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Late game effort comes up short against Tigers
By Jeff Bromley
The Kootenay Ice tried to shake off another slow start at home Saturday against the Medicine Hat Tigers but came up short in a 4-2 loss to even their record at 2-2. The sub-par effort through the first two periods did ensure one thing however, a long week of practice before their next game action. “They outworked us and that’s unacceptable,” said Ice defenseman Brayden McNabb who re-joined the club and landed at 6:20PM after spending time with family back in Saskatchewan after attending the funeral of his uncle. “In the third period I thought we made a good comeback but just came up short.”
Like Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oil Kings the Ice surrendered a 2-0 lead to the visitors. The difference Saturday being the Tigers took until the 2:10 mark of the second to do it, largely due to goaltender Nathan Lieuwen.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying as the Tigers built up a 10-1 shot deficit in the first ten minutes of the game and the strong play of Lieuwen kept the Ice in a game they perhaps shouldn’t have been in. One rush after Joe Antilla just missed Brock Montgomery on a cross-ice feed at the Tiger net the Tigers immediately turned the tables and did the same thing in the other direction. Zdenek Okal’s feed from the far boards found a wide-open Linden Vey, who tapped in his first of the season to give the Tigers a 1-0 first period lead.
A 5-on-3 power play for the Tigers early into the middle frame saw Tristan King skate deep into the slot and find Emerson Etem for the goal-mouth tap-in to make 2-0. With everything going the Tigers way – including the calls of referee Andy Thiessen according to vociferous Rec Plex crowd of 2668 – 17-year-old Max Reinhart curled into the Tigers zone off a neutral zone turnover and fired a laser past Tiger goaltender Tyler Bunz to make it 2-1.
The only blemish on Lieuwen’s effort on this night was a bad clearing attempt that precipitated three good chances by the Tigers before Etem poked his second of the night past Lieuwen to make it 3-1. The home side woke up physically and started to tame the speedy Tigers with a tougher game in the third when Steele Boomer went heavily into the end boards on a missed chance, limped back to the bench to let Dustin Sylvester on the ice who then snuck in down low to poke a Brayden McNabb slapshot and rebound past Bunz for the captain’s first of the year. The comeback attempted was thwarted when Tiger D Mark Isherwood, looking his fourth point of the night, perfectly banked his clearing attempt off the glass and into the empty-net after Lieuwen was pulled for the extra attacker.
Ice head coach Mark Holick wasn’t keen on his club’s effort. “The effort hasn’t been where it needs to be,” he said. “We’ve got a long time between games so we’ll find a way to make sure our guys understand what we’re looking for. Number one, what an effort really is, and how to execute it. We’ve really only had one solid game this year.”
Translation: Get ready to work in the six days between Saturday’s loss and when the very strong Calgary Hitmen – who just received last year’s WHL-leading goal scorer in Joel Broda back from the Washington Captitals – pay their first visit of the season to the Cranbrook Rec Plex. And if you were thinking the zebras would be an excuse, you’d be wrong. “When your feet are moving and you get pucks behind their defense, you’re going to find a way to draw penalties,” said Holick. “When you don’t have a second effort, never mind a third or fourth one, they’d lay a glove on us in the corner and our feet would stop moving, how do you expect to draw a penalty?”
“(Referee) Thiessen had the easiest night of his career. He didn’t have to call a penalty against (the Tigers) because we didn’t work hard enough. We didn’t deserve any.”
Quick Hits – The ever-stoic Medicine Hat Tigers head coach and GM Willie Desjardins celebrated his 300th career WHL win Saturday but certainly didn’t get emotional about it. “It was nice to get and not very many have come in this building, I know that,” said the Desjardins, who’ll also play the same role at the World Junior tournament in Saskatoon and Regina this Christmas… The Tigers could get back 20-year-old D Tomas Kundratek from the NHL’s New York Rangers as the club sent the Czech native. If he reports the club will have five overage players; G Ryan Holfeld, C Bretton Cameron, D Mark Isherwood and Colton Grant, who was a healthy scratch Saturday. The WHL’s deadline to get down to three overage players is October 15… Kelowna Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton and head scout Lorne Frey were in the building Saturday night… Cranbrook product Jace Coyle was a +3 against the Ice… The Calgary Hitmen are at the Rec Plex Friday night.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Score - Tigers/Ice
The Score – Medicine Hat 4 – Kootenay 2
What Happened – Kootenay started slow – again – and this time couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Save – You’d be hard pressed to blame the goaltender on this night, including a late second-period breakaway by Tiger forward Kale Kessy, who had Lieuwen beaten on the deke until the latter snatched the puck out of the air, saving a sure goal. The 18-year-old was the club’s best player on this night with 31 saves and looks to be finally turning the corner, of course, just as the club’s blueline isn’t playing particularly well.
The 300 Club - Willie Desjardins got his 300th career WHL win on this night. Though it was tough to extract any emotion from stoic Tiger coach.
Just in the nick of time – D Brayden McNabb left the club Wednesday to return home to Saskatchewan to be with family and attend the funeral of his uncle. He landed at 6:20PM Saturday night, got to the game and dressed in time to play and was the club’s best defenseman. After travelling, on this night that wasn’t saying much for his teammates on the blueline.
The Goals – One rush after Joe Antilla just missed Brock Montgomery on a cross-ice feed at the Tiger net the Tigers did the same thing the other direction. Zdenek Okal’s feed from the far boards found a wide-open Linden Vey, who tapped in his first of the season… A 5-on-3 power play for the Tigers saw Tristan King skate deep into the slot and find Emerson Etem for the goal-mouth tap-in to make 2-0… Kootenay gets on the board not long after a Tiger turnover to Max Reinhart, with a burst of speed, wired a laser past Tyler Bunz… A bad clearing pass by Nathan Lieuwen enabled the Tigers to gain three solid chances, they poked a loose puck past him shortly thereafter… A good rush by Steele Boomer resulted in a bad fall against the end boards, sending the forward to the bench in pain. McNabb sent a blast to the net that hit Bunz in the mask, dropped to Dustin Sylvester at the crease who banged it in… Boomer returned a couple of shifts later to help kill a key 5-on-3 for the Ice… Mark Isherwood would seal the deal for the visitors when he fired a clearing pass off the glass and into the empty Ice net with just over a minute to play.
The GM - Seen in the building tonight: Kelowna Rocket GM Bruce Hamilton. Are the trade winds starting to blow?
The Turning Point – Kootenay was outshot 10-1 over the first 14 minutes but still managed to stay in the game. An early third period 5-on-3 for almost a full two minutes for the Ice didn’t pay off and Kootenay wouldn’t get another power play chance.
The Hits – Not your run of the mill type but for the zebras the first period was a rough one. Tiger forward Bretton Cameron was flattened after running into referee Andy Thiessen – Cameron hit the ice hard – and then Emerson Etem collided with linesman Jim Maniago reaching for a loose puck.
The Fight – More of wrestling match than a fight but a spontaneous eruption of fists happened between Matt Fraser and Matt Konan late in the second period. It’s notable more for its bad timing than anything else as Kevin King had speed into the slot and an open Dustin Sylvester as the scrap started.
The Ref – Andy Thiessen handed out five minors to the Ice and two to the Tigers, much to the chagrin of the restless Ice faithful. After watching his club fail to generate a lot of offence, Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Holick didn’t think Thiessen had a tough night. The crowd disagreed, vehemently.
The Crowd – 2668
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. D Mark Isherwood – A goal and three assists; in on every goal
2. G Nathan Lieuwen – If not for him this one is waaaaay worse
3. C Emerson Etem – The rookie from Long Beach, CA has got some hands.
Game Summary:
Tigers 4 @ Ice 2
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Kootenay Ice; September 26, 2009
Mark Isherwood had a goal and three assists and Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins got his 300th career WHL win as the Tigers defeated the Kootenay Ice 4-2 in WHL action Saturday night.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead on Linden Vey's first of the season with less than a minute to go in the first period.
Rookie Emerson Etem notched his first of the season on the power play 2:10 into the second period with Brayden McNabb in the box for roughing. Max Reinhart cut the lead in half at 3:49 with his 3rd of the season with a laser that beat Tiger goaltender Tyler Bunz from 35 feet out.
Etem restored the two-goal lead at 10:19 to send the Tigers into the third period up 3-1.
Dustin Sylvester pulled the Ice to within one goal with his first of the season in the third period but an empty-net goal by Isherwood, his fourth point of the night, sealed the win for the Tigers.
Tyler Bunz stopped 24 of 26 shots he faced to get his first win of the season while Nathan Lieuwen was stellar in turning aside 31 of 34 shots in taking the loss.
First Period
1. Medicine Hat, Vey 1 (Okal, Isherwood) 19:08
Penalties -- None.
Second Period
2. Medicine Hat, Etem 1 (King, Isherwood) 2:10 (pp)
3. Kootenay, Reinhart 3 3:49
4. Medicine Hat, Etem 2 (Isherwood, Cameron) 10:19
Penalties -- McNabb Ktn (roughing) 0:49, Sylvester Ktn (tripping) 1:14, Isherwood MH Fraser Ktn (roughing) 3:37, Pacovsky Ktn (hooking) 12:07, Konan MH Fraser Ktn (fighting) 18:38.
Third Period
4. Kootenay, Sylvester 1 (McNabb, Fraser) 5:58
5. Medicine Hat, Isherwood 2 18:59 (en)
Penalties -- Isherwood MH (interference) 0:28, Carlson MH (delay-of-game) 0:44, McNabb Ktn (delay of game - closing hand on puck) 6:46, Antilla Ktn (tripping) 8:07.
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 5 11 10 - 26
Medicine Hat: 13 12 10 - 35
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (L, 2-1). Medicine Hat: Tyler Bunz (W, 1-0).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 0-2
Medicine Hat: 1-5
Referee -- Andy Thiessen. Linesman -- Scott Prior, Jim Maniago.
Attendance -- 2668 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Luke Paulsen (healthy), Christian Magnus (finger - 4-6 weeks), Drew Czerwonka (leg laceration - 4 weeks), Simon Skrudland (healthy).
Medicine Hat: Dawson MacAuley, Dylan Busenius, Colton Grant (overage numbers), Curtis Valk, Boston Leier, Dylan Bredo, Tanner Sohn, Wacey Hamilton.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Kootenay NewsAdvertiser
What Happened – Kootenay started slow – again – and this time couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Save – You’d be hard pressed to blame the goaltender on this night, including a late second-period breakaway by Tiger forward Kale Kessy, who had Lieuwen beaten on the deke until the latter snatched the puck out of the air, saving a sure goal. The 18-year-old was the club’s best player on this night with 31 saves and looks to be finally turning the corner, of course, just as the club’s blueline isn’t playing particularly well.
The 300 Club - Willie Desjardins got his 300th career WHL win on this night. Though it was tough to extract any emotion from stoic Tiger coach.
Just in the nick of time – D Brayden McNabb left the club Wednesday to return home to Saskatchewan to be with family and attend the funeral of his uncle. He landed at 6:20PM Saturday night, got to the game and dressed in time to play and was the club’s best defenseman. After travelling, on this night that wasn’t saying much for his teammates on the blueline.
