raiders rookie 17-year-old defenceman Doogan Pederson was given a double minor for slew-footing, and that infraction will automatically be reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

The Blade and Raiders combined for 60 penalty minutes on Friday.

Lisowsky would add his second of the contest in the third to round out the 5-1 final in favour of the Blades. 

The NHL Entry Draft selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs now has 42 goals on the season for the Blades.

Hildebrand turned away 32 shots to take the setback in goal for the Raiders. 

Austin Elliott stopped 19 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades.

Sidorov finished the night picking up a pair of assists for the Blades. He now has career highs in goals (49), assists (38) and points (87).

Tanner Molendyk scored for the Blades on Friday.

The two sides go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon to close out their respective regular season schedules. They have met nine times this season, and the Blades have won seven of those head-to-head encounters.

With Friday’s results in the books, the Blades and Raiders know they are now locked in to meet in a best-of-seven first round series in the WHL Playoffs. Game 1 of that series is set for this coming Thursday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

It is highly likely the intensity in the rivalry between the two sides will be cranked up to new heights over the next two weeks. The two clubs combined for 60 penalty minutes in Friday night’s encounter.

The Blades celebrate their win on Friday night.

For the moment, the Blades are relishing what is there most memorable win at the Art Hauser Centre with their win on Friday that clinched first place overall in the WHL standings.

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

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Blades dominant at home, improve to 23-1-1 at SaskTel

Rowan Calvert (#23) celebrates his second period goal on Friday.

The Saskatoon Blades have replaced Disneyland making the SaskTel Centre the greatest place on Earth for their fans.

In the current 2023-24 WHL campaign, opposing teams have to hang on tight when they visit the SaskTel Centre and hope they can stay close to the host Blades. As the Blades have jetted to the top of the WHL standings, they have done so by posting an almost near perfect record at home.

On Friday playing before 5,058 spectators on home ice, the Blades dumped their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders 6-1. The two clubs were tied 1-1 after 20 minutes before the Blades pulled away taking a 3-1 edge into the second intermission and pouring in the final three tallies of the contest in the third.

Fraser Minten had one goal and two assists for the Blades.

The Blades improved their WHL leading record to 38-9-2-3 and have gone an impressive 23-1-1 at the SaskTel Centre. Friday’s win concluded a seven game home stand for the Blades, and they claimed victory in all seven of those contests in building their current seven-game overall winning streak.

“The Bridge City Bunch” have won their last 12 straight games at home. The Blades last home loss came back on December 16, 2023, when they dropped a 5-4 decision in overtime to the Kelowna Rockets.

Saskatoon’s record has been solid on the road too. The Blades, who are rated first in the CHL Top 10 Rankings, are 15-8-1-3 away from the SaskTel Centre.

Raiders goalie Max Hildebrand sprawls to make a save.

With the dominance at home and leading the WHL overall standings, one could be forgiven if you didn’t realize the Blades moved within two standings points of clinching a berth in the WHL Playoffs with their win on Friday.

Once upon a time, the notion of the Blades having a home ice advantage was passed off. In most seasons, the Blades average around 4,500 at the SaskTel Centre, which has an NHL sized capacity.

The maximum attendance the Blades can hold at home is 14,768. They achieved that attendance between the regular season and playoffs last season on three occasions, when they hosted phenom centre Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats.

Alexander Suzdalev set up the Blades winning goal.

The SaskTel Centre doesn’t have the intimidation factor like the small centre Saskatchewan rinks do in the Art Hauser Centre, which is home to the Raiders, or the InnovationPlex, which is home to the Swift Current Broncos. In both those rinks, it feels like the crowd is on top of you.

As far as the mid-sized Alberta centres go, it feels like the fans are a force for the Hurricanes at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge, and aura of the Sutter family gives the Red Deer Rebels an edge in the Peavey Mart Centrium. Co-op Place in Medicine Hat can be a tough building to play in when a full house backs the Tigers, but it still doesn’t feel like it gives the edge the Tigers had in their old historic storied for their first 45 seasons in The Arena.

Rowan Calvert scored the winning goal for the Blades on Friday.

When you go play any of the squads in the WHL’s U.S. Division, that fans in those rinks go for decibel levels banging on the glass and getting as close to the ice surface as possible. The five rows nearest to the ice surface are prime seats in arenas in U.S. Division buildings.

