Doyle Suits Up Tonight / ADT Thoughts

It may be a day late and a dollar short for Bronco fans, but for defenseman Eric Doyle, I'm sure he'll take it.

Doyle has been added to tonight's Team WHL roster for the final game of the ADT Canada/Russia Challenge in Prince Albert alongside Raider forward Dustin Cameron.

It doesn't change the fact that Doyle wasn't part of last night's game but it sure is nice to see Eric get recognized for what has been an outstanding season.

Here's the press release:

"Swift Current Broncos’ defenseman Eric Doyle has been added to Team WHL for the ADT Canada/Russia game being held in Prince Albert this evening.

Doyle replaces Kootenay Ice defenseman John Negrin who is ill.

Doyle, 19 years old, from Calgary is currently leading the Broncos in points with 27 and is second in WHL scoring for defensemen. Eric is currently in his 4th WHL season and his second full season in Swift Current.

Doyle joins the top Western Hockey League players tonight for the 6th and final game of the 2008 ADT Canada/Russia Challenge. Team WHL defeated Team Russia 5-0 in Swift Current last night.

Doyle will be back with his Broncos’ team-mates Friday night against the Calgary Hitmen. "



In last night's pre-game show, I had Hockey Canada Head Scout Al Murray on. I asked him Doyle and why he wasn't part of the initial roster.

He told me the WHL and the CHL pick the majority of the players they want to represent their respective league and Doyle wasn't on the submitted roster. He did however give me his take on Doyle's play and season to date.

"All the defenseman that are here (ADT Challenge) are very good. Eric was in tough trying to get a spot against those players. Having said that it wouldn't surprise me if Eric was selected for the team. He's had a real strong season. I've been watching Eric for a long time and I think he's really matured his game. He's become much more assertive.

If there was ever a knock on Eric it was maybe a lack of compete some nights and consistency from shift to shift but he's certainly bringing that now and he's a big part of a real good junior team.

In all honesty, I think he is as good as some of the players that are here but not any better than the players that are here. I think there is qaulity guys here as well." - Murray

Last night was a lot of fun. Here are some notes and quotes from the post-game:

Seattle's Thomas Hickey picked up three assists on the powerplay....

"We were lethal tonight. You never know coming in with a group of guys that have never played with eachother before. Especially so many skilled guys, sometimes there's a tendency to be cute or try too many passes but we had the right mix of shooters and passers and it really showed."

The Pats Jordan Eberle on his two goals and an assist playing with Brandon Wheat Kings forwards Brayden Schenn and Matt Calvert....

"They (Schenn, Calvert) play well. Obviously they play together in Brandon and they have some chemistry and I just tried to fit in where I could. I asked them where (Scott) Glennie fit in on their line back home so I just tried to be like him. It turned out well tonight, we scored the only five-on-five goal tonight and we were happy about that."

Broncos Head Coach/GM Dean Chynoweth on the event and the atmosphere and fan support in the I-plex last night....

"I thought it was excellent. To put on an event of this magnitude and then to see it come off the way it did with fan support, the noise in the building... I just think it's tremendous. For our community here it really puts us again back on the map of one of the better places to play junior hockey"

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The last two days also provided an opportunity to get a lot of interviews for the weekly WHL radio show "Whl This Week". The latest episode will be posted tomorrow on the WHL website.

Thanks to Cory, Jesse, Jeff and Ron from the WHL office for the nice words on the radio show to date. I appreciate it.

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I was having a great time calling last night's game with Tim Kehler and Tim Tisdale until I surfed onto Rod Pedersen's blog in the intermission and read his post about this blog (Keen's Korner) apparently spurring on Bronco fans to boo the Pats players (Eberle/Teubert) in the introductions.

I don't think I have to dignify that post with a response as nothing could be further from the truth and I appreciate local and Pats fans alike coming to my aid in his comments section.

I dunno... some people listen to music on long bus rides to Kamloops, others watch movies, read or sleep....Roddy, you should try that.

But to those who read it right, and to those who heard Eberle in our pre and post-game shows last night you know I got nothing but respect for those two future NHL'ers.

Talk to you in Calgary.....


Jon