Titan clash with Pats proves Memorial Cup up for grabs

Pats LW Robbie Holmes (#32) battles Titan D Elijah Francis for the puck.

    REGINA, Sask. – There are no guarantees at the 2018 Memorial Cup, if Sunday’s clash between the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the Regina Pats is any indication.

    Just 13 seconds into the round robin clash, Pats overage right-winger Cameron Hebig lifted a shot over top of a sprawled out Titan netminder Evan Fitzpatrick to give his side a 1-0 lead. The Titan proceeded to rally back to take a 6-2 lead after the second period chasing Pats starting 17-year-old netminder Max Paddock from the Regina goal stopping 26-of-32 shots fired his way.

    Veteran Ryan Kubic came in at the start of the third and was beaten on the first shot he faced as Titan right-winger Ethan Crossman fired home his second goal of the contest to put the QMJHL champions up 7-2. 

The Pats celebrate a goal 13 seconds in from Cameron Hebig.

    At that point, it looked like the Titan were about to put the final stamp on a statement game to show they might be the best club in the four-team field.

    The tournament hosting Pats proceeded to counter with four straight goals to pull to within 7-6. The last tally was a long seeing-eye point shot from overage centre Matthew Bradley with 1:57 to play in the third bringing the crowd of 5,832 spectators at the Brandt Centre into a frenzy.

    Following Bradley’s goal, the Titan look fragile, and it felt like the next Pats shot could force overtime.

    After the Pats had an offensive zone faceoff with 18.4 seconds to play, Titan captain Jeffrey Truchon-Viel made a desperate diving stab to knock a Pats pass attempt along the blue-line into the centre ice zone.

Defenceman Noah Dobson had two goals and two assist for the Titan.

    Titan offensive defenceman Noah Dobson raced up ice, tracked down the puck and fired it into an empty Pats cage with one second to play to seal an 8-6 victory for Acadie-Bathurst. Dobson finished the contest with two goals and two assists.

    The Titan, who were playing on back-to-back nights, improved to 2-0 and locked up a berth into the tournament’s semifinal contest on Friday. The Pats fell to 1-1 with the setback.

    The clash between the two sides was a thriller for the fans. By the looks of the stands at the Brandt Centre, it appeared there were very few no-shows in the event’s third round robin game.

    It was an aggravating one for the coaches. Both sides had to consider the possibility of delating the video on this one.

    With the WHL champion Swift Current Broncos set to battle the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs in a battle of 0-1 squads on Monday at 6 p.m. at the Brandt Centre, the Memorial Cup is up for grabs.

Pats C Matthew Bradley (#77) steers the puck away from trouble.

    It is hard to declare any team a favourite. As the overused sports cliché goes, the club that shows up and makes the most plays on any given day is going to win.

    In the battle between the Titan and Pats, the goaltending on either side did not inspire confidence. The skilled players on both squads did net some nice goals, but a number of soft shots made it through for each side too.

    Fitzpatrick looked good over the opening 40 minutes, but in the third period, it looked like at times he wouldn’t have been able to stop a beach ball.

Captain Sam Steel had four assists for the Pats.

    Paddock looked like a rookie sensation making 31 saves in the Pats 3-2 tournament opening victory over the Bulldogs on Friday. On Sunday, he looked like a deer in the headlights type rookie, where the stage seemed to overwhelm the youngster from Brandon, Man.

    After being beat on the first shot he faced, Kubic, who is eligible to return for an overage campaign, almost mishandled a shot just seconds later nearly allowing that puck to go into the Regina goal. It took a video review to ensure the Titan did not score at that moment.
    Kubic stopped three of four shots sent his way.

    Besides getting a huge night from Dobson, Truchon-Viel and Liam Murphy had big nights for Acadie-Bathurst. Truchon-Viel had a pair of goals and an assist, while Murphy had a goal and two assists. Samuel Asselin had Acadie-Bathurst’s lone other tally.

Noah Dobson, left, and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel enjoy a Titan empty-net goal.

    On the Pats side, their top line of Hebig, captain and star centre Sam Steel and left-winger Nick Henry did most of the damage. Steel had four assists, Hebig had a pair of goals and an assist, while Henry had a goal and an assist.

    Offensive defenceman Josh Mahura had a goal and an assist to help out the Pats cause as well.

    Going forward, the Titan will close out their round robin schedule taking on the Bulldogs on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. With a win in that contest, the Titan would lock up a berth in the Memorial Cup championship game this coming Sunday.

    The Pats close their round robin schedule taking on the Broncos at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Brandt Centre. If the Pats pull out a win in that contest, they will lock up a spot in Friday’s semifinal.

    It remains to be seen if the Titan or the Pats can make good on the upcoming opportunities they have.

Steenbergen watch on for the Broncos

Broncos star Tyler Steenbergen, left, is listed as day-to-day due to injury.

    The anticipation is on to see if star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen will be in the Swift Current Broncos lineup on Monday.

    Steenbergen was lost in the Broncos opening game of the Memorial Cup on Saturday, when the WHL champions fell 4-3 in overtime to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

    Early in the second period, Titan captain Jeffrey Truchon-Viel hit Steenbergen from the side and sent the Sylvan Lake, Alta., product flying awkwardly into the boards. Steenbergen was assisted off the ice by Broncos athletic trainer Jamie LeBlanc and did not return to the contest.

    Daniel Nugent-Bowman, who writes for Sportsnet.ca and is a former Saskatoon StarPhoenix beat writer who covered the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, caught up with Broncos head coach and director of player personnel Manny Viveiros on Sunday. Nugent-Bowman asked Viveiros about Steenbergen’s status, and Viveiros said Steenbergen is listed as day-to-day.

