Day 1/2 Pics, Broncos Vs Ice Tonight

After travelling most of the afternoon and evening, the Broncos pulled into Cranbrook around 10pm local time. Just your typical bus ride. 22 players, three coaches/management, an athletic therapist and a radio guy.

The trip seemed longer than usual and the usual movies to pass the time just didn't cut it for some reason. Bronco rookie import Jan Dalecky wanted to take me on in a game of Sony PSP NHL 2007 with about an hour to go in our trip. He says he's the best.... I told him I'll play Football against him. You see, he's yet to grasp how that game is played. Doesn't understand a lick of it. I'll take my chances with that instead. We didn't get very far... the batteries died within moments.... oh well, back to Pirates of the Carribean.

Here's a few pics of the early happenings of the trip....

Ian Curtis helps load the bus before departing.

There's always so much stuff to pack for the U.S. swing. Especially with most of the guys leaving for the Christmas break following the last game.

The guys set up the room in Cranbrook after arriving around 10pm

Next morning. Gameday skate. Dale Wiese leads the team through some stretches at center ice.

Athletic Therapist / Equipment Manager Paul Ayotte does some skates

Captain Zack Smith waits his turn to jump into a drill

Matt Tassone catches a break. He could be back in the line-up tonight after a slight upper body injury last Friday night vs Kootenay.

Eric Felde winds down on the bike after practice.

Its the Broncos and the Kootenay Ice tonight from the Rec Plex in their 2nd meeting of the season. The Broncos will try to carry momentum from Tuesday's win over Red Deer while at the same time look for some revenge after Kootenay beat them 7-5 a week ago. That night the Ice built a 5-0 lead in the 2nd period before the Broncos rallied back to make it close.

The Broncos are expecting some help in the line-up tonight. Spencer McAvoy, Geordie Wudrick, and Matt Tassone will be evaluated later today.

We are on the air at 7:30pm with the Big Show, play-by-play at 8pm. Decent day in Cranny, about -7 with some sunshine at noon local time.

Jon

Broncos Check Out.... See you December 28th

Ah yes, the United States road swing is upon the Broncos hockey club as they shuffle out west for the six game in nine day trek through the Northwest United States.

Over the next 9-10 days I will attempt to blog and post some pics from each day on the journey. It's something I did the last time the Broncos headed to the States back in 2004/05 from the Eagle 94.1 FM's website. I received a lot of good response from the behind the scenes photos on the trek. Check back here daily for news, notes and best of all some pics.

The Broncos haven't made the journey for three seasons. They last did it back in 2004/05 and posted a decent record of 2-2-1. There isn't a player left on today's roster who was on that trip. It was Dean Chynoweth's first year as Head Coach/GM of the Broncos.

The trip started with a bang in Everett. In the posh confines of the Everett Event Center the Broncos posted a 2-0 win. Tyler Redenbach had both goals and the loud and boisterous Everett crowd never got a chance to roar with Kyle Moir making all 19 saves for the win. The game was a biggie after the teams hooked up on a four player trade earlier in the season. The Broncos shipped Alex Leavitt and Kyle Annesley to the Tips for Marc Desloges and Barry Horman.

What a building and what a fan base! I can recall the "Dance for Your Dinner" promotion in the intermission where nearly 7000 fans stood up and turned the intermission into one big dance party. I just watched with my mouth open and snapped some pics of the craziness.

I was praying to god they didn't score. The place would have went bananas after a couple cross bars and chances in the third. The national anthem blew the roof off the place. This opera-like singer busted out a deep, powerful Star Spangled Banner that made me shiver. It was amazing. The atmosphere was electric.

The road trip went a bit south from there. The Broncos were blanked in Dean Chynoweth's return to the Key Arena in Seatlte 3-0. It wasn't a happy mood post-game. The fun and excitement had ended at that point and the reality of wins and losses set in.

The next game wasn't much better. A 4-0 defeat in Portland at the hands of the Winterhawks. It could have been 10-0 if not for Kyle Moir in the Broncos goal. He was brilliant as I recall. The one thing I remember about Portland was the absolute feeling that it was 1977 in the Memorial Coliseum. A huge building that hasn't seen any upgrades in decades. I was seriously waiting for the disco ball to be lowered and the Bee Jees to be pumped over the speakers. Even this hippie husband/wife duo played an instrumental version of both the National Anthems. All I could think of was how they reminded me of Sonny and Cher's "I got You Babe".

The Broncos rebounded the next night in Tri-City with a 4-2 win over the Americans with an empty netter to seal the deal. It was my first look at Carey Price as a 16 year-old goaltender. He was just ok. Who knew he would become the superstar goaltender of today?

The Broncos closed off with a U.S. portion of their trip with a hard-fought come-from-behind 4-4 tie in Spokane. The Chiefs jumped all over them early with two goals in the first 1:17 of the game. The Spokane goal song and unique crowd cheer still echoes in my head. Here's a link of what that's all about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZJWmnzUT4s

The Broncos fought back in the third with two quick goals just seconds apart from Marc Desloges and Brady Leavold's first ever goal to actually take the lead midway through the final frame. The Chiefs tied it late and overtime solved nothing.

Here are some pics I found from the roadie from three years ago...

Broncos celebrate big win in Everett

Loudest barn in the 'dub. No contest. Everett Events Center

Oops! Forget to mention the Monday Night NFL game we took in between Seattle and Dallas. Easily the best sporting event I've been to.

We were given a tour of Quest Field the day before the big game.

The fantastic Spokane Arena. It's Teddy bear toss night Saturday when the Broncos are there. It will be crazy.

Here's a blast from the past. Assistant Coach Dave Hunchak live in our postgame show from Tri-City.

Back on the bus. (L to R, David Schulz, Jeremy Schenderling, Luke Hunter and Donny Lloyd)

Unloading at Seattle's Key Arena. The Sonics had just finished a game a couple hours before. The next night it was the Broncos and T-Birds.

There are so many moments and great stories that get lost over time but I can recall that trip like it was yesterday. This year's trip will be a whole lot tougher. The teams are better, the games are more closely situated and the Broncos will hope to find their game along the way.

