First off, my apologies for the lack of posts. Between Bantam AA Playoffs in Alberta, BC Provincials in Kelowna and now this week KIBIHT in Kamloops (Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tournament; some 45 years running) to finish off my youngest son's hockey season, it's been tough to get anything down on-screen.
At any rate, there wasn't many who thought coming back from Edmonton with a split after a 9-0 shellacking in game one was anywhere near a remote possibility. Instead of resting on the laurels of clawing their way out of the WHL's basement in December to make the playoffs, a timely OT goal by Luke Philp drew the series with the defending champs even.
Who knows? With this bunch, surely anything is possible as the season has proven.
With little reports coming out of the injury department, especially during the post-season, it's doubtful that D Tanner Muth and F Levi Cable will be available to play, and perhaps not for the entire series.
With Ice head coach Ryan McGill being the Eastern Conference nominee for Coach of the Year, the ones calling for his head for his 'old school' style of coaching are sure quiet. Hey, just saying.
Really, my expectations as a fan aren't high being the 8th seed facing the number one seed and the defending champs. If they can make go six games I'll be impressed. Someone once said to me that in this league, playoff experience is the biggest tangible a young team can have as it grows into a contender. Losing only two players next season (Montgomery and Leach, both who will graduate this year), this club should be set up for a championship run next year. Sure a tweek here and there perhaps some scoring depth and maybe another blueliner but they should be on the top of the playoff push next year, not the bottom.
At 0-9 through the first two games the power play will have to get moving or it'll be that much harder to move on.
Here's hoping for a good crowd tonight, I'll be listening in from Kamloops.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Ice dump Hitmen; Face biggest game of the season
The conjecture of the last week now behind us we'll talk some hockey - the on-ice stuff - this morning, at least to start.
In what seems to be the theme as the club winds down the regular season, the Kootenay Ice faced their biggest test of the season last night at WFP and passed with flying colours, beating the Calgary Hitmen 5-1 for the third win of the season against the team from Cowtown.
I didn't have a chance to be there as I took in a Bantam AAA game in Lethbridge while my wife and youngest son took in Eric Church at the Enmax centre last night, the site of where the Kootenay Ice face their next biggest test on the season tonight at 6PM, as always on the The Drive. So I caught most of the game via the broadcast.
FYI, three locals play on the Lethbridge squad who have got by first place Medicine Hat and now Airdrie with four straight wins and now get set to face the Calgary Northstar Sabres in the Alberta AAA Bantam League semi-finals. Jordan Roy from Cranbrook along with Ty Abbott and Daylan Marchi both from Sparwood who have relocated to the Windy City to play AAA Bantam hockey. The local AA squad - the Cranbrook Hornets - host Brooks today looking to clinch their first round best-of-three series today at the Memorial at 3PM after taking game one 10-2 Friday night in Brooks.
The Midget Ice dumped the Foothills squad 7-3 at home Friday night to take a 1-0 lead in that series while the Peewee Ice did the same to the Lethbridge Giants, 5-1 Friday to take a 1-0 in South Central Alberta Hockey League action. Game two of both series are in Fernie today and Lethbridge, respectively.
Alas, I digress....
Levi Cable opened the scoring for the Ice and added an assist and garnered first star honours last night in the 5-1 win. Brock Montgomery also notched a goal and an assist while Jakub Prochazka scored the eventual game-winner on the power play in the second. Sam Reinhart notched a couple of helpers that were added, probably after the highlites were looked at, which are up on the Ice website - right after the game!
The win was the club`s 12th straight at home, a new franchise record believe it or not. Something not even on the radar when this club was dead last in the WHL in December.
The win puts the Ice a game over the .500 mark for the first time this season in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, one point back of the Swift Current Broncos and three up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes. A win tonight would give the Ice a 4-5 point (depending on OT or not) lead and afford them to keep pace with the Broncos (who face-off at home against the Wheaties) and the Tigers, who play the Rebels, if those teams win.
The Ice will face the Hurricanes twice before the end of the season, including tonight and also two more games against the Tigers. Win those four and the chance of not only making the playoffs but hitting the 7th or even the 6th seed is a good possibility. The Hurricanes also have a tough schedule left as they have to travel through BC, or part of it, with games against Victoria, Vancouver and Kelowna.
A solid crowd last night at WFP with 2744 at the game for a season average of 2363. It`s a big week as the next two games are on the road - tonight in Lethbridge and Wednesday in Medicine Hat before the Rebels return to WFP Friday. A crowd of 4000+ are expected for School Spirit night Saturday with the Tigers visiting for the final time, at least this regular season. There`s been a crowd as big as 4700 plus in that rink so there`s not worry of not getting a ticket if you like.
Wednesday`s game in the Hat is televised on Shaw. Gametime is 7PM.
