One of his best life decisions – No second thoughts for Sawchenko leaving WHL for Golden Bears

Zach Sawchenko enjoys life as the Golden Bears star goalie.

    No regrets.

    Almost two years ago, Zach Sawchenko found himself at a crossroads. After his Moose Jaw Warriors were eliminated from the 2017 WHL playoffs, the star netminder had to decide if he wanted to return for his overage season or join the University of Alberta Golden Bears men’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks.

    The Warriors were projecting to be one of the top teams in major junior hockey in 2017-18. The Golden Bears are one of the top U Sports hockey programs year in and year out.

    Having played four full seasons in Moose Jaw, Sawchenko elected to join the Gold Bears.

    The now 21-year-old Calgary, Alta., product hasn’t looked back. Last season, he was the starting goaltender in the Golden Bears wins that clinched the Canada West Conference title and the U Sports national title. 
    The national title win was the 16^th in the history of the Golden Bears.
    Ultimately, the Warriors topped the WHL standings that season in 2017-18 with a 52-15-2-3 record and fell in tough seven game series in the second round to the eventual WHL champion Swift Current Broncos.

Zach Sawchenko plays the puck for the Warriors in 2016.

    This season, Sawchenko was again between the pipes for the Golden Bears when they took a series deciding Game 3 of the Canada West Championship series 1-0 against the host and their “forever rivals” the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on March 3 at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The Golden Bears are aiming to repeat as U Sports national champions, when the David Johnston University Cup tournament begins on Thursday in Lethbridge, Alta.

    U of A opens nationals as the number one seed taking on the eighth seeded and host University of Lethbridge Pronghorns at 7 p.m. local time Thursday at the Enmax Centre.
    “I think at the end of the day it was a matter of a change of scenery,” said Sawchenko, who is a business major at the U of A. “Moose Jaw had a great team, and I knew what I was walking away from there.

    “There was no regrets what so ever. Just the fact that our team did win nationals was almost like a cherry on top. I never really talked about it openly with a lot of people, but it is one of the best decisions I made for my life.

Warriors G Zach Sawchenko, left, stops Pats C Jake Leschyshyn in 2017.

    “Some people might argue it might be not the best for my career, but just as a person and as a student, it was one of the best decisions I could have made.”

    When he played for the Warriors, it could be argued that Sawchenko was as close as you could get to being a “can’t miss” prospect to make the NHL. From 2013 to 2017, Sawchenko appeared in 177 career regular season games with the Warriors posting an 88-65-16 record, a 3.11 goals against average, a .908 save percentage and nine shutouts.
    In his final campaign in Moose Jaw, Sawchenko posted a 30-14-7 record, a 2.79 goals against average, a .917 save percentage and three shutouts in being named the top goaltender in the WHL’s Eastern Conference for a second straight year.
    Actually during his time with the Warriors, Sawchenko piled up numerous accolades and accomplishments. He was a WHL Eastern Conference first team all-star on two occasions.

Zach Sawchenko tracks a puck from his goal.

    Sawchenko played for Canada at both main world under-18 tournaments, suited up for the CHL Top Prospects Game, was invited to a world juniors summer camp and attended the main NHL training camp for the Nashville Predators.

    Still, he was never selected in the NHL Entry Draft or pursued heavily for a real look with an NHL team. Sawchenko’s obvious drawback was his size as he stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 185 pounds in an era when NHL teams usually want their goalies to be at least 6-foot-3 in height.

    The young puck stopper felt it was prudent to have his education in hand before he ventures into life in professional hockey.

    With the Golden Bears, Sawchenko’s play has remained at an elite level. In 34 career regular season games, he has posted a 28-4-1 record, a 1.74 goals against average, a .919 save percentage and five shutouts.

    He is still eligible to play three more seasons with the Golden Bears.

    “I think at the end of the day it is all about timing,” said Sawchenko. “I got in here at the right time.

    “I managed to roll with an opportunity. One of their goalies left, when I was 20-years-old.

Zach Sawchenko, second from right, enjoys a Canada West title win.

    “I opted out of my 20-year-old year to head to school. It has been an awesome experience for me so far, and I am looking forward to the rest.”
    Sawchenko still has tonnes of good memories from his time with the Warriors and enjoyed his four seasons in Moose Jaw. He went through a lengthy thought process before making up his mind to join the Golden Bears and was certain at the time it was the right decision for him. As his days at U of A go on, his decision is reinforced.

    Now, he is focused on helping the Golden Bears win a second straight national title.