    The Broncos face the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs on Monday at 6 p.m. at the Brandt Centre in a key clash between two teams who are 0-1 in the round robin.

Tyler Steenbergen has been a dynamic player for the Broncos.

    Steenbergen plays on the Broncos dynamic top line with captain Glenn Gawdin at centre and Finnish import Aleksi Heponiemi at left wing.

    During the past two regular seasons, Steenbergen had been outstanding. In the 2016-17 campaign, Steenbergen appeared in all of the Broncos 72 regular season games piling up 51 goals, 39 assists and a plus-26 rating in the plus-minus department. Thanks to those efforts, he was selected in the fifth round and 128^th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes.

    In the 2017-18 regular season, Steenbergen appeared in 56 regular season games with the Broncos piling up 47 goals, 55 assists and a plus-52 rating. During the Broncos record 26-game run through the WHL playoffs to capture the league title, Steenbergen had 12 goals, 15 assists and a plus-seven rating.

    At the last world junior hockey championship, Steenbergen scored the winning goal for Canada late in the gold medal game in a 3-1 victory over Sweden on Jan. 5 in Buffalo, New York.

On March 6, Steenbergen signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Coyotes.

    In Saturday’s game with the Titan, Steenbergen scored once before departing due to injury.

    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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Broncos poised to be a major force in WHL

Broncos RW Tyler Steenbergen (#17) circles past Pats C Matthew Bradley.

    REGINA, Sask. – The small Swift Current Broncos contingent could be heard loud and proud among the sellout crowd of 6,484 spectators on Sunday afternoon at the Brandt Centre.

    Come May, it is highly possible that small contingent could multiply into a massive amount of supporters, if the Broncos are able to win their first WHL championship since 1993 and earn a berth in the Memorial Cup. Regina hosts major junior hockey’s national championship tournament from May 18 to 27.

    On Sunday, the Broncos downed the Memorial Cup hosting Regina Pats 4-1 in what was viewed as an expected heavyweight WHL tilt. Both teams made a number of moves in the weeks leading up to the WHL’s trade deadline on January 10 to stock up for a lengthy playoff run.

    The Broncos have hovered near the top of the WHL standings all season and currently sit second overall with a 35-12-3-1 mark.

Netminder Stuart Skinner was a major addition to the Broncos.

    They are coming off an exciting playoff run last season, where they fell in a series deciding Game 7 to the Pats in the second round by a 5-1 score. Regina moved on to the WHL Championship series falling to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

    The Pats stocked up due to the fact they are hosting the Memorial Cup, and they hold the first wildcard spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 25-22-5 record. They sit two points up on the Saskatoon Blades (25-23-2-1) and six points up on the Prince Albert Raiders (20-20-7-2). The Blades and Raiders had one game and three games in hand respectively on the Pats.

    While the Broncos are deep on forward and defence, one of their key aces is netminder Stuart Skinner. The Broncos acquired Skinner in a blockbuster multiplayer trade on Jan. 9 with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and the addition of the Edmonton product gave Swift Current a battle hardened playoff netminder.

Aleksi Heponiemi had a goal and two assists on Sunday.

    The 19-year-old Skinner helped power the Hurricanes into the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship series last season, where they bowed out to the Pats in six games.

    Skinner was outstanding on Sunday turning away 41 shots to back the Broncos victory. Arguably, one of his best saves came in the second period with the Broncos holding a 1-0 edge.

    Pats star captain Sam Steel made a perfect backdoor feed across the front of the Swift Current goal to linemate Cameron Hebig, who let the shot go as soon as the puck hit his stick. Skinner got across to deny the scoring chance.

    Skinner held the Broncos in during a sluggish start in the first period, when the Pats stormed out of the game to an early 8-1 edge in the shots on goal department. With Skinner keeping the Pats off the scoreboard, the Broncos had time to find their legs.

    With 1:15 to play in the opening frame, Broncos left-winger Beck Malenstyn, who was with the Calgary Hitmen last season, found a loose puck in front of the Regina goal and popped home the first goal of the contest to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead. Malenstyn’s tally during a spurt of four-on-four action changed the completion of the contest.

Glenn Gawdin scored his 40th goal of the season.

    The Broncos edge grew to 2-0 when centre Matteo Gennaro, who was also with the Hitmen last season, roofed home a turnaround shot past Pats netminder Ryan Kubic.

    Swift Current also showed the damage it could do on the power play. At the 5:31 mark of the third, Finnish import left-winger Aleksi Heponiemi converted a perfect backdoor feed from Gennaro to give the Broncos a 3-0 lead.

    After the Pats cut the Broncos lead to 3-1 on a point shot through a screen by defenceman Cale Fleury, the Broncos rounded out the game’s scoring with a beauty power-play tally from their top line of Heponiemi, captain Glenn Gawdin and star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen.

    On a tick-tack-toe passing play, Heponiemi and Steenbergen set up Gawdin on a perfect backdoor play, and the Richmond, B.C., product buried his 40^th of the season with 3:58 to play in the third. Heponiemi picked up his second assist of the night on Gawdin’s goal.
    The Broncos went 2-for-4 with the man advantage and killed off all three of the Pats power-play chances.

    Kubic made 31 stops to take the setback in goal for the Pats. The St. Andrews, Man., product didn’t have a bad game.

The Broncos fan contingent was loud and proud on Sunday.

    He was bested by a goalie in Skinner who can make the impossible looking save to take away a sure goal.

    The Pats fans in attendance on Sunday were vocal in their support of their team. While the support is there, they have to wonder if their club will turn into a squad that can best a side like the Broncos or the WHL leading Moose Jaw Warriors (39-8-1-2).

    The Broncos are built to gun for the Warriors. Due to the way the WHL’s playoffs are structured, it is unfortunate one of those two clubs will be eliminated at least in the second round of the post-season due to the fact they are part of an ultra-competitive East Division.