The Goals – One rush after Joe Antilla just missed Brock Montgomery on a cross-ice feed at the Tiger net the Tigers did the same thing the other direction. Zdenek Okal’s feed from the far boards found a wide-open Linden Vey, who tapped in his first of the season… A 5-on-3 power play for the Tigers saw Tristan King skate deep into the slot and find Emerson Etem for the goal-mouth tap-in to make 2-0… Kootenay gets on the board not long after a Tiger turnover to Max Reinhart, with a burst of speed, wired a laser past Tyler Bunz… A bad clearing pass by Nathan Lieuwen enabled the Tigers to gain three solid chances, they poked a loose puck past him shortly thereafter… A good rush by Steele Boomer resulted in a bad fall against the end boards, sending the forward to the bench in pain. McNabb sent a blast to the net that hit Bunz in the mask, dropped to Dustin Sylvester at the crease who banged it in… Boomer returned a couple of shifts later to help kill a key 5-on-3 for the Ice… Mark Isherwood would seal the deal for the visitors when he fired a clearing pass off the glass and into the empty Ice net with just over a minute to play.
The GM - Seen in the building tonight: Kelowna Rocket GM Bruce Hamilton. Are the trade winds starting to blow?
The Turning Point – Kootenay was outshot 10-1 over the first 14 minutes but still managed to stay in the game. An early third period 5-on-3 for almost a full two minutes for the Ice didn’t pay off and Kootenay wouldn’t get another power play chance.
The Hits – Not your run of the mill type but for the zebras the first period was a rough one. Tiger forward Bretton Cameron was flattened after running into referee Andy Thiessen – Cameron hit the ice hard – and then Emerson Etem collided with linesman Jim Maniago reaching for a loose puck.
The Fight – More of wrestling match than a fight but a spontaneous eruption of fists happened between Matt Fraser and Matt Konan late in the second period. It’s notable more for its bad timing than anything else as Kevin King had speed into the slot and an open Dustin Sylvester as the scrap started.
The Ref – Andy Thiessen handed out five minors to the Ice and two to the Tigers, much to the chagrin of the restless Ice faithful. After watching his club fail to generate a lot of offence, Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Holick didn’t think Thiessen had a tough night. The crowd disagreed, vehemently.
The Crowd – 2668
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. D Mark Isherwood – A goal and three assists; in on every goal
2. G Nathan Lieuwen – If not for him this one is waaaaay worse
3. C Emerson Etem – The rookie from Long Beach, CA has got some hands.
Game Summary:
Tigers 4 @ Ice 2
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Kootenay Ice; September 26, 2009
Mark Isherwood had a goal and three assists and Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins got his 300th career WHL win as the Tigers defeated the Kootenay Ice 4-2 in WHL action Saturday night.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead on Linden Vey's first of the season with less than a minute to go in the first period.
Rookie Emerson Etem notched his first of the season on the power play 2:10 into the second period with Brayden McNabb in the box for roughing. Max Reinhart cut the lead in half at 3:49 with his 3rd of the season with a laser that beat Tiger goaltender Tyler Bunz from 35 feet out.
Etem restored the two-goal lead at 10:19 to send the Tigers into the third period up 3-1.
Dustin Sylvester pulled the Ice to within one goal with his first of the season in the third period but an empty-net goal by Isherwood, his fourth point of the night, sealed the win for the Tigers.
Tyler Bunz stopped 24 of 26 shots he faced to get his first win of the season while Nathan Lieuwen was stellar in turning aside 31 of 34 shots in taking the loss.
First Period
1. Medicine Hat, Vey 1 (Okal, Isherwood) 19:08
Penalties -- None.
Second Period
2. Medicine Hat, Etem 1 (King, Isherwood) 2:10 (pp)
3. Kootenay, Reinhart 3 3:49
4. Medicine Hat, Etem 2 (Isherwood, Cameron) 10:19
Penalties -- McNabb Ktn (roughing) 0:49, Sylvester Ktn (tripping) 1:14, Isherwood MH Fraser Ktn (roughing) 3:37, Pacovsky Ktn (hooking) 12:07, Konan MH Fraser Ktn (fighting) 18:38.
Third Period
4. Kootenay, Sylvester 1 (McNabb, Fraser) 5:58
5. Medicine Hat, Isherwood 2 18:59 (en)
Penalties -- Isherwood MH (interference) 0:28, Carlson MH (delay-of-game) 0:44, McNabb Ktn (delay of game - closing hand on puck) 6:46, Antilla Ktn (tripping) 8:07.
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 5 11 10 - 26
Medicine Hat: 13 12 10 - 35
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (L, 2-1). Medicine Hat: Tyler Bunz (W, 1-0).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 0-2
Medicine Hat: 1-5
Referee -- Andy Thiessen. Linesman -- Scott Prior, Jim Maniago.
Attendance -- 2668 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Luke Paulsen (healthy), Christian Magnus (finger - 4-6 weeks), Drew Czerwonka (leg laceration - 4 weeks), Simon Skrudland (healthy).
Medicine Hat: Dawson MacAuley, Dylan Busenius, Colton Grant (overage numbers), Curtis Valk, Boston Leier, Dylan Bredo, Tanner Sohn, Wacey Hamilton.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Kootenay NewsAdvertiser
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ice; Oil Gamer
Ice edge Oil Kings in shootout
by Jeff Bromley
Brock Montgomery just wants to play hockey, WHL hockey, and if early results are any indication the 17-year-old bruiser will be playing it in Cranbrook this season. Montgomery scored the game-tying goal halfway through the third period Wednesday night as the Kootenay Ice went on to win a 3-2 shootout decision over the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Rec Plex.
It was the second time in as many home games that the new kid has had an impact on the game. “I guess it’s just the way I play,” said Montgomery. “I like to give hits, take hits and I like to fight. I just like to get in there and get dirty.”
It was that type of play that enabled the Ice to overcome an early 2-0 deficit as the Oil Kings capitalized on their chances twice before the game was four minutes old. Caught running around their own end with shades of the 7-1 loss to Red Deer Saturday night still fresh, goaltender Nathan Lieuwen kicked out a point-shot from Mark Pysyk only to have it land on Dylan Wruck’s stick. Wruck fanned on the shot but got enough of it to launch a field goal over a sprawling Lieuwen, through the uprights and into the net to make it 1-0 at the 2:04 mark. The Oil Kings made it 2-0 on the power play at 3:20 when Brent Raedeke used Tomas Vincour as a decoy on a 2-on-1 and beat Lieuwen stick-side.
Before many of the 2439 sat down, the smallest crowd ever to watch a game at the 10-year-old Rec Plex, the home side was down 2-0. “I didn’t like our first ten minutes of the game,” said Ice head coach Mark Holick. “After that we were better and we got better as the game went on.”
Kootenay managed to get it together and cut the visitor’s lead in half at the 9:35 mark when D Hayden Rintoul fired a point-shot that Steele Boomer neatly deflected past Oil King goaltender Torrie Jung just as a 5-on-3 power play expired. After a scoreless middle frame Kootenay came out of the second intermission on a mission and physically dominated Edmonton. Some hard work behind the Edmonton net paid off for Montgomery who found the puck on a goal mouth scramble and roofed it past Jung to tie the game halfway through the third period with his first-ever WHL goal. “He’s been good from the drop of the puck August 26,” said Holick. “There’s certainly a few guys in our room who could watch his shifts on the video and learn a few things.”
After a couple of posts and a scoreless overtime Nathan Lieuwen stopped all three Edmonton shooters while Jesse Ismond beat Jung on the third try to give the Ice the bonus point. Holick liked how his goaltender battled back from some early disappointment to backstop the Ice to the win. “I didn’t like either goal but I’m not going to hang it on him completely,” added Holick. “But he rebounded great. Maybe last year he doesn’t and maybe he lets in that third or fourth one, but he didn’t and he was really good the rest of the way. That’s encouraging from our end.”
Quick Hits – Steele Boomer, who chipped in with a goal and an assist, joined in on the hit parade, catching Oil King rookie Michael St. Croix with his head down in the neutral zone in the third period, flattening the 16-year-old. “When there’s a guy that’s three inches shorter than me, I’ve got to pick my shots,” said Boomer… LW Drew Czwerwonka left the game in the first period with a laceration to the leg from a skate blade cut… RW Christian Magnus will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a broken finger after blocking a shot in practice... The game featured no less than four sons of former NHL'ers. Two from Kootenay in Max Reinhart (Paul) and Simon Skrudland (Brian) and two from the Oil Kings; Forward Michael St. Croix is the son of goaltender Rick St. Croix while Edmonton d-man Keegan Lowe is the son of Edmonton Oilers president and former player Kevin Lowe.
by Jeff Bromley
Brock Montgomery just wants to play hockey, WHL hockey, and if early results are any indication the 17-year-old bruiser will be playing it in Cranbrook this season. Montgomery scored the game-tying goal halfway through the third period Wednesday night as the Kootenay Ice went on to win a 3-2 shootout decision over the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Rec Plex.
It was the second time in as many home games that the new kid has had an impact on the game. “I guess it’s just the way I play,” said Montgomery. “I like to give hits, take hits and I like to fight. I just like to get in there and get dirty.”
It was that type of play that enabled the Ice to overcome an early 2-0 deficit as the Oil Kings capitalized on their chances twice before the game was four minutes old. Caught running around their own end with shades of the 7-1 loss to Red Deer Saturday night still fresh, goaltender Nathan Lieuwen kicked out a point-shot from Mark Pysyk only to have it land on Dylan Wruck’s stick. Wruck fanned on the shot but got enough of it to launch a field goal over a sprawling Lieuwen, through the uprights and into the net to make it 1-0 at the 2:04 mark. The Oil Kings made it 2-0 on the power play at 3:20 when Brent Raedeke used Tomas Vincour as a decoy on a 2-on-1 and beat Lieuwen stick-side.
Before many of the 2439 sat down, the smallest crowd ever to watch a game at the 10-year-old Rec Plex, the home side was down 2-0. “I didn’t like our first ten minutes of the game,” said Ice head coach Mark Holick. “After that we were better and we got better as the game went on.”
Kootenay managed to get it together and cut the visitor’s lead in half at the 9:35 mark when D Hayden Rintoul fired a point-shot that Steele Boomer neatly deflected past Oil King goaltender Torrie Jung just as a 5-on-3 power play expired. After a scoreless middle frame Kootenay came out of the second intermission on a mission and physically dominated Edmonton. Some hard work behind the Edmonton net paid off for Montgomery who found the puck on a goal mouth scramble and roofed it past Jung to tie the game halfway through the third period with his first-ever WHL goal. “He’s been good from the drop of the puck August 26,” said Holick. “There’s certainly a few guys in our room who could watch his shifts on the video and learn a few things.”
After a couple of posts and a scoreless overtime Nathan Lieuwen stopped all three Edmonton shooters while Jesse Ismond beat Jung on the third try to give the Ice the bonus point. Holick liked how his goaltender battled back from some early disappointment to backstop the Ice to the win. “I didn’t like either goal but I’m not going to hang it on him completely,” added Holick. “But he rebounded great. Maybe last year he doesn’t and maybe he lets in that third or fourth one, but he didn’t and he was really good the rest of the way. That’s encouraging from our end.”
