Missing two grinders out of the line-up in Drew Czerwonka (it appears to be a left shoulder - but the standard playoff 'upper body' injury is the official line) and Jesse Ismond (concussion), the Kootenay Ice tied their quarter-final best-of-seven series with the Warriors at two tonight with a 5-0 win.
Joe Antilla notched two goals and added an assists and leading the club in scoring (tied with McNabb and Fraser with four points)
Cody Eakin finally got his first goal of these 2011 playoffs;
Nathan Lieuwen stopped all 25 shots he faced - that'll help the save percentage - oh and again, another reminder, DO NOT result to name-calling on the comments section. If you're choked with the goaltending or whatever, fine, but please refrain from name-calling. I like the comments section because it usually generates some good chatter but ixnay on the bad-mouthin.
You gotta love the prize-fight hay-makers being thrown by the two former teammates in Lieuwen and Heemskerk. Pitched three shut-outs in the series between the two. How bad do they want this.
Kootenay comes out with a stellar effort to regain home-ice advantage and climb back into this series. A much better outing than this one 24 hours earlier.
Matt Coxford has yesterday's gamer here.
On the Chilliwack front things heated up again today when Sam Consentino told The Pipeline Show that the Bruins' move to Victoria is a done deal.
CKNW in Vancouver has four sources indicating the deal is done and of course the accompanying Nanaimo rumours are starting to fly now too but they are at this point just rumours.
Among the various reports was Moray Keith, minority owner of the Bruins, soliciting two teams to relocate to Chilliwack if the Bruins move. Prince George being one and, of course, Kootenay being the other.
Ice fans are taking a beating on the various chat boards about the lack of attendance - under 2500 for the first two games of the series - and most are saying it should be the Ice or Cougars moving and not the Bruins. If you can make it Friday, do so.
Discuss....
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Warriors shutout Ice.... again
In a series in which scoring for the Ice was never thought to be a problem, it's suddenly a very real problem.
Losing 4-0 to the Warriors in Game 3 tonight in Moose Jaw the Ice were shutout for the second time in the series. A penalty kill that was so good through the first two games collapsed tonight, giving up two goals. A power play that was red-hot Saturday went a stone-cold 0-5 tonight, including a key 5-on-3 in the second when it was 3-0.
Some numbers through three games:
Cody Eakin has yet to score;
Kevin King's in the same boat;
Matt Fraser, +24 in the regular season is -4
Nathan Lieuwen's save percentage is .845
If those numbers ain't ringing some big alarm bells, they should be.
Kootenay needed to respond after a disapointing game one faced with the harsh reality of dropping the first two games of the series at home. They're now staring a 3-1 series deficit in the face if they don't square the series tommorrow night.
They'll do it without Drew Czerwonka by the looks of things as he didn't return after being crunched in the first period. Jesse Ismond's gone until game seven, if there's one.
Game Four goes tomorrow.
Losing 4-0 to the Warriors in Game 3 tonight in Moose Jaw the Ice were shutout for the second time in the series. A penalty kill that was so good through the first two games collapsed tonight, giving up two goals. A power play that was red-hot Saturday went a stone-cold 0-5 tonight, including a key 5-on-3 in the second when it was 3-0.
Some numbers through three games:
Cody Eakin has yet to score;
Kevin King's in the same boat;
Matt Fraser, +24 in the regular season is -4
Nathan Lieuwen's save percentage is .845
If those numbers ain't ringing some big alarm bells, they should be.
Kootenay needed to respond after a disapointing game one faced with the harsh reality of dropping the first two games of the series at home. They're now staring a 3-1 series deficit in the face if they don't square the series tommorrow night.
They'll do it without Drew Czerwonka by the looks of things as he didn't return after being crunched in the first period. Jesse Ismond's gone until game seven, if there's one.
Game Four goes tomorrow.
Monday, March 28, 2011
No discipline for the hit.
Was searching for video of the two big hits from Game two this morning but didn't have any luck. Looks like Jesse Ismond won't play Wednesday (as per Jeff Hollick's blog) after he was knocked out from a hit by Warrior D Dylan McIlrath that resulted in a major and game misconduct. It also looks like there won't be any discipline from the collision that resulted in Dallas Erhardt leaving the game. His status is unknown and I'm not sure the Warriors submitted it for supplementary discipline. Rossignol will likely get the call after being a healthy scratch the first two games.
Was looking for video of Chilliwack's TC Cratsenberg's charging major against Spokane Saturday but no-go. Wanted to compare the two.
So if anybody finds any please leave a link.
Saw Ice first round bantam pick Sam Reinhart around the rink before the weekend's games. Before you scream lace 'em up Reinhart's Midget club, the Vancouver Northwest Giants, are still playing and as such he isn't eligible. The Giants host the Red Deer Rebels, champions of the Alberta Midget League, this weekend in a best-of-three affair. The winner goes to the Telus Cup.
Highlites of Saturday's game are here Matt Coxford has a gamer here.
Rivalry doesn't motivate old teammates
by Jeff Bromley
Their careers are approaching full circle and the intertwinement of their positions are at a head. Despite the hype of goaltenders Nathan Lieuwen and Thomas Heemskerk facing off head-to-head in round one of the WHL Playoffs, their motivation certainly isn't each other.
Well, almost.
"You want to prove the team right and prove him wrong" said Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen, who was the goaltender remaining in Cranbrook once Heemskerk left the club in early December of 2008. "But once you get on the ice that's all gone. There's enough motivation out there to keep you going."
For the 20-year-old Heemskerk, his modus operandi doesn't start and stop with his former teammate, though he'll admit it crossed his mind before the series started.
"It's not that Nathan Lieuwen's at the other end is why I want to win this series. I just want to win," said Heemskerk after Game 2. "Maybe back then (when he left the Ice), that's how I felt. But that was so long ago now, that's not what's going through my head at this point."
Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-seven series didn't solve much. Heemskerk got the early edge as he shut out the Ice 4-0 in game one, stopping 30 shots. Lieuwen struck back Saturday night, stopping 18 shots to even the series.
Looking for the edge in the series Heemskerk's been the busier of the two former teammates keeping Game 2 from turning into a blowout and backstopping any comeback attempt in Game 1.
"This isn't going to be easy," said Heemskerk. "But we'll take 1-1 going back to Moose Jaw."
It is fitting that the two puckstoppers would have this opportunity to forever put to rest the question of which goaltender should've stayed in Cranbrook over two years ago. This town clearly wasn't big enough for both of them.
Since sharing the goaltending duties in Major Midget with the Fraser Valley Bruins in 2006-07, the two have competed for ice-time. They did it again two seasons later in Cranbrook.
More recently they've competed for points in the standings for their respective teams and now they're competing for the right to move to the second-round.
After winning the back-up job behind Kris Lazaruk in 2007 when Lieuwen suffered a concussion in a vehicle roll-over and was subsequently sent to Junior A in Westside, the next season the two battled for the starter's job right up until Heemskerk left the club on December 4, 2008 citing personal reasons.
Before the end of the month Heemskerk was dealt to the Everett Silvertips for a third round pick in the 2010 Bantam Draft (F Jaedon Descheneau of Edmonton). Earlier this season the Warriors acquired Heemskerk from the Silvertips in exchange for D Chad Suer, also 20.
Playoff success had eluded both goaltenders but if you're keeping score it's Heemskerk with the signed NHL contract with the San Jose Sharks in 2009 that's given him the edge in the career department.
Right now Lieuwen's just dealing with the fact that his former teammate got a shutout in Game 1 and that he's got to be better if the Ice are going to move on in this series.
"It gets frustrating sometimes," said Lieuwen of Game 1's result. "But when it comes down to it, we're just playing hockey and that's all my mind's on."
Clearly the former teammates are dying to beat each other and prove they're the better goaltender, but in this series it will be their actions and not words that will do it.
Round three of the battle goes Tuesday in Moose Jaw.
Was looking for video of Chilliwack's TC Cratsenberg's charging major against Spokane Saturday but no-go. Wanted to compare the two.
So if anybody finds any please leave a link.
Saw Ice first round bantam pick Sam Reinhart around the rink before the weekend's games. Before you scream lace 'em up Reinhart's Midget club, the Vancouver Northwest Giants, are still playing and as such he isn't eligible. The Giants host the Red Deer Rebels, champions of the Alberta Midget League, this weekend in a best-of-three affair. The winner goes to the Telus Cup.
Highlites of Saturday's game are here Matt Coxford has a gamer here.
Rivalry doesn't motivate old teammates
by Jeff Bromley
Their careers are approaching full circle and the intertwinement of their positions are at a head. Despite the hype of goaltenders Nathan Lieuwen and Thomas Heemskerk facing off head-to-head in round one of the WHL Playoffs, their motivation certainly isn't each other.
Well, almost.
"You want to prove the team right and prove him wrong" said Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen, who was the goaltender remaining in Cranbrook once Heemskerk left the club in early December of 2008. "But once you get on the ice that's all gone. There's enough motivation out there to keep you going."
For the 20-year-old Heemskerk, his modus operandi doesn't start and stop with his former teammate, though he'll admit it crossed his mind before the series started.
"It's not that Nathan Lieuwen's at the other end is why I want to win this series. I just want to win," said Heemskerk after Game 2. "Maybe back then (when he left the Ice), that's how I felt. But that was so long ago now, that's not what's going through my head at this point."
Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-seven series didn't solve much. Heemskerk got the early edge as he shut out the Ice 4-0 in game one, stopping 30 shots. Lieuwen struck back Saturday night, stopping 18 shots to even the series.
Looking for the edge in the series Heemskerk's been the busier of the two former teammates keeping Game 2 from turning into a blowout and backstopping any comeback attempt in Game 1.
"This isn't going to be easy," said Heemskerk. "But we'll take 1-1 going back to Moose Jaw."
It is fitting that the two puckstoppers would have this opportunity to forever put to rest the question of which goaltender should've stayed in Cranbrook over two years ago. This town clearly wasn't big enough for both of them.
Since sharing the goaltending duties in Major Midget with the Fraser Valley Bruins in 2006-07, the two have competed for ice-time. They did it again two seasons later in Cranbrook.
More recently they've competed for points in the standings for their respective teams and now they're competing for the right to move to the second-round.
After winning the back-up job behind Kris Lazaruk in 2007 when Lieuwen suffered a concussion in a vehicle roll-over and was subsequently sent to Junior A in Westside, the next season the two battled for the starter's job right up until Heemskerk left the club on December 4, 2008 citing personal reasons.
Before the end of the month Heemskerk was dealt to the Everett Silvertips for a third round pick in the 2010 Bantam Draft (F Jaedon Descheneau of Edmonton). Earlier this season the Warriors acquired Heemskerk from the Silvertips in exchange for D Chad Suer, also 20.
Playoff success had eluded both goaltenders but if you're keeping score it's Heemskerk with the signed NHL contract with the San Jose Sharks in 2009 that's given him the edge in the career department.
Right now Lieuwen's just dealing with the fact that his former teammate got a shutout in Game 1 and that he's got to be better if the Ice are going to move on in this series.
"It gets frustrating sometimes," said Lieuwen of Game 1's result. "But when it comes down to it, we're just playing hockey and that's all my mind's on."
Clearly the former teammates are dying to beat each other and prove they're the better goaltender, but in this series it will be their actions and not words that will do it.
Round three of the battle goes Tuesday in Moose Jaw.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Score - Ice/Warriors - Game two
A big-time effort from the club's big guns ties the series as it now shifts back to Moose Jaw Tuesday.
The Score – Moose Jaw 2 – Kootenay 5
What Happened – Kootenay got made sure Warrior goaltender Thomas Heemskerk had a tougher time seeing pucks and it paid off. Ice forwards were in his face all night.
The Turning Point – The easy pick would be Reinhart’s shortie in the first minute of the second period but an argument can be made for the five minute major dealt to McIlrath six minutes into the third. Kootenay couldn’t convert to put the Warriors away and two goals later had many in the Rec Plex crowd holding their breath. A couple of solid saves late by Nathan Lieuwen squashed the comeback attempt.
The Goals – On the power play Kootenay finally got it going when Brayden McNabb corralled a loose puck in the slot, drew most of the defenders to him before dumping a pass to Fraser who had a day and a half to bury his first of the playoffs and a 1-0 Ice lead… The power play was clicking for the Ice when this time Cody Eakin took a pass in the slot and instead of shooting dropped a pass to McNabb who wired a slapshot past Heemskerk to make it 2-0. Czerwonka didn’t get an apple on the play but his perfectly timed screen made sure Heemskerk didn’t see it, never mind stop it… On the PK to start the second – though you’d never know it – as Drew Czerwonka and Max Reinhart pressured the Warriors down low in their own zone. Czerwonka got the puck out to Reinhart at the bottom of the left circle. He buried it for his first of the playoffs and a 3-0 lead… Kootenay started the third the same as they did the second but with a different result. After failing to clear the zone Colin Bowman sent a shot to the net that Lieuwen stabbed out of the air only to have it land at the side of the net. Quinton Howden stuffed it in to break Lieuwen’s shutout bid…. Kootenay’s sleepiness continued on a four-on-four halfway through the third, a shot cleared by Lieuwen came wide to Colin Bowman, who found Spencer Edwards wide open to bury his first of the playoffs and shrink the Ice lead to one… Ice fans began to breathe again when Joe Antilla put his first into an empty-net to seal the win and tie the series…. The Warriors pulled Heemskerk again and this time Brock Montgomery shot the puck from 195 feet and finished the game 5-2.
The Lines – Mixed up, somewhat. Max Reinhart come off the second line and centered Drew Czerwonka and Pearce on the wings. Ismond joined the big line with Eakin and now Fraser while King, Boomer and Antilla remained. Knoblauch sprinkled Eakin and Reinhart in on the fourth unit as the chess match continued and it seemed to work for most of the evening, giving Kootenay the edge as the Warriors tried to match with 15-year-old's White and Potomak seeing spot duty again. Brett Lyon (suspension) will return for Game three giving the Warriors some depth but Cody Beach (knee) is still out.
The Bad Blood – Frustration was on the Warriors side of the ice on this night. Dylan Hood, non-existent most of the evening, took an accidental highstick from Matt Fraser and then turned to referee Dan Cowley and give him an earful. As the play came back up the ice a stickless Hood punched Fraser in the head, drawing a roughing minor.
