Raiders rise and pass Tigers challenge, face stiff Silvertips test in WHL final

The Raiders celebrate a goal by Daxon Rudolph (#10) on April 29.

The Prince Albert Raiders rose up and passed the test of the Medicine Hat Tigers, and they will now face a new stiff test in the Everett Silvertips in the WHL final.

The Raiders and Silvertips open the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series with Games 1 and 2 set for Friday and Saturday respectively at the Angel of the Winds Arena. The series will switch back to the Art Hauser Centre for Game 3 on Tuesday, May 12. The start time for all games of the series will depend on the TSN broadcast schedule and could change the longer the series goes.

When it comes to the WHL final, the Raiders have made two trips to the league championships series in their history coming up with title wins in 1985 and 2019. Prince Albert went on to win the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1985.

The Silvertips have gone to the league final twice in their history. They got there as an expansion team in 2004 and again in 2018 and weren’t able to come up with a WHL title on either occasion.

For the Raiders, they will be helped by the fact they made it to the WHL final after eliminating the defending WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers in six games in the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series. While the Tigers were battling a flu bug for the entire series, they showed a heart of a champion, including a never give up battle, when the Raiders closed out the series with a 7-6 victory in Game 6 at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat this past Sunday.

This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

The WHL’s golden season of the 17-year-old

Circuit’s NHL Entry Draft prospects deep in high end talent

Connor Bedard leads the WHL in goals (44), assists (46) and points (90).

The mid to late 1980s era of the WHL is often romantically remembered as a golden era for ultra-passionate followers of the circuit.

That time was viewed as a moment in league history when you seemingly couldn’t miss a game, because every team had a star you had to see. In particular, the quartet of Theo Fleury, Trevor Linden, Mike Modano and Joe Sakic were worth the price of admission alone in any contest they were skating in.

Fleury was piling up points and agitating opponents with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Linden at a young age was a clutch power forward and team leader with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Modano was making magic skating circles around everyone lighting up scoreboards for the Prince Albert Raiders. Sakic was proving he was “no ordinary Joe” filling nets for the Swift Current Broncos.

Of course, all of those players went on to spectacular careers in the NHL becoming overall legends in the game along the way.

With that noted, the current day of WHL might have the most high end depth alone in just one age group that hasn’t been seen since the 1980s. That group would be the 17-year-old players who were born in 2005. Some of those players have already turned 18-years-old due to having a birthday in January or today, February 1.

The unquestioned top player in the current group is Regina Pats captain Connor Bedard. He is a generational talented that is the consensus pick to go first overall in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. 

Oliver Tulk in action for the Hitmen last season.

The upcoming NHL Entry Draft will be held June 28 to 29 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bedard leads the WHL in goals (44), assists (46) and points (90), while posting a plus-30 rating in the plus-minus department in 36 regular season games. 

On Wednesday night, Bedard and the Pats helped the Calgary Hitmen attract 17,223 spectators to their home rink in the Scotiabank Saddledome to mark the highest attendance for a WHL contest this season. The game was shown before a national television audience on TSN.

Bedard didn’t disappoint. The North Vancouver product had a goal and picked up an assist on gritty centre Braxton Whitehead’s second tally of the contest, which forced a 5-5 tie with 33.8 seconds remaining in the third period.

The contest went scoreless through a three-versus-three overtime period to a tiebreaking shootout. Bedard scored the only goal in the shootout on a sick deke to a forehand shot to give the Pats the win in the tiebreaking session and a 6-5 victory in the game.

On the other side, the Hitmen have a fun draft eligible centre to watch in Oliver Tulk, who turned 18-years-old on January 19. Tulk, who plays feisty standing at 5-foot-8 and weighing 172 pounds, had an assist in Wednesday’s setback. He sits second in Hitmen team scoring with 42 points coming off 19 goals and 23 assists in 47 regular season games.

While it is pretty much a certainty Bedard is skating through his final days as a major junior player before joining the NHL next season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was joined there by some others in the WHL’s current 17-year-old class.

Just a 45-minute drive west on the Trans-Canada Highway, the Pats archrivals in the Moose Jaw Warriors have Saskatoon area product Brayden Yager on their roster. 

Brayden Yager has 56 points this season for the Warriors.

Yager, who turned 18-years-old on January 3, has turned heads as skilled centre that can play both ways. In 49 games with the Warriors, Yager has 20 goals, 36 assists and a plus-six rating.

Before moving to the WHL ranks, Yager played a number of seasons together with another Saskatoon area product in centre Riley Heidt, who is staring in his 17-year-old season with the Prince George Cougars. 

Heidt sits 10^th in the WHL scoring race with 60 points coming off 19 goals and 41 assists in 44 regular season games with the Cougars.

Yager and Heidt applied to get exceptional player status to play in the WHL on a full-time basis as 15-year-olds along with Bedard going into the 2020-21 campaign. 

Bedard was the only one of the three granted exceptional player status, but all three skated as 15-year-olds in the WHL playing a shortened regular season in a bubble style format due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

The Winnipeg Ice, who top the WHL’s overall standings with a 36-6-1 record, have a deep team that is paced by 17-year-old left-winger Zach Benson. Benson sits second in the WHL scoring race with 69 points coming off 27 goals and 42 assists, while posting a plus-43 rating in 42 games.

Out in Kelowna, 17-year-old left-winger Andrew Cristall has been piling up the points for the Rockets. In 36 regular season games, he has 62 points coming off 26 goals and 36 assists to go with a plus-14 rating. 

Zach Benson sits second in WHL scoring this season with 69 points.

Cristall has been out with a lower body injury since suiting up for the Rockets in a 5-1 setback to the Blazers in Kamloops on January 7, but his return status is listed as day-to-day.

On the back end, the Rockets have another good youngster that is a must-see player to watch in 17-year-old defenceman and Saskatoon product Caden Price. 

Price has five goals and 19 assists playing in 44 regular season games with the Rockets. He is rated 30^th among North American Skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings.