Nothing elsewhere reported on True North Sports Entertainment`s quest for a WHL franchise other than Gregg Drinnan on his blog post for Saturday morning here. It`s interesting to note that when contacted by Drinnan about the speculation, Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth texted back ``No truth. We will 100% be in Cranbrook next season``. Drinnan also mentions Portland in the mix as owner Bill Gallacher has serious interests in purchasing the Phoenix Coyotes and moving them to Stumptown. Then again, doesn`t everybody want the Coyotes and to move them to (Portland, Seattle, Quebec....).
At any rate, just some discussion on the discussion on my last post. I like the discussion, it`s a good thing. I still maintain that engaging the fans - whether they have good feedback, constructive or just bad feedback. It`s feedback, nonetheless. If you don`t get any of it then perhaps apathy could be the worst feedback of all.
But at the end of the day, we`re a small-town franchise in a big-town franchise world. The numbers don`t lie. Swift Current - with an average attendance this season of 2152 - manages to keep it`s head above water because their a community owned team and as such breaking even doesn`t hurt. Lethbridge is in the same boat but their average attendance is around the 3500 mark this season and that team should be able to make money at those numbers. However no playoff revenue is key for the last three years and they announced a 600,000 plus loss last year. PG, the only real comparison in this argument because they, like the Ice, are privately owned, draw only an average of 1862 this season. That`s tough with their expenses and their geography. Playoffs home dates are key, which we`ve had a lot of over the years and this year, hopefully should have again.
A friend commented to me that it would be better to tank and get a shot at a top pick in the Bantam Draft like Tyler Benson or Kyle Clague. That doesn`t work on two fronts; one, you never know if those top picks are going to pan out. There`s no such thing as a sure thing and he`s two-three years away from making an impact. Two, and more importantly, making the playoffs - given an average ticket price of $20 and say an average crowd of 2500. That`s a $100,000 before expenses for two home dates. That`s a lot to the bottom line of any team never mind a small-market one. And it`s gravy. Every team budget is based on the regular season.
Also, the fact you might hate the GM or ownership should never factor into a decision whether or not you attend a game. Quite frankly, either should the atmosphere either but I do realize that it`s important to fans not as fanatical as I. The sizzle is important but again, the product or the steak should be the thing you want to see at the end of the day. I would love a jumbotron because I come from a generation that is sooo used to replays but it doesn`t affect my decision to buy a ticket. But at the end of the day, the finished product on the ice - overall - is almost beyond reproach, given the teams record here. The GM puts that product on the ice. Whether you like him or not is irrelevant, if you support the aforementioned argument.
If you don`t support that argument, therein might lie the problem. That and there`s only 30,000 or so of us to actually go to games.
Marketing, from a team standpoint, has to better. If you`re base to draw from is small to begin with there should be no stone un-turned to get that possible fan in the door. It does take money to market, for the most part and with a razor-thin budget, it`s tough to find the money to market. Kind of a chicken and egg argument.
At any rate, I wonder if a different ownership group would be able to change anything, anyway. I do know it worked in Tri-Cities but again, look at the product on the ice compared to what it was before the new ownership group took over seven years ago. That`s what has changed there. Though there`s still no championship banners there. Here there`s three.
The coming months or year could be one of consternation for hockey in this town if things don`t improve at the turnstiles. Whether the owner `likes`it here is irrelevant. It`s all about dollars and cents at the end of the day.
Everything`s for sale, at the right price.
Right now, that price might be extremely high, both for the team and the city, if it`s sold.
In what seems to be the theme as the club winds down the regular season, the Kootenay Ice faced their biggest test of the season last night at WFP and passed with flying colours, beating the Calgary Hitmen 5-1 for the third win of the season against the team from Cowtown.
I didn't have a chance to be there as I took in a Bantam AAA game in Lethbridge while my wife and youngest son took in Eric Church at the Enmax centre last night, the site of where the Kootenay Ice face their next biggest test on the season tonight at 6PM, as always on the The Drive. So I caught most of the game via the broadcast.
FYI, three locals play on the Lethbridge squad who have got by first place Medicine Hat and now Airdrie with four straight wins and now get set to face the Calgary Northstar Sabres in the Alberta AAA Bantam League semi-finals. Jordan Roy from Cranbrook along with Ty Abbott and Daylan Marchi both from Sparwood who have relocated to the Windy City to play AAA Bantam hockey. The local AA squad - the Cranbrook Hornets - host Brooks today looking to clinch their first round best-of-three series today at the Memorial at 3PM after taking game one 10-2 Friday night in Brooks.
The Midget Ice dumped the Foothills squad 7-3 at home Friday night to take a 1-0 lead in that series while the Peewee Ice did the same to the Lethbridge Giants, 5-1 Friday to take a 1-0 in South Central Alberta Hockey League action. Game two of both series are in Fernie today and Lethbridge, respectively.
Alas, I digress....
Levi Cable opened the scoring for the Ice and added an assist and garnered first star honours last night in the 5-1 win. Brock Montgomery also notched a goal and an assist while Jakub Prochazka scored the eventual game-winner on the power play in the second. Sam Reinhart notched a couple of helpers that were added, probably after the highlites were looked at, which are up on the Ice website - right after the game!