    Both the Broncos and Warriors would love to only make a short trip east down the Trans-Canada Highway in May to the Memorial Cup as league champs.

The Broncos expect to celebrate a lot of wins like they did on Sunday.

    With the fans that would be sure to follow from their respective centres, the Broncos or the Warriors would easily be considered a second home team, if either make it that far.

    The Broncos won their only Memorial Cup championship in 1989, when the event was held in Saskatoon, Sask. Their fans have to be giddy about the prospect of winning major junior hockey’s biggest crown in a Saskatchewan centre once again.

    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 come out winners in a bonkers WHL trade deadline day

Max Gerlach (#9) battles for the puck for the Blades.

    A former standout veteran WHL executive once told me anybody in the league can be traded depending on what you want to give up.

    That played out to be true on Wednesday’s WHL trade deadline day, where 17 deals were made on that day alone before the deadline of 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time. That doesn’t include all the massive amount of moves that were made in the 10 days leading up to trade deadline day.

    When you step back and look at what was given up to get standouts that might be rentals for a maximum of five months, some of the WHL general managers and executives were out of their minds. Way too many deals were made in the fashion of an armchair general manager running a fantasy sports NHL team.

Netminder Tyler Brown (#31) helps out on the Blades bench.

    On the Saskatoon Blades front, credit has to be given to them for taking advantage of some good opportunities when they came about. Some of their good fortune was used to get a couple of good players they might not have originally thought they could pick up.

    Blades general manager Colin Priestner, his scouts and executive staff on the hockey side of things made the right hockey moves when it came to popular veterans Libor Hajek and Cameron Hebig when the Regina Pats camp calling. The Pats were stocking up their roster to be a solid host side when they host the Memorial Cup tournament from May 17 to 27. The Blades took advantage of a team in need.

    On Monday, Saskatoon sent Hajek, who is a 19-year-old import Czech defenceman and has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, to Regina in exchange for 19-year-old defenceman Dawson Davidson, 16-year-old forward prospect Tristen Robins and a first round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft.

Dawson Davidson jets up ice for the Blades.

    On Wednesday morning, the Blades and the Pats combined for another blockbuster. The Blades sent overage star centre and local product Hebig and 19-year-old goaltender Ryan Kubic to the Pats in exchange for overage star netminder Tyler Brown, 17-year-old right-winger Bryan Lockner, a first and a second round selection in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, a third round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft and a third round selection in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft.

    The Blades proceeded to deal Lockner, a first round selection in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and a second round selection in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft to the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for 19-year-old star centre Max Gerlach.

    Before deadline passed on Wednesday afternoon, the Blades made one more deal acquiring centre Eric Florchuk, who turned 18 on Wednesday, from the Victoria Royals for a first round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, a first round selection in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft and a fourth round selection in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft that was originally obtained from the Brandon Wheat Kings in an earlier deal. 

Bryan Lockner (#28) was dealt to the Tigers by the Blades.

    Florchuk was originally selected by the Royals in the first round and 13^th overall in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft.

    After the dust settled, the Blades managed to help themselves in the present as the arrivals of Brown, Gerlach and Davidson make up for the departures of Kubic, Hebig and Hajek. As a bonus, Brown is a big upgrade over Kubic, and Gerlach has the potential to return next season as an overager, while Hebig, who has an NHL entry-level contract signed with the Edmonton Oilers, will exhaust his major junior eligibility.

    Saskatoon now has one of the best goaltending tandems in the league with Brown being pair up with rookie sensation Nolan Maier, who turned 17 on Wednesday.

Max Gerlach zips into the offensive zone for the Blades.

    The Blades also helped themselves in the near future with the additions of Florchuk, who could potentially play the next three seasons in the WHL, and Robins, who appeared in one game with the Pats this season and could potentially play the next four campaigns in the WHL. Florchuk was in transit to join the Blades for the rest of the current campaign on Wednesday, while Robins currently plays for the Rink Hockey Academy prep team in Winnipeg, Man.

    On the WHL Bantam Draft front, the Blades came away with one less first round pick, one less fourth round selection, and they added two third round selections. The movement on the draft picks front won’t cause the Blades any pain, when it comes to building in the future.

Jaegar White, left, and Max Gerlach were teammates at Wednesday’s start.

    Overall, the Blades have to come away from this season’s action at the trade deadline feeling good about themselves. Their grade is an ‘A’ for what they accomplished.
    It should be noted they were able to do what they did on the trade front, because they didn’t want to trade Hajek or Hebig. Being in that position in a genuine state allowed the outrageous offers to materialize. 

    At the other end of the spectrum, the Pats might regret the fact they let Brown get away. They weren’t able to make a deal with another netminder, so they have to go through the rest of the season with Kubic, Max Paddock and Jacob Wasserman as their goals. Paddock and Wasserman are both in their 17-year-old rookie seasons.

    Only six players remain on the Pats roster who were full-time members of their squad that advanced to the WHL championship last season. They include forwards Sam Steel, Jake Leschyshyn, Nick Henry, Robbie Holmes and defencemen Josh Mahura and Liam Schioler. Regina is in for a challenging future in regards to playing the rest of the current campaign and a majorly challenging future when next season rolls around.

Rookie sensation Nolan Maier is now part of stellar goalie tandem. 

    The Blades will be a major contender to earn their first playoff berth since 2013 this season. Their prospects are also bright for future seasons.

    On Wednesday night with Gerlach and Davidson on the ice and Brown dressed as the backup goalie, the Blades dropped a 3-2 decision to the Tigers before 2,709 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

Chase Wouters had a goal and an assist for the Blades, while Braylon Shmyr had a single. Gerlach picked up an assist in the setback.

