Former feisty forward forever a hero in
Medicine Hat
Derek Dorsett at the Memorial Cup in 2007.
Derek Dorsett will forever be a hero in Medicine Hat.
For three seasons from 2004 to 2007, the product of
Kindersley, Sask., was a high energy right-winger for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
He was the ultimate competitor who was a heart and soul member of the team.
Dorsett played a huge role in helping the Tigers win their
fifth WHL title in team history in 2006-07 along with advancing to the title
game of the Memorial Cup tournament, where they fell 3-1 to the host Vancouver
Giants.
In the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Dorsett was selected in the
seventh round and 189th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He
graduated to the professional ranks playing in the AHL in 2007-08 for the
Syracuse Crunch.
Dorsett became a full-time regular in the NHL in 2008-09 and
appeared in 515 career regular season games over 10 seasons posting 51 goals,
76 assists and 1,314 penalty minutes with the Blue Jackets, New York Rangers
and Vancouver Canucks.
He was forced to retire from the NHL due to a cervical disc
herniation near a previously treated neck injury. Dorsett made his retirement
announcement on November 30, 2017 having started the 2017-18 campaign posting
seven goals, two assists and 74 penalty minutes in 20 games with the Canucks.
Last Friday, Dorsett came home to Medicine Hat becoming an
assistant coach with the Tigers. The 34-year-old was behind the bench when the
Tigers downed the visiting Calgary Hitmen 4-1 in a WHL regular season clash at
Co-Op Place in Medicine Hat.
He will remain with the Tigers through the end of the
regular season. The Tigers (9-3-0-1) return to action Friday when they travel
to Lethbridge to face the Hurricanes (3-6-2).
It just feels right that Dorsett got to rejoin the Tigers.
He has the biggest heart and cared deeply about the team.
When Dorsett became a regular with the Tigers as an
18-year-old rookie in 2004-05, he never looked back.
In 180 career regular season games with the Tigers, Dorsett
posted 49 goals, 79 assists and 593 penalty minutes. During his final season in
“the Gas City” in 2006-07, he appeared in 61 regular season games posting 19
goals, 45 assists and 206 penalty minutes.
Standing 6-feet and weighing 192 pounds, Dorsett wasn’t the
biggest player on the ice, but he didn’t back down from anyone. When he engaged
in a fight, it seemed to always be against a player that was bigger than he
was.
Dorsett was the agitator who knew what to say on the ice to
get opponents off their game.
The front of a Derek Dorsett Medicine Hat Tigers jersey.
You also always knew his work ethic would be at
an extremely high level and unmatched by anyone else game in and game out.
Dorsett would throw hits, block shots and do all the gritty
things that were needed to help the Tigers win games. He seemed to have the
knack for getting points at key times too.
His biggest clutch goal for the Tigers came in their final
preliminary round game at the 2007 Memorial Cup, where he had the lone tally in
a 1-0 victory over the host Giants. That win gave the Tigers first place in the
preliminary round and a bye straight to the Memorial Cup championship game.
If something needed said to spark the Tigers during pre-game
or intermission, Dorsett was the one that would get fired up and say what needed
to be said.
He was also the best teammate too. On the ice, it was always
visible that Dorsett would stick up for his guys. Dorsett had a good sense of
humour as well and would be able to say something that would break up the room,
if levity was needed.
He would go the extra mile off the ice too.
During his 19-year-old season in 2005-06, Dorsett’s billet
home was only about a couple of blocks away from the billet home of 16-year-old
rookie right-winger Tyler Ennis, who is best known as an NHL regular these days.
Back in 2005-06, Ennis was a list player who was able to
crack a strong Tigers roster standing 5-foot-8 and weighing 140 pounds at the
time. While Ennis deserved the roster spot due to a strong training and play in
pre-season, there was still a little uncertainty about him being with the
Tigers due to his small size.
On top of adjusting to major junior hockey, Ennis had to
worry about his Grade 11 high school studies too.
That season, Dorsett picked Ennis up every morning and drove
him to Medicine Hat High School for school. After classes were done, Dorsett
picked up Ennis to bring him to practice at the Tigers old long time home in The Arena. During those drives, the two had
great personal visits.
Dorsett wanted to ensure Ennis was comfortable in his new
junior hockey home. If Ennis needed anything, Dorsett told the rookie forward
to give him a call.
The back of a Derek Dorsett Medicine Hat Tigers jersey.
In the grand scheme of things, Dorsett didn’t have to do
those things for Ennis. The fact that he did helped Ennis feel like he truly was
part of the Tigers family and was in the right junior hockey home.
Ennis would have a star career with the Tigers that saw him
be selected in the first round and 26th overall by the Buffalo
Sabres in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Dorsett left a legacy in Medicine Hat that will last for
decades with everything he did as a Tigers player. It is fitting he gets to add
to that legacy now as an assistant coach, even if it is ultimately for a short
time.
Canucks confirm 25 test COVID-19 positive
A Bo Horvat card.
Facing whirlwinds of speculation, the NHL’s Vancouver
Canucks released a statement on Wednesday regarding how bad the coronavirus
(COVID-19) has affected the team.
The Canucks announced 25 individuals from the team had
tested positive for COVID-19 including 18 roster players, three taxi squad
players and four staff members. The Vancouver club added that one additional
player is considered a close contact.
The statement said the source infection is a confirmed variant
and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control will need to do a full
genome sequencing to determine the specific type.
The Canucks added in the statement, “An ongoing
investigation by Vancouver Coastal Health and club contact tracing staff
attributes the source infection to a single individual obtained in a community
setting, which has since been identified by public health as a public exposure location.”
With the world stuck in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic,
it doesn’t come as a surprise the source infection came from a single individual
in a community setting.
The Canucks said all players and staff currently remain in
quarantine.
The statement concluded saying, “This is a stark reminder of
how quickly the virus can spread and its serious impact, even among healthy,
young athletes.”
