WHL Taking Time Releasing Details

Not a lot to report here early in the afternoon on the trade deadline front. Expect a flurry of releases after 4pm our time. As long as the league office has notification before 3pm Calgary time than all is good. I like it actually. It forces a team to worry about their own situation and not react to what another team may do on the deadline. We could see a huge surprise from a team. Maybe a mid-contender throws the next five years down the tube for a huge 07 playoff run? Unlikely but possible.

The Tri City Americans have added a very good defenseman to their roster:

Kennewick, WA – Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory today announced that 19-year-old defenseman T.J. Fast has left the University of Denver Pioneers of the WCHA to join the Americans immediately.The 6’1”, 190 pound Fast is from Calgary, Alberta was a second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.“T.J. will give our team an element that was desperately needed,” said Tory. “He is a tremendous skater and can step right in and quarterback our power play.”In 2004-05 Fast earned all-rookie honors for Camrose of the AJHL while scoring eight goals, 36 points in 58 games. He was a plus 35 defensively. He led Camrose to the AJHL and Western Canadian Championships. In 2005-05 Fast was paired with current San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Carle. Fast is also an avid lacrosse player and played for the University of Denver’s lacrosse team in 05-06.Last season for the Pioneers, Fast appeared in 39 games and had one goal, seven points. In 17 games this season he had four assists.

More later,
Jon

Fitzpatrick's All-Star Bid Falls Short

Alas, Rory Fitzpatrick of the Vancouver Canucks will not be headed to the All-star game in two weeks.

Fitzpatrick fell about 23,000 votes shy of grabbing a starting spot when the Western Conference meets the Eastern Conference in Dallas.

Hey!, what a run though, he still collected 550,000 plus votes. This story has really been the focus of the all-star game so I guess it has accomplished something. So, as I conclude the "Vote For Rory" campaign let me just say one last thing . . . RECOUNT!

Here are the final numbers amongst Western Conference defenseman:

Scott Niedermayer, ANA 591,657
Nicklas Lidstrom, DET 573,069
Rory Fitzpatrick *, VAN 550,177
Chris Pronger, ANA 433,972
Dion Phaneuf, CGY 395,168
Scott Hannan, SJS 378,206
Mattias Ohlund, VAN 326,717
John-Michael Liles, COL 234,598
Sergei Zubov, DAL 225,094
Robyn Regehr, CGY 223,063
Rob Blake, LAK 187,952
Mathieu Schneider, DET 186,431
Lubomir Visnovsky, LAK 177,650

Thanks for playing.

Deadline Update

So, there's an internet rumor flying around about a player swap with Brandon. Disregard it for now. A reliable source has told me there has been nothing in the works with the Wheaties. Although the trade seems to be believable on paper, the flames are not being fanned on this end.

Also, here's something. Lethbridge Hurricanes colorman Dustin Nielsen is reporting the Hurricanes have sent 20 year-old Brad Werenka to the AJHL. Lethbridge now has a vacant 20 year old spot. What do you think that means?

To quote Kelowna Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton "trade deadline time is a like a week long liars convention"

More later as it happens,
Jon

Deadline Drama: 24 Hours Away

The Swift Current Broncos will do something at the deadline. Maybe it's already been done or maybe it's still in the works but the Broncos have or will make a deal.

I'm basing this on the activity around the team and my talk with Dean Chynoweth this morning.

Here's some excerpts from our trade deadline chat.

JK: How's the activity been around the league, lots of interest out there?
DC: There's actually not a lot of sellers right now. I think if you look at the standings and how tight everything is, I think, you know everyone thinks they have a chance right now. Guys are kind of throwing some lines in the water to see what might be out there but it's been pretty quiet and I don't expect a lot.

JK: As far as what you would like to do, maybe a little wishful thinking, but what would you like to do to the roster?
DC: We don't want to weaken our team, we'd like to be able to strengthen it for the future. I think a lot of teams think that we're just discarding our guys and that's the frustrating part because they don't really offer you anything for them. Of course they want Kyle Moir, of course they want Myles Rumsey, of course they want Dane Crowley, Levi Nelson . . . if it's a case of me over-valuing our guys than so be it, you know I like our dressing room and I don't want to tinker with it too much.

JK: You've been open about Kyle Moir all season long about a potential deal. Will he be moved by tomorrow's 4pm deadline?
DC: The one thing with Kyle, and he's made clear with our conversations and meetings, he wants to go to one place and one place only and that's for the obvious reasons for a chance to win a championship in Vancouver. With their aquisition of Wacey Rabbit it hasn't neccessarily closed that door but they'd have to move a guy like Kyle Lamb to be able to bring in another overage. But, from our standpoint if the deal isn't right for us, that helps us now and down the road . . . he's too valuable. I mean we've talked about the importance of goaltending. The one thing I'm excited about in the 2nd half is the possibility of competing for top spot in the division and getting into the playoffs in making some noise.

JK: With some of the players mentioned already, what's the chance of making a major deal before tomorrow's deadline?
DC: I'd have to say a 50/50 chance, there's still a day and a bit here. Our focus is on continuing to make strides as a hockey team and get better for the future - by future I mean immediate future, not draft picks and not players that won't play in the league for a couple of years. I like the direction we're going and you have to be real careful about the moves you make once your team starts to get to a certain point. I think we're nearing that point where our best years are ahead of us and we also want to have a strong finish to this season.

JK: What about some minor tinkering, a good chance that will happen?
DC: You've seen the players we've had up at certain times, I don't think minor tinkering I don't think will do much for us. If you take a long hard look at our list, I know people get sick of hearing this but we like the depth and skill in our youth and now you're starting to see this with guys like Justin Dowling coming up, James Martin on the weekend and Cody Eakin in the pre-season. I mean there are some good players there and if you go down that list of guys that played in the pre-season with guys like Kris Foucalt, Mike Brown, the Rodgers kid and Brad Hoban and these are guys that will push for spots next season. We only have so many spots. If you see the numbers we have we have a log-jam right now. It's fine to have a bunch of good players but they can't all play. It doesn't mean they can't play in the league it just means they all can't be Swift Current Broncos. Maybe one does become expendable in a larger deal.

JK: What about Ned Lukacevic? We saw Wacey Rabbit come back to the league from the AHL. Ned, is presently in the East Coast Hockey League, could we see him back with the Broncos or somewhere in the WHL.
DC: No. I've talked with LA at different times this season on Ned's progress and the one thing you find with some of the NHL teams theire theory is if they can't play in the American League they should be back in junior leading and playing in all situations. That's not the case with LA. They also own their East Coast team and that makes a big difference too because they need to fill bodies there. They don't expect him to be down that long, they think he will be back in the American League soon. So that option isn't one.

Well, there is all sorts of rumors coming at me today. I'm trying to get a hold of my good source in Brandon to confirm something that may take place tomorrow. The Wheat Kings are said to be one of the most active teams at the deadline this year.

Keep it here for the latest,
Jon

Let the Trade Deadline Fun Begin

It appears Saskatoon Blades former captain Wacey Rabbit is back in the WHL. His agent JP Barry worked out a deal to send him from Providence of the AHL back to Saskatoon so he could be traded to Vancouver and get a shot at the Memorial Cup.

Saskatoon in return gets 18 year-old forward Kenton Dulle (Craik, SK native) and a 2008 2nd round bantam pick. I would say pretty good value considering Rabbit had no intentions of playing for the Blades this season. So the Blades make a good deal for the future and no expense of their current roster or future plans. Good for Lorne Molleken, this is a good deal for the Blades.

So here we are, 38 hours to the WHL trade deadline and it appears the a Moir move to Vancouver is dead in the water with Vancouver filling their last 20 year-old spot with Rabbit. He will make his Giants debut this week in Medicine Hat against the Tigers.

So we'll see what the deadline will bring. I've had several fans the last couple days tell me about trades they have heard in the making. They are always interesting, not usually accurate but who's to say if they are fact or fiction. There's only a handful of people around the Broncos that know, I am unfortunately not one of them. Although I will chat with Dean Tuesday morning to get more of a feel for what's going on.

Someone had posted a comment asking how Brady Leavold was doing with his illness. I can tell you he has yet to re-join the team because of the strain he's picked up. The team doesn't want him hanging around if he is sick right? Let's just say he will more than likely not play this weekend. He is resting at home at his billets and hopefully tuning into Broncos hockey on the Eagle 94.1.

In other league news,

Garret Klotz . . . what are you doing?? He was served a gross misconduct and will face supplemental discipline from the WHL for "flipping off" the Prince Albert Raiders bench late in the game in Saskatoon. Klotz had just fought A.J. Thelen from the Raiders when he was being led off the ice by a linesman. Expect about 2 game sit-down for Klotz.

Former Bronco Jason Roberts is this week's CIS player of the week. Roberts plays with the Lethbridge Pronghorns. He was traded to Seattle from here and eventually player for the Camrose Kodiaks - the AJHL champion last season.

Finally, a special shout out to my old college buddy Heath Morin. He now teaches up in Pelly, SK and says he reads the blog everyday. Heath and I had a good time in Lethbridge together attending Broadcast Journalism from 1997-99. Besides broadcasting some local football and hockey games for the local Shaw TV station together, we used to attend most Hurricane home games. We would always cheer for whatever Saskatchewan team was in town that night! He would always get into it with Hurricane fans . . . he's a beauty. We also used to hang out with Jeff Urkevich who was also in our Program. He is now the Director of Communications for the WHL. We used to have some wild times in the basement. If you know Heath, ask him about the cross-check former Hurricanes Bart Rushmer laid on him in a game of basement hockey. He's was digging for the ball in front of the net when Rushmer just crushed him! It was great.

Trade deadline . . . let's hear your predictions!!

Keep it here for all the latest moves and deals.