     “It is a good feeling,” said Sawchenko, who was a second team Canada West all-star this season. “At the end of the day, it is not the end of the road for us.

    “Canada West is great, but we have our eyes on the big prize now, and that is a national title.”

Fifth-seeded Huskies should be favoured in nationals opener

Carson Stadnyk led the Huskies in regular season scoring.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team will enter the David Johnston University Cup as the fifth season, but they will likely be favoured in their opening game.

    The Huskies will open the U Sports elite-eight style national championship tournament on Thursday in Lethbridge, Alta., against the University of Guelph Gryphons, who embarked on a Cinderella run through the Ontario University Athletics playoffs. 
    The quarter-final match between the two sides opens game action at the University Cup with a 1 p.m. local time puck drop at the Enmax Centre.

    The Huskies finished first in the Canada West Conference posting a 25-3 record in the regular season. U of S set regular season team records for most wins (25) and standings points (50).

    In the playoffs, the Huskies swept the Mount Royal University Cougars 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series before falling to their “forever rivals” the University of Alberta Golden Bears 2-1 in a best-of-three Canada West Championship series. U of S dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Golden Bears in a series deciding Game 3 on March 3 at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The Huskies are making their 20^th overall appearance at the University Cup. While they fell in the Canada West final, the Dogs will hit the ice at nationals with a solid and deep roster.

    Third-year right-winger Carson Stadnyk topped the Huskies in regular season scoring with 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points. Fourth-year centre Kohl Bauml had his best season since his rookie year finishing second in team scoring with nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points.

    Right-winger Levi Cable had a strong year recording 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in regular season play, while fourth-year centre Logan McVeigh had nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points.

Taran Kozun has had a stellar year for the Huskies.

    Captain Jesse Forsberg anchored the defence in his fifth and final season with the team. He led all Huskies blue-liners in scoring with six goals and 15 assists for 21 points in 24 regular season games.
    Forsberg was injured in Game 3 of the Canada West final after taking an elbow to the head, so his status for the University Cup is still up in the air.

    Sophomore defenceman Sam Ruopp has taken big strides with the Huskies recording eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 24 regular season games.

    Sophomore netminder Taran Kozun had a stellar season posting a 20-3 record, a 1.81 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and five shutouts. He set a new Huskies team record for most wins by a goalie in one regular season.

    The Gryphons finished fifth in the OUA’s West Division with a 13-11-4 record before going on a tear in the post-season. They swept the University of Windsor Lancers 2-0 in a best-of-three OUA first round series.

    The Gryphons eliminated the Ryerson University Rams in a best-of-three second round series 2-1. In the OUA West final, the Gryphons took out the University of Western Ontario Mustangs 2-1 in a best-of-three series.

    In a winner take all OUA championship game, the Gryphons fell to the Queen’s University Gaels 4-1.

    Fifth-year centre Scott Simmonds topped the Gaels in regular scoring with nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points. Sophomore right-winger Todd Winder was second in team scoring with six goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 27 regular season games.

    Fourth-year left-winger Cody Thompson has some good hands around the net recording 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 27 regular season games.

    Rookie Jesse Saban topped all Gaels defencemen in scoring with one goal and eight assists for nine points in 27 regular season games.

The Huskies aim to pile up the wins at the David Johnston University Cup.

    Third-year netminder Andrew Masters will carry the load in goal for the Gaels. In 16 regular season games, Masters posted a 7-5-3 record, a 2.39 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and two shutouts.

    If the Huskies can outlast the Cinderella run by the Gaels, they will advance to a semifinal game to play the winner of the quarter-final match between the top seeded Golden Bears and the eighth seeded University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

    With the David Johnston University Cup being held in southern Alberta, it is expected a big contingent of supports will follow the Huskies to Lethbridge.

    The semifinal games will both be played on Saturday with times to be announced at the Enmax Centre. The championship final is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. Lethbridge time at the Enmax Centre.

Raiders collect more milestones in latest win

Noah Gregor has scored 40 goals this season for the Raiders.

    The Prince Albert Raiders were able to enjoy a few more milestones in their last outing.

    On Sunday, the Raiders traveled to Swift Current and downed the Broncos 6-0 in a WHL regular season game played before 2,387 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex. The win allowed the Raiders to improve their league leading record to 53-9-2-2.

    The 53 wins marks the second most victories the Raiders have compiled during their time in the WHL dating back to the 1982-83 campaign. The only campaign where the Raiders had more wins came back in the 1984-85 season, when they posted a regular season record of 58 wins, 11 losses and three ties.