The Canucks COVID-19 troubles began on March 30, when centre
Adam Gaudette was pulled from practice after next day results from the previous
day’s testing came back positive for COVID-19.
On March 31, defenceman Travis Hamonic found out he had
tested positive for COVID-19 from testing done the previous day after he
participated in a morning skate. The Canucks ultimately held two on ice
sessions with infected players.
That resulted in the March 30 NHL regular season game
between the Canucks and the visiting Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena being
postponed 90 minutes before puck drop.
The COVID-19 outbreak with the Canucks escalated from there with stars like Bo Horvat going on the NHL’s COVID protocol list.
The Canucks last played at Rogers Arena when they fell 5-1
to the visiting Winnipeg Jets on March 24.
At the moment, the Canucks are slated to play again this
coming Monday against the Oilers in Edmonton. As it stands right now, the
Canucks have postponed six games.
The Canucks have played 37 of their 56 regular season games
for the current campaign posting a 16-18-3 record. They sit eight points back
of the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff berth in the all-Canadian North
Division.
Due to privacy issues surrounding health care in Canada, it
becomes harder to get information in situations like the Canucks have
encountered with COVID-19. As a result, there were reports that varied
regarding the extent of the situation.
Kudos can be passed on to the Canucks for releasing the
information that they did on Wednesday.
Traditionally, hockey teams and leagues can be sketchy when
it comes to transparency regarding illness and injuries.
On the reporting front, TSN’s Darren Dreger nailed the
Canucks positive test number spot on before the club released its statement.
Overall, it is good the Canucks themselves provided the clarity
they could on Wednesday.
From what the Canucks provided, the team is still far from
getting out of the woods as far as COVID-19 is concerned, but the club’s
situation is being taken seriously.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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The Tigers team picture after winning the 2007 WHL title.
It is the moment you can always see in The Arena even when
it is empty.
It is the
second overtime in Game 7 of the WHL Championship series, and the host Medicine
Hat Tigers are locked in a 2-2 tie with the Vancouver Giants.
Tigers talented
centre Brennan Bosch has the puck near the blue-line in his own zone, and he is
tapped by a swinging stick of a Giants player. The Martensville, Sask., product
goes down to his knees, quickly gets up and a 3-on-1 break ensues.
Bosch
skates two to three strides past the Vancouver blue-line and wires home the
winner low stick side on Giants goaltender Tyson Sexsmith. The sellout crowd of
4,006 spectators at The Arena explodes like never before with the home side
pulling out a 3-2 win and capturing their fifth WHL title.
That was
how the scene played out on May 14, 2007 in what goes down as arguably one of
the greatest games in the history of the WHL.
From that
moment, Bosch would be forever cemented as a hero in “the Gas City.”
It is crazy
to think 13 years has passed since that game was played. I worked that game for
the Medicine Hat News as the beat writer that covered that Tigers team.
I can still
remember that day and game well.
Looking
back now, I see myself as being really young. I was a really young guy who was
locked into that series that day.
That series
had been an intense one. Before the opening faceoff of Game 1, there was a
jostling match, followed by a beautifully conducted tag team fight in Game 2
and an overtime winner by Tigers defenceman Trevor Glass in Game 3.
A Tigers celebration picture from the pages of the Medicine Hat News.
After Game
3, the Tigers were up 2-1 in the set.
Game 4
featured “the bite,” where Tigers agitator Derek Dorsett bit the finger of
Giants pest Kenndal McArdle, when McArdle was trying to use his finger to fish
hook Dorsett.
Dorsett was
ultimately suspended for Game 5 for the bite. There were members of the
Vancouver media that painted Dorsett as the real life Hannibal “The Cannibal”
Lecter.
The Giants
claimed a 4-0 victory in Game 4 and a 3-0 win in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in
the series as it returned to the Hat for Games 6 and 7.
Dorsett was
inserted into the starting lineup for Game 6. He was the last Tigers member
announced as part of the starting six.
The fans at
The Arena rose to their feet to give Dorsett a standing ovation that was cut
off after 90 seconds by the start of the national anthem.
Dorsett
went out and immediately laid a massive hit on Giants captain Brett Festerling.
The Tigers took the game 4-3 with star centre Darren Helm scoring the winner
with 7:43 remaining in the third period that broke a 3-3 tie.
The series
was now tied 3-3 going to the first Game 7 to be played in a WHL final in 13
years.
Looking at
the intensity of the battle in that 2007 WHL final, one would never suspect
both the Tigers and Giants had berths locked up in that year’s CHL Championship
tournament – the Memorial Cup – due to the Giants being the host team for that
event.
With all
that had happened in the series to that point, I was ready for anything to
happen in Game 7. Of course, I wanted the Tigers to win, and I believed they
would find a way to get it done.
The guys on
that team were my buds. Until this day, the guys that played for the Tigers
over the two seasons from 2005 to 2007 are still the best group I ever dealt
with in hockey.
The left and right photos show Tigers Game 7 moments from 2007.
It also
helped that Tigers star captain Kris Russell and the leadership group were
great at making you feel a part of everything.
Still, I
prided myself in being able cover games objectively, and I felt set for any
outcome to play out. I wasn’t making any predictions for that game.
In the
hours leading up to that game, I remember fielding a couple of requests from
people looking for Game 7 tickets. The Tigers were in the midst of a lengthy
sell out streak, and I had to tell those looking for tickets that they were out
of luck.
I arrived
at The Arena about 90 minutes before puck drop. I remember being so nervous
that I had to go to the washroom to vomit.
About four
of the Tigers veterans saw me throw up before the game, and that seemed to
provide a laugh and levity.
I was
thankful I had a great crew at The News to cover that game with and the bench
was emptied for that one. I was in the press box with my partner in crime
Collin Gallant.
Sports
editor Sean Rooney motored back and forth between the rink and The News office
putting together a column and handling the desking.