    Gary Haden, Lockner and David Quenneville replied with singles for the Tigers.

    Maier made 43 stops to take the setback in goal for the Blades (21-19-2-1). Jordan Hollett turned away 31 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers (23-16-3). Hollett was with the Pats last season and was dealt to the Tigers shortly after Regina lost out in the WHL championship series last May.

The Blades hope to celebrate a number of goals with their new additions.

    The Blades hold the second wildcard berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, and they have a seven point cushion in the standings over the Prince Albert Raiders (15-18-6-2). The Raiders have two game in hand on the Blades.

    Saskatoon is a point behind Regina in the standings for the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth after the Pats record moved to 21-19-4 after a 4-3 loss in overtime at home to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday night. The Blades have a game in hand on the Pats.

    The Blades return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Red Deer to face the Rebels.

    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 winning streak falls due to hectic schedule

Saskatoon goes down gutty playing third game in 48 hours

Chase Wouters and the Blades were in tough on Sunday.

    The WHL schedule maker might have gained an assist in bringing the Saskatoon Blades winning streak to an end.

    On Sunday, the Blades played their third game inside of 48 hours over a three day span, when they traveled to Brandon to take on the Wheat Kings for a 4 p.m. engagement. Saskatoon had a seven game winning streak intact going into Brandon.

    After downing the Kootenay Ice 4-2 at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on Saturday night, the Blades stepped off the ice at around 9:20 p.m., and proceeded to eat, load up the bus and head out to Brandon. They arrived in Brandon at about 5 a.m. on Sunday and rested up as much as they could for a contest that was less than 11 hours away.

    The Wheat Kings came into the game having Saturday off after defeating the visiting Swift Current Broncos 3-2 in overtime on Friday night at Westman Place.

    Going into Brandon to win against the Wheat Kings is difficult at the best of times, but it is almost near impossible under the circumstances the Blades were facing.

    As has been the case all season, the Blades brought all that they could on that night, and the found themselves locked in a 3-3 tie after winger Chase Wouters scored his second of the night at the 11:32 mark of the third. All of a sudden, a Wheat Kings victory was by no means a given.

    Still, the expected Brandon victory in that scenario came to pass. Ty Lewis, who is Brandon’s 19-year-old star winger, scored his second goal of the night with 1:56 to play in the third to give the Wheat Kings a 4-3 lead. Centre Stelio Mattheos scored his 29^th goal of the season into an empty net 47 seconds later to seal a 5-3 victory for the host side before 3,051 spectators at Westman Place.

    The Wheat Kings improved to 27-12-0-1 with the win, while the Blades fell to 21-18-2-1 as their seven game winning streak came to an end. Both teams are currently holding playoff positions.

Ryan Kubic made 25 saves in goal for the Blades.

    Brandon took a 3-1 lead in the first period off of Lewis’s first goal of the contest and singles from the sticks of Connor Gutenberg and Tanner Kaspick. Star overage winger Braylon Shmyr had the lone reply for Saskatoon in the opening 20 minutes.

    While the Blades were down, they didn’t pack it in. Wouters scored his first of the night in the second period to cut the Wheat Kings lead to 3-2. Brandon only held an 18-15 edge in the shots on goal department over the first 40 minutes despite being more rested than Saskatoon.

    Fatigue finally caught up to the Blades in the third period. Wouters managed to tie the contest in the third, but the Wheat Kings carried play in the frame holding a 12-3 edge in shots on goal.

    The Blades needed one more positive bounce somewhere to escape with victory, but it never came. Ryan Kubic turned away 25-of-29 shots to take the setback in goal for the Blades. Logan Thompson stopped 15 shots to pick up the win in the Wheat Kings net.

    Defensive defenceman Jackson Caller had assists on all three Saskatoon goals.

    All WHL teams face hectic parts in their schedules, but hopefully situations like the Blades faced this past weekend become less of a norm next season, when the regular season schedule shrinks from 72 games to 68 contests for each club.

    While four fewer games might not seem like a big decrease, it will create more situations were teams play on a Saturday night and get to be off until Wednesday. Playing three games in less than 48 hours increases the chances a player could be injured in the third game just due to fatigue. If you can lessen the chances of doing that, it is always a good thing.

Jackson Caller had three assists for the Blades on Sunday.

    In the current day of the WHL, players seem to be more connected with their families thanks to social media. When teams play on Saturday and proceed to be off until Wednesday, a large number of teams make Saturday a non-curfew night. Players in the current day often spend those nights going out for dinner at a nice restaurant with their families and having a quality visit.

    When the 68-game regular season schedule comes into effect, it should provide a few more chances to play on Saturday and be off until Wednesday.

    You won’t be able to loosen up all the hectic parts of the WHL schedule, but the 68 game regular season schedule should ensure there are less moments where teams play three times in less than 48 hours. That small move should do wonders for competitive balance.
    The Blades return to action on Wednesday, when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

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

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Blades in the thick of things at WHL Christmas break

Nolan Maier (#73) and Randen Schmidt celebrate a Blades win.

    The Saskatoon Blades are in the thick of the race to make the playoffs at the WHL’s Christmas break, and that development is a welcome site.

    In the early going, the Blades stumbled out of the blocks posting a 3-7-1 after falling 7-2 to the Victoria Royals at the SaskTel Centre on Oct. 24. At that point, it appeared the Blades might be in for a long season.

    Things have gotten a lot better since then. At the Christmas break, the Blades (15-17-2-1) are tied with the Prince Albert Raiders (13-14-5-2) for the second wildcard berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference standings at 33 points. The Raiders have a game in hand.

    Both of those squads are two points behind the Memorial Cup hosting Regina Pats (16-17-3) for the first wildcard berth. The Raiders have two games in hand on the Pats, while the Blades have one game in hand on the Regina side.