The win was the club`s 12th straight at home, a new franchise record believe it or not. Something not even on the radar when this club was dead last in the WHL in December.
The win puts the Ice a game over the .500 mark for the first time this season in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, one point back of the Swift Current Broncos and three up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes. A win tonight would give the Ice a 4-5 point (depending on OT or not) lead and afford them to keep pace with the Broncos (who face-off at home against the Wheaties) and the Tigers, who play the Rebels, if those teams win.
The Ice will face the Hurricanes twice before the end of the season, including tonight and also two more games against the Tigers. Win those four and the chance of not only making the playoffs but hitting the 7th or even the 6th seed is a good possibility. The Hurricanes also have a tough schedule left as they have to travel through BC, or part of it, with games against Victoria, Vancouver and Kelowna.
A solid crowd last night at WFP with 2744 at the game for a season average of 2363. It`s a big week as the next two games are on the road - tonight in Lethbridge and Wednesday in Medicine Hat before the Rebels return to WFP Friday. A crowd of 4000+ are expected for School Spirit night Saturday with the Tigers visiting for the final time, at least this regular season. There`s been a crowd as big as 4700 plus in that rink so there`s not worry of not getting a ticket if you like.
Wednesday`s game in the Hat is televised on Shaw. Gametime is 7PM.
Nothing elsewhere reported on True North Sports Entertainment`s quest for a WHL franchise other than Gregg Drinnan on his blog post for Saturday morning here. It`s interesting to note that when contacted by Drinnan about the speculation, Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth texted back ``No truth. We will 100% be in Cranbrook next season``. Drinnan also mentions Portland in the mix as owner Bill Gallacher has serious interests in purchasing the Phoenix Coyotes and moving them to Stumptown. Then again, doesn`t everybody want the Coyotes and to move them to (Portland, Seattle, Quebec....).
At any rate, just some discussion on the discussion on my last post. I like the discussion, it`s a good thing. I still maintain that engaging the fans - whether they have good feedback, constructive or just bad feedback. It`s feedback, nonetheless. If you don`t get any of it then perhaps apathy could be the worst feedback of all.
But at the end of the day, we`re a small-town franchise in a big-town franchise world. The numbers don`t lie. Swift Current - with an average attendance this season of 2152 - manages to keep it`s head above water because their a community owned team and as such breaking even doesn`t hurt. Lethbridge is in the same boat but their average attendance is around the 3500 mark this season and that team should be able to make money at those numbers. However no playoff revenue is key for the last three years and they announced a 600,000 plus loss last year. PG, the only real comparison in this argument because they, like the Ice, are privately owned, draw only an average of 1862 this season. That`s tough with their expenses and their geography. Playoffs home dates are key, which we`ve had a lot of over the years and this year, hopefully should have again.
A friend commented to me that it would be better to tank and get a shot at a top pick in the Bantam Draft like Tyler Benson or Kyle Clague. That doesn`t work on two fronts; one, you never know if those top picks are going to pan out. There`s no such thing as a sure thing and he`s two-three years away from making an impact. Two, and more importantly, making the playoffs - given an average ticket price of $20 and say an average crowd of 2500. That`s a $100,000 before expenses for two home dates. That`s a lot to the bottom line of any team never mind a small-market one. And it`s gravy. Every team budget is based on the regular season.
Also, the fact you might hate the GM or ownership should never factor into a decision whether or not you attend a game. Quite frankly, either should the atmosphere either but I do realize that it`s important to fans not as fanatical as I. The sizzle is important but again, the product or the steak should be the thing you want to see at the end of the day. I would love a jumbotron because I come from a generation that is sooo used to replays but it doesn`t affect my decision to buy a ticket. But at the end of the day, the finished product on the ice - overall - is almost beyond reproach, given the teams record here. The GM puts that product on the ice. Whether you like him or not is irrelevant, if you support the aforementioned argument.
If you don`t support that argument, therein might lie the problem. That and there`s only 30,000 or so of us to actually go to games.
Marketing, from a team standpoint, has to better. If you`re base to draw from is small to begin with there should be no stone un-turned to get that possible fan in the door. It does take money to market, for the most part and with a razor-thin budget, it`s tough to find the money to market. Kind of a chicken and egg argument.
At any rate, I wonder if a different ownership group would be able to change anything, anyway. I do know it worked in Tri-Cities but again, look at the product on the ice compared to what it was before the new ownership group took over seven years ago. That`s what has changed there. Though there`s still no championship banners there. Here there`s three.
The coming months or year could be one of consternation for hockey in this town if things don`t improve at the turnstiles. Whether the owner `likes`it here is irrelevant. It`s all about dollars and cents at the end of the day.
Everything`s for sale, at the right price.
Right now, that price might be extremely high, both for the team and the city, if it`s sold.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Could the Jets be Kootenay's undoing?
At a time in the season where almost all things Kootenay are going in the right direction for the Ice on it, it appears now that off of it could be troublesome.