    Of course, the Raiders moved on to win their only WHL and Memorial Cup titles in the 1984-85 campaign.

    Raiders netminder Ian Scott made 14 saves to increase his team record for most shutouts in one regular season to eight. Scott has had a sensational season posting a 37-7-3 record, a 1.82 goals against average and a .932 save percentage to go with his eight shutouts.

Ian Scott has eight shutouts in goal for the Raiders this season.

    Scott was named the WHL and CHL goaltender-of-the-week for the week ending March 10.

    Overage centre Noah Gregor netted his 40^th goal of the season on Sunday against the Broncos marking the first time he has hit that plateau in his WHL career.

    Parker Kelly scored twice for the Raiders, while Brett Leason, Sergei Sapego and Sean Montgomery had singles.

    Riley Lamb turned away 51 shots to take the loss in goal for the Broncos (10-49-4-2).

    The Raiders close their regular season with a home-and-home series with their archrivals the Saskatoon Blades. The two sides meet Friday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon and on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.

Back in the Express with Habscheid

Marc Habscheid, centre, is honoured for his 500th head coaching win.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature on Marc Habscheid.

    Habscheid, who is the head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders, was looking back on his days as a player with the Saskatoon Blades. He played for the Blades for part of the 1979-80 season and the entire 1980-81 and 1981-82 campaigns.

    The piece revolved around his final season with the Blades in 1981-82, where he piled up 64 goals and 87 assists for 151 points in 55 regular season games. Habscheid, who recently turned 56-years-old, suited up at that season’s world juniors and helped Canada win its first ever gold medal at that event.

    My interview with Habscheid, who picked up his 500th regular season win as a WHL head coach in February, was a fun one. It was cool to hear him reflect on how much he enjoyed that part of his life.

    The worse part was I couldn’t get all his recollections into the lengthy piece.

    One of the more humourous stories that was left out came from living with his billet family of Rick and Debbie Brodsky. After a game one night, Habscheid didn’t hang his suit up and left it on the floor of his bedroom.

    Debbie picked it up and washed it, and the suit shrunk in the wash. Habscheid chuckled about that one noting he learned to never leave his clothes on the floor.

    Another memory revolved around world juniors.

    At world juniors, that season’s event was played in a round robin format. Canada had a 6-0 record going into its final game against Czechoslovakia, who had a 5-1 record, on Jan. 2, 1982 at Rochester, Minn.

    A tie would give Canada the gold medal, but loss would give Czechoslovakia the gold.

    The two sides played to a 3-3 tie to give Canada the gold medal. There was no television broadcast of that game, but it did air on CBC Radio.

    “We stood on the blue-line waiting for the national anthem,” said Habscheid. “They didn’t have it, so they just told us to get off the ice.

    “We said no. We went arm in arm and sang it, and that is kind of how that tradition started.”

    Habscheid said Saskatoon will always be a meaningful place to him.

    “It was a big part of my youth,” said Habscheid. “That city will always be special.

    “Sometimes I will be going through, and I will have some time, and I will drive around.”

    The story on Habscheid can be found by clicking right here.

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

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Golden Bears still have Huskies number, three-peat as Canada West champions

The Golden Bears celebrate their Canada West title win.

    When the championship trophies are on the line, it always seems to be the University of Alberta Golden Bears time.

    In a classic series deciding Game 3 of the Canada West final, the Golden Bears men’s hockey team once again found a way to prevail over their “forever rivals” the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

    On Sunday at Merlis Belsher Place, the Golden Bears downed the Huskies 1-0 to claim the Canada West title for a third straight year to the disappointment of a packed crowd of 2,614 spectators. With the win, the Golden Bears locked up the best-of-three series 2-1.

    The Huskies claimed Game 1 of the series on Friday 4-2, but the Golden Bears rebounded to take a 3-0 victory in Game 2 on Saturday.

    Sophomore Golden Bears netminder Zach Sawchenko made 20 saves to earn the shutout win in Game 2, and he turned away 29 shots to pick up a second consecutive shutout in Game 3.

Luke Philp had the only goal in Game 3 on Sunday.

    The Huskies had their share of quality chances to take Game 3, which included a last gasp opportunity off an offensive zone faceoff to the left of the U of A goal with 1.1 seconds remaining in the third period. Huskies rookie centre Donovan Neuls won the draw back to rookie defenceman Gordie Ballhorn, who rang a shot off the post of the U of A net.

    “It is a game of inches,” said Sawchenko. “It has been a crazy weekend.

    “There has just been bounces. I can’t stress enough. It has been a game of inches this weekend.