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- Thanks to Oh-Vee for that e-mail... that was an interesting read for sure. I think I'll leave that little tidbit off the blog though.


- The Broncos begin the swing in Kootenay against the Ice. We will have the broadcast beginning tomorrow night at 7:30pm with the pre-game show, play-by-play at 8pm.

Jon

Broncos / Rebels

For the third time this season the Broncos take on the Red Deer Rebels as they meet tonight at the Credit Union I-plex.

The Broncos have won both previous meeting each by a goal. The Broncos won 5-4 in Red Deer and also skated to a 4-3 overtime at the I-plex on Geordie Wudrick's controversial goal in what the Rebels believed was a hand pass from Levi Nelson in the Rebels zone.

Looking at some numbers, the Rebels have lost 14 one-goal games this season! It tells me they are in almost every game and are getting some good goaltending from both James Reimer and Morgan Clark.

The Rebels might be the youngest team in the WHL this season with several 16 and 17 year olds. From all accounts they've worked hard all season.

This is also the last Broncos home game for nearly four weeks. They next play at home after the Christmas break on December 28th against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The Broncos are hoping to get a little help on the injury front tonight. With five regulars out of Saturday's contest against Brandon, the Broncos could get a couple players out of sick bay and into tonight's game. We will know more a little closer to tonight's face-off.

The Broncos are in a funk after losing five of their last six games. They will need the win tonight to build some confidence for a tough six game road swing to Kootenay and then down thru the U.S. division to close off the first half.

We're on the air at 7pm with the Bronco Big Show. Spokane Chiefs General Manager Tim Speltz will be our guest. We will talk about the great first half for the Chiefs to date and Saturday's meeting between the Broncos and Chiefs in Spoke.

Jon

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Levi Nelson named a nominee for Boston Pizza Fans Choice Player of the Week

press release:

Voting will be open at whl.ca from today at 9:00 am (MST) through until Friday, December 7th at 10:00 am (MST).

Boston Pizza ‘Fan’s Choice’ Details
The way the Boston Pizza Fans Choice works is the WHL Office will select a nomination from each division and the player with the most votes will be awarded a point. The player with the most points at the end of the regular season will receive a 42” Plasma Television and Boston Pizza Party.

There will also be prizes for participating fans throughout the season and a grand prize draw selected from all participants will be made at the end of the regular season. The winner will also receive a 42” Plasma television and a Boston Pizza Party.

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Broncos, Warriors & Raiders Team Up for Goals for Education

The Swift Current Broncos are proud to announce that they have joined forces with the Prince Albert Raiders and the Moose Jaw Warriors for the 4th Annual Goals for Education Lottery.

The Goals for Education Lottery raises money for each club’s Scholarship Fund. Each year the Broncos provide educational assistance to current and graduated players as part of the Western Hockey League’s Scholarship Fund. For each year that a player plays in Swift Current, he receives one year of tuition and books at a post-secondary institution of his choice. The Western Hockey League’s scholarship program is the most flexible sports scholarship in North America. This year, the Broncos Hockey Club will spend approximately $80,000.00 on scholarships for current and graduated players.

“The Goals for Education Lottery not only allows us to meet our education fund requirements, but also provides the opportunity for supporters to win one of 51 great prizes including the $100,000.00 grand prize. There will be a total of $160,500.00 to be won in this year’s Lottery. Only 3750 tickets will be sold” commented Jordan Wall, Director of Marketing & Sales.

Tickets will be available for purchase tomorrow, Tuesday, December 4th. The tickets will be sold at the Swift Current Broncos Ticket Office and from a network of local supporters. Call the Swift Current Broncos Office at (306) 773-1509 or toll free at 1-888-640-GOAL to purchase your tickets today!

Monday Thoughts

Just finished up another Monday Night Best Western Meet the Broncos at Smitty's. Spencer McAvoy and Travis Yonkman were out guests between 5-7pm. This is the last Meet Broncos for awhile with the team hitting the road to close off the first half of the season.

Spence and Yonks are two nice young men who are a treat to be around. A chance to talk about Bronco hockey and where things are at occupied most of our time. These guys know the team is in a funk and are taking steps to right the ship. They know the fans are talking a lot about the state of affairs. They had a chuckle that I seem to be the focus of a lot of talk over on one of the message boards... taking the heat off the team for the time being.

More on that... apparently a comment I made on a previous post has ruffled some feathers. For the record no one has called me personally or talked to me directly about my statement regarding the atmosphere in the rink and how we improve it. So far just anonymous posters who had to get something off their chest... similar to what I did I guess - although I have to stamp my name to it.

I wasn't going after one specific person or department despite what some may think. You can go back and read it again if you like. I was however just trying to get the wheels going on how we can better improve the game experience for the fans and the players. Energy creates emotion and we seem to be lacking a little lately in our building - just ask the players, they know it. I think if anything, it has people talking, even if I'm putting my neck on the line a little here...which there's no doubt I am. I'm a journalist and think I'm allowed to ask those questions from time to time.

I want the best for this team, organization, fans, and sponsors. Everyone that plays a roll from September to May. I want this team to succeed so much that I'm willing to take some heat if it means helping things long term. I'm fully expecting to take some backlash over it. No harm was intended and no one should be singled out. Even though a few posters are taking some pretty good runs at me over there. I can live with it. The problem is too many take those message boards and what is said as the Spoken Word. It's so easy to fire away at will anonymously with no chance of repercussions. The board, the team and players read that stuff and take a lot of it to heart.

Our fans deserve an exciting, passionate team and building and are long overdue to celebrate the good times. This year has the potential to be a great one and we should try and get the most out of it. A loud positive atmosphere goes a long way on the ice.

To the Broncos staff, we know it's a thankless job most of the time. The only time people take time to say anything is when they want to complain I've seen the e-mails that come in and I know it's mostly all negative and rarely positive.