The talents
of Emma Bennett and Ian Sorensen expertly took care of the photography.
Believe it
or not, there was a time I went a lengthy stretch where I didn’t shoot photos
of sports events. As a result, you won’t see a whole lot of photos with this post.
In later
years, I would try to mirror a lot of Bennett’s pictures when it came to
championship celebrations.
I just had
to focus on my main story and a sidebar column filled with my three stars and
odds and ends.
Another
group that was ready for the game were the fans. The rivalry between the Tigers
and Giants built up to the ferocity you would see between bitter division
rivals, and the Tigers faithful did not like the Giants.
Despised
might have been an accurate descriptor. The biggest Vancouver villains were
McArdle and right-winger J.D. Watt.
A Tigers WHL championship T-shirt.
They were
heckled any time they hit the ice, and one Tigers fan had a sign for Watt that
said, “Watt’s your problem.”
When the
Tigers came out to the ice before the start of the first period, they were
greeted with a wave of noise the drowned out the public address announcer.
They were
engaged in the game with constant chants of “Go Tigers Go,” cheers for every
big Tigers play and hit and chants of “Keets!” for every big save from hometown
hero netminder Matt Keetley.
Game 7
carried the intensity of the previous six encounters of the series.
Tyler Ennis
put the Tigers ahead 1-0 in the first period.
Vancouver
forwards Wacey Rabbit and Michal Repik potted singles in the second period to put
the Giants up 2-1.
At the
media break of the third period, in game host Mike Thibeau rallied the fans to
give a salute to Tigers overagers in Dorsett, Keetley and Chris Stevens for
playing their final home game that night.
Within
about a couple of minutes of that salute, centre Daine Todd scored for the
Tigers to even the score at 2-2 and force overtime.
Another
what would become a romantic moment came in the extra sessions. Due to being
warm outside, the fog descended on to the ice at The Arena.
On about
two or three stoppages, the players came off their respective benches to skate
circles to dissipate the fog.
The Tigers
hit another gear in the first overtime holding a 10-6 edge in shots on goal.
That set
the stage for Bosch’s goal in the second overtime frame creating the signature
moment in the Tigers storied old home rink.
Right after
Bosch scored, I phoned my mom in Saskatoon, who was watching the television
broadcast of the game with family.
Energized,
I jetted to the ice surface. I remember interviewing both Bosch and Keetley and
their excitement was going all over the place.
Keetley,
who was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs, spotted a big gathering of his
family in the crowd and gave a shout out and wave to them.
Even at
that time and looking back now, that was a game neither team deserved to lose.
With that
noted, the fact the Tigers won was a good thing.
Even with a
deadline looming, it felt effortless to finish of the work that night.
After the
work was finished, it was off to the Silver Buckle for a victory party. There
were a few different ones that happened in town that night.
To this
day, that game is still my best memory in hockey.
My story of the Tigers Game 7 victory in the Medicine Hat News.
Of course,
it was a great one for that Tigers team, which began a tradition of getting
together every summer to enjoy the memories of that day and run. It appears
that the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be the thing that breaks
up those annual reunions this year.
There are a
lot of points in time I wish I could go back, be as young as I was and relive
that day again. The fact that day happened will always make me smile.
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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Dogs aim to take Canada West final against Thunderbirds
Kohl Bauml will play his final home games for the Huskies this weekend.
For Kohl Bauml,
this weekend’s Canada West Championship series is one of those life comes at
you fast moments.
The fifth-year
centre will be skating in the final home games he could possibly play in his U
Sports career, when his University of Saskatchewan Huskies face the University
of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three series that will determine
the champion for the Canada West Conference in men’s hockey.
Game 1 of
the series is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place. Game 2 of the
series follows on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis, and if necessary, Game 3 will
be held on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.
“It has
come quick,” said Bauml. “I don’t think many people expected us to be able to
be at home this weekend.
“We are
going to try and take advantage of it. We’ve been really good at home this
year. UBC is coming in hot.
Kohl Bauml will play in his fifth straight Canada West final for the Huskies.
“They’ve
been playing really good hockey. Their goaltender has been lights out, so we
have to try and change that.”
The
25-year-old will be making his final home hurrah along with fellow fifth years
in right-winger Levi Cable, left-winger Andrew Johnson and centre Logan
McVeigh. Cable is the Huskies ironman having played in 173 consecutive games
for the team including action in the U Sports regular season and post-season.
The Huskies
are appearing in the Canada West final for a fifth straight year, and this year’s
Canada West title series offers a much different storyline to the previous four
the U of S fifth-years have skated in.
Over the
previous four campaigns, the Huskies have battled their “forever rivals” in the
University of Alberta Golden Bears in a clash of the top two teams in the
conference.
This year,
the Huskies enter the Canada West final as a decided favourite against a
decided underdog in the Thunderbirds, who are enjoying a Cinderella run.
Kohl Bauml and the Huskies will be favoured in the Canada West final.
Both teams
are guaranteed berths to the David Johnston University Cup, which is the U
Sports men’s hockey national championship tournament. The U Sports national
championship tournament is played in an elite-eight format. It runs from March
12 to 15 in Halifax, N.S.
The Huskies,
who will go to U Sports nationals for a fifth straight year, finished second in
the Canada West Conference with a 22-4-2 record and swept the University of
Calgary Dinos 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series. The Dogs
have won 13 straight games including action in the regular season and
post-season and are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.
The
Thunderbirds finished fifth in Canada West with a 9-14-4-1 record. They upset
the Mount Royal University Cougars, who were fourth in Canada West with an
18-8-0-2 record, in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series 2-1.
Kohl Bauml has 108 career regular season points with U of S.
The
Thunderbirds then shocked the Golden Bears, who were first in Canada West with
a 23-5 mark, in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series 2-1. The upsets
have allowed the Thunderbirds to sneak into the U Sports Top 10 rankings in the
ninth position.