Quick Hits – Steele Boomer, who chipped in with a goal and an assist, joined in on the hit parade, catching Oil King rookie Michael St. Croix with his head down in the neutral zone in the third period, flattening the 16-year-old. “When there’s a guy that’s three inches shorter than me, I’ve got to pick my shots,” said Boomer… LW Drew Czwerwonka left the game in the first period with a laceration to the leg from a skate blade cut… RW Christian Magnus will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a broken finger after blocking a shot in practice... The game featured no less than four sons of former NHL'ers. Two from Kootenay in Max Reinhart (Paul) and Simon Skrudland (Brian) and two from the Oil Kings; Forward Michael St. Croix is the son of goaltender Rick St. Croix while Edmonton d-man Keegan Lowe is the son of Edmonton Oilers president and former player Kevin Lowe.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Score - Ice 3 - Oil Kings 2 (Shootout)
The Score – Kootenay 3 – Edmonton 2 (Shootout)
What Happened – The Ice got off to a rocky start, spotting the visitors a two goal lead before the game was five minutes old. Goaltender Nathan Lieuwen settled in after that, made some key saves and then the physical play by the Ice in the third period put the Oil Kings on their heels for the duration. Only some solid play by 20-year-old netminder Torrie Jung kept Edmonton in the game.
The Lines – Dustin Sylvester centred Kevin King and Matt Fraser; Matt Reinhart, Dominik Pacovsky and Jesse Ismond; Steele Boomer, Joe Antilla and Brock Montgomery were on the 3rd line while Drew Czerwonka, Elgin Pearce and Simon Skrudland were on the 4th unit.
The Fan Favourite – Brock Montgomery scored his first-ever WHL goal to tie the game.
The Familiar Name – Playing the point on the Oil Kings power play in the first period along with the highly-touted Mark Pysyk was Keegan Lowe, son of Edmonton Oilers President and former NHL’er Kevin Lowe.
The Goals – A point shot by Oil King defenseman Mark Pysyk was stopped by Lieuwen only to have the rebound go straight to Dylan Wruck, who fluttered one over the Ice goaltender… With Ismond in the box and poor clearing play the Oil Kings are in on a 2-on-1 and Brent Raedeke fires a wrist shot over Lieuwen’s shoulder… Just as a 5-on- 3 powerplay expired the Ice were able to stem the Oil Kings momentum with a Hayden Rintoul point-shot that was neatly tipped by Steele Boomer past Torrie Jung… The club’s best trio – Steele Boomer, Joe Antilla and Brock Montgomery – worked their magic (the key word here being ‘work’) down low and a lose puck landed on Montgomery’s stick in a goal-mouth scramble. He roofed it.
The Quote – Steele Boomer on his bone-crushing hit in the neutral zone on Oil King super rookie Michael St. Croix – son of former NHL goaltender Rick. “When there’s a guy that’s three inches shorter than me, I’ve got to take my shot.” For the record both Boomer and St. Croix are generously listed as 5’11”.
The Turning Point – Three minutes into the third period and down 2-1, Kevin King and Petr Senkerik took penalties 27 seconds apart, giving the visitors a 5-on-3 and a chance to put the game away. They didn’t and Montgomery tied it halfway through the third.
The Hits – With the Oil Kings still on that 5-on-3 in the third Edmonton forward Tomas Vincour came across the blueline only to be met by Brayden McNabb with a thunderous check that put the big import off-side. Steele Boomer caught rookie Michael St. Croix in the neutral zone with his head down a minute later and welcomed the newcomer to the WHL. McNabb was at it again when he caught Oil King d-man Tyler Hlookoff and linesman Steve Cochrane along the boards, popping the lid off of the latter. The physical play turned the game’s tide and led to Brock Montgomery to notch his first goal.
The Injuries – Kooteanay’s roster got down to 24 when goaltender Dylan Tait was released to the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL. RW Christian Magnus, 17, blocked a shot in practice this week and suffered a broken finger. He’s out 4-6 weeks. LW Drew Czerwonka left the game in the first period with a laceration to the leg. He was being evaluated at East Kootenay Regional Hospital following the game with Ice coach Mark Holick saying that it could be “Long-term.”
The Crowd – 2439
KNA Three Stars
1.C Steele Boomer – goal and an assist
2.RW Brock Montgomery – first-ever WHL goal
3.C Brent Raedeke – one goal, loads of chances
Game Summary:
Oil Kings 2 @ Ice 3 (shootout)
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Kootenay Ice; September 23, 2009
Steele Boomer had a goal and an assist and Jesse Ismond scored the only goal in the shootout as the Kootenay Ice edged the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 in WHL action Wednesday.
The Oil Kings scored two early goals with Dylan Wruck scoring a blooper that landed over a sprawling Nathan Lieuwen to give the Oil Kings a 1-0 2:04 into the game. 1:16 later, with Ismond in the penalty box, Brent Raedeke paced the visitors to a 2-0 lead with a wrist shot that beat Lieuwen stick-side. The Ice got on the board with a power play goal of their own half-way through the period when Steele Boomer deflected Hayden Rintoul's point shot as the penalty to Drew Nichol expired.
After a scoreless middle frame rookie Brock Montgomery scored his first WHL goal on a scramble around Torrie Jung to tie the game.
Nathan Lieuwen stopped 27 of 29 shots including all three in the shootout to get his second win of the season while Jung was solid in stopping 36 of 38 shots in taking the shootout loss.
First Period
1. Edmonton, Wruck 1 (Pysyk, Soudek) 2:04
2. Edmonton, Raedke 2 (Vincour) 3:20 (pp)
3. Kootenay, Boomer 2 (McNabb, Rintoul) 9:35 (pp)
Penalties -- Ismond Ktn (tripping) 2:59, Van de Mosselaer Edm (tripping) 6:50, Nichol Edm (interference) 7:35, Breitkreuz Edm (elbowing) 14:16, Sylvester Ktn (hooking) 18:36.
Second Period
No Scoring.
Penalties -- Raekeke Edm (slashing) 4:55, Hlookoff Edm (roughing) 14:33, Pysyk Edm (tripping) 17:33.
Third Period
4. Kootenay, Montgomery 1 (Antilla, Boomer) 9:52
Penalties -- Pysyk Edm (tripping) 2:09, King Ktn (interference) 3:11, Senkerik Ktn (tripping) 3:38, Montgomery Ktn (goaltender interference) 12:55.
Overtime
No Scoring.
Penalties -- None.
Shootout -- Kootenay wins 1-0
Kootenay -- Sylvester (miss), Reinhart (stopped), Ismond (goal).
Edmonton -- Vincour (stopped), Wruck (stopped), Soudek (stopped).
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 13 8 13 4 - 38
Edmonton: 13 8 7 1 - 29
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (W, 2-0); Edmonton: Torrie Jung (L, 0-2).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 1-7
Edmonton: 1-5
Referee -- Ryan Bonnett. Linesman -- Matthew Barker, Steve Cochrane.
Attendance -- 2439 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Cason Machacek (healthy), Christian Magnus (broken finger - 4-6 weeks), Joey Leach (healthy), Brendan Hurley (healthy).
Edmonton: Henrik Tervonen, Devin Balness, Coton Stephenson, Cameron Maclise, Jesse Pearson.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Kootenay NewsAdvertiser
What Happened – The Ice got off to a rocky start, spotting the visitors a two goal lead before the game was five minutes old. Goaltender Nathan Lieuwen settled in after that, made some key saves and then the physical play by the Ice in the third period put the Oil Kings on their heels for the duration. Only some solid play by 20-year-old netminder Torrie Jung kept Edmonton in the game.
The Lines – Dustin Sylvester centred Kevin King and Matt Fraser; Matt Reinhart, Dominik Pacovsky and Jesse Ismond; Steele Boomer, Joe Antilla and Brock Montgomery were on the 3rd line while Drew Czerwonka, Elgin Pearce and Simon Skrudland were on the 4th unit.
The Fan Favourite – Brock Montgomery scored his first-ever WHL goal to tie the game.
The Familiar Name – Playing the point on the Oil Kings power play in the first period along with the highly-touted Mark Pysyk was Keegan Lowe, son of Edmonton Oilers President and former NHL’er Kevin Lowe.
The Goals – A point shot by Oil King defenseman Mark Pysyk was stopped by Lieuwen only to have the rebound go straight to Dylan Wruck, who fluttered one over the Ice goaltender… With Ismond in the box and poor clearing play the Oil Kings are in on a 2-on-1 and Brent Raedeke fires a wrist shot over Lieuwen’s shoulder… Just as a 5-on- 3 powerplay expired the Ice were able to stem the Oil Kings momentum with a Hayden Rintoul point-shot that was neatly tipped by Steele Boomer past Torrie Jung… The club’s best trio – Steele Boomer, Joe Antilla and Brock Montgomery – worked their magic (the key word here being ‘work’) down low and a lose puck landed on Montgomery’s stick in a goal-mouth scramble. He roofed it.
The Quote – Steele Boomer on his bone-crushing hit in the neutral zone on Oil King super rookie Michael St. Croix – son of former NHL goaltender Rick. “When there’s a guy that’s three inches shorter than me, I’ve got to take my shot.” For the record both Boomer and St. Croix are generously listed as 5’11”.
The Turning Point – Three minutes into the third period and down 2-1, Kevin King and Petr Senkerik took penalties 27 seconds apart, giving the visitors a 5-on-3 and a chance to put the game away. They didn’t and Montgomery tied it halfway through the third.
The Hits – With the Oil Kings still on that 5-on-3 in the third Edmonton forward Tomas Vincour came across the blueline only to be met by Brayden McNabb with a thunderous check that put the big import off-side. Steele Boomer caught rookie Michael St. Croix in the neutral zone with his head down a minute later and welcomed the newcomer to the WHL. McNabb was at it again when he caught Oil King d-man Tyler Hlookoff and linesman Steve Cochrane along the boards, popping the lid off of the latter. The physical play turned the game’s tide and led to Brock Montgomery to notch his first goal.
The Injuries – Kooteanay’s roster got down to 24 when goaltender Dylan Tait was released to the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL. RW Christian Magnus, 17, blocked a shot in practice this week and suffered a broken finger. He’s out 4-6 weeks. LW Drew Czerwonka left the game in the first period with a laceration to the leg. He was being evaluated at East Kootenay Regional Hospital following the game with Ice coach Mark Holick saying that it could be “Long-term.”
The Crowd – 2439
KNA Three Stars
1.C Steele Boomer – goal and an assist
2.RW Brock Montgomery – first-ever WHL goal
3.C Brent Raedeke – one goal, loads of chances
Game Summary:
Oil Kings 2 @ Ice 3 (shootout)
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Kootenay Ice; September 23, 2009
Steele Boomer had a goal and an assist and Jesse Ismond scored the only goal in the shootout as the Kootenay Ice edged the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 in WHL action Wednesday.
The Oil Kings scored two early goals with Dylan Wruck scoring a blooper that landed over a sprawling Nathan Lieuwen to give the Oil Kings a 1-0 2:04 into the game. 1:16 later, with Ismond in the penalty box, Brent Raedeke paced the visitors to a 2-0 lead with a wrist shot that beat Lieuwen stick-side. The Ice got on the board with a power play goal of their own half-way through the period when Steele Boomer deflected Hayden Rintoul's point shot as the penalty to Drew Nichol expired.
After a scoreless middle frame rookie Brock Montgomery scored his first WHL goal on a scramble around Torrie Jung to tie the game.