The Blades are averaging 4,917 spectators per game over their first 25 home days this season, which is the fourth best average home attendance in the WHL. The Blades have been great at attracting the young fans of child age that drag their parents along to games.

The youngsters create an excited youthful energy in the Blades home rink, which has been really positive for the team. Parents in Saskatoon are learning that if you bring your children to a Blades game it will be a great night out. It also helps the Blades win seemingly every night out too.

Turner McMillen (#27) scored short-handed for the Raiders.

The Blades ensured there was a lot to cheer about on Friday night, and they started scoring just 91 seconds into the contest on their first power-play chance. Star offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk fired a shot through a screen to put the hosts up 1-0.

Later on in the frame, Blades import star right-winger Alexander Suzdalev tried to make all the highlight reels scoring on a Michigan shot, but he was turned away by Raiders star netminder Max Hildebrand.

With 1:26 remaining in the opening frame, the Raiders got a big traction moment while on the penalty kill. The visitors sprung overage centre Turner McMillen, who turned 21-years-old in late January, on a breakaway. On the short-handed breakaway, McMillen went forehand to backhand and put his sixth of the season past Blades netminder Evan Gardner to even the score at 1-1.

Tanner Molendyk had a goal and an assist for the Blades.

The Blades retook the lead working on another power play at the 3:20 mark of the second. Suzdalev had the puck inside the right faceoff circle. He put a shot pass in the direction of linemate Rowan Calvert in front of the Prince Albert net, and Calvert deflected home his ninth goal of the season to give the hosts a 2-1 advantage.

Following that tally, Blades star 19-year-old centre Fraser Minten proceeded to show why he is one of the WHL’s elite players. With 5:40 remaining in the second, Minten drove hard down the left wing on a rush, blew by a Raiders defenceman and put a backhand shot past Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand to push the Saskatoon lead out to 3-1.

The Blades enjoy a short-handed goal from Tyler Parr (#20).

In the third, the Blades sealed victory scoring a backbreaking short-handed goal off a two-on-rush at the 10:04 mark of the frame. On the rush, Minten burst into the Prince Albert zone down the left wing.

He fed a pass across the front of the Raiders net to winger Tyler Parr, who jetted into the offensive zone down the right wing. Parr made no mistake in burying his 10^th of the season to give the Blades a 4-1 lead. Just 55 seconds later, left-winger Rhett Melnyk scored for the Blades, and Misha Volotovskii followed with a single for the hosts to round out the game’s scoring.

Hildebrand turned away 31 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders. Gardner stopped 19 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades.

Rhett Melnyk scored for the Blades on Friday.

Minten finished with a three-point night coming off one goal and two assists to go with a plus-two rating in the plus-minus department. Molendyk and Calvert each finished with a goal and an assist.

The Raiders fell to 23-25-1-3 with the setback to sit ninth in the Eastern Conference they are one standings point back of the Hurricanes and the Calgary Hitmen from moving into a playoff position. The Hurricanes sit seventh in the conference with a 24-23-3 mark, while the Hitmen are eighth in the conference with a 22-20-6-1 record.

Last season, the Blades posted a 25-6-3 record at home, and the odds are high they will surpass that win total. Due to the fact they will play 34 regular season games at home, they won’t get to the WHL record for most wins at home during the regular season.

Brandon Lisowsky circles with the puck for the Blades.

The 1988-89 WHL and CHL champion Swift Current Broncos and the Kamloops Blazers and Seattle Thunderbirds both from the 1989-90 campaign each won 33 home games in a schedule where they hosted 36 regular season home dates.

Last season, the Winnipeg Ice had the WHL’s best home record while hosting 34 regular season home games at 30-3-1.

For now in Saskatoon, the faithful in “Blades City” will have to wait a little bit before seeing their team play at home again. The Blades play their next four games on the road starting on Saturday when they travel to Swift Current to take on the 26-18-4-2 Broncos (7 p.m., InnovationPlex).

The Raiders get back at it on Saturday when they return home to host the 26-19-5-1 Brandon Wheat Kings (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

The Blades celebrate their win on Friday.

The Blades will return home on Friday, February 23 when they host the Wheat Kings at 7 p.m. At this point, you can’t blame the Blades faithful if they have dreams of another victory dancing in their heads.

At the moment for Blades fans, every home game is a memorable one.

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

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Blades pound Pats 6-1, continue to top WHL standings

The Blades celebrate a goal from Tanner Molendyk (#24).

The Saskatoon Blades gave a glimpse of the potential they have.