    “There was a post in Game 2, post in Game 1 and post in Game 3. It really could have gone either way. We’re just happy to be on this end of it.”

    The win allowed the Golden Bears, who are the defending U Sports national champions, to capture the Canada West title for a third straight year.

Gordie Ballhorn (#3) skates away after hitting a post with a last second shot.

    The Golden Bears and Huskies have met in the conference final for four straight years, and U of S took the first of those meetings back in 2016.

    Dating back to the 1996-97 season, the Golden Bears and Huskies have clashed 17 times in the Canada West Championship series, and U of A has won 12 of those encounters.

    Still on Sunday when the teams met for the 511th overall time, it appeared the Huskies might get some breaks to take this round. U of S started Game 3 holding a 6-1 edge in shots on goal, but the Golden Bears, who are rated first in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, thought they took the lead with 9:26 remaining in the opening frame.

Goalie Zach Zawchenko makes one of 29 saves in a shutout performance.

    Huskies sophomore netminder Taran Kozun was playing the puck behind his own net, and he had it stolen off his stick by Golden Bears left-winger Taylor Cooper. Cooper got the puck to right-winger Cole Sanford, who slid it into an empty right side of the U of S goal.

    The tally was disallowed as the officials ruled the net was knocked ajar.

    In the second period, the Huskies had a glorious chance to go ahead, when right-winger Parker Thomas centred a pass from the right side of the U of A goal to left-winger Alex Forsberg. Forsberg was denied at point blank range by Sawchenko.

Taran Kozun makes one of his 27 saves in goal for the Huskies.

    The Golden Bears netted the game’s lone tally with 2:16 remaining in the second period while working on the power play. Golden Bears left-winger Trevor Cox had the puck along the left side boards in the U of S zone and fed a pass to centre Steven Owre, who was sitting beside the left post of the Huskies net.

    Owre slipped a backdoor pass across the face of the U of S goal to Luke Philp. Philp, who claimed Canada West player of the year honours for a second straight season, fired the puck in an empty right side of the Huskies cage. He said he felt relieved to see the puck go in.

    “It was about time I think,” said Philp. “We had our fair share of chances.

    “We did a good job with both units getting chances, but we couldn’t seem to find the net for a while there. That felt great to get that first one. We did a good job sticking with it.”

Steven Owre had an assist on the Golden Bears lone goal.

    The Huskies didn’t go away.

    Moments after Philp’s goal, Huskies fourth-year right-winger Levi Cable had a breakaway into the U of A zone, but he fired his shot attempt over top of the goal.

    In the third period, Forsberg was sent in alone on the U of A goal, but his rolling shot attempt was turned away by Sawchenko.

    Huskies left-winger Collin Shirley had a big scoring chance too on the doorstep at the left side of the Golden Bears net, but he was stoned by Sawchenko.

    Then came the dramatics when Ballhorn wired his shot off the U of A goal.

    Philp had lost the game’s final faceoff to Neuls and admitted he had a moment of panic.

    “I was thinking, ‘What the heck just happened?,’” said Philp. “I didn’t know what happened.

    “I thought he was going to go forward with it on the faceoff. Last second, he won it back. He did a good job there, but thank God it didn’t go in.”

    Kozun turned away 27 shots to take the setback in goal for the Huskies, who are rated third in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. 

Golden Bears D Jason Fram battles Huskies LW Collin Shirley.

    Huskies captain Jesse Forsberg left Sunday’s game late in the third period with an injury.

    Both the Golden Bears and Huskies have earned berths to the David Johnston University Cup national championship tournament slated for March 14 to 17 in Lethbridge, Alta.

    The Canada West final was expected to be tight. The Huskies topped the conference standings in the regular season with the best record in team history at 25-3. The Golden Bears were second sitting one point back in the standings with a 24-3-1 mark.

The Golden Bears receive their Canada West gold medals.

    U of A head coach Ian Herbers said his team wanted to back to nationals as conference camps and was pleased his team captured the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy on Sunday. The Golden Bears have won the U Sports national title 16 times.

    “That was one of our steps,” said Herbers. “We wanted to make sure we came in here, and we win a Canada West (title).

    “We knew it would be a tough challenge. They are a very good team over there. They play hard, and we knew it would be a good challenge.

    “It is another step for us to help in our development and get us ready for nationals.”

The Golden Bears are all smiles during their post-game team picture.

    Sawchenko was in goal as a rookie last season for the Golden Bears Canada West title clinching win and their national championship win. He said he is looking forward to playing more hockey at the upcoming David Johnston University Cup in Lethbridge.