Along with Price, the Saskatoon Blades have a good young rearguard to watch in 17-year-old Tanner Molendyk. Molendyk has six goals, 20 assists and a plus-26 rating appearing in 45 regular season games for the Blades.

He is rated 36^th among North American Skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings. Molendyk is a sound shutdown defender, and he can wheel up ice and go coast to coast to lead an offensive rush.

The potential is there for any of these draft eligible prospects to end up in the NHL next season depending on which team drafts them and how much improvement they make by the time NHL training camps open. 

Time will tell if this group of young star has the impact in the NHL like Fleury, Linden, Modano and Sakic did.

Tanner Molendyk has 26 points for the Blades this season.

At the moment like in the mid to late 1980s, the WHL is enjoying another golden era where seemingly each team has a must see star.

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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Shooting from the hip on Bell Let’s Talk day

A display featuring a Bell Let’s Talk toque.

Forget getting out of the starting block, I wasn’t even in the starting block waking up this morning when it came to writing my annual column for Bell Let’s Talk day.

Usually, I have column done ready to go live with pictures when Bell Let’s Talk day begins. After checking messages and taking care of some other work related tasks, I am getting down to work on a piece in earnest at 3 p.m. All of sudden, I am having trouble with my printer/scanner system, and I spend three hours dealing with that to delay things further.

As they say, better late than never.

As a result of those things, this is will be more kind of a “shoot from the hip” type piece.

On my own front, I have known I have battled with issues dealing with anxiety since 2012. I write about my experiences on the mental health front in hopes it will help others.

Since 2016, I’ve kept up with a tradition where I write a post regarding mental health on Bell Let’s Talk day.

There is still a stigma around mental health issues, and they are unfortunately still treated as the elephant in the room in too many circles.

On my own front, I am in a way better place than I was 10 years ago. I am in a way better spot than I was six years ago.

Abby Soyko heads down ice on a rush for the Pandas.

Actually in the current day, my day to day dealings on the mental health front are likely not that sexy or exciting. I am kind of in the place where I deal with the issues of the day as they come up.

Basically, it often comes from prioritizing what I believe needs to be done and just handling things one day at a time. If something expected comes up that is out of your control that you need to adjust to, you make adjustments.

My world since Thursday has been consumed with putting together hockey stories and columns that had deadlines that needed to be met. All of that work was fun, but I had to push back typing this column out.

I got to see a long time friend in Prince Albert product and University of Alberta Pandas Women’s Hockey Team right-winger in Abby Soyko on Saturday. Due to how the world has played dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world in earnest in March of 2020, I hadn’t seen her since crossing paths at a Raiders WHL hockey game in Prince Albert in late December 2019.

We had a great visit after the Pandas downed the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies 3-1 in a U Sports regular season contest at Merlis Belsher Place, and I put together a catch up feature story on her. That piece has been the most viewed post I’ve created on this blog for the last two years.

I also got to chat with Raiders all-time great Dan Hodgson for a story for the Prince Albert Daily Herald about him getting a licensed NHL hockey card. The chat with Hodgson was great, and it is always a highlight any time I can talk to members of the Raiders 1984-85 WHL and Memorial Cup championship team.

As I type this, I wonder what will await me when I tackle messages related to work on the non-hockey front I’ve checked minimally the last few days. I am hoping to get the remainder of the photos I took at the Pandas/Huskies hockey game edited and a small grouping of photos edited for another work-related project done.

I’ve been busy the last few days writing hockey stories and columns.

Those types of things provide what I would grade as standard anxiety for me, but I am confident I will get to them in due time.

One of the things I’m still bad with in day-to-day happenings is shutting out outside noise. If I have phones and social media lines turned off, it usually means I am focusing on work I feel I really need to get done but haven’t due to interruptions. Outside of that, I am likely working out.

As far as shooting from the hip goes, I didn’t really know what I was going to say for this column. A lot of years I have a focused theme as opposed to just going in random directions as I type.

I like today a lot, because I see it gives people freedom to come forward to share their own stories of challenges on the mental health front. I find that part to be extremely helpful and educational for me.

Having worked in the mainstream media, I know this isn’t a great day for a lot of people. In recent years, Bell Canada, which is the telecommunications company that run Bell Let’s Talk day, has had a habit of releasing employees in the months after the company’s mental health awareness and fundraising day.

Any time Bell Canada cuts jobs, the term “Bell Let’s Cut” is inevitably brought up.

I’ve had friends who have been axed by Bell Canada as part of the cuts that have come shortly after Bell Let’s Talk Day in recent years. I saw a post on Twitter from former TSN broadcaster Dan O’Toole asking people to not include him in anything regarding Bell Let’s Talk day due to that day being hard. Bell Canada runs TSN, and O’Toole was released following Bell Let’s Talk day in January of 2021.

Me stationed up in my work perch at the SaskTel Centre.

I met O’Toole along with Jay Onrait at a Saskatchewan Rush NLL home game in April of 2017. 

I had a long visit with them, and you wouldn’t have known we just met. They were outstanding with everyone they met that night.

I decided to keep writing posts on this day, because of the awareness it brings to mental health issues. I know this can be a painful time for friends that used to work for Bell Canada. 

Those cuts have caused people that used to support Bell Let’s Talk day to find other avenues to support charities that assist with mental health causes.

For me, it is fine if you choose to participate in some way on Bell Let’s Talk day, and if you chose not to participate, that is fine too. I am not going to judge anyone.

Since the earnest onset of the COVID-19 pandemic March of 2020, I found the overall toxicity and just plain meanness in the world to have been increased to the highest levels I’ve ever seen in my life. The Twitter social media platform is by far the worst when it comes to encountering people who are toxic.

I try to avoid that type of noise as much as possible, but it is only human to be dragged into it from time to time.

I just hope you are all trying your best to find your way. I am always open for talks about mental health, and I am willing to listen. I know that is not for everyone too.

A picture of myself after finishing a workout.