Kelly Friesen, a WHL writer covering the league for Yahoo Sports tweeted the following a few hours ago:
Following Sportscaster Jim Toth's breaking of the story that the True North Sports Entertainment - the owners of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets - were in talks with a WHL team last weekend to purchase and relocate a team to Winnipeg to play out of the MTS Centre a la Edmonton and Calgary, the nervous energy in the Kootenays should've went into overdrive.
Jim Tweeted this early Sunday morning:
Jim Toth Ice fans will remember as the entertaining host of Ice-Chips on the local Shaw TV Channel for five years from 2003-08 before leaving to take a job with Shaw in Winnipeg. Jim is now the host of his own sports show with CJOB radio in Winnipeg.
After taking 2 of 3 on the road, splitting in Brandon with a win Saturday in overtime and then beating the Swift Current Broncos 5-2 Monday to overtake the Lethbridge Hurricanes and move into a the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference - an almost Herculean feat in and of itself given that the club was actually three points behind the last-place Vancouver Giants in mid-December - all that will likely get talked about now is the impending doom for the club off the ice instead of the great play on it.
But for the 2350 average fans per game this season, maybe there are more that need to take these reports a little more seriously. Friesen's column more will likely only reveal that the Ice were the club that TNSE were talking to and talks broke off. But the fact there were talks held should scare the hell of you if you're a Kootenay fan.
And what of the 15-year lease signed by the club in 2009? If the club is sold, that would be for the courts to decide, I would imagine. Although the Niedermayer brothers Scott and Rob are minority partners with the club - a 24% stake - whether or not they still have first right of refusal on any sale is unknown.
The Ice have the third-lowest attendance in the league, ahead of only PG who hover just over 1800, and Swift Current who check in at about 2150 per game. The club has dropped almost 450 per game this season over last when it comes to average attendance.
The Winnipeg Free Press had a story on the owners of the Jets in discussions with a WHL team last week but talks had broken off. That story is here.
I'll be honest, when I seen Jim's tweet over the weekend and the Ice being in Brandon - it was a little too convenient. But I also brushed it off first because most around the league see the Prince George Cougars as the team first to be courted and bought or relocated and the fact the team has a great lease in Cranbrook with 11 years left on it, enabling it to make money with relatively lower attendance. However, the story Kelly will post tomorrow combined with the comments of Ron Robison to the FP at the end of the story above are concerning. (""If there was to be relocation certainly from an Eastern Conference standpoint, our first priority would be Winnipeg") PG isn't in the Eastern Conference, Kootenay is.
And fans around these parts should probably start paying attention, or at the very least, more of them. About 500 or so at least.
The Calgary Hitmen are here Saturday night. Hopefully the news is more about the stuff happening on the ice rather than off of it.
UPDATE: Kelly Friesen has posted his column for Yahoo Sports here. Kootenay leads his speculative list of franchises that could be options for TNSE to purchase and move to Winnipeg. However, though his sources have indicated that talks broke off, Ice fans should be extremely concerned. I have also fixed the date that the Ice signed the 15-year lease with the Rec Plex and the City. That was in January of 2009.
Kelly Friesen, a WHL writer covering the league for Yahoo Sports tweeted the following a few hours ago:
Winnipeg Jets ownership group is looking to buy a #WHL team..had talks with the Kootenay Ice...more details in my column on Yahoo tomorrow.
Following Sportscaster Jim Toth's breaking of the story that the True North Sports Entertainment - the owners of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets - were in talks with a WHL team last weekend to purchase and relocate a team to Winnipeg to play out of the MTS Centre a la Edmonton and Calgary, the nervous energy in the Kootenays should've went into overdrive.
Jim Tweeted this early Sunday morning:
True North Sports & Ent. recently met with a #WHL franchise about purchasing the team & bringing it to #Winnipeg .@680CJOB 1/2
Jim Toth Ice fans will remember as the entertaining host of Ice-Chips on the local Shaw TV Channel for five years from 2003-08 before leaving to take a job with Shaw in Winnipeg. Jim is now the host of his own sports show with CJOB radio in Winnipeg.
After taking 2 of 3 on the road, splitting in Brandon with a win Saturday in overtime and then beating the Swift Current Broncos 5-2 Monday to overtake the Lethbridge Hurricanes and move into a the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference - an almost Herculean feat in and of itself given that the club was actually three points behind the last-place Vancouver Giants in mid-December - all that will likely get talked about now is the impending doom for the club off the ice instead of the great play on it.
But for the 2350 average fans per game this season, maybe there are more that need to take these reports a little more seriously. Friesen's column more will likely only reveal that the Ice were the club that TNSE were talking to and talks broke off. But the fact there were talks held should scare the hell of you if you're a Kootenay fan.
And what of the 15-year lease signed by the club in 2009? If the club is sold, that would be for the courts to decide, I would imagine. Although the Niedermayer brothers Scott and Rob are minority partners with the club - a 24% stake - whether or not they still have first right of refusal on any sale is unknown.
The Ice have the third-lowest attendance in the league, ahead of only PG who hover just over 1800, and Swift Current who check in at about 2150 per game. The club has dropped almost 450 per game this season over last when it comes to average attendance.