Over the eight years broadcasting for this team, I've had a great relationship with the promotional and marketing staff. From the Gourlays to the Zimmermans to the Nyhagens to the Boutillers. We have worked and will continue to work hand-in-hand to promote this team and the events surrounding it. Like the Teddy Bear Toss, the Home Opener, the Goals for Education Lottery, Season Ticket Drive. If they call me and want some airtime on the morning sports, Breakfast Boys Morning Show or Broncos broadcast, we are more than glad to help out. These guys will back me up on this and I know most still check in on the blog from time to time.

The big thing is winning cures all. Had the Broncos won five of their last six rather than the opposite would we be having this debate? We all know the answer to that. Winning is the be all, end all super cure to everything.

But we should ask ourselves how we can help the situation? Heck, I've spent the last day wondering how the broadcast could market the team and the players a little better and what I can do personally to help raise the excitement and profile of this team. There's a lot I can do to improve things on my end. I will be trying to do a better job of it in the 2nd half of the season.

We're all in this together. Let's enjoy the ride.

I welcome your comments, concerns, questions and thoughts.

Jon

Watching the Wire....**UDPATE** Selection Camp Named

Hockey Canada is set to announce today the 40 man roster for the World Junior evaluation camp. The camp is set for Calgary beginning a week from today.

We'll keep you posted....

Jon

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Here it is (from whl.ca)

THIRTY-SEVEN PLAYERS INVITED TO TEAM CANADA’S NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM SELECTION CAMP IN CALGARY, AB -- CALGARY, AB –

Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced on Monday that 37 of Canada’s best junior-aged hockey players (born in 1988 or later) have been invited to take part in Canada’s National Junior Selection Camp from December 10-14, 2007 at the Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary, AB.

“Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, which includes our Under-17 and Under-18 Programs, has provided many of these players the preparation and experience for to deal with the rigors of the upcoming World Juniors and high paced international competition,” said Al Murray, Head Scout for Canada’s National Men’s Teams. “The quality and skill of the 37 players invited to the camp next week is a testament of the hard work, commitment and development of all those involved in the Canadian minor hockey and junior hockey system.”

Canada will play its first game of the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship on Boxing Day, December 26th versus the Czech Republic at 2:00pm ET, a game that will be broadcast LIVE by TSN/RDS and on the FAN radio network (check local listings).Canada has medaled in nine straight World Junior Championships including: gold medal performances in 2007, 2006 and 2005, silver medals in 2004, 2003, 2002, 1999 and bronze medals in 2001 and 2000.

Goaltenders
Jonathan Bernier
Leland Irving
Steve Mason
Tyson Sexsmith

Defence
Karl Alzner
Andrew Bodnarchuk
Drew Doughty
Keaton Ellerby
Josh Godfrey
Thomas Hickey
Kevin Marshall
Logan Pyett
Luke Schenn
Brendan Smith
PK Subban

Forwards
Zachary Boychuk
Cory Emmerton
Angelo Esposito
Colton Gillies
Claude Giroux
Matthew Halischuk
Zach Hamill
Riley Holzapfel
Stefan Legein
Brett MacLean
Brad Marchand
Shawn Matthias
Mathieu Perreault
Wayne Simmonds
Nick Spaling
Steven Stamkos
Brandon Sutter
John Tavares
Kyle Turris
Dana Tyrell
Ryan White

Canada’s 2008 National Junior Team Selection Camp Breakdown‘By The Numbers’

• Returning 2007 National Junior Team players:o 3 - Karl Alzner, Leland Irving, Brad Marchand

• Players who represented Canada in the 2007 Canada/Russia Super Series: o 22G – Jonathan Bernier, Leland Irving, Steve MasonD – Karl Alzner, Drew Doughty, Keaton Ellerby, Josh Godfrey, Thomas Hickey, Logan Pyett, Luke Schenn, Ty Wishart F – Zach Boychuk, Cory Emmerton, Colton Gillies, Claude Giroux, Zach Hamill, Stefan Legein, Brad Marchand, Brandon Sutter, John Tavares, Kyle Turris, Dana Tyrell

Where the are playing:
15 players from the Western Hockey League (WHL)
13 players from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
7 players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
2 players from U.S. College Hockey (NCAA)

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Wheaties Double Broncos

The Brandon Wheat Kings scored two goals in ten minutes and never relinquished the lead in a 4-2 win over the Broncos last night at the I-plex.

Levi Nelson's goal midway through the opening frame sent the bears on the ice for Teddy Bear Toss Night. A nice give and go with Derek Claffey with Levi finishing off the play in the slot.

Was that not the quickest clean-up ever? A well organized small army took to the ice and picked up all the bears, quickly loaded them into the two trucks and we dropped the puck. I was impressed.

The Wheaties scored a third goal thanks to super rookie Brayden Schenn's 12th of the year five minutes into the 2nd period. Travis Yonkman made a great save on the initial chance from Matt Calvert but Schenn popped home the rebound from mid-air as the Wheaties took a 3-1 lead. Late in the 2nd on the powerplay the Broncos replied with Nelson's 2nd of the night.

The powerplay was from the instigator minor assessed to Brayden Schenn after he challenged Dale Wiese to a boogie following Wiese's thunderous check on Scott Glennie deep in Brandon's territory.

Despite some early third period chances, the Broncos couldn't mount any sustained pressure and Tyler Dittmer's shot from the left wing face-off dot with 2:28 to play gave the Wheaties an insurance marker in the 4-2 win.

The Broncos have now lost five of their last six and are clearly going through a tough time right now as Assistant Coach Tim Kehler pointed out in the post-game show.

Injuries are also a concern. Last night Matt Tassone, Ryan Molle, Cody Eakin, Spencer McAvoy and Mike Brown were all scratched due to injury. It had the Broncos dressing 18 players for the contest. I'm not sure on who will be ready when the Broncos host the Red Deer Rebels Tuesday.

The Broncos then head out on their U.S. swing Thursday starting with a rematch against the Kootenay Ice Friday night in Cranbrook.

Broncos Stumble Early, Ice Win 7-5

In what was easily the worst start of the season for the Broncos in their 29 outings, the Kootenay Ice scored four first period goals on their way to a 7-5 win.