Nathan Lieuwen stopped 27 of 29 shots including all three in the shootout to get his second win of the season while Jung was solid in stopping 36 of 38 shots in taking the shootout loss.
First Period
1. Edmonton, Wruck 1 (Pysyk, Soudek) 2:04
2. Edmonton, Raedke 2 (Vincour) 3:20 (pp)
3. Kootenay, Boomer 2 (McNabb, Rintoul) 9:35 (pp)
Penalties -- Ismond Ktn (tripping) 2:59, Van de Mosselaer Edm (tripping) 6:50, Nichol Edm (interference) 7:35, Breitkreuz Edm (elbowing) 14:16, Sylvester Ktn (hooking) 18:36.
Second Period
No Scoring.
Penalties -- Raekeke Edm (slashing) 4:55, Hlookoff Edm (roughing) 14:33, Pysyk Edm (tripping) 17:33.
Third Period
4. Kootenay, Montgomery 1 (Antilla, Boomer) 9:52
Penalties -- Pysyk Edm (tripping) 2:09, King Ktn (interference) 3:11, Senkerik Ktn (tripping) 3:38, Montgomery Ktn (goaltender interference) 12:55.
Overtime
No Scoring.
Penalties -- None.
Shootout -- Kootenay wins 1-0
Kootenay -- Sylvester (miss), Reinhart (stopped), Ismond (goal).
Edmonton -- Vincour (stopped), Wruck (stopped), Soudek (stopped).
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 13 8 13 4 - 38
Edmonton: 13 8 7 1 - 29
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (W, 2-0); Edmonton: Torrie Jung (L, 0-2).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 1-7
Edmonton: 1-5
Referee -- Ryan Bonnett. Linesman -- Matthew Barker, Steve Cochrane.
Attendance -- 2439 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Cason Machacek (healthy), Christian Magnus (broken finger - 4-6 weeks), Joey Leach (healthy), Brendan Hurley (healthy).
Edmonton: Henrik Tervonen, Devin Balness, Coton Stephenson, Cameron Maclise, Jesse Pearson.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Kootenay NewsAdvertiser
Ice split weekend
Ice split ends of spectrum to start season
by Jeff bromley
The great goal gods can giveth and they can taketh away. On the WHL’s opening weekend the Kootenay Ice both enthralled and then angered them en route to a 8-1 home ice win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night before travelling to Red Deer only to get thumped by the Rebels 7-1 24 hours later. It was an exercise in contrasts of the worst kind. “I wish I knew,” offered Ice head coach Mark Holick of the tale of two teams before his club hit the ice for practice Monday at the Rec Plex in preparation for the Edmonton Oil Kings visit to Cranbrook Wednesday night. “As good as we were on Friday we were equally bad on Saturday. We were second to every puck , didn’t compete and just didn’t get it. It was disappointing for a team that has as many returning guys as ours, we had plenty of passengers on Saturday.”
Though it might not have seemed like it most of those passengers did disembark the iron lung following the six-hour ride to the Central Alberta city. An early Red Deer goal by Alex Petrovic was answered by Brayden McNabb’s first of the season to send the two teams tied after one period, though by Holick’s own admission they likely didn’t deserve it. Not long after the wheels fell off as the motivated Rebels – who were embarrassed 6-2 in their home-opener by the Calgary Hitmen one night prior – put three goals in each of the last two periods past Ice starter Todd Mathews en route to out-shooting the Ice 50-15 while Kootenay spent a lot of their time shorthanded. “After their home-opener went a little flat you knew they were going to be fired up and excited to make amends,” said Holick. “We came out flat and even dodged a bullet in the first period and then took a lot of penalties in the second and the third periods, and really didn’t deserve to be a part of it at all.”
He also wasn’t using the bus legs as an excuse. “Sure it’s a long day. You leave here at 10:30 for a 7:30 game so it’s a long day of travel but the Kootenay Ice have been doing that for a long time. You can’t start making excuses now.”
“We didn’t even have bus legs. We didn’t have any legs whatsoever.”
The roster still bloated at 24 bodies the weekend helped Holick towards deciding who’ll stay and who’ll go, with forward Elgin Pearce, 17, and defenseman Luke Paulsen, also 17, set to step into the line-up Wednesday against the Oil Kings. “I think it did,” said Holick. “Certainly for some players - for all our players it was disappointing as we didn’t have a guy in the line-up that had anything going – so to point fingers individually is difficult but having said that, we have guys that have been afforded an opportunity and they’re certainly didn’t make the most of it (Saturday).”
An early front-runner for fan favourite after Friday’s win was 17-year-old forward Brock Montgomery, who won the hearts of the 2695 on hand after dishing out some hits, setting the tone and coming back to win a decisive bout over Derek Ryckman. “The kid wants to play in the league,” said Holick. “You can tell by his effort. I wish some guys would follow his lead. When you play hard, you play physical and the physical play will find you. He’s big and strong enough to handle himself and he’s not afraid of anybody.”
“He’s doing a great job – he’s got a long way to go – but at the end of the day work ethic compensates for a lot of shortcomings and he’s certainly one our hardest workers to date.”
Quick Hits – Kootenay reassigned goaltender Dylan Tait, 17, to the AJHL's Bonnyville Pontiacs Wednesday. Tait was acquired from Kelowna over the summer after spending last season with the KIJHL's Kimberley Dynamiters... The Rebels lost captain Landon Ferraro for a week after he went awkwardly into the boards after being hit by Dustin Sylvester. The Rebels said that Ferraro suffered a cartilage sprain in his knee... Kootenay out-shot Lethbridge 48-14 Friday... The crowd of 2695 Friday at the Rec Plex was the smallest for a home-opener in the club's history.
by Jeff bromley
The great goal gods can giveth and they can taketh away. On the WHL’s opening weekend the Kootenay Ice both enthralled and then angered them en route to a 8-1 home ice win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night before travelling to Red Deer only to get thumped by the Rebels 7-1 24 hours later. It was an exercise in contrasts of the worst kind. “I wish I knew,” offered Ice head coach Mark Holick of the tale of two teams before his club hit the ice for practice Monday at the Rec Plex in preparation for the Edmonton Oil Kings visit to Cranbrook Wednesday night. “As good as we were on Friday we were equally bad on Saturday. We were second to every puck , didn’t compete and just didn’t get it. It was disappointing for a team that has as many returning guys as ours, we had plenty of passengers on Saturday.”
Though it might not have seemed like it most of those passengers did disembark the iron lung following the six-hour ride to the Central Alberta city. An early Red Deer goal by Alex Petrovic was answered by Brayden McNabb’s first of the season to send the two teams tied after one period, though by Holick’s own admission they likely didn’t deserve it. Not long after the wheels fell off as the motivated Rebels – who were embarrassed 6-2 in their home-opener by the Calgary Hitmen one night prior – put three goals in each of the last two periods past Ice starter Todd Mathews en route to out-shooting the Ice 50-15 while Kootenay spent a lot of their time shorthanded. “After their home-opener went a little flat you knew they were going to be fired up and excited to make amends,” said Holick. “We came out flat and even dodged a bullet in the first period and then took a lot of penalties in the second and the third periods, and really didn’t deserve to be a part of it at all.”
He also wasn’t using the bus legs as an excuse. “Sure it’s a long day. You leave here at 10:30 for a 7:30 game so it’s a long day of travel but the Kootenay Ice have been doing that for a long time. You can’t start making excuses now.”
“We didn’t even have bus legs. We didn’t have any legs whatsoever.”
The roster still bloated at 24 bodies the weekend helped Holick towards deciding who’ll stay and who’ll go, with forward Elgin Pearce, 17, and defenseman Luke Paulsen, also 17, set to step into the line-up Wednesday against the Oil Kings. “I think it did,” said Holick. “Certainly for some players - for all our players it was disappointing as we didn’t have a guy in the line-up that had anything going – so to point fingers individually is difficult but having said that, we have guys that have been afforded an opportunity and they’re certainly didn’t make the most of it (Saturday).”
An early front-runner for fan favourite after Friday’s win was 17-year-old forward Brock Montgomery, who won the hearts of the 2695 on hand after dishing out some hits, setting the tone and coming back to win a decisive bout over Derek Ryckman. “The kid wants to play in the league,” said Holick. “You can tell by his effort. I wish some guys would follow his lead. When you play hard, you play physical and the physical play will find you. He’s big and strong enough to handle himself and he’s not afraid of anybody.”
“He’s doing a great job – he’s got a long way to go – but at the end of the day work ethic compensates for a lot of shortcomings and he’s certainly one our hardest workers to date.”
Quick Hits – Kootenay reassigned goaltender Dylan Tait, 17, to the AJHL's Bonnyville Pontiacs Wednesday. Tait was acquired from Kelowna over the summer after spending last season with the KIJHL's Kimberley Dynamiters... The Rebels lost captain Landon Ferraro for a week after he went awkwardly into the boards after being hit by Dustin Sylvester. The Rebels said that Ferraro suffered a cartilage sprain in his knee... Kootenay out-shot Lethbridge 48-14 Friday... The crowd of 2695 Friday at the Rec Plex was the smallest for a home-opener in the club's history.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Weekend of contrasts...
As far as opening weekends go, this one lands at both ends of the spectrum. An 8-1 pasting of the Hurricanes to open their 14th year as a franchise Friday night at the Rec Plex in which D Hayden Rintoul notched four assists and Max Reinhart got two goals... There is a recap here by the Lethbridge Herald
Followed by a thrashing at the hands of the Red Deer Rebels - who were clearly motivated by getting blasted in their home-opener 24 hours prior by the Calgary Hitmen 6-2 - Kootenay couldn't shake the bus legs in time and were walloped 7-1. The Red Deer Advocate has the recap here.
Noticed around the league that attendance is down in a lot of places - perhaps a clear sign of the times, economy-wise - starting right here in Cranbrook with the club's smallest home-opener in their history here at 2695. In Chilliwack a crowd of 3516 looked-on Friday in their 4-3 loss to the Blazers; Is the AHL's Abbotsford Heat already having an impact there?... Last night in Red Deer an un-heard of 4117 were on hand at the Centrium for their second game... In Seattle 3077 were at the still-new Showare Centre as the T-Bird hosted a much-improved Portland squad and lost 5-0.... In PG Friday a great crowd of 4985 saw the Cougars drop a 6-3 decision before Saturday's return bill of the double-headers attracted almost half that with 2552 watching the Cougars beat the Chiefs 2-1 in OT.
Rebel forward Landon Ferraro left the game last night, limping off the ice after an awkward hit by Ice captain Dustin Sylvester sent him into the boards. No word on whether the hit was being reviewed by the WHL for supplementary discipline or on Ferraro's status, who didn't return. No penalty was called on the play.
I'll have more later this evening...
Followed by a thrashing at the hands of the Red Deer Rebels - who were clearly motivated by getting blasted in their home-opener 24 hours prior by the Calgary Hitmen 6-2 - Kootenay couldn't shake the bus legs in time and were walloped 7-1. The Red Deer Advocate has the recap here.
