Showing posts with label The Canadian Press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Canadian Press. Show all posts

Saturday, 11 April 2020

Hockey community mourns passing of Cave

Oilers system forward, Broncos alum left good mark on many

Broncos captain Colby Cave (#10) in a WHL post-series handshake in 2014.
    It was a piece of news that those in the hockey world know it would make a lot of people sad.
    Early Saturday morning, Colby Cave, a forward in the Edmonton Oilers system, passed away after suffering a brain bleed on Monday. The North Battleford, Sask., product and alumnus of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos was just 25-years-old.
    The Oilers confirmed Cave’s death with a statement from his family. His death didn’t have any link to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is currently raging havoc on the world.
    Cave had been admitted to a hospital in Barrie, Ont., on Monday, and he had to be airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.
    He was placed in a medically-induced coma on Tuesday at Sunnybrook Hospital and underwent emergency surgery with doctors removing a colloid cyst that was causing pressure on his brain.
    Cave, who stood 6-foot-1 and weighed 200 pounds, suited up for 11 games for the Oilers this season collecting a goal and dressed in 44 games with their AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors posting 11 goals and 12 assists.
    Almost immediately after his passing was made public, condolences poured in over various social media lines. Cave was one of hockey’s good guys, who built numerous friendships in the game.
    His wife, Emily, created a warm, emotional and heartbreaking post on Instagram including photos of her clutching Colby in hospital to say goodbye to him along with a heartfelt caption.
    They got married on July 19, 2019 and won’t get to celebrate a first anniversary together.






To my best friend & love of my life, Colby 🤍 My heart is shattered. The amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain I am in when I think about never seeing, touching, or holding you again is unbearable. You are and will always be my person, my hero, the greatest thing to happen to me. I never dreamed of being a widow before our first wedding anniversary. Although, every cell in my body is lost without you, I promise to continue to make you proud. You were the best friend, husband, doggy daddy, and oh how I wished to see you as a baby daddy. I’ll see you again soon, Colb. You’ll be in heaven meeting me with a warm wet kiss. You’ll be with me every step of the way. I don’t want to stop writing just like I didn’t want to stop holding you this morning at the hospital. You are my everything. You always will be. Thank you for now being the best Guardian Angel. Just as you ended your vows, I am going to end with one word, AGAPE. ✨
A post shared by Emily Cave (@em.cave) on

    Their Instagram accounts are filled with cute young couple photos of the two together. After seeing those photos, it is as automatic gut punch reminder that life isn’t fair, when you think about Colby’s passing.
    On Saturday, The Canadian Press caught up with Mark Lamb, who was the Broncos head coach and general manager during Cave’s career with the team from 2011 to 2015. Lamb, who is now the head coach and general manager of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, gave lots of praise for Cave.
    “It’s just his infectious smile and that he was a great person to be around,” said Lamb from his home in Prince George, B.C., to The Canadian Press. “That’s the thing I remember about him most.
    “He was the type of player that could do it all. He was our leader in pretty much every category on our team. He was our leading scorer.
    “He was our best faceoff guy. He was just an all-around player, and probably, if he wasn’t the best two-way player in the league, he was right there.”

    Way back in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, Cave was selected in the first round and 13th overall by the Kootenay Ice, but he never played a regular season or post-season game with the Ice.
    He came to the Broncos as part of the massive Cody Eakin trade made on Jan.9, 2011. In that deal, the Broncos traded Eakin, who was their star captain, to the Ice in exchange for Ice roster forward Christian Magnus, four list players including Cave, Ryan Bloom, Jarett Zentner and Steven Myland, 1st and 2nd round selections in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft and third round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.
    Eakin helped the Ice win the WHL championship that season.
    Cave was playing for his hometown Battlefords Stars in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League and was in his 16-year-old season at the time of the trade. He made his debut with the Broncos before the 2010-11 campaign came to an end.
    He played in 287 career regular season games with the Broncos piling up 95 goals and 107 assists for 202 points.

    Cave was the Broncos captain in his final two seasons with the club, which were his best campaigns in the WHL.
    In 2013-14, Cave played in all of the Broncos 72 regular season games piling up 33 goals and 37 assists and a plus-20 rating in the plus-minus department. During his final campaign with the Broncos in 2014-15, Cave again appeared in all 72 regular season games recording 35 goals, 40 assists and a plus-three rating.
    Cave joined the Broncos at a time when they were rebuilding and trying to re-establish links in Swift Current and the surrounding area communities. He was a regular in getting out in the community to do that ground work.
    The Broncos made the playoffs in Cave’s last three years with the club. They had a strong season in 2013-14 posting a 38-25-3-6 regular season record and came up one point in the standings short of overtaking the Regina Pats for first place in the East Division.
    Sellout post-season crowds of 2,890 returned to the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex, which were vocally and enthusiastically behind the Broncos. It was the first time in a while engaged crowds had been seen like that in the Broncos home rink.
    In a first round playoff series against the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2014, Broncos fans followed their team to Medicine Hat to invade the Tigers long time old home rink in The Arena. The Broncos intro video for their home games in that post-season featured a number of highlights from Cave.
    The Tigers ultimately claimed that best-of-seven series in six games.
    During his final season with the Broncos, Cave was teammates with a sophomore 17-year-old centre named Glenn Gawdin and a rookie 16-year-old right-winger in Tyler Steenbergen. Both Gawdin and Steenbergen became key pieces in helping the Broncos win the WHL title in 2017-18.
    Following his time with the Broncos, Cave joined the Boston Bruins organization and would appear in 23 NHL regular season games with that club.
    The Oilers claimed Cave off waivers on Jan. 15, 2019. Cave finished the 2018-19 season playing 33 regular season games with the Oilers registering two goals and one assist.
    With the outpouring of support that has been shown for Cave on social media since his passing, it feels like he was destined to do more in the physical world. In the short time he was here, he touched and had a positive impact on a large number of lives.