Ciao,
Jon

Busy Weekend Comes To A Close

Finally a chance to update the blog. It's been a busy weekend with two Bronco games and a "AAA" Legionnaires broadcast this afternoon at the Fairview West. The Battleford Stars picked up the 6-3 win to take both games of the weekend two-game set.

Last night it just wasn't in the cards for the Broncos who lost 6-2 to Regina. Although shots were even 36-36, goaltending was a factor in the Pats win. Travis Yonkman was given the hook 8 minutes in after surrendering the third Pats goal. Kyle Moir took over and made 26/29 saves in relief. Linden Rowat was also much better in the Pats goal than he was Friday night in that 9-0 loss.

Yonkman's struggles come at the absolute worst time. It makes it awfully tough to move Moir at the trade deadline Wednesday when you're not sure about your situation. It just wasn't this game for Yonkman, I didn't think he was very sharp against the Blades New Year's day either. At this point I would say it's 50/50 to see Moir being traded. That number isn't coming from the Broncos front office, is just my gut feeling on the situation.

Geordie Wudrick and Zack Smith scored for the Broncos in the loss who now have most of the week away from game action before beginning a three games in three night stretch in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes Friday.

Hopefully some line-up help will arrive. Daniel Rakos will be back from World Juniors. Kyle Bortis probably won't be ready to go with his ankle injury while Brady Leavold remains a question mark with illness. Derek Claffey should be ready to step back on the blueline after a bout with the flu.

Broncos 2nd round bantam pick in '05 James Martin made his Broncos debut last night. The 15 year-old defenseman saw a number of shifts and looked a bit over his head at times. Acting assistant coach Tim Tisdale called him "tentative" in the post-game show. Something he says is not good when you're a defenseman in the WHL. Martin, a Winnipeg native will be just fine. He has that look to him, you can just see that he will be a good one for the Broncos in years to come. He has a good attitude, a great kid and should grow even more before attending Broncos training camp next fall hoping to make the team as a 16 year-old.

Broncos Head Coach and General Manager Dean Chynoweth will be back in town tomorrow. I'm going to get a trade deadline preview for the radio sportscasts. I'll also post the transcript of our chat here too.

Till tomorrow,
Jon

9-0

You're kidding right? That was the response I had from several people who asked me what the score in the game was last night. I guess if I wasn't there I wouldn't have believed it myself.

No one can really explain it but we'll take it. After a scoreless first period the Broncos went to work scoring five in the 2nd and four more in the 3rd for one of the biggest lopsided wins in years. In my time here I don't remember something like that. I will do some research here and check some things out today. I remember an 8-1 win over Brandon two years ago after the Broncos put up six goals in the third period.

Here what I liked from last night . . . eight different goal scorers. Dale Wiese (2), Levi Nelson, Dane Crowley, Paul Postma, Jeremy Schenderling, Matt Tassone, Phil Gervais and David Stieler. The boys had a fun night last night. Everyone worked together and tried to help eachother out. Did you see Levi Nelson going well out of his way to get Bronco rookie forward Justin Dowling the puck in the third. Dowling, who made his Broncos debut last night looked good but afterwards admitted the pace of the game was very fast compared to what he's used to in the Alberta "AAA" midget league with the UFA Bisons. If you can remember the "Future In Good Hands" where I outlined my top 10 Bronco prospects, I believe Dowling was 2nd or 3rd behind Cody Eakin and Ian Curtis.

Dowling will not play tonight in Regina. He returned home today to play for his UFA Bisons team. He leads that league in scoring with 41 points. Hopefully we'll see him again soon.

I was very concerned with the injuries and sickness at forward heading into the game. No Bortis, Leavold or Rakos. Derek Claffey was sick as well to put a hole in the blueline. But guys like Grant Toulmin, Matt Tassone and Phil Gervais were excellent again. Toulmin didn't score but he deserved one. Tassone had a chance everytime he was on the ice and Gervais was rewarded for his hard-work with a seeing-eye goal in the 2nd.

How about Pats Head Coach Curtis Hunt coming back after a game like that. Here's Hunt, fresh off a World Junior gold medal as an Assistant Coach and his team gets shellacked 9-cobb. That would be tough to take.

Bronco fans, if you were there last night congratulations, that's a game fans will be talking about for a long time. The rematch will be tough tonight in Regina. It's on the Eagle 94.1 FM beginning at 6:30pm with the pre-game show. Former Bronco defenseman Aaron Rome will be our guest before face-off. He made his NHL debut this week with Anaheim. We'll chat about that big night and his time here in Swifty.

Lastly, how about Steven Mah from the Booster newspaper participating in the score-o challenge in the intermission on the ice. Are you kidding? Can you imagine the Leaderposts' Rob Vanstone tonight at the Brandt Center competing in some on-ice challenge? Don't get me wrong, I was cheering for Steve but c'mon man, you're covering the game and not a common fan! Oh well, I guess that's what makes Swifty unique! Switzer and I couldn't stop laughing . . . thanks.

See you at the rink,
Jon

It's Gold For Canada!

Back to back to back World Junior Champs!

Donkey of the Day

Keep smiling Patrik, keep smiling. Did you see him blow that empty net chance last night in Edmonton. He had an uncontested empty-net to salt the game away against the Oilers with 8 seconds and some how lost control of the puck! Edmonton picked it up, moved it 200 feet up the ice for an Alex Hemsky breakaway goal to tie 5-5 before regulation would end! Wild. Dallas made good by winning in a shootout after another Jussi Jokinen "Peter Forsberg" goal.

But if you saw that, you've just witnessed one of the biggest NHL 1st overall draft pick flops in history doing his thing. Way to go Patrik!

Everyone seen this already? It's a 13 year-old kid putting on a breakaway dangle show in practice. Does anyone know where this kid is from? Please post if you know.

Here's the link:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=4146

Broncos will have some key components still missing against the Regina Pats Friday night. Leavold is sick, sounds like it's worse than first thought. Bortis won't play because of that ankle injury and Daniel Rakos will not be back from the World Juniors until after the weekend. Good news is, R.J. Larochelle will return and should be in the line-up.

Ran into Kyle Moir today at practice. He wanted to correct my post . . . he's 0-5 not 0-6 in the playoffs. Sorry Moisy! But as he left for home he shouted "we're going all the way this year" That was good to hear. I love the confidence.

Tim Tisdale will be behind the Broncos bench this weekend as they take on Regina in a home and home series. Do you think Tissy is excited to take on his former team? I would say yes . . . most definitely. He will serve as an Assistant Coach with Dean away on a scouting trip.

Don't forget about the World Junior game. We'll have it on the Eagle at 12 noon.

Till then,
Jon

Canada Proves Me Wrong! Romer Makes NHL Debut

Well, my Canadian World Junior prediction fell through today with Canada advancing to the gold medal game. I has said earlier in "Keen's Korner" that Canada would finish 3rd or 4th but today's win over the U.S. means they will place either 1st or 2nd. I must say Canada was on the ropes in that one and needed that goal with 8 minutes left in the 3rd to force overtime.

Was that shootout something else or what!? Jon Toews has made me a believer. His three snipes in the shootout to win the game was nothing short of spectacular. He went toe-to-toe with the WHL's biggest breakaway threat Peter Mueller and beat him.

You get some of the best 18 and 19 year old talent in the world, give them those slick one-piece sticks, add a god-given quick release and it equals no chance for a goaltender. That's the key in the shootout. Get into a good shooting position in the slot and wire it low or high to a corner. Don't waste time with a high degree of difficulty deke. The Broncos, who are 3-1 in shootouts this season, should've been taking notes today. Guys like Levi Nelson have caught on. He's just skates in and shelves it. Kyle Bortis, Brady Leavold and Dale Wiese should also should be near the shooters list with their ability to fire it.

Canada will play for the gold medal Friday. We'll carry the game against the Russians beginning at noon as we join The Fan 590's coverage.

It's about time for former Broncos defenseman Aaron Rome. He made his NHL debut last night for the Anaheim Ducks in Detroit. He played about 15 minutes and was a -1. He was on the ice for the Red Wings winner in the third period. As I said this morning on the sportscasts, It appears Chris Pronger's broken foot was Rome's foot in the door into the NHL.

Rome played here for parts of three seasons from 2002-2004. He might be my favorite Broncos defenseman in the seven years I've covered the team. Although sometimes he was the whipping boy for fans, Rome could do it all and do it well. Need a quarterback on the powerplay? Check. Need that big bone crushing hit? Check. Need a shut-down d-man to play against the oppositions best line? Check. Need someone to answer the bell and drop the gloves? Done, and done well. He was also a great interview. I'll never forget the time he declared in the pre-game show before the much anticipated game vs Everett that "Mitch Love will play no factor in tonight's game, at all". Or when as a member of the Moose Jaw Warriors when he would subtly mock the trade the Broncos made that sent him to the Warriors while on our broadcast. He knew it and we knew it.

When Rome was on the ice you just had the calming feeling. He was the man. Sure he had some swagger to him, maybe even some cockiness. But he could back it up. I have found out over the years that the best players I've been associated with knew it too. Sometimes in the hockey world it's "nice guys finish last". You need a certain amount of confidence and swagger to succeed at his level. Aaron Rome had it, so did his buddy Ian White. Jeremy Williams and Tyler Redenbach are also on that list. Throw in Nathan Smith, Layne Ulmer and Lawrence Nycholat.

Broncos and the Pats Friday night at 7:30pm from the Civic Center.

See you at the rink,
Jon

p.s. A shout out to former Eagle morning show co-host Kim Johnston in Medicine Hat who has told me he's an everyday reader of the blog. Thanks.

Why the Broncos should trade Moir At the deadline

This is just my opinion but I think it's the right move for the long term of this hockey team. Before you hang me, let me explain.

First up, this is easier said than done. It's not like you can wave the magic wand and voila! It's a process that involves a lot of talk back and forth and it has to be the right fit for both teams. The right offer may never materialize before January 11th and that's fine.

