Number retirement fitting honour for Blades’ Wouters

Chase Wouters signs autographs for young fans in March of 2019.

In a final Zoom post-game press conference, general manager and president Colin Priestner ensured his outgoing captain Chase Wouters had a top tier moment with the Saskatoon Blades.

On Wednesday, Wouters had just helped the Blades down the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-2 in a contest that closed a shortened developmental WHL regular season for both sides. The Blades and Wheat Kings were two of seven clubs that participated in the WHL East Division bubble at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Sask.

The shortened season and the bubble in Regina were all brought on due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Chase Wouters played in 280 career WHL regular season games.

Wouters, who is well known as one of the WHL’s best men in the faceoff circle, had the winning goal, an assist, was a plus-three in the plus-minus department and won 19-of-32 faceoffs that night. That win over Brandon was the 21-year-old centre’s final game in the WHL.

After media members fired questions Wouters way during a post-game Zoom press conference, Priestner jumped in at the end to deliver a career highlight to the product of Lloydminster, which is a centre that sits on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

“I’m so proud of you,” said Priestner. “You embody everything we want in a Blade.

“I want you to be the first to know that nobody is going to ever wear number forty-four for this club again. We can do ceremonies and stuff in later years. As far as I’m concerned, forty-four belongs to you for not only what you did on the ice but off the ice for our community, for the fans and for everybody.

Chase Wouters (#44) battles for the puck as a rookie in 2016-17.

“I couldn’t be more proud of you. I wish I was there to give you a big hug.”

Priestner thanked Wouters for everything he did for the team.

Wouters fought back tears in giving a response.

“Thanks Colin, I appreciate all the words,” said Wouters. “It was just an honour being drafted here when I was 14 there.

“It is just crazy how fast time flies by. I know we all wish we could be together right now.”

Chase Wouters on a rush as a rookie in 2016-17.

Wouters’s #44 will be the sixth number the Blades have retired in their history. The numbers the Saskatoon side has retired include the #7 of Brent Ashton and Gerry Pinder, #10 of Brian Skrudland, #12 of Bob Bourne, #15 of Bernie Federko and #22 of Wendel Clark.

It is a fitting tribute by the Blades to Wouters to retire his #44. Since being selected by the Blades in the first round and 19^th overall way back in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft, Wouters has been the perfect player you want representing the Blades on and off the ice.

Besides being talented on the ice, it doesn’t take you long to see he was raised well by his parents in father, Scott, and his mother, Janice. It would be safe to add in that older sister, Ally, played a role too in helping Chase become a humble, polite and classy young man.

Scott, Janice and Ally provided an outstanding support system for Chase.

Chase Wouters has been the Blades longest serving captain holding that role since the beginning of the 2018-19 campaign. On the ice, he has been perfect in that role as he never gets too high with the highs or too low with the lows.

Chase Wouters in action in 2017-18.

He always has a steady emotional tone, and that helps his teammates to not get too rattled when adversity hits during a game. During times that need a little extra emotional kick, Wouters is able to bring that kick when it is needed.

Off the ice, Wouters has seeming done every community appearance the Blades have asked of him. The Blades could have let Wouters permanently keep the team’s community service award and likely no one would put up an argument.

Wouters tenure will always be remembered for the time the Blades rose back to being one of the WHL’s better teams and for being the captain when the club entered these crazy COVID-19 pandemic times.

When Wouters was drafted by the Blades, they were still in the midst of a major rebuild from making a major trade to acquire Brayden Schenn in the 2010-11 season and making a number of deals to strengthen the team’s roster to host the Memorial Cup tournament in May of 2013.

The team also went through an ownership change following the 2012-13 campaign, when Jack Brodsky sold the club to Mike Priestner. Colin, who is Mike’s son, joined the team immediately as a minority owner and managing partner and became general manager before Wouters rookie campaign in 2016-17.

Chase Wouters jets up ice as a sophomore in 2017-18.

Wouters first two campaigns marked the first times in the rebuild that the Blades had a legitimate shot to make the playoffs. A late season slump in each of those campaigns saw the Blades just miss qualifying for the post-season having fallen out of a playoff position in March.

A day after the Blades season ended in March of 2018, Colin Priestner made a coaching change removing Dean Brockman as head coach and hired Mitch Love to fill the head coach role in May of 2018.

Even with the disappointments of missing the playoffs in 2017 and 2018 and the Blades going through a change at the head coach position, Wouters kept focused on controlling what he could control and continued to work to get better.

It would be human for Wouters to have some frustrations, but if he did have them, he didn’t show them. He handled himself professionally over that time period.

Chase Wouters became the Blades captain in September of 2018.

That likely caught the eye of Priestner and Love as Wouters was named captain before the start of the 2018-19 campaign, which turned into a dream season for the Blades.

In 2018-19, the Blades finished fourth overall in the WHL with a 45-15-8 record and made the post-season for the first since 2013. From wire to wire in 2018-19, the Blades were one of the WHL’s elite teams.