Free Press columnist looks at 1918 Spanish Flu, other notes

    With the world currently battling the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, Winnipeg Free Press business columnist Brent Bellamy decided to go back in time and take a look at how his publication covered the Spanish Flu pandemic from 1918-19.
    In some places in the world, the Spanish Flu pandemic continued to 1920.
    The Spanish Flu was an H1N1 influenza strain that proved to be particularly deadly. It is estimated it infected about 500-million people in the world, which would have been a third of the world’s population at that time.
    It is estimated the Spanish Flu killed 20 to 50-million people worldwide.
    Bellamy noted there were many similarities of what happened with the Spanish Flu back then compared to the COVID-19 pandemic of today. He put out his discoveries in a series of tweets on Thursday.
    Bellamy said the Free Press in 1918 noted New York City was a hotspot for the Spanish Flu, and New York City is a hotspot for COVID-19 in today’s time.
    He found out that in early October of 1918 a few cases of the Spanish Flu began to appear in Winnipeg without major headlines in the Free Press.
    Bellamy found a column in 1918 asking people to stay home in order to halt the spread of the Spanish Flu. In the current day, Canada as a country is observing lockdown measures to battle COVID-19.
    He found an article from October 11, 1918 warning of impending closures. Bellamy proceeded to show and article from October 12, 1918 ordering the closure of all public meeting places.
    That included the closures of schools and churches.
    He showed how the growing number of local cases of Spanish Flu were reported in the Free Press on a daily basis and how the Winnipeg media outlet kept an eye on what was going on in the rest of the world.
    There was talk in Winnipeg about flattening the curve of the Spanish Flu, which is a familiar refrain these days when it comes to battling COVID-19.
    Bellamy found a piece that universities were sending homework and assignments to students through the mail during the time of the Spanish Flu. In the current day, university students are doing work online in the face of COVID-19.
    In 1918 Winnipeg, there was a fear the Spanish Flu could break out in prisons and wearing masks in public was hotly debated. Those types of issues are occurring in the current day with COVID-19.
    There were stories during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic in Winnipeg about health care workers being most at risk. Those types of concerns are happening in the current day with the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Bellamy found an article from November 28, 1918 stating the shutdowns in Winnipeg over the Spanish Flu were being lifted.  
    Bellamy continued to document Spanish Flu developments in the rest of Canada and the world from the old Free Press archives. He quoted a Spanish Flu wrap up piece from 1919 stating 12,000 people in Winnipeg became ill because of the disease and 824 people died.
    Even though the Spanish Flu pandemic happened just over 100 years ago, Bellamy’s journey through the Free Press archives shows just how much history can repeat itself.
    Another similarity the research didn’t uncover was that there was no vaccine for the Spanish Flu during the years that pandemic was active from 1918-20. The first licensed flu vaccine didn’t appear until the 1940s.
    In the current day, there is no vaccine for COVID-19. No one is certain when a vaccine will be discovered for COVID-19 either.
    I pulled those nuggets of information from a documentary piece on the Spanish Flu created by the History Channel.
    It should be noted that the statistics from the Spanish Flu pandemic are estimates, because statistics weren’t well kept in some instances. In other instances, statistics for the Spanish Flu were under-reported in media outlets due to government control measures that were in place from the First World War, which was coming to an end in 1918 when the Spanish Flu broke out.

  • Over the past week, Saskatoon keeps popping up as a potential quarantine city to play NHL playoffs games in to complete the 2019-20 season. From what I understand, players from teams would be housed in a city and would play their games in front of empty arenas. I don’t know if this will come to pass, but it is idea that has been floated out there.
  • On Friday, Prince Albert Minor Football cancelled all its spring programs due to the preventative measures that have been enacted by various governments to combat COVID-19. The sport body is still taking registrations for its fall programs.
  • On Friday morning, ESPN reported the XFL has suspended operations and laid off nearly all of its staff outside of a handful of executives and has no plans to return in 2021. The XFL suspended operations on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and officially cancelled the remainder of its season on March 20. The league is owned by WWE chairman/president Vince McMahon and Alpha Entertainment. The reboot was not the rowdy first version of the football circuit seen in 2001. The latest version of the XFL was operated as a new startup and had received lot of great reviews over the first five weeks of play. It appears theCOVID-19 pandemic might have stopped the rebooted XFL in its tracks, which is too bad.
  • It may sound crazy, but it is possible to like both the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades. The teams are big rivals and just saying the above statement will likely have some fans of both teams fall out of their chairs.
  • Saskatoon Blades captain Chase Wouters took over his team’s Instagram account on Friday, and it was pretty fun. He provided numerous posts on the story function from his home Lloydminster, which is located on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan. He showed off his home gym, said how much he likes hear the Blades victory song “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove and showed a picture of his father, Scott, wearing #44 in a Team Canada jersey from Hockey Canada. Scott played for the Lloydminster Border Kings when they faced Poland’s National team in a three game series in Poland in October of 2001. Chase said he wears #44, because that was Scott’s old number. Scott talked about how fun it was to introduce the Blades starting lineup before a game this past season. Overall, Chase did a great job running the Blades Instagram line for a day.
  • It is a smart and prudent move to take a break from social media and limit the time you spend taking in information from news sites on various platforms. There is so much uncertainty and anxiety happening over the COVID-19 pandemic it becomes mentally unhealthy to spend too much time consuming information over those lines.
  • One of the most entertaining tweets I’ve found comes from Joe Pascucci, who is a longtime sportscaster and sports director in Winnipeg. He found a clip from an AWA championship match held at the Winnipeg Arena between champion Rick Martel and challenger Boris Zhukov. Martel was the baby face and Zhukov was the heel. John Ferguson, who was the general manager of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets at the time, was the special guest referee. Ferguson ensured the match was “fair” for Martel.
    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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Thursday, 13 June 2019