UBC is
making its first appearance in the Canada West title series for men’s hockey
since 1978 and will make its first appearance at U Sports nationals since 1977.
Thunderbirds
netminder and Saskatoon product Rylan Toth has been the difference for the UBC
side. He has started all six of UBC’s games in the post-season posting a 4-2
record, a 2.83 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.
During the
regular season, Toth appeared in 23 games for the Thunderbirds posting an
8-10-4 record, a 2.78 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
Bauml said
a number of Huskies got to know Toth a bit after getting to play some
three-on-three hockey with him about three years back. The speedy forward said
the UBC netminder is a genuine good guy.
“I am happy
for him to have his success against U of A,” said Bauml, who stands 5-foot-8
and weighs 170 pounds. “Hopefully that doesn’t continue against us, but it was
nice to see him put in such a good weekend for himself personally and have his
team be rewarded for it.”
Kohl Bauml will play in a fifth straight Canada West final for the Huskies.
Rookie
centre Jared Dmytriw topped the Huskies in scoring collecting 10 goals and 18
assists appearing in all of his team’s 28 regular season games.
Sophomore
Gordie Ballhorn topped all Huskies defenceman in regular season scoring with
four goals and 15 assists appearing in 24 regular season games.
Star
third-year netminder Taran Kozun played in 22 regular season games posting a
17-3-2 record, a 1.87 goals against average, a .931 save percentage and five
shutouts. He also scored a goal.
Third-year
forward Tyler Sandhu topped the Thunderbirds in scoring piling up 12 goals and
11 assists appearing in all 28 of his squad’s regular season games.
Fourth-year
veteran Jerret Smith led all Thunderbirds blue-liners in scoring with three
goals and 12 assists appearing in 27 regular season games.
AndrewJohnson will be playing his final home weekend with the Huskies.
While Bauml
is facing his last chance to the Huskies win Canada West and U Sports titles,
he said his squad talked about how these opportunities don’t come along all
that often during a team chapel session on Tuesday.
During
Bauml’s career, the Huskies captured the Canada West title just once back in
his rookie season in 2015-16, and appeared in the U Sports championship game
once falling 5-3 to the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds in 2017.
Bauml said
message was to not take these opportunities for granted, and it is directed to
the whole squad.
“That was
one of the things we talked about was not letting an opportunity slip away,”
said Bauml. “We’ve been close four out of my four years so far.
“This is
kind of the last chance for me, A.J. (Andrew Johnson), Logy (Logan McVeigh) and
Cabes (Levi Cable). We were kind of just saying like, ‘Hey, let’s not let this
one slip away.’ We don’t know how many chances that we are going to get this
close every again.
Levi Cable will experience his final home hurrah with the Huskies.
“It is not
guaranteed that we get to the nationals every year, so we have to try and take
advantage of one of these years.”
Huskies
head coach Dave Adolph said it is special that his fifth-year players will be
able to play the Canada West Championship series at home. The Huskies are
closing out the home schedule in their second season playing out of Merlis
Belsher Place after moving out of their long time old home in the ancient
Rutherford Rink.
Adolph
caught a media story about the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball
team hosting a winner take all Canada West title game on Friday at 7 p.m. at
the Physical Activity Complex against the U of Alberta Pandas. The veteran
hockey bench boss saw how significant that opportunity was for the Huskies
women’s basketball fifth-year team members in Sabine Dukate, Megan Ahlstrom and
Vera Crooks.
“It (the media story) was talking about what
an honour it was for their fifth-year girls to actually have an opportunity to
play at home,” said Adolph. “I think our guys feel the same way.
Logan McVeigh will skate in his final home games with the Huskies.
“This
hasn’t been our home for very long, but I think Kohl (Bauml) and Levi (Cable)
and Logan (McVeigh) and certainly Andrew Johnson remembers the last banner that
they won at Rutherford, and it was special.”
While Bauml
wants to do everything he can for his team to capitalize on the chance they
have this weekend, he said it is bittersweet knowing that his playing days with
the Huskies are coming to a close. The graduate of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips
said he keeps in contact with his former Huskies teammates from previous
seasons, and everyone from this year’s squad has become buds.
“You look
at the alumni group that we have and they are all buddies from back in the 80s
and 90s and early 2000s. It is stuff like that you see what you have to look
forward to in the future but also being able to remember the stuff that you did
in the past that is going to be most special to me.”
Kozun takes two huge Canada West
awards
Taran Kozun was the Canada West player of the year.
It was
Taran Kozun’s day on Wednesday when it came to winning Canada West Conference
awards.
The
third-year star netminder with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team
was named the Canada West player of the year and goaltender of the year. Kozun
had an outstanding campaign for the Huskies appearing in 22 regular season
games posting a 17-3-2 record, a 1.87 goals against average, a .931 save
percentage and five shutouts. He also scored a goal.
The
Nipawin, Sask., product topped the Canada West Conference in wins and save
percentage, while posting the lowest goals against average. His five shutouts equalled
a record for regular season play in Canada West which he set last season along
with U of Alberta Golden Bears goalie Zach Sawchenko.
Thanks to
Kozun’s efforts, the Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with
a 22-4-2 record.
The
graduate of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and Seattle Thunderbirds became the
first player to capture the Canada West player of the year and goaltender of
the year honours in the same campaign since former Huskies star Jordon Cooke
pulled that same distinction off in the 2015-16 campaign.
Jared Dmytriw was the Canada West rookie of the year.
Last
season, Kozun was named both the Canada West goaltender of the year and the U
Sports goaltender of the year.
“I said to
somebody the other day he has been the best goalie in probably Canada since he
has been 18,” said Huskies head coach Dave Adolph. “He was phenomenal in
Seattle.
“He was the
goaltender of the year in the Western Hockey League (in 2015). He was probably
one of the most highly touted 20-year-olds coming out of the Western Hockey
League and decided to go pro. Somehow, he fell in our lap, so we are pretty
fortunate to have him.”