For myself, I just try to get a little better each day. I hope everyone out in the world can find positive ways to navigate their respective mental health journeys.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. My Bell Let’s Talk post from last year called “Riding hamster wheel is not always good for mental health – Excusing yourself even for a short time is good for soul” can be found by clicking right here. A piece from 2021 called “COVID-19 pandemic forces world to face mental health” can be found by clicking right here. A piece from 2020 called “A big mental health challenge is learning to take a break” can be found right here. A piece from 2019 called “Those facing mental health challenges can still be great in all parts of life” can be found right here. A piece from 2018 called “Being content can become a mental health challenge” can be round right here. A piece from 2017 called “Recognizing and respecting triggers is key for mental health” can be found right here. A piece from 2016 called “Feeling connected calms the mental health seas” can be found right here. A piece called “My Mental Health Story” can be found right here. Another post I like that I wrote in February of 2015 about my mental health journey call “Huskies hockey was good for me” can be found right here.

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NLL makes the right moves, turns focus to 2021-22

The Rush celebrate an NLL title win in 2016.

The National Lacrosse League is making all the right moves during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

As a result, the circuit won’t be held down by an anvil of a huge debt when it does return to action.

When North America came under the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, the NLL suspended its regular season on March 12, 2020 and ultimate cancelled the 2019-20 campaign.

For a 2020-21 campaign, the NLL was planning to hold an abbreviated season starting in spring. The league had been looking at playing in a bubble in Hamilton, Ont., in April.

On Wednesday, the 14-team circuit, which includes the Saskatoon-based Saskatchewan Rush, announced the plans for an abbreviated 2020-21 campaign have been cancelled due to uncertainties arising from the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

The NLL is planning for a traditional season start in fall. The exact start date for the full season will be announced at a later time.

During a normal season schedule, NLL off-season activities usually start heating up in September and regular season games usually start in late November.

The regular season runs through to the end of the following April with the bulk of the post-season taking place in May. The best-of-three National Lacrosse League Cup championship series usually runs in late May and early June.

As far as getting an abbreviated season going for 2020-21 was concerned, the NLL just couldn’t navigate travel and quarantine restrictions.

Mark Matthews is one of the star players on the Rush.

“We have gone through many scenarios including playing a bubble season in Canada in April, but the logistical challenges, including the recently announced tighter travel and quarantine restrictions across the Canadian border, have required us to pivot,” said NLL commissioner Nick Sakiewicz in a release. “While many of the factors we can control were moving along well, those outside of our control, especially pertaining to obtaining government approval as far in advance as we would have needed, are no longer feasible.

“All the efforts and innovations we were planning will now go towards a full season starting this fall and into next year. We thank our players, teams and board of governors, whose thoughts in this process were invaluable, and we now set our sights on getting lined up for a full NLL season starting in the fall. We also thank our fans for sticking with us – we will be back, and it will be even more exciting than ever before.”

The decision had the backing of the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association.

“We appreciate the League’s extensive efforts to provide us the opportunity to play an abbreviated 2021 season in a safe and controlled environment throughout the changing landscape during this pandemic,” said PLPA president Zach Currier in a release. “While we are disappointed that it will not be possible to play this spring, we are even more excited and passionate about having a full 2021-22 season and are eager to get back on the floor this fall.”

The NLL was smart to cancel the action it already has and try to regroup to hold a full season at the earliest point it can. The circuit is a gate driven one, so to play in empty buildings doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint.

When the NLL does get going, odds are high the game day experience will be as good as it was before the pandemic.

The Rush franchise knows how to turn a game day into an event. Rush fans in Saskatchewan found that out after the team moved from Edmonton to Saskatoon before the start of the 2015-16 season.

“Grandma Rush” is the Rush’s most passionate fan.

During Rush game days, the SaskTel Centre contained a party atmosphere. You could tell the Rush staff had mastered turning the game day experience into a must-see event.

Rush games contained everything from dance teams, a cool official mascot in Bruiser the Bulldog, a cool unofficial mascot in Rush Hulk, a jumping party zone, a D.J., various games for kids and an outstanding sports product on the turf.

The Rush captured an NLL title in 2015 based in Edmonton and added two NLL crowds residing in Saskatoon in 2016 and 2018.

The Rush party was going strong even when they played their last game on March 7, 2020 downing the Vancouver Warriors 17-7 at the SaskTel Centre.

The NLL will be able to keep launching great game day experiences thanks to not piling up a massive debt.

Due to television contracts, circuits like the NFL, MLB and NBA can operate in a healthy fashion.

The NHL, which doesn’t have a rich television contract and needs fans in the stands, is playing with financial fire playing a shortened 2020-21 campaign.

On January 11 in a Zoom conference call with league media, NHL commission Gary Bettman said his circuit was playing because the stakeholders on the circuit felt it was important for the game, and they hoped to give fans a sense of normalcy. NHL teams in Canada are playing games without fans and there are a few clubs in the United States playing in front of small limited crowds.

Bettman said it would be cheaper to shut the doors and not play. He said the NHL at the club and league level is going to lose more money by playing than not playing.

The Rush captured their third NLL championship in 2018.

“The magnitude of the loss starts with a ‘B,’” said Bettman. “We’re out of the ‘M’ range and in the ‘B.’”

In the United States, the NHL has had a number of games get postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests among team players and staffers, but the circuit is motoring along.

If the NHL and its teams as a whole go next season and future campaigns with a debt over the billion-dollar range, you have to wonder how the circuit will keep creditors away?

You could almost see a circuit like the NHL asking for a government bailout.

The NLL is smart to not going into the future dealing with that type of led weight. Also, the NLL marketing staffs are so good it is highly unlikely the issue of relevancy will be a problem.

When NLL game days return, the party will be on.

Hockey Canada cancels spring nationals

The Bears plans of hosting the Esso Cup were dashed again.

For the second year in a row, Hockey Canada has canceled its spring national championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Hockey Canada officially canceled the Esso Cup, which is the national female AAA under-18 championship tournament and the Telus Cup, which is the national male AAA under-18 championship tournament.

The Centennial Cup tournament to crown a national champion in the junior A ranks was also axed along with the Allan Cup tournament that determines a champion at the highest level of senior hockey in Canada.