All for Raptors party in Canada

Fans watch the Raptors post-game on a big screen in Saskatoon on Monday.
    The Toronto Raptors are the epitome of “if it feels good, go with it” right now in Canada.
    In a few hours, people from coast-to-coast will be huddled around television sets or fancy big screens to watch the Raptors attempt to win their first NBA title in team history, when they play the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Tonight’s game (7 p.m. Saskatchewan time, ABC and TSN) will be the final contest to be held at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., which is the long time home of the Warriors.
    Toronto leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and dropped 106-105 heartbreaker on home court at the Scotiabank Arena in Game 5 on Monday. Guard Kyle Lowry missed a shot to win the game at the buzzer.
The crowd in downtown Saskatoon for the Raptors watch party on Monday.
    In Toronto and the cities that surround that metropolis in Ontario, the Raptors will always have a hardcore following.
    During their run through the post-season, the hype surrounding the Raptors has captured the imaginations of followers across Canada. Some of the following comes due to the fact the Raptors are the only NBA team in Canada.
    Whoever thought over 13,000 would turn up to watch a Raptors game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina to watch the hoops game on the big screen there. The photos of the watch party made up an article on the website for Sports Illustrated.
    A watch party will be held at Mosaic Stadium again tonight in Regina.
Fans watch the final moments of Monday’s Raptors game on a big screen.
    It starts by showing the Saskatchewan Roughriders season opener in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats at 5 p.m. and follows with the Raptors game at 7 p.m.
    For myself, I am not going to live or die on the fan front if the Raptors win or lose. I am enjoying the spectacle of the many people in Canada rallying around and getting into this team.
    If a large majority of people in Canada will be happy for a short spell if the Raptors can capture the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy, I am all for it.
    It has been cool to see people from all cultures gather for watch parties in downtown Saskatoon to see Raptors game. Kudos to the Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League for making those parties happen.
    I haven’t kept the greatest tabs on the Raptors. I knew they were doing well again this season, and I knew they had finished first in the Atlantic Division.
A raptor was set up at the Raptors watch party in Saskatoon on Monday.
    I didn’t realize they finished second overall in the NBA with a 58-24 record, and they finished ahead of the Warriors, who were third overall in the league at 57-25.
    I knew Kawhi Leonard and Lowry were the team’s big stars. I didn’t realize Leonard had a big run with the San Antonio Spurs, where he was named the NBA Finals MVP when the Spurs took the title in 2014.
    I never knew Leonard was the defensive player-of-the-year in the NBA in 2015 and 2016.
    If the Raptors win the NBA title today or in Game 7 in Toronto on Sunday, Leonard will forever be a celebrity in Canada. Decades after his career concludes, he will be able to still go across the country for speaking engagements to promote basketball like Roberto Alomar does for baseball long after he helped the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series in 1992 and 1993.
The big screen set up at the Raptors watch party in Saskatoon on Monday.
    After watching the Raptors play a handful of games, you start to realize Marc Gasol, Danny Green, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam are all good players.
    Trying to find the jerseys for sale of the current Raptors in retail sports stores in Canada is challenging right now. Those items are pretty much sold out at most places.
    On social media channels following the Raptors loss in Game 5, you could be swept up in talk about whether Lowry should have taken the last shot or debate how head coach Nick Nurse used or didn’t use his timeouts in the contest’s final minutes.
    For myself, I haven’t paid this much attention to the Raptors since Vince Carter won the slam dunk contest in 2000 in the festivities leading up to the NBA all-star game.
People pack up following the watch party in Saskatoon.
    During that time, I remember working as the music man for a University of Regina Cougars men’s hockey game and checking out the highlights of Carter’s dunks on the big screen in the sports bar at the Cougars home rink. There were a lot of astonished faces back then.
    I do remember the Raptors struggling as an expansion franchise in 1995-96 going 21-61 with Damon Stoudamire being the team’s first star.
    Right now, it is the Raptors time in the national spotlight. Like Joe Carter’s walk off home run in the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays, here is hoping the Raptors can cap a title win with an equally epic moment.

Ryan highlights Roughriders preview for The Canadian Press

 
Jon Ryan (#9) joins the Roughriders after 12 seasons in the NFL.
  I was alive nationwide again this week typing out the season preview story on the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders for The Canadian Press.
    The Roughriders open their season tonight, when they travel to Hamilton to take on the Tiger-Cats (5 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN).
    The story focused around Regina born-and-raised punter Jon Ryan settling in with his hometown CFL team after spending 12 seasons in the NFL from 2006 to 2017 with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
    Ryan vaulted to star status with the Seahawks and was a member of their 2013 Super Bowl winning team.
    The piece included quick outlooks on offence and defence. The story is on the Globe and Mail’s website and can be round by clicking right here.
    The story can also be found on the Saskatchewan Roughriders website by clicking right here.