    The Blades are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013 playing out of a tough East Division in the WHL.

Nolan Maier makes a glove stop for the Blades.

    The East Division has three teams ranked in the Canadian Hockey League’s Top 10 Rankings including the Moose Jaw Warriors (27-6-1-1), the Swift Current Broncos (25-7-2) and the Brandon Wheat Kings (24-8-0-1) who are rated second, fourth and fifth respectively.

    At the moment, the six clubs that make up the East Division are sitting in the top seven in the Eastern Conference. It is possible that all of these clubs could finish in the top eight in the Eastern Conference forcing one team to miss the post-season to a club with a weaker record.

    Starting with the 2014-15 campaign, the WHL changed its playoff format to match the NHL’s. In the format that has been used since that campaign, the top three teams in each division make the playoffs plus two wildcard entries from each conference.

Kirby Dach is finding his groove with the Blades.

    Before the 2014-15 campaign, the first place teams in each division make the post-season plus the teams with the next six best records in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences after the division winners. The old system was better for ensuring the clubs with the best records made the post-season.

    The Blades could finish last in the East Division, but place in the top eight of the Eastern Conference and miss the post-season under the present system. If that came to pass, the season would likely still be graded as one with progress.

    With all that said, there has to be optimism that the Blades could make playoffs regardless. The team’s goaltending has come around with the emergence of 16-year-old rookie and Yorkton, Sask., product Nolan Maier, while 19-year-old veteran Ryan Kubic appears to have found his confidence after a slow start.

    Overage forwards Cameron Hebig and Braylon Shmyr have been lighting it up as Hebig leads the Blades in scoring with 26 goals and 23 assists for 49 points, and Shmyr is second with 14 goals and 26 assists for 41 points.

Libor Hajek has been solid on the back end for the Blades.

    Kirby Dach, the team’s highly touted 16-year-old forward, is getting more and more comfortable with each outing and has four goals and 18 assists in 27 games. Josh Paterson, who is an 18-year-old winger, has quietly collected 12 goals and seven assists so far this season.

    Import defenceman Libor Hajek, who is currently with the Czech Republic’s world junior team, has been a rock on the back end, and rearguard Jackson Caller has made big strides in his 18-year-old year.

    There should be a lot of excitement at the SaskTel Centre after the Christmas break.

    The Blades return to action on Wednesday, when they host the Raiders at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

Christmas had to be a relief for Pats

The Pats haven’t met the expectations of a Memorial Cup host squad so far.

    The WHL Christmas break likely couldn’t have arrived quick enough for the players of the Regina Pats, who will host this season’s Memorial Cup.

    The Pats entered the break posting three regulation losses and an overtime loss in their last four games. They hold down the first wildcard playoff spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 16-17-3 record. If they had three fewer points in the standings, they would be sitting out of a playoff position.

    Right now there are a lot of vocal members of the “Pats Regiment,” who are voicing their displeasure with how the season has progressed so far. If the players venture out of their billet homes to get out into the city, they might likely encounter a fan here or there getting on them about their record.

    Players might likely overhear a person here or there cutting him or his teammates and coaches down. You could try to live in a bubble between your billet home and the rink, but that gets old after a while. You have to get out and live at some time.

Goalie Tyler Brown and the Pats need some time to rest.

    The break will allow the Pats players to get out of Regina and exit the pressure cooker for a little over a week providing some welcome relief.

    When the Pats last hosted the Memorial Cup in the 2000-01 campaign, the team was almost in a similar spot. At the WHL Christmas break in 2000-01, the Pats had a record of 17 wins, 17 losses, one tie and two overtime losses. The WHL still had ties back in those days.

    The heat was on the team to become a squad that was more worthy to be a Memorial Cup host. The heat then was a little less than it is now due to the fact the Pats in 2000-01 were still comfortably in a playoff position at the Christmas break. After making a number of trades before the WHL’s trade deadline, the Pats finished the campaign with 40 wins, 27 losses, three ties and two overtime losses.

    It is conceivable the Pats, who host the Memorial Cup this coming May 17-27, could have a similar turnaround this season. At the moment, the players should take every opportunity to rest and recharge.

    The Pats return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Brandon to face the Wheat Kings.

    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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Rockets’ Lind out to lessen the sting of world juniors cut

Right-winger gets three assists, fights in 5-0 win over Blades

Kole Lind, left, celebrates the Rockets win with goalie James Porter.

    Kole Lind is living two different lives on and off the ice in the immediate aftermath of being cut from Canada’s world junior team.

    The 19-year-old Shaunavon, Sask., product was cut from the Canadian team on Thursday. The skilled right-winger departed from the Canadian training camp in St. Catharines, Ont., to reunite with his WHL squad, the Kelowna Rockets, for their final two contests on their six-game road trip through the WHL’s East Division.

    Lind rejoined the Rockets on Friday night in Prince Albert and scored three goals in a 7-3 romp over the host Raiders. On Saturday, Lind had three assists, a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department and engaged in a fight to help the Rockets blank the host Saskatoon Blades 5-0 before 3,263 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

Kole Lind jets up ice for the Rockets.

    When he is on the ice, Lind’s focus is on helping the Rockets do well. After the Rockets last two games came to an end, Lind returned to digesting his cut from the world junior squad.

    “It has definitely been an emotional roller-coaster for me going from heartbreak and trying to bounce back and play two games right away,” said Lind, who has 16 goals and 26 assists in 25 games with the Rockets this season. “It was definitely a difference for me traveling and everything.

    “Something that I have been through a lot is trying to stay mentally tough and just staying with the game. Hockey has been something that just takes my mind off everything it seems like. It has definitely helped me get through it.”