The Ice led 5-0 into the final minute of the 2nd period before Erik Felde's 14th of the season on a nice solo effort. The Broncos mounted a late comeback in "garbage time" to make it close. Dale Wiese scored twice in the third period while Jan Dalecky and David Steiler added singles to make the score respectable.

Between the pipes, you all seen it. Travis Yonkman was pulled after Kootenay's 2nd goal of the night and Ian Curtis took over. Again, the first shot he had to face changed directions in front of him on the powerplay and the rout was on from there.

I'm not going to recap the action but I will post some general thoughts.

- Where's the atmosphere in our building? Sure the fans have to create something but shouldn't the Broncos as an organization do something to promote fan excitement or involvement? I've been to all 22 WHL rinks so I feel like I can speak with some authority on this matter. Have we given up? Other teams have big promotions or have certain "nights" that bring in large crowds. What about the Grey Cup making an appearance? I see Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and Regina all have a Grey Cup appearance in the works.

There is no excitement build-up prior to puck drop unless the public address announcer is throwing a shout out to the Hazlet fans who have come out to cheer Andrew Bailey of the Kootenay Ice. Are we too accommodating? The I-plex has been a pretty inviting place for other teams to come in this year. Where's our edge? For pete sakes, Bailey's mom even sang the national anthem! Great job Terry-Lou. It was probably that or the junior B orchestra that has been busted out a couple of times this season. (taped instremental version of Oh Canada) No offense Cypress Cyclones, just a figure of speech.

Making the I-plex an imposing place to play starts with creating a tough atmosphere for the visitors to cope with and ends with a dominant in your face hockey team.


The Riders have the "13th man" and it makes a difference.


- Injuries are starting to mount. Ryan Molle and Matt Tassone both left the game with undisclosed injuries which isn't good considering the Broncos only dressed 19 players last night. They may have to dip into the system tonight to ice a complete line-up.

- Eric Felde provided a spark as a defenseman last night. It's a position he played to start his junior hockey career with and is comfortable doing it. He also scored his first goal in since an empty netter vs the Saskatoon Blades November 18th. Expect him to play on the back-end tonight as well.

- Spencer McAvoy was behind the bench for the Broncos last night in the absence of Assistant Coach Tim Kehler. Macker bared a striking resemblance to Ice Assistant Coach Kris Knoblauch in the coaching role.

- I notice a lot of fans talking about what we need. Toughness, a stay at home defenseman, etc. Presently I'm not sure this team has showed the willingness to grind out a game and win the little battles. This brand of "Sportscentre Hockey" isn't conducive to a playoff run. As Dean Chynoweth pointed out in our postgame show, " as the season winds down and approaches the playoffs, time and space will continue to be less and less". River hockey simply won't cut it when the going gets tough. Expectations are high and with the Broncos only three points out of 1st place in the East division, maybe all this talk is pre-mature.

- The Brandon Wheat Kings come in tonight. They've been sitting and waiting since last Friday's 7-6 win over the Broncos. The Wheaties haven't played since while the Broncos have played a pair of games in the last week. Keep an eye on super rookie Brayden Schenn tonight. The Wheat King first rounder already looks like a 19 year-old in his rookie season. He's the best 16 year-old player in Western Canada hands down right now. No contest.

- Teddy Bear toss night tonight. Bring your bears!

Jon

I'm Not Gonna Lie....

I have really cared less about this on-going Canada/Russia series as it tours through the Canadian Hockey League. Tonight it's a different story though.

I'm interested in how our Bronco connection will do in this the finale of the series. Broncos forward Levi Nelson will get his shot to impress while Dean Chynoweth will handle the role of Assistant Coach for Team WHL.

The game will lack the "Hockey Canada" feel just because of the timeline of the event. Dean and Levi will drive in for the game and meet around 4pm for an orientation. It's game-time already at 7:30pm from the Medicine Hat Arena.

The biggest concern for Dean may be just trying to look good for the HDTV broadcast from coast-to-coast.

Last night the Russians surprised the WHL'ers with a 5-1 win. Good to see Swift Current's Andrew Bailey get involved physically in the third. The Kootenay Ice forward ran into the Russian goaltender at a pretty good clip and then ended up in a fight (if you would call it that) moments later. Bailey isn't known for that type of play but it did add a spark to the game in the final period.

It will interesting to see what kind of a reception Levi gets from fans in the 'Hat. He usually enemy #1 when the Broncos are in town.
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The Broncos are hoping to get healthy this week as they prepare for the weekend. A quick stop at practice yesterday had three players in yellow "don't hit me" practice sweaters including Derek Claffey, Spencer McAvoy, and Mike Brown. Cody Eakin didn't practice due to a concussion but he's set to resume skating this week.

The Kootenay Ice come in as one of the hottest teams in the WHL. They haven't lost in regulation in the month of November going 8-0-1. Steve DaSilva is starting to score again and both Ice goaltenders have been solid over the last while.

It's the first of four meetings between the two teams. They play again a week from Friday back in Cranbrook when the Broncos begin their six-game U.S. road swing.

I think it's funny Kootenay only plays Kelowna once this year but has the Broncos on four separate occasions. Wacky scheduling to say the least.

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I got through it... my birthday was yesterday and I'm now 29. I don't go seeking attention on birthdays and I like to keep them pretty low key...meaning no mentions on the Eagle morning show or things along that line. The boys on the team all seemed to know yesterday when I showed up for practice to get some interviews. I think they got the info from Facebook.

I also heard it was in the Leader-Post's sports figure birthdays. I shared the same space as famed New York Yankees pitcher Dave Righetti.... I guess it pays to know Leader-Post Sports Editor Rob Vanstone, haha. Rob is doing a great job with all the Rider coverage lately following the big Grey Cup win.

I just don't care to be the guy who has to advertise his birthday to the world. When I was driving to Notre Dame on Tuesday I caught some Regina radio and the afternoon announcer on Z99 made it a point to announce it was his birthday everytime he cracked open the mic.... in one instance he sang happy birthday to himself! I was embarrassed for him. That's great radio Josh.