The Hit – After taking a pass up the boards in the neutral zone Jesse Ismond had the puck for a second and then absorbed a high hit from Warrior D-man Dylan McIlrath, who left his feet on the hit. Ismond looked to be out cold before he hit the ice and didn’t return. McIlrath received a major and was ejected, as was his assistant coach Trevor Weisgerber who was tossed for arguing the call. As a major it will be reviewed by the league and if I was a betting man I’d doubt McIlrath would get any more time. He left his feet but the major should be all the discipline he receives. Ismond didn't return and Knoblauch said that he would have to undergo concussion testing to determine his status for Tuesday night.
The Hit Part II - Later in the third Warrior d-man Dallas Erhardt was hit in the neutral zone and struggled to get to his feet. Looking woozy Erhardt didn't get the number of the truck that hit him - as I didn't see it either - and didn't return.
The Crowd – 2467
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. Brady McNabb – +3 and the best player on the ice
2. Cody Eakin – Two assists
3. Colin Bowman – solid defender set up the comeback
What it means – Kootenay avoids going down 2-0 headed back to the Jaw but now has to win one in the Crushed Can, no small feat.
Up Next: Game Three goes Tuesday night in Moose Jaw. 7PM (102.9 – The Drive)
Summary:
Eastern Conference Quarter-Final best-of-seven series tied 1-1
Warriors 2 @ Ice 5
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for playoff game between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Kootenay Ice; March 26, 2011
Kootenay Ice forward Max Reinhart scored a short-handed goal to start the second period and it stood up as the game-winner as the Ice beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-2 in WHL Playoff action Saturday night, tying the Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series at one.
Matt Fraser opened the scoring 6:07 into the game with a power play goal and Brayden McNabb got another at 15:02 to give the Ice a 2-0 first period lead. Reinhart's short-handed marker in the second gave the Ice a 3-0 lead into the third but the Warriors would fight their way back into the game on third-period goals by Spencer Edwards and Quinton Howden, with his third of the series before the Ice scored two empty-net goals by Joe Antilla and a 195-foot shot by Brock Montgomery to tie the series.
Nathan Lieuwen stopped 18 of 20 shots to get the win while Thomas Heemskerk stopped 37 of 40 shots in taking the loss.
First Period
1. Kootenay, Fraser 1 (McNabb, Eakin) 6:07 (pp)
2. Kootenay, McNabb 1 (Eakin, Fraser) 15:02 (pp)
Penalties -- Fraser Ktn (interference) 2:54, McFaull MJ (holding) 5:29, Ismond Ktn (slashing) 9:17, McIlrath (interference) 9:51, McIlrath Ktn (roughing) 13:19, Johnson MJ (tripping) 17:11, Montgomery Ktn (goaltender interference) 19:10.
Second Period
3. Kootenay, Reinhart 1 (Czerwonka) 0:56 (sh)
Penalties -- McIlrath MJ (interference) 4:03, Boomer Ktn (goaltender interference) 5:04, Hood MJ (roughing) 12:47, Ismond Ktn Honejsek MJ (unsportsmanlike conduct) 17:09, Martin Ktn (interference) 18:59,
Third Period
4. Moose Jaw, Howden 3 (Honejscek,Bowman) 2:16
5. Moose Jaw, Edwards 1 (Bowman, Reilly) 10:24
6. Kootenay, Antilla 1 (King) 19:04 (en)
7. Kootenay, Montgomery 1 (McNabb, Boomer) 19:59 (en)
Penalties -- McIlrath MJ (charging major - served by White, game misconduct) 5:52, Boomer Ktn (goaltender interference) Heemskerk MJ (unsportsmanlike - diving - served by Svendsen) 6:30, McNabb Ktn (high-sticking) 9:40, Fraser Ktn (high-sticking) 19:30.
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 12 14 14 - 42
Moose Jaw: 3 7 10 - 20
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (W, 1-1); Moose Jaw: Thomas Heemskerk (L, 1-1).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 2-7
Moose Jaw: 0-7
Referee -- Dan Cowley, Ryan Thompson. Linesman -- Jeff Jobson, Sean Donnelly.
Attendance -- 2467 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Mackenzie Skapski (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder - 2-4 weeks), Adam Rossignol (healthy), Mike Simpson (healthy).
Moose Jaw: Matt Franczyk, Cody Beach, Brett Lyon (suspension), Brayden Cuthbert, Jordan Wyton.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman
The Score – Moose Jaw 2 – Kootenay 5
What Happened – Kootenay got made sure Warrior goaltender Thomas Heemskerk had a tougher time seeing pucks and it paid off. Ice forwards were in his face all night.
The Turning Point – The easy pick would be Reinhart’s shortie in the first minute of the second period but an argument can be made for the five minute major dealt to McIlrath six minutes into the third. Kootenay couldn’t convert to put the Warriors away and two goals later had many in the Rec Plex crowd holding their breath. A couple of solid saves late by Nathan Lieuwen squashed the comeback attempt.
The Goals – On the power play Kootenay finally got it going when Brayden McNabb corralled a loose puck in the slot, drew most of the defenders to him before dumping a pass to Fraser who had a day and a half to bury his first of the playoffs and a 1-0 Ice lead… The power play was clicking for the Ice when this time Cody Eakin took a pass in the slot and instead of shooting dropped a pass to McNabb who wired a slapshot past Heemskerk to make it 2-0. Czerwonka didn’t get an apple on the play but his perfectly timed screen made sure Heemskerk didn’t see it, never mind stop it… On the PK to start the second – though you’d never know it – as Drew Czerwonka and Max Reinhart pressured the Warriors down low in their own zone. Czerwonka got the puck out to Reinhart at the bottom of the left circle. He buried it for his first of the playoffs and a 3-0 lead… Kootenay started the third the same as they did the second but with a different result. After failing to clear the zone Colin Bowman sent a shot to the net that Lieuwen stabbed out of the air only to have it land at the side of the net. Quinton Howden stuffed it in to break Lieuwen’s shutout bid…. Kootenay’s sleepiness continued on a four-on-four halfway through the third, a shot cleared by Lieuwen came wide to Colin Bowman, who found Spencer Edwards wide open to bury his first of the playoffs and shrink the Ice lead to one… Ice fans began to breathe again when Joe Antilla put his first into an empty-net to seal the win and tie the series…. The Warriors pulled Heemskerk again and this time Brock Montgomery shot the puck from 195 feet and finished the game 5-2.
The Lines – Mixed up, somewhat. Max Reinhart come off the second line and centered Drew Czerwonka and Pearce on the wings. Ismond joined the big line with Eakin and now Fraser while King, Boomer and Antilla remained. Knoblauch sprinkled Eakin and Reinhart in on the fourth unit as the chess match continued and it seemed to work for most of the evening, giving Kootenay the edge as the Warriors tried to match with 15-year-old's White and Potomak seeing spot duty again. Brett Lyon (suspension) will return for Game three giving the Warriors some depth but Cody Beach (knee) is still out.
The Bad Blood – Frustration was on the Warriors side of the ice on this night. Dylan Hood, non-existent most of the evening, took an accidental highstick from Matt Fraser and then turned to referee Dan Cowley and give him an earful. As the play came back up the ice a stickless Hood punched Fraser in the head, drawing a roughing minor.
The Hit – After taking a pass up the boards in the neutral zone Jesse Ismond had the puck for a second and then absorbed a high hit from Warrior D-man Dylan McIlrath, who left his feet on the hit. Ismond looked to be out cold before he hit the ice and didn’t return. McIlrath received a major and was ejected, as was his assistant coach Trevor Weisgerber who was tossed for arguing the call. As a major it will be reviewed by the league and if I was a betting man I’d doubt McIlrath would get any more time. He left his feet but the major should be all the discipline he receives. Ismond didn't return and Knoblauch said that he would have to undergo concussion testing to determine his status for Tuesday night.
The Hit Part II - Later in the third Warrior d-man Dallas Erhardt was hit in the neutral zone and struggled to get to his feet. Looking woozy Erhardt didn't get the number of the truck that hit him - as I didn't see it either - and didn't return.
The Crowd – 2467
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. Brady McNabb – +3 and the best player on the ice
2. Cody Eakin – Two assists
3. Colin Bowman – solid defender set up the comeback
What it means – Kootenay avoids going down 2-0 headed back to the Jaw but now has to win one in the Crushed Can, no small feat.
Up Next: Game Three goes Tuesday night in Moose Jaw. 7PM (102.9 – The Drive)
Summary:
Eastern Conference Quarter-Final best-of-seven series tied 1-1
Warriors 2 @ Ice 5
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for playoff game between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Kootenay Ice; March 26, 2011
Kootenay Ice forward Max Reinhart scored a short-handed goal to start the second period and it stood up as the game-winner as the Ice beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-2 in WHL Playoff action Saturday night, tying the Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series at one.
Matt Fraser opened the scoring 6:07 into the game with a power play goal and Brayden McNabb got another at 15:02 to give the Ice a 2-0 first period lead. Reinhart's short-handed marker in the second gave the Ice a 3-0 lead into the third but the Warriors would fight their way back into the game on third-period goals by Spencer Edwards and Quinton Howden, with his third of the series before the Ice scored two empty-net goals by Joe Antilla and a 195-foot shot by Brock Montgomery to tie the series.
Nathan Lieuwen stopped 18 of 20 shots to get the win while Thomas Heemskerk stopped 37 of 40 shots in taking the loss.
First Period
1. Kootenay, Fraser 1 (McNabb, Eakin) 6:07 (pp)
2. Kootenay, McNabb 1 (Eakin, Fraser) 15:02 (pp)
Penalties -- Fraser Ktn (interference) 2:54, McFaull MJ (holding) 5:29, Ismond Ktn (slashing) 9:17, McIlrath (interference) 9:51, McIlrath Ktn (roughing) 13:19, Johnson MJ (tripping) 17:11, Montgomery Ktn (goaltender interference) 19:10.
Second Period
3. Kootenay, Reinhart 1 (Czerwonka) 0:56 (sh)
Penalties -- McIlrath MJ (interference) 4:03, Boomer Ktn (goaltender interference) 5:04, Hood MJ (roughing) 12:47, Ismond Ktn Honejsek MJ (unsportsmanlike conduct) 17:09, Martin Ktn (interference) 18:59,
Third Period
4. Moose Jaw, Howden 3 (Honejscek,Bowman) 2:16
5. Moose Jaw, Edwards 1 (Bowman, Reilly) 10:24
6. Kootenay, Antilla 1 (King) 19:04 (en)
7. Kootenay, Montgomery 1 (McNabb, Boomer) 19:59 (en)
Penalties -- McIlrath MJ (charging major - served by White, game misconduct) 5:52, Boomer Ktn (goaltender interference) Heemskerk MJ (unsportsmanlike - diving - served by Svendsen) 6:30, McNabb Ktn (high-sticking) 9:40, Fraser Ktn (high-sticking) 19:30.
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 12 14 14 - 42
Moose Jaw: 3 7 10 - 20
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (W, 1-1); Moose Jaw: Thomas Heemskerk (L, 1-1).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 2-7
Moose Jaw: 0-7
Referee -- Dan Cowley, Ryan Thompson. Linesman -- Jeff Jobson, Sean Donnelly.
Attendance -- 2467 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Mackenzie Skapski (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder - 2-4 weeks), Adam Rossignol (healthy), Mike Simpson (healthy).
Moose Jaw: Matt Franczyk, Cody Beach, Brett Lyon (suspension), Brayden Cuthbert, Jordan Wyton.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Score - Warriors/Ice
UPDATE - Matt Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a gamer here. In it head coach Kris Knoblauch indicates that his club was a bundle of nerves to start and through the first then it got worse. Big game tonight as Kootenay doesn't want to go down 2-0 headed to MJ. However,as one poster pointed out, after a dominating start to the playoffs last season and a 2-0 lead headed to Medicine Hat, most everyone knows what happened next.....
The Score – Moose Jaw 4 – Kootenay 0
What Happened – The Warriors started the 2011 WHL Playoffs, simply put, the Ice didn’t.
The Turning Point – A puck careening of the end glass to a open Andrew Johnson to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead shouldn’t be but it was enough on this night, and a clear sign of things to come.
The Start – Perhaps only a major injury and the roof actually caving in at the Rec Plex could the beginning of the playoffs be worse for the Ice. Some numbers? Outshot 9-2 at one point; Lieuwen – three goals on five shots; Reinhart dash-3 for the first period.
The Goals – After a particularly tentative start by the home side they got burned on a bad divider when Jagger Dirks clearing pass jetted out right to Andrew Johnson in the slot from behind the net. He buried the playoffs’ first goal to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead three minutes in… The start Nathan Lieuwen didn’t need continued when a drop pass by Morgan Reilly on a rush to Quinton Howden was buried past him for a 2-0 lead. The shot was good but from 50 feet, it’s one he wanted back… A power play to try and build something collapsed when Brayden McNabb got cute at the blueline and turned the puck over to Mr. Howden. He had his second of the playoffs on a breakway and a 3-0 Warrior lead before the game was nine minutes old… The comedy of errors continued in the second with Jesse Paradis on a one-on-one rush with speed, D John Neibrandt falls at the Kootenay blueline, sending Paradis in on Lieuwen. He roofed it to make it 4-0 four minutes in and mercifully chased Lieuwen from the nets… Lieuwen would return though… Did the tide finally change in the second? On a point shot by, of all people, a covering Brock Montgomery, Brendan Hurley looked to get a stick on it to change directions of the puck and past Heemskerk. Smith conferred with his zebra brethren – the call on the ice was good goal – got on the phone and then ruled no-goal. There’s no way it could’ve been any other way on this night. I asked for a reason between periods and was told that the call on the ice was changed during the confab of officials after Smith ruled it a goal. Once they changed their mind they went upstairs looking for evidence to turn the call over. There was none.
The Discipline – There’s wasn’t any on this night. Whether it was Rintoul taking silly tripping penalties behind the play or Fraser doing the same thing in the third, stupid penalties killed any chance for the comeback.
Three Lines - Oh, and I forgot to mention that for the most part the Warriors did the damage with only three lines. With just ten regulars up front, rookies Torrin While and Brandon Potomak got very few shifts in a fourth line role.
The Crowd – 2486; some might want their money back after that effort
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. Dylan McIlrath – Led an impenetrable defense
2. Thomas Heemskerk – Was solid when called upon, which wasn’t often
3. Quiton Howden – Sniper cashed in on his chances.
What it means – Kootenay is faced with a must-win situation Saturday night and heads back to the Crushed Can Monday having to win at least one game now.