Noticed around the league that attendance is down in a lot of places - perhaps a clear sign of the times, economy-wise - starting right here in Cranbrook with the club's smallest home-opener in their history here at 2695. In Chilliwack a crowd of 3516 looked-on Friday in their 4-3 loss to the Blazers; Is the AHL's Abbotsford Heat already having an impact there?... Last night in Red Deer an un-heard of 4117 were on hand at the Centrium for their second game... In Seattle 3077 were at the still-new Showare Centre as the T-Bird hosted a much-improved Portland squad and lost 5-0.... In PG Friday a great crowd of 4985 saw the Cougars drop a 6-3 decision before Saturday's return bill of the double-headers attracted almost half that with 2552 watching the Cougars beat the Chiefs 2-1 in OT.
Rebel forward Landon Ferraro left the game last night, limping off the ice after an awkward hit by Ice captain Dustin Sylvester sent him into the boards. No word on whether the hit was being reviewed by the WHL for supplementary discipline or on Ferraro's status, who didn't return. No penalty was called on the play.
I'll have more later this evening...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
McNabb still not back...
Just a few notes on the day the 2009-10 regular season begins tonight with Vancouver and Kelowna kicking things off:
Shaw Cable released their 30-game broadcast schedule yesterday and you'll find the Ice on the tube four times this season, starting in Saskatoon on October 7. They'll only be one date at the Rec Plex - Jan 26 against the Memorial Cup host Brandon Wheat Kings while the other two will be on the road in Red Deer and Kamloops, respectively...
D Brayden McNabb is still with the Sabres and, barring a cross-continent trek late tonight, won't make the connections necessary to make the home-opener Friday night against the Hurricanes. Here's a Sabre camp report out of the Buffalo News that mentions McNabb. Provided he's among the first cuts which isn't guaranteed...
UPDATE: McNabb has been sent back and released by the Sabres today.
Gregg Drinnan has some great stuff at his blog - but you probably already know that - on his and other writer and broadcaster's predictions for the 2009-10 season. Interesting to note that many have the Ice coming in the four-hole in the Eastern Conference. It's over there on the right...
Speaking of cross-country treks I likely won't be back in time for the game Friday either so reports and game-night stuff will come from the Kootenay Advertiser and of course the radio at the Drive.
Shaw Cable released their 30-game broadcast schedule yesterday and you'll find the Ice on the tube four times this season, starting in Saskatoon on October 7. They'll only be one date at the Rec Plex - Jan 26 against the Memorial Cup host Brandon Wheat Kings while the other two will be on the road in Red Deer and Kamloops, respectively...
D Brayden McNabb is still with the Sabres and, barring a cross-continent trek late tonight, won't make the connections necessary to make the home-opener Friday night against the Hurricanes. Here's a Sabre camp report out of the Buffalo News that mentions McNabb. Provided he's among the first cuts which isn't guaranteed...
UPDATE: McNabb has been sent back and released by the Sabres today.
Gregg Drinnan has some great stuff at his blog - but you probably already know that - on his and other writer and broadcaster's predictions for the 2009-10 season. Interesting to note that many have the Ice coming in the four-hole in the Eastern Conference. It's over there on the right...
Speaking of cross-country treks I likely won't be back in time for the game Friday either so reports and game-night stuff will come from the Kootenay Advertiser and of course the radio at the Drive.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
2009-10 Season Preview
Thumbnail Preview for KNA and WHL Writer's Association previews
KOOTENAY ICE - Season Preview
Last season: 35-29-2-6; third in Central Division; sixth in Eastern
Conference. Lost to Brandon in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
Head coach: Mark Hollick (third season). Assistants: Kris Knoblauch (third
season), Scott Beattie (second season).
General manager: Jeff Chynoweth (14th season).
Key losses: RW Andrew Bailey (last season¹s captain), D Ian Barteaux, D Eric Frere - all to graduation. C Tylan Stephens, 20, who decided to forego his last year of junior to go to the University of Calgary. RW Ryan Fox, 19, also decided to go to school early while LW Mike Cassivi and D Tyler Vanscourt didn't make the cut out of training camp.
The 20-year-olds: C/LW Dustin Sylvester and D Ryan Molle.
The Imports: Forward Dominik Pascovsky, 19, and D Petr Senkerik, 18.
Key returnees: C Dustin Sylvester, 20, fully recovered from the broken ankle that ended his season last Christmas, LW Kevin King, 19, and Steele Boomer,19, will be counted upon heavily for a team thin on offence. D Brayden
McNabb will lead a young blueline
New faces: Defencemen Ryan Molle, 20, Petr Senkerik, 18, Joey Leach, 17, and Luke Paulsen, 17. Forwards Elgin Pearce, 17, Brock Montgomery, 17, Simon Skrudland, 18 and Brendan Hurley, 16.
Watch for: A make-or-break year for G Nathan Lieuwen. If he stays healthy, look for the 18-year-old to try and live up to the heady expectations set
upon him when he arrived two years ago... If he stays healthy Dustin Sylvester could challenge for the scoring title. The diminutive captain notched 21 goals and 20 assists in 34 games before going down to injury and finished 4th in team scoring despite not playing a game past December 27th. That also might tell you a bit about the scoring issues the club could have up front after losing three of the top five scorers from last year's team... GM Jeff Chynoweth to go shopping for another 20-year-old to fill the gap up front in the scoring department and to use the bevy of draft picks for next spring's bantam draft to orchestrate a deal to augment his club as the season progresses. If their contending Kootenay will be a buyer come the trade deadline.
Just notes: Look for newcomers Paulsen and Leach to for the seventh spot on the blueline . . . Up front Pearce, Montgomery, Hurley and Simon Skrudland will push for what amounts to be one to three forward spots with at least two veteran jobs anything but safe.
Did you know: With attendance issues dogging the small-market club to begin last season the team signed a new 15-year lease over the summer, without an attendance clause.
The prognosis: 2009-10 will be Phase 2 of the rebuilding process started last year. The plan was for a playoff push next spring but a trade or two will be in order if any run is going to happen.
JEFF BROMLEY/The Kootenay NewsAdvertiser
KOOTENAY ICE - Season Preview
Last season: 35-29-2-6; third in Central Division; sixth in Eastern
Conference. Lost to Brandon in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
Head coach: Mark Hollick (third season). Assistants: Kris Knoblauch (third
season), Scott Beattie (second season).
General manager: Jeff Chynoweth (14th season).
Key losses: RW Andrew Bailey (last season¹s captain), D Ian Barteaux, D Eric Frere - all to graduation. C Tylan Stephens, 20, who decided to forego his last year of junior to go to the University of Calgary. RW Ryan Fox, 19, also decided to go to school early while LW Mike Cassivi and D Tyler Vanscourt didn't make the cut out of training camp.
The 20-year-olds: C/LW Dustin Sylvester and D Ryan Molle.
The Imports: Forward Dominik Pascovsky, 19, and D Petr Senkerik, 18.
Key returnees: C Dustin Sylvester, 20, fully recovered from the broken ankle that ended his season last Christmas, LW Kevin King, 19, and Steele Boomer,19, will be counted upon heavily for a team thin on offence. D Brayden
McNabb will lead a young blueline
New faces: Defencemen Ryan Molle, 20, Petr Senkerik, 18, Joey Leach, 17, and Luke Paulsen, 17. Forwards Elgin Pearce, 17, Brock Montgomery, 17, Simon Skrudland, 18 and Brendan Hurley, 16.
Watch for: A make-or-break year for G Nathan Lieuwen. If he stays healthy, look for the 18-year-old to try and live up to the heady expectations set
upon him when he arrived two years ago... If he stays healthy Dustin Sylvester could challenge for the scoring title. The diminutive captain notched 21 goals and 20 assists in 34 games before going down to injury and finished 4th in team scoring despite not playing a game past December 27th. That also might tell you a bit about the scoring issues the club could have up front after losing three of the top five scorers from last year's team... GM Jeff Chynoweth to go shopping for another 20-year-old to fill the gap up front in the scoring department and to use the bevy of draft picks for next spring's bantam draft to orchestrate a deal to augment his club as the season progresses. If their contending Kootenay will be a buyer come the trade deadline.
Just notes: Look for newcomers Paulsen and Leach to for the seventh spot on the blueline . . . Up front Pearce, Montgomery, Hurley and Simon Skrudland will push for what amounts to be one to three forward spots with at least two veteran jobs anything but safe.
Did you know: With attendance issues dogging the small-market club to begin last season the team signed a new 15-year lease over the summer, without an attendance clause.
The prognosis: 2009-10 will be Phase 2 of the rebuilding process started last year. The plan was for a playoff push next spring but a trade or two will be in order if any run is going to happen.
JEFF BROMLEY/The Kootenay NewsAdvertiser
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
There's been some speculation as to where forward Michael Cassivi will end up after being cut yesterday by the Ice but I've still not be able to determine it.
As a 16-year-old he played in the KIJHL with the Grand Forks Border Bruins but I doubt he'll end up in Junior B. Depending on who holds his rights - if anyone - I would guess a Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley BCHL club would be a good guess....
Found this on 16-year-old Ice prospect Adam Rossignol, who scored an impressive four goals in a 10-1 Aldergrove Kodiaks win over the Mission Icebreakers of the Junior B PIJHL.
As a 16-year-old he played in the KIJHL with the Grand Forks Border Bruins but I doubt he'll end up in Junior B. Depending on who holds his rights - if anyone - I would guess a Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley BCHL club would be a good guess....
Found this on 16-year-old Ice prospect Adam Rossignol, who scored an impressive four goals in a 10-1 Aldergrove Kodiaks win over the Mission Icebreakers of the Junior B PIJHL.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Ice cut down to 25....
Kootenay made three cuts today including two veterans from last year's squad. Forward Mike Cassivi, 17, and rearguard Tyler Vanscourt, 17, were reassigned along with rookie list player John Niebrandt, 17. Cassivi was really under the gun to produce and there's some depth with a chance for the younger forwards to develop. Vanscourt, though scrappy, is too small for the blueline. I'm actually surprised he wasn't give a look at forward. And Niebrandt looks to be a great prospect for next year.
Still on the roster:
Three Goaltenders -- Nathan Lieuwen (18), Todd Mathews (19), Dylan Tait (18).
Eight Defencemen -- Joey Leach (17), Cason Machacek (18), James Martin (18), Brayden McNabb (18), Ryan Molle (20), Luke Paulsen (17), Hayden Rintoul (18), Petr Senkerik (18).
14 Forwards -- Joe Antilla (18), Steele Boomer (19), Drew Czerwonka (17), Matt Fraser (19), Brendan Hurley (16), Jesse Ismond (18), Kevin King (19), Christian Magnus (17), Brock Montgomery (17), Dominic Pacovsky (19), Elgin Pearce (17), Max Reinhart (17), Simon Skrudland (18), Dustin Sylvester (20)
So by my math, assuming a 22-man roster, one more forward, another d-man and obviously a goaltender are getting a longer look. Two things jump out to me: That the goaltending battle is still going at this late juncture. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought that Dylan Tait would last this long but after some strong play against Lethbridge last Wednesday, there's a battle here.
There's still another 20-year-old to be filled. That probably won't happen until closer to cut-down day of October 15. Then again, this roster, with perhaps the exception of the three goaltenders, could remain until that point and whether or not a d-man or forward materializes for the 20-yr-old spot.
Here's the release:
______________________________________________________________
Cranbrook, BC -- Jeff Chynoweth, General Manager of the Kootenay ICE Hockey Club, today announced the club has released three players to bring their roster down to 25.