    “It is a good feeling,” said Sawchenko. “At the end of the day, it is not the end of the road for us.

    “Canada West is great, but we have our eyes on the big prize now, and that is a national title.”

    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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“Rat Line” pulls Golden Bears even with Huskies in Canada West Championship series

The Golden Bears celebrate a goal from captain Riley Kieser.

    Needing a win to stay alive in the Canada West Championship series, the “Rat Line” hit top gear for the University of Alberta Golden Bears men’s hockey team.

    U of A’s forward unit centred by captain Riley Kieser flanked by Cole Sanford at right wing and Trevor Cox at left wing played like three Theo Fleurys on the ice. They brought agitation and skill knocking the University of Saskatchewan Huskies off their game on Saturday and accounted for the Golden Bears first two goals.

    When the dust settled at Merlis Belsher Place, the Golden Bears skated away with a 3-0 victory over the Huskies in Game 2 of the best-of-three Canada West final before a packed crowd of 2,643 spectators. The win by the Golden Bears evens the series at 1-1 and forces a series deciding Game 3 on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.

Riley Kieser had a goal and an assist for the Golden Bears.

    The Huskies claimed Game 1 by a 4-2 score on Friday at Merlis.

    Following Saturday’s game, Kieser said the Golden Bears entered Game 2 with the goal of coming out with a better work ethic, more intensity and were trying to avoid getting too pretty in the skill department.

    “We won one-on-one battles,” said Kieser. “We got pucks in deep and made them work in their defensive zone. It was a lot more fun game to play.”

    Kieser’s line seemed to be in the centre of all sorts of little skirmishes in the opening frame. It appeared that unit in particular had a different sort of high intensity to their game playing at their “pest best.”

    After a scoreless first period, Kieser opened the game’s scoring 19 seconds into the second period, when he ripped home a goal from the top of the left faceoff circle. Sanford picked up an assist on the tally.

Cole Sanford had a pair of assists for the Golden Bears.

    “It is always helpful to get that first goal,” said Kieser. “It definitely gives you confidence.

    “We weren’t able to get that yesterday, but we got it today and just rolled with it.”

    At the 13:46 mark of the second period, the “Rat Line” struck again to put the Golden Bears up 2-0. Kieser had the puck behind the Huskies net and slipped a beauty centring pass to Cox in front of the U of S goal.

    Cox fired home the insurance marker with Sanford picking up an assist on the play as well.

    The trio also has all sorts of playoff experience coming in both the WHL and U Sports.

    Kieser helped the Edmonton Oil Kings win the WHL and Memorial Cup championships in his final season of major junior hockey in 2013-14. Upon joining the Golden Bears, he helped U of A win the David Johnston University Cup as U Sports national champions in his first campaign with the team in 2014-15 and last season.

Trevor Cox had a goal for the Golden Bears.

    Cox and Sanford helped the Medicine Hat Tigers advance to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series in 2013-14 and were key players helping the Golden Bears win the Canada West Conference and U Sports national titles last season.

    “It is great to play with those two guys,” said Kieser. “They definitely bring a lot to the game.

    “They play with a lot of intensity and a lot of work ethic. I think all four of our lines came out hard tonight, but we were fortunate on a couple of goals, so that definitely set tone.”

    Grayson Pawlenchuk, who was the Canada West rookie of the year, capped the Golden Bears victory scoring a power-play goal from a bad angle at the 9:11 mark of the third period.

Trevor Cox (#36) and Riley Kieser (#14) agitated the Huskies.

    Zach Sawchenko stopped 20 shots to pick up the shutout win for the Golden Bears. Taran Kozun made 27 saves to the setback in goal for the Huskies.

    Saturday’s clash, which was the 510^th overall meeting between the two sides, was very much a rivalry game that included both teams delivering a lot of extra shots after whistles. The officials would attend to a scrum at one end of the ice, and something underhanded would happen at the other end of the ice.

    Huskie sophomore defenceman Sam Ruopp was slammed hard on a couple of occasions including being the victim of a hard hit from behind by Cox in the first period and being nailed by another U of A player in the third period.

Saturday’s game was filled with lots of rough stuff.

    Near the end of the contest, the Huskies became totally unraveled.

    With 2:11 remaining in the third, Huskies sophomore forward Alex Forsberg tackled Cox and was given a tripping minor, a roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct. Huskies captain Jesse Forsberg, who is Alex’s older brother, also received a 10-minute misconduct at that point in the game.