Kozun wasn’t
the only major Canada West award winner from the Huskies men’s hockey team.
Centre
Jared Dmytriw was named the Canada West rookie of the year after an outstanding
first-year campaign.
He led the
Huskies in scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists appearing in all of the Huskies
28 regular season games. He was a plus-20 in the plus-minus department.
The former
captain of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants has played a key role in helping the
Huskies advance to the Canada West Championship series.
Levi Cable captured the Canada West sportsmanship and ability award.
Huskies
ironman Levi Cable captured the Canada West sportsmanship and ability award.
The fifth-year right-winger appeared in all the Huskies 28 regular season games
posting 10 goals, 14 assists, a plus-13 rating and didn’t record a single
minute in the penalty box.
The Hudson
Bay, Sask., product has appeared in 173 consecutive games for the Huskies
including the U Sports regular season and post-season. Cable has appeared in
every game he could possibility suit up for with the Huskies.
He is the
third player in the history of the Huskies to play in 140 career regular season
games, and he collected 51 goals, 64 assists and a plus-50 rating in those outings.
U of Manitoba
Bisons fifth-year defenceman Adam Henry took home honours as Canada West’s top
defenceman and the student-athlete community service award.
U of Regina
Cougars bench boss Todd Johnson was named the Canada West coach of the year.
Haubrich captures student-athlete community
service award
Brooklyn Haubrich took home student-athlete community service award.
Graduating
fifth-year captain Brooklyn Haubrich took home a big award for her impact and
leadership off the ice.
On
Wednesday, the feisty forward for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s
hockey team was named the winner of the Canada West Conference student-athlete
community service award.
The
23-year-old product of Hodgeville, Sask., coaches a team of youth funded by the
Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon allowing families to enjoy the game who otherwise
wouldn’t be able to.
She is a
mentor in the Big Sister/Little Sister program, makes monthly visits to various
elementary schools as a Huskie Homeroom Mentor and has worked to provide on-ice
opportunities to female hockey players in rural communities throughout
Saskatchewan.
The
agricultural and bioresources student has been a U Sports academic all-Canadian
in her first four seasons with the Huskies.
Haubrich
has been the Huskies captain for the past two campaigns.
Brooklyn Haubrich was the Huskies captain the past two seasons.
This season, she
appeared in 27 regular season games with the Huskies collecting eight assists
and a plus-five rating in the plus-minus department.
During her
five seasons with the Huskies, Haubrich appeared in 129 regular season games
posting eight goals, 28 assists and a plus-12 rating.
She helped
the Huskies finish third in the Canada West Conference with a 17-7-2-2 record.
The Huskies were swept 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final against
the UBC Thunderbirds dropping an overtime decision and a double overtime
heartbreaker.
Haubrich is
a graduate of the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats female midget AAA team. The area she comes from has a huge community conscious, so it is fitting
Haubrich would capture the Canada West student-athlete community service award.
U of
Calgary Dinos netminder Kelsey Roberts was named the Canada West
player-of-the-year. Forward Madison Willan of the U of Alberta Pandas captured
honours at the Canada West rookie of the year.
Dinos head
coach Danielle Goyette was named the Canada West coach of the year.
When UBC last made the Can West men’s
hockey final in 1978
Tyler Sandhu's T-birds last appeared in the Canada West final in 1978.
The
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds last appeared in the Canada West
Championship series for men’s hockey way back in 1978, and it is pretty obvious
a lot has changed since then.
When the
Thunderbirds last appeared in the Canada West final, Cam Cole was the
statistician for Canada West that put together the year in review report for
the 1977-78 campaign. Cole is best remembered for going on to be a sports
scribe at the Edmonton Journal, National Post and Vancouver Sun.
With the
Edmonton Journal, Cole covered the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers dynasty era from 1983
to 1990, where the team won the Stanley Cup five times.
The Canada
West Conference for men’s hockey include just four teams in the 1977-78 campaign
including the Thunderbirds, U of Alberta Golden Bears, U of Calgary then known
as the Dinosaurs and the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. The four squads played a
24-game regular season against each other.
The
Thunderbirds, who were 14-10 in the regular season, fell 2-1 in the
best-of-three Canada West Championship series to the Golden Bears, who were
20-4 in the regular season.
The Golden
Bears took Game 1 of the series 4-2, but the Thunderbirds rebounded with a 2-1
victory in Game 2. U of A romped to a 9-1 anti-climatic win in a
series-deciding Game 3.
The Golden
Bears advanced on to win the U Sports national title. Their roster contained a
defenceman named Randy Gregg, who became a key member of the Oilers Stanley Cup
dynasty. The Thunderbirds finally made it back to the best-of-three Canada West Championship series this season, and they will open that series with Game 1 on Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place against the U of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Ennis six-goal night anniversary with WHL’s Tigers
A Tyler Ennis Medicine Hat Tigers card.
Today marks
the 11th anniversary in one of the most incredible individual performances
in the history of the WHL.
On Feb. 27,
2009, Tyler Ennis scored six goals for the Medicine Hat Tigers Tigers as they
downed the Prince Albert Raiders 6-2 in front of an appreciative sellout crowd
of 4,006 spectators at The Arena in Medicine Hat, Alta.
The skilled
and speedy right-winger was tallying goals of the spectacular variety. On his
fifth goal of the night, Ennis turned Raiders rookie defenceman Ryan Aasman inside
out in scoring that particular marker.
Aasman is
currently a head coach in the junior A ranks with the Grande Prairie Storm of
the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Ryan McDonald
and Igor Revenko replied with singles for the Raiders on the night Ennis had
his goal explosion.
Ryan
Holfeld made 26 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers. Steven
Stanford turned away 28 shots taking the setback in net for the Raiders.
Covering
the game for the Medicine Hat News that night, I gave Ennis all three of my
game stars, which was the only time I had ever done that.