Trading Moir will allow several things to happen for this hockey club. Let's detail them:

1. Trading away the 20 year-old goaltender will free-up a 20 year-old spot for a veteran forward - providing there is one available at the deadline. There seems to be an abundance of 20 year-old defenseman in the league but not a lot of forwards. This is where the magic wand would come in handy.

2. Moving Moir would allow the Broncos to recall top goaltending prospect Ian Curtis for the remainder of the year. The 16 year-old is currently playing in Cowichan Valley of the BCHL. He could come in and play in a handful of games behind Travis Yonkman and should be able to provide some solid goaltending in that role.

3. The move would allow Travis Yonkman to get some valuable WHL playoff experience. Why not get Yonkman some experience now? When the Broncos are a contender next year and the year after it's going to be Yonkman carrying the load in goal. A series or two would pay off in the long run.

4. Kyle Moir has never won a playoff game. Make no mistake, he is the Broncos two-time MVP and has done it all in the regular season. But, he's 0-6 in the playoffs in his career. I think he's the best Broncos goaltender I've seen (B.J. Boxma and Bryce Wandler included), playoffs just hasn't been his thing.

5. Moir deserves a shot with a WHL championship contender. He's closing in on Jeff Calvert's all-time mark of most games played as a WHL goaltender. He's paid his dues and could compliment a team down the stretch that wants to shore-up their goaltending.

These factors make it obvious to me. But, as I pointed out earlier the right offer may never come before the 11th. If it's a 3rd round draft pick in return, they can't make that move. The Broncos need a body or two in return to help them. That may be more than other teams are willing to pay for Moir's services.

If Moir is still a Bronco after January 11th then great! He has some unfinished business with this team and would be motivated to end his WHL career on a strong note.

I think we should trust any decision the Broncos management makes in this regard. They will do what's best for the present and the future of the hockey club.

Now, do you agree or disagree and why?

New Year Rings in With Loss

The Broncos just couldn't put it together for a third straight win in Saskatoon. Instead the leagues hottest team in the Saskatoon Blades have now won seven straight contests.

The first period really told the story. Although scoring chances were in favor of the Broncos, they found themselves down 2-0 through 20 minutes after the Blades scored two goals within a minute late in the period.

Garrett Zemlak played strong throughout the game in goal for the Blades for the 5-2 win.

Injuries are starting to be a bit of a concern for the Broncos. With Brady Leavold out with sickness, Kyle Bortis suffered an ankle injury against the Blades after crashing feet first into the end boards. His status for Friday night's game against the Regina Pats is unknown. R.J. Larochelle missed the game as well with a hand injury sustained in that fight with Chris Stevens Saturday night. He should be ready for Friday night but no guarantees. Also, Daniel Rakos remains at the World Junior Championships in Sweden with the Czech Republic.

Broncos Assistant Coach Dave Hunchak takes over the head coaching duties this upcoming weekend with Dean Chynoweth away taking care of some General Manager duties.

I always joke around with Hunch about his perfect .1000 career WHL coaching percentage. He's 4-0 when filling in for Chynoweth. He doesn't pay much attention to it and always shrugs it off. He may have the best win percentage in WHL history but he still has one more win to go to match my 5-0 mark in the Black/White Intersqaud game!

While away Chynoweth will head west to check out some of the list players including goaltender Ian Curtis and forward Clayton Cumiskey who both play in the BCHL.

He will also check in with Riley Nash. The Broncos 3rd round bantam pick from three years ago. The 17 year-old has balked at coming to Swift Current in the past. Word is he wants to play at home with the Kamloops Blazers or will pursue the college route. Nash is putting up some big numbers in BC Junior "A" at Salmon Arm.

Nash should realize that he could be in Swift Current for the start of something special in the future with the Broncos. With all the up and coming talent and a strong core of 17 and 18 year-olds the Broncos will be a WHL championship contender very soon. Nash would compliment that group very nicely. Instead, he's underachieving playing in the inferior BCHL.

Nash has never ruled out the Broncos and I'm hoping he comes around. He did meet up with the Broncos two seasons ago when the Broncos played in Kamloops. But the fact he didn't even attend training camp this year may speak volumes.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm really excited for the future of this team. I would however like to see some of the prospects get a call-up at some point this season. It would be great to see players like Cody Eakin, Jordan Mistelbacher, Ian Curtis, Justin Dowling, Brad Hoban, Clayton Cumiskey and others make their WHL debut at some point this season.

We'll see what the New Year brings . . .

Great Way to End '06

The Swift Current Broncos picked a great time to end a 12-game losing streak to the Medicine Hat Tigers following a spirited 5-2 win last night at the Civic Center.

The game started with a bang when R.J. Larochelle and Chris Stevens scrapped one second into the game. They traded the right hands pretty good. It was when R.J. got the left hand going when the tide seemed to turn in his favor. He left the game with a hand injury and didn't return. Although in the postgame show Broncos Assistant Coach Dave Hunchak didn't feel the injury was serious and that he may play tomorrow afternoon in Saskatoon.

Two goals by Levi Nelson, two from Kyle Bortis and a single from David Stieler would pace the Broncos to the victory. Kyle Moir was great at time making 36 saves for the win.

It was the first Broncos win against the Tigers since November '05. That night the Broncos also won 5-2 at the Civic Center.

Make no mistake the Tigers will be back. When you delete Kris Russell, Darren Helm, David Schlemko, Tyler Swystun, Daine Todd and Jakub Rumpel from the line-up you aren't going to be playing up to your full potential.

Ryan Molle continues to impress me in his "utility role". Wherever the Broncos need him he's there to fill in and play well. He has the "Coaches Award" at year end wrapped up in my opinion.

I was happy to see most of the WHL broadcasters use our two part feature on the Broncos Bus Crash on their broadcasts this weekend. It's good to see these other WHL markets recognize this event - as tragic as it was. Some even honored the four fallen Broncos with a moment of silence before puck drop. Maybe the present Broncos received a lift from the emotional night.

What a crowd last night! Best of the year maybe?? For the most part the hillbilly Tiger fans stayed home. We didn't see a "sea of orange" in the stands last night. Just a few pockets of Med Hat fans were in the building. Most Hat fans are good but we have seen some jack-ass worthy performances at the Civic Center from some fans from Tiger town.

Hey! It seems the East division hasn't been the leagues punching bag lately. Last night the Broncos beat the Central division leading Tigers, the Wheat Kings went into Calgary and beat the Hitmen and the Moose Jaw Warriors picked up a road win in Kelowna. Let's see what Prince Albert can do tonight in Kootenay.

The Broncos play a New Year's Day matinee is Saskatoon tomorrow afternoon. We will have the action for you on the Eagle 94.1 FM beginning at 3:30pm with the pre-game show, 4pm face-off. Safe to say the Broncos owe the Blades one or two. The Blades have won six games in a row - the longest current winning streak in the 'dub. All six have come against East division teams. They are in the midst of playing 10 straight games against teams from their own division. The Broncos have been streak-killers this season. They ended a Brandon six-game winning streak earlier, A Lethbridge five-gamer and on Friday night they snapped Prince Albert's six game streak.

Let's see if they can play spoiler again . . .

Happy New Year!
Jon

Remembering Our Broncos

No words today. Part two of our Broncos bus crash 20th anniversary airs tonight at 7pm on the Eagle 94.1 FM.

Let's all take a moment today to remember.

Don't miss Friday/Saturday's Broncos pre-game show

Hey all,

Well it's time to kick-off the 2nd half as the Broncos host the Raiders tonight and then the Medicine Hat Tigers tomorrow . . .less than two weeks away 'till trade deadline.

You want to keep updated on all the trades Monday? Check back often to "Keen's Korner" for the latest deals, rumors, and everything else in-between. Have a trade idea? Leave a comment and tell me what you think the Broncos should do.

I've been working the past while on a "Four Broncos" 20 year anniversary of the bus crash feature for the Broncos pre-game show. I think I will have enough for two parts that will run Friday and Saturday. It will include stories, audio and the events immediately afterwards from such former players like Tim Tisdale and Bob Wilkie, Assistant Coach at the time Lorne Frey and former radio play-by-play voice John Enns. It will also include some of the more heart-wrenching moments of the Broncos Memorial Service held January 4th, 1987 at the Civic Center.

I must admit, listening back to some of these stories and hearing the Service has been really tough to do. I can't imagine what that must have been like. So many stories, so many gripping moments - like team captain Kurt Lackten addressing those at the Service. Or Broncos President John Rittinger making the statement that no Bronco will ever wear the numbers 8,9,11, or 22 in honor of the four players.

At the time of the accident, Broncos current Head Coach and G.M. Dean Chynoweth was a 17 year-old defenseman with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He attended the Service at the Civic Center and has some vivid memories of the event. Dean's dad Ed Chynoweth also spoke if some remember.

Part one tomorrow night before the Raiders, part two Saturday, December 30th on the day of the 20 year anniversary when the Broncos host the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The Broncos will honor the anniversary with a moment of silence before puck-drop that night.

Look out for the streaking Raiders! They've won six in a row and are 8-1 in the month of December. Their only loss this month came to the Broncos up in Prince Albert December 6th, 3-2 In fact the Broncos have won all three previous meetings. Both teams are tied for 2nd in the East division - five points back of Brandon for the division lead.

I talked to some of the guys on Thursday at the rink. They all seem excited to get the 2nd half underway and I got a very positive vibe from the one's I talked to. It could be a rough 1st period though as the Broncos try to shake-off the game rust. They haven't played in 13 days.

Canada shoots for their 3rd straight win at the World Juniors today against Germany. You can catch the game on the Eagle 94.1 FM beginning with the pre-game show at 11:30 am. The Germans might be the toughest round-robin test the Broncos will have. A win over the Germans would almost guarantee an "A" pool win and a bye to the semi-final round.