Summary:
Moose Jaw @ Kootenay - (WHL) Moose Jaw leads Eastern Conference Quarter-Final best-of-seven 1-0
Warriors 4 @ Ice 0
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for playoff game between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Kootenay Ice; March 25, 2011
The Moose Jaw Warriors scored three first-period goals and never looked backed as the visitors dumped the Kootenay Ice 4-0 to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarter-final Friday night.
Andrew Johnson opened the scoring 3:17 into the game when a puck careened off the end boards right to him in the slot. He put his first of the playoffs past Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen to make it 1-0. Quinton Howden ripped his first of the post-season four minutes later to make it 2-0 and then Howden did it again, this time on a short-handed breakaway, to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
Jesse Paradis gave the Warriors a 4-0 lead in the second to round out the scoring for the Warriors.
Former Ice goaltender Thomas Heemskerk stopped all 30 shots he faced to get the win while Nathan Lieuwen turned aside 18 of 22 shots to take the loss.
The series resumes for game two Saturday night in Cranbrook.
First Period
1. Moose Jaw, Johnson 1 3:17
2. Moose Jaw, Howden 1 (Reilly) 7:10
3. Moose Jaw, Howden 2 8:01 (sh)
Penalties -- Antilla Ktn McFaull MJ Ehrhardt MJ (roughing) 7:53, Rintoul Ktn (cross-checking) 10:42, Rintoul Ktn (tripping) 16:56, Honejsek MJ (tripping) 17:11, McNabb Ktn (high-sticking) 20:00.
Second Period
4. Moose Jaw, Paradis 1 (Kornelsen, Bowman) 4:00
Penalties -- Rintoul Ktn (tripping) 6:41, Fioriett MJ (high-sticking) 11:37, Rintoul Ktn Ismond Ktn Fioretti MJ (roughing) 16:34.
Third Period
No Scoring.
Penalties -- Fraser Ktn (slashing) 0:52, Kornelsen MJ (tripping) 7:41, Paradis MJ (roughing) King Ktn (roughing; unsportsmanlike conduct - served by Hurley) Leach Ktn Honejscek MJ (slashing) 12:40. Reinhart Ktn (tripping) 17:18, Ismond Ktn Johnson MJ (unportsmanlike conduct) 18:36, Pearce Ktn (roughing) 19:35.
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 7 13 10 - 30
Moose Jaw: 9 4 11 - 24
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen; Teskey 4:00 of second - 2 of 2 shots; Lieuwen back in 10:50 of second (L, 0-1); Moose Jaw: Thomas Heemskerk (W, 1-0).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 0-3
Moose Jaw: 0-9
Referee -- Pat Smith, Steve Papp. Linesman -- Jim Maniago, Micheal Roberts.
Attendance -- 2486 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Mackenzie Skapski (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder - 2-4 weeks), Adam Rossignol (healthy), Mike Simpson (healthy).
Moose Jaw: Matt Franczyk, Cody Beach, Brett Lyon (suspension), Brayden Cuthbert, Jordan Wyton.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman
The Score – Moose Jaw 4 – Kootenay 0
What Happened – The Warriors started the 2011 WHL Playoffs, simply put, the Ice didn’t.
The Turning Point – A puck careening of the end glass to a open Andrew Johnson to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead shouldn’t be but it was enough on this night, and a clear sign of things to come.
The Start – Perhaps only a major injury and the roof actually caving in at the Rec Plex could the beginning of the playoffs be worse for the Ice. Some numbers? Outshot 9-2 at one point; Lieuwen – three goals on five shots; Reinhart dash-3 for the first period.
The Goals – After a particularly tentative start by the home side they got burned on a bad divider when Jagger Dirks clearing pass jetted out right to Andrew Johnson in the slot from behind the net. He buried the playoffs’ first goal to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead three minutes in… The start Nathan Lieuwen didn’t need continued when a drop pass by Morgan Reilly on a rush to Quinton Howden was buried past him for a 2-0 lead. The shot was good but from 50 feet, it’s one he wanted back… A power play to try and build something collapsed when Brayden McNabb got cute at the blueline and turned the puck over to Mr. Howden. He had his second of the playoffs on a breakway and a 3-0 Warrior lead before the game was nine minutes old… The comedy of errors continued in the second with Jesse Paradis on a one-on-one rush with speed, D John Neibrandt falls at the Kootenay blueline, sending Paradis in on Lieuwen. He roofed it to make it 4-0 four minutes in and mercifully chased Lieuwen from the nets… Lieuwen would return though… Did the tide finally change in the second? On a point shot by, of all people, a covering Brock Montgomery, Brendan Hurley looked to get a stick on it to change directions of the puck and past Heemskerk. Smith conferred with his zebra brethren – the call on the ice was good goal – got on the phone and then ruled no-goal. There’s no way it could’ve been any other way on this night. I asked for a reason between periods and was told that the call on the ice was changed during the confab of officials after Smith ruled it a goal. Once they changed their mind they went upstairs looking for evidence to turn the call over. There was none.
The Discipline – There’s wasn’t any on this night. Whether it was Rintoul taking silly tripping penalties behind the play or Fraser doing the same thing in the third, stupid penalties killed any chance for the comeback.
Three Lines - Oh, and I forgot to mention that for the most part the Warriors did the damage with only three lines. With just ten regulars up front, rookies Torrin While and Brandon Potomak got very few shifts in a fourth line role.
The Crowd – 2486; some might want their money back after that effort
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. Dylan McIlrath – Led an impenetrable defense
2. Thomas Heemskerk – Was solid when called upon, which wasn’t often
3. Quiton Howden – Sniper cashed in on his chances.
What it means – Kootenay is faced with a must-win situation Saturday night and heads back to the Crushed Can Monday having to win at least one game now.
Summary:
Moose Jaw @ Kootenay - (WHL) Moose Jaw leads Eastern Conference Quarter-Final best-of-seven 1-0
Warriors 4 @ Ice 0
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for playoff game between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Kootenay Ice; March 25, 2011
The Moose Jaw Warriors scored three first-period goals and never looked backed as the visitors dumped the Kootenay Ice 4-0 to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarter-final Friday night.
Andrew Johnson opened the scoring 3:17 into the game when a puck careened off the end boards right to him in the slot. He put his first of the playoffs past Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen to make it 1-0. Quinton Howden ripped his first of the post-season four minutes later to make it 2-0 and then Howden did it again, this time on a short-handed breakaway, to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
Jesse Paradis gave the Warriors a 4-0 lead in the second to round out the scoring for the Warriors.
Former Ice goaltender Thomas Heemskerk stopped all 30 shots he faced to get the win while Nathan Lieuwen turned aside 18 of 22 shots to take the loss.
The series resumes for game two Saturday night in Cranbrook.
First Period
1. Moose Jaw, Johnson 1 3:17
2. Moose Jaw, Howden 1 (Reilly) 7:10
3. Moose Jaw, Howden 2 8:01 (sh)
Penalties -- Antilla Ktn McFaull MJ Ehrhardt MJ (roughing) 7:53, Rintoul Ktn (cross-checking) 10:42, Rintoul Ktn (tripping) 16:56, Honejsek MJ (tripping) 17:11, McNabb Ktn (high-sticking) 20:00.
Second Period
4. Moose Jaw, Paradis 1 (Kornelsen, Bowman) 4:00
Penalties -- Rintoul Ktn (tripping) 6:41, Fioriett MJ (high-sticking) 11:37, Rintoul Ktn Ismond Ktn Fioretti MJ (roughing) 16:34.
Third Period
No Scoring.
Penalties -- Fraser Ktn (slashing) 0:52, Kornelsen MJ (tripping) 7:41, Paradis MJ (roughing) King Ktn (roughing; unsportsmanlike conduct - served by Hurley) Leach Ktn Honejscek MJ (slashing) 12:40. Reinhart Ktn (tripping) 17:18, Ismond Ktn Johnson MJ (unportsmanlike conduct) 18:36, Pearce Ktn (roughing) 19:35.
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 7 13 10 - 30
Moose Jaw: 9 4 11 - 24
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen; Teskey 4:00 of second - 2 of 2 shots; Lieuwen back in 10:50 of second (L, 0-1); Moose Jaw: Thomas Heemskerk (W, 1-0).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 0-3
Moose Jaw: 0-9
Referee -- Pat Smith, Steve Papp. Linesman -- Jim Maniago, Micheal Roberts.
Attendance -- 2486 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Mackenzie Skapski (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder - 2-4 weeks), Adam Rossignol (healthy), Mike Simpson (healthy).
Moose Jaw: Matt Franczyk, Cody Beach, Brett Lyon (suspension), Brayden Cuthbert, Jordan Wyton.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman
Ice - Warriors; Preview and Picks
Kootenay Ice - 46-21-1-4; 4th in Eastern Conference
Moose Jaw - 40-26-2-4; 5th
Season Series - Head to head; Split 2-2, both teams won the home dates.
Top Scorers - KTN - Cody Eakin 36 goals; 47 assists - 83 pts
Max Reinhart 34 goals; 45 assists - 79 pts
MJ - Dylan Hood 33 goals; 50 assists - 83 pts
Quinton Howden 40 goals; 39 assists - 79 pts
Top Defenders KTN - Brayden McNabb - 21 goals; 72 pts; +25
Joe Leach - 5 goals; 30 pts; +16
James Martin - 11 goals; 29 pts; +18
MJ - Colin Bowman - 11 goals; 49 pts; +2
Morgan Reilly - 6 goals; 28 pts; -15
Dylan McIlrath - 5 goals; 23 pts; Even
Top Goalies Ktn - Nathan Lieuwen - 33-16-1-3; GAA - 2.79; Sv% - .903
MJ - Thomas Heemskerk - 36-21-2-4; GAA - 2.94; Sv% - .908
Offense - With the addition of Cody Eakin at the deadline Kootenay's a much deeper club - obviously - and both losses in MJ were without the red-headed wonder. Moose Jaw brings to the table Eakin' WJC teammate in Quinton Howden; along with Dylan Hood, the club's leading point-getter. Import Antoine Honesjek is healthy and gives the Warriors depth. Depth will be key in this pick em series as the likes of Jesse Ismond, Elgin Pearce and Drew Czerwonka are going to have to be key contributors for any Ice chance to move on. Warriors are deeper on the tough guy/big forward department but Brett Lyon (suspended for the first two games of the series) and Cody Beach (injury - doubtful) but what they bring to the table might hinder the Warriors instead of helping them. Edge - Slight, to Kootenay.
Defense - Experience in the playoffs counts for something but in Junior Hockey it's not nearly as key as one might assume. D Colin Bowman leads the way for the Warriors with 41 games along with Beach (19 games), both of which got theirs from Kelowna (09 Champs) and Calgary (10 champs). Budding star Morgan Reilly, 16, is a former 2nd overall pick and will be a good one. Joining them is Dylan McIlrath, a New York Ranger 1st rounder, who at 6'5", is as good a shutdown d-man in the WHL as there is. For the Ice McNabb leads the way in scoring and is joined by a solid shut-down pair in Martin and Leach. Kootenay misses Luke Paulsen's speed as he's out for the first round at least. On the toughness side, the Warriors have it but Kootenay's deeper. This one's a wash - Edge - Pick 'em.
Goal - This is the most anticipated match-up of the playoffs bar none. Current starter Nathan Lieuwen - still looking to prove himself the first round pick made in 2006 - and former teammate Thomas Heemskerk, who left the Ice in late 2008 in search of a number one job that he wasn't getting here. Both have something to prove and the head-to-head battle should be the headliner in and of itself. Edge - Pick 'em
Coaching - Warrior bench boss Dave Hunchak is in his 4th year at the Warriors helm and has lost in the first round two of three chances and missed the playoffs two seasons ago. His club pushed the Hitmen to the brink in the first round last season but then dropped but then stumbled as the Hitmen found their game and launched the comeback, winning in seven. For the Ice Kris Knoblauch is running his first playoff bench. After a successful rookie season it'll be an interesting watch as the two face-off. Edge - Moose Jaw
Intangibles - In this series it'll be the crowds. Kootenay's got home ice advantage but is it with the building less than half full? In the Jaw the Crushed Can will be hopping as they'll probably stuff 3000 (capacity - 3146) in the buildings final playoff farewell. Edge - Moose Jaw
The real difference in this series will be the goaltending and in particular, whether or not Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen steps up and takes this series. Not to lay it all on one player but Kootenay's a team built for now and it starts and stops with the 19-year-old. Very few of the prognosticators are taking them but there's a real shot at something here. Ice in six
And for the rest....
Blades - Raiders - Saskatoon way too strong for the Raiders. Won't even be close. Saskatoon in four.
Rebels - Oil Kings - I like how the Oil have scrapped their way to a post-season berth but I think the lack of Griffin Reinhart on the blueline will hinder their chances of knocking off the Rebs. Oh, and didn't I mention they have the best goaltender in junior hockey? Rebels in five.
Tigers - Wheat Kings - I know the Wheat Kings have been red hot and can out-gun anyone in the East but the head tells me that you need defense and goaltending - especially the latter - in the post-season. The Tigers will miss Pitlick but if they take the Wheaties lightly they'll pay. Always go with the head, right? Ah screw-it, here's my upset special. Brandon in seven.
Western Conference
Winterhawks - Silvertips - Both starters - Mac Carruth for the Hawks and Kent Simpson for the Tips might not start the playoffs. Either way, the Tips will be in tough against the Hawks. Portland in five
Rockets - Cougars - This will be closer than the regular season standings will indicate and would be another upset special if the Rockets didn't have such a strong edge in the nets. Brown will hold the line against Rimmer for the Cougars but it'll be close. Rockets in seven.
Chiefs - Bruins - The Bruins are another strong finisher down the stretch but I don't think that G Lucas Gore and his heroics are going to be able to shutdown the Chiefs. Is it me or is everyone just waiting for the Chief and Hawks to duke it out in the Conference final? Too early? Chiefs in five.
Ams - Giants - The G-men are too well coached to be swept but they'll be in tough this year to advance against the Americans. Injuries are playing a part for both squads as Giant forward James Henry is day-to-day and might not play while Ams top gun Adam Hughesmen won't start the series. Giants are also missing overager Joel Rogers after a vicious hit by Rocket forward Evan Bloodoff. Rogers is out indefinitely while Bloodoff got four games. This one could go long but it'll be the Ams in six.
Moose Jaw - 40-26-2-4; 5th
Season Series - Head to head; Split 2-2, both teams won the home dates.