As the Blades continued to experience various successes they hadn’t seen in some time, Wouters didn’t get too high with the highs. With that said, he seemed to enjoy watching his teammates take in all the positives along with the Blades coaches, management and staff.

Chase Wouters (#44) and Max Gerlach (#9) enjoy an OT win.

Shortly after becoming captain, Wouters often displayed a best buddy type relationship with his teammates, and he seemed to soak in talking way more about his teammates than himself. Overall, the Blades had a great vibe.

In the Blades first post-season game of 2019, Wouters had a big highlight moment on the ice scoring the overtime winner on a backhand shot to give his Blades a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. 

The crowd of 5,193 spectators at the SaskTel Centre was super engaged in that contest, and the noise they made on that overtime winner made you think the building was full that night.

You could tell in the eyes of the Blades players that this playoff thing was pretty cool. 

Chase Wouters celebrates a goal in January of 2019.

They would sweep the Warriors 4-0 in that best-of-seven opening round series.

The only problem for the Blades that season was the fact their arch-rivals in the Prince Albert Raiders were enjoying one of their best campaigns ever. 

The Raiders topped the WHL standings with a 54-10-2-2 record, and they faced the Blades in the second round of the playoffs due to the fact both clubs play out of the same division.

The rivalry between the sides fired up to new heights during that campaign. 

Janice, left, and Scott Wouters cheer a playoff goal from son, Chase.

The best-of-seven series was tied 2-2 after four intense contests.

The Raiders were just a little bit deeper and better and hit the gas to win the next two contests to take the series 4-2. Prince Albert moved on to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions.

After going through a little bit more off-season player turnover than expected including losing star centre Kirby Dach to the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, Wouters led the Blades through what became a reloading year.

The Blades improved steadily as the 2019-20 campaign went on and had a second consecutive playoff berth clinched with a 34-24-2-3 record before the season was halted and the rest of the campaign was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chase Wouters recorded 75 goals and 106 assists with the Blades.

With all the players in the WHL sent home, Wouters often took part in doing videos for the Blades social media channels offering positive vibes to fans and showing how he was training back in Lloydminster.

As the players seemed to wait and wait to see if there would be a campaign in 2020-21, Wouters stayed even emotionally as best he could and on course with his training.

When the Blades were confirmed to play a 24-game regular season in a bubble environment in Regina in March and April, Wouters returned for a last tour. 

He appeared in 21 games collecting 10 goals, 12 assists, a plus-12 rating and won 310-of-559 faceoffs.

The Blades finished third in the East Division with a 16-5-2-1 record to sit two points behind the second place Winnipeg Ice (18-5-1) and three points behind the division winning Brandon Wheat Kings (18-4-2).

Chase Wouters (#44) was well known for his faceoff skills.

Including two games he played as an associate player call up in February of 2016, Wouters appeared in 280 career regular season games with the Blades collecting 75 goals, 106 assists and a plus-22 rating.

It seem right that his final goal would be a game winner that came from tipping home a point shot from defenceman Rhett Rhinehart after winning an offensive zone faceoff clean back to Rhinehart. Wouters goal gave the Blades a 3-2 lead over the Wheat Kings with 1:22 remaining in the second period.

The Blades scored twice in the third to cement a 5-2 victory.

After Wouters sent appreciation Priestner’s in that final post-game Zoom press conference for the number retirement announcement, Priestner wrapped up the night perfectly with some great vibes sent back in Wouter’s direction.

Chase Wouters enjoys his playoff OT winner on March 22, 2019.

“I know everybody is thinking of you,” said Priestner. “You represented us so proudly and with class.

“You’re going to have a great career and a great and a great life ahead of you. Just keep doing what you are doing, because we are all so proud of you.”

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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It's sweet Wouters, Paddock, overagers will get final bow

Chase Wouters (#44) enjoys an OT winner in the 2019 WHL playoffs

So what would it have been like had Chase Wouters never suited up again as captain of the Saskatoon Blades or Max Paddock never put on the pads again to play goal for the Prince Albert Raiders?

It appears questions on those fronts will be pushed off until this coming May.

Wouters and Paddock are slated to get the chance to hit the ice again.

The WHL’s five teams based in Saskatchewan along with the two clubs in Manitoba will each play a 24-game regular season schedule in a bubble environment at the Brandt Centre in Regina without fans. Team will be able to practice in the neighbouring Co-operators Centre.

Those seven clubs make up the WHL’s East Division for this coming season, and they are slated to hit the ice on March 12.

At the moment, the WHL’s Central Division containing the league’s five teams based in Alberta are set to hit the ice on Feb. 26 with club’s playing in their home centres. The U.S. Division will begin play on March 19 with all games expected to be held in the state of Washington.

The teams in those divisions will each play a shortened 24-game regular season.