All of those events were cancelled last year by Hockey Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Prince Albert Northern Bears were set to host the Esso Cup last year and this year before the event got cancelled.

As for the other 2021 host centres, Calgary, Alta., was supposed to host the Telus Cup, Penticton, B.C., was slated to hold the Centennial Cup and Dundas, Ont., was set to host the Allan Cup.

In a statement, Hockey Canada said it was left with no other option but to cancel these events due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the fact many regions in Canada aren’t playing organized hockey at the moment.

All hockey season in Saskatchewan were put on ice in late November 2020 due to government restrictions.

Hockey Canada is working on confirming host cities for these national championship tournaments in 2022.

Overall, Hockey Canada’s announcement on Friday did not come as a surprise.

Going forward, one of the big hurdles in holding these championship tournaments or championship tournaments governed by any minor sport body is travel.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airlines have severely cut back their flights in Canada, and there are no guarantees air travel will return to what it was when the pandemic ends.

You also can’t get across Canada via passenger train, so teams might have to make long hauls via chartered busses. Of course, that would mean some teams would be traveling for days via a bus to get to a championship tournament.

Going forward, these championship tournaments might look different when they are eventually held compared to what they looked like in past years.

TSN axes some of the best, other notes

Had I known last night was my final show, I would have tried a little harder. Ahhhh, who am I kidding. I probably wouldn't have. It was a wild ride. If you got our show, then you laughed along with us. Thank you! Peace and love and let's raise a glass together once Covid is over.

— Dan O'Toole (@notontvotoole) February 4, 2021

TSN appears set to march on minus a few of its biggest names.

After holding their Bell Let’s Talk day fundraising campaign for mental health charities and to promote mental health awareness on Jan. 28, Bell Media has spent the past week making a huge number of layoffs.

Those cuts included letting go 210 staffers at Bell outlets in Toronto and area.

Walking papers were given to four prominent TSN staffers.

On Wednesday, Brent Wallace confirmed his 23-year run came to an end at TSN via Twitter. The in depth reporter was covering the NHL’s Ottawa Senators on a full-time basis when he was let go.

On Thursday, Dan O’Toole announced via Twitter that he had been cut, and he was no longer going to be co-hosting TSN’s nightly Sportcentre show with Jay Onrait. When they did Sportscentre, the show was called “SC with Jay and Dan.”

Late on Thursday, word got out that TSN ace anchor Natasha Staniszewski was let go after a 10-year run. She was popular in the Prince Albert and Saskatoon areas having worked with the CTV outlets in both centres from 2006 to 2009.

On Friday, word dropped that Tim Moriarty, who was known as “Producer Tim,” was also axed by TSN. Moriarty was a long time producer for Onrait and O’Toole. The trio was together at TSN from 2003 to 2013.

All three moved to FOX Sports 1 for a four-year run from 2013 to 2017 before returning to TSN in 2017 to a lot of fanfare.

Moriarty changed his Twitter account title to “The Artist Formerly Known as Producer Tim.”

The cuts of Wallace, O’Toole, Staniszewski and Moriarty show how cruel the mainstream media world can be. All four were still at the top of their respective games and the best in their lines of work.

I want to thank everyone sending kind words regarding my departure from TSN. It hasn’t been easy to digest but your support has helped lessen the sting and I appreciate it more than you know.
I feel nothing but love and gratitude for the 10yrs I had with the network. 1/2

— Natasha Staniszewski (@tvnatasha) February 5, 2021

Just my observation, it seems management at mainstream outlets starts looking for ways to get rid of talent once talent hits the age of 40. All four TSN veterans were over the age of 40.

Bell has also taken heat over the layoffs when it was recently revealed that the company had received $122-million in COVID-19 relief while increasing dividend payouts to shareholders.

Thanks to all the Bell Media cuts, young Victor Findlay, who is best known for covering action in U Sports men’s hockey, called his first NHL game on Thursday on TSN5, when the Ottawa Senators visited the Montreal Canadiens.

Findlay, who is in his mid 20s, is hard-working and accurate on details. He is also a good guy, and if he contacts me needing help on a story, I will try and help him.

When someone like Findlay gets a break, you are happy to see that happen.

When you connect the dots, it would be nice if that type of break didn’t come at the expense of veterans who did not deserve to get dumped.

• Tickets are now on sale for the February jackpot for the Saskatchewan Amateur Football Mega 50/50 lottery. The funds from this 50/50 lottery will go to support the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder and the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot. One prize will be drawn per month, and the remaining draw dates are Sunday, February 28, 2021, March 31, 2021, April 30, 2021 and May 31, 2021. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
• On Wednesday, the NWHL announced the remainder of the circuit’s season that was being played in a modified bubble with looser restrictions in Lake Placid, N.Y., was being suspended due to new positive COVID-19 tests and resulting concerns over player safety. The Metropolitan Riveters pulled out of the bubble on Jan. 28. The Connecticut Whale dropped out of the bubble on Monday leaving four teams including the expansion Toronto Six to try and continue the season at that point. The NWHL season was supposed to last two weeks in Lake Placid. The NWHL wasn’t able to play its Isobel Cup championship game last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minnesota Whitecaps were supposed to meet the host Boston Pride in last year’s Isobel Cup title game.
• Late Friday night, the WHL announced its five-team U.S. Division is set to begin regular season play on March 19. The five clubs are expected to play a 24-game regular season schedule. The WHL said it received clearance to play in the state of Washington, which contains the Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans. There was no word on what was happening with the Portland Winterhawks, who are based in the state of Oregon. It is likely the Winterhawks will locate to the state of Washington for a shortened season. The WHL said no spectators will be permitted to enter WHL facilities. It was already announced the WHL’s five teams located in Alberta are slated to begin regular season play on Feb. 26. The league is still looking for clearance to allow competition to be held in the East Division and the B.C. Division.
• On Friday, the Boston University Huskies women’s hockey team blanked the visiting Merrimack College Warriors 6-0 in an NCAA regular season game broadcast on TSN. The Huskies roster contains two alums of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team in Nara Elia and Mackenna Parker. Elia had an assist in the win, while Parker potted her first goal of the season. The Huskies improved to 3-3, while the Warriors fell to 1-12.
• On Friday, the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team won their fifth straight slipping past the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 4-3 in overtime in an NCAA regular season game in Minneapolis, Minn. The Badgers roster contains two alums of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team in sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley. Sophie had an assist in the Badgers win. The Badgers improved to 9-2, while the Golden Gophers fell to 9-5.
• In the realm of sports entertainment, huge respect has to be given to Orangeville, Ont., product Adam Copeland for his performance in the WWE’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view last Sunday. Copeland, who is best known by his wrestling persona as Edge, won the men’s Royal Rumble match entering the rink as the first among 30 wrestlers taking part in the bout. Edge is one of the greatest performers the WWE has ever had. Edge is also 47-years-old, but even at that age, he was still in shape to perform for over an hour in the ring. While WWE is scripted entertainment, the talent that takes part in matches in the ring has to have incredible athletic ability to do all the stunts they do. The fact that Edge can still perform at a high level at his age is incredible. He also returned from a real neck injury that saw him step away from the company for a lengthy stretch from 2011 to 2020, which makes his story that much more amazing.