Top Scorers - KTN - Cody Eakin 36 goals; 47 assists - 83 pts
Max Reinhart 34 goals; 45 assists - 79 pts
MJ - Dylan Hood 33 goals; 50 assists - 83 pts
Quinton Howden 40 goals; 39 assists - 79 pts
Top Defenders KTN - Brayden McNabb - 21 goals; 72 pts; +25
Joe Leach - 5 goals; 30 pts; +16
James Martin - 11 goals; 29 pts; +18
MJ - Colin Bowman - 11 goals; 49 pts; +2
Morgan Reilly - 6 goals; 28 pts; -15
Dylan McIlrath - 5 goals; 23 pts; Even
Top Goalies Ktn - Nathan Lieuwen - 33-16-1-3; GAA - 2.79; Sv% - .903
MJ - Thomas Heemskerk - 36-21-2-4; GAA - 2.94; Sv% - .908
Offense - With the addition of Cody Eakin at the deadline Kootenay's a much deeper club - obviously - and both losses in MJ were without the red-headed wonder. Moose Jaw brings to the table Eakin' WJC teammate in Quinton Howden; along with Dylan Hood, the club's leading point-getter. Import Antoine Honesjek is healthy and gives the Warriors depth. Depth will be key in this pick em series as the likes of Jesse Ismond, Elgin Pearce and Drew Czerwonka are going to have to be key contributors for any Ice chance to move on. Warriors are deeper on the tough guy/big forward department but Brett Lyon (suspended for the first two games of the series) and Cody Beach (injury - doubtful) but what they bring to the table might hinder the Warriors instead of helping them. Edge - Slight, to Kootenay.
Defense - Experience in the playoffs counts for something but in Junior Hockey it's not nearly as key as one might assume. D Colin Bowman leads the way for the Warriors with 41 games along with Beach (19 games), both of which got theirs from Kelowna (09 Champs) and Calgary (10 champs). Budding star Morgan Reilly, 16, is a former 2nd overall pick and will be a good one. Joining them is Dylan McIlrath, a New York Ranger 1st rounder, who at 6'5", is as good a shutdown d-man in the WHL as there is. For the Ice McNabb leads the way in scoring and is joined by a solid shut-down pair in Martin and Leach. Kootenay misses Luke Paulsen's speed as he's out for the first round at least. On the toughness side, the Warriors have it but Kootenay's deeper. This one's a wash - Edge - Pick 'em.
Goal - This is the most anticipated match-up of the playoffs bar none. Current starter Nathan Lieuwen - still looking to prove himself the first round pick made in 2006 - and former teammate Thomas Heemskerk, who left the Ice in late 2008 in search of a number one job that he wasn't getting here. Both have something to prove and the head-to-head battle should be the headliner in and of itself. Edge - Pick 'em
Coaching - Warrior bench boss Dave Hunchak is in his 4th year at the Warriors helm and has lost in the first round two of three chances and missed the playoffs two seasons ago. His club pushed the Hitmen to the brink in the first round last season but then dropped but then stumbled as the Hitmen found their game and launched the comeback, winning in seven. For the Ice Kris Knoblauch is running his first playoff bench. After a successful rookie season it'll be an interesting watch as the two face-off. Edge - Moose Jaw
Intangibles - In this series it'll be the crowds. Kootenay's got home ice advantage but is it with the building less than half full? In the Jaw the Crushed Can will be hopping as they'll probably stuff 3000 (capacity - 3146) in the buildings final playoff farewell. Edge - Moose Jaw
The real difference in this series will be the goaltending and in particular, whether or not Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen steps up and takes this series. Not to lay it all on one player but Kootenay's a team built for now and it starts and stops with the 19-year-old. Very few of the prognosticators are taking them but there's a real shot at something here. Ice in six
And for the rest....
Blades - Raiders - Saskatoon way too strong for the Raiders. Won't even be close. Saskatoon in four.
Rebels - Oil Kings - I like how the Oil have scrapped their way to a post-season berth but I think the lack of Griffin Reinhart on the blueline will hinder their chances of knocking off the Rebs. Oh, and didn't I mention they have the best goaltender in junior hockey? Rebels in five.
Tigers - Wheat Kings - I know the Wheat Kings have been red hot and can out-gun anyone in the East but the head tells me that you need defense and goaltending - especially the latter - in the post-season. The Tigers will miss Pitlick but if they take the Wheaties lightly they'll pay. Always go with the head, right? Ah screw-it, here's my upset special. Brandon in seven.
Western Conference
Winterhawks - Silvertips - Both starters - Mac Carruth for the Hawks and Kent Simpson for the Tips might not start the playoffs. Either way, the Tips will be in tough against the Hawks. Portland in five
Rockets - Cougars - This will be closer than the regular season standings will indicate and would be another upset special if the Rockets didn't have such a strong edge in the nets. Brown will hold the line against Rimmer for the Cougars but it'll be close. Rockets in seven.
Chiefs - Bruins - The Bruins are another strong finisher down the stretch but I don't think that G Lucas Gore and his heroics are going to be able to shutdown the Chiefs. Is it me or is everyone just waiting for the Chief and Hawks to duke it out in the Conference final? Too early? Chiefs in five.
Ams - Giants - The G-men are too well coached to be swept but they'll be in tough this year to advance against the Americans. Injuries are playing a part for both squads as Giant forward James Henry is day-to-day and might not play while Ams top gun Adam Hughesmen won't start the series. Giants are also missing overager Joel Rogers after a vicious hit by Rocket forward Evan Bloodoff. Rogers is out indefinitely while Bloodoff got four games. This one could go long but it'll be the Ams in six.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Start em up...
On the eve of the WHL Playoffs news breaks that a mere 1700 tickets have been sold for Game 1 of the Kootenay-Moose Jaw series starting Friday at the Rec Plex.
Matt Coxford of the Townsman has the story here.
Matt Gourlie of the MJ Times-Herald tells us here that every Ice fan's favourite bad guy Cody Beach is questionable for the weekend action in Cranbrook. The Warriors' dynamic Czech - Honejsek - will return to action and key d-man McIlrath will also play despite missing practice this week. Warrior first round pick from last season - Torrin White, an all-star forward in Alberta Midget Hockey league play with the UFA Bisons who played with Ice prospects Sam Johnson and Luke Philp this season - could also suit up for the Warriors. He'll be a good one for the Warriors.
Coached against his younger brother Jagger White this season in Peewee AA who put up gawdy numbers for Medicine Hat (124 goals, 24 assists - 148 pts in 30 league games) so I'm interested in seeing the older brother play.
On my way back from a 4th-place showing at the 10-team BC Provincial Peewee Tier 2 tournament. A couple of tough losses to Burnaby Winter Club and Campbell River gave Cranbrook 4th-place.
Congrats go to the Cranbrook Midget Tier 2's who won the BC Banner in Salmon Arm with a 4-0 win over the host team in the gold medal game.
The Bantam T2 boys didn't make the playoffs in Ft. St John Bantam T2 Provincials but will high-tail it back to town to try to capture the SCAHL Bantam AA Championship against Okotoks starting Friday.
The Midget Girls were in tough in Invermere and didn't make the playoffs there while the host Midget T3's in Cranbrook suffered a similar fate in Cranbrook.
Back for Friday's playoff opener, let's hope more in town are too!
Matt Coxford of the Townsman has the story here.
Matt Gourlie of the MJ Times-Herald tells us here that every Ice fan's favourite bad guy Cody Beach is questionable for the weekend action in Cranbrook. The Warriors' dynamic Czech - Honejsek - will return to action and key d-man McIlrath will also play despite missing practice this week. Warrior first round pick from last season - Torrin White, an all-star forward in Alberta Midget Hockey league play with the UFA Bisons who played with Ice prospects Sam Johnson and Luke Philp this season - could also suit up for the Warriors. He'll be a good one for the Warriors.
Coached against his younger brother Jagger White this season in Peewee AA who put up gawdy numbers for Medicine Hat (124 goals, 24 assists - 148 pts in 30 league games) so I'm interested in seeing the older brother play.
On my way back from a 4th-place showing at the 10-team BC Provincial Peewee Tier 2 tournament. A couple of tough losses to Burnaby Winter Club and Campbell River gave Cranbrook 4th-place.
Congrats go to the Cranbrook Midget Tier 2's who won the BC Banner in Salmon Arm with a 4-0 win over the host team in the gold medal game.
The Bantam T2 boys didn't make the playoffs in Ft. St John Bantam T2 Provincials but will high-tail it back to town to try to capture the SCAHL Bantam AA Championship against Okotoks starting Friday.
The Midget Girls were in tough in Invermere and didn't make the playoffs there while the host Midget T3's in Cranbrook suffered a similar fate in Cranbrook.
Back for Friday's playoff opener, let's hope more in town are too!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Canes up to end the season...
The Kootenay Ice head to Lethbridge tonight for the second-last game of the season. Kootenay sits fourth in the conference at 44-21-1-4 while the Canes are fighting for their playoff lives at 23-34-5-8, four points back of PA for the last playoff spot. The only way for the Canes to get to the dance is to sweep the Ice this weekend and then have the Raiders lose both of their remaining games against Swift Current.
That likelihood is about holds about the same chance that the Calgary Hitmen are going to hold the Tigers to one point over the weekend and the Ice sweep the Canes to tie the Tigers for third and get the spot via more wins.
Anyways, important weekend for the Ice to get the two wins and go into the playoffs on a roll when they kickoff next Friday at the Rec Plex against the Warriors (or Wheaties or Oil Kings, if you like the long-shot)
Having won four of their last five, Kootenay's got some momentum headed into the weekend to build on.
A new development on the Chilliwack situation in which Moray Keith - a minority ownership with Jim Bond (Daryl Porter - GM, Brian Burke and Glen Sather are the majority shareholders in the club) has a connection to superstar slugger Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins through his son and reportedly has the backing of the New Westminster ball player to keep the Bruins locally owned and in Chilliwack. The report is here. Sounds like de ja vu all over again with the Tri-Cities situation six years ago when Porter, then the owner of the Ams, tried to move the team to Chilliwack and was forced by the WHL owners to accept an expansion team to Chilliwack and local owners (Bob Tory, Stu Barnes, Ollie Kolzig) bought the Ams to keep them there. Wonder the if the owners would do the same this time with the Victoria market hanging in the balance?
Things will be sporadic this week as I'm off with the kids to the coast in seach of a Peewee Provincial Banner. Back just prior to Playoffs.
That likelihood is about holds about the same chance that the Calgary Hitmen are going to hold the Tigers to one point over the weekend and the Ice sweep the Canes to tie the Tigers for third and get the spot via more wins.
Anyways, important weekend for the Ice to get the two wins and go into the playoffs on a roll when they kickoff next Friday at the Rec Plex against the Warriors (or Wheaties or Oil Kings, if you like the long-shot)
Having won four of their last five, Kootenay's got some momentum headed into the weekend to build on.
A new development on the Chilliwack situation in which Moray Keith - a minority ownership with Jim Bond (Daryl Porter - GM, Brian Burke and Glen Sather are the majority shareholders in the club) has a connection to superstar slugger Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins through his son and reportedly has the backing of the New Westminster ball player to keep the Bruins locally owned and in Chilliwack. The report is here. Sounds like de ja vu all over again with the Tri-Cities situation six years ago when Porter, then the owner of the Ams, tried to move the team to Chilliwack and was forced by the WHL owners to accept an expansion team to Chilliwack and local owners (Bob Tory, Stu Barnes, Ollie Kolzig) bought the Ams to keep them there. Wonder the if the owners would do the same this time with the Victoria market hanging in the balance?
Things will be sporadic this week as I'm off with the kids to the coast in seach of a Peewee Provincial Banner. Back just prior to Playoffs.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Weekend Wrap/Robison Relocation/small market stuff
Stories and Column for the Daily Townsman
Shootout weekend split for Kootenay
by Jeff Bromley
One step forward and one step back left the Kootenay Ice in the same spot they started in Friday night as the club edged the Swift Current Broncos 5-4 Friday night and in turn lost to the Spokane Chiefs 4-3 Saturday in the Lilac City, both in shootouts. A third period collapse Friday turned up two points while a valiant third period comeback Saturday against the Chiefs produced only one. At the end of the day the weekend action solidified the real likelihood that the Moose Jaw Warriors will be at the Rec Plex to open the WHL Playoffs March 25. “We let up in the third period,” said Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch of his club’s blown 4-1 lead Friday over the Broncos. “We didn’t shoot everything we were shooting in the second period and we were getting a little too cute with the puck and all three of their goals we’re almost identical mid-lane drives. We have to do a better job pushing to the outside in our own end.”
On Saturday in Spokane Kootenay opened strong with a goal by Kevin King, his 31st on the season, 2:43 into the game with the Ice on the power play. The Chiefs’ Dominik Uher tied it two minutes later with Elgin Pearce off for tripping to knot the game at one. In the second Tyler Johnson scored his league-leading 51st on the season to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead and then Mike Aviani gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead halfway through the game. Cody Eakin continued his with his hot hand with his team-leading 34th two minutes later to keep the Ice in it headed into the third. D Brayden McNabb then set yet another team record – the fourth time he’s put his name in the team record book this season - with his 21st goal on the season to tie the game at three and send it into overtime and then the shootout. The breakaway competition didn’t go Kootenay’s way Saturday as Jesse Ismond, Eakin, Matt Fraser, Pearce and McNabb were all stopped by Chief goaltender James Reid while Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen stopped the first four Chief shooters but couldn’t stop Levko Koper for the Chief win.
It was almost a complete opposite result from 24 hours earlier at the Rec Plex where the Ice completely dominated the second-worst team in the WHL through two periods, out-shooting the visitors 32-13 and jumping out to 4-1 lead in the process. Goals by Adam Rossignol, with his 2nd, Cody Eakin’s 33rd, Joe Antilla’s 20th and Steele Boomer’s 13th indicated the third could be a runaway except the Ice stopped running as the Broncos rode their way back into the game, scoring three straight goals on Ice rookie starter MacKenzie Skapski in the third, the last one by Saskatchewan Midget League leading-scorer Graham Black – in only his second WHL game – when the 18-year-old notched his first-ever WHL goal with only 24 seconds left. “We can’t let teams do that,” said Eakin of the Broncos comeback. “We want to come out in the third and put the foot to the gas pedal. Instead we hung around and got a little cute. Any team in this league can come back and they did that.”
Playing his former mates for the last time Eakin and the rookie Black traded shootout goals before Ice forward Max Reinhart scored in the fourth round to get the win. Reinhart was initially stopped by Bronco goaltender Mark Friesen only to have the puck shoot straight up and then down the goaltender’s back, trickling into the net for the win.