The Winnipeg Free Press had a story on the owners of the Jets in discussions with a WHL team last week but talks had broken off. That story is here.
I'll be honest, when I seen Jim's tweet over the weekend and the Ice being in Brandon - it was a little too convenient. But I also brushed it off first because most around the league see the Prince George Cougars as the team first to be courted and bought or relocated and the fact the team has a great lease in Cranbrook with 11 years left on it, enabling it to make money with relatively lower attendance. However, the story Kelly will post tomorrow combined with the comments of Ron Robison to the FP at the end of the story above are concerning. (""If there was to be relocation certainly from an Eastern Conference standpoint, our first priority would be Winnipeg") PG isn't in the Eastern Conference, Kootenay is.
And fans around these parts should probably start paying attention, or at the very least, more of them. About 500 or so at least.
The Calgary Hitmen are here Saturday night. Hopefully the news is more about the stuff happening on the ice rather than off of it.
UPDATE: Kelly Friesen has posted his column for Yahoo Sports here. Kootenay leads his speculative list of franchises that could be options for TNSE to purchase and move to Winnipeg. However, though his sources have indicated that talks broke off, Ice fans should be extremely concerned. I have also fixed the date that the Ice signed the 15-year lease with the Rec Plex and the City. That was in January of 2009.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Ice could hold their own destiny
One never likes to eat a lot of crow - and to be honest, the bird hasn't be served up just yet - but watching this team play game-in and game-out, at least at home, and you really wonder if they can pull this playoff push off.
Saturday night at the Rec Plex they did it again, finishing off a hard-fought, almost playoff style of a hockey game, 3-0 over the Hurricanes. It's those same Hurricanes, along with the Tigers, they'll be battling to get a spot in the post-season dance.
They are words still hard to type given the state of the team just 6-7 weeks ago where visions of lottery picks danced in the heads of fans and not playoff games. If you were wondering the Tyler Benson watch continued this week when the Edmonton Southside Athletic Club Bantam broke Ty Rattie's Alberta Bantam AAA league points record of 131. Benson now has 56 goals and 85 assists in 31 league games with still two to play. Benson is the consensus number one pick for May's Bantam Draft.
With 19 games left to play the Ice face-off against the Hurricanes and the Tigers - five and three points ahead of them in the standings - six times (three each). Sweep those games - just six wins - the probability of making the post-season increases exponentially. Four of those are on the road, where it hasn't exactly been really kind of late but not out of the realm of reality, for sure.
Some stats to throw out there, given Mackenzie Skapski's play during the turnaround;
Record - 13-4 in 18 games since Christmas (Wyatt Hoflin came in relief with the Ice down 4-3 against the Tigers Jan 11 and the Ice came back to win 7-5, hence the discrepancy).
GAA over that span - 2.22
Save percentage - 0.925
You cannot have success without good goaltending.
How good has Jaedon Descheneau been since the team suspension of 3 games back in December?
D Tanner Faith may have suffered a setback as he's now listed as 'undetermined amount of time' from 1-2 weeks.
After 28 home dates the club is averaging 2334, though a strong crowd of 2700 showed up for the 3-0 win over the Hurricanes.
The Ice are off until a two-game homestand this weekend starting Friday with Spokane here and Saturday Moose Jaw is in town. Sunday rounds out the three-in-three in the Hat against the Tigers.
Saturday night at the Rec Plex they did it again, finishing off a hard-fought, almost playoff style of a hockey game, 3-0 over the Hurricanes. It's those same Hurricanes, along with the Tigers, they'll be battling to get a spot in the post-season dance.
They are words still hard to type given the state of the team just 6-7 weeks ago where visions of lottery picks danced in the heads of fans and not playoff games. If you were wondering the Tyler Benson watch continued this week when the Edmonton Southside Athletic Club Bantam broke Ty Rattie's Alberta Bantam AAA league points record of 131. Benson now has 56 goals and 85 assists in 31 league games with still two to play. Benson is the consensus number one pick for May's Bantam Draft.
With 19 games left to play the Ice face-off against the Hurricanes and the Tigers - five and three points ahead of them in the standings - six times (three each). Sweep those games - just six wins - the probability of making the post-season increases exponentially. Four of those are on the road, where it hasn't exactly been really kind of late but not out of the realm of reality, for sure.
Some stats to throw out there, given Mackenzie Skapski's play during the turnaround;
Record - 13-4 in 18 games since Christmas (Wyatt Hoflin came in relief with the Ice down 4-3 against the Tigers Jan 11 and the Ice came back to win 7-5, hence the discrepancy).
GAA over that span - 2.22
Save percentage - 0.925
You cannot have success without good goaltending.
How good has Jaedon Descheneau been since the team suspension of 3 games back in December?
D Tanner Faith may have suffered a setback as he's now listed as 'undetermined amount of time' from 1-2 weeks.
After 28 home dates the club is averaging 2334, though a strong crowd of 2700 showed up for the 3-0 win over the Hurricanes.