    Lind said he has been extra motivated to show that he shouldn’t have been cut from Canada’s world junior team. He is trying to emulate what Regina Pats star centre Sam Steel did last season after being cut from Canada’s world junior team. Steel made Canada’s world junior squad this season.

    “Sam Steel did the same thing last year, a late cut and he ended up winning WHL player of the year,” said Lind, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 173 pounds. “I want to go out there and try and prove something and just try to play my best game.”

Rockets RW Kole Lind looks to get past Blades D Seth Bafaro.

    Playing in front of about 15 to 20 family and friends on Saturday, Lind started out showing a tonne of energy in his first few shifts, and he forced Blades netminder Ryan Kubic to make a big save early in the first period.

    While Lind was playing well, the Rockets went ahead 1-0 at the 8:44 mark of the first period, when he wasn’t on the ice. Working in close on the Saskatoon goal, Rockets left-winger Ted Brennan fed a beauty backhand pass across the face the Blades net to linemate Jack Cowell, who popped the puck home past a sprawled Kubic.

    With 22.9 seconds to play in the first, Lind picked up his first assist on the night on a positive bounce power-play goal from left-winger Carsen Twarynski to give the Rockets a 2-0 edge.

    In the second, Lind picked up his second and third assists of the night in almost identical fashion to each other on two-on-one chances. Coming down the right wing, Lind feather passes on both rushes across the front of the Saskatoon net to linemate Kyle Topping, and Topping buried both of those chances to give the Rockets a 4-0 edge.

Blades LW Tyler Lees fights Rockets RW Kole Lind.

    “I think my teammates create a lot of space for me, and they got open for me,” said Lind, who is a second round NHL Draft selection of the Vancouver Canucks. “I think that was the main thing.

    “I’ve always been kind of a playmaker, finding holes through guys’ skates and their sticks and bodies. I just try to look for that. My guys got open.

    “It made it easy playing with the guys I did tonight.”

    At the 3:52 mark of the third, Lind, who is in his third full season with the Rockets, took part in his fifth career fight in the WHL taking on Blades 17-year-old left-winger Tyler Lees. Both players received fighting majors, while Lind received an extra minor penalty for roughing.

Goalie James Porter made 40 saves to earn the shutout win for the Rockets.

    “I’ve done a bit of it in my career,” said Lind. “I try to hold my own and not have anyone step in for me because I want to be a guy who can do anything.”

    Right-winger Liam Kindree scored the Rockets final goal of the contest netting a short-handed marker with 39.1 seconds remaining in the third period.

    James Porter, who is a 17-year-old rookie, made 40 saves to post his first career WHL shutout playing goal for the Rockets. Kubic turned away 20 shots to take the setback in goal for the Blades.

    The Rockets improved to 20-11-2-1 to sit in a tie for first in the B.C. Division with the 20-13-3 Victoria Royals with 43 points in the standings. Kelowna has two games in hand on Victoria.

The Rockets celebrate a short-handed goal from Liam Kindree, far right.

    The Blades fell to 14-17-2-1 to sit two points back of the Prince Albert Raiders (13-14-5-2) for the second wildcard playoff berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

    On Sunday, the Blades return to action hosting the Regina Pats (16-16-3) at 4 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre in their Secret Santa game. Fans are invited to bring a new unwrapped toy to the contest as a donation to the Secret Santa Foundation. The Pats will host the Memorial Cup this coming May.

    The Rockets embark on their Christmas break and return to action on Dec. 27, when they host the Kamloops Blazers (16-17-0-1). Lind was pleased his team heads into the break on a high note.

    “We had two big wins carrying a lot of momentum into the break,” said Lind. “I think that is something that you always look for.

    “Now we are just going to try and carry it on and have our rest here and go into the second half on a positive side.”

Stars’ Parker moves into second in SFMAAAHL career scoring

Mackenna Parker is the SFMAAAHL's second all-time career scorer.

    Saskatoon Stars captain Mackenna Parker achieved a major milestone on Saturday night in her team’s wild comeback overtime victory over the Diamond Energy Wildcats in Swift Current.

    The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the second period of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season clash at the Fairview Arena on a single tally from Crystal Wale and a pair of goals from Taylor Lind. Stars forward Chase Sperling scored in the final seconds of the second to cut the Wildcats lead to 3-1, and Stars forward Joelle Fiala scored with 5:16 to play in the third to further trim Swift Current’s edge to 3-2.

    With under 30 seconds to play in the third, Parker picked up her first point of the night setting up a goal by Grace Shirley to force a 3-3 tie and send the contest to overtime.

    In overtime, Parker setup with winning goal from 17-year-old veteran forward Jordan Holmes to deliver the Stars to a miraculous 4-3 victory.

    With her two assists, Parker moved alone into second place on the SFMAAAHL’s all-time career regular season scoring list. In 95 career regular season games, Parker, who is in her final campaign of midget AAA eligibility, has 72 goals and 71 assists for 143 points.

    The 17-year-old jumped ahead of former Notre Dame Hounds star forward Alyssa Wiebe by a point for second on the SFMAAAHL’s career scoring list. Wiebe, who is a Saskatoon product, piled up 74 goals and 68 assists for 142 points playing 55 regular season games for the Hounds from 2006 to 2008, which were the first two campaigns in the history of the SFMAAAHL.

Mackenna Parker set up the Stars OT winner on Saturday.

    Parker likely won’t catch Olivia Howe for the top spot as the SFMAAAHL’s all-time career leading scorer.

    Howe, who is from Moose Jaw, played forward for the Hounds from 2008 to 2012 and piled up 107 goals and 100 assists for 207 points in 106 career regular season games. She is the SFMAAAHL’s career leader in goals, assists and points and was a consistent high point producer in each season she played in the league.