Quick Hits – Eakin had a stellar weekend with two goals and an assist… After scoring the shootout winner Friday Reinhart didn’t make the trip to Spokane Saturday. The 18-year-old forward was hit in the first period Friday but finished the game and scored the game-winner. Reinhart wasn’t feeling well after the game and missed his first game of the season Saturday. He is questionable for Tuesday’s game in Medicine Hat… With the Ice shootout loss the Tigers only need one win in their last three games to clinch at least third in the Eastern Conference. The Tigers with a 44-17-4-4 record sit third with 96 points while the Ice, with a 43-21-1-4 record, are fourth with 91 points.
Small markets still relevant in WHL – Commissioner
by Jeff Bromley
All the talk about relocation of franchises generates a lot buzz about the WHL but for less-than-desirable reasons, especially if you live in one of the rumoured small markets. In town Friday to present the WHL's Distinguished Service award, Commissioner Rob Robison reiterated the league's commitment to making sure small-market franchises like the Kootenay Ice survive in their current form. “Fans in Cranbrook and the Kootenay region deserve credit because when you see that over 10% of the cities population is in attendance every night, the strong, loyal fans really deserve credit as they’ve been here since day one,” said Robison.
Robinson said strategies, new ideas and innovations are needed in order to ensure that the small-market WHL teams do not go the way of the Dodo. “What we need to do is get that attendance up to about a range of 500/game through more innovative marketing strategies, group sales, theme nights and give people reason to attend the game and as well make sure that the season tickets can be broken down into halves or thirds so that people who have other commitments can still find a way to get to the games.”
But while he was quick to praise the loyal fan base of the Ice he also was a realist in terms of falling attendance. “The reality is that we need a certain level of attendance to ensure these clubs are viable on a long-term basis and that’s the same message in Swift Current, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert. The margin of error is much more reduced here because there’s a certain minimum that needs to be in place.”
The last innovative strategy for small-market teams was an idea of one of his predecessors and former owner of the Ice, the late Ed Chynoweth. Seeing the growing discrepancy between the big and small-market clubs, much like the NHL of the 1990’s, it was Chynoweth’s idea to expand the league’s revenue sharing potential far beyond what it is now. “It was one thing that Ed certainly felt strong about,” said Robison. “We do have various forms of revenue sharing right now.”
Citing funds generated from extraordinary or special events such as the Memorial Cup, in which the WHL hosts every three years, the World Juniors Championships, licensing programs and even when the bigger centres such as Calgary or Vancouver go far into the playoffs and draw huge crowds. The assessments against those large gate receipts the league imposes are also shared. “The league is very supportive of revenue sharing in the forms of new revenue,” he said.
And while Ed Chynoweth wanted more of the gate receipts shared, specifically on the subject of the spiraling cost of the player’s education funds, the commissioner said that is proving much more difficult. “We need to work harder at it to generate those funds and we are generating funds on a league-wide basis for that program but they are limited.”
“We need to do a better job at it and that’s more my responsibility, quite frankly. We’re focused on franchise stability and making sure our business model remains in place and those are all things that are of strong benefit to the small markets and throughout the league, maintaining the costs at a certain level that help the smaller markets.”
“There are maybe not the revenue sharing levels or the new revenue we’d like to see but there’s a full commitment to keep the business plan and business model to make sure every team can compete in.”
No Jumbotron yet – The commissioner did indicate that the full requirement that all league venues has a jumbotron or video replay screens in place by the 2012 season has softened to a recommendation rather than a requirement. With Moose Jaw set to move into a new building next season and Lethbridge’s upgrade to the Enmax Centre complete with a new video replay screen, only Swift Current, Medicine Hat and the Rec Plex won’t have one next season. The City of Swift Current has put one in their capital budget for next year for the Credit Union Iplex and the proposed $80 million replacement of the Arena in Medicine Hat will include a replay screen. The league will approach the City of Cranbrook for an indication or plan as to when a replay screen could be in place here but it’s currently not in next year’s budget.
Column - Relocation rumours dog Chilliwack; Could it happen here?
Like some perverted Bucket List, the lists are always the same; Prince George, Chilliwack – the community owned teams in Saskatchewan to a lesser extent – and always, always, includes the Kootenay Ice. The ‘list’ is the names of WHL franchises rumoured at one point or another almost every season to be on the move to Vancouver Island and take up residence in the province’s capital, Victoria. With an average attendance this season of 2487 per game through 35 games this season at the Rec Plex, down just over 5% from last season and 14% from 2008 when 3070 turned the stiles of the Plex each game, it’s been numbers such as those that throw gas on the relocation fire.
When a Victoria sportswriter called Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth to enquire about such rumours two weeks ago, he replied, “We’re not moving anywhere.”
The Chilliwack Bruins, an expansion club that began play in 2006, are the intended target for relocation to Victoria, according to various reports, as RG Properties, headed up by Graham Lee - the operator of the 7400 seat Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria and the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings – seeks a WHL club. With expansion of the 22-team loop not in the cards it is relocation that will fill the Victoria rink, though officially the league is not entertaining any requests to move from its franchises. “There’s a lot of speculation out there this year – as there is with every year – but if there’s anything being taking seriously in terms of offers from the individual ownership groups, I’m the first to know,” said WHL Commissioner Ron Robison Friday. “At this point in time we haven’t received anything from Chilliwack so there really isn’t anything to report at this time.”
Robison did add that, “It’s a lengthy process (if a team were to move) and because I don’t have anything in front of me right now it’d be very difficult to make it work in a short period of time. But if situations dictate and we have to deal with things, we will but certainly time is of the essence given we’re entering into scheduling and making plans for next season. If (relocation) is going to occur it would have to happen very soon.”
But in Chilliwack attendance is up this season. The club is on a hot streak of late, having won seven of their eight games and have clinched a playoff spot, their fourth in the five seasons of their existence. Not bad for an expansion team. Attendance is over 3300 a game at the 5000-seat Prospera Centre, up seven percent over last season in the club’s dogfight for fan support in the Fraser Valley with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat, 15 minutes down the freeway.
So what gives?
The Phoenix Coyotes, that’s what gives. The troubled story of the former Winnipeg Jets in the desert could come to a just end at this season with the very real possibility of the Coyotes returning to Manitoba, current home of the Vancouver Canucks AHL farm club, the Moose. Follow the possible fall of the dominoes and you have the NHL back in Winnipeg, the Canucks with a farm team looking for a home and a endless appetite for anything Canucks a ferry ride away from Canuck Nation in Victoria. Two major markets the WHL has stated keen interest in, swept away in one fail swoop.
Couple that with the obvious rivalry boost with Abbotsford’s AHL club and you get a sense of desperation not to lose one important half the Vancouver Island market, the other being Nanaimo if and when a WHL-size building is ever built. Throw in the new part-owner of the BCHL franchise in the Hub City, former WHL’er, NHL’er and Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Kelly Hrudey and you have an instant WHL link to the hockey there. The seeds are being sown for two WHL club’s to be on the Island.
What does this have to do with Kootenay, you ask? Consider this; if a franchise move can come out of nowhere, like the Chilliwack situation over the past two weeks, and possibly move with its attendance numbers and on-ice on the rise, what are the chances a successful club on the ice in the WHL’s second-smallest market could be wooed away to the Island climate?
There are lots of reasons it could never happen here but if the messy situation in Chilliwack – and there’s no real other way to describe it – is any indication, the possibility is always very real.
WHL honours Nella Rounsville for Ice service
by Jeff Bromley
Although they look like pros on a nightly basis the players on the Kootenay Ice are for the most part, still kids. They are teenagers and young adults with goals and dreams and like many of their non-hockey playing brethren, high-school responsibilities. Helping the Kootenay Ice players navigate through those educational waters is club education advisor Nella Rounsville, who has ensured Ice players have graduated from high school and started their college careers for the past 13 years. “It’s a labour of love,” offered Rounsville during the first intermission in which she was honoured by the club and the WHL with the league’s distinguished service award for 2010-11, along with Lorne Frey the assistant GM of the Kelowna Rockets who was honoured Wednesday night in Kelowna. “I truly love to do this and I wish that all of you could have the contact that I do with these boys. These players come to Cranbrook and learn how to balance hockey and their academics and hopefully they move on to bigger and better things. We try to keep them opening the doors and go through them.”
Almost all players to pull on the Ice uniform come to Cranbrook from various parts of Western Canada and the U.S. and most that arrive here at the age of 16 or 17 still have grade 11 and 12 to complete at Mt Baker High School. Rounsville’s experience as a former teacher and a competitive athlete give her the tools to ensure that happens as smooth as possible. The standard is set for the players still in school; no pass, no play. “The iron fists are the coaches,” said Rounsville. “If they don’t perform in school they don’t play hockey.”
Rounsville’s role begins early in the season prior as the club prepares for new faces that will pull the jersey on next season. “I’ve already started with training camp. We’ve sent out 15 packages to 15 prospects that have to give me course selection for Mt Baker, so we’re actually ahead of the game. We mediate the equivalency between the provinces and the U.S. and sequence things so that the transition back to their home schools is easy so that they can graduate with their piers in grade 12.”
WHL Commissioner Ron Robison, in town Friday to present the award, recognized the efforts of Rounsville and what that kind of commitment and volunteerism means to the small-market hockey club. “Franchises in the WHL cannot survive without people like Nella,” said Robison. “They’re really the backbone of the franchise in so many ways even though they don’t get the public recognition in terms of coaching or managing the teams but they’re very, very integral to making the team work. Especially ensuring the players have the type of environment we want them to have and it’s people like Nella that really make that work.”
The WHL’s Distinguished Service Award was established in 2004 and is awarded to associates annually from nominees submitted by teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences. In addition to her duties as the club’s education advisor Nella also chairs the organizing committee of the Kootenay Ice Annual Golf tournament that has raised over $320,000 over the past 12 years. “I don’t tutor them – this season (Nathan Lieuwen) has been helping out he’s such a bright kid – but it’s the Mt Baker tutors and teachers that make this work. Bob Buxton showed me the way years ago and Daryl Taylor has carried on and without them we wouldn’t have the support we need. We really value Mt Baker. We had 13 kids there at the beginning of season and just two left to graduate. We had 8 at the College of the Rockies and 2 with Athabasca University. We take education really seriously here and I just love what I do and I deem myself lucky to be able to work with these kids.”
Shootout weekend split for Kootenay
by Jeff Bromley
One step forward and one step back left the Kootenay Ice in the same spot they started in Friday night as the club edged the Swift Current Broncos 5-4 Friday night and in turn lost to the Spokane Chiefs 4-3 Saturday in the Lilac City, both in shootouts. A third period collapse Friday turned up two points while a valiant third period comeback Saturday against the Chiefs produced only one. At the end of the day the weekend action solidified the real likelihood that the Moose Jaw Warriors will be at the Rec Plex to open the WHL Playoffs March 25. “We let up in the third period,” said Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch of his club’s blown 4-1 lead Friday over the Broncos. “We didn’t shoot everything we were shooting in the second period and we were getting a little too cute with the puck and all three of their goals we’re almost identical mid-lane drives. We have to do a better job pushing to the outside in our own end.”
On Saturday in Spokane Kootenay opened strong with a goal by Kevin King, his 31st on the season, 2:43 into the game with the Ice on the power play. The Chiefs’ Dominik Uher tied it two minutes later with Elgin Pearce off for tripping to knot the game at one. In the second Tyler Johnson scored his league-leading 51st on the season to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead and then Mike Aviani gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead halfway through the game. Cody Eakin continued his with his hot hand with his team-leading 34th two minutes later to keep the Ice in it headed into the third. D Brayden McNabb then set yet another team record – the fourth time he’s put his name in the team record book this season - with his 21st goal on the season to tie the game at three and send it into overtime and then the shootout. The breakaway competition didn’t go Kootenay’s way Saturday as Jesse Ismond, Eakin, Matt Fraser, Pearce and McNabb were all stopped by Chief goaltender James Reid while Ice goaltender Nathan Lieuwen stopped the first four Chief shooters but couldn’t stop Levko Koper for the Chief win.
It was almost a complete opposite result from 24 hours earlier at the Rec Plex where the Ice completely dominated the second-worst team in the WHL through two periods, out-shooting the visitors 32-13 and jumping out to 4-1 lead in the process. Goals by Adam Rossignol, with his 2nd, Cody Eakin’s 33rd, Joe Antilla’s 20th and Steele Boomer’s 13th indicated the third could be a runaway except the Ice stopped running as the Broncos rode their way back into the game, scoring three straight goals on Ice rookie starter MacKenzie Skapski in the third, the last one by Saskatchewan Midget League leading-scorer Graham Black – in only his second WHL game – when the 18-year-old notched his first-ever WHL goal with only 24 seconds left. “We can’t let teams do that,” said Eakin of the Broncos comeback. “We want to come out in the third and put the foot to the gas pedal. Instead we hung around and got a little cute. Any team in this league can come back and they did that.”
Playing his former mates for the last time Eakin and the rookie Black traded shootout goals before Ice forward Max Reinhart scored in the fourth round to get the win. Reinhart was initially stopped by Bronco goaltender Mark Friesen only to have the puck shoot straight up and then down the goaltender’s back, trickling into the net for the win.
Quick Hits – Eakin had a stellar weekend with two goals and an assist… After scoring the shootout winner Friday Reinhart didn’t make the trip to Spokane Saturday. The 18-year-old forward was hit in the first period Friday but finished the game and scored the game-winner. Reinhart wasn’t feeling well after the game and missed his first game of the season Saturday. He is questionable for Tuesday’s game in Medicine Hat… With the Ice shootout loss the Tigers only need one win in their last three games to clinch at least third in the Eastern Conference. The Tigers with a 44-17-4-4 record sit third with 96 points while the Ice, with a 43-21-1-4 record, are fourth with 91 points.
Small markets still relevant in WHL – Commissioner
by Jeff Bromley
All the talk about relocation of franchises generates a lot buzz about the WHL but for less-than-desirable reasons, especially if you live in one of the rumoured small markets. In town Friday to present the WHL's Distinguished Service award, Commissioner Rob Robison reiterated the league's commitment to making sure small-market franchises like the Kootenay Ice survive in their current form. “Fans in Cranbrook and the Kootenay region deserve credit because when you see that over 10% of the cities population is in attendance every night, the strong, loyal fans really deserve credit as they’ve been here since day one,” said Robison.
Robinson said strategies, new ideas and innovations are needed in order to ensure that the small-market WHL teams do not go the way of the Dodo. “What we need to do is get that attendance up to about a range of 500/game through more innovative marketing strategies, group sales, theme nights and give people reason to attend the game and as well make sure that the season tickets can be broken down into halves or thirds so that people who have other commitments can still find a way to get to the games.”