    At the 19:22 mark of the third, Huskies left-winger and agitator Jaimen Yakubowski was given a roughing major, while centre Wyatt Johnson and right-winger Carter Folk were given 10-minute misconducts during the same stoppage.

Golden Bears RW Brandon Magee and Huskies D Jesse Forsberg get tied up.

    Folk actually gave a love tap cross check to a linesman, which resulted in his misconduct.
    The Huskies finished the game with 58 minutes in penalties, while the Golden Bears had 12 minutes of infraction accessed against them.

    “It is always a good feeling to know that they are getting frustrated,” said Kieser. “You just want to keep playing your game, play the right way and you will get rewarded, and that is what we did today.”

    When the puck drops for Sunday’s series deciding Game 3 between these “forever rivals,” Kieser believes the Huskies will be over their frustrations and his side has to be ready for a most focused push back from the U of S side.

The Golden Bears celebrate their win on Saturday night.

    “It is do or die again,” said Kieser. “We came out battling for our lives today, and we’re going to do the same tomorrow.
    “It is going to be a great game.”

    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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Wyatt’s moment – Huskies centre gets winner in Game 1 of Canada West final

Wyatt Johnson (#26) celebrates scoring for the Huskies on Friday.

    What a difference a year makes for Wyatt Johnson when it comes to the Canada West Championship series.

    A year ago, the two-way centre was in his sophomore season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team, and he was unable to play in the best-of-three Canada West final against the University of Alberta Golden Bears due to a concussion injury. The Golden Bears swept that year’s series 2-0 in Edmonton, Alta., and ultimately captured the U Sports national title.

    Now in his third season with the Huskies, Johnson was on the ice Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place as his squad opened the Canada West Championship series taking on the Golden Bears for a fourth year in a row.

Wyatt Johnson breaks into the offensive zone for the Huskies.

    The graduate of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels and Spokane Chiefs made the biggest play in the Huskies 4-2 victory over their “forever rivals” in Game 1. With U of S holding a 2-1 edge in the second period, Johnson converted a picturesque passing for a power-play goal to give the Huskies a 3-1 advantage to the delight of the 2,583 spectators that jammed into the brand new rink.

    “It is unreal,” said Johnson about playing in this year’s Canada West final. “Obviously, last year was tough watching.

    “I played it in my first year, so I knew what to expect. It is awesome to be back.”

    The Huskies were working on a five-on-three power play when Johnson scored. Offensive defenceman and Huskies captain Jesse Forsberg started the play by slipping a pass to the right side of the Golden Bears net to Huskies winger Collin Shirley.

Taran Kozun makes one of his 24 saves in goal for the Huskies.

    Shirley quickly fed a backdoor pass to Johnson, who fired his goal into an empty cage.

    Johnson was pumped his team took Game 1, which means the Huskies will have a chance to wrap up the series in Game 2 on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place. If the Golden Bears force a series-deciding Game 3, it will be held on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.

    Following Friday’s win, Johnson was already looking focusing on what his team has to do to close out the series.

    “Every game, everybody rises in intensity,” said Johnson, who had five goals and 10 assists in 22 regular season games with the Huskies in the current campaign. “Every game as you get into playoffs, everybody starts bearing down on pucks more, and the intensity rises.

Brandon Magee scored the Golden Bears first goal.

    “We have to up our level, and I am sure they will over there too.”

    While the Huskies and Golden Bears know each other well, the 509^th overall meeting between the two squads on Friday started with a bit of a feeling out period.

    Just 2:32 into the opening frame, Huskies fiery left-winger Jaimen Yakubowski roofed home the game’s first goal short side over the left shoulder of Golden Bears star netminder Zach Sawchenko to give the host side a 1-0 lead.

    Huskies head coach Dave Adolph thought Yakubowski’s tally gave his side some early traction.

    “We were pretty uptight,” said Adolph. “The whole game was played kind of uptight, and the ice wasn’t great.

    “We thought in this brand new facility that things would be a little bit better, but the puck was bouncing everywhere on both teams. It was a little unnerving. I think that we scored the first goal and that might have been the difference in the night.

    “I think if they would have scored we would have been a little bit more nervous. Jaimen Yakubowski scores and it kind of just calms the sails a little bit.”

Huskies LW Jaimen Yakubowski is turned away on a scoring chance.

    Before the first period ended, the Golden Bears pulled even at 1-1, when right-winger Brandon Magee wired home a power-play goal from the top of the left faceoff circle.