The Ice are off until a two-game homestand this weekend starting Friday with Spokane here and Saturday Moose Jaw is in town. Sunday rounds out the three-in-three in the Hat against the Tigers.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Streaking Ice battling for playoff spot
It's January but it's been mid-March for the Kootenay Ice for a long time. Winners of five straight and 12 of their last 13 including four straight road games and last night's key 3-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers at WFP. Every game seems like the proverbial playoff game now.
Jaedon Deschaneau got in on all three goals with three helpers - extending his point streak to 11 games - as did Sam Reinhart with a nice set-up of Kootenay's second goal, a tap-in by Brock Montgomery on the power play that gave the Ice the tying goal late in the second and Montgomery his 20th of the season and 2nd on the night.
Ryan McGill did some line juggling late last night, inserting Luke Philp back on the line with Deschaneau and Reinhart where Montgomery had spent most of the evening. The winning goal, a great shift by Philp, Deschaneau and Reinhart, only to have the latter head off on a change with O'Connor coming on. I thought that Deschaneau and Philp had stayed on the ice too long after a great shift forechecking in the Tiger end but on the Tiger breakout Philp found an extra gear and stripped Miles Koules of the puck and got it to O'Connor, who sent a puck to the net only to have Philp drive the net for the rebound and winning goal.
On the Tanner Faith hit last night, I didn't see it originally but it is here. Clearly Faith is in a vulnerable position but it wasn't from behind. Doty did have to answer to Leach but I think that will be the end of it. I couldn't find video of Austin Vetterl's check-from-behind in the first but he's lucky he stayed in the game. It was an ugly one.
Gotta admire where this team has come from in the last month. It's clear that they believe that they're a rebuilt club now and not 'rebuilding' any longer and can get to the playoffs. After that, who knows?
The schedule doesn't help them in that it's on the road but really, the way this club seems unfazed by the road or an opponent's lead or anything of late, it's clear that the four points to make up on Medicine Hat and Saskatoon for a playoff spot isn't out of the realm of possibility here. Hell, the club is only six points out of 5th in the Eastern Conference and must scare the heck out of any teams in front of them right now.
One poster posted the link that WHL Commissioner Ron Robison was talking about trouble spots attendance-wise that the league is watching. That story is right here.
Robison mentions PG specifically - who just hired former Ice head coach Mark Holick - and is languishing at around 1920 in average attendance. Kootenay sits at 2320 while PA is at 2626.
The streak continues as the Ice hit the road again for a Friday date in Moose Jaw and Saturday in Regina. Four big points that could see the team in a playoff spot at the end of the weekend.
Jaedon Deschaneau got in on all three goals with three helpers - extending his point streak to 11 games - as did Sam Reinhart with a nice set-up of Kootenay's second goal, a tap-in by Brock Montgomery on the power play that gave the Ice the tying goal late in the second and Montgomery his 20th of the season and 2nd on the night.
Ryan McGill did some line juggling late last night, inserting Luke Philp back on the line with Deschaneau and Reinhart where Montgomery had spent most of the evening. The winning goal, a great shift by Philp, Deschaneau and Reinhart, only to have the latter head off on a change with O'Connor coming on. I thought that Deschaneau and Philp had stayed on the ice too long after a great shift forechecking in the Tiger end but on the Tiger breakout Philp found an extra gear and stripped Miles Koules of the puck and got it to O'Connor, who sent a puck to the net only to have Philp drive the net for the rebound and winning goal.
On the Tanner Faith hit last night, I didn't see it originally but it is here. Clearly Faith is in a vulnerable position but it wasn't from behind. Doty did have to answer to Leach but I think that will be the end of it. I couldn't find video of Austin Vetterl's check-from-behind in the first but he's lucky he stayed in the game. It was an ugly one.
Gotta admire where this team has come from in the last month. It's clear that they believe that they're a rebuilt club now and not 'rebuilding' any longer and can get to the playoffs. After that, who knows?
The schedule doesn't help them in that it's on the road but really, the way this club seems unfazed by the road or an opponent's lead or anything of late, it's clear that the four points to make up on Medicine Hat and Saskatoon for a playoff spot isn't out of the realm of possibility here. Hell, the club is only six points out of 5th in the Eastern Conference and must scare the heck out of any teams in front of them right now.
One poster posted the link that WHL Commissioner Ron Robison was talking about trouble spots attendance-wise that the league is watching. That story is right here.
Robison mentions PG specifically - who just hired former Ice head coach Mark Holick - and is languishing at around 1920 in average attendance. Kootenay sits at 2320 while PA is at 2626.
The streak continues as the Ice hit the road again for a Friday date in Moose Jaw and Saturday in Regina. Four big points that could see the team in a playoff spot at the end of the weekend.
Friday, January 11, 2013
And now.... a playoff push or lottery ticket?
After some lively commentary, we return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.......
Following a less than eventful WHL trade deadline - for most WHL clubs, not just the Ice - the club returns to the ice tonight at WFP against the Tigers.