Speaking of Regina radio, my old college buddy Chad Hansen - who hosts the afternoon show on 104.9 the Wolf gave me a call to talk on-air about how bad Winnipeg Blue Bombers Head Coach Doug Berry was in the Grey Cup game. Some of his challenge attempts were way out to lunch. And what was up with that half-time interview he gave to that CBC sideline reporter? Weird.

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I'm making a visit down to the office of Broncos team Doctor Rizqi Ibrahim this afternoon. Doc is going to hook me up with the appropriate shots in order to head south over the Christmas holidays to the Dominican or Cuba.

Doc is a great guy and is a very valuable piece to the Broncos organization. He's great with the players and has been the team doctor for several of Canada's junior teams who have traveled abroad. He has the medals to prove it.

I've never been to a warm resort destination so I'm getting geared up to go. Should be a fun time if we can all avoid Montezuma's Revenge.

Jon

Few and Far Between

That about sums up the frequency of my recent posts....

The Broncos are off 'till Friday night when they host the Kootenay Ice, the Riders and their fans are still celebrating a Grey Cup victory. The parade route ran from Mosiac Stadium on the Legislature Building where I'm told our premier Brad Wall represented our city well. It was good to see him on the field for the coin toss prior to kick-off. I haven't spoken with him but I heard it was a pretty good time in T.O. for all involved.



Grey Cup Sunday was awesome. Fans all over the country that make up Rider Nation celebrated the victory together. Text messages and phone calls from coast to coast were coming in through the game and late into the night. By the sounds of it, Albert Street Regina was the place to be but kudos to our fans who made Swift Current's Central Avenue a party zone after the Riders win.

Ryan and I were part of the action and I took a mini disc recorder into the crowd of rowdies for some morning show audio. Grain trucks with Rider flags were roaring down Central complimented with horns honking and fans in the back grain hopper... crazy.

I caught a bit of the post-game show on CKRM 620. I have to compliment voice of the Riders Rod Pedersen and how composed he was. I don't know if I could pull it all together in that kind of a moment. Impressive.

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Kurt’s KFC Teddy Bear Toss Night Set for December 1st (press release)

The Swift Current Broncos are set to host the Kurt’s KFC Teddy Bear Toss at Saturday night’s (December 1st) home game against the Brandon Wheat Kings. As in past years, all fans attending the game are encouraged to bring a new stuffed animal to the game. To keep the toys clean all teddy bears should be placed in a plastic bag. When the Broncos score their 1st goal, fans can throw their teddy bears onto the ice! All stuffed animals will be donated to the Salvation Army for those who are less fortunate.

The Salvation Army will also be selling toonie tennis balls at the doors in conjunction with the KFC Teddy Bear Toss; that can be filled with change to support the Salvation Army’s programs.

For ticket information, please contact the Broncos Office at 773-1509.

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Started some Christmas shopping this week but it's still too early. I operate best under pressure and November 27th shopping is anything but a pressure cooker. I find myself shopping for myself more than anything. Oops.

I made the snowy trip to Notre Dame last night for a "AAA" midget Legionnaires broadcast. Now and then I still do the odd "AAA" broadcast on the Eagle 94.1 FM. Often times we set up in small rinks that are anything but broadcast friendly. Phone lines are tough to find, the rink is usually cold and the calibre of hockey is inconsistent at best. Last night it was the " Scalpers Nightmare" between the last place Notre Dame Argos and the Legionnaires who are 2nd from the basement. The trip, set-up, and broadcast serves as a good reminder as to how good the Western Hockey League is. Sometimes I think we can take that for granted as broadcasters. We have it pretty damn good. No whining please.

Alright, I have to throw some motivation over to Switzer at ryanswitzer.blogspot.com

C'mon man! Novemeber 15th is your last update! (Is that the kick you needed?)

Have a good day,

Jon

GO RIDERS!!!!


No long post today. It's gameday.

Yes, the Broncos won in the shootout last night to end their shootout slump of five straight losses. It was a well played game with both goaltenders Joey Perricone and Travis Yonkman stealing the show at times.

The referees let the teams play and the game sure had it's moments. Good stuff.

Broncos host Kootenay Friday night in the Chynoweth Bowl.

To Rider Nation everywhere.... enjoy the game.

Brandon Recap / Elkhorn Afternoon

Well, what can I say about last night’s game in Brandon? Great start, great finish, but in the end the Wheat Kings outpaced the Broncos 7-6 in a wild affair filled with numerous scoring chances at both ends.

The Broncos got out to their best start of the season with a pair of goals just 4:29 in from Dale Wiese and Zack Smith. At the radio time-out midway through the 1st period the Broncos had yet to surrender a shot on goal and were in control.

That is until Del Cowan’s top circle blast down the left wing zinged over the ear of Ian Curtis and dented the twine top corner on Brandon’s very first shot on goal. Brayden Schenn scored moments later on Brandon’s 2nd shot and we were back to square one.

A Brandon crossbar and then a Tyler Dittmer goal in the slot off the rush gave Brandon the lead 3-2. It also spelled the end of the night for Ian Curtis in the Broncos goal who was replaced with 2:35 to play in the period by Travis Yonkman.

Looking back, the turning point came on a Matt Tassone major penalty for boarding on Sanfred King late in the 2nd period. The hit in front of the Wheat Kings bench appeared not to be major penalty status to me. A penalty yes, a major not a chance. I could read the lips of Brandon’s assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk “stay down, stay down, stay down”. King was ok. He remained on the bench and did return.

Tassone’s hit was being reviewed by the WHL office today. No word on a suspension but the going rate for the type of infraction is one game.

Brandon scored two more on the five minute powerplay and led 7-4 after two periods. Eric Doyle blasted home a one-timer on a 5-on-3 advantage to make in only the three goal gap before the period closed.

The first half of the third was slow and chances on both ends were few. – a real change of pace from the opening two periods. The Broncos pulled within two goals with four and a half minutes to play when Dale Wiese tipped home his 2nd of the game on the point shot from Eric Doyle.

After Wiese drew a penalty in the late stages of the game, the Broncos pulled the goaltender for the six on four advantage and promptly narrowed the gap on a goal by Zack Smith in the slot with 1:28 to play.