Celebration of life set for Filteau

Justin Filteau in action for the Hilltops in 2014.
    A celebration of life will be held Saskatoon Hilltops and University of Saskatchewan Huskies football alum and Saskatoon Valkyries position coach Justin Filteau on Friday.
    The celebration of life will start at 3 p.m. at Circle Drive Alliance Church in Saskatoon. People are invited to wear sports jerseys or jackets for the service, if they would like to do so.
    Filteau, who stood 5-foot-9 and weighed 214 pounds, died in a plane crash just east of Medicine Hat late on the night of June 1 at the age of 26.
    He was born and raised in Moose Jaw and became a high school football star at A.E. Peacock Collegiate.
    After graduating from high school, Filteau moved to Saskatoon and played five seasons at linebacker for the storied Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League from 2010 to 2014.
    He helped the Hilltops win four CJFL titles in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. Filteau was a CJFL all-Canadian all-star in that final championship campaign.
    When Filteau exhausted his eligibility with the Hilltops, he joined the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the U Sports ranks for three seasons from 2015 to 2017.
    Filteau first joined the Valkyries coaching staff as a linebackers coach in 2017. He was coaching the squad’s defensive line this season.
    At the celebration of life, people will have the chance to write their best memories of Filteau in a memories book.

    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, 2 June 2019

Blades’ GM pumped on Dach’s status ahead of NHL Entry Draft

Kirby Dach was at the NHL Scouting Combine.
    Saskatoon Blades general manager Colin Priestner isn’t ruling out the possibility that his team could be without star centre Kirby Dach next season.
    Dach just finished participating in the NHL Scouting Combine that wrapped up on Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y. The 18-year-old Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., product is pegged to be an early first round selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, which is set for June 21 and 22 in Vancouver, B.C.
    Last season, Dach, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds, appeared in 62 regular season games with the Blades posting 25 goals and 48 assists for 73 points to go with a plus-15 rating in the plus-minus department. Dach added five goals and three assists in the Blades 10 post-season games.
    “It is exciting,” said Priestner. “I think Kirby (Dach) is going to go in the top five.
    “That is what I am hearing right now. You never know. We’re never really told exactly what teams are doing by any means.
    “I know there is a lot interest in the top five. Four, five or six is very interested. He is going to go somewhere in that range is my guess.”
    Back in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, the Blades selected Dach in the first round and second overall. Dach has backed up his early WHL Bantam Draft selection with his strong two-way play on the ice.
    In 133 career regular season games with the Blades, he has posted 38 goals and 91 assists to go with a plus-eight rating.
Kirby Dach is expected to be an early pick in the NHL Entry Draft.
    With that in mind, it is still difficult for 18-year-old players to crack into the NHL as freshly drafted rookies, because the bodies of those players still haven’t physically matured.
    Still, Priestner knows Dach will do whatever he can to be ready for an NHL shot.
    If Dach is returned to the Blades, he will have the chance to play with his younger brother, Colton. The Blades selected Colton in the first round and sixth overall in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft, and he can join the team as a 16-year-old rookie in the upcoming campaign.
    Last season, Colton had 16 goals and 12 assists playing 32 regular season games with the Fort Saskatchewan Boston Pizza Rangers midget AAA team.
    “If he (Kirby Dach) makes the NHL next year, that is an outstanding achievement,” said Priestner. “If he doesn’t, he can play with his brother here.
    “It is fun to play with your brother for a year. They’ve never gotten to do that. I think that would be a great year for them.”
    Priestner said Kirby Dach went into the Scouting Combine at full health.
    Dach injured one of his legs in Game 5 of the Blades second round playoffs series with the Prince Albert Raiders after coming together with Raiders star right-winger Brett Leason. Dach missed about 10 minutes of the Blades loss in Game 5 and played hurt in Saskatoon’s season ending loss in Game 6.
    Dach had the option of joining Canada’s entry at the under-18 worlds after the Blades were eliminated from the WHL playoffs, but he decided to sit that out and heal up.
    “It (Dach’s injury)came at the worse time,” said Priestner. “He just got tangled up with (Brett) Leason.
Kirby Dach had a stellar campaign for the Blades in 2018-19.
    “Their feet hit each other. It was just an awkward play. It wasn’t dirty at all.
    “I think it was a wise move not to go to the world championships with a taped up leg.”
    With all that said, it would be a surprise if Dach wasn’t selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. He was listed third among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting Rankings.
    If Dach is returned to the Blades, Priestner believe he will come back to Saskatoon sometime in October. The general manager expects his skilled centre will likely experience a lull before taking off in that scenario.
    “I think sometimes when an elite player gets drafted and gets sent back there is that letdown period,” said Priestner. “They usually get some games in the NHL.”