I've been impressed with Canada at the tournament so far. Although they've let their guard down a few times, they've played as well as anyone at the tournament so far.

Bronco centerman Daniel Rakos and his native Czech Republic are struggling. He's yet to find the scoresheet as the Czech's have lost the first two games they've been in. Another loss and is could be off to the relegation round for Danny boy and his country-mates.

The latest "Vote For Rory" news is hilarious. The folks at voteforrory.com have come up with some American election campaign-type attack adds on some of the defenseman he's battling with to make the all-star team. In particular they go after Scott Neidermeyer and Nick Lidstrom.

Here's the links . . . check it out for a laugh or two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL0ZTcPnMIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wMzSbFQ5x4

Go Broncos Go . . . we're on the air tonight at 7pm with the pre-game show.

Regards,
Jon

I'm Back!

Well it's been a long holiday and now I'm ready to get back at it. Check back for daily updates once again . . .

Some bad news to pass your way as local hockey legend Stan Dunn passed away on Friday at his home in Turtle Lake.

Dunn was 77. He coached the Broncos in the early 70's and was one of the first inducted into the Broncos Hall of Fame.

I'll have a Stan Dunn tribute in an upcoming Broncos pre-game show, quite possibly for tomorrow night.

More later,

Jon

All is Quiet

Humboldt - There's only so many card games one can play with the family . . . so I'd thought I'd post something quick.

I've been totally disconnected from the outside sports world. If it wasn't for Ernie's "Dallas Stars" updates I'd have no idea what was going on! Thanks Big Ern.

Here we are, two days before the WJHC and Canada was 1-1 in exhibition action. I'm going to stick to my pre-tournament prediction of a 3rd or 4th place finish. They did little to impress me in exhibition play.

I still haven't seen the "sucker-punch" incident in the NHL that netted a 9-game suspension. That type of play is one of the dirtiest plays one can do. Anaheim Ducks Travis Moen was suckered when he played with the Kelowna Rockets by Derek Parker . . . it pretty much ended his season for all intensive purposes. Think of the Bertuzzi/Steve Moore incident. That has ended Moore's career.

Good luck to the "AAA" Wildcats girls midget team who depart for the Mac's Midget Tournament in Calgary. Also, we'll be watching that midget team out of Hershey, PA that has dedicated their play to the four Broncos who lost their lives 20 years ago in the bus crash.

Merry Christmas,
Jon

Rory Strikes Back and a Bold Prediction

Humboldt, SK - Hey all,

I'm up in Humboldt, SK home of the Broncos . . . of the SJHL. I'll be here the next couple days before heading over to Lanigan for some Christmas cheer. It's been an awful start to the break. The neighbor across the street backed into my car this morning, a quick $843 repair job. Merry Christmas!

First up, I appreciate every comment, good or bad. It lets me know people are checking things out. The site hits have been through the roof in December so thanks to everyone who surfed on in. Let's just keep the poor language down a bit. My mom reads this! haha. There seems to be one poster who I've rubbed the wrong way. Nice "anonymous" comments. That takes guts to take a shot under "anonymous poster". At least everything I do I put my name to it. That's ok. In fact that poster had the 3rd most visits to this site last week so that's good news! I could delete comments but I choose not to so let's hear it!

Well Rory Fitzpatrick is now 2nd amongst Western Conference defenseman in the NHL All-star balloting. How 'bout that! If that holds up, Fitzpatrick will be starting on the blue-line for the Western All-stars alongside Scott Niedermeyer. Here's the story from nhl.com:

NEW YORK (CP) - Rory Fitzpatrick is on the verge of becoming an NHL all-star.
Fitzpatrick, a journeyman defenceman with the Vancouver Canucks, is second in voting among Western Conference blue-liners in results released Wednesday by the league. Fitzpatrick has 428,832 votes, trailing only Anaheim Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer (447,502).
Should Fitzpatrick remain in the top two by the time voting ends Jan. 2, he will earn a spot in the all-star game as a write-in candidate with just nine goals and 18 assists in 229 career NHL games.
The movement to send Fitzpatrick to the all-star game Jan. 24 in Dallas began with a fan website, voteforrory.com. The phenomenon has since found its way into print and TV media, vaulting the unheralded Fitzpatrick ahead of all-star veterans Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit (427,364), Chris Pronger of Anaheim (340,941) and Sergei Zubov of Dallas (172,334).
Fitzpatrick has yet to record a point in 19 games this season, returning to the lineup Dec. 14 after missing over a month with a broken bone in his left ankle.

It looks like the "Vote for Rory" campaign has been a big hit!

Ok, now to the bold prediction. For those die-hard Canadian hockey fans like myself this is tough to take but . . . .Canada will be hard pressed to win a medal at the WJHC.

I love watching Canada's World Junior team, it's my favorite hockey event of the year other than the WHL playoffs. I just think we're due for a bit of a letdown as we saw in Italy at the Winter Olympics. I don't think we have the scoring compared to the Americans or the depth some of the other teams have. I can see a quarter-final or semi-final upset in the making. I hope I'm proved wrong here. The "x" factor will be head coach Craig Hartsburg. I doubt he will be able to get the most out of the players like Brent Sutter did the last two seasons.

If Hartsburg can, and Canada can be the "hardest working team" in the tournament as he said their motto is this year, then maybe they can get to the gold medal game. It will be against the Americans who are stronger and better than last tournament minus Phil Kessell (and his big league attitude) that hurt the Americans in last year's tournament in Vancouver. Word is the Americans strutted around Vancouver like they couldn't be touched. Their egos got in their way. Terrible coaching to let that happen on such a big stage.

So you heard it here first, Canada just misses out of the medals finishing 4th, or they just sneak out the Bronze beating the host Swedes in the bronze medal game.

Your thoughts?

Rakos Makes Czech U-20 Junior Team

First of all, my Czech isn't that good . . . but it looks like Danny Rakos made the Czech junior team and even assisted on the team's first goal against the U.S.A. in exhibition action.

Can you make sense of this game summary of the Czech hockey website?? It appeats the U.S.A. won 6-3 and Danny assisted on the first goal by Cerny?.

Výsledek přípravného utkání české dvacítky před mistrovstvím světa:
ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA "20" - USA "20" 3:6 (1:2, 1:4, 1:0).
Branky a nahrávky: 9. Černý (Rákos, Květoň), 22. Sobotka (Káňa, Vojta), 51. Frolík (Voráček, Bartoň) - 17. Gerbe (Kane), 20. Carman (Chorney), 28. van Riemsdyk (E. Johnson, Kane), 28. J. Johnson (Mueller, Okposo), 39. Gerbe (Kane, Mueller), 40. Lewis (Okposo, Stoa).Rozhodčí: Sjöberg - Dahmen, Winge (všichni Švédsko).Vyloučení: 5:9.Využití: 1:2.Diváků: 375.Hráno: 20. prosince v Norrtälje (přátelský zápas).Sestavy:Česká republika: Pavelec (30. Kovář) - Poživil, Kindl, Vojta, Suchý, Kolarz, Lesák, Trončinský, Bartoň - Řepík, Kuchejda, Hanzal - Svoboda, Sobotka, Káňa - Pospíšil, Frolík, Voráček - Černý, Rákos, Květoň. Trenéři: Bednář a Trličík.USA: Zatkoff - E. Johnson, Chorney, Lawson, J. Johnson, Zimmerman, Lee, McBain - Kane, Mueller, Gerbe - Okposo, Lewis, Stoa - van Riemsdyk, Abdelkader, Skille - Sweatt, Carman, geoffrion - Fraser. Trenér: Roulston.

The Americans again on paper appear to be the tournament favorties. Peter Mueller, Kyle Okposo, Eric Johnson, Jack Johnson, Jack Skille. Another great sqaud. We'll see if they fold up again like they did in Vancouver.

Happy Holidays,
Jon

Christmas Break Has Arrived

Well, it wasn't the best of final weekends for the Broncos before wrapping up the first half of the season. Two uninspired efforts against the Blades resulted in only one point after a 5-4 shootout loss Saturday night in S'toon. A lot of people thought four points was possible but alas, the Broncos hit the break in 2nd spot in the East, four points back of Brandon for the division lead.

Last night I thought the team would put forth a spirited effort judging by my "Behind the Bench" interview with Dean Chynoweth where I'm sure the hostility came through loud and clear to listeners. Here's some highlights from the 4 minute chat before face-off.

JK: Do you think teams have figured out your penalty kill or do you think it's just in a bit of a lull right now?

DC: Figured it out? In what sense?

JK: A sense in that other teams have been able to score goals lately when maybe earlier this season they weren't doing it .

DC: (pause) . . . well there's been different fore-checks used, different . . .you know you look at the goals scored last night, the winning goal, went off how many guys, two?

JK: (pause) . . . yea, two or three, but fact is the Blades powerplay is 7 for it last 13, is that a focus tonight to stop the powerplay.

DC: It's a focus every night.

JK: Safe to say it's a hostile environment in your dressing room before face-off?

DC: Well I'm not very happy Jon as you can probably tell, I think, you know we had an opportunity again, missed, which we've said a number of different times this year and I chalk it up to a lack of respect for your opponent. When teams underneath are beating you, we're in no means in any position to take anybody for granted. We're considered the weaker division of the four in the league period and you have to go out and earn it and prove it each and every night. I was disappointed with the 2nd period and it finally caught up to us. In some games yeah, we were able to fight back and have that late surge but in those games also our 2nd period was poor. So it it's something that needs to be addressed and it needs to be tonight.

JK: It could get physical tonight, could be a bit of a war. We've seen in the past both teams are willing to stick up for eachother, so who knows what could happen.

DC: Well maybe that'll light a fire is some guys There's a few guys that need to drop the gloves.

JK: Alright Dean, hey, should be an interesting game tonight, thanks for your time.

DC: . . . . . . .