A mad scramble and a goal post from Dale Wiese in the dying seconds was as close as the Broncos would come to force overtime. A great try, but it still goes down as another key divisional loss in the end.

The Broncos outchanced Brandon in the end in the run and gun type affair but Brandon finished off most of their opportunities showing great skill. Brandon’s Brayden Schenn is the best 16 year-old to come into the league since…..? I’m having trouble answering that one but it’s been awhile. He finished the night with two goals and two assists. He will be an NHL first rounder next year and is the cream of the crop in his very talented age group across the WHL. Brandon got him 9th overall in the 2006 bantam draft.

The team stayed the night and departed for Moose Jaw at noon.


The Elkhorn Experience.

Quite a treat for the guys on the way to Moose Jaw today. We stopped at Elkhorn, MB, a tiny bordertown along the Trans Canada highway for the pre-game meal. It’s a stop several teams are doing and now I see why.

No restaurant on this stop; we sat down in the middle of the lobby of the town’s rink and were treated to a great meal and small town hospitality at it’s finest. To make the experience even better, an Atom hockey tournament was going on and young autograph seekers were everywhere.

Homemade soup, corn, mashed potatoes, turkey and stuffing were on the menu this day which is the Elkhorn specialty. It reminded me of hockey in my hometown and got me thinking many years back to that time.

Even a young voice over the p.a. system was announcing the goals and assists… that very well could have been me 15 years ago. Broncos athletic therapist Paul Ayotte laughed out loud when I referred to the announcer as a “a young Jon Keen”.

A poster sized picture of former Bronco Sheldon Kennedy dawns the wood panel wall of the lobby. “To my friends in Elkhorn, all the best, Sheldon Kennedy” was the writing in the corner of the framed picture.

It was a setting I don’t think too many Broncos have experienced before. Zack Smith would be the only player from a small town that would have grown up in a rink like that. It was hockey at the grassroots level and put things really into perspective. The guys sat around and watched the atom game that was underway. Dale Wiese and Spencer McAvoy were glued to the action and had some laughs. Spence was comparing his turnover that led to a breakaway Wednesday in Prince Albert to one that just happened on the Elkhorn ice. The goalie flopped to his knees and made a big save on the wobbly wrister from 8 feet.

The local senior team, the Elkhorn Canadiens would have a game later that night. I wish I could have stayed for that one.

It was great.

Broncos and Moose Jaw tonight, pre-game show at 6:30, play-by-play at 7pm.

Jon

Brandon Bound...

A few things to blog about on the seven hour journey southeast to Brandon for tomorrow night’s game.

A quick stop in some of the small towns along the journey just goes to show the strength of Rider Pride. A stop in Wadena proved to be interesting. How about some Rider Pride doughnuts in the bakery? One lady asked “is your bus heading to the Grey Cup game?”

Several small towns along the way had “Go Riders” signs flanking the road. That seemed to stop as we hit the Manitoba border.

I’ll take a closer look at the Grey Cup game from the Broncos perspective in tomorrow night’s pre-game show. With a handful of Winnipeggers and Saskies on the team, there will be something on the line Sunday besides the Grey Cup.

The team also made a quick stop in Yorkton for lunch, This trek is rarely made by the Broncos. In fact I can recall only once before doing the Prince Albert / Brandon trip. Five seasons ago we played in Brandon first and after the game bussed as far as Yorkton. We pulled in around 2am to ur hotel and there was this huge wedding dance taking place that rocked on till four in the morning. Safe to say no one was well rested after that night. We were sharing the same hotel as the Kindersley Klippers of the SJHL, at the time coached by Dave Hunchak. We bussed on to Prince Albert the next day.

Last night was streak breaking night around the league – except for the Broncos who dropped their fourth in a row to Prince Albert. More on that game later. Moose Jaw snapped a seven game slide by beating Saskatoon 3-1. The Warriors will probably win seven straight now… such a streaky hockey club.

Lethbridge failed to pick up a point for the first time in 14 games (13-0-0-1) in that stretch. They lost in Edmonton 6-3.

Tri City stopped Kelowna’s streak of points in consecutive games with a 6-1 win. The Americans lit up the scoreboard six times in the 2nd period. Game over.

The Broncos continue to struggle against Prince Albert. The Broncos didn’t have a lot of first period energy and didn’t really start skating until late in the 2nd period. Two Raider goals 1:09 apart in the 2nd period by Matt Robertson and Jordan Trach was the turning point.

Ryan Depape scored his 5th of the season to open the scoring midway through the first period. Three of his five season markers have come against the Broncos.

The icing on the cake came early in the third period. It was the first time I have ever seen this play happen in person. The Broncos scored an “own goal” with their goalie pulled. for the extra attacker on a delayed penalty. Brad Hoban tried to get the puck back to the point inside the Raiders zone to Ryan Molle when the puck hopped over Molle’s stick and had enough juice to roll all the way down the ice and into the Broncos empty net. “You gotta be kidding me” was my on-air reaction. The fans went nuts.

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Is the WHL listening? When it comes to my on-going concern with goal judges maybe they are. Two cases on Sunday night rendered goal judges as just glorified light switch operators in which the referee chose not to consult them after a couple of pucks rang the crossbar.

One was in the Broncos/ Saskatoon game when David Steiler rang the bar late in the 1st period and the red light went on. The referee waved if off and play continued. After the play was blown down, the goal judge was trying his best to get the attention of the referee to add his two cents. The referee never consulted him.

The same held true Sunday night in Moose Jaw in overtime when Riley Holzapfel hit the cross bar in a 2-2 game against Lethbridge. Again the red light went on but the referee made no signal it was a goal. He never consulted the goal judge either for his thoughts. Maybe a memo has been sent out recently regarding the homers with the best seat in the house. If so, that’s great to hear.

My thoughts on the subject is that most of the goal judges around the league are usually on the booster club of the home team and when it comes to being an unbias official of the game…. good luck.

The title “goal judge” should be changed to “goal light operator”. Or, do what the NHL did and do away with them all together. Make no mistake, video replay is coming to the WHL on a full time basis during the regular season – maybe as soon as next year. For now, it will remain only in Conference Finals and the WHL Championship series.