Michael Cassivi 18 Abbotsford, BC Left Wing TBA
Tyler Vanscourt 17 Corona, CA Defense TBA
John Neibrandt 17 Yorkton, SK Defense Yorkton SJHL
“It is always difficult to release veteran players, but we feel some of the new players have surpassed them in their attempt to make the team. We would like to thank both Michael and Tyler for all their hard work over the past year and wish them the best in their future hockey careers,” commented Chynoweth.
As a result of today’s transactions, the ICE are carrying three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards. Of those, Brayden McNabb is currently still at the Buffalo Sabres Training Camp.
The first regular season home action for the ICE is this Friday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 7:00 pm where fans can pick up their Domino`s Pizza Magnetic Schedule. Tickets for this game are available at the Kootenay ICE Office and Kootenay Collectibles. Season Tickets are also available for pick up at the ICE Office.
Still on the roster:
Three Goaltenders -- Nathan Lieuwen (18), Todd Mathews (19), Dylan Tait (18).
Eight Defencemen -- Joey Leach (17), Cason Machacek (18), James Martin (18), Brayden McNabb (18), Ryan Molle (20), Luke Paulsen (17), Hayden Rintoul (18), Petr Senkerik (18).
14 Forwards -- Joe Antilla (18), Steele Boomer (19), Drew Czerwonka (17), Matt Fraser (19), Brendan Hurley (16), Jesse Ismond (18), Kevin King (19), Christian Magnus (17), Brock Montgomery (17), Dominic Pacovsky (19), Elgin Pearce (17), Max Reinhart (17), Simon Skrudland (18), Dustin Sylvester (20)
So by my math, assuming a 22-man roster, one more forward, another d-man and obviously a goaltender are getting a longer look. Two things jump out to me: That the goaltending battle is still going at this late juncture. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought that Dylan Tait would last this long but after some strong play against Lethbridge last Wednesday, there's a battle here.
There's still another 20-year-old to be filled. That probably won't happen until closer to cut-down day of October 15. Then again, this roster, with perhaps the exception of the three goaltenders, could remain until that point and whether or not a d-man or forward materializes for the 20-yr-old spot.
Here's the release:
______________________________________________________________
Cranbrook, BC -- Jeff Chynoweth, General Manager of the Kootenay ICE Hockey Club, today announced the club has released three players to bring their roster down to 25.
Michael Cassivi 18 Abbotsford, BC Left Wing TBA
Tyler Vanscourt 17 Corona, CA Defense TBA
John Neibrandt 17 Yorkton, SK Defense Yorkton SJHL
“It is always difficult to release veteran players, but we feel some of the new players have surpassed them in their attempt to make the team. We would like to thank both Michael and Tyler for all their hard work over the past year and wish them the best in their future hockey careers,” commented Chynoweth.
As a result of today’s transactions, the ICE are carrying three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards. Of those, Brayden McNabb is currently still at the Buffalo Sabres Training Camp.
The first regular season home action for the ICE is this Friday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 7:00 pm where fans can pick up their Domino`s Pizza Magnetic Schedule. Tickets for this game are available at the Kootenay ICE Office and Kootenay Collectibles. Season Tickets are also available for pick up at the ICE Office.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Gone for a week
Kootenay finished up the pre-season with a 4-3 shootout win in Innisfail Friday night giving the club a 3-1 exhibition record heading into their home opener Friday night against Lethbridge at the Rec Plex.
It'll be quiet around here until then as I'm in Crosby-land seeking a look at the pre-season Penguins here in Pennsylvania. Due to work commitments (other job) I won't be back until Friday evening.
I'll post whatever cuts the club makes in the next few days as I'm expecting the roster to pared down to 24-25 now that Sylvester and King are back from their respective NHL camps. Brayden McNabb will likely be sent back before opening day but that could change.
I also have a quick preview I'll post after the next set of cuts.
And from the whatever happened to file. Former Kootenay Ice forward Kyle Sheen inked a deal with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the CHL. Find out more here.
It'll be quiet around here until then as I'm in Crosby-land seeking a look at the pre-season Penguins here in Pennsylvania. Due to work commitments (other job) I won't be back until Friday evening.
I'll post whatever cuts the club makes in the next few days as I'm expecting the roster to pared down to 24-25 now that Sylvester and King are back from their respective NHL camps. Brayden McNabb will likely be sent back before opening day but that could change.
I also have a quick preview I'll post after the next set of cuts.
And from the whatever happened to file. Former Kootenay Ice forward Kyle Sheen inked a deal with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the CHL. Find out more here.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Two more cuts....
Kootenay cut two more players today. Forward Jordan Bauer, 18, of Edmonton and forward Bryton Mills, 17, of Stoney Plain, Alta.
The release is here.
For Bauer this could be the end of the WHL road for the forward. He's now had three shots to make the club after being listed three years ago. He might return as a 19-year-old or be an injury call-up but the window is closing.
For Mills I thought he was a bright spot in camp for a list player listed out of Midget last year. He could earn a spot next year.
28 players remain in camp; 15 forwards, 10 defensemen and 3 goaltenders. Look for two more forwards, three more blueliners and obviously a goaltender to go in the next week or so...
Also, the KNA is going to be expanding it's features for coverage of the Ice in the future. For the time being post-game interviews will be posted on the paper's website here. For the coming season we're hoping to include goal highlites but it'll be a work in progress for the coming weeks.
Don't usually do this but I put a poll up on the new Ice/WHL uniforms. Check it out.
The release is here.
For Bauer this could be the end of the WHL road for the forward. He's now had three shots to make the club after being listed three years ago. He might return as a 19-year-old or be an injury call-up but the window is closing.
For Mills I thought he was a bright spot in camp for a list player listed out of Midget last year. He could earn a spot next year.
28 players remain in camp; 15 forwards, 10 defensemen and 3 goaltenders. Look for two more forwards, three more blueliners and obviously a goaltender to go in the next week or so...
Also, the KNA is going to be expanding it's features for coverage of the Ice in the future. For the time being post-game interviews will be posted on the paper's website here. For the coming season we're hoping to include goal highlites but it'll be a work in progress for the coming weeks.
Don't usually do this but I put a poll up on the new Ice/WHL uniforms. Check it out.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Ice edge Canes in shootout
For the News Advertiser....
Ice edge Hurricanes
by Jeff Bromley
The 09-10 audition for a spot with the Kootenay Ice continued Wednesday as the club drew a 5-4 shoot-out decision against the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the team’s only pre-season action at the Rec Plex, unless you ask the club’s head coach, who wasn’t at all happy with the pre-season actors. “It was real ugly,” Ice head coach Mark Holick said Wednesday night. “Both teams struggled in the Picasso department. It was really sloppy and for us it was disappointing.”
The Hurricanes opened the scoring when Neil Tarnasky banged in a rebound off an odd-man rush six minutes into the game. Ice forward Joe Antilla tied the game on the power play eight minutes later, sending the teams tied at one going into the first intermission. The Hurricanes took the lead early in the second when Reid Jackson’s point-shot deflected off Ice defensman Joey Leach and past goaltender Nathan Lieuwen. Steele Boomer tied the game once again with another power play goal off a cross-ice feed from newcomer Ryan Molle, who finished the night with three assists. Molle sent another long pass down the ice at 13:39, finding Jesse Ismond, who in turn hit Brock Montgomery streaking to the net, giving the Ice a 3-2 lead. The Hurricanes would continue the see-saw battle when Garrett Taylor tied the game, this time on another early period goal 34 seconds in, and then set up the go ahead goal by Ryan Moser. Only some great individual moves by Ismond with less than five minutes remaining got the Ice into overtime and a shootout where Matt Fraser scored once and goaltender Dylan Tait was spectacular in stopping all three Hurricane shooters.
Little of it impressed the guy’s team they’re trying to make however. “Some of our guys made the picture real clear tonight," said Holick. "They probably don’t want to play in Kootenay.”
“It wasn’t the type of hockey we want to play. We coasted a lot and we watched a lot and to me it was real sloppy in a lot of areas and certainly the effort department was one of them.”
Whether it was a sign of the inexperience of the young line-ups on the way the WHL is called or an attempt by the referees to keep a tight reign on extra-curricular activities in the pre-season, the night was filled with power plays with both teams splitting 12 power play opportunities. Special teams play was the order of the day but it still didn’t give the coach anything to crow about, especially while trying to evaluate his club. “Rookie or not, you can still try,” said Holick. “Whether you’re 16 or 20 you can try; you can move you’re feet; you can work; you can get in on the forecheck. You can do the things that are required to make this team whether it’s your first game or your 200th.”
Veteran forward Joe Antilla, 18, thought to be one of those fighting for a spot going into his third season, was one of the bright spots in the Ice line-up, scoring a goal and playing strong defensively. The pressure of making the club doesn’t get old or any easier said Antilla. “You’re always batting for a spot no matter how old you’re are or how good you are,” offered the Pender Harbour product. “You only have to make one slip up and you’re back on a lower line, or worse. Every night I’ve got to battle to keep my spot and try to move up if I can.”
Quick Hits – D Ryan Molle, acquired last week for a 4th round pick from the Swift Current Broncos, finished the night with three assists while forward Jesse Ismond had a goal and an assist… Attendance was announced at 595… Scratches were Drew Czerwonka (shoulder), Max Reinhart, Christian Magnus, Petr Senkerik (groin), Hayden Rintoul, Todd Mathews and Tyler Vanscourt… Czerwonka could play in the club’s last exhibition game Friday in Innisfail, AB against the Red Deer Rebels… Kootenay’s pre-season record improves to 2-1 after splitting games in Coleman, Alberta over the weekend. Friday the Ice dropped a 5-3 decision to the Calgary Hitmen before beating the Hurricanes by the same score Sunday afternoon… Tuesday the club announced that three players had been re-assigned. Forwards Ryan Bloom of Calgary and Adam Rossignol of Aldergrove, both 16, have been released to the Calgary Buffaloes AAA Midgets and Junior B Aldergrove Kodiaks of the PIJHL, respectively. 15-year-old goaltender Mackenzie Skapski was sent to the Fraser Valley Bruins of the BC Major Midget league… Kootenay’s roster, with three players still at pro camps (Dustin Sylvester – Anaheim; Kevin King – Minnesota; Brayden McNabb – Buffalo), sits at 30 players… That number was 31 for Wednesday’s game as 15-year-old defenseman Micheal Simpson saw his first WHL pre-season action. He will return to the BC Major Midget Valley West Hawks this week… Kootenay, along with the rest of the WHL, released the new style of Reebok uniforms the clubs will wear this season on Wednesday.
Ice edge Hurricanes
by Jeff Bromley
The 09-10 audition for a spot with the Kootenay Ice continued Wednesday as the club drew a 5-4 shoot-out decision against the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the team’s only pre-season action at the Rec Plex, unless you ask the club’s head coach, who wasn’t at all happy with the pre-season actors. “It was real ugly,” Ice head coach Mark Holick said Wednesday night. “Both teams struggled in the Picasso department. It was really sloppy and for us it was disappointing.”