The referees were awful last night. The two man crew of Sheldon Dean (who?) and Derek Herman didn't have a grasp of anything. I may have been extra hard on them last night but I was trying to make a point. You see, WHL Referee Supervisor Lyle Wilhelm was in the spot next to me in the press box and I was making sure he heard every word I said. The powerplays ended up 8-3 in favor of the Blades including two 5-on-3's for the Saskatoon in which they scored on one of them. The Blades first goal was a result of Grant Toulmin being tackled which forced a turnover and led to the goal. At one point I turned my mic off and said to Lyle "how do you not call that??" By the end of the night he had written about 3 pages in his little notebook. Let's hope he read the riot act to those two officials last night. Wishful thinking on my part, that would never happen.

Good job Ryan Molle. Not only did he get his first ever WHL point, he got his second too! Two assists against the Blades. His 2nd one was fantastic as he show good patience to set up Dale Wiese with a nice pass that led to a tap-in. There's your plug Molls . . . just like you asked for.

So let's break down the first half. Let's first look at the realistic goals entering this season. The Broncos were pegged going in by many to finish somewhere between 3rd and 5th in the East division. With the first half of the season in the books they sit 2nd, and only four points out of first place. They have faced plenty of adversity by so has every team in the WHL - just some more than others.

They didn't go on a long losing streak but they didn't go on a long winning one either. There was three or four occasions in the first half where the Broncos could have strung a 4th or 5th win in a row but were bitten by a team lower in the standings to stunt their hopes. This team has been on the verge of becoming a top half team in the WHL, but just as it appears to be headed that way, they lose to Moose Jaw (2) or Saskatoon (3) to bring them back down to reality.

Goaltending has been up and down but for the most part has been very good. The biggest thing the goaltending has shown in the first half is that there is life after Kyle Moir. Travis Yonkman has provided this team with some solid outings and will be completely able to handle the #1 spot at some point this season or next season. His 2.85 GAA and .905 of save percentage has been solid. I like his athleticism, how he competes, the way he handles the puck and takes care of rebounds. The only thing he's lacking now is that absolute game-saver type save we've seen from Moir time and time again. That will come the more Yonkman plays.

On defense, I like our depth and physical play. We have seven defenseman that have played in every situation. They have been very good for the most part led by Myles Rumsey and Dane Crowley. Crowley will be an excellent captain next season. Mike Wilson, Derek Claffey, Paul Postma and Ryan Molle have played great minus a few gaffs which is to be expected over the course of the year. I do however want to see Postma develop into the offensive d-man as he was touted. 37 games in and he's yet to score. Just think of all the PP time he has been given this season. I'm more than willing to give him a few more looks on the PP in the 2nd half but if he stumbles, we'll need the coaches to explore other options. Problem is those options might not be the answer either. Posty needed this Christmas break, I could see it in his eyes. The kid needs a confidence boost in a big way. Something is bound to go his way shortly. I hope he finds it at home surrounded by friends and family. He needs to shake-off that first half and come back with a positive attitude and ready to play.

The Broncos trade deadline focus has to be the need for a PP quarterback. It might cost something big though. Are we willing to deal the future for the present season? We have to ask ourselves that. Is David Schlemko still available in the 'Hat? It could be a fit but for what price? Not for Levi, not for Crowley, not for Wiese. I have a feeling that's what other teams have been calling for but we can't move those three pieces of the puzzle for next year's team.

As for the forward unit . . . the Broncos have summed up the "scoring by committee" motto to a tee. Check out these goal numbers:

Dale Wiese (11)
Daniel Rakos (10)
Jeremy Schenderling (10)
Geordie Wudrick (9)
Kyle Bortis (8)
Brady Leavold (8)
Zack Smith (8)
Levi Nelson (7)

Four goals separate our top goal scorer from our 8th. If the Broncos can find just one 30 goal man this season and have the rest of the 7 reach the 20 goal plateau that will be just fine.

The late emergence of Grant Toulmin and Matt Tassone offensively also bodes well for the 2nd half. Spencer Mcavoy wants to contribute more but will need to make a good impression when he gets back onto the top two lines. Phil Gervais must continue his bang and crash style and just do whatever is asked of him in his rookies season. Also, look for David Stieler to have a much improved 2nd half just like Daniel Rakos did in his rookie season. Suddenly this style of play won't be quite so foreign to this import center.

Prognosis:

After an 18-17-1-1 start in the first half I think this team can shoot for a 35 to 38 win season. It should be good enough for 2nd or 3rd in the East and then it's rock and roll time in the playoffs.

Now, let's hear from you! Leave a comment or two. Your turn.

See you in the 2nd half, enjoy your Christmas!

Jon

Time to Catch Up

Sorry for the delay in postings, it's been quite busy with work and following the Broncos around the countryside . . . look for a weekend and first half wrap-up later today. I'll even recap a no-holds barred battle on the airwaves between Deano and myself from Saturday night's game.

World Junior Team Announced

Here's the story courtesy from tsn.ca . . . hot off the press.


Hockey Canada has released the last six players from its selection roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship, with Lewiston goaltender Jonathan Bernier, London Knights netminder Steve Mason, Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Dustin Kohn, Brendan Mikkelson of the Vancouver Giants, Mississauga Ice Dogs forward Cody Bass and Gatineau forward Claude Giroux going back to their junior clubs.
Other cuts from the final roster on Thursday included goaltender Trevor Cann of the Peterborough Petes, Guelph defenceman Drew Doughty, blueliner Keaton Ellerby of the Kamloops Blazers, Saginaw defenceman Patrick McNeill, Brandon Wheat Kings forward Codey Burki, centre Ben Maxwell of the Kootenay Ice, Acadie-Bathurst's Mathieu Perreault, Prince George winger Devin Setoguchi, Chris Stewart of the Kingston Frontenacs, Quebec Remparts forward Angelo Esposito and Oshawa Generals forward John Tavares.
Mason, Giroux, Tavares, Esposito, Doughty, Cann, Ellerby, Maxwell and Perreault are eligible to return and try out for the 2008 National Junior Team.
The 2007 roster features 11 players from Brent Sutter's squad that took gold in Vancouver last January. Two 17-year-old players - forward Sam Gagner of the London Knights and Calgary Hitmen defenceman Karl Alzner - are already touted as top prospects for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Canada plays its first game of the 2007 World Juniors on Boxing Day against the host Swedes.

Here's the final World Junior roster:

Goaltenders
Leland Irving
Carey Price

Defence
Karl Alzner
Luc Bourdon
Cody Franson
Kristopher Letang
Ryan Parent
Kris Russell
Marc Staal

Forwards
Daniel Bertram
Marc-Andre Cliche
Andrew Cogliano
Steve Downie
Sam Gagner
Darren Helm
Bryan Little
Brad Marchand
Kenndal McArdle
James Neal
Ryan O'Marra
Tom Pyatt
Jonathan Toews

Third Post of the Day!

Canada cuts 11 players from World Junior Camp . . .

Here's the story of the TSN website.

Hockey Canada cut 11 players from its 39-man selection roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship on Thursday, including Oshawa Generals forward John Tavares and Quebec Remparts forward Angelo Esposito.
Other cuts from the final roster include goaltender Trevor Cann of the Peterborough Petes, Guelph defenceman Drew Doughty, blueliner Keaton Ellerby of the Kamloops Blazers, Saginaw defenceman Patrick McNeill, Brandon Wheat Kings forward Codey Burki, centre Ben Maxwell of the Kootenay Ice, Acadie-Bathurst's Mathieu Perreault, Prince George winger Devin Setoguchi and Chris Stewart of the Kingston Frontenacs.
Hockey Canada plans to have 17 players released by Friday morning, leaving six more cuts to be made.
The remaining Team Canada hopefuls will play against a CIS team on Thursday night prior to the final team being named. Canada plays its first game of the 2007 World Juniors in Sweden on Boxing Day against the host Swedes.
Related Info

Tavares, already touted as a top pick for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, drew a lot of attention in 2005 when the Canadian Hockey League declared him an 'exceptional player' so that he could be drafted into the OHL at age 14.

The 16-year-old has 29 goals with the Oshawa Generals this season and is in the top five in the OHL scoring race with 52 points in 27 games.
Tavares also led the league in goals scored by a rookie last year with 45 in 65 games. His 77 points put him second among OHL rookies.
Esposito, a top prospect for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, has been cut from the final roster for the second year in a row. The 17-year-old scored 39 goals and 98 points in 2005-06 and helped lead Quebec to a Memorial Cup last spring. He is among the QMJHL scoring leaders this season with 17 goals and 48 points in 31 games.
Setoguchi, a first-round selection of the San Jose Sharks in 2005, was also cut from the final roster for the second straight year. In 23 games with the Cougars this season, Setoguchi has registered nine goals and 18 points.
Cann was a last-minute invitation to camp because netminder Steve Mason of the London Knights was suffering concussion-like symptoms from a game played the previous night.

Ok, enough blogging for one day.

Jon

A Great Story

Here's a story from Slam Sports I was recently directed to by Jim Ginther. Thanks Jim. This is a great story about honouring the four young men who died in the Broncos bus crash almost 20 years ago.

Former Bronco Bob Wilkie will honour the four at the upcoming Mac's "AAA" Tournament in Calgary.

This is courtesy Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. One of the best hockey reporters in the biz.