Plans are still in the works to get the B.C. Division back into action.

Max Paddock protects the Raiders goal in 2020.

For the overage players from 17 teams that have been cleared to return to play, they will get the chance at the moment to have a final bow.

With anything right now, there is always a possibility the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can throw a wrench into things.

The overages won’t play in front of a physical crowd. In the case of Wouters and Paddock, they won’t get to play one last time in their home centres.

The returning overagers will get a chance to put on a WHL jersey again. Back on March 12, 2020 when the 2019-20 WHL campaign was paused and the remainder of the season was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there seemed to be a real chance the overagers for the 2020-21 campaign wouldn’t hit the ice in the WHL again.

All the returning WHL players watched as the overagers from the 2019-20 campaign basically all saw their major junior careers come to a sudden end at the same time. Teams did tribute videos and pieces for the departing overagers on team websites and social media platforms.

There was still a sting those graduating overagers took that they actually didn’t expect their respective WHL careers to end when they last stepped off the ice.

The same fate could have happened to this year’s overage class. It does feel good to know that they won’t have their careers come to a sudden end.

In Wouters case, he was selected in the first round and 18^th overall by the Blades way back in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. After playing two games as a 15-year-old call up in 2015-16, Wouters has been a career regular on the Blades roster since.

He has appeared in 259 regular season games posting 65 goals, 94 assists and a plus-10 rating in the plus-minus department.

Chase Wouters has played 259 regular season games for the Blades.

Wouters had a memorable playoff moment scoring the overtime winner to lift the Blades to a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors at the SaskTel Centre in Game 1 of a first round series in 2019. The Blades swept the best-of-seven set 4-0 before falling 4-2 in a best-of-seven second round series to the eventual WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders.

Wouters has represented the Blades with class for his whole career and done seemingly every community appearance that was asked of him. It is heartwarming to know he will get to wear Blades colours once again.

Paddock got his start WHL start with the Regina Pats. As a 17-year-old rookie in 2017-18, Paddock was in goal when the Pats made it to the championship final as the host team of the 100^th Memorial Cup tournament, which determines a CHL champion.

Paddock turned away 41-of-43 shots as the Pats were blanked 3-0 by the QMJHL champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Brandon, Man., product proceeded to play through a 2018-19 season where the Pats were going through a major rebuild after hosting the Memorial Cup.

Paddock remained with the Pats until he was traded to the Raiders on January 9, 2020 for sophomore left-winger Jakob Brook, a second round selection in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and a conditional third round selection in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft that depended on Paddock suiting up with the Raiders as an overager.

In 114 career regular season games with the Pats, Paddock had a 44-49-10 career record, a 3.27 goals against average, a .901 save percentage and four shutouts.

In just over two months with the Raiders, Paddock appeared in 19 regular season games posting a 13-3-3 record, a 1.67 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and three shutouts.

With Paddock’s help, the Raiders were sitting first in the WHL’s East Division with a 36-18-6-4 record before the rest of the 2019-20 campaign was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Max Paddock in goal for the Raiders in March of 2020.

At the moment, Paddock is with the AHL’s Stockton Heat on an amateur tryout contract. The Heat are playing out of Calgary, Alta., due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paddock is expected to be back with the Raiders when the East Division starts regular season play on March 12.

Along with getting to make a final bow, Wouters, Paddock and the other overagers will get to compile recent game footage of themselves in action. They could use that football to potentially attract opportunities in the professional or Canadian university ranks.

While they will have that footage as a tool to attract future opportunities, they will get a change to be with their WHL teammates once more and get to create more of a proper closure to their junior careers.

Cozens on shaky ride in NHL COVID-19 campaign, other notes

Dylan Cozens in action for the Hurricanes in 2019.

Dylan Cozens showed he was ready for the NHL until COVID-19 protocols took him off the ice.

The former star centre with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes began the 2020-21 season serving as an alternate captain for Canada’s world junior team. At world juniors played in a bubble environment at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta., Cozens topped Canada in scoring posting eight goals, eight assists and a plus-11 rating in the plus-minus department in seven games.

Canada fell 2-0 in the gold medal game to the United States on Jan. 5.

Cozens then joined the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres for his rookie season as a professional. The product of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territories suited up for nine regular season games collecting two goals, one assists and a plus-one rating.

At that point, COVID-19 protocols came calling.

Cozens, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 188 pounds, dressed for the Sabres as they dropped a 5-3 decision at home to the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 31. Due to issues with COVID-19, the Sabres wouldn’t play a game again until this past Monday, when they dropped a 3-1 decision at home to the New York Islanders.

Cozens was placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 “protocol list” on Feb. 6. He returned to practice with the Sabres this past Tuesday, which means he is off the “protocol list.”

At this point, Cozens still hasn’t suited up for a game since that Jan. 31 encounter with the Devils. The Sabres travel to New Jersey on Saturday to face the Devils.