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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2013 Grey Cup was Rider Nation’s best day at Taylor Field

Me, left, next to Chris Schultz on TV.

Thanks to looking over Chris Schultz’s shoulder, I had my moment at the 101^st Grey Cup.

Following the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 romp over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to win the Grey Cup at home on the frozen concrete of Taylor Field on November 24, 2013, I found myself heading to the booth on the north side of the legendary facility that was hosting TSN’s game day panel.

I was part of the group that got to look in through the window as the members of the panel gave their final thoughts on the contest. I was looking over the shoulder of Schultz, who was a former offensive tackle and 1991 Grey Cup winner with the Toronto Argonauts.

Later on that night, I noticed my TV appearance was captured on photo by a couple of buds in Mike Kaye and Jeff Urkevich, who posted the images on Facebook. I laughed when I saw them, and they are still a good keepsake memory.

This past Sunday, the CFL wrapped up a Grey Cup Unite promotion that began on Monday, Nov. 16. It marked a week long virtual celebration of the CFL and its iconic title game that dates back to 1909.

Grey Cup Unite ran during the same time this year’s Grey Cup festival was to be held in Regina, and the championship contest was to be played on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.

With the world locked in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 CFL campaign got outright cancelled.

Rider Nation mingled in the streets before the 2013 Grey Cup.

There was talk about playing a shortened CFL season in a hub city format in Winnipeg, Man., but the entire campaign was officially terminated on August 17.

During the Grey Cup Unite week that just wrapped up, my mind drifted back to that seasonably pleasant day and night in Regina on November 24, 2013. That game was played seven years ago today, and it feels like some kind of other lifetime ago.

Still, I wish something could make me go back in time to relive that day again. Even just being seven years younger that I am today, I felt I was able to truly soak in and enjoy that day.

At that time, I was still working at the Medicine Hat News as a beat writer that covered the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. I had booked a vacation week that started on that Grey Cup Sunday.

With how the stresses were in the workplace at that point in time, I aimed to use my vacation weeks as tools to give myself strategic breaks. Looking at the CFL schedule, I thought the Roughriders could be in that game.

Fans walk to Taylor Field for the 2013 Grey Cup.

Even if they weren’t, I expected to attend a Grey Cup party in Medicine Hat and had plans to enjoy the day that way.

I was actually in Calgary a week earlier on November 17, 2013 at McMahon Stadium, when the Roughriders hammered the host Calgary Stampeders 35-13 in the CFL’s West Final.

When I got home, I did check Ticketmaster’s website to see if there were tickets available for the Grey Cup. Of course, the game was a sellout.

During my career as a sports reporter, I knew usually at big events like the Grey Cup a portion of tickets are set aside for dignitaries and special guests. Tickets that are set aside for those purposes that aren’t used usually go back on sale to the general public.

On the Tuesday just two days after the West Final, I was able to buy one of those tickets that were put back up for sale to the public.

The Saturday before the Grey Cup game, I actually worked a WHL regular season contest, where the host Tigers downed the visiting Regina Pats 5-1 at The Arena in Medicine Hat. The Tigers crew knew I was heading to the Grey Cup game, and they all told me they hoped I had fun.

Fans gather outside Taylor Field before the 2013 Grey Cup.

I believe I only slept five hours that night and began my jaunt to Regina at 7 a.m. on Grey Cup Sunday.

When I arrived in Regina, it was like everywhere I went in town was a joyful, feel-good party. After wandering the streets around Taylor Field enjoying festivities with the rest of Rider Nation, I made my way to the stadium to ensure I got to see the pre-game show.

During pre-game show, the sellout crowd of 44,710 spectators was already in a walking on air mood when the Saskatoon-based band the Sheepdogs was on the field playing. As game time neared, you believed this would be the perfect dream night for Rider Nation.

This belief was backed up when the Roughriders charged the field in their traditional “Bring ‘Em Out” style.

The game’s signature moment came early in the first quarter, when Roughriders franchise quarterback Darian Durant scrambled up field, got hit and fumbled the ball high into the air to be pulled down by star running back Kory Sheets.  Sheets rumbled off a magical 39-yard game for the home side.

Fans line up to get into Taylor Field for the 2013 Grey Cup.

As a Roughriders fan, you had a big gut feeling that this game was going to go your way after seeing that play.

That drive eventually resulted in a diving 15-yard touchdown reception by legendary CFL receiver Geroy Simon that put the Roughriders up 7-3. Saskatchewan scored 24 points in the second quarter to take a 31-6 lead into halftime.  The outburst included another beauty 42-yard touchdown catch by Simon.

After Hedley’s entertaining halftime show, Hamilton scored the first 10 points of the second half to create a little worry for the Roughriders fans cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to 31-16. That was as close as the visitors got.