Blades overage situation still under evaluation

Nolan Kneen is a safe pick to return as an overager for the Blades.
    Saskatoon Blades are still evaluating the direction they will take with their overage players next season.
    The Blades had seven potential players to fill three overage spots, when they were eliminated from the WHL playoffs in a six-game second round series by the eventual league champion Prince Albert Raiders.
    On May 2, the Blades traded defenceman Reece Harsch to the Winnipeg Ice to cut the potential returning overage players to six.
    Priestner isn’t expecting import Norwegian left-winger Kristian Roykas-Marthisen to return to Saskatoon. Roykas-Marthisen is an NHL Entry Draft selection of the Washington Capitals, but he might elect to play in Europe next season.
    Priestner doesn’t expect netminder Dorrin Luding to be in the picture as 18-year-old Nolan Maier is the team’s starter.
    That brings the Blades down to four candidates for three spots in defenceman Nolan Kneen and forwards “Uncle” Gary Haden, Ryan Hughes and Riley McKay.
    “There is big competition there,” said Priestner. “Nolan Kneen is the only defenceman.
    “I think obviously he is going to be back. That kind of goes without saying after the year he had. We have three excellent forwards and all different.
    “We have an indication of the way we want to go, but I wouldn’t be surprised if four of them showed up to camp right now.”
    Last season, Hughes recorded 30 goals, 39 assists and a plus-13 rating in the plus-minus department in 61 regular season games split between the Portland Winterhawks and Blades.
    Haden posted 31 goals, 34 assists and a plus-19 rating in 64 regular season games split between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Blades.
    McKay appeared in all of the Blades 68 regular season games recording 12 goals, 15 assists, a plus-16 rating and a WHL leading 149 penalty minutes.
    Priestner is looking at his options via the trade route, but said the brain trust on his team needs to be sure of their plans.
    “We need to decide who we are keeping as well before we can trade anyone,” said Priestner. “I am not opposed to a little competition.
    “I want to see what they are like at camp and see how motivated that playoff made them. We’ve got guys that I want to see what kind of shape they come in and all that kind of stuff.”
    Priestner said he has engaged in some preliminary talks on the trade route but added things are still quiet on that front. Teams have until Oct. 10 to decide who their three overage players will be.
    “You sometimes can get a little more for those guys by Oct. 10th than you can in May when everyone is at the cabin or on vacation,” said Priestner. “There is not a lot of urgency.
    “A team goes to camp and doesn’t like their scoring situation or doesn’t like their forwards, we’ve got three capable top six forwards out of those.”

Saskatoon plans to make two picks at CHL Import Draft

Emil Malysjev might not be back with the Blades next season.
    Saskatoon Blades are looking at making two selections in CHL Import Draft.
    The CHL Import Draft is expected to be held via a conference call on either June 26 or 27. The Blades aren’t expecting Norwegian left-winger Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen to return for his overage year.
    Blades general manager Colin Priestner has been in touch with the club’s Swedish defenceman in Emil Malysjev and found out the rearguard might sign a professional contract in his home country.
    Malysjev is slated to enter his 18-year-old. As a 17-year-old rookie, Malysjev, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 187 pounds, turned heads appearing in 63 regular season games recording three goals, 14 assists and a plus-13 rating in the plus-minus department.
    He was rated 192nd among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings.
    “I think we’re at a point this year we want to probably get two guys that can help us right away,” said Priestner. “That is my focus right now.”
    Malysjev improved greatly as last season progressed and was expected to be a key returnee for the Blades next season.
    If Malysjev doesn’t return, the Blades will be without four out of their starting six defenceman from last season. Dawson Davidson and Brandon Schuldhaus both exhausted their major junior eligibility and Reece Harsch was traded to the Winnipeg Ice.
    Priestner said the Blades brain trust including associate general manager Steve Hildebrand and director of scouting Dan Tencer have work to do in that area, which could include addressing that situation at the Import Draft.
    “We have some good D returning, but did lose a few really good ones,” said Priestner. “I’m not sure we’re going to replace Dawson Davidson and (Brandon) Schuldhaus just tomorrow.
    “That was a real big strength of our team this year we’re a couple of those veteran D. It is my job now with our staff with Hilty (Steve Hildebrand) and Dan (Tencer) and our coaches to shore that defence up. It doesn’t always happen before camp.”

Alive on The Canadian Press wire with Roughriders’ LaBatte

Brendon Labatte is a Roughriders mainstay.
    I was alive nationwide on The Canadian Press wire this past week.
    The Canadian Press sent me down to Griffiths Stadium at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon to work Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp. 
    I put together a story on veteran offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte.
    Labatte is entering his 12th full season in the CFL. His versatility is a key bonus to the Roughriders offensive line.
    He is one of the team’s leaders, and his play emphasizes the fact why Canadian offensive linemen are viewed as gold in the CFL.
    LaBatte, who is from Weyburn, Sask., was named the CFL’s most outstanding offensive lineman in 2013. He normally plays left guard, but has practiced at centre during training camp.
    The Canadian Press story on Labatte carried via the North Shore News can be found by clicking right here.

 Saskatchewan football community mourns passing of Filteau

 
Justin Filteau in action for the Hilltops in 2014.
  The football community in Saskatchewan is grieving the sudden passing of Justin Filteau.
    Filteau, who is a former star linebacker with the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and U Sports University of Saskatchewan Huskies, was one of three people killed in a light aircraft crash near Medicine Hat, Alta., late Saturday night.
    The 26-year-old was flying to Moose Jaw, Sask.
    He is was the linebackers coach for the WWCFL powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries and was planning to travel to Regina, Sask., on Sunday to meet the team and coach in their regular season game against the host Riot, who are the defending WWCFL champions.
    The Valkyries won that contest 22-7 and have dedicated the rest of their season in Filteau’s memory.
    Filteau was coaching in Saskatoon’s minor football system and was a coach for Saskatchewan’s under-16 provincial team.
    Born and raised in Moose Jaw, Filteau played for A.E. Peacock Collegiate’s high school football team. He suited for the Hilltops from 2010 to 2014 and was a member of four CJFL championship teams. He played for the Huskies from 2015 to 2017.
    Numerous tributes have been posted on various social media platforms for Filteau. Funeral arrangements are still pending.