The Devils actually didn’t play any games between downing the Sabres on Jan. 31 and dumping the Rangers in New York 5-2 this past Tuesday due to issues with COVID-19.

Through Monday, the NHL has postponed 35 regular season games due to COVID-19, and all those postponements have been in the United States.

The NHL has been changing its protocols to try and prevent even more postponed games.

That included a change on Feb. 11 that said all players, coaches, training staff, equipment staff and other members of the team’s traveling party on the road will be required to remain at home during home games.

They can’t leave their place of residence except to attend practices and games, exercise outdoors on an individual basis, perform essential activities like going to the doctor or deal with family or other emergencies and other extraordinary circumstances.

The NHL also strongly recommended that household members limit their activities outside the home as well and is encouraging teams to provide way for household member to be tested for COVID-19 regularly.

As you can see, completing an NHL campaign where teams aren’t confined in bubble environments has been very challenging in the United States in these COVID-19 times. Players like Cozens have experienced highs and pitfalls of these present day moments.

• Tickets are on sale for the February jackpot for the Saskatchewan Amateur Football Mega 50/50 lottery. The funds from this 50/50 lottery will go to support the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder and the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot. One prize will be drawn per month, and the remaining draw dates are Sunday, February 28, 2021, March 31, 2021, April 30, 2021 and May 31, 2021. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
• There has been a sizable grouping of minor hockey parents in Saskatchewan that have been saying if their kids in minor hockey can’t play than the WHL shouldn’t play. Those parents are trying to compare two different spectrums. In order to play, WHL clubs are providing private PCR testing through DynaLIFE Medical Labs as far as the COVID-19 testing component is concerned. Plus, the five Saskatchewan based clubs and two Manitoba based teams are playing in a bubble environment in Regina. Minor hockey bodies don’t have that type of money to afford those types of things. I guess if minor hockey players could play in a bubble environment where associations provide regular weekly COVID-19 testing, then you could have minor hockey in Saskatchewan.
• On Feb. 12, the junior A Manitoba Junior Hockey League cancelled the remainder of its 2020-21 campaign including regular season and playoffs due to continuing government restrictions brought in to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In many Saskatchewan media outlets over the last few days, Saskatchewan Hockey Association general manager Kelly McClintock said there was really no hope of playing any more competitive minor hockey for the 2020-21 campaign. Those comments came after the Government of Saskatchewan decided on Tuesday to extend current Public Health Orders and restrictions to battle COVID-19 to March 19. Teams are still allowed to continue training with players in groups of eight.
• On Monday, the Saskatoon Blades acquired 2001 born right-winger Blake Stevenson from the Tri-City Americans for a conditional fifth round selection in the 2023 WHL Bantam Draft. In 2019-20, Stevenson appeared in 47 regular season games with the Americans collecting 10 goals and 10 assists. He is eligible to play in the WHL as an overager in 2021-22.
• On Tuesday, the Red Deer Rebels announced Troy Gillard would be the team’s play-by-play voice for the club’s shorted 24 WHL regular season schedule. Gillard will work the Rebels 12 home games with colour analyst Mike Moller. The Rebels open the regular season on Feb. 19 hosting the Medicine Hat Tigers.
• On Tuesday, the Everett Silvertips announced overage left-winger Cole Fonstad and overage defenceman Gianni Fairbrother were named the team’s co-captains for the 2020-21 season. Fonstad helped the Prince Albert Raiders win the WHL title in 2019 before a trade early in the 2019-20 campaign brought him to Everett. In 60 regular season games split between the Raiders and Silvertips in 2019-20, Fonstad had 15 goals, 59 assists and a plus-39 rating. This season, he had five goals and five assists in six games with the Estevan Bruins in the junior A Saskatchewan Junior Hockey league before play was halted due to government restrictions to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019-20, Fairbrother appeared in 37 regular season games for the Silvertips posting five goals, 20 assists and a plus-six rating.
• On Thursday, the Regina Pats dealt 17-year-old defenceman Daylan Weigel to the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft. In 2019-20, Weigel dressed in one regular season game for the Pats. He played 42 regular season games in the Saskatchewan Male Under-18 AAA Hockey League collecting six goals and 20 assists with the Saskatoon Blazers. He suited up for the Blazers in four games this season collecting one assist before play was halted due to government restrictions to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Thursday, the Brandon Wheat Kings announced 19-year-old defenceman and Prince Albert, Sask., product Braden Schneider was named the team’s captain. In 2019-20, Schneider appeared in 60 regular season games for the Wheat Kings posting seven goals, 35 assists and a plus-nine rating. This season, he was a member of Canada’s silver medal winning team at world juniors appearing in six games collecting one goal, two assists and a plus-eight rating. He dressed for two games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack posting one assist and a plus-two rating.

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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“Crank” overlooked in NHL Entry Draft due to size

Blades star left-winger has skill to play at next level

Kyle Crnkovic (#16) does his best to make the fans happy.