Bob Wilkie vividly remembers Trent Kresse standing up as the Swift Current Broncos bus started to slide.
"Don't worry," said Kresse, "everything will be OK."
Minutes later, when Wilkie awoke, Kresse was dead.
So too was Scotty Kruger, who lay lifeless in a Saskatchewan field after their team bus slid off an overpass during a snowstorm.
With blood on his face and a sharp pain in his hip, a dazed Wilkie immediately started searching for his shoes in the overturned bus. What he found instead were the legs of Brent Ruff whose torso was pinned under the vehicle. Seconds later he saw a bloodied Chris Mantyka reaching out towards him, unable to speak as he was being crushed to death.
Wilkie was only 17.
"I remember sitting on the side of the cold highway crying and wondering why I was left and they were taken," said Wilkie yesterday from his sports store in Hershey, Pa.
"Twenty years later, I have my answer. I finally know what 'it'll be OK' means. Twenty years later I'm here and you know what, I'm OK. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to."
Almost two decades after the foursome playing cards beside Wilkie were killed, the 37-year-old Calgarian is about to pay stirring tribute to his Broncos teammates the best way he knows how.
On the heels of a stellar minor pro hockey career that saw him win Air Canada, Memorial, Calder and Turner Cups, the man who was part of the first Calgary team ever to win the Mac's tournament is bringing a club from Hershey to participate in the 29th annual midget hockey showcase starting Boxing Day.
And they're dedicating their play to the fallen four.
"I was really close to those four guys," said the former Calgary Wranglers defenceman, whose team will wear commemorative patches with the four players' numbers. "They've never left me and I've never forgotten them.
"And I never will. What happened that day has gotten me through a lot of tough situations in my life because I recall getting through that and being stronger for it."
Making Wilkie's return even more dramatic is the fact that two days before the Dec. 30 bus crash anniversary, his team will play his former Buffaloes club in the 8 p.m. feature game Dec. 28 at Max Bell.
"That should be emotional," said the husband and father who struggled with the crash for years, playing 18 NHL games as Detroit's 41st overall pick in 1987.
"The thing that keeps coming up in my head is the Lion King -- it's the circle of life. I've come full circle."
Helping complete the circle is Medallion Developments owner Jeff Colvin, who learned of Wilkie's Mac's dream and put up more than $35,000 to make it a reality and bring the team to Calgary.
"Jeff is an unbelievable individual to be so giving to a group of kids in another country he's never met," said Wilkie, proud coach of the Medallion Generals.
"It shows there is a lot of good out there. The kids can't sleep at night. They know it's the trip of a lifetime."
A trip born out of tragedy, turned into a triumph.

A great read isn't it?

I spoke with Bob today in Hershey. He'll be featured on an upcoming Broncos broadcast along with former players and coaches that were on the bus that day.

Jon

Are You Kidding Me?

I think the common catch phrase applies here following another dramatic Broncos victory, this time a 4-3 shootout win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

For the 2nd straight game, the Broncos tied things up in the last 10 seconds - last night it was David Stieler's turn. His goal with the 'tender pulled and with 8 seconds remaining helped the Broncos pull out two points. Again, they found a way to win instead of last year's theme of "finding a way to lose".

Don't look now, but the Broncos now trail Brandon by two points for the division lead. At what point it was a 9 point gap.

Boy, was it quiet at the Chinook Library . . . er, Civic Center last night until the last minute of the game. You could hear the buzz of the lights over the sparse crowd at times . . . where is everybody?? I would like to hear from you on this one. Why are the crowds down this season? Your thoughts. Kudos, to those in attendance who started making some noise for the final minute as the Broncos came out of the time-out looking for that tying goal. Again, somehow they did it.

The Broncos are now 3-0 in shootouts this season - a far cry from last year's struggles. Last year, I disliked the shootout with a passion, now I love it! Winning can do that I guess, I'm on the shootout bandwagon! That is, until we lose.

Dale Wiese was a physical force as he bashed some bodies early in the game including a steam cleaning of Yashar Farmanara. Heads up Yash! He also had a goal and two assists and was named the games 1st star.

Kyle Bortis was firmly planted in the middle of the bench for the third period. The coaching staff taking some exception to how he was playing last night. Kyle was playing with the full face-shield after taking a puck to the face in practice. In my opinion, he was concerned about taking a shot to the same area and seemed to avoid the dirty areas last night.

Anyone else notice how much better Grant Toulmin is looking lately. The last two games he's never seen more ice-time.

How 'bout the Blades? They snap a 9 game losing skid with a 6-1 thrashing of Moose Jaw last night. The Blades connecting on four powerplay goals. The Broncos host the Blades tomorrow night.

Two games 'till the Christmas break. I may be looking more forward to the time-off than some of the players.

More to come . . . later. For now, back to my real job. Another early morning here in radioland,

Thanks for visiting,
Jon

Trades, Scraps and Rory's Slow Demise

Lots to talk about today!

First up, the Moose Jaw Warriors made off very well in a player swap with Everett today. Warriors G.M. Chad Lang must be owed some favors from Silvertips G.M. Doug Soetart. The Warriors get former “AAA” Legionnaire Cody Thoring plus forward Brady Calla who was 3rd round NHL pick this past summer and a 6th round bantam pick. In return, the ‘Tips get defenseman Jesse Zetariuk and forward Carter Smith. That’s it, that’s all. The Warriors get a steady d-man in Thoring who was the Silvertips’ captain. Calla was projected to have put up more offensive numbers this season but it hasn’t happened for him. The ‘Tips get Carter Smith - a 3rd or 4th line forward at best and Zetariuk who is actually turning into a pretty good PP quarterback. Decision: Moose Jaw.

The Broncos host Lethbridge (16-15-2-1) Wednesday night. It is the third meeting of the season between the teams with the Broncos taking both previous games. The first meeting saw Kyle Moir make 48 saves for a 2-1 win at the Civic Center. The ‘Canes have loads of offensive talent with the WHL’s leading goal scorer in Kris Hogg (24), plus Zach Boychuk who is having a solid 17 year-old season. They have won five straight games but continue to be the cellar dweller in the tough Central division.

The Broncos (17-16-1) are playing better hockey and have a chance to pick-up 20 wins in the first half of the season if they can win their last three games (Leth, Saskatoon, Saskatoon). They have won four of their last five but will be without import Daniel Rakos who is back home competing for a spot on the Czech national junior team. Should be a great match-up.

It was a scrappy practice Tuesday in Broncoland. The boys were competing hard and actually a pair of forwards dropped the gloves with each other. Some might cringe at the fact of teammates fighting teammates but I think it’s good once in awhile. It shows it was an intense practice and the old adage “practice like you play” was in full effect. It happens at every level. Even in the NHL. As long as no one gets hurt I don’t see a major problem with it. Just think how many times in the workplace you get in a disagreement with somebody. In the office you might avoid that person for a month but on the ice, it’s settled in seconds and you move on. Done deal.

Bad news for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick. It seems the “Vote for Rory” campaign is losing momentum. The NHL released the latest numbers and Fitzpatrick actually dropped from 5th to 6th among Western Conference defenseman. Here’s the latest numbers:

Defensemen
Scott Niedermayer Anaheim 390,028
Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit 371,037
Chris Pronger Anaheim 282,528
Scott Hannan San Jose 276,862
Dion Phaneuf Calgary 274,682
*Rory Fitzpatrick Vancouver 269,048
Mattias Ohlund Vancouver 188,511
Robyn Regehr Calgary 153,230
John-Michael Liles Colorado 151,985
Sergei Zubov Dallas 143,302
Mathieu Schneider Detroit 117,518
Rob Blake Los Angeles 107,369
Lubomir Visnovsky Los Angeles 95,658
--
From my perspective it looks like “Vote for Rory” is dying fast.

Broncos and Hurricanes on the Eagle 94.1 FM. Pre-game show at 7pm, play-by-play with Switzer and myself at 7:30pm.

See you at the rink,
Jon

Me & Moler

I always laugh when I see that picture!

This is Chris, aka Moler. He's my colorman whenever I go to Saskatoon for Broncos/Blades games. In this pic he's doing his best "Bubbles" impersonation from the show "Trailer Park Boys".

Chris and I grew up together in Lanigan and were always into sports, all sports, all day, everyday.

I always ask him to do color-commentary when in 'toon town and he always obliges. It's a chance for us to catch-up and re-live the 'ol days. There is always several inside jokes that go unnoticed to the average listener, so if you can just try and follow along. This Saturday night, check us out. Pre-game show at 6:30, play-by-play at 7:05.

I'll have a Broncos update a little later in the day as they get set for the Hurricanes tomorrow night. Oh, and I think the NHL All-star ballots get updated later today. We'll see if Rory Fitzpatrick is in the top three now. Can't wait.

Later,
Jon

Monday Musings and Broadcasting Bobbles

First up . . . Who's In Trouble in Sports Today??

The Regina Pats, Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades, ouch!

The three teams featured from the East division (everyone's favorite punching bag), have now lost a combined 18 games in a row! Saskatoon has lost nine in a row, Regina four straight and Brandon five. Granted three of the five Brandon losses have either been in a shootout or overtime, still when you lose in ot, it still feels like a loss no doubt about it.

The Broncos had a fun ride home from Brandon after that big 2-1 overtime win. Jeremy Schenderling made good after missing a wide open net in the dying seconds. He later tipped home a Dane Crowley centering feed with six seconds left to force overtime before Crowley leaned into one and blasted it through Tyler Plante for the game winner. Safe to say the boys were excited and for good reason.

The Broncos (17-16-1) host the red hot Lethbridge Hurricanes Wednesday night at the Civic Center. The 'Canes have won five straight including weekend wins over Medicine Hat and Regina. It's the third last game before the Christmas break.

There is no reason why the Broncos shouldn't compete for a division title in the 2nd half. Every team in the East division is flawed - some severely. Even though a division crown wasn't thought possible at the start of the season, (most pundits had the Broncos finishing 4th or 5th in the East), after the first half it appears like it's very possible. The Broncos have a chance to close off the first half with 4 to 6 more points in their final three games. It's a chance to really turn the heat up once the schedule resumes at the end of the month. The only thing I worry about is the inevitable injuries that might hurt this club down the stretch.

To close off, for fans around the WHL, don't believe everything you hear. I'm not saying I'm a hockey guru or anything but some of the WHL broadcasters around the WHL (mostly color commentators) struggle at the best of times with the details of the game and what is actually happening at ice level. I've often heard the term that WHL color commentators are no less than "common fans" who get into games for free and chow down on complimentary media room pizza.