A four-yard touchdown run by Sheets and a 26-yard touchdown reception by receiver Weston Dressler put the Roughriders up 45-16, and the victory celebration in Saskatchewan started in earnest.

Sheets had two major scores along the ground and piled up a Grey Cup record 197 yards rushing on 20 carries to be named the game’s MVP. He ran with power and authority.

The inside of Taylor Field at the 2013 Grey Cup.

Durant completed 17-of-24 passes for 245 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Slotback Chris Getzlaf was the contest’s most outstanding Canadian player hauling in three passes for 78 yards.

The game was also highlighted by two big sacks from Roughriders defensive lineman John Chick.

On a fan front, I was pumped to see the Roughriders run over Tiger-Cats star quarterback Henry Burris, who once played for the Roughriders in the early 2000s. Crazy part was I would met Burris about four years later after he quarterbacked the Ottawa Redblacks to a Grey Cup win in 2016.

I learned Burris was a gem of a person, and also having a better understanding of the business of sports, I regretted the fan heckles I sent his way over the years at CFL games including the 2013 Grey Cup.

Even with that noted, I still relish and have the greatest memories of the Roughriders Grey Cup win in 2013, which was fourth Grey Cup victory in team history. It felt like the right outcome for the final Grey Cup ever played at Taylor Field.

Taylor Field shortly after the Roughriders win the 2013 Grey Cup.

When the clock ticked to zero, people were hugging their neighbours all around them. The image of Durant hoisting the Grey Cup with a huge smile on his face will also live forever. The green and white confetti raining down on the Roughriders players was also a site to behold.

For the longest time after that game ended, I remember just sitting in the stands and soaking everything in. On the fan front, it was the greatest day.

I also had four buds who were University of Regina Rams football team grads on that Roughriders team in Neal Hughes, Brendon LaBatte, Getzlaf and Jordan Sisco. Thanks to those connections, I actually spent some good social time with a number of players on that Roughriders team over the years including Durant.

They are all great guys, and I was really proud that they got to achieve that moment in their careers.

Actually, the idea of the Roughriders winning the Grey Cup at Taylor Field wasn’t even something that seemed conceivable for the bucket list.

The final scoreboard of the 2013 Grey Cup.

After reveling in the moment, I made my way to the booth where the TSN panel was to get my TV moment.

From there, I disappeared to “the Green Mile” and into the Regina night to enjoy the celebration, which went well into Monday morning.

For like a 24-hour period, it really felt like life was just truly good. Even now, I feel fortunate I got to enjoy that feeling.

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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Sunday fun day with NASCAR

Any type of live sports makes COVID-19 pandemic life better

Kevin Harvick leading a NASCAR race on my TV.

    I think I just became a fan of Kevin Harvick.

    The 44-year-old race car driver from Bakersfield, Calif., dominated my television screen on Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series returned to action after pausing 10 weeks due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Sunday’s race would be the fifth of the 2020 season for the Cup Series.

    Driving his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Harvick posted his 50^th career victory on NASCAR’s top circuit taking The Real Heroes 400 held at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. He led for 159 of 293 laps and became just the 14^th driver to win 50 career Cup Series races.

    Over the past eight days, folks were able to follow live sports in North America thanks to UFC and NASCAR. It was a welcome development.

    UFC got the ball rolling holding three fight cards at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena without fans. The first was UFC 249 held on May 9 and a pair of fight night cards followed on Wednesday and Saturday.

It was great to have a NASCAR Cup Series race on TV.

    I didn’t watch any of those cards live, but I ended up catching the highlights and post-fight interviews on a TSN channel. While Mixed Martial Arts is not something I watch on a regular basis, it was great to see highlights on major Canadian sports networks of something that happened that day.

    It felt normal to see Robin Black on TSN doing analysis after those fight cards. Way back on Aug. 23, 2015, I covered the UFC Fight Night card that was held at the SaskTel Centre, and Black was in town working that event.

    While I was new to that world and only in it for a short time, Black and I hit it off right away, and he pretty much took me under his wing. I tried to soak up as much of his insight as I could, and he was a huge help in guiding me through why fights would unfold as they did.

    Still, I was looking forward to seeing NASCAR’s top level return to action once I found out there would be a live race on Sunday. I covered local level stock car racing during my time in Medicine Hat, Alta., from 2004 to 2014 and a handful of events at the Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon.

Jimmie Johnson is coming right into the living room.

    The Wyant Group Raceway is usually home to an annual NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop, which is of the minor league circuits that prepares drivers for the NASCAR Cup Series.

    I admit I wouldn’t even consider myself a casual follower of NASCAR. I am one of those that will watch it once in a while and knows when the Daytona 500 is on.

    With that noted, any time I watch any type of car racing I love it.

    Of course, Sunday’s race at the Darlington Raceway wasn’t your normal race. There were no fans in the stands, and it seemed like everyone on the track that appeared on television were wearing protective masks.

    Prior to Sunday’s race, the last time drivers were in their cars came 71 days prior on March 8 at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

    NASCAR is not holding practices or qualifying for the first four races back except for the qualifying of the Coca-Cola 600, which will be held this coming Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

The NASCAR field comes down a straightaway on my TV.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were new safety protocols including health screenings, social distancing rules and mandatory masks. Some the racing teams had personnel that would normally be at the track performing their roles remotely at other locations.

    Considering the drivers were basically coming in cold without having raced in real cars for an extended time, the race itself was fun. Outside of seeing people in protective masks and noticing there were no fans in the stands, I thought the race proceeded like normal and the quality of the driving was high.

    I got excited when there was a driver I knew in veteran Jimmie Johnson, who has won the NASCAR Cup Series title seven times, jump into the lead during the early portion of the race. My heart dropped when Johnson’s day ended after he crashed into the wall after rubbing with another car before 100 laps were in the books.
    Shortly after the race passed 100 laps, Harvick jumped into lead and remained in front of the field for seemingly the rest of the race.

Kevin Harvick is on his way to victory on my TV.

    It felt like everything he did on the track was clean including when he entered and exited the pits.