If Kyle Crnkovic stood 6-foot-3 and weighed 200 pounds, he would be an NHL Entry Draft selection.

The star left-winger of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades has great skill, but you can bet he went unselected in this past NHL Entry Draft because he stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 161 pounds.

The only member of the Blades who was selected in the NHL Entry Draft that was held this past Tuesday and Wednesday via video conference call from the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, was centre Tristen Robins. Robins went in the second round and 56^th overall to the San Jose Sharks.

Due to the fact Robins stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 179 pounds, NHL teams were a little less concerned on the size front. Still, players that have heights and weights similar to Robins are some of the smaller sized players in the league.

Kyle Crnkovic drives a shot on goal for the Blades.

Very few players skate in the NHL who have been similar in size to Crnkovic. The notable exception is Theoren Fleury, who stands 5-foot-6 and weighs 182 pounds.

Back in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, size didn’t matter to the Blades and skill did when they selected Crnkovic in the first round and 10^th overall. Since joining the Blades, the Chestermere, Alta., product has lived up to the expectations of being a first round WHL Bantam Draft pick.

In his first full season with the Blades in 2018-19, Crnkovic had a solid campaign as a 16-year-old rookie posting 11 goals, 20 assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus category in 52 regular season games.

As that campaign went on, Crnkovic saw increased ice time as the Blades finished fourth overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 45-15-8 record.

Kyle Crnkovic celebrates an OT winner on March 6.

It was also becoming apparent that Crnkovic was becoming a fan favourite too. He interacted easily with the young fans he met at Blades community appearances.

Crnkovic has a bit of a baby face to him too, and he could likely pass for a fan, if he wasn’t dressed in his Blades jersey.

He was popular enough that he was one of the players the team included in the novelty cartoon character type T-shirts they rolled out.

The shifty forward played some of his best hockey that season with the Blades in the 2019 playoffs. Helping the Blades advance to the second round of the playoffs, Crnkovic netted two goals, two assists and an even rating in the Blades 10 post-season games.

Kyle Crnkovic had 64 points last season for the Blades.

Crnkovic played fearlessly and battled in the tough areas of the ice. He played smart and was able to avoid the huge hit with his skill.

This past season, Crnkovic appeared in all of the Blades 63 regular season games finishing second in team scoring piling up 21 goals, 43 assists and a plus-nine rating. He helped the Blades post a 34-24-2-3 record to lock up a playoff berth for a second straight year before the campaign was prematurely ended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Crnkovic never cracked the midterm rankings put out by NHL Central Scouting. He made the final NHL Central Scouting ranking being listed 208^th among North American skaters.

Kyle Crnkovic was a first round WHL Bantam Draft selection.

The appearance on the rankings didn’t translate into an NHL Entry Draft selection.

The story of Crnkovic not getting drafted due to his lack of size isn’t a new one in the sport of hockey.

In the history of the Blades, he might go down as the Ryan Fujita in the team’s current generation.

Fujita, who is also known as Kiyoshi Fujita, was a dynamic centre who played for the Blades and led them in scoring for two seasons from 1991 to 1993. The Lethbridge, Alta., product was one of the smaller players on the ice standing 5-foot-7 and weighing in at 163 pounds.

In 1991-92, Fujita topped the Blades in scoring with 38 goals and 44 assists for 82 points appearing in all of the team’s 72 regular season games.

Kyle Crnkovic quickly became a fan favourite player.

In the playoffs, helped the Blades advance to the WHL Championship series, where they fell in a series decide Game 7 to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Kamloops Blazers. Fujita appeared in all of the Blades 22 games in that post-season posting a league leading 13 goals and nine assists.

He followed up that campaign by again leading the Blades in scoring as an overager in the 1992-93 season appearing in all 72 regular season games piling up 56 goals and 54 assists for 110 points. Fujita suited up in seven of the Blades nine games in the 1993 playoffs recording two goals and three assists.

Having never been selected in the NHL Entry Draft and never suiting up in a meaningful NHL game, Fujita had a lengthy career playing professionally in Japan and was a member of host Japan’s national team that played in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

Kyle Crnkovic, centre, celebrates a goal this past season.

Crnkovic might one day be able to experience what Fujita did with the Blades. If Crnkovic does do that, he would go down as one of the best players to ever suit up with the Blades.

Even if Crnkovic achieves that level of success, he still might not get a chance in the NHL due to his lack of size.

Whenever the WHL is able to resume action in these pandemic times, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Crnkovic was constantly listed among the league’s best over the next three campaigns.

He deserves to get some attention from the NHL even now. If the NHL brass ultimately says Crnkovic can’t play based on his lack of side, it will ultimately be their loss too.

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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From Blades to Sharks, Robins follows father’s footsteps

Tristen Robins was a second round NHL Entry Draft pick.