But while he was quick to praise the loyal fan base of the Ice he also was a realist in terms of falling attendance. “The reality is that we need a certain level of attendance to ensure these clubs are viable on a long-term basis and that’s the same message in Swift Current, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert. The margin of error is much more reduced here because there’s a certain minimum that needs to be in place.”
The last innovative strategy for small-market teams was an idea of one of his predecessors and former owner of the Ice, the late Ed Chynoweth. Seeing the growing discrepancy between the big and small-market clubs, much like the NHL of the 1990’s, it was Chynoweth’s idea to expand the league’s revenue sharing potential far beyond what it is now. “It was one thing that Ed certainly felt strong about,” said Robison. “We do have various forms of revenue sharing right now.”
Citing funds generated from extraordinary or special events such as the Memorial Cup, in which the WHL hosts every three years, the World Juniors Championships, licensing programs and even when the bigger centres such as Calgary or Vancouver go far into the playoffs and draw huge crowds. The assessments against those large gate receipts the league imposes are also shared. “The league is very supportive of revenue sharing in the forms of new revenue,” he said.
And while Ed Chynoweth wanted more of the gate receipts shared, specifically on the subject of the spiraling cost of the player’s education funds, the commissioner said that is proving much more difficult. “We need to work harder at it to generate those funds and we are generating funds on a league-wide basis for that program but they are limited.”
“We need to do a better job at it and that’s more my responsibility, quite frankly. We’re focused on franchise stability and making sure our business model remains in place and those are all things that are of strong benefit to the small markets and throughout the league, maintaining the costs at a certain level that help the smaller markets.”
“There are maybe not the revenue sharing levels or the new revenue we’d like to see but there’s a full commitment to keep the business plan and business model to make sure every team can compete in.”
No Jumbotron yet – The commissioner did indicate that the full requirement that all league venues has a jumbotron or video replay screens in place by the 2012 season has softened to a recommendation rather than a requirement. With Moose Jaw set to move into a new building next season and Lethbridge’s upgrade to the Enmax Centre complete with a new video replay screen, only Swift Current, Medicine Hat and the Rec Plex won’t have one next season. The City of Swift Current has put one in their capital budget for next year for the Credit Union Iplex and the proposed $80 million replacement of the Arena in Medicine Hat will include a replay screen. The league will approach the City of Cranbrook for an indication or plan as to when a replay screen could be in place here but it’s currently not in next year’s budget.
Column - Relocation rumours dog Chilliwack; Could it happen here?
Like some perverted Bucket List, the lists are always the same; Prince George, Chilliwack – the community owned teams in Saskatchewan to a lesser extent – and always, always, includes the Kootenay Ice. The ‘list’ is the names of WHL franchises rumoured at one point or another almost every season to be on the move to Vancouver Island and take up residence in the province’s capital, Victoria. With an average attendance this season of 2487 per game through 35 games this season at the Rec Plex, down just over 5% from last season and 14% from 2008 when 3070 turned the stiles of the Plex each game, it’s been numbers such as those that throw gas on the relocation fire.
When a Victoria sportswriter called Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth to enquire about such rumours two weeks ago, he replied, “We’re not moving anywhere.”
The Chilliwack Bruins, an expansion club that began play in 2006, are the intended target for relocation to Victoria, according to various reports, as RG Properties, headed up by Graham Lee - the operator of the 7400 seat Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria and the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings – seeks a WHL club. With expansion of the 22-team loop not in the cards it is relocation that will fill the Victoria rink, though officially the league is not entertaining any requests to move from its franchises. “There’s a lot of speculation out there this year – as there is with every year – but if there’s anything being taking seriously in terms of offers from the individual ownership groups, I’m the first to know,” said WHL Commissioner Ron Robison Friday. “At this point in time we haven’t received anything from Chilliwack so there really isn’t anything to report at this time.”
Robison did add that, “It’s a lengthy process (if a team were to move) and because I don’t have anything in front of me right now it’d be very difficult to make it work in a short period of time. But if situations dictate and we have to deal with things, we will but certainly time is of the essence given we’re entering into scheduling and making plans for next season. If (relocation) is going to occur it would have to happen very soon.”
But in Chilliwack attendance is up this season. The club is on a hot streak of late, having won seven of their eight games and have clinched a playoff spot, their fourth in the five seasons of their existence. Not bad for an expansion team. Attendance is over 3300 a game at the 5000-seat Prospera Centre, up seven percent over last season in the club’s dogfight for fan support in the Fraser Valley with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat, 15 minutes down the freeway.
So what gives?
The Phoenix Coyotes, that’s what gives. The troubled story of the former Winnipeg Jets in the desert could come to a just end at this season with the very real possibility of the Coyotes returning to Manitoba, current home of the Vancouver Canucks AHL farm club, the Moose. Follow the possible fall of the dominoes and you have the NHL back in Winnipeg, the Canucks with a farm team looking for a home and a endless appetite for anything Canucks a ferry ride away from Canuck Nation in Victoria. Two major markets the WHL has stated keen interest in, swept away in one fail swoop.
Couple that with the obvious rivalry boost with Abbotsford’s AHL club and you get a sense of desperation not to lose one important half the Vancouver Island market, the other being Nanaimo if and when a WHL-size building is ever built. Throw in the new part-owner of the BCHL franchise in the Hub City, former WHL’er, NHL’er and Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Kelly Hrudey and you have an instant WHL link to the hockey there. The seeds are being sown for two WHL club’s to be on the Island.
What does this have to do with Kootenay, you ask? Consider this; if a franchise move can come out of nowhere, like the Chilliwack situation over the past two weeks, and possibly move with its attendance numbers and on-ice on the rise, what are the chances a successful club on the ice in the WHL’s second-smallest market could be wooed away to the Island climate?
There are lots of reasons it could never happen here but if the messy situation in Chilliwack – and there’s no real other way to describe it – is any indication, the possibility is always very real.
WHL honours Nella Rounsville for Ice service
by Jeff Bromley
Although they look like pros on a nightly basis the players on the Kootenay Ice are for the most part, still kids. They are teenagers and young adults with goals and dreams and like many of their non-hockey playing brethren, high-school responsibilities. Helping the Kootenay Ice players navigate through those educational waters is club education advisor Nella Rounsville, who has ensured Ice players have graduated from high school and started their college careers for the past 13 years. “It’s a labour of love,” offered Rounsville during the first intermission in which she was honoured by the club and the WHL with the league’s distinguished service award for 2010-11, along with Lorne Frey the assistant GM of the Kelowna Rockets who was honoured Wednesday night in Kelowna. “I truly love to do this and I wish that all of you could have the contact that I do with these boys. These players come to Cranbrook and learn how to balance hockey and their academics and hopefully they move on to bigger and better things. We try to keep them opening the doors and go through them.”
Almost all players to pull on the Ice uniform come to Cranbrook from various parts of Western Canada and the U.S. and most that arrive here at the age of 16 or 17 still have grade 11 and 12 to complete at Mt Baker High School. Rounsville’s experience as a former teacher and a competitive athlete give her the tools to ensure that happens as smooth as possible. The standard is set for the players still in school; no pass, no play. “The iron fists are the coaches,” said Rounsville. “If they don’t perform in school they don’t play hockey.”
Rounsville’s role begins early in the season prior as the club prepares for new faces that will pull the jersey on next season. “I’ve already started with training camp. We’ve sent out 15 packages to 15 prospects that have to give me course selection for Mt Baker, so we’re actually ahead of the game. We mediate the equivalency between the provinces and the U.S. and sequence things so that the transition back to their home schools is easy so that they can graduate with their piers in grade 12.”
WHL Commissioner Ron Robison, in town Friday to present the award, recognized the efforts of Rounsville and what that kind of commitment and volunteerism means to the small-market hockey club. “Franchises in the WHL cannot survive without people like Nella,” said Robison. “They’re really the backbone of the franchise in so many ways even though they don’t get the public recognition in terms of coaching or managing the teams but they’re very, very integral to making the team work. Especially ensuring the players have the type of environment we want them to have and it’s people like Nella that really make that work.”
The WHL’s Distinguished Service Award was established in 2004 and is awarded to associates annually from nominees submitted by teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences. In addition to her duties as the club’s education advisor Nella also chairs the organizing committee of the Kootenay Ice Annual Golf tournament that has raised over $320,000 over the past 12 years. “I don’t tutor them – this season (Nathan Lieuwen) has been helping out he’s such a bright kid – but it’s the Mt Baker tutors and teachers that make this work. Bob Buxton showed me the way years ago and Daryl Taylor has carried on and without them we wouldn’t have the support we need. We really value Mt Baker. We had 13 kids there at the beginning of season and just two left to graduate. We had 8 at the College of the Rockies and 2 with Athabasca University. We take education really seriously here and I just love what I do and I deem myself lucky to be able to work with these kids.”
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Ya win some, ya lose some...
Another shootout for the Ice tonight and this time on they're on the wrong end of the bonus point, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Spokane Chiefs.
McNabb, with his 21st and team record-setting mark for goals by a defenseman, along with Cody Eakin and Kevin King scored for the Ice. Both McNabb and Eakin notched a goal and an assist while Jesse Ismond chipped in with a couple of apples.
The loss puts the Ice at 43-21-1-4 and still 4th in the conference. Both Red Deer and Medicine Hat won tonight, putting the Rebels completely out of reach and the Tigers on the verge of clinching 3rd. With three games left for all three the Ice need to win all three games and have the Tigers lose all three. With two against the Hitmen, that's not going to happen.
So barring a completely out of character stretch by the Tigers it'll be the Warriors at the Rec Plex come March 25 for Game 1.
The Brandon Wheat Kings clinched a playoff berth but still have to win one more to clinch sixth over the Oil Kings while the Tigers and Rebels, the former two points back, will scrap it out for the right to not to face the upstart Wheaties. Jeez, I can't remember a sixth seed that nobody wants to really wants to play that badly since the Dub went to the Conference format.
Mackenzie Skapski (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder), Brock Montgomery (hip) and Max Reinhart (head) were scratched for the Ice. Strange though, Reinhart apparently suffered the injury from a hit in the first period of Friday night's game and then went on to score the game-winner in the Shootout. More on the weekend's events tomorrow.
McNabb, with his 21st and team record-setting mark for goals by a defenseman, along with Cody Eakin and Kevin King scored for the Ice. Both McNabb and Eakin notched a goal and an assist while Jesse Ismond chipped in with a couple of apples.
The loss puts the Ice at 43-21-1-4 and still 4th in the conference. Both Red Deer and Medicine Hat won tonight, putting the Rebels completely out of reach and the Tigers on the verge of clinching 3rd. With three games left for all three the Ice need to win all three games and have the Tigers lose all three. With two against the Hitmen, that's not going to happen.
So barring a completely out of character stretch by the Tigers it'll be the Warriors at the Rec Plex come March 25 for Game 1.
The Brandon Wheat Kings clinched a playoff berth but still have to win one more to clinch sixth over the Oil Kings while the Tigers and Rebels, the former two points back, will scrap it out for the right to not to face the upstart Wheaties. Jeez, I can't remember a sixth seed that nobody wants to really wants to play that badly since the Dub went to the Conference format.
Mackenzie Skapski (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder), Brock Montgomery (hip) and Max Reinhart (head) were scratched for the Ice. Strange though, Reinhart apparently suffered the injury from a hit in the first period of Friday night's game and then went on to score the game-winner in the Shootout. More on the weekend's events tomorrow.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Score - Broncos/Ice
The Score – Kootenay 5 – Swift Current 4 (Shootout)
What Happened – Kootenay won this one in a walk, until they stopped walking in the third and a 4-1 lead turned into a 4-4 tie. Cody Eakin and Max Reinhart scored in the shootout to give the Ice the bonus point. This one was a bit of snoozer until Kootenay took their foot off the gas and the Broncos got back in it.
The Turning Point – In the shootout Max Reinhart skated in on Bronco goaltender Mark Friesen and was stopped, only to have the puck deflect straight up and down his back and into the net. Easy top ten on the strange goal list.
The Goals – As to be expected Kootenay came out guns a’blazin to start this one and looked to run away with it early. The opened the scoring on a nice, patient move by Brayden McNabb at the blueline who then skated in and found rookie Adam Rossignol who put in his 2nd of the season at 3:12… Seven minutes later Cody Eakin burned his old team on a 2-on-1 early with a wrist shot that beat Mark Friesen through his glove in one he’d like to have back or a shot Eakin knew exactly where to put on his old teammate… The Broncos didn’t cave however and despite missing five regulars got on the board with Hayden Rintoul in the box on a 4-on-3 power play when Taylor Vause corralled a bouncing puck and threw a no-look backhand pass to a waiting Brad Hoban on the doorstep to beat MacKenzie Skapski to make it 2-1… 1:25 into the second Joe Antilla got his 21st of the season after some hard work to get the puck to the point. A Joey Leach shot bounced off him to make it 3-1… Ten minutes later Steele Boomer got his 13th of the season after corralling a puck off the half-wall and fanning on the shot that knuckled over Friesen to make it 4-1… In the third with Boomer off for a weak goaltender interference call, Bronco import forward Stepan Novotny beat Skapski on the backhand for his 21st of the season to keep the Broncos close… They’d get closer with just over four minutes left when Adam Lowry converted a three-on-two rush when he captured his own rebound, a juicy one, and buried it to make it a one-goal game… The collapse was complete when the Broncos pulled Friesen and Graham Black scored his first WHL goal to tie the game on a goal-mouth scramble.
The Local – F Brandon Bruce, a rookie forward with the Broncos who has been a healthy scratch for the last 20 or so games, wasn’t dressed again Friday night. The significance? Bruce is a Cranbrook product and the Broncos didn’t think it much to dress him. Bad form, especially with a line-up riddled with injuries missing five regulars.
The Breakaway/Fight – Another to add to the something I’ve never seen before; with his linemate Adam Rossignol on a clearcut breakaway, Brendan Hurley drops the mitts with Tanner Muth 20 feet away. Rossignol was stopped but at least the play wasn’t blown down before he had a chance to shoot. Hurley ended up on the losing end of the tilt.
The Rookie – Okay, maybe Bruce didn’t play to make room for rookie Graham Black (probably not) who checked in with his first WHL goal with 23 seconds left in the game the 18-year-old scores the tying goal to send the game into OT and complete the comeback. Black was the leading scorer in Saskatchewan AAA Midget with the Regina Pats-Canadiens who signed with the Broncos after they traded acquired him in December from the Oil Kings for a conditional pick. Black was weighing his NCAA options before deciding to sign with the Broncos.