So the club didn't make the big deal for either of the best bargaining chips it had - Leach and/or Montgomery - and today made Leach the club's captain for the rest of the season.
Dealing Simpson to Lethbridge for a 5th round pick in the 2013 Draft and then Erik Benoit to Saskatoon for a 4th round pick would be all of the action for the Ice as the dance partners failed to materialize or dried up early on (Edmonton - filling it's open 20-spot with power forward Trevor Cheeks from Vancouver). Saskatoon opted for Calgary Flames Draft Pick and power forward Micheal Ferland, who notched 47 goals last year for Brandon and was sent back to the Wheaties from the ECHL Utah Grizzlies (3 games) and AHL Abbotsford Heat (7 games) with only an assist to show for it. They got a 1st round pick out of the Blades for him.
I'm not surprised that the Blades went for Ferland, who has the offensive upside on Montgomery but was surprised Edmonton didn't upgrade their roster with a D-man (Leach) instead of Cheeks. With D Martin Gernat (Oilers, 5th round last year) expected back from a shoulder injury that's kept him out of the lineup the entire season, perhaps they thought a forward was a better fit for their open 20-spot. However, with the scuttlebutt that D Griffin Reinhart might stick with the NY Islanders out of their short training camp - it's an outside chance, yes but with the Isles, you never know (read: Nino Niederreiter; John Tavares, Ryan Strome; perhaps). If he sticks that's going to leave a big hole in their repeat hopes on the blueline.
As for Benoit, it was news to me that he requested a trade earlier in the season (as per the Ice release) but he's getting a good shot at another appearance in the Memorial Cup.
Though, again, you'd think that both Leach and Montgomery would have even more interest with their championship and Memorial Cup experience.
Through Jeff Hollick's Twitter account we learned today that:
Scott Neidermayer is now an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks and that the Ice, in sore need of a D-man given what played out at the deadline, added D Landon Peel, 18, from the MJHL's Swan Valley Stampeders. Peel played 26 games over two seasons with the Regina Pats in 2010-11.
Twitter is a great source of instant information but be warned to be careful. For example, Drew Czerwonka tweeted on Tuesday that he was proud to be Cougar. I immediately thought the Prince George Cougars but no, upon further review, it was revealed that the former Ice captain had joined the University of Regina Cougars.
The Ice also tried to lure 20-year-old D Ryley Miller to the club to fill a need on the blueline prior to the deadline as he was dropped from the Brandon Wheat Kings lineup when Ferland was returned. Miller decided to stay in Manitoba and play for the Dauphin Kings of the MJHL. FYI, on the Kings roster is Cranbrook product Blake Kirkham and former Ice D-man Tyler Vanscourt.
Kootenay goes for seven tonight against the Tigers. Gametime is 7PM.
Following a less than eventful WHL trade deadline - for most WHL clubs, not just the Ice - the club returns to the ice tonight at WFP against the Tigers.
So the club didn't make the big deal for either of the best bargaining chips it had - Leach and/or Montgomery - and today made Leach the club's captain for the rest of the season.
Dealing Simpson to Lethbridge for a 5th round pick in the 2013 Draft and then Erik Benoit to Saskatoon for a 4th round pick would be all of the action for the Ice as the dance partners failed to materialize or dried up early on (Edmonton - filling it's open 20-spot with power forward Trevor Cheeks from Vancouver). Saskatoon opted for Calgary Flames Draft Pick and power forward Micheal Ferland, who notched 47 goals last year for Brandon and was sent back to the Wheaties from the ECHL Utah Grizzlies (3 games) and AHL Abbotsford Heat (7 games) with only an assist to show for it. They got a 1st round pick out of the Blades for him.
I'm not surprised that the Blades went for Ferland, who has the offensive upside on Montgomery but was surprised Edmonton didn't upgrade their roster with a D-man (Leach) instead of Cheeks. With D Martin Gernat (Oilers, 5th round last year) expected back from a shoulder injury that's kept him out of the lineup the entire season, perhaps they thought a forward was a better fit for their open 20-spot. However, with the scuttlebutt that D Griffin Reinhart might stick with the NY Islanders out of their short training camp - it's an outside chance, yes but with the Isles, you never know (read: Nino Niederreiter; John Tavares, Ryan Strome; perhaps). If he sticks that's going to leave a big hole in their repeat hopes on the blueline.
As for Benoit, it was news to me that he requested a trade earlier in the season (as per the Ice release) but he's getting a good shot at another appearance in the Memorial Cup.
Though, again, you'd think that both Leach and Montgomery would have even more interest with their championship and Memorial Cup experience.
Through Jeff Hollick's Twitter account we learned today that:
Scott Neidermayer is now an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks and that the Ice, in sore need of a D-man given what played out at the deadline, added D Landon Peel, 18, from the MJHL's Swan Valley Stampeders. Peel played 26 games over two seasons with the Regina Pats in 2010-11.