At times, it seems like the hockey Gods have predetermined Tristen Robins’ path through the game.

That path sees Tristen following in the footsteps of his father, Trevor Robins. The one big difference between the two is Tristen is a high-scoring centre, while Trevor was a solid puck stopping goalie.

For three seasons from 1989 to 1992, Trevor, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 179 pounds, played in the WHL for the Saskatoon Blades. He was named to the WHL’s Eastern Conference first all-star team in 1991-92, which was a campaign where the Blades advanced to the WHL Championship series and fell in a series deciding seventh game to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Kamloops Blazers.

Tristen Robins is a star with the Blades.

As for Tristen, it appeared at first his WHL career was going to be with the Regina Pats, who selected him in the fourth round and 76^th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.

On January 8, 2018, Tristen’s WHL rights were acquired by the Blades in a blockbuster trade. In that trade, Tristen, defenceman Dawson Davidson and a first round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft went to the Blades in exchanged for import Czech defenceman Libor Hajek.

The Pats acquired Hajek in order to load up their roster as the host of the Memorial Cup tournament in May of 2018.

Tristen, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 173 pounds, has played two full seasons with the Blades. He shot up to star status this past campaign piling up 33 goals, 40 assists and a plus-16 rating in the plus-minus department in 62 regular season games.

On Wednesday, the hand of fate saw Tristen once again follow in his father’s hockey footsteps. 

Tristan Robins led the Blades with 73 points last season.

At the NHL Entry Draft that was via video conference call from the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, the San Jose Sharks picked Tristen in the second round and 56^th overall.

The Sharks happened to be the first professional team Trevor signed with.

Following the 1991-92 season, Trevor was traded by the Blades to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who had finished last in the entire league with a record of 11 wins, 55 loses and six ties. Brandon is the hometown of the Robins family.

With Trevor starting in goal as an overager, the Wheat Kings shot up to fourth overall in the WHL with a record of 43 wins, 25 losses and four ties. He was again named to the WHL’s Eastern Conference first all-star team.

Tristen Robins followed his dad’s footsteps to the Blades.

Trevor ended up signing a free agent contract with the Sharks.

In his second season as a professional in 1994-95, Trevor was called up from the International Hockey League’s Kansas City Blades to the Sharks, who dealing with injury problems in goal. Trevor spent about three months going up and down between the two teams but ultimately never saw action in and NHL game.

One day, Tristen, who is 18-years-old, might be able to one-up his father and hit the ice for an NHL game.

This was first time Tristan was eligible for the NHL Entry Draft due to his birthday being in November. Players need to be born on or before September 15 the year they turn 18-years-old to be eligible for the NHL Entry Draft.

Tristen Robins is following his dad’s footsteps to the Sharks.

Tristan will be playing in his 19-year-old season in the 2020-21 WHL campaign, which is targeted to start late on Dec. 4 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

The NHL is targeting to start its regular season on January 1, 2021.

As an 18-year-old sophomore, Tristen kept turning more and more heads of NHL scouts. He was rated 134th among North American Skaters in the midterm ranking put out by NHL Central Scouting.

Tristen Robins (#11) celebrates one of his 33 goals last season.

Tristen leaped up to the 86th spot among North American skaters on the final NHL Central Scouting rankings. His stock continued to rise resulting in a second round draft selection.

The 2019-20 WHL campaign was ultimately ended on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had Tristen been able to participate in the playoffs for a second straight year, he might have further increased his draft stock.

Tristen helped the Blades post a 34-24-2-3 record to officially lock up a playoff berth before the season was halted.

He has the skating, puck handling, shooting and hockey sense abilities few have. Tristen has also been a perfect representative for the Blades in the community.

It would not be a surprise to see Tristen put all of those characteristics on display in the NHL some day. He has the potential to make the Sharks brass look very wise for selecting him.

Tigers G Garin Bjorklund was picked by the Capitals.

The NHL Entry Draft concluded on Wednesday with teams selecting players in rounds two through seven. Over the draft’s two days, 28 players from the WHL were picked up NHL clubs.

Left-winger Cross Hanas of the Portland Winterhawks was the first WHL player taken in Wednesday’s NHL Entry Draft proceedings going in the second round and 55^th overall to the Detroit Red Wings. The Highland Village, Texas, product posted 22 goals, 27 assists and a plus-20 rating in 60 games with the Winterhawks.

Of some of the other various notables, Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Daemon Hunt was taken in the third round and 65^th overall by the Minnesota Wild. The Brandon, Man., product was limited to 28 games this past season due to a skate cut injury to his arm.

Hunt had 15 assists in those games and was playing for the Warriors when the campaign was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brandon’s Ben McCartney (#22) was picked by the Coyotes.

Kamloops Blazers goalie Dylan Garand was selected in the fourth round and 103^rd overall by the New York Rangers. The Victoria, B.C., product posted a 28-10-3 record, a 2.21 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and four shutouts in 42 games last season with the Blazers.