The Goaltender – At one end Mark Friesen shrugged off a slow start to stop 42 of 46 shots to keep his team in the game and got 3rd star honours for his troubles. At the Ice end rookie call-up Mackenzie Skapski was solid in his third start with the Ice but rebounds were a clear issue for the rookie on this night. On that note, if I’m back-up Brett Teskey, what am I thinking? Yeah, I get the experience thing but still, who's the back-up? And this is this year, not next. Skapski will be with the club until the 27th.
The Commish – Had a chance to talk at length with Ron Robison on the evening and about the uncertainty surrounding the Chilliwack Bruins and the relocation rumours as well as the attendance issues in Cranbrook. I’ll have more with that over the weekend. He did clarify one thing; The Jumbotron requirement of all the WHL buildings by the 2012 season is a recommendation rather than a hard requirement. He said that with Lethbridge having their building upgrade completed and Moose Jaw ready to open a new building next season only Kootenay, Swift Current and Medicine Hat do not have Jumbtrons throughout the WHL. The City of Swift Current has it in their budget for next year while Medicine Hat is expected to have a new building in the next two years – at the cost of $80 million – but the Rec Plex will likely be last in line for a Jumbo, when, or if, the City approves it in the budget. I’m not overly hopeful. 2014, at the earliest.
The Crowd – 2590
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. Cody Eakin – goal, dangerous all night
2. Joe Antilla – goal; 21 on the season
3. Mark Friesen – puckstopper kept his club in it
What it means – For the Broncos, they fought to the end but their playoff chances are done with the loss and PA winning tonight. For the Ice, the win clinches fourth in the Eastern Conference and home-ice to start the playoffs March 25. The Tigers beat the Rebels in OT tonight and maintain their four point lead on the Ice for third. The Rebels are six up on the Ice, all with the same amount of four games left. Catching either is mathematically possible but not very probable.
Up Next: Kootenay’s in Spokane tomorrow for a date with the Chiefs.
Game Summary:
Broncos 4 @ Ice 5 (Shootout)
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Swift Current Broncos and Kootenay Ice; March 11, 2011.
It took four shooters in the shootout to do it but the Kootenay Ice finally put the Swift Current Broncos away 5-4 in WHL action Friday night.
Kootenay jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Adam Rossignol, with his 2nd on the year, and Cody Eakin, with his 33rd before Brad Hoban scored to make it 2-1 headed into the second period.
Joe Antilla and Steele Boomer gave the Ice a 4-1 lead with second period markers headed into the third. But the Broncos would claw their way back on goals by Stepan Novotny, Adam Lowry and rookie Graham Black, who scored his first WHL goal with only 23 seconds left to tie the game.
Overtime solved nothing and then in the shootout with both teams tied at one, Max Reinhart beat Bronco goaltender Mark Friesen on a goal Friesen thought he stopped only to have the puck go straight up in the air and come down on his back and trickle into the net, giving the Ice the shootout win.
Mackenzie Skapski got the start for the Ice and the win, stopping 18 of 22 shots while Mark Friesen stopped 42 of 46 shots in a stellar effort, taking the loss.
First Period
1. Kootenay, Rossignol 2 (McNabb, Hurley) 3:12
2. Kootenay, Eakin 33 (McNabb, Skapski) 10:32
3. Swift Current, Hoban 20 (Vause, Verdino) 14:53 (pp)
Penalties -- Boomer Ktn (hooking) 4:44, Craig SC Fraser Ktn (fighting) 7:18, Peddle SC Boomer Ktn (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:48, Rintoul Ktn (cross-checking) 13:06.
Second Period
4. Kootenay, Antilla 21 (Leach, King) 1:25
5. Kootenay, Boomer 13 11:25
Penalties -- Eakin Ktn (hooking) 13:00, Derko SC (tripping) 14:59, Muth SC Hurley Ktn (fighting) 18:39.
Third Period
6. Swift Current, Novotny 21 5:59 (pp)
7. Swift Current, Lowry 18 (Vause, Nedomiel)15:55
8. Swift Current, Black 1 (Lowry, Hoban) 19:37.
Penalties -- Boomer Ktn (goaltender interference) 5:25, Magnus SC (goaltender interference) 6:59, Fraser Ktn Verdino SC (roughing) 8:46, Leach Ktn (interference) 13:34.
Overtime
No Scoring.
Penalties -- None.
Shootout - Kootenay wins 2-1
Swift Current - Hoban (stopped), Black (goal), Novotny (stopped), Bloom (missed).
Kootenay - Ismond (missed), Eakin (goal), Fraser (stopped), Reinhart (goal).
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 13 19 12 2 - 46
Swift Current: 9 3 8 2 - 22
Goal -- Kootenay: Mackenzie Skapski (W,1-1); Swift Current: Mark Friesen (L, 24-34-0-2)
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 0-2
Swift Current: 2-5
Referee -- Steve Papp, Colin Watt. Linesman -- Jim Maniago, Jeff Jobson.
Attendance -- 2590 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Brett Teskey (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder - four weeks), Brock Montgomery (hip - one week).
Swift Current: Jordan Evans, Justin Dowling, Brandon Bruce, Killian Hutt, Ryan Aasman, Dillon Wagner.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman.
What Happened – Kootenay won this one in a walk, until they stopped walking in the third and a 4-1 lead turned into a 4-4 tie. Cody Eakin and Max Reinhart scored in the shootout to give the Ice the bonus point. This one was a bit of snoozer until Kootenay took their foot off the gas and the Broncos got back in it.
The Turning Point – In the shootout Max Reinhart skated in on Bronco goaltender Mark Friesen and was stopped, only to have the puck deflect straight up and down his back and into the net. Easy top ten on the strange goal list.
The Goals – As to be expected Kootenay came out guns a’blazin to start this one and looked to run away with it early. The opened the scoring on a nice, patient move by Brayden McNabb at the blueline who then skated in and found rookie Adam Rossignol who put in his 2nd of the season at 3:12… Seven minutes later Cody Eakin burned his old team on a 2-on-1 early with a wrist shot that beat Mark Friesen through his glove in one he’d like to have back or a shot Eakin knew exactly where to put on his old teammate… The Broncos didn’t cave however and despite missing five regulars got on the board with Hayden Rintoul in the box on a 4-on-3 power play when Taylor Vause corralled a bouncing puck and threw a no-look backhand pass to a waiting Brad Hoban on the doorstep to beat MacKenzie Skapski to make it 2-1… 1:25 into the second Joe Antilla got his 21st of the season after some hard work to get the puck to the point. A Joey Leach shot bounced off him to make it 3-1… Ten minutes later Steele Boomer got his 13th of the season after corralling a puck off the half-wall and fanning on the shot that knuckled over Friesen to make it 4-1… In the third with Boomer off for a weak goaltender interference call, Bronco import forward Stepan Novotny beat Skapski on the backhand for his 21st of the season to keep the Broncos close… They’d get closer with just over four minutes left when Adam Lowry converted a three-on-two rush when he captured his own rebound, a juicy one, and buried it to make it a one-goal game… The collapse was complete when the Broncos pulled Friesen and Graham Black scored his first WHL goal to tie the game on a goal-mouth scramble.
The Local – F Brandon Bruce, a rookie forward with the Broncos who has been a healthy scratch for the last 20 or so games, wasn’t dressed again Friday night. The significance? Bruce is a Cranbrook product and the Broncos didn’t think it much to dress him. Bad form, especially with a line-up riddled with injuries missing five regulars.
The Breakaway/Fight – Another to add to the something I’ve never seen before; with his linemate Adam Rossignol on a clearcut breakaway, Brendan Hurley drops the mitts with Tanner Muth 20 feet away. Rossignol was stopped but at least the play wasn’t blown down before he had a chance to shoot. Hurley ended up on the losing end of the tilt.
The Rookie – Okay, maybe Bruce didn’t play to make room for rookie Graham Black (probably not) who checked in with his first WHL goal with 23 seconds left in the game the 18-year-old scores the tying goal to send the game into OT and complete the comeback. Black was the leading scorer in Saskatchewan AAA Midget with the Regina Pats-Canadiens who signed with the Broncos after they traded acquired him in December from the Oil Kings for a conditional pick. Black was weighing his NCAA options before deciding to sign with the Broncos.
The Goaltender – At one end Mark Friesen shrugged off a slow start to stop 42 of 46 shots to keep his team in the game and got 3rd star honours for his troubles. At the Ice end rookie call-up Mackenzie Skapski was solid in his third start with the Ice but rebounds were a clear issue for the rookie on this night. On that note, if I’m back-up Brett Teskey, what am I thinking? Yeah, I get the experience thing but still, who's the back-up? And this is this year, not next. Skapski will be with the club until the 27th.
The Commish – Had a chance to talk at length with Ron Robison on the evening and about the uncertainty surrounding the Chilliwack Bruins and the relocation rumours as well as the attendance issues in Cranbrook. I’ll have more with that over the weekend. He did clarify one thing; The Jumbotron requirement of all the WHL buildings by the 2012 season is a recommendation rather than a hard requirement. He said that with Lethbridge having their building upgrade completed and Moose Jaw ready to open a new building next season only Kootenay, Swift Current and Medicine Hat do not have Jumbtrons throughout the WHL. The City of Swift Current has it in their budget for next year while Medicine Hat is expected to have a new building in the next two years – at the cost of $80 million – but the Rec Plex will likely be last in line for a Jumbo, when, or if, the City approves it in the budget. I’m not overly hopeful. 2014, at the earliest.
The Crowd – 2590
Rec Plex Three Stars
1. Cody Eakin – goal, dangerous all night
2. Joe Antilla – goal; 21 on the season
3. Mark Friesen – puckstopper kept his club in it
What it means – For the Broncos, they fought to the end but their playoff chances are done with the loss and PA winning tonight. For the Ice, the win clinches fourth in the Eastern Conference and home-ice to start the playoffs March 25. The Tigers beat the Rebels in OT tonight and maintain their four point lead on the Ice for third. The Rebels are six up on the Ice, all with the same amount of four games left. Catching either is mathematically possible but not very probable.
Up Next: Kootenay’s in Spokane tomorrow for a date with the Chiefs.
Game Summary:
Broncos 4 @ Ice 5 (Shootout)
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Swift Current Broncos and Kootenay Ice; March 11, 2011.
It took four shooters in the shootout to do it but the Kootenay Ice finally put the Swift Current Broncos away 5-4 in WHL action Friday night.
Kootenay jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Adam Rossignol, with his 2nd on the year, and Cody Eakin, with his 33rd before Brad Hoban scored to make it 2-1 headed into the second period.
Joe Antilla and Steele Boomer gave the Ice a 4-1 lead with second period markers headed into the third. But the Broncos would claw their way back on goals by Stepan Novotny, Adam Lowry and rookie Graham Black, who scored his first WHL goal with only 23 seconds left to tie the game.
Overtime solved nothing and then in the shootout with both teams tied at one, Max Reinhart beat Bronco goaltender Mark Friesen on a goal Friesen thought he stopped only to have the puck go straight up in the air and come down on his back and trickle into the net, giving the Ice the shootout win.
Mackenzie Skapski got the start for the Ice and the win, stopping 18 of 22 shots while Mark Friesen stopped 42 of 46 shots in a stellar effort, taking the loss.
First Period
1. Kootenay, Rossignol 2 (McNabb, Hurley) 3:12
2. Kootenay, Eakin 33 (McNabb, Skapski) 10:32
3. Swift Current, Hoban 20 (Vause, Verdino) 14:53 (pp)
Penalties -- Boomer Ktn (hooking) 4:44, Craig SC Fraser Ktn (fighting) 7:18, Peddle SC Boomer Ktn (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:48, Rintoul Ktn (cross-checking) 13:06.
Second Period
4. Kootenay, Antilla 21 (Leach, King) 1:25
5. Kootenay, Boomer 13 11:25
Penalties -- Eakin Ktn (hooking) 13:00, Derko SC (tripping) 14:59, Muth SC Hurley Ktn (fighting) 18:39.
Third Period
6. Swift Current, Novotny 21 5:59 (pp)
7. Swift Current, Lowry 18 (Vause, Nedomiel)15:55
8. Swift Current, Black 1 (Lowry, Hoban) 19:37.
Penalties -- Boomer Ktn (goaltender interference) 5:25, Magnus SC (goaltender interference) 6:59, Fraser Ktn Verdino SC (roughing) 8:46, Leach Ktn (interference) 13:34.
Overtime
No Scoring.
Penalties -- None.
Shootout - Kootenay wins 2-1
Swift Current - Hoban (stopped), Black (goal), Novotny (stopped), Bloom (missed).
Kootenay - Ismond (missed), Eakin (goal), Fraser (stopped), Reinhart (goal).
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 13 19 12 2 - 46
Swift Current: 9 3 8 2 - 22
Goal -- Kootenay: Mackenzie Skapski (W,1-1); Swift Current: Mark Friesen (L, 24-34-0-2)
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 0-2
Swift Current: 2-5
Referee -- Steve Papp, Colin Watt. Linesman -- Jim Maniago, Jeff Jobson.
Attendance -- 2590 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Brett Teskey (healthy), Luke Paulsen (shoulder - four weeks), Brock Montgomery (hip - one week).
Swift Current: Jordan Evans, Justin Dowling, Brandon Bruce, Killian Hutt, Ryan Aasman, Dillon Wagner.
Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Chilliwack situation not good
This came from CKNW this morning;
Essentially it's carrying on the theory that the WHL is now in a race to Victoria, before the AHL gets there when/if the NHL's Coyotes move to Winnipeg and the Canuck's affiliate Moose head to the Island.
If anything, the '70% Done' quote should scare the hell out of Kootenay fans. All things being equal, here's a franchise that is up in attendance this season in Chilliwack, looks to be on course to become a better team/franchise, is averaging 3300 a game and bam! - in a blink of an eye they could be as good as gone without so much as a chance protest by their fans.
No save the Bruins campaign; no saviour locally to buy the team, nothing.
Fans of this hockey club in these here parts should be paying careful attention to this situation.
Essentially it's carrying on the theory that the WHL is now in a race to Victoria, before the AHL gets there when/if the NHL's Coyotes move to Winnipeg and the Canuck's affiliate Moose head to the Island.
If anything, the '70% Done' quote should scare the hell out of Kootenay fans. All things being equal, here's a franchise that is up in attendance this season in Chilliwack, looks to be on course to become a better team/franchise, is averaging 3300 a game and bam! - in a blink of an eye they could be as good as gone without so much as a chance protest by their fans.