I've had the chance recently to watch some WHL webcasts from around the league and actually see and hear some color commentators describe the action . . . let's just say they've been interesting interpretations.

In Lethbridge Friday night, a few fights broke out at the end of the game between the Hurricanes and the Medicine Hat Tigers. The 'Canes had just held on for a 4-3 win when Derek Dorsett and Michael Wuchterl scrapped and then Chris Stevens and Yashar Farmanara went at it. According to this unknown colorman and play-by-play host (Marlon Martens), the Tigers were "absolutely disgraceful", "it was not called for", "Will Desjardins (Tigers Coach) should be absolutely embarrassed about their team's actions". Talk about a one-sided view!

Here's what happened from watching the video replay. Wuchterl (Leth) went at Dorsett (MH) just as the horn sounded and actually started the scrap. When it became one-sided with Dorsett getting the upperhand, Farmanara (Leth), made a break for them and actually came close to intervening. This is a big no-no in hockey. Stevens (MH), then jumped in to make sure Farmanara would not be the third man in. So, as I see it (from a totally unbias view), Lethbridge was responsible for both fights at the end of the game.

That makes me even more upset for a WHL "common fan" colorman to get on the airwaves and call Medicine Hat's Will Desjardins "embarrassing". Who is this guy to call one of the best junior coaches in hockey "embarrassing"? Mr. Colorman either never saw Farmanara try to intervene or he did see it and is oblivious to the severity of Farmanara's actions.

The night that Jeff Glass blew is lid at the Civic Center attacking David Murray, my colleague from Kootenay Ice radio, didn't see any of it because "there was a giant beam in his way" making it impossible for him to see what happened. I find that view suspect at best.

Sadly, these types of unfounded comments are common places on WHL radio. Maybe myself and colorman Ryan Switzer are guilty of this from time to time but I'd like to think we have a better grasp of the situation than most. Even if I miss something behind the play, I trust Ryan's viewpoint of what exactly happened. Almost always, he's bang on.

There are some fantastic broadcasters in this league . . . Cam Moon in Red Deer, Brad Curle in Lethbridge, and Regan Bartel in Kelowna just to name three of many. I would trust these guys judgment, maybe even over mine!

So to wrap-up, don't necessarily "take our word for it" when it comes to home broadcasters around the league . . . err on the side of caution.

A game preview between the Broncos and Hurricanes is on the way later,

Jon

Three Hours 'Till the Wheaties

Brandon - The Broncos rolled into Brandon last night around 2am to unload equipment at the Keystone Center before settling in for the night at a downtown hotel.

After meetings and a video session, more sleep, and good pre-game meal, the Broncos should be ready to roll against the potent Wheat Kings in just three hours time.

The Wheaties haven't played since losing Tuesday night in Moose Jaw 5-4 in overtime. Word is they will likely have top defenseman Dustin Kohn back in the line-up after he was injured in Swift Current last Saturday night. They are expected to ice a full line-up while the Broncos have some questions with theirs.

Myles Rumsey is expected to meet the team before game-time after attending the funeral of fellow Winnipeger Todd Davison. The 20 year old died after a long battle with Cancer. Hopefully Myles can play through what has definitely been a tough week for the Bronco's captain. Kyle Bortis took a knee-on-knee hit last night in Moose Jaw and he is questionable for tonight. Spencer Mcavoy is ready to play after a slight concussion.

I'm looking forward to chatting with Brandon Head Coach and G.M. Kelly Macrimmon. He might be my favorite coach to interview pre-game because you never know what he'll say. He likes to throw the odd curve-ball and likes when you challenge him on something. Not once has he ever "big-leagued" the interview and acted like it was a waste of his time. For the most part other coaches are great about visiting media. They all know it's just a part of the game and they are usually very accommodating.

Bye-bye Danny Rakos. Danny is off to the Czech junior team evaluation camp tomorrow as he attempts to play for his native country at the upcoming WJHC in Sweden. Apparently 28 players get invited to camp and only 22 will make it. Quite the honour I would think to make that grade will all the top Czech juniors out there including Red Deer's Martin Hanzal. Good luck Danny boy.

Around the dub last night was filled with upsets. The Silvertips were blanked in Kelowna 2-0 while the Tigers lost in Lethbridge 4-3 in a game that ended ugly. A couple of fights at the end of the game could result in the league taking a look. Maybe a few fines will be passed out we'll see. I don't know all the details so I won't comment.

To close off this latest edition, whlfans.ca is getting a bit ridiculous with the "Benke" thread. I swear people just argue for the sake of arguing on there. Benke's popularity with some fans just SKYROCKETED after he was no longer with the team. Leave it to a few people to look for anything and everything to bitch about. I'm sick of it. I saw Karl everyday of his WHL career since cracking this team. Great kid, he's no Aaron Rome like some are making him out to be. But Benks' has reached folk hero mortal status ever since he was re-assigned. This is the last I will address this topic until something changes. Anyone who wants to discuss it, fire me an e-mail and put your name to it. We'll chat, jonkeen@hotmail.com .

And the "Vote for Rory" campaign is still gathering momentum. I talked to Dean Chynoweth about this at breakfast. He made a good point. He thinks if Rory Fitzpatrick is voted to the all-star game the NHL will go to him and ask him to politely decline the invitation. The NHL doesn't need to be made a mockery of. Even if it does raise his profile, the league will eventually step in. Or will they?? Vote for Rory . . . Let's find out.

Broncos and Wheat Kings on the air at 7pm with the pre-game show on the Eagle 94.1 FM.

Go Broncos,
Jon

Benke Recalled . . . Kind of.

Good day all,

Here I sit at the radio station, it's 6:30 am and I know in 24 hours from now my day will end at some hotel in Brandon . . . long day ahead.

Here's the latest on the Benke situation. First of all, I can't believe how much play this is getting lately. You'd think that Benke won the Norris Trophy or something.

Ok, let me piece this together,

The Broncos re-assigned Benke to Fort Saskatchewan of the AJHL. He thought at first it was a good idea. A chance to get some playing time, build some confidence and play his way back on the Broncos if the situation arises. Problem is, he didn't want to play near his hometown of Edmonton and was contacted by Nanaimo of the BCHL. They threw some $$$ at him and wanted him there. In fact, they flew him out there for a tour and a look around. The BCHL is notorious for throwing around the cheddar to intice players.

The Broncos don't like this very much. They know full well that once they get their hands on big Karl (who would still not likely be a top four d-man in the BCHL) they would not let him go. I've been told Nanaimo has asked for his outright release and that they wanted to settle up financially for any costs incurred by the Broncos. The Broncos don't want to release him, they want him available for either a trade somewhere else in the WHL or to recall him if the injury bug catches up to them. They have time and $$$ invested in their bantam pick of 2003 and are not ready to part ways. Plus, Karl I believe still wants to be in the WHL be it with the Broncos or some other team that could use him.

Nanaimo says they will play Benke regardless if they get his "Bronco release" or not. That is against player transfer rules but the BCHL sometimes could care less about that. So, in order for the Broncos to keep him off the Nanaimo roster and ice, they've recalled him and suspended him. Benke to my knowledge is still in Nanaimo and could be skating with them shortly, if not already.

To my knowledge, the Broncos tried to move him to another WHL team - any team. The price? Future considerations . . . maybe a 8th or 9th round bantam pick if he was still with that team after the WHL trade deadline in January. There was no action, the phone went silent.

So Benke is in limbo and this story continues to get more play.

In other news, I ran into the Broncos Director of Player personnel Jaime Porter in Prince Albert. He wasn't too thrilled that he made an appearance a few weeks ago on Keen's Korner in my top 10 prospects post.

He said "keep me off that blog." I would have thought it would be a small honour to appear in Keen's Korner, but maybe not. Maybe he wants to be incognito.

Welcome to the Broncos and hockey-savvy Swift Current Jaime, where the fans know the name of the Coach, GM, Marketing guys, trainer, office manager, popcorn vendors, suite hostess, etc. No stone goes unturned in these parts.

We're on the air tonight at 6:30pm from Moose Jaw, face-off at 7pm.

Here's the Latest

The Regina Pats are busy re-tooling their line-up after a pair of deals today.

The Pats, the biggest under-achievers in the WHL this season besides the Prince George Cougars have pulled off a six player deal with the Kelowna Rockets. Headed to K-town, is 18 year-old problem child Justin Bernhardt, Jason Mcdonald and list player Kyle St. Denis. The Regina Pats get 19 year-old European Kaspars Saulietis ( a skilled forward who I was impressed with in Kelowna), Troy Ofukany (gritty 18 year old with some scoring), and Kurt Hill (throw-in).

Regina wins this deal simply because of their circumstances. They received great value for a player who walked off their team (Bernhardt). Usually when that happens, the players' stock plummets big time. The Pats were able to get a skilled Euro which was lacking after the departure of Petr Kalus and Denis Tolpeko. They were able to get some good grit mixed with scoring in Troy Ofukany. Good deal for the Pats. Granted I don't know much about this St. Denis kid but on the surface the Pats made out very well.

The other deal was a one-for-one swap of 18 year olds with Prince Albert. Headed to P.A. is forward Ryan Macdonald for forward Josh Elder. Not sure what brought out this deal. A simple swap, a change of scenery, who knows. The only extra element to it is that Macdonald is a Prince Albert kid and would be heading home. Regina is looking to change things up as much as possible and this just emphasizes the point.

Hey, hey Broncos . . . three straight wins. Last night in Prince Albert, the powerplay took over thanks to seven straight man-advantages midway through the game as they skated to a 5-2 win with three PP goals.