    Harvick crossed the finish line with a healthy edge on second place finisher Alex Bowman, who was driving his No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports, and third place finisher Kurt Busch, who was driving his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Chip Ganassi Racing.

    During these crazy COVID-19 times, it was a treat to see Sunday’s Cup Series race. It made life feel more normal and increased optimism that other sports might come back sooner than later in North America.

    Thinking about the Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon, it would be cool, if it could get going on the local level with the same format as Sunday’s NASCAR race.

    While Shaw doesn’t have the ability broadcast local events anymore, it would be sweet if Access 7 could come up from Regina and show Saturday action from the Wyant Group Raceway live across the community channels on its network and Shaw without fans in the stands.

It would be great to have Wyant Group Raceway action on TV.

    Local golf courses in Saskatchewan are open to anyone in the public to go hit a round, but competitive provincial golf events have been held yet.

    On the racing front, NASCAR at the highest level has shown a way for stock car racing at the local level in Saskatoon to get going.

    Now we just need the medical health officials in Saskatchewan to give the green light to make it so. Dreaming and imagining what can be are always good things.

NASCAR Pinty’s Series simulation is a treat

Cayden Lapcevich in action in 2017 at the Wyant Group Raceway.

    I also learned on Sunday watching a simulated sports even can be a fun thing too.

    After the real life The Real Heroes 400 NASCAR Cup Series regular season race was held at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, TSN showed a virtual race from the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, which is a minor league circuit to the Cup Series.

    The virtual Pinty’s Series race was computer simulated to look like action was going down at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont. The actual competitors from the Pinty’s Series were driving their cars on simulation machines at their respective homes.

    Outside of noticing the obvious computer graphics, the race looked real. I was glued to see how one of my favourite drivers in the young 20-year-old Cayden Lapcevich was doing.

    Lapcevich has made a name for himself on that circuit over the past four years.

    I watched the first half of that simulated race before going on to do other things with my day.

    Still from what I saw, I can see why people would enjoy watching simulated sporting events, when real sporting events have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In Saskatchewan, I know the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League has been streaming simulations of its junior A league playoffs. Those simulations seem to be attracting a sizable following and have drawn good reviews.

    On Friday, the Pinty’s Series cancelled the twin races set for July 29 at the Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon. It would be sweet to see a simulation held for those two races at some point in the future.

    If most live sports continue to stay on the shelves in Canada and North America, here is hoping other leagues will follow through with showing simulated games, because they do help get your mind off of what is happening in the current day with the COVID-19 pandemic.

CFL’s former training camp day passes quietly, other thoughts

Had today circled on the calendar for a while. Hoping our world will go back to “normal” asap. Missing my brothers and the grind to grey cup 2020 in Regina! Stay up rider nation 🍉🍉🍉

— Jorgen Hus (@Jhus41) May 17, 2020

    It was somber Sunday for CFL fans and anyone who has a stake in that league.

    Sunday was the day main training camps were supposed to open across the circuit. Unfortunately, the CFL’s activities have been shuttered at the moment thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Currently in North America, only the UFC and NASCAR Cup Series circuit have come back to life holding live events.

    For a number of years, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have held training camp in Saskatoon. This year, the Roughriders were going to hold their training camp in Regina, but they were supposed to come to Saskatoon this coming Saturday for their “Green and White Day” at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which was to include a mock game type scrimmage.

    The fact that the Roughriders weren’t hitting the field anywhere for camp activities made the COVID-19 pandemic appear even more real to football fans in the province.

OG Brendon LaBatte (#57) takes part in Roughriders training camp in 2015.

    Followers of various other sports like hockey have seen those worlds come to a stop due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so they have dealt with what CFL football fans are now feeling for some time.

    On the Roughriders front, it would have been cool if fans could have been chasing down star quarterback Cody Fajardo for autographs or debate the team’s chances for topping the West Division for a second straight year or possibly winning the Grey Cup at home in November.

    Now fans of the CFL just hope the circuit survives the pandemic.

    During the final week of April, news came out that the CFL was looking for financial assistance from the Canadian federal government.

    The CFL is looking for $30-million in Canadian funds now to manage the impact of COVID-19. The circuit is asking for additional assistance for an abbreviated regular season and up to another $120-million in Canadian funds for a completely lost season.

    In other words, the CFL is looking for $150-million in financial assistance if its nine teams are unable to play the 2020 regular season and playoffs.   

    CFL fans hope the silence on the football fields for practices and games won’t become a permanent thing.

    It would be uplifting if the CFL was able to return to action in 2020.

• Alan Poirier, who was my first managing editor at the Medicine Hat News, put together a column on his blog “On Second Thought” that looked into a couple of theories regarding the origin and start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Poirier is a conservative thinker, but he has penned a lot of good columns that make you question why things are the way they are in a good way. He has a knack of making observations and speculations that turn out to be correct. I’ve seen a lot of his columns over the years, and I thought this one ranked near the top as one of the best. Feel free to check it out clicking right here.
• It was sad to hear Canadian Forces Snowbirds public affairs officer Capt. Jenn Casey died, when a Snowbirds plane crashed to the ground in Kamloops, B.C. on Sunday. That is a tragedy and condolences go out to all of Casey’s family and friends.
•  This COVID-19 pandemic has made me miss a lot of friends in the hockey world. In recent days, I have missed visiting with former Regina Pats general manager Brent Parker at various games in media an scouts lounges. I miss being in my spot in the SaskTel Centre press box next to Saskatoon Blades play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk. We have had a lot of good visits talking about all sorts of subjects. It was great to say “hi” to former Blades general manager Daryl Lubiniecki at a CO-OP grocery store in Saskatoon about a week ago.
• I’ve enjoyed rediscovering Madden 2008 for the Sony PlayStation 2. I’ve been using the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos for the season I am currently playing. I pretty much rebuilt the Panthers team through free agency, which included signing receiver Calvin Johnson. Over a 16-game regular season, Johnson hauled in 83 passes for 2,398 yards and 23 touchdowns. Now that was fun.