Twitter is a great source of instant information but be warned to be careful. For example, Drew Czerwonka tweeted on Tuesday that he was proud to be Cougar. I immediately thought the Prince George Cougars but no, upon further review, it was revealed that the former Ice captain had joined the University of Regina Cougars.
The Ice also tried to lure 20-year-old D Ryley Miller to the club to fill a need on the blueline prior to the deadline as he was dropped from the Brandon Wheat Kings lineup when Ferland was returned. Miller decided to stay in Manitoba and play for the Dauphin Kings of the MJHL. FYI, on the Kings roster is Cranbrook product Blake Kirkham and former Ice D-man Tyler Vanscourt.
Kootenay goes for seven tonight against the Tigers. Gametime is 7PM.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Ice win streak to six; Simpson to Lethbridge
It might not always be pretty - the Ice might have the best 1-2-2 in the league - but you can't argue with the results.
The Kootenay Ice leapfrogged the Brandon Wheat Kings and moved into 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings Tuesday night at WFP.
Mackenzie Skapski and Laurent Brossoit put on a goaltending clinic on the night with each stopping 30+ shots as the Ice notched their 6th straight win.
Much speculation on the night as many wondered if it was the last game in an Ice uniform for D Joey Leach and F Brock Montgomery. Both, especially Leach, played well in the club's sixth straight win.
With the Thursday WHL trade deadline set to hit at 3PM Mountain Time Thursday the Ice raised a few eyebrows when they dealt 18-year-old D-man Mike Simpson to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a 5th round pick in the 2013 Draft. Simpson, a big (6'4" 208lbs) stay-at-home D-man found himself in a fight for ice-time with 17-year-old Tanner Faith and D Matt Thomas, also 17, even though the club only had 6 D-men on the roster.
Jeff Hubic, now a forward but who started with the club as a blueliner, could be converted back to the blueline to give the club six but the transaction make this interesting as the deadline approaches tomorrow.
The aforementioned Leach and Montgomery make the most attractive assets on the block but don't expect both of them to go. And another wrinkle, if no deal is made for either player, do the Ice add say, 20-year-old D-man Ryley Miller who was released by the Brandon Wheat Kings Tuesday as the club had to get down to three overage players - Nick Buonassisi, Tyler Yaworski and Micheal Ferland, who was returned from the pro ranks. Miller played 241 games in the WHL notching 37 points in five seasons with a whopping 537 PIMS. If you're looking for some toughness on the blueline to add for nothing, Miller's the guy. He's not afraid to chuck 'em.
Some deals today limit the available spots for a 20 around the league though as the Oil Kings filled their spot by acquiring F Trevor Cheek from the Vancouver Giants for a 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft, which isn't cheap but thought to be cheaper than the asking price for Leach or Montgomery, which is thought to command a player and a pick in return.
I believe only Red Deer have a 20-year-old spot open in the league.
The move by the Ice opens up a spot for a 20-year-old or a prospect to be brought up on the blueline, or Hubic will move back. Otherwise something should happen tomorrow.
The Kootenay Ice leapfrogged the Brandon Wheat Kings and moved into 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings Tuesday night at WFP.
Mackenzie Skapski and Laurent Brossoit put on a goaltending clinic on the night with each stopping 30+ shots as the Ice notched their 6th straight win.
Much speculation on the night as many wondered if it was the last game in an Ice uniform for D Joey Leach and F Brock Montgomery. Both, especially Leach, played well in the club's sixth straight win.
With the Thursday WHL trade deadline set to hit at 3PM Mountain Time Thursday the Ice raised a few eyebrows when they dealt 18-year-old D-man Mike Simpson to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a 5th round pick in the 2013 Draft. Simpson, a big (6'4" 208lbs) stay-at-home D-man found himself in a fight for ice-time with 17-year-old Tanner Faith and D Matt Thomas, also 17, even though the club only had 6 D-men on the roster.
Jeff Hubic, now a forward but who started with the club as a blueliner, could be converted back to the blueline to give the club six but the transaction make this interesting as the deadline approaches tomorrow.
The aforementioned Leach and Montgomery make the most attractive assets on the block but don't expect both of them to go. And another wrinkle, if no deal is made for either player, do the Ice add say, 20-year-old D-man Ryley Miller who was released by the Brandon Wheat Kings Tuesday as the club had to get down to three overage players - Nick Buonassisi, Tyler Yaworski and Micheal Ferland, who was returned from the pro ranks. Miller played 241 games in the WHL notching 37 points in five seasons with a whopping 537 PIMS. If you're looking for some toughness on the blueline to add for nothing, Miller's the guy. He's not afraid to chuck 'em.
Some deals today limit the available spots for a 20 around the league though as the Oil Kings filled their spot by acquiring F Trevor Cheek from the Vancouver Giants for a 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft, which isn't cheap but thought to be cheaper than the asking price for Leach or Montgomery, which is thought to command a player and a pick in return.
I believe only Red Deer have a 20-year-old spot open in the league.
The move by the Ice opens up a spot for a 20-year-old or a prospect to be brought up on the blueline, or Hubic will move back. Otherwise something should happen tomorrow.
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