Pedersen launches sports talk show on Monday


    Rod Pedersen is set to rock the sports talk establishment.
    On Monday, Pedersen, who is the famous former play-by-play voice of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and WHL’s Regina Pats, launches The Rod Pedersen Show. Pedersen is aiming to put together a morning sports talk show in the format that is sort of like The View.
    It will air five days a week from 10 a.m. to noon Saskatchewan time over multiple platforms like Facebook Live, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.
    The move is sure to catch the attention of mainstream outlets. The current two local sports talk shows that air over the radio waves in Saskatchewan in The Green Zone and The SportsCage usually go live after 3 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
    Pedersen will have a daily jump on those two shows with his show.
    During his time as the Roughriders play-by-play voice, Pedersen built a strong following from the team’s fanbase, while becoming infamous with the fans of other CFL clubs that loved to disagree with him.
    No matter how you feel about him, his show should be entertaining. If you want to check it out, it can be found by clicking right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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Sunday, 10 June 2018

Shattler key in delivering NLL championship back to Rush

Forward scores four in series deciding Game 3, named MVP

Jeff Shattler (#77) meets Chris Corbeil with the NLL Cup.
    A major off-season addition paid off big in bringing the NLL title back to the Saskatchewan Rush.
    On August 3, 2017, the Rush signed free agent Jeff Shattler to a two-year contract. Shattler, who stands 6-feet and weighs 198 pounds, had starred at forward and at transition with the Calgary Roughnecks for the previous 11 seasons.
    He helped the Roughnecks, who are the Rush’s biggest rival, win an NLL title in 2009 and was named the NLL’s MVP and top transition player in 2011.
    The 33-year-old proved he still has a lot of gas in the tank as far as the sport of lacrosse is concerned piling up 24 goals, 36 assists and 76 loose ball pickups in 17 regular season games with the Rush in the 2018 campaign.
    In a winner take all Game 3 of the National Lacrosse League championship series on Saturday night at the SaskTel Centre, Shattler came through with one of his biggest performances of his professional career. He fired home four goals and picked up an assist as the Rush downed the Rochester Knighthawks 15-10 before 13,645 spectators.
Jeff Shattler was signed by the Rush as a free agent.
    The win allowed the Rush to win the best-of-three series 2-1 and capture their third NLL title in the last four years. They raised the brand new National Lacrosse League Cup, which replaced the Champion’s Cup as the circuit’s title trophy.
    The Rush were swept in last year’s NLL title series 2-0 by the Georgia Swarm.
    Shattler joined the Rush to help them win the NLL title.
    “We proved that we were the best team this year,” said Shattler. “We worked our bags off (and) sacrificed every weekend away from our families traveling.
    “I was away from my kids. It was all worth it, when that buzzer went. We got to raise that cup.”
    For his efforts, Shattler was named the MVP of the NLL playoffs. He piled up eight goals and seven assists in the Rush’s four post-season contests.
    In Saskatchewan 13-8 loss in Game 2 to the Knighthawks in Rochester on June 2, Shattler had a hat trick and four assists to pace the Rush offence.
Jeff Shattler spent 11 seasons with the Calgary Roughnecks.
    He came into Game 3 on Saturday motivated to have a big performance.
    “I love playoffs,” said Shattler. “I’ve always been a playoff player.
    “I love the intensity of it. I love that it is a do or die situation. That is why I play lacrosse.
    “I can’t tell you how happy I am right now.”
    Rush head coach Derek Keenan joked that the team’s general manager was a smart guy, when it came to signing Shattler. Of course, Keenan fills the role of general manager with the Rush too.
    With Rush having played against Shattler for such an extended time, Keenan thought it would be wise to have the high-intensity forward on the Rush’s side for once.
    “We targeted Jeff Shattler,” said Keenan. “August 1st at midnight, I was on the phone to him, and he was all in from the beginning.
    “It took us 24 hours to get a deal done. He was great all year. He fit in all year.
    “His offence took over in the playoffs.” 
Jeff Shattler celebrates one of his four goals on Saturday.
    Keenan said Shattler’s power-play goal at the 11:05 mark of the third quarter was a key play for his club. The Knighthawks had just scored three straight goals to go ahead 8-7, and Shattler’s power-play tally, which was his fourth goal of the night, drew the Rush even at 8-8.
    In the process, Keenan was impressed with how Shattler fooled Knighthawks goalie Matt Vinc, who has won the NLL’s goaltender of the year award five times, on the equalizer that came with the man advantage.
    “He (Shattler) made big plays at big times when we needed a goal,” said Keenan. “The power-play goal he got, that was a special shot.
Grandma Rush celebrates a Rush goal on Saturday.
    “Not everyone has that shot in their repertoire. He was kind of fading away from the net. I think Vinc thought he was going far short side and he rolled it far side.”
    Rush captain Chris Corbeil said the biggest reinforcement that showed Shattler was accepted as part of the team, where the Rush players cared for him like family, came during the club’s sixth regular season game on Jan. 27 on the road against the Roughnecks. That contest, which the Rush won 13-12, marked the first time Shattler played in Calgary since leaving the Roughnecks.
    Shattler received the silent treatment from the Roughnecks, which didn’t sit well with the Rush.
Mark Matthews had eight assists for the Rush on Saturday.
    “We went into Calgary his first game back, and he put in a tonne great years for Calgary, and they didn’t do anything special for him there,” said Corbeil. “That rubbed me the wrong way.
    “I know it rubbed his family the wrong way, and he is able to come out here and get an MVP. I don’t think he is thinking about that anymore. I couldn’t be happier for the guy.”
    On the lacrosse turf, Corbeil was impressed with Shattler’s smarts for the game.
    “This is a detailed tough offence to work your way into,” said Corbeil. “He got in there and had an impact immediately and found a way to contribute and found a way to fit right in.”
    Shattler’s power-play goal started a four goal run for the Rush, which allowed them to take an 11-8 lead at the 2:08 mark of the fourth quarter. In the back-and-fourth affair, the Knighthawks responded with a pair of goals to cut the Rush edge to 11-10.
    Saskatchewan closed the contest scoring four straight goals to seal victory.
Rush forward Matthew Dinsdale is set to score on this circus shot.
    Corbeil had a hat trick for the Rush, while Ben McIntosh, Ryan Keenan, Curtis Knight and Matthew Dinsdale each scored twice. Mark Matthews recorded eight assists for the Rush.
    Josh Currier powered the Knighthawks attack with four goals, while Cody Jamieson had a hat trick.
    Joe Resetarits, Austin Shanks and Eric Fannell scored singles for Rochester.
    Evan Kirk made 37 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Rush. Vinc turned away 37-of-51 shots to take the setback in goal for the Knighthawks.
    The Rush claimed their first league title back in 2015 in the franchise’s final season in Edmonton. They won their second title in 2016 in their first season in Saskatchewan.
The Rush celebrate winning the NLL championship.
    The Rush left Edmonton following the 2015 campaign after the club was unable to secure a long-term lease deal.
    Reflecting on Saturday’s outing along with his long career, Shattler said that one ranks with his best performances.
    “I would have to say it would be one up there,” said Shattler. “It was one of the biggest ones.
    “It was amazing. I’ll never forget this night. Absolutely amazing I got to share it with my wife and this family of mine behind me.
    “We’re the champs this year, and we will be back harder next year.”