On Sunday before 4,955 spectators at the SaskTel Centre, they romped past their traditional big city rivals the Regina Pats 6-1. The win was the third in a row for the Blades, and they have now earned standings points in each of their past 18 games posting 14 wins, two overtime losses and two shootout losses over that stretch.

The Blades are one game away from equalling the franchise record for the longest standings point streak. The club’s last regulation loss came back on November 22, 2023 with a 6-2 setback against the Silvertips in Everett.

Saskatoon collected standings points in 19 straight contests back in the 2012-13 campaign with an 18-game winning streak and an overtime loss in a season where the Blades hosted the CHL championship tournament – the Memorial Cup.

Blades RW Egor Sidorov (#19) cuts in on the Pats net.

With Sunday’s win, the Blades improved to 29-8-2-2 and continue to lead the WHL’s overall standings. They sit three standings points ahead of the 29-12-0-1 Prince George Cougars.

The Blades, who are rated second in the CHL’s Top 10 Rankings, are still experimenting with line combinations and defensive pairs after cementing their roster at the WHL trade deadline that passed last Wednesday,

In Sunday’s victory over the Pats, the Blades opened the scoring at the 2:13 mark of the first on a vintage power-play goal from star import right-winger Egor Sidorov. Positioned at the right side of the Regina net, Sidorov, who was playing in his 150^th career WHL regular season game, one-timed home a setup pass from Blades captain Trevor Wong to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Brandon Lisowsky had a goal and an assist for the Blades.

The Blades weren’t able to increase their advantage heading into the first intermission despite holding a 15-7 edge in shots on goal.

Just 18 seconds into the second, the Blades pushed their advantage out to 2-0. Blades star right-winger Brandon Lisowsky took the puck away from a Pats defender behind the Regina net on the forecheck and passed the puck from the right corner to the top of the right faceoff circle to linemate Easton Armstrong.

Armstrong blew home his 22^nd tally of the season to give the Blades their two-goal edge.

At the 3:10 mark of the second, Blades star netminder Austin Elliott misplayed  the puck behind his own net, which caused the puck to go bouncing all over the place. During the scramble, the puck came out in front of the Blades net, and Pats 17-year-old rookie defenceman Kolten Bridgeman popped home the loose disk for his first career WHL goal to cut the Blades lead to 2-1.

Easton Armstrong scored for the Blades on Sunday.

Just 82 seconds later, the Blades restored their two-goal edge. After star centre Fraser Minten took the puck away from a Pats player at the right side boards in the Regina zone, he passed the puck across the front of the Regina net to Lisowsky. Lisowsky, who was playing in his 200^th career WHL regular season contest, snapped home is 23^rd goal of the season from the left side of the Regina net to give the Blades a 3-1 lead.

The Blades struck again at the 11:09 mark of the second thanks to a benefit of a positive SaskTel Centre bounce. Blades star offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk fired a shot from the right point that missed the net.

Kolten Bridgeman scored his first career WHL goal on Sunday.

The puck deflected off the boards behind the Regina net right to Blades centre Misha Volotovskii, who was positioned by the left side of the Pats net. Volotovskii popped home his fifth goal of the season off Pats defenceman Tyson Buczkowski to increase the Blades lead to 4-1.

In the third, Blades 19-year-old left-winger Rhett Melnyk tipped home a point shot from rearguard Ben Saunderson at the 4:11 mark of the frame. Just 2:01 later, Molendyk wired home a shot from the right point to round out the 6-1 final in favour of the host side. He finished the night recording three points off his goal and two assists.

Rhett Melnyk scored for the Blades in the third period.

Austin Elliott stopped 19 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Ewan Huet turned away 32 shots to take the setback in net for the Pats (15-21-4-2).

Blades 17-year-old rookie netminder Evan Gardner was slated to start Sunday’s contest. He encountered a medical issue before the opening faceoff and was ruled out for the game. Gardner wasn’t on the Blades bench at any point in the win over the Pats.

The Pats return to action on Friday when they return home to host the Lethbridge Hurricanes (7 p.m., Brandt Centre).

The Blades get back at it on Wednesday, when they travel to Red Deer to take on the 22-13-1-4 Rebels (7 p.m. local time, Peavey Mart Centrium). That will be the first of four straight the Blades will now play on the road.

The Blades salute the crowd at the SaskTel Centre on Sunday.

They will continue to try and reach their potential and make the 2023-24 WHL campaign a special one for “The Bridge City.”

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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