Ennis pile
up 43 goals, 42 assists and a plus-11 rating in 61 regular season appearances
in that campaign with the Tigers, which was his final season in the WHL. He
helped Canada win gold at the world junior tournament that season posting three
goals and four assists in six tournament games.
Ennis is
now an NHL veteran who has played 606 career regular season games and is
currently skating for his hometown Edmonton Oilers.
His
six-goal night with the Tigers is still a thing of beauty to watch, and it is even that much better with the call of Bob Ridley, the Tigers iconic play-by-play voice.
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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Adam Brooks led the WHL in scoring this past season.
What is old has become new again if you are a small guy
trying to make the NHL.
When I covered the Regina Pats in the last half of the 1999-2000
season and first half of the 2000-01 campaign, two of their most exciting
players to watch were Matt Hubbauer and Kevin Korol. Both were heart-and-soul
skilled players, had tonnes of speed and competed hard night in and night out.
Off the ice, they were gold in the dressing room becoming best friends with all
of their teammates.
Despite all their positive characteristics, you had a gut
feeling that no matter how hard or how well Hubbauer and Korol performed they
would never play in the NHL because of their size. Hubbauer stood 5-foot-10 and
weighed 194 pounds, while Korol was 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds.
While they played hard, it was viewed players like Hubbauer
and Korol would not be able to hold up to the physical pounding a player takes
in the NHL. Despite posting solid statistical seasons in their major junior
careers, Hubbauer and Korol were never drafted and never played a shift in the
regular season or playoffs in “The Show.”
Fast forward to the current major junior campaign that is
nearing completion with the Memorial Cup tournament getting underway Friday in
Red Deer. Two of the most exciting players on the Pats this season were Adam
Brooks and Cole Sanford. They were key in helping Regina advance to the second
round of the WHL playoffs, where the Pats fell in an exciting seven-game series
to the Memorial Cup hosting Red Deer Rebels.
Matt Hubbauer used to pile up points for the Pats.
As a 19-year-old veteran, Brooks topped the WHL in regular
season scoring with 38 goals and 82 assists playing in all 72 regular season
games. Sanford was an overage right-winger the Pats acquired in a trade with
the Medicine Hat Tigers. In 63 regular season games in 2015-16, Sanford had 41
goals and 39 assists. In four seasons in the WHL, Sanford collected 126 goals
and 123 assists in 260 career regular season games.
Both were dynamite in the Pats 12-game playoff run. Brooks
pick up seven goals and 16 assists, and Sanford posted seven goals and nine
assists.
Both also have shortcomings in the size department. Brooks
stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 175 pounds, while Sanford stands 5-foot-9 and
weighs 165 pounds.
Neither player has been selected in the NHL Entry Draft, and
they will likely be camp bodies when NHL training camps open this fall. That
will likely be the closest either player comes to appearing in an NHL regular
season or playoff game. Barring something unforeseen, Brooks will be back with
the Pats next season as an overager.
It seems like NHL scouts are just looking for players that
stand 6-foot-3 and weigh in the neighbourhood of 210 pounds. Gifted Brandon
Wheat Kings Centre Nolan Patrick is viewed as a perfect prospect, because he
has the size, as he stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds, to go along with his
outstanding skill. The Winnipeg product isn’t eligible for the NHL Entry Draft
until next year, so he will have lots of time to bulk up and fill out.
Cole Sanford (#26) has never been afraid to battle in the hard areas.
The travesty is the fact the little guys with skill don’t seem
to be on the radar of NHL scouts anymore. The WHL might be the most physical of
any junior hockey circuit in the world, but players like Brooks and Sanford
have still flourished. Both never shy away from battling the corners or other
tough areas on the ice.
They have proven they can play and should be given a real
chance to make an NHL roster.
At one time not long ago, the door was wide open for the
little guy. From a period of about 2005 to 2008, there was a serious effort to
crack down on obstruction at all levels of hockey. All of a sudden, the little
guy with skill became a valuable asset.
It was during this time that brilliant puck moving
defenceman Kris Russell, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds, went from
being the WHL’s most valuable player in 2006-07 with the Medicine Hat Tigers to
becoming an NHL regular. Over nine NHL seasons, Russell has suited up for 573
regular season games collecting 38 goals and 139 assists.
Jordon Cooke of the Huskies has been the top goalie in the CHL and CIS.
Forward Tyler Ennis, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 160
pounds, went from being a star with the Tigers to a first round selection by
the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. After going 26th
overall to the Sabres, Ennis has appeared in 368 career regular season games
over seven seasons collecting 92 goals and 131 assists. While he was out most
of last season with a concussion, Ennis proved he belongs in the NHL.
Unfortunately, scouts have a little too much fear that
smaller players have a greater chance of suffering injuries like concussions,
so that fear helps little guys get overlooked. With that said, a lot of big
players have suffered their share of concussion injuries over the years too.
As a result, you can go to a Canadian university hockey men’s
game and watch players like goaltender Jordon Cooke and forward Kohl Bauml
shine with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. When you see both of those
players perform, you think they should be in the professional ranks but realize
they aren’t because of their size.
Kris Russell has played nine seasons in the NHL.
Cooke, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds, came to
the Huskies after having an outstanding WHL campaign in 2013-14 with the
Kelowna Rockets, where he was named the Canadian Hockey League’s goalie of the
year. Just think about that for a second. Cooke was voted the best goalie in
all of major junior hockey, and he still didn’t get an NHL contract.
That fact right there shows how difficult it is for the
small guy to gain a legitimate chance to make an NHL team.
Cooke had a spectacular campaign in 2015-16 for the Huskies
posting a 19-5 record, a 2.52 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and
two shutouts. His win total set a new Huskies regular season team record, and he
was named the goaltender of the year for Canadian Interuniversity Sport and was
a first team CIS all-star.