“Mission accomplished” Rush gamer for The Canadian Press

A number of veteran Rush players pose with the NLL Cup.
    On Saturday, I had the opportunity to cover Game 3 of the NLL championship series for The Canadian Press.
    The Canadian Press game story focused on the fact the Rush accomplished a mission to once again win the NLL title after being swept 2-0 in the 2017 NLL championship series by the Georgia Swarm.      That story talked about how the first quarter in Game 3 on Saturday between the Rush and Knighthawks was a defensive struggle.
    The Knighthawks scored the game’s first goal with 44.9 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
    From there, the offences on both sides exploded in a back-and-forth battle. The Rush weren’t able to seal victory until scoring the final four goals in the fourth quarter.
    My story for The Canadian Press laid out on the website of 680 News can be found right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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Thursday, 6 October 2016

Can hockey Huskies roll again?

Captain Kendall McFaull celebrates netting a Huskies goal.
    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time.
    Entering the 2015-16 campaign, the Huskies had expectations to do well, but those expectations were tempered after posting a 10-15-3 mark in 2014-15, which ended a run of 18 straight seasons where the Dogs posted a winning record. Doubts were put to rest quickly.
    The Huskies seemed to be on a magical ride in 2015-16 cruising to the top of the Canada West standings with a 22-6 mark. Their 22 wins matched a club record, which occurred in the 1999-2000 campaign with a 22-3-3 mark and in 1987-88 with a 22-5-1 record.
    They played an exciting and wide open style offensively, while remaining sound in the defensive zone. Goaltending was rock solid thanks to Jordon Cooke, who won the award as the top netminder in Canadian Interuniversity Sport after posting a 19-5 record, a .921 save percentage, a 2.52 goals against average and two shutouts.
    The Huskies were also pushed by an emotional spark playing to honour the memory of alumni Cody Smuk, who passed away of cancer in late June of 2015. Smuk’s number was retired before a home game on Oct. 24, 2015, and the Huskies warmed up at home all season all wearing Smuk’s #24 jersey.
    In the playoffs, the Huskies swept away the U of Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series and pulled out the broom again to take down their forever rivals the U of Alberta Golden Bears in the Canada West championship series. Both rounds were playing in front of raucous crowds at the ancient Rutherford Rink.
    After taking the Canada West title, the Huskies brought out Smuk’s parents, father Marty and mother Darla, and his fiancée Stephanie Vause to be part of the on ice team picture.
    It seemed like everything was lining up to create a feeling that the Huskies would win their first CIS title since 1983 no matter what the odds were.
    At the University Cup in Halifax, N.S., the Huskies dropped a 2-1 triple overtime heartbreaker to the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in a semifinal match. U of S closed the tournament falling 5-2 in the bronze medal contest to the St. Mary’s University Huskies 5-2.
    Entering the 2016-17 campaign, the Huskies top the pre-season Canada West coaches’ poll. They open the regular season on Friday hosting the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.
    Emotion will not likely play as big of a role this time around. Captain Kendall McFaull, Connor Cox, John Lawrence and Josh Roach are the only remaining Huskies players who were teammates with Smuk in his final season in 2013-14.
    They also have to make up for the loss of last season’s fifth year graduates in Zak Stebner and Matthew Spafford. Stebner was a sound defensive defenceman and a calming presence in the dressing room. Spafford brought heart and character to the squad, which made him arguably the team’s most popular play amongst the student body at the U of S campus.
    The Huskies return a strong core including last year’s team scoring leader in Kohl Bauml and goals leader Levi Cable. That group will have to jell with an outstanding group of nine first-year players that made the final cuts topped by standout forwards Alex Forsberg, Connor Gay and Carson Stadnyk. If the returnees and newcomers establish chemistry early, the Huskies have the potential to be more formidable than last season.
    The 2016-17 campaign will eventually write its own unique tale. The Huskies might just add another impressive chapter to their already storied history.