    Parker also achieved another milestone in Saturday’s overtime win becoming the fifth player in the history of the SFMAAAHL to surpass 70 career assists.

    Besides accomplishing huge milestones with the Stars, Parker will play for Canada’s women’s team at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 Women’s World Championships, which runs this coming January 6-13 in Dmitrov, Russia.

    In Saturday’s clash with the Wildcats, Arden Kliewer went the distance in goal for Saskatoon making 17 stops to help the Stars improve to 14-0. Harper Davey turned away 24 shots to take the setback in goal for the Wildcats, who saw their record move to 6-6-0-3.

    The Stars and Wildcats will go at it again on Sunday in Swift Current.

    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’ Hajek expects to play sizable role with Czech world junior team

Libor Hajek is at the Czech Republic’s world junior training camp.

    A new head coach likely equals a new opportunity for Saskatoon Blades defenceman Libor Hajek, when it comes to cracking the Czech world junior team.

    Hajek departed from Saskatoon early Wednesday morning for the training camp of the Czech Republic’s world junior team, which is being held in Niagara Falls, Ont. The 19-year-old was cut from the Czech Republic’s world junior team roster last season, but he is optimistic about having a good role with the squad this season under new head coach Filip Pesan.

    “I talk with the coaches, and I’m probably going to be more leader there,” said Hajek, who had eight goals and 16 assists in 32 regular season games with the Blades in the current campaign. “This is my last year for playing world juniors, so I’ll be a leader and show my experience from the NHL (and) from Canadian Hockey League.”

    Hajek, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 210 pounds, has deep roots with hockey in his home country. Like many Canadians, Hajek took up hockey at an early age, and his biggest influence in helping him along was his father, David.

    “I was like four-years-old,” said Hajek, who is in his third full season with the Blades. “My dad just play hockey, and he was a hockey player.

    “He just put me on ice pushing a chair. He is like my biggest coach in my life. He still is watching my every game.

Libor Hajek has had a strong season with the Blades.

    “We always talk about the game after the game. He is like the best for me. He is like my best coach.”

    Hajek said he grew up watching good hockey in his local area and enjoyed playing for HC Kometa Brno.

    He relished playing for the Czech Republic’s national team at the under-16, under-17 and under-18 levels. One of his biggest disappointments was failing to make the Czech world junior team last season.

    “It was kind of sad,” said Hajek. “I didn’t make the team there. It was kind of frustrating, mad.”

    At last season’s world juniors held in Montreal and Toronto, the Czech team posted a 1-1-2 record in round robin play suffering overtime losses to Switzerland and Denmark. The Czech team’s run at the tournament ended with a 5-3 setback to Canada.

    The performance of the Czech team was met with disappointment. As a result, Pesan was installed to replace Jakub Petr as the head coach of the Czech team for the upcoming world juniors, which begin Dec. 26 in Buffalo, New York. The Czech Republic opens the tournament against Russia.

    Hajek said there was excitement back in the Czech Republic hockey circles now that Pesan is the head coach of the world junior team, and the skilled two-way rearguard’s hopes to be with the team were heightened.

    “It is always my pleasure to play for the Czech national team,” said Hajek. “Hopefully this year we’ll make (it) better.” 

Libor Hajek works the point on the power play for the Blades.

    Blades head coach Dean Brockman would love to see Hajek crack the Czech world junior roster.

    “He (Hajek) wants to play his best right now and kind of peak towards that event,” said Brockman. “We certainly think he has a real good chance to make it, but you never know.”

    Hajek, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round and 37^th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, believes he handled being cut from the Czech Republic world junior team in a mature manner. He focused on his return to the Blades, and for his efforts, he signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Lightning last March.

    “I just play harder and better here in Saskatoon, and it helps,” said Hajek. “I went home to take some rest. I played better here (in Saskatoon).”

Kubic back in the fold to create crease dilemma

Goalie Ryan Kubic has returned from injury for the Blades.

    Veteran 19-year-old goalie Ryan Kubic is back in the Saskatoon Blades fold, and his return has created a good problem for the team.

    Kubic last started a game for the Blades on Nov. 18, when he turned away 31-of-36 shots in a 6-3 setback against the Warriors in Moose Jaw. The St. Andrews, Man., product was forced out of the team’s lineup after that game due to a knee injury.

    On Tuesday, Kubic returned to the Blades lineup, but he served as the backup goalie in the team’s clash with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Blades went with the hot hand of 16-year-old Nolan Maier for a 10^th straight start in goal, and he turned away 28 shots in a 5-3 victory.

    The Yorkton, Sask., product’s play has constantly improved every time he has been given a start in Saskatoon’s goal. With Maier playing at a high level, Blades head coach Dean Brockman plans to use both netminders in the team’s last three games before getting embarking on the WHL’s Christmas break.

    “Nolan (Maier) is on a little bit of a role here, but he is not going to be able to play all three,” said Brockman. “We will have a practice or two to decide on it.”

    Currently, the Blades have two 19-year-old forwards on their injury list in Gage Ramsay (groin, slated to return after Christmas break) and Caleb Fantillo (knee, 5-to-7 weeks).

    The Blades (13-16-2-1) travel to Regina on Friday to take on the Memorial Cup host Pats (16-15-2) at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. On Saturday, the Blades return home to host the Kelowna Rockets (18-11-2-1) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    On Sunday, the Blades host the Pats at 4 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre in their Secret Santa game. Fans are invited to bring a new unwrapped toy to the contest as a donation to the Secret Santa Foundation.

“Pats Regiment” feeling uneasy in Regina

Sam Steel and the Pats face doubters this season.

    If you follow social media or hear the noise from sports talk radio shows based in Regina, a number of fans of the Regina Pats, who are known as the “Pats Regiment,” are starting to feel really worried.