    The Huskies hit another gear in the second period. At the 4:06 mark of the frame, Huskies fifth-year right-winger Parker Thomas slipped home a shot from the front of the U of A goal to put his squad up 2-1.

    Johnson’s power-play goal came just under three-and-a-half minutes later.

    “You never really separate yourself from this team, and I think they would probably say the same thing,” said Adolph. “I think we were opportunistic.

Parker Thomas had a goal on Friday for the Huskies.

    “We got a five-on-three power play and scored. You have to do that in a clutch game, and that might have been the difference on the night.”

    When it appeared the Huskies had total control of the game, the Golden Bears got themselves back into the contest, when fourth-year right-winger Jayden Hart scored on the power-play with 40.4 seconds remaining in the second period to cut the U of S edge to 3-2.

    The Huskies argued both the puck was knocked in with a high stick and star netminder Taran Kozun was interfered with to no avail.

    The hosts sealed the win with 4:02 remaining in the third period, when Huskies rookie defenceman Gordie Ballhorn sprung sophomore right-winger Carter Folk on a partial breakaway. Folk wired home a shot glove side to put the Huskies up 4-2.

Huskies G Taran Kozun,left, gets tangled with Golden Bears LW Trevor Cox.

    Kozun turned away 24 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Sawchenko stopped 21 shots to take the setback in goal for the Golden Bears.

    Friday’s encounter included a number of scrums and some chippy play, which is expected when the Huskies and Golden Bears face each other.

    Golden Bears top agitator Trevor Cox tried to do his thing, which included standing in front of Kozun and waving his stick in the air in the third period. The two got tangled together later on in the frame.

    Cox’s linemate, Cole Sanford, also tried to stir things up too.

    Adolph said his side always has to be aware that both Cox and Sanford are dynamic players, which adds to the challenge of countering the duo.

Huskies captain Jesse Forsberg, left, fights to get to a loose puck.

    “Not only are they a little pesky, but they are also highly skilled,” said Adolph. “If they can get you chasing them around a little bit, their skill will prevail.

    “I think that we were calm enough tonight to handle it. We have to do it again. It is a best of three.”

    When the teams hit the ice for Game 2 on Saturday, the Huskies will be trying to win the Canada West title for the first time since 2016, when they swept the Golden Bears 2-0 at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

    Johnson said the players on his team are aware of what they can accomplish with one more win.

    “Obviously, the excitement is huge,” Johnson. “We try and stay even keel, but everyone knows what is on the line tomorrow.

The Huskies celebrate their Game 1 victory on Friday.

    “We have to come a do a job.”

    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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Will fate finally fall way of Huskies men’s hockey team?

U of S faces “forever rivals” in Canada West final again

Parker Thomas (#23) jets down the wing for the Huskies.

    Will the 2018-19 campaign finally be the year of the Dog?

    Or more accurately, will the 2018-19 campaign finally be a dream season for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team where they go all the way.

    Formed in 1910, the Huskies are one of the most storied programs in the history of U Sports. Year in and year out, they are one of the powerhouse squads in Canadian university hockey.

    The Huskies, who have won 17 Canada West titles, are backed by a sizable fanbase and a very large and loyal group of alumni. For the alums, being part of the Huskies holds a special meaning they take to their souls from the fact the program has had such a positive impact on their lives.

    For coaches, staffers and supporters, they hold the Huskies dear to their hearts.

Golden Bears F Stephane Legault battles Huskie D Tanner Lishchynsky.

    Despite the special history the Huskies have, fate has only allowed U of S to win the University Cup, what is now known as the David Johnston University Cup, just once as U Sports national champions in 1983. The Huskies have appeared in the David Johnston University Cup national championship tournament 19 times and advanced to the event’s title game on seven occasions.

    Since winning the their only national title in 1983, the Huskies have make the U Sports final four times in 1987, 2005, 2014 and 2017 and come up on the short end of the scoreboard on each of those occasions.

    Part of both excitement and cruelty in university sports is one loss can do you in at a national championship tournament. With U Sports switching to a final-eight format that is played through single elimination for both the men’s and women’s national hockey championship tournaments, Canadian university hockey teams began to experience the pure form of “March Madness.”

Huskies G Taran Kozun was named Canada West’s goaltender of the year.

    Ultimately, one loss at a national championship tournament doesn’t take away from the fact a team that appeared there had a strong season. It is hard to get to nationals.

    When you look at the Huskies “forever rivals,” the University of Alberta Golden Bears, it really feels like the Huskies have be short changed by the hand of fate.

    The Huskies and Golden Bears are the first two university men’s hockey teams to be formed in Western Canada, and they first met head-to-head on February 27, 1911.