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Finally I will close off with my favorite line of the week and it comes courtesy of Andy Kemper, voice of the Portland Winterhawks.

As the Hawks held on to beat Regina 4-3 earlier this week, Andy proudly proclaimed “The Hawks are now 2-0 on home ice on Tuesday nights against east division teams.” Nice work Andy. Something to build on.

Jon

Finally....

A quick pic from summertime to begin the post.
(left to right: me, Kerry Joseph, Switzer) We snapped this pic at Kerry's Regina condo the day before the big Labour Day clash with the Bombers.

The gift of wine must have worked, hopefully KJ has some magic left for Sunday after a phenomenal season to date.

GO RIDERS!

I'll have a little more time to update the blog this afternoon on the way North to Prince Albert.

A couple of things have caught my attention lately, not the least of which is the Broncos 2/27 record for shooters in the shootout this season in five losses.

Tonight's pre-game show begins at 7pm on the Eagle 94.1 FM. Former Bronco captain Luke Hunter will be my guest. Some pretty interesting stuff going on with Luke these days. You can catch that interview tonight prior to face-off in P.A.

Tonight's game with Prince Albert may be getting a little personal for the Broncos after three regulation losses to the Raiders this season. Plus, the game is on Shaw tonight. My buddy Cam Moon has the play-by-play. I hope you still catch our radio feed for the action....

I will have more of an update later....

Jon

Gameday! Broncos and Blades

The Swift Current Broncos have a chance to grab a share of the lead in the east division when they host the Saskatoon Blades tonight. Here some points to ponder before tonight's face-off.

- The Blades will play their third game in three nights after back-to-back home ice losses to Lethbridge and Calgary. How much is left in the tank?

- The Broncos have to start playing to win rather than a team playing like they are afraid to lose against teams lower in the standings. Too often already this season the Broncos have let points slip away.

- The Blades sport the league's worst road record at 1-10-1. Yes, even Portland has been better on the road this season.

- The Broncos will hope to have Keegan Dansereau back in the line-up after he was sick on Friday night. He was at the rink the past couple days and that's a good sign. If history tells us anything, the Broncos will wait till he's 100% before getting him back in the line-up. The Broncos never rush injuries or health in order to get a player back in. Also, don't expect Derek Claffey tonight. His shoulder injury should keep him out until sometimes next week.

- The Blades may still be without overage defenseman John Flatters who sat out last night's game vs Calgary due to suspension. His hit on Lethbridge's Nick Hotson on Friday night drew a boarding major and game miscounduct. The league has said his suspension is "To Be Determined" according to whl.ca.


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It's the Riders and Lions in the CFL's Western Final a little later on this afternoon. The Broncos elected to keep the starting time as is (7pm) even though Prince Albert bumped their start time back a half hour to 7:30. I would have liked the Broncos to move their start time back but it didn't happen. Looks like another late arriving crowd... if they arrive at all tonight at the I-plex. Fans would like to see both. Not sure why they didn't try to accomodate.

I got a kick out of the exchange between Lions Head Coach Wally Buono and Riders radio color commenter Carm Carteri. If anyone missed it you can catch the highlights over at tsn.ca. Don't tell me coaches don't pay attention to whats going on out there in the media. Most are glued to what's being said on the radio, in the paper and on the internet, though they will never admit it.

It reminded me of when Pats Head Coach Curtis Hunt had some words for me during last year's playoff series for a blog entry I had posted. All of that is water under the bridge. Curtis has been fantastic this year and hasn't held a grudge.

The Buono/Carteri incident is just another example of how the media plays a role in the game within a game.

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My best wishes to WHL linseman Chad Marshall. The veteran liney recently had a tumour-like growth removed from his kidney in hospital at Regina. He's one of the nicest guys out there. All the best Duecey.


Jon

Broncos Down Wheaties 4-1

No update today... it's the Broncos and my only Saturday off 'till late February.

Not much to report... Kelly Macrimmon was well behaved in the pre-game interview - no fireworks. Linseman Kelly Balaberda dropped the puck on a routine basis... no problems. Life is good.

Have a good Saturday,

Jon

Reich for the Stars

Another Vancouver trade today...

It appears former Bronco Micheal Hengen may soon have company for most career WHL teams in the last five years following another trade involving Mike Reich today....

Here's the news release:

The Vancouver Giants have dealt 19 year-old forward Mike Reich to the Saskatoon Blades. In exchange, the Giants will receive a 7th round pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

Reich, who was acquired earlier this season from the Regina Pats, is into his 4th season in the WHL. The 5’11”, 192lbs forward from Craik, Saskatchewan appeared in 13 games with the Giants, scoring three goals and adding one assist.

Here is the scoresheet:

Hengen: Swift Current, Saskatoon, Chilliwack, Calgary, Moose Jaw, Edmonton

Reich: Spokane, Calgary, Regina, Vancouver, Saskatoon....

He still has another year to play in the WHL...maybe he can join the super six club too.

Personally I like his game. The cousin of former Bronco Jeremy Reich plays with an edge. Im sure we will see that edge Sunday when he attempts to prove his worth to his new team.

Special Award Presentation

Reich

WHL's Top 25 According to NHL Central Scouting

A couple days late but worth posting.