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Stars’ Kliewer relishes Team Sask. silver at nationals

Netminder returns to Saskatoon with extra jump

Arden Kliewer turns away a shot in the Saskatoon Stars goal.

    The highlights seem to be coming fast to Saskatoon Stars netminder Arden Kliewer.
    Playing in her final season of eligibility in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League, Kliewer committed to join the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks near the middle of October.

    On Nov. 16, she became just the second netminder to record 40 or more career SFMAAAHL regular season wins. Kliewer made 20 stops to back the Stars to a 2-0 victory over the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The 17-year-old’s biggest high likely came before that milestone 40^th victory.

    Kliewer helped Team Saskatchewan win its first medal ever at the National Women’s under-18 Championship, which was held in Winkler and Morden, Man.

    In a semifinal contest that was held in Morden, on Nov. 8, Kliewer made 25 saves to back Saskatchewan to a 3-1 victory over Ontario Blue. That win allowed Saskatchewan to advance to the gold medal game for the first time in the history of that event.

Arden Kliewer has 41 career SFMAAAHL regular season wins.

    Playing in the gold medal final one day later in Winkler in front of a national television audience on TSN, Kliewer had a sensational game turning away 32-of-34 shots sent her way against Ontario Red. Ontario Red still managed to prevail with a 3-1 victory that included a goal into an empty net.

Saskatchewan’s silver medal finish was still a big memory for Kliewer as well as playing in that championship final.

    “It was pretty big,” said Kliewer. “It felt watermelon size.

    “I was kind of feeling it that whole week, and I just carried on and tried to do what I could to keep my team in it.”

    Kliewer admitted that championship final might have been one of the best games she’s ever played.

    “I probably say it was,” said Kliewer, who stands 5-foot-8. “I think I stayed pretty consistent throughout the whole week.”

Arden Kliewer has played in lots of big games with the Stars.

    Kliewer said there was a huge pride from the players on the Saskatchewan side about what they were able to accomplish. Due to the fact Saskatchewan had never won a medal at the National Women’s under-18 Championship, Kliewer said no one outside of her team expected her squad to be a factor at that event.

    “The expectations just were for us were to everyone to buy into what the coaches were telling us,” said Kliewer. “We might not have been the most skilled players out there, but we bought in to what the coaches told us.

    “Going in there, nobody had expectations for Team Sask. It was all just personal expectations for us. We just wanted to come back with a medal, and that is what we did.”

    When Saskatchewan won its semifinal game, Kliewer said it was hard to explain the emotional high she and her teammates had knowing they would play in the gold medal game.

    “Obviously, it was an unreal experience,” said Kliewer. “I don’t even have words to describe it.

Arden Kliewer is the leader on a younger Stars team this season.

    “It was just insane like after we won that semifinal game knowing that, hey, we were coming home with a medal no matter what. It was a really good feeling.”

    Kliewer is no stranger to big games. She helped the Stars win the SFMAAAHL title in each of the past two seasons and qualify for the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament.

    The Stars made the championship game of the 2018 Esso Cup falling 2-1 to the Alberta-based St. Albert Slash.

    This season, Kliewer is protecting the Stars as they go through a rebuild. The Stars returned only nine players from last year’s team and graduated the bulk of their best players. 

    They are being guided by a new coaching staff. Robin Ulrich took over as head coach from Greg Slobodzian, and Kori Herner and Jason Schneider are the new assistant coaches. Schneider is actually a returning assistant coach having been with the Stars for four seasons from 2014 to 2018.

Arden Kliewer stood out for Team Saskatchewan.

    “It has just been a little bit different for myself just the role that I am in,” said Kliewer, who is in her fourth full season in the SFMAAAHL. “I’m in a little bit more of a leadership role this year versus last year.

    “It has just been about kind of helping those new girls understand this league and know what it takes to play in this league.”

    Ulrich, who was the interim head coach for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in 2016-17, said Kliewer’s importance to the Stars couldn’t be understated.

    “She (Kliewer) is just a great leader for our team,” said Ulrich. “It is one of the cases where we kind of told her if we could do the Roberto Luongo thing and give her a letter we would for sure.

    “It is great having somebody with that kind strong back in goal that you know she is going to give you a good consistent effort every single night. I think ever since she came back from U18s it has just been at another level. That is huge for us as a program.”

Arden Kliewer (#30) has helped steady a younger Stars defence.

    Ulrich was pleased to see Kliewer have an outstanding showing at the National Women’s under-18 Championship with Team Saskatchewan.

    “You love to see when your kids get exposed on the national stage like that and to have Sask. have the tournament they had and part of that was due to her play that is just exciting,” said Ulrich. “It makes you super proud, and you’re just excited for her and the opportunity and showing her ability at the national level on the biggest stage is huge.”

    During her SFMAAAHL career, Kliewer has posted a 41-10 record, a 1.77 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and 11 shutouts in regular season play. Only current U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team netminder Jessica Vance has more career regular season wins than Kliewer.

    Vance picked up 48 career victories playing for her hometown Prince Albert Northern Bears from 2010 to 2015.

    So far this season with the Stars, Kliewer has posted a 3-6 record, a 2.78 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and one shutout. 

Arden Kliewer gives a rebuilding Stars team a chance to win every night.

    The Stars have built 5-7-2 regular season mark to sit fourth in the SFMAAAHL after going 4-2 in the month of November.

    They received a huge confidence boost win last Saturday, when Kliewer made 33 saves in a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats at Merlis Belsher Place. The Wildcats have jumped out to a 9-1 start and sit second in the SFMAAAHL.

    “I think it helps us a lot for sure,” said Kliewer. “(It) definitely does give us quite a bit more confidence.”

    The Stars resume regular season play on Dec. 14, when they host the Bears at 2:15 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

    When the 2019-20 campaign concludes, Kliewer is happy she will be able to keep playing in the U Sports ranks with the Cougars.

Netminder Arden Kliewer and the Stars celebrate their win last Saturday.

    “I’m super excited to have that opportunity,” said Kliewer. “I’m a little bit nervous but definitely excited to be able to go play there.”

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.