The Hurricanes opened the scoring when Neil Tarnasky banged in a rebound off an odd-man rush six minutes into the game. Ice forward Joe Antilla tied the game on the power play eight minutes later, sending the teams tied at one going into the first intermission. The Hurricanes took the lead early in the second when Reid Jackson’s point-shot deflected off Ice defensman Joey Leach and past goaltender Nathan Lieuwen. Steele Boomer tied the game once again with another power play goal off a cross-ice feed from newcomer Ryan Molle, who finished the night with three assists. Molle sent another long pass down the ice at 13:39, finding Jesse Ismond, who in turn hit Brock Montgomery streaking to the net, giving the Ice a 3-2 lead. The Hurricanes would continue the see-saw battle when Garrett Taylor tied the game, this time on another early period goal 34 seconds in, and then set up the go ahead goal by Ryan Moser. Only some great individual moves by Ismond with less than five minutes remaining got the Ice into overtime and a shootout where Matt Fraser scored once and goaltender Dylan Tait was spectacular in stopping all three Hurricane shooters.
Little of it impressed the guy’s team they’re trying to make however. “Some of our guys made the picture real clear tonight," said Holick. "They probably don’t want to play in Kootenay.”
“It wasn’t the type of hockey we want to play. We coasted a lot and we watched a lot and to me it was real sloppy in a lot of areas and certainly the effort department was one of them.”
Whether it was a sign of the inexperience of the young line-ups on the way the WHL is called or an attempt by the referees to keep a tight reign on extra-curricular activities in the pre-season, the night was filled with power plays with both teams splitting 12 power play opportunities. Special teams play was the order of the day but it still didn’t give the coach anything to crow about, especially while trying to evaluate his club. “Rookie or not, you can still try,” said Holick. “Whether you’re 16 or 20 you can try; you can move you’re feet; you can work; you can get in on the forecheck. You can do the things that are required to make this team whether it’s your first game or your 200th.”
Veteran forward Joe Antilla, 18, thought to be one of those fighting for a spot going into his third season, was one of the bright spots in the Ice line-up, scoring a goal and playing strong defensively. The pressure of making the club doesn’t get old or any easier said Antilla. “You’re always batting for a spot no matter how old you’re are or how good you are,” offered the Pender Harbour product. “You only have to make one slip up and you’re back on a lower line, or worse. Every night I’ve got to battle to keep my spot and try to move up if I can.”
Quick Hits – D Ryan Molle, acquired last week for a 4th round pick from the Swift Current Broncos, finished the night with three assists while forward Jesse Ismond had a goal and an assist… Attendance was announced at 595… Scratches were Drew Czerwonka (shoulder), Max Reinhart, Christian Magnus, Petr Senkerik (groin), Hayden Rintoul, Todd Mathews and Tyler Vanscourt… Czerwonka could play in the club’s last exhibition game Friday in Innisfail, AB against the Red Deer Rebels… Kootenay’s pre-season record improves to 2-1 after splitting games in Coleman, Alberta over the weekend. Friday the Ice dropped a 5-3 decision to the Calgary Hitmen before beating the Hurricanes by the same score Sunday afternoon… Tuesday the club announced that three players had been re-assigned. Forwards Ryan Bloom of Calgary and Adam Rossignol of Aldergrove, both 16, have been released to the Calgary Buffaloes AAA Midgets and Junior B Aldergrove Kodiaks of the PIJHL, respectively. 15-year-old goaltender Mackenzie Skapski was sent to the Fraser Valley Bruins of the BC Major Midget league… Kootenay’s roster, with three players still at pro camps (Dustin Sylvester – Anaheim; Kevin King – Minnesota; Brayden McNabb – Buffalo), sits at 30 players… That number was 31 for Wednesday’s game as 15-year-old defenseman Micheal Simpson saw his first WHL pre-season action. He will return to the BC Major Midget Valley West Hawks this week… Kootenay, along with the rest of the WHL, released the new style of Reebok uniforms the clubs will wear this season on Wednesday.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Ice release three...
Kootenay trimmed their roster to 30 today as they club re-assigned two 16-year-old forwards, Ryan Bloom of Calgary, and Adam Rossignol of Aldergrove and 15-year-old Goaltender Mackenzie Skapski was returned to Abbottsford Midget.
The release can be found here.
Skapski went to the Fraser Valley Bruins of the BC Major Midget League;
Rossignol will play with the Aldergrove Kodiaks of the Junior B PIJHL;
Bloom will join the AAA Calgary Buffaloes Midget program.
The moves leave the club with three goaltenders; 10 defensemen and 17 forwards. Three players (McNabb - Buffalo; Sylvester - Anaheim; King - Minnesota) are still at NHL camps while the club is carrying only one 16-year-old, forward Brendan Hurley.
The release can be found here.
Skapski went to the Fraser Valley Bruins of the BC Major Midget League;
Rossignol will play with the Aldergrove Kodiaks of the Junior B PIJHL;
Bloom will join the AAA Calgary Buffaloes Midget program.
The moves leave the club with three goaltenders; 10 defensemen and 17 forwards. Three players (McNabb - Buffalo; Sylvester - Anaheim; King - Minnesota) are still at NHL camps while the club is carrying only one 16-year-old, forward Brendan Hurley.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Ice over Canes 5-3
Kootenay evened their exhibition record at 1-1 with a 5-3 win in Coleman over the Hurricanes Sunday afternoon.
Brendan Hurley got two goals.
Ice radio broadcaster Jeff Hollick has a good recap here.
C Max Reinhart and import D Petr Senkerik left Friday's game with minor injuries and didn't play Sunday... Michael Tadjdeh, pegged as the club's starter this season after the departurn of Juha Metsola, went the distance for the Canes while Todd Mathews and 15-year-old rookie Mackenzie Skapski split the duties letting in a goal each. The first goal for the Hurricanes came after Kootenay was on a power play and the Canes took delayed call. With Mathews out of the net for the extra attacker a shot went off a Hurricane defender and into the open net.... Skapski, from Abbottsford, was the club's 3rd round pick in this year's Bantam Draft and backstopped the AAA Hawks to the Western Canadian Bantam Finals last spring, losing to the Airdrie Extreme.
Brendan Hurley got two goals.
Ice radio broadcaster Jeff Hollick has a good recap here.
C Max Reinhart and import D Petr Senkerik left Friday's game with minor injuries and didn't play Sunday... Michael Tadjdeh, pegged as the club's starter this season after the departurn of Juha Metsola, went the distance for the Canes while Todd Mathews and 15-year-old rookie Mackenzie Skapski split the duties letting in a goal each. The first goal for the Hurricanes came after Kootenay was on a power play and the Canes took delayed call. With Mathews out of the net for the extra attacker a shot went off a Hurricane defender and into the open net.... Skapski, from Abbottsford, was the club's 3rd round pick in this year's Bantam Draft and backstopped the AAA Hawks to the Western Canadian Bantam Finals last spring, losing to the Airdrie Extreme.
What's in a (released) name??????
You may have heard about it, though being Labour Day weekend and the kids about to head back to school, you'll be forgiven if it didn't make your headlines. Then again, maybe it doesn't rate for you as headlines.
Medicine Hat Tigers Coach and GM Willie Desjardins said this in the Medicine Hat News this week: “I’m not going to announce any cuts publicly,” Desjardins said to the MH News. “I just feel like why do I want everybody in the city to know some poor kid got cut. It’s a tough thing.
“If it’s a veteran player then it’s different. These other guys, (fans) don’t know about them anyhow.”
It's created somewhat of a stir, especially among us media types. WHL fans garner team news and knowledge from the media, be it in the paper, on the radio, on TV or - and I'd argue what is probably the biggest info provider of all - the web. Fans, the last time I look the ones still paying the freight in a ticket-driven sport - want to know as much as possible when it comes to their respective teams.
Some don't care until opening day. That's fine. Many do care and want to know as soon as the line-up changes.
And we're (the media) there to provide that for them.
Not announcing something directly related to the club makes that difficult. And for those of you that would suscribe to Desjardins' theory that that '(fans' don't know about them anyhow' I would suggest you don't know the junior hockey fan base. Hockey fans are an articulate and dedicated bunch, especially since the evolution of the Net as a communication tool. Fans of pro hockey teams keep tabs on their up and comers, new guys and the 'next ones' almost as much as many keep track of their stock market performance. Some even moreso.
With junior hockey clubs it's the same thing.
Yes, with Major Junior clubs - who epitomize their NHL counterparts in almost every way - keeping track of prospects involving 15, 16 and 17-olds and who might make the club next year or a year after that means that they indeed know about them. Otherwise the fans I run into after training camp sessions - in particular the Blue-White game - wondering who made the cut wouldn't be there now would they?
That and the blog traffic wouldn't double or triple when the cuts were placed on this blog. There are family from far and wide who are wondering as well as the fans.
Ice Director of Scouting Garett Kazuik needed a couple of hours - presumably to make some tough calls - after the game this year before getting back to me on the 32 players still in camp after the game; Former assistant GM Roy Stasiuk would give the media the releases at game's end; while Bob Tory of the Tri-City Americans sent a list to Tri-City media this week.
So why would Desjardins attempt to cushion the blow for these young players about being cut? It's a sport, at the highest level for their age-group and cuts come with the territory. They compete, they're used to it and they do it from Atoms. It comes with the territory.
I suppose that fans and media alike could piece it together from roster sheets put out through training camp intersquad games, providing the Tigers do that. But why make it so hard? Unless there's something to hide.....
Coach Desjardins is also the bench boss for the World Junior squad this Christmas. Does this mean he's going to not publicly release the names of the cuts from that team too? Wonder how the national media would deal with that.....
Still with the Tigers this week the club waived 20-year-old forward Travis Dunstall, with the Everett Silvertips picking up the former 1st round Bantam pick (16th overall in 2004 by the Kamloops Blazers) for nothing but a waiver fee. Dunstall, who was acquired by the Tigers in November of 2007 for forward Scott Wasden and a 7th round pick, but never really lived up to the first round pick expectations. The Tips however could've mined something decent for nothing. Dunstall still potted 49 points in 61 games last season....
Finally, came across this over the weekend. The Ice jersey finished dead last in the poll. Last year THN did a logo ranking of the league and Kootenay was 21st, finishing ahead of Kelowna....
Medicine Hat Tigers Coach and GM Willie Desjardins said this in the Medicine Hat News this week: “I’m not going to announce any cuts publicly,” Desjardins said to the MH News. “I just feel like why do I want everybody in the city to know some poor kid got cut. It’s a tough thing.
“If it’s a veteran player then it’s different. These other guys, (fans) don’t know about them anyhow.”
It's created somewhat of a stir, especially among us media types. WHL fans garner team news and knowledge from the media, be it in the paper, on the radio, on TV or - and I'd argue what is probably the biggest info provider of all - the web. Fans, the last time I look the ones still paying the freight in a ticket-driven sport - want to know as much as possible when it comes to their respective teams.
Some don't care until opening day. That's fine. Many do care and want to know as soon as the line-up changes.
And we're (the media) there to provide that for them.
Not announcing something directly related to the club makes that difficult. And for those of you that would suscribe to Desjardins' theory that that '(fans' don't know about them anyhow' I would suggest you don't know the junior hockey fan base. Hockey fans are an articulate and dedicated bunch, especially since the evolution of the Net as a communication tool. Fans of pro hockey teams keep tabs on their up and comers, new guys and the 'next ones' almost as much as many keep track of their stock market performance. Some even moreso.
With junior hockey clubs it's the same thing.