1 C Kyle Beach, Everett
2 D Tyler Myers, Kelowna
3. D Colten Teubert, Regina
4. D Luke Schenn, Kelowna
5. D Tyler Ennis, Medicine Hat
6. C Zach Boychuk, Lethbridge
7. D Jyri Niemi, Saskatoon
8. C Jordan Eberle, Regina
9. D Luca Sbisa, Lethbridge
10. LW Geordie Wudrick, Swift Curren
t11. D Colby Robak, Brandon
12. C James Wright, Vancouver
13. D Travis Hamonic, Moose Jaw
14. C Brandon McMillan, Kelowna
15. LW Matt Calvert, Brandon
16. D Matt Delahey, Regina
17. C Mitch Wahl, Spokane
18. D Michael Stone, Calgary
19. C Kruise Reddick, Tri-City
20. D Teigan Zahn, Sasktoon
21. C Lance Bouma, Vancouver
22. D Eric Mestery, Tri-City
23. C Joel Broda, Moose Jaw
24. D Jordan Rowley, Kamloops
25. C Matt Tassone, Swift Current

GOALTENDERS
1. Chet Pickard, Tri-City
2. Braden Holtby, Saskatoon
3. Jacob DeSerres, Seattle
4. Martin Jones, Calgary
5. Dustin Tokarski, Spokane
6. Morgan Clark, Red Deer
7. Kyle Birch, Tri-City

Interesting list. Good to see Geordie and Matt on it. This is a pretty solid group out of the WHL and both Bronco players will no eagerly anticpate the Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings due out sometime in January.

Central Scouting has lost a little bit of it's pull over the years due to NHL teams liking certain players and going with their scouts rather than the NHL's panel.

Hopefully Broncos goaltender Ian Curtis can get some extra looks in the coming weeks and at least get his name on the board somewhere. At 6'5 I'm surprised the scouts left him off the list. They salivate over size... can't teach size right?

The Stuff You Hear...

The one thing I like about this league is that I learn something new almost every day or every game. The amount of hockey or league knowledge knows no ceiling. The more I just sit and listen, the more things I learn. It's neverending really. I've been fortunate to have learned from some of the best and most knowledgeable over the years. From coaching techniques to handling different personalities to just understanding the game on another level, this year has been as educational as ever.


- Broncos rookie forward Mike Brown is set to rejoin the team after a whirlwind trip to Toronto. His Grandpa is Bill Hay is the Chairman for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Mike was on hand for the big induction ceremony which included Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis and Builder Jim Gregory entering the Hall.

- How 'bout some goals? The Broncos haven't scored more than three goals in their last five games. The high octane offense sometimes needs to run a little diesel instead and get a little greasy.


- Wind speeds of 100 km/h plus blew threw Swifty the last 24 hours. There wasn't a lot of sleep for a few people in town last night including me. Surprising there was little to no damage around the city. I silenced my cell this afternoon to catch-up and apparently missed a call from by buddy Regan Bartel in Kelowna. He left a random message about goaltending which got me thinking about all the past or present goaltenders in the WHL broadcast booth.

Cam Moon in Red Deer would be the only one who played at any sort of a high level. The former WHL 'tender would be at the head of the class. Regan is Kelowna plays/played quite a bit growing up while Ron St.Clair tries to convince me every time I'm in Prince George that he's still in the prime of his career.

I play a little...at least I used to. I know there's a couple more in the ranks that I just can't think of right now. Drew in P.A perhaps?


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- The Broncos had their lights knocked out today... literally. A power outage believed to be caused by the high winds cancelled practice. The Broncos host Brandon Friday and Saskatoon Sunday to complete the weekend. A rare Saturday night off for the Hockey Club.

Short and sweet... that's it for tonight.

Jon

Riders Win...Broncos Lose / What's With This Guy?

I admit to being a little distracted during the first period of tonight's hockey game...apparently so were the Broncos.

With the game streaming on my laptop in the broadcast booth, I attempted to call the game in between plays in the 4th quarter of the West Semi Final. Ryan saw how distracted I was coming and took over between whistles. We were trying to keep Bronco fans in the building and on the radio kept up to date. The ending of the Riders game was a relief on a couple levels. Relief for the Riders win and relief that I could focus on the Broncos game.

About that game... The Broncos came out flat in the first period and went down a couple goals after the Raiders crashed the net and banged home a couple. Goals the Broncos have been famous for the last couple years.

Dale Wiese's shorthanded marker (Broncos first shorty of the year) with just over a minute to go in the 1st gave them some life going into the 2nd.

After killing off a double minor assessed to Levi Nelson, (two for tripping, two for some words for referee Devin Klein) the Broncos got a boost as Nelson was set up in front on a great effort from Dale Wiese to center the pass in front. We were tied at two.

The Raiders would take the lead late in the 2nd on a powerplay rebound goal. Another undisciplined penalty led to the go-ahead goal. Devin Klein called a good game tonight. He was fair, called what he saw and put the whistle away in the final minutes to let the teams decide it.

The third period featured a Raiders team bottling things up and chipping pucks out of their zone to hold on for the win. Dustin Butler made 13 third period saves and 31 in the hockey game. The Broncos are waiting for him to have an off-night. It hasn't happened in the first three meetings.

Like last year, the trend of teams beating the Broncos that are lower in the standings is continuing. It seems certain teams just give the Broncos problems. This year it looks like the Raiders.

The Broncos have most of the week off before hosting Kelly Macrimmon and the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Wheaties edged the Pats 2-1 in regulation earlier in the day.

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Ok, this has been a long time coming and I think I speak on behalf of most of the teams and coaches in this league.

What's the deal with linseman Kelly Balaberda? This veteran WHL linseman seems to always try to be the star of the show.

The non-stop power tripping to both team benches and kicking out centerman after centerman in the face-off circle.... I'm getting overly annoyed with it. He holds a lecture to each center in the draw before dropping the puck...which...takes...forrr...evvv......er.

It had me openly saying "just drop the puck already Kelly " several times on tonight's broadcast. He's causing more problems than he's solving. Players start jawing at each other from sheer restlessness.

The league wants the games to be quicker and quicker yet this human rain delay is just focused on getting some facetime from those in attendance.

I'm friends with a few of the linies around the league. They're great guys and do a great job. They know their role out there and do nothing more, nothing less than what's asked from the league. To Ian Schafer, Chad Marshall, Brad Davie, Nathan Weiler...keep up the great work. The teams also appreciate your effort.

The league must think he's doing a fantastic job. He's been sent to all sorts of IIHF tournaments around the world. I think he's shared a few overseas flights with referee Chris Savage. Take that for what it's worth.

Just drop the puck. It's simple.
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Monday Night Best Western Meet the Broncos as me along with Dean Chynoweth and Zack Smith at Kabos. We will be there from 5-7pm. Stop on by if you'd like.


Jon