Familiar new face behind bench for Huskies women’s team

Kaitlin Willoughby was at Hockey Canada's Women's Development camp.
    The U of S Huskies women’s team enter the 2016-17 campaign with new but familiar face taking over as head coach on a one-year interim basis.
    Former captain Robin Ulrich will be the Huskies new top bench boss as Steve Kook takes a professional leave of absence. Ulrich played defence for the Huskies from 2004-09 and was named a Canada West first team all-star and won the conference’s student-athlete community award.
    Ulrich was an assistant coach with the team the past five seasons. The last two were a little less involved than the first three due to becoming a high school physical education teacher at Lampman School.
    She is extremely popular with the alumnae of the Huskies women’s team, who will no doubt be pulling for her, and she is surrounded by a strong support staff of assistant coaches.
    Ulrich also comes in knowing most of the players. The Huskies still have eight holdovers from their 2013-14 Canada West championship winning team, when Ulrich was a full-time assistant coach. The vets will no doubt ease the transition for the new bench boss.
    Fourth-year forward Kaitlin Willoughby tops the list of key returnees. The Prince Albert, Sask., product had an exciting summer attending Hockey Canada’s Women’s Development camp in August.
Cassidy Hendricks returns for her fifth and final season looking to add to her Huskies record for most career regular season wins, which currently sits at 46.
    Veteran forwards Lauren Zary and Rachel Johnson will likely give a strong punch to the offence, while Alyssa Dobler and Kira Bannatyne will be key in anchoring the back end in the defensive zone.
    Second-year defender Leah Bohlken will see an increased role as a quarterback on the power play, and former Weyburn Gold Wings captain Bailee Bourassa has the potential to chip in a few goals in her rookie campaign.
    Intensity won’t likely be a problem for the Huskies on their opening weekend. They travel to Vancouver to take on the defending Canada West champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Friday and Saturday. Over the past couple of seasons, the battles between the Huskies and Thunderbirds have usually gotten a bit chippy.
    During the past two campaigns, offensive has come at a premium in Canada West women’s play. If the Huskies can find a groove early offensively, it might give them a bigger boost in the long run.

Back in the Express with Lukowich looking up to Howe

Former NHLer Morris Lukowich is a great story teller.
    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a story that was pretty fun to write.
    I caught up with Morris Lukowich, who scored his fair share of goals playing in the NHL from 1979 to 1987. Lukowich, who grew up playing minor hockey in Saskatoon in the 1960s and early 1970s, looked up to the late Gordie Howe.
    Always the great story teller, Lukowich talked about his first meeting with the hockey icon and later becoming his teammate with the Houston Aeros of the now defunct World Hockey Association.
    Drafted by both the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and the Aeros after starring for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, Lukowich had the chance to hang out with Howe on a recruiting trip to Houston.
    That story can be found right here.

Leafs/Sens game was great for those who got there

    The biggest challenge of watch Tuesday night’s NHL pre-season game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators might have been just getting there.
    When I went to the game, I arrived at the junction of 51st Street and Idylwyld Drive at about 6:30 p.m., and it took me 50 minutes to get from there to the SaskTel Centre. I didn’t even get to the arena’s parking lot. I parked at a used car dealership on Marquis Drive and booted it to the rink to make it inside by puck drop due to fact I was covering the game for The Canadian Press.
    Upon arriving at the SaskTel Centre’s main entrance, it looked like there was only one open route into the parking lot and no cars were coming in off Bill Hunter Avenue.
    The SaskTel Centre staff played damage control posting on Twitter, “Folks in traffic… our ingress plan is the same as Rush games and Garth Brooks. No specific reason for the congestion.”
    After seeing that Tweet, I started to question if I saw what I really saw. I attended the last two National Lacrosse League playoff games for the Saskatchewan Rush, which were sold out, and I remember cars streaming in off Bill Hunter Avenue.
    The locals that called into talk radio in Saskatoon on Wednesday morning seemed to see the same thing I did when it came to getting to the SaskTel Centre on Tuesday night.
    The frustration of getting in turned out to be a minor headache due to the fact the game itself was great and way better than the NHL pre-season games that were held at the SaskTel Centre the past two years.
    The Leafs and Senators iced lineups that will be close to the ones they use in the regular season. Ottawa pulled out a 3-2 victory after Bobby Ryan scored 21 seconds into overtime. Ryan scored on a nice backdoor play, while his side was working the power play. As for other thoughts on the night:

  •         The first period fight between Senators right-winger Chris Neal and Leafs agitator Brandon Prust was a dandy. Both guys were throwing bombs, which really engaged the crowd.
  •          Most of the 13,094 in attendance were cheering for the Leafs. At times, you almost through you were in the Air Canada Centre due to the number of “Go Leafs Go” chants that filled the air. The fans also booed Senators defenceman and former Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf almost every time he touched the puck.
  •          Young forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both showed really good jump for the Leafs. Here is hoping the two 19-year-olds can keep up their respective efforts in the regular season.
  •          The player who had the toughest luck was Leafs 22-year-old prospect goaltender Antoine Bibeau. He entered the contest at the start of the third period, and besides coming in cold, he barely faced any shots. Bibeau gave up two goals on the four shots and ended up being the netminder that took the loss on the night. He came into the game with the Leafs trailing 1-0, saw his side take a 2-1 advantage before he let two tallies in to take the loss.
  •          The story I wrote for The Canadian Press on this contest can be found right here.
    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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