    The Golden Bears have won the David Johnston University Cup 16 times. They claimed both the Canada West and U Sports national titles last season. Over the last five seasons, the Golden Bears have won three national titles.

    Over the years, it seems the Golden Bears have always been there to crush the Huskies hopes. Last year, the two sides met in U Sports national semifinal contest that saw the Huskies take a 2-0 lead only for the Golden Bears to rally back for a 3-2 overtime victory as skilled forward and agitator Trevor Cox netted the winner.

Golden Bears F Trevor Cox scored a big playoff goal against the Huskies.

    In 2018-19, the Huskies had a dream regular season posting a 25-3 record to finish first in the Canada West Conference. The Huskies regular season win total and standings points total of 50 were team records.

    Despite the outstanding campaign by the Dogs, the Golden Bears were right at their heels finishing second in Canada West with a 24-3-1 record.

    The two sides split their four regular season encounters and will face each other in the best-of-three Canada West Championship series for a fourth straight year. Game 1 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

    Game 2 is slated for Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis, and if necessary, Game 3 will be held on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.

    The Huskies and Golden Bears have combined to win the last 22 straight Canada West titles.

Golden Bears F Luke Philp was the Canada West player of the year.

    You can be sure Cox will be reminding the Huskies players of past post-season heartbreaks as part of trash talking sessions on the ice.

    One wonders if the Huskies dreams of winning conference and national titles will again be dashed by the Golden Bears.

    By making it to the conference final, both teams will play in the David Johnston University Cup national championship tournament slated for March 14 to 17 in Lethbridge, Alta.

    The last time the Huskies won the Canada West title might have been their most memorable conference championship to date. On March 5, 2016 at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies swept the Golden Bears in the Canada West title series 2-0 with a 3-2 victory in Game 2.

    That year, it felt like the Huskies were ordained to win it all.

Logan McVeigh (#14) celebrates a goal in the 2016 Canada West final.

    They were playing to honour the memory of gritty forward and alumnus Cody Smuk, who passed away due to cancer in June of 2015. Smuk, who played for the Huskies from 2010 to 2014, was known for his hard work and being the ultimate glue guy in the dressing room.

    The Huskies brought Smuk’s jersey on to the ice for the post-game celebrations and his family on to the ice for the team picture with the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy and the Canada West championship banner. A number of Smuk’s teammates were still with the Huskies at that time.

    Unfortunately, a 2-1 triple overtime loss in a national semifinal contest to the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men dashed the hopes of winning a U Sports national title. The X-Men’s winning goal came on a power play from a borderline weak checking from behind penalty on Huskies winger Levi Cable.

    Those events made the Huskies 2016 foray to the David Johnston University Cup one of the most heartbreaking ever.

Kendall McFaull shows Cody Smuk's jersey to the crowd in 2016.

    This year, the Huskies will again give it their best shot to win the Canada West and U Sports national titles. Huskies head coach Dave Adolph was named the Canada West coach of the year for the fourth time in his 26 seasons with the team.

    Sophomore Huskies netminder Taran Kozun was named the Canada West goaltender of the year for a sensational season.

    The Golden Bears captured four major individual Canada West awards. Third-year forward Luke Philp was named the player of the year for a second straight campaign after leading Canada West in scoring with 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points.

Carson Stadnyk was a first team Canada West all-star.

    Third-year rearguard Jason Fram claimed defenceman of the year honours, forward Grayson Pawlenchuk was the rookie of the year and fifth-year forward Riley Kieser captured the student-athlete community service award.

    As far as Canada West all-star selections went, Kozun, forward Carson Stadnyk and defenceman Jesse Forsberg picked up first team selections from the Huskies, while forward Kohl Bauml was a second team all-star. Huskies defenceman Gordie Ballhorn made the all-rookie team.

    The conference all-stars from the Golden Bears included Philp and Fram on the first team and netminder Zach Sawchenko, Kieser and forward Cole Sanford named to the second team. Pawlenchuk was named to the all-rookie team.

    The Huskies have won 12 straight games including action in the regular season and playoffs and are rated third in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.

    The Golden Bears have won 15 straight games including action in the regular season and playoffs and are rated first in the U Sport Top 10 rankings.

The Huskies and Golden Bears will faceoff for the Canada West final.

    These teams have one of the best pure rivalries in sports and the Canada West title series will be hotly contested.

    While both sides are deserving of going all the way, the Huskies wouldn’t mind a little help from the hand of fate for once.

    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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