Medicine Hat Tigers right-winger Lukas Svejkovsky was taken in the fourth round and 108^th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Point Roberts, Wash., product recorded 18 goals, 20 assists and a plus-38 rating in 52 games split between the Vancouver Giants and Tigers. The Tigers acquired Svejkovsky via a trade.

Portland Winterhawks left-winger Jaydon Dureau was selected in the fifth round and 147^th overall. The White City, Sask., product recorded 19 goals, 51 assists and a plus-41 rating in 61 regular season games.

Tristen Robins (#11) celebrates a Blades win with Riley McKay.

Tigers netminder Garin Bjorklund was picked in the sixth round and 179^th overall by the Washington Capitals. The Grande Prairie, Alta., product posted a 20-5-1 record, a 2.91 goals against average, a .897 save percentage and one shutout last season as a 17-year-old rookie.

Wheat Kings left-winger Ben McCartney was selected in the seventh round and 204^th overall by the Arizona Coyotes. The Macdonald, Man., product collected 25 goals, 36 assists and a plus-eight rating in 61 games last season for the Wheat Kings.

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

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WHL Bantam Draft made me feel normal in COVID-19 times

All set to cover the WHL Bantam Draft last Wednesday in the home office.

    It is a different question to be asked, “What is it like to feel normal?”

    I remember being asked that very query about seven years ago during a rough stretch when I was feeling better again.

    My obvious response was, “It feels good.”

    If you go through a period of time where you don’t feel normal, it is an odd different good feeling when the light bulb goes on when you realize you are feeling normal.

    The part that sticks out in your head at that sort of time is the thought that, “This is how it should be.”

    In the current day under the spectre of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it seems like the days are never normal.

    Actually, the common term that is thrown around is “the new normal” to basically insinuate that what used to be normal will never return again.

    Back when the shutdowns first started to happen on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed like the only thing that felt different was adjusting to daily change in society. Eventually going into the fourth week of shutdowns, it seemed like a new daily routine had unfolded in life at least for me.

Some of the pictures I’ve taken on recent WHL playoff trails.

    Still, I had a moment where I felt normal. Actually, it was a run of time where I felt normal.

    The run of time centred around covering the WHL Bantam Draft, which was held last Wednesday. I did pre-draft work the day before WHL Bantam Draft for this blog.

    Last Wednesday, I was covering the WHL Bantam Draft for the Davidson Leader and this blog. The pieces on both platforms focused around highly skilled forwards Riley Heidt and Brayden Yager, who played midget AAA last season for the Saskatoon Contacts and lived for a time in Dundurn, Sask.

    Both were selected in the first round with Heidt going second overall to the Prince George Cougars and Yager going third overall to the Moose Jaw Warriors.

    I’ve covered the WHL for 21 seasons and have worked my share of past WHL Bantam Drafts.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHL Bantam Draft was held in an online form. Over the years, that never mattered to me.
    I haven’t attended any WHL Bantam Draft in person, because usually you would be busy trying to phone team officials and players who were selected in the draft.

I try to have some fun when I work from home.

    Only a handful of players in the past have attended the WHL Bantam Draft in person, so it only made sense to follow it online.

    This year it likely felt really different for team officials, because they usually gather in one location for a live in person draft as opposed to conducting a draft online.

    Last Wednesday, I was tracking the WHL Bantam Draft online, made some social media posts in the morning and did a phone interview near the lunch hour with Marc Chartier, who recently stepped down from being the Contacts head coach. I later did a second interview in the early afternoon with Yager.

    After the interview with Yager, it hit me that this was what I was supposed to be doing. I felt normal.

    The only thing that made that moment different was the realization that I felt normal. I was doing exactly what I have done on many WHL Bantam Draft days in the past.
    I should note that from 2016 to 2019 I usually covered off the WHL Bantam Draft with note type items, because I was on the road covering the WHL playoffs.
    A number of other things would be going on too that captured my attention like the Dogs’ Breakfast, which is an annual scholarship fundraiser for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team, and the Saskatoon Valkyries starting a Western Women’s Canadian Football League season.

I enjoyed catching up with Marc Chartier, back row right.

    Still, I was working a day last Wednesday that was pretty much identical to days I worked covering the Prince Albert Raiders for the Prince Albert Daily Herald or the Medicine Hat Tigers for the Medicine Hat News.

    After transcribing interviews with Chartier and Yager, I got in touch with Heidt. After the interviews were done, we had short visits over the phone afterwards, and it was great to catch up like you normally would.

    The longest visit was with Chartier, who noted it felt like it was the right time for him to leave the Contacts after 13 seasons. He stepped down after this past season concluded.

    I hadn’t talked with him since the season concluded, and I was wondering how he was doing.

    You could tell he felt comfortable with his decision. Of course, we shared a bunch of old hockey stories too.