    The Pats host the 100^th edition of the Memorial Cup from May 17-27, 2018, and the team is hovering around the .500 mark with a 16-15-2 record. At the moment, the Pats, who have six sellouts this season, hold the first wildcard position in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

    If the Pats lose their last three outings in regulation before they go on their WHL Christmas break, it is possible they could be sitting out of a playoff position.

    Last season, the Pats had a dream campaign finishing first in the WHL’s regular season standings for the first time since 1974 with a 52-12-7-1 record. The 52 wins set a franchise record for the regular season.

    They were rated first in the Canadian Hockey League’s Top 10 rankings for most of that campaign and topped the final ratings released on March 22.

    In the playoffs, the Pats made the WHL Championship series for the first time since 1984, but fell 4-2 in the best-of-seven set to the Seattle Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds import centre Alexander True scored the overtime winner in Game 6 of the WHL title series to give his side a 4-3 victory in that contest.

    The Pats were a team that was built to have a special campaign last season. Going through a sizable turnover in key players including the loss of star overage captain Adam Brooks, the Pats should have been tagged for a reload or a rebuilding type season in the current campaign.

Josh Mahura was one of the standouts the Pats got back from the pros.

    With the Pats celebrating their 100^th anniversary as an organization in 2017-18, they decided to make a bid for the 100^th Memorial Cup. They were awarded that event on February 18.

    For Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock, he was really put in a bind, when it game to preparing the club’s roster to be a Memorial Cup host. The Pats were locked in to make their run through the 2017 playoffs.

    The host announcement came way after the WHL trade deadline of Jan. 10. Even if the announcement came before the trade deadline, you couldn’t see the Pats blowing up their chances to win it all in 2016-17 by dealing away players like Brooks and fellow overagers Dawson Leedahl and Chase Harrison to gain strong 1998 born players to prepare for the current campaign.

    In the Pats defence, Memorial Cup host squads are usually given favours from NHL squads, who like to see their drafted and signed prospects playing important games in May. The Pats have received almost no favours on that front outside of getting 19-year-old star centre Sam Steel and 19-year-old defenceman Josh Mahura back from the Anaheim Ducks.
    Steel, who was the WHL’s most valuable player and scoring champion last season, has been a target for fan criticism this season. The 19-year-old star centre has collected 14 goals, 21 assists and a plus-seven rating in 27 games, but he isn’t scoring at the same rate as last season.
    The Sherwood Park, Alta., product is at the training camp to try and make Canada’s world junior team along with Mahura, and some fans say Steel doesn’t deserve to make that squad.

    Regina could have had defenceman Connor Hobbs and left-winger Austin Wagner back for their overage seasons in theory. Hobbs, who is signed by the NHL’s Washington Capitals, is playing in the American Hockey League with the Hershey Bears.

    Wagner, who is signed by the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, is playing for the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

At the WHL level, Hobbs was a star defenceman who stood out in the offensive and defensive zones, and Wagner had speed few could match in the major junior ranks.

Connor Hobbs was a player the Pats didn’t get back from the pros.

    The Pats had traded for the WHL rights of 19-year-old centre Tyson Jost, but he is playing in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche.

    If the Pats had Hobbs, Wagner and Jost, they would likely have seven to eight more wins. With that said, that trio was ready for the professional ranks.

    At the moment, the worry among fans in Regina is reminiscent of the worry that surrounded the Pats when they last hosted the Memorial Cup back in the 2000-01 campaign. In that season, the Pats were hovering around .500 near the WHL Christmas break before executing a number of deals before the WHL trade deadline.

    It might be tougher for the Pats to make a string of deals this time around, so it will be interesting to see what happens to the club over the next four weeks. The WHL trade deadline is slated for Jan. 10, 2018.

Watch out for the Blazers

Right-winger Garrett Pilon, right, has piled up the points for the Blazers.

    The Kamloops Blazers have done a stellar job to make their 0-9 start look like a fade memory.

    Since dropping their first nine straight games, the Blazers have gone 15-7-0-1 to hold the second wildcard playoff spot in the WHL’s Western Conference at 15-16-0-1. With the type of hockey the Blazers are playing, they might end up being a major threat to make a run when the WHL playoffs roll around.

    At the moment, the Blazers are showing they can play a skilled game on top of playing a hard hitting and physical game.

    Saskatoon product and star right-winger Garrett Pilon tops the Blazers in scoring with 17 goals and 23 assists. Power forward Jermaine Loewen, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 221 pounds, is a wrecking ball on the ice, but he can score as well. The 19-year-old has 13 goals and 11 assists in 26 appearances this season.

    The Blazers are also getting stellar goaltending from Las Vegas Golden Knights draft selection Dylan Ferguson.

    Blazers head coach Don Hay has 735 career regular season victories, and he is closing in on former Portland Winterhawks head coach Ken Hodge for the WHL record in career regular season victories at 742.

    If the Blazers keep up their pace from their last 23 games, Hay will become the WHL’s all-time leader in career regular season wins and should be a favourite to win the WHL’s coach of the year award.

Back in the Express with Epoch

Libby Epoch has rocked for the Huskies.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express with a story on Libby Epoch, who is the star point-guard of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team.

    Epoch, who stands 5-foot-7, is a 19-year-old product from Moose Jaw, Sask., who is in her second year with the Huskies. Besides playing for the Huskies, she has been part of Canada’s national team program and played for Canada at the U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup last July in Italy winning a bronze medal.

    As a rookie, she helped the Huskies win the Canada West championship last season.

    This season, Epoch has helped the Huskies roar out to a 9-1 start to be rated sixth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.

    Epoch has started in all of the Huskies 10 regular season games and is averaging 8.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

    The story on Epoch can be found 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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