Bauml, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 170 pounds, potted 30
goals and 30 assists in 71 games as an overager with the Everett Silvertips in
2014-15. He topped the Huskies in team scoring as a rookie recording 12 goals
and 21 assists in 28 games. The Saskatoon product was named the rookie of the year
for the Canada West Conference and was named to the CIS all-rookie team.
You can keep adding from there to the list of small guys who
are not getting a serious NHL look. These players have kicked down the door to
prove they can play. All they need is another cycle to arise where NHL scouts
come to their senses to allow small players to have legitimate shots to make
the league again.
Back in the Express with Nogier
Nelson Nogier will play in the Memorial Cup tournament for a second time.
I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a story I
really enjoyed writing.
I had the opportunity to craft a feature story on my young
cousin Nelson Nogier, who is about to appear in the Memorial Cup tournament for
a second time. Nogier is a 19-year-old stay-at-home defenceman with the Red
Deer Rebels, who are hosting the Memorial Cup. The Rebels open the tournament on
Friday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights.
The prospect of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets was a 16-year-old
rookie with his hometown Saskatoon Blades when they hosted the Memorial Cup in
2013. Nogier, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds, joined the Rebels via
a trade that came shortly before the WHL’s Christmas break in 2014.
On a personal note, I had a lot of fun interviewing Nogier,
and I had so much pride and enjoyed watching him help the Rebels make it to the
WHL Eastern Conference championship series, which they lost to the eventual WHL
champion Brandon Wheat Kings. My story on Nogier 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.
Traffic leading to the SaskTel Centre has seen its share of congestion.
If you smash it, it will keep the fans away.
It seems the powers that control the roads leading to the
SaskTel Centre are bent on making life difficult for the Saskatoon Blades these
days, when it comes to attracting fans to their games. If you’ve tried to
attend a WHL game at the rink located on the north end of the Bridge City, it
might take you 30 minutes to move from the intersection of Idylwyld Drive and
Circle Drive to reach the rink at the worst of times due to the road construction
that surrounds the facility. Normally, that trip should take you 10 minutes at
its worst and five minutes at its best.
The biggest construction problem is the overpass located
just south of the rink that helps traffic flow down Highway 11 and the
Yellowhead Highway has been completely shut down since about the start of
August. The maintenance required to fix that overpass is so bad that it is
still under construction.
To make matters worse, the Idylwyld Service road between 60th
Street and Marquis Drive is under construction. Combine that with a handful of
other construction projects going on in the north industrial sector makes
driving in the area of the SaskTel Centre a nightmare, as traffic congests on
the untouched arteries. In another frustrating twist, most of these projects
have sprung up during September.
First, there is no debate the road improvements are needed.
With that said, people have to wonder why those in charge with making road
construction plans for the City of Saskatoon decided to do so many things at
once late in the construction season. If you live on the prairies, you know
starting at any time from right now there could be a freak snowfall and full
out winter can strike at any time.
For the Blades, the construction has to be viewed as a big
thing that has hurt early regular season attendance. When Mike Priestner and
his family took over ownership of the hockey team before the 2013-14 season,
the office staff they brought in have been working tirelessly to make going to
Blades games a fun experience.
As the team was rebuilding from hosting the 2013 Memorial
Cup and making a big blockbuster trade to land Brayden Schenn for the 2011
post-season run, the Blades management crew knew there were going to be rough
times on the ice during a rebuilding phase.
A view of the ripped up overpass just south of the SaskTel Centre.
They were having success selling the fun aspect of going to
games with various in-rink promotions and theme nights. While finishing last
overall in the WHL last season, they drew 6,718 spectators to their second last
regular season game and 8,929 spectators to their final home date.
In past years, it was common for about 2,300 to attend those
final games, if the Blades were out of the playoff picture.
Going into the current campaign, there was excitement the
Blades were going to see more tangible results from their rebuild on ice being
guided by second-year head coach and general manager Bob Woods and assistant
coach Dean Brockman. There also had to be expectations that the Blades could
carry the draws of the big crowds from last season into the current campaign.
They drew 4,780 for their regular season opener on Sept. 25,
when they dumped the Prince Albert Raiders 7-2.
Unfortunately, those that live in Saskatoon know how fickle
the residents of the city can be, and the hassles caused by road construction
will keep people away. Some will note early regular season attendance at Blades
games is traditionally low, but the construction projects will play a huge
reason to keep people away. Even opposing team bus drivers are finding it
cumbersome to navigate their way to the rink.
Attendance quickly dropped after the opener. Last Friday,
the paid attendance for the Blades 3-2 overtime loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers
was 3,550. On Sunday, the announced paid attendance was 3,506 for the 5-4
overtime setback to the Vancouver Giants. There were definitely a lot of no
shows for the Giants game, because you could almost park right up beside the
facility about five minutes before puck drop.
The Blades are in action again on Wednesday, when they host
the Kootenay Ice at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
On the plus side, the Blades have been exciting over their
first four games posting a win and three overtime losses to gain five out of a
possible eight points in the standings. If they are in the thick of the playoff
picture by midseason when all the construction shouldn’t be a worry, they will have
a huge chance to attract a lot of curious onlookers.
Since the Priestners took over, it feels like the Blades
have been given a restart. When the first real exciting playoff push comes, it
is possible to envision fans jumping on board with big enthusiasm, because
everything will feel new again.
WHL hopes new program has big impact on
players off ice
The WHL took a step forward in helping players respond to
the day-to-day challenges they face away from the game.
Working in partnership with the Calgary Police Service, the
league launched the WHL Player Impact Program on Monday which will give players
new comprehensive training and education in regards to topics like responsible
social media use, relationships and consent, drugs and alcohol, gambling,
diversity issues and how they looked upon to be positive role models.
The program will be delivered by a WHL club liaison officer
through the WHL Security Network, which was formed last season to provide
players guidance with off-ice issues.