    On Monday, reality hit again, when you go back to living your lockdown life. That included doing work in the home office and not going to any sports events or anywhere in fact.

I look forward to return to live WHL games when normal times return.

    There is no place to go as everything is shutdown.

    Usually at this point in the year, I would be life consumed busy with the WHL playoffs going on. I am still busy, but it is a controlled busy.

    I actually have time to help around the home and enjoy down time things like movies, YouTube videos and video games. I have gotten it into my mind I will allow myself to enjoy these things.

    With all that said, it was great to feel like I was living my life before the COVID-19 shutdowns during the WHL Bantam Draft week, even if it was just a seemingly short period of time.

Money, economics elephant in COVID-19 days, other thoughts

Will people have cash to go to sports events after the COVID-19 pandemic?

    I feel like money and economics are the elephant in the room during these shutdown times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Of course, the top priorities have to be health and safety. It is cool to see that it feels like everybody is on board with saving as many lives as possible.

    I think new compassion has developed with regards of caring for the elderly.

    After the shutdowns started to occur on March 11 due to COVID-19, it seems like for me people try to shy away from talking about money or economics. To be honest, I have lots of days were I do the same thing.

    Still, questions go through my head every now and then. I wonder how businesses will stay open as the time span increases where they are bring in a lot less income than they used to?

    How will sports teams continue without money coming in from ticket sales and dealing with decreased sponsorships?

    How will minor sports organizations keep going without being able to conduct the fundraisers they used to while also dealing with a decrease in sponsorships?

    How will everyone be able to keep paying their bills, especially those that are dealing with a reduction in pay, reduction in hours or have been laid off?

Will the paused businesses in downtown Saskatoon survive COVID-19?

    I know the Government of Canada has rolled out a number of emergency measures, but you have the gut feeling there will be a catch there in the tax department. Nothing is ever free.

    On top of that, how much debt will governments at various levels take on, and how will that affect things going forward?

    It feels like the Canadian thing to do is throw everything on credit and expect your life insurance to pay for everything once you pass on. I kind of had that jaded view about Canada for a least the last 10 years.

    My head also proceeds to ask, “When will the bottom fall out when it comes to throwing everything on credit?”

    Over the past week, I have heard one economist on news talk radio say more damage has already been done to the economy than what occurred in the years of the first half of the “Great Depression” spanning 1929 to 1934.

    To me it seems like the defence mechanism that all walks of life use is to not talk about money at all and proceeded with your day as normally as possible.

    As for me, I just take things one day at a time, and I have said that lots before.

    My gut feeling that when it comes time to eventually pay the piper, there will be a lot of people that forget what happened in the COVID-19 pandemic with regards to saving lives, and they will constantly say how upset they are.

• It seems like it is pretty easy to find a COVID-19 conspiracy theory out there or find people who believe a conspiracy theory. I believe conspiracy theories take root because there is a distrust of politicians and world leaders that has hung around for a number of years. I believe that distrust helps feed conspiracy theories.
• For what it is worth, I think most of the politicians and leaders in Canada have handled themselves well and have handled the COVID-19 pandemic well. To me, it seems like you those with different political views are all pulling in the same direction to gain the best result possible in navigating this crisis.
• When I have made a supply run to the grocery store and I see someone wearing a mask, I always keep thinking of Canada’s criminal mask law. Of course, that doesn’t apply to shoppers and those out an about in public. They are trying to protect themselves from COVID-19. The mask law introduced by the Government of Canada in Bill C-309 that became law on June 19, 2013 bans the use of wearing masks during a riot or other unlawful assembly, and those convicted could face up to 10 years in prison. Canada’s Criminal Code, Section 351(2) covers “Disguise with Intent” that makes it an indictable offence to wear a mask or disguise to commit an indictable offence. I can’t see those laws having to be enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It was four years ago today on April 28, 2017 the ground-breaking ceremony was held for Merlis Belsher Place, which is the new hockey rink facility on the grounds of the University of Saskatchewan campus. At the moment, Merlis Belsher Place sits in waiting to see if it will become a field hospital for overflow COVID-19 patients. Hopefully, that day never comes. My old story on the ground-breaking ceremony day can be found by clicking right here.
• A Twitter fan account has been created for Dr. Saqib Shahab, who is Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer. The Twitter handle is @ShahadFanClub and followers call themselves the #ShahabSquad. To me, it feels like Shahab is the best out of all the Chief Medical Health Officers who has been shown in the media dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It does feel like Dr. Shahab is becoming a celebrity. I can already see him doing a ceremonial kickoff of home game for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders when the COVID-19 pandemic ends. If you haven’t been following the account, it is worth your time to do it.

It's the weekend! It's time to sit back, relax, and admire Dr. Shahab's best knits.

Pictured: March 17 and April 24 Press Conferences pic.twitter.com/I57Q8VbTYP

— Dr. Shahab Fan Account (@ShahabFanClub) April 25, 2020

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

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