Yes, with Major Junior clubs - who epitomize their NHL counterparts in almost every way - keeping track of prospects involving 15, 16 and 17-olds and who might make the club next year or a year after that means that they indeed know about them. Otherwise the fans I run into after training camp sessions - in particular the Blue-White game - wondering who made the cut wouldn't be there now would they?
That and the blog traffic wouldn't double or triple when the cuts were placed on this blog. There are family from far and wide who are wondering as well as the fans.
Ice Director of Scouting Garett Kazuik needed a couple of hours - presumably to make some tough calls - after the game this year before getting back to me on the 32 players still in camp after the game; Former assistant GM Roy Stasiuk would give the media the releases at game's end; while Bob Tory of the Tri-City Americans sent a list to Tri-City media this week.
So why would Desjardins attempt to cushion the blow for these young players about being cut? It's a sport, at the highest level for their age-group and cuts come with the territory. They compete, they're used to it and they do it from Atoms. It comes with the territory.
I suppose that fans and media alike could piece it together from roster sheets put out through training camp intersquad games, providing the Tigers do that. But why make it so hard? Unless there's something to hide.....
Coach Desjardins is also the bench boss for the World Junior squad this Christmas. Does this mean he's going to not publicly release the names of the cuts from that team too? Wonder how the national media would deal with that.....
Still with the Tigers this week the club waived 20-year-old forward Travis Dunstall, with the Everett Silvertips picking up the former 1st round Bantam pick (16th overall in 2004 by the Kamloops Blazers) for nothing but a waiver fee. Dunstall, who was acquired by the Tigers in November of 2007 for forward Scott Wasden and a 7th round pick, but never really lived up to the first round pick expectations. The Tips however could've mined something decent for nothing. Dunstall still potted 49 points in 61 games last season....
Finally, came across this over the weekend. The Ice jersey finished dead last in the poll. Last year THN did a logo ranking of the league and Kootenay was 21st, finishing ahead of Kelowna....
Friday, September 4, 2009
Hitmen over Ice 5-3
In their first exhibition action of the 2009-10 season the Kootenay Ice gave up a 3-1second period lead and lost 5-3 to the Calgary Hitmen at the Coleman Arena Friday night.
A rookie-laden line-up started the scoring early as Simon Skrudland gave the Ice a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the game. Max Reinhart gave the Ice a 2-0 lead before the Hitmen got on the board with an Austin Madaisky goal on the power play late in the first period.
Rookie Ryan Bloom gave the Ice a 3-1 lead in the only goal of the second before the wheels fell off in the third period. Goals by Austin Madaisky, with his second, and Matt Mackenzie to tie the game before Jesse Hilton got two, the last one into an empty net gave the Hitmen the win.
Chase Komistek got the start in goal for the Hitmen before he was relieved by Micheal Snider halfway through the game while Nathan Lieuwen started for the Ice, splitting the duties with Dylan Tait.
There's a summary on the Calgary website here.
Kootenay goes up against the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the same arena Sunday afternoon....
In some rookie tournament news in the Kitchener tournament where the prospects of the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins will play, former Ice forward and current University of Saskatchewan Huskies grad Casey Lee will play with with the Senators.
A rookie-laden line-up started the scoring early as Simon Skrudland gave the Ice a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the game. Max Reinhart gave the Ice a 2-0 lead before the Hitmen got on the board with an Austin Madaisky goal on the power play late in the first period.
Rookie Ryan Bloom gave the Ice a 3-1 lead in the only goal of the second before the wheels fell off in the third period. Goals by Austin Madaisky, with his second, and Matt Mackenzie to tie the game before Jesse Hilton got two, the last one into an empty net gave the Hitmen the win.
Chase Komistek got the start in goal for the Hitmen before he was relieved by Micheal Snider halfway through the game while Nathan Lieuwen started for the Ice, splitting the duties with Dylan Tait.
There's a summary on the Calgary website here.
Kootenay goes up against the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the same arena Sunday afternoon....
In some rookie tournament news in the Kitchener tournament where the prospects of the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins will play, former Ice forward and current University of Saskatchewan Huskies grad Casey Lee will play with with the Senators.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Molle to Kootenay...
Ice trade for Bronco
by Jeff Bromley
Leadership, that was the first word that Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth used to describe the acquired talents of defenseman Ryan Molle from the Swift Current Broncos Wednesday in exchange for a 4th round Bantam pick in the 2010 draft. The 20-year-old Calgary product arrived in Cranbrook on Thursday. “He’s a solid, stay-at-home defenseman that will provide that veteran leadership that any young team needs to be successful,” said Chynoweth of his newest acquisition. “There’s no substitute for having 19 or 20-year-olds. You look around the league and the teams that have had success are the ones that have their older players play such a vital role.”
Molle, drafted in the second round, 34th overall by the Vancouver Giants – one spot behind Ice captain Dustin Sylvester, finished last season with 15 assists in 57 games with the Broncos. Kootenay didn’t obtain the 6’3 200lb d-man for his scoring prowess as Chynoweth sees Molle in a shut-down role. “If you look at his numbers he’s a defensive player. We’re looking for him to be a top-four guy and eat up some quality minutes and play against other teams top two lines as well as playing in the last minute of the period and the last minute of the game.”
The training camp line-up now sits at 33 as the club enters its first week of their exhibition season with a mini-tournament in the Crows Nest Pass against the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes over the weekend, though they’ll lose four of those players as veterans Brayden McNabb (Buffalo), Dustin Sylvester, (Anaheim), Kevin King (Minnesota) and Hayden Rintoul (Montreal) make their way to NHL camps. Not eligible to play full-time this season 15-year-old goaltender Mackenzie Skapski will be returning to Abbotsford to play major midget with Fraser Valley before the week’s end.
Molle brings the club’s 20-year-old total to two, along with Sylvester, but the Ice GM insists that he’s done for the time being, eager to let his club decide who and when that other spot is filled. “This fits the bill right now,” said Chynoweth who earlier in the summer said that he was in the market for a 19-year-old d-man. “We’re not looking at any more overagers right now or any more defenseman. When Ty Stephens decided to go to school a couple of weeks ago we decided as a club to see which 1992 or 1993-born forward could step up to fill the void. We’re going to stay the course for the time being and start the year with two, 20-year-olds. We’ll get into the start of the regular season and we’ll look to see if we have to address any needs, whether it be up front or on the back-end.”
Quick Hits – The WHL deadline for teams to cut down to three 20-year-olds is October 15… The 4th round pick that was sent to the Broncos for Molle was in fact the Ice’ pick in next year’s draft. They still own Swift Current’s – from the John Negrin, Michael Stickland – James Martin, Christian Magnus deal – along with Kelowna’s when the club sent goaltender Kris Lazaruk to the Rockets last season… Following training camp Kootenay added two players to their 50-man protected list. D John Niebrandt, 17, of Yorkton, Saskatchewan who is still with the club and goaltender Kevin Jaycna, 16, of Calgary.
by Jeff Bromley
Leadership, that was the first word that Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth used to describe the acquired talents of defenseman Ryan Molle from the Swift Current Broncos Wednesday in exchange for a 4th round Bantam pick in the 2010 draft. The 20-year-old Calgary product arrived in Cranbrook on Thursday. “He’s a solid, stay-at-home defenseman that will provide that veteran leadership that any young team needs to be successful,” said Chynoweth of his newest acquisition. “There’s no substitute for having 19 or 20-year-olds. You look around the league and the teams that have had success are the ones that have their older players play such a vital role.”
Molle, drafted in the second round, 34th overall by the Vancouver Giants – one spot behind Ice captain Dustin Sylvester, finished last season with 15 assists in 57 games with the Broncos. Kootenay didn’t obtain the 6’3 200lb d-man for his scoring prowess as Chynoweth sees Molle in a shut-down role. “If you look at his numbers he’s a defensive player. We’re looking for him to be a top-four guy and eat up some quality minutes and play against other teams top two lines as well as playing in the last minute of the period and the last minute of the game.”
The training camp line-up now sits at 33 as the club enters its first week of their exhibition season with a mini-tournament in the Crows Nest Pass against the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes over the weekend, though they’ll lose four of those players as veterans Brayden McNabb (Buffalo), Dustin Sylvester, (Anaheim), Kevin King (Minnesota) and Hayden Rintoul (Montreal) make their way to NHL camps. Not eligible to play full-time this season 15-year-old goaltender Mackenzie Skapski will be returning to Abbotsford to play major midget with Fraser Valley before the week’s end.
Molle brings the club’s 20-year-old total to two, along with Sylvester, but the Ice GM insists that he’s done for the time being, eager to let his club decide who and when that other spot is filled. “This fits the bill right now,” said Chynoweth who earlier in the summer said that he was in the market for a 19-year-old d-man. “We’re not looking at any more overagers right now or any more defenseman. When Ty Stephens decided to go to school a couple of weeks ago we decided as a club to see which 1992 or 1993-born forward could step up to fill the void. We’re going to stay the course for the time being and start the year with two, 20-year-olds. We’ll get into the start of the regular season and we’ll look to see if we have to address any needs, whether it be up front or on the back-end.”
Quick Hits – The WHL deadline for teams to cut down to three 20-year-olds is October 15… The 4th round pick that was sent to the Broncos for Molle was in fact the Ice’ pick in next year’s draft. They still own Swift Current’s – from the John Negrin, Michael Stickland – James Martin, Christian Magnus deal – along with Kelowna’s when the club sent goaltender Kris Lazaruk to the Rockets last season… Following training camp Kootenay added two players to their 50-man protected list. D John Niebrandt, 17, of Yorkton, Saskatchewan who is still with the club and goaltender Kevin Jaycna, 16, of Calgary.
Ice trade for Molle
Kootenay acquires D Ryan Molle, 20, from the Swift Current Broncos this afternoon in exchange for a 4th round pick in 2010. Story to follow...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Some prospect/alumni news...
BC Hockey announced their shortlist for the 2010 U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Timmins, Ontario today and there's some notable names on the list. D Jagger Dirk, an 11th round pick in the 2008 Bantam Draft who plays at the Okanagan Hockey Academy and decided not to attend Kootenay's camp this year to keep his NCAA options open is among the 22 finalists that will vy for the 11 BC spots on Team Pacific
Also on the list is forward Brandon Bruce, a Cranbrook product who is a Swift Current Bronco list player and is currently playing with Kelowna P.O.E.
Hockey Alberta release their 32-man short-list for their 11-man portion of Team Pacific. Included on the list is Ice rookie hopeful Brendan Hurley.
Gregg Drinnan has the scoop on former Ice goaltender Jeff Glass signing with Barys Astana - Kazakhstan of the Russian KHL. Glass played with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL last season. Heard this one making the rounds last week but couldn't find any confirmation other than Jeff's Facebook! Also was told that Glass was close to signing with the Calgary Flames organization but a deal didn't get done.
Also on the list is forward Brandon Bruce, a Cranbrook product who is a Swift Current Bronco list player and is currently playing with Kelowna P.O.E.
Hockey Alberta release their 32-man short-list for their 11-man portion of Team Pacific. Included on the list is Ice rookie hopeful Brendan Hurley.
Gregg Drinnan has the scoop on former Ice goaltender Jeff Glass signing with Barys Astana - Kazakhstan of the Russian KHL. Glass played with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL last season. Heard this one making the rounds last week but couldn't find any confirmation other than Jeff's Facebook! Also was told that Glass was close to signing with the Calgary Flames organization but a deal didn't get done.
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