Any steps the league takes to help players away from the
rink has to be viewed as a good thing. With the WHL containing players aged
from 16 to 20, they are still in a stage where they will encounter a lot of
life challenges for the first time, so any type of fallback they can have will
be beneficial.
As far as topics like social media use and diversity issues,
it is quite easy for players and people in general in this age group to say
something they didn’t mean to be offensive come out accidentally sounding that
way. Any help with pitfalls in that area has to be appreciated.
Here is hoping this program will help players with their
lives away from the game.
Catching up with Lazaruk
Les Lazaruk in the press box.
I caught up with Saskatoon Blades play-by-play voice Les
Lazaruk for a Saskatoon Express feature this week.
Lazaruk has been calling Blades games on the radio since the
start of the 1994-95 season.
He got his start in media working in print, which
saw him hold short stints writing for the Winnipeg Free Press and the defunct
Winnipeg Tribune.
He is viewed as one of the broadcasters in the league, and he
had called 1,584 contests heading into the 2015-16 campaign.
You can check out the story on Lazaruk right here.
Home sweet home for Hilltops
Evan Kopchynski is back in action for the Hilltops.
All roads through the Canadian Junior Football League
playoffs will lead through Saskatoon.
The defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops locked up
home field advantage through the 2015 post-season by bombing the Wildcats in
Edmonton 41-17 on Sunday. The Toppers improved to 7-0 and will finish first
overall in the Prairie Football Conference. The PFC champ will also host the CJFL
title game, the Canadian Bowl, this season, so the Hilltops have officially
finished off their road schedule.
Against the Wildcats, quarterback Jared Andreychuk completed
10-of-25 passes for 254 yards and three touchdown passes, while only throwing
one interception. Running back Logan Fischer carried the ball 18 times for 153
yards scoring one major.
Receiver Evan Kopchynski hauled in five passes for 134 yards
scoring two touchdowns. Kopchynski had been out of the Saskatoon lineup since
Sept. 5, when he injured his knee in a home win over the Regina Thunder.
Matt Kozun and Blake Adams both had sacks for Saskatoon on
the defensive side of the ball. Including action in the regular season and
playoffs, the Hilltops have won 15 straight games.
With one week to play in the PFC regular season, the playoff
picture is pretty much set. The Hilltops, Thunder (5-2), Calgary Colts (4-3)
and Winnipeg Rifles (3-4) will advance to the post-season. The Wildcats (1-6)
and Edmonton Huskies (1-6) are officially out of playoff contention.
The Hilltops will host one PFC semifinal, and the Thunder,
who have locked up second place, will host the other semi. The Colts and Rifles
could flip spots for third and fourth place depending on the results of the
final week of the regular season.
The Hilltops will close their regular season schedule this
coming Sunday, when they host the Colts at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football
Field.
Men’s hockey Huskies get going
Matthew Spafford is entering his final season with the Huskies.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team
officially start their regular season this coming weekend.
They travel to Calgary this coming Friday and Saturday to
face the University of Calgary Dinos. The Huskies first two appearances at home
come Oct. 16 and 17, when they host the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns at
7 p.m. on both nights at the ancient Rutherford Rink.
The Dogs will lean a bit more on the young side this year as
forward Matthew Spafford and defenceman Zak Stebner are the only two players in
their fifth year of eligibility. Both are strong character guys who will
provide a lot of leadership in the dressing room. The team also includes only
two fourth-year players in forward Jesse Ross and goaltender Blake Voth, who
returns after taking a season off.
U of S brings in 10 first year player, and the class include
a number of former WHL players including Kohl Bauml, who potted 30 goals for
the Everett Silvertips last season, and Levi Cable, who netted 28 goals last
season for the Kootenay Ice.
The Huskies women’s hockey team is back in action this
weekend looking to build on their 2-0 record. They host the Dinos this Friday
and Saturday at the Rutherford Rink at 7 p.m. on both nights.
So you want to go into media?
If you want to enter the Canadian media industry, be warned
that it is quite a battle where you seem to be constantly trying to survive in
the short term.
The other day I was checking over the list of names from my
25-person graduation class from the University of Regina’s School of Journalism
and Communications as it was then known. I officially received my degree in the
year 2000.
Out of the 25-person graduation class, I know of nine people
who are still in the mainstream media. There are five people who have moved on
to other walks of life not media related. There are 10 others I don’t know what
fate has sent their way, but if they are like me, they are no longer in the
mainstream media or in the media at all.
The most famous names from my class are Ken Wiebe, who is
the Winnipeg Jets beat writer for the Winnipeg Sun, and Bonnie Allen, who is a
standout with CBC.
Most media programs try to create their literature that says
you can have a career like Wiebe and Allen have had, but that is far from the
case. Both of them are the rare exception of the fact they are extremely
talented, and the doors often opened for them in a timely fashion.
With the way the media industry in Canada is these days, you
chances of getting a real break to be in a position to make an impact that
matters shrinks by the day. When you are on the journey to get that break, you
have to be lucky enough to avoid the pitfalls you have no control over that
will see you fall out of the industry.
If you are just
getting into the industry, I predict you will you will be out of it in five
years. If someone was looking to start a media career in Canada, I would advise
them to do something else, but if you do follow the path, find something else
to do if you don’t become “The Golden Person” type star within five years.
I just wanted to throw my two cents into the picture as food
for thought on that subject.
Happy birthday Enner
Leaving off on high note, I want to wish a big happy 26th
birthday to former Medicine Hat Tigers forward and current member of the NHL’s
Buffalo Sabres Tyler Ennis.
Ennis once scored six goals in one night, when the Tigers
downed the Prince Albert Raiders 6-2 at The Arena in Medicine Hat. Those
highlights are always cool to look at, and with the legendary Bob Ridley making the call, they can be found by clicking here.
If you want to pass
along any comments about this blog post, feel free to email them to
stankssports@gmail.com.