Some thought is was a sloppy-played game but I thought it was fine. Matt Tassone tied it early in the first with his 4th of the season. It was one of the weakest shots on goal after he drove hard to the net from the side boards. He fanned on it or something but it squeaked past Jesse Deckert to make it 1-1. Is this why the Raiders brought Deckert back? The Raiders initially re-assigned Deckert to Salmon Arm of the BCHL in favor of two young 17 year old 'tenders in David Aime and Tyler Esau. But because of some poor play by the young tandem, the Raiders fetched Deckert back. Now get this, the WHL isn't even cooperating with the Raiders' plans. Minutes ago Aime was just named the WHL goaltender of the week. Someone in the WHL head office likes controversy. Talk about confusing in P.A.

Kyle Moir was solid making 35 saves for the win. The powerplay then took over with 11 man advantages. Dane Crowley, Dale Wiese (5 on 3) and David Stieler all scored on the PP. Kyle Bortis added an empty netter with 7 seconds left to seal it.

It was extra special for Moir, here's why. The Nashville Predators didn't sign Moir after they drafted him in 2004 making him a free-agent. The Preds then gave Deckert a free-agent try-out. Talk about a slap in the face. What was Nashville thinking?

The Broncos are in Moose Jaw Friday and Brandon Saturday as they continue their inter-divisional battles.

RORY UPDATE!

Wow. Is this ever catching on! The latest voting numbers were released today from the NHL. Rory Fitzpatrick continues to climb the Western Conference defensemen voting for the all-star game in Dallas.

Here's the latest numbers: He's jumped seven spots in a week to 5th.

Scott Niedermayer ; Anaheim 329,657
Nicklas Lidstrom ; Detroit 317,373
Chris Pronger Anaheim 219,372
Dion Phaneuf ; Calgary 208,945
*Rory Fitzpatrick ; Vancouver 144,819
Sergei Zubov ; Dallas 110,562
Mattias Ohlund ; Vancouver 110,146
Scott Hannan ; San Jose 108,757
Mathieu Schneider ; Detroit 88,449
Rob Blake ; Los Angeles 83,814
Robyn Regehr ; Calgary 77,205
John-Michael Liles ; Colorado 71,360
Lubomir Visnovsky ; Los Angeles 57,928

So, if you haven't voted or want to vote again feel free at NHL.com. For those you don't know what this is about check out the "Vote For Rory" post just below on Keen's Korner.

Broncos rolling . . . . hope to see all the Bronco fans making noise in Moose Jaw tomorrow night. If you're on the fan bus headed for MJ leave a comment.

A soon as I clear it I'm going to post a Karl Benke update. Something's up with the big d-man. More later,

Jon

Vote for Rory!

I heard about this and thought . . .wow, that's awesome!

The NHL is now taking votes from fans to select the NHL All-Star game's starting line-up. There's a group out there that is pulling out all the stops to "show-up" the voting process by trying to get Vancouver Canucks 7th defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick into the NHL showcase set for Dallas.

A "vote for Rory" campaign is taking over and you yourself can check it out at www.voteforrory.com Check it out, it's pretty neat. He's kind off taken aback by all the attention - especially for a 10 year pro who has spent all his time in the minor leagues. He's pretty humble about it all considering all the attention it's getting. All the Canuck teammates were wearing "Vote for Rory" t-shirts after practice a few days ago as everyone is getting a good laugh at it.

The whole schtick behind this is to show the NHL that the fan voting process usually doesn't select the most deserving players. Al ot of big market NHL'ers in New York and bigger markets usually get the nod. A player who had a big season last year who could be struggling this season is sometimes a lock to make the All-star team. Wouldn't it be great to get this plugger d-man to the big show?

It's easy too. Go to www.nhl.com and from the left hand side select "All-star Ballot". You can find Fitzpatrick's name on the Western Conference write-in box. Just scroll down the list to select his name. I voted a few times today. As of November 27th, Fitzpatrick was about 10th and climbing in the voting for one of the two starting defensemen as he snuck by Detroit's Matheiu Schneider. Scott Neidermeyer leads the voting with over 200,000 votes but Rory is closing the gap!

Broncos in Prince Albert tomorrow night, I'll have a game recap and post some other thoughts that are puzzling me lately.

Vote Rory!
Jon

Broncos Down Pats 3-2

Alright, just so we're clear . . . no goal!.

Regina had thought they tied the game in the final second of the third period when a puck banked off players in behind Travis Yonkman but . . . too late.

In my last post I was talking about Regina media "making a meal out of this", sure enough.

Here's Regina Pats play-by-play host Rod Pedersen's blog title - "ROBBED".

Here's what he said about the play in the dying seconds:

"I've already checked Keen's Korner, the blog of the Broncos' broadcaster, and he swears the puck went in 1 or 2 seconds after the horn. C'mon Jon! Are you trying to wrestle the WHL's biggest homer trophy from me?"

Good one Roddy! Don't fret. This years award goes to James Gallo of the Moose Jaw Warriors. His #1 foam finger is purely planted up the Warriors rear side. We can battle for the silver if you'd like.

Listening back to the end of the game . . . I sounded a little silly as I repeated "no goal, that was not a goal!" about 20 times in two minutes. Maybe I was trying to convince the officials from my perch to make the right call.

It's too bad in came down to that play in the dying seconds. Goals by Zack Smith, Daniel Rakos, and Mike Wilson put the Broncos out to a comfortable 3-0 lead in the third. Regina's late two goals, one on the powerplay and the other with the extra attacker ruined the shutout bid of Travis Yonkman. His save on the 2nd period shorthanded 2-on-1 was spectacular! Wow. That's maybe the best save of his Bronco career. Great job Yonks!

Regina looked uninspired and they are a better team that what they've shown. They were without defenseman/captain Kyle Deck (knee) and the departure of Justin Bernhardt (personal reasons) hurts them offensively.

Nick Ross tossed the check of the night. His thump on Danny Rakos as he attempted to go wide on Ross was a biggie. Rakos returned a couple shifts later but then left the game and did not return. I did see him on the ice for the post-game promotion though. He looked fine.

Two impressive stats to pass your way. The Broncos are now 12-1 when they score first. They are also a perfect 10-0 when they lead after the 2nd period. What a difference a year makes. Credit must go to the coaching staff in that regard.

The win puts the Broncos back to an even 15-15-1 as they get set to take on Prince Albert. The Raiders have points in five straight games and are playing their best hockey of the season. It will be a test especially up at the Art Hauser Center.

Have a great day,
Jon

No Goal . . .No Doubt!

Ok, let's put this little controversey away to bed before the Regina media makes a meal out of it. The Broncos held on to a 3-2 win over the Regina Pats and everyone in the building saw that time had expired after the puck crossed the line. Good night. Game over, end of story. I saw it, it was 1 to 2 seconds after time expired. End of story. Hey, credit to Regina for the sell job. They did exactly what you're supposed to do: celebrate like crazy and get set for overtime.

Full game recap coming tomorrow, for now it's off to bed with the Eagle morning show wake-up call coming at 4:30am.

Big back-to-back Bronco wins over Regina and Brandon . . . smile everybody, and lighten up! Honestly.

Jon

Now That's More Like It!

Just when you think this team has hit a funk which appears to be setting in, they go ahead and surprise me - big time!

The powerplay looked very good against Brandon as it led the way en-route to a big 6-4 win over the division leading Brandon Wheat Kings. Jeremy Schenderling had a HUGE night. That was great to see. Schendo has been taking some heat from fans but tonight his three goals, all on the powerplay hopefully sparks the 20 year-old forward. Anything shy of 25 goals this season would be deemed disappointing. He has some work to do. You add to that Levi Nelson's two goals and two helpers and some of the big players expected to produce this season just had their biggest nights of the year. One could say career maybe??

But the unsung hero in all of this was Brady Leavold. His shorthanded goal in the midst of another penalty killing disaster really sparked his team back into the game. His goal tied the game 3-3 and allowed the Broncos to weather the storm after surrendering three goals on the PK.

Can I ask what is up with the penalty kill lately? That's 8 goals against on the PK in the last two games. The Broncos' powerplay had the pk's back tonight - that was a welcomed change.

Ryan Agar? Are you kidding me? In the two man system he called EVERYTHING. Even referee counterpart Mark MacIsaac grabbed a front row seat for the Agar Show. MacIsaac took the night off as Agar called all but one of the 15 powerplays. I was introduced to him before the game. Nice guy, he's young and feeling his way through the WHL. It doesn't help when you have Brandon's head coach and GM Kelly Macrimmon in your ear all night long. He is a master at influencing the officiating. I asked him about it during "Behind the Bench" during the broadcast's pre-game show. He said with a smirk "Jon, I have no idea what your talking about, you must have put something funny in your coffee tonight to say something like that." Truth is Kelly is good at it and even though he doesn't admit it, it DOES play on these young WHL officials. For the record, Kelly is one of the best coaches to talk to in the WHL. He always gives you something. He enjoys it and gets creative and I appreciate that.

Thanks to Dave Hunchak for plugging the "Keen's Korner" blog tonight in the coaches show. We had a great back and forth conversation tonight about talking to referees and why the Broncos' coaching staff doesn't do it more. I've said this many times "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" in the WHL. Brent Sutter and Kelly Macrimmon are the best at it. In fact I think a game between those two teams once took 4 hours and 34 minutes because of all the conversations between coach and referee! I just wish Dean and Dave had a bit more to say when things are turning sour on the officiating front. It's not their style and that's fine.

Alright, a new day, a new challenge. The Regina Pats fresh off a convincing 3-0 win over Red Deer Saturday are tonight's opponents at the Civic Center. The Pats have won the two previous meetings 5-2 and 6-2. The PK will have to be better than it has been and the Broncos have to play just as inspired as they did tonight. Too many times it seems the guys can't put back-to-back good efforts together and the rollercoaster ride rolls on.

Good win tonight, I'll post a weekend recap Monday. Feel free to leave a comment or two,

Jon