No save the Bruins campaign; no saviour locally to buy the team, nothing.
Fans of this hockey club in these here parts should be paying careful attention to this situation.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ice send message to Tribe
In a very likely rendition of a first round playoff dance the Kootenay Ice dumped the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-1 last night at the Rec Plex in front of a sparse crowd of 2282.
Highlites - up right away! - are here
while Matt Coxford has a stellar gamer here.
G Nathan Lieuwen had a stellar night stopping 24 of 25 shots in dumping his old roommate in goaltender Thomas Heemskerk. Talk about motivation; Lieuwen has been pulled in two outtings against the Warriors this season - both in MJ; facing his old partner who left the team in December of 2008 due to a lack of ice-time or the the starter's job and, to add some salt to the wound, sported a signed deal with the San Jose Sharks to boot, something that has eluded Lieuwen so far. Throw in the first round opponent chatter and you've got a good mixture for motivation. Stellar stops with the Ice down 1-0 in the first and then another couple of beauties in the second dispersed any questions of goaltending headed into the post-season, at least for now.
A scoring change on the fourth goal, Max Reinhart's 32nd on the year, gave Cody Eakin an apple to move his total on the night to four points, a goal and three helpers. For the time being, Eakin's now a winger as the 8 points over the past two games (2 goals, 6 assists) will attest to. Elgin Pearce and Brayden McNabb added the other two goals. If you're counting, the Ice player of the month for February has 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 21 games, tying Max Reinhart for the team lead in scoring. In the acquired arms race for WHL superstars C Brayden Schenn has potted 19 goals and 27 assists over the same span, if you're keeping track.
McNabb also set a record for scoring by an Ice D-man in a season with a goal and an assist to give him 65 points, besting Mike Busto's mark set four years ago by two points with five games to play. Get this though, due to injury, away at WJC camp and suspension, McNabb set the record in 54 games, while Busto played 70 that year. McNabb will likely have a healthy lead on the old record with still five to play. FYI, Busto is playing in Italy this season for Bolzano. McNabb also tied Busto's goal in a season mark of 20 by a D-man and has five games to set the new mark while also setting a new mark for assists for Ice D-men held by Gerar Dicaire (44 in 02-03). McNabb has also bested Busto's career record for D-men by 9 points (169)and has done it in about 80 less games and won't have a 20-year-old season next year to increase that total.
Warriors top guys Hood, Edwards and Howden were non-existent last night.
More on the relocation saga here today, which clearly indicates that the Chilliwack relocation wheel hasn't stopped turning as stated by one comment posted yesterday. Lots still to blabber on about concerning Kootenay and the attendance but we'll get into that over the weekend. WHL Commissioner Rob Robison is here Friday and I'll be interviewing him for the paper on the latest chatter and the issues faced locally by the Ice.
Kootenay's still got an outside shot at third and even second in the conference but that window is almost closed now as both the Rebels (7-0 over the Cougars) and the Tigers (6-2 over the Hitmen) both won last night. Kootenay is four points back of the Tigers and seven back of the Rebels. One of those teams will get the Wheat Kings to open the playoffs and games three and four of that series will be at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg due to the Royal Manitoba Fair that boots the Wheaties out of their home in Brandon for the first round every season. Could that be the last time there's a WHL game there for a spell? At this time next season it could be the Winnipeg Coyotes/Jets pushing for a NHL Playoff spot.
And hey, all this relocation speculation surrounding Chilliwack, one has to wonder if it's a pre-emptive strike around the board table of the WHL. The very real possibility of the NHL returning to Winnipeg has never been brighter. That would mean the relocation of the AHL's Manitoba Moose - the Canucks AHL affiliate. The most logical choice for that location is Victoria. With all the Canuck-Nation fandom in BC Victoria would surely go ga-ga for the baby Canucks, much more than they do for the second-cousin version of the ECHL Salmon Kings currently there. The AHL would get their two close rivals in Abbotsford and Victoria and scoop up another solid market. The WHL has wanted to return to the Island for years with two teams but Nanaimo can't get a building done, at least not yet. I'm thinking the WHL needs back into the Victoria market before it's gone to the Canucks farm team.
This trail of Dominoes could fall in three different directions and will prove to be an entertaining ride, provided it's not your team doing the moving.
Give the Tigers their last two games against the Hitmen so they'll likely finish with 96 points or better. Kootenay must run the table their last five games, including beating the Tigers in their last match-up of the season, and have the Tiggies drop a game against either the Hurricanes or the Rebels to have a shot at third. The Rebs would have to lose four of their last five in regulation (MH, Swift, Cal, Edm, Edm - not going to happen) so in reality, fourth in the Eastern Conference for the Ice is almost a foregone conclusion.
Lastly, for those wondering, I don't make my living at this gig (writing, blogging or otherwise), just love the sport. It's a side gig that expresses an opinion on the game - whether it be with the Townsman, HockeyNow or here. It's the same reason myself, along with thousands of others, drag themselves out of bed at 5:45AM for minor hockey practice (Peewee) or put up with multitudes of crap via their role as a ref or organize the schedules for the team etc.... Because you have to be passionate for something and mine's this. My real job is in the Forest Industry. And yes, I have been asked the question of making a living out of one so-called sunset industry and having a side-gig in another. I guess Blacksmithing was already too long gone. Maybe fixing typewriters is something I could also do.
Highlites - up right away! - are here
while Matt Coxford has a stellar gamer here.
G Nathan Lieuwen had a stellar night stopping 24 of 25 shots in dumping his old roommate in goaltender Thomas Heemskerk. Talk about motivation; Lieuwen has been pulled in two outtings against the Warriors this season - both in MJ; facing his old partner who left the team in December of 2008 due to a lack of ice-time or the the starter's job and, to add some salt to the wound, sported a signed deal with the San Jose Sharks to boot, something that has eluded Lieuwen so far. Throw in the first round opponent chatter and you've got a good mixture for motivation. Stellar stops with the Ice down 1-0 in the first and then another couple of beauties in the second dispersed any questions of goaltending headed into the post-season, at least for now.
A scoring change on the fourth goal, Max Reinhart's 32nd on the year, gave Cody Eakin an apple to move his total on the night to four points, a goal and three helpers. For the time being, Eakin's now a winger as the 8 points over the past two games (2 goals, 6 assists) will attest to. Elgin Pearce and Brayden McNabb added the other two goals. If you're counting, the Ice player of the month for February has 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 21 games, tying Max Reinhart for the team lead in scoring. In the acquired arms race for WHL superstars C Brayden Schenn has potted 19 goals and 27 assists over the same span, if you're keeping track.
McNabb also set a record for scoring by an Ice D-man in a season with a goal and an assist to give him 65 points, besting Mike Busto's mark set four years ago by two points with five games to play. Get this though, due to injury, away at WJC camp and suspension, McNabb set the record in 54 games, while Busto played 70 that year. McNabb will likely have a healthy lead on the old record with still five to play. FYI, Busto is playing in Italy this season for Bolzano. McNabb also tied Busto's goal in a season mark of 20 by a D-man and has five games to set the new mark while also setting a new mark for assists for Ice D-men held by Gerar Dicaire (44 in 02-03). McNabb has also bested Busto's career record for D-men by 9 points (169)and has done it in about 80 less games and won't have a 20-year-old season next year to increase that total.
Warriors top guys Hood, Edwards and Howden were non-existent last night.
More on the relocation saga here today, which clearly indicates that the Chilliwack relocation wheel hasn't stopped turning as stated by one comment posted yesterday. Lots still to blabber on about concerning Kootenay and the attendance but we'll get into that over the weekend. WHL Commissioner Rob Robison is here Friday and I'll be interviewing him for the paper on the latest chatter and the issues faced locally by the Ice.
Kootenay's still got an outside shot at third and even second in the conference but that window is almost closed now as both the Rebels (7-0 over the Cougars) and the Tigers (6-2 over the Hitmen) both won last night. Kootenay is four points back of the Tigers and seven back of the Rebels. One of those teams will get the Wheat Kings to open the playoffs and games three and four of that series will be at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg due to the Royal Manitoba Fair that boots the Wheaties out of their home in Brandon for the first round every season. Could that be the last time there's a WHL game there for a spell? At this time next season it could be the Winnipeg Coyotes/Jets pushing for a NHL Playoff spot.
And hey, all this relocation speculation surrounding Chilliwack, one has to wonder if it's a pre-emptive strike around the board table of the WHL. The very real possibility of the NHL returning to Winnipeg has never been brighter. That would mean the relocation of the AHL's Manitoba Moose - the Canucks AHL affiliate. The most logical choice for that location is Victoria. With all the Canuck-Nation fandom in BC Victoria would surely go ga-ga for the baby Canucks, much more than they do for the second-cousin version of the ECHL Salmon Kings currently there. The AHL would get their two close rivals in Abbotsford and Victoria and scoop up another solid market. The WHL has wanted to return to the Island for years with two teams but Nanaimo can't get a building done, at least not yet. I'm thinking the WHL needs back into the Victoria market before it's gone to the Canucks farm team.
This trail of Dominoes could fall in three different directions and will prove to be an entertaining ride, provided it's not your team doing the moving.
Give the Tigers their last two games against the Hitmen so they'll likely finish with 96 points or better. Kootenay must run the table their last five games, including beating the Tigers in their last match-up of the season, and have the Tiggies drop a game against either the Hurricanes or the Rebels to have a shot at third. The Rebs would have to lose four of their last five in regulation (MH, Swift, Cal, Edm, Edm - not going to happen) so in reality, fourth in the Eastern Conference for the Ice is almost a foregone conclusion.
Lastly, for those wondering, I don't make my living at this gig (writing, blogging or otherwise), just love the sport. It's a side gig that expresses an opinion on the game - whether it be with the Townsman, HockeyNow or here. It's the same reason myself, along with thousands of others, drag themselves out of bed at 5:45AM for minor hockey practice (Peewee) or put up with multitudes of crap via their role as a ref or organize the schedules for the team etc.... Because you have to be passionate for something and mine's this. My real job is in the Forest Industry. And yes, I have been asked the question of making a living out of one so-called sunset industry and having a side-gig in another. I guess Blacksmithing was already too long gone. Maybe fixing typewriters is something I could also do.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Warriors up for a Playoff Preview
Make no bones about it, tonight's game at the Rec Plex against the Moose Jaw Warriors is for setting the stage.
Or at least it should be.
The Kootenay Ice limped home Sunday morning from Prince Albert with two points in their pocket and at least some semblance of salvage following a 9-2 drubbing Friday in Toon town against the Blades and a less-than-stellar outing two nights earlier in a 4-0 shutout loss to the red-hot Wheat Kings.
The two points should be little consolation from a road trip that should've established the club on firm footing with six games to play before the real season starts. Then again, maybe it did.
The Cody Eakin - the where will we put him now saga - continued Saturday night as the red-headed phenom now finds himself on the wing with Matt Fraser and Max Reinhart. Matt Coxford of the Townsman has a story on the subject here. It's been a subject for debate since Eakin was acquired at the deadline, giving the club five natural centres looking to convert one to the wing. With only two right-handed shooters - both of them natural centres in Pearce and Boomer - in the top nine forwards finding chemistry with the right numbers is still proving difficult. And time is of the essence.
One has to think catching the Tigers for third in the conference is all but a pipe dream now. The Hat has six games left like the Ice but three of those are against the Hitmen, with the other three being Lethbridge, RD and Kootenay. Long-shot scenario is that the Tigers roll over the Hitmen but stumble against the Ice and the Rebels and split one way or the other with the Hurricanes. Kootenay has to run five of six in their remaining games including winning over the Tigers, Warriors (tonite), Broncos, Canes (twice) and Spokane. There's roome for one loss at best for the Ice in their last six to have any hope of third. Kootenay holds the season series tie-breaker with the Tigers with seven points, which is the second tie-breaker after wins. Best MH can get is six between the two.
I still say third is a better goal due to the playoff opponents. I'd much rather take my chances in the first round with Edmonton (obviously) or more likely Brandon than have the better chance of facing Saskatoon in the second round.
On the health front the Ice won't get D Luke Paulsen back from a shoulder injury until sometime in the second round of the playoffs, providing they get that far. Forward Brock Montgomery is still a week away at least with a hip injury.
Curious with all the relocation talk if it will have any affect on the crowds here. There's been a ton of coverage all over the map but not a lot of chatter around here.
Or at least it should be.
The Kootenay Ice limped home Sunday morning from Prince Albert with two points in their pocket and at least some semblance of salvage following a 9-2 drubbing Friday in Toon town against the Blades and a less-than-stellar outing two nights earlier in a 4-0 shutout loss to the red-hot Wheat Kings.
The two points should be little consolation from a road trip that should've established the club on firm footing with six games to play before the real season starts. Then again, maybe it did.
The Cody Eakin - the where will we put him now saga - continued Saturday night as the red-headed phenom now finds himself on the wing with Matt Fraser and Max Reinhart. Matt Coxford of the Townsman has a story on the subject here. It's been a subject for debate since Eakin was acquired at the deadline, giving the club five natural centres looking to convert one to the wing. With only two right-handed shooters - both of them natural centres in Pearce and Boomer - in the top nine forwards finding chemistry with the right numbers is still proving difficult. And time is of the essence.
One has to think catching the Tigers for third in the conference is all but a pipe dream now. The Hat has six games left like the Ice but three of those are against the Hitmen, with the other three being Lethbridge, RD and Kootenay. Long-shot scenario is that the Tigers roll over the Hitmen but stumble against the Ice and the Rebels and split one way or the other with the Hurricanes. Kootenay has to run five of six in their remaining games including winning over the Tigers, Warriors (tonite), Broncos, Canes (twice) and Spokane. There's roome for one loss at best for the Ice in their last six to have any hope of third. Kootenay holds the season series tie-breaker with the Tigers with seven points, which is the second tie-breaker after wins. Best MH can get is six between the two.
I still say third is a better goal due to the playoff opponents. I'd much rather take my chances in the first round with Edmonton (obviously) or more likely Brandon than have the better chance of facing Saskatoon in the second round.
On the health front the Ice won't get D Luke Paulsen back from a shoulder injury until sometime in the second round of the playoffs, providing they get that far. Forward Brock Montgomery is still a week away at least with a hip injury.
Curious with all the relocation talk if it will have any affect on the crowds here. There's been a ton of coverage all over the map but not a lot of chatter around here.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
A Story with legs
As Kootenay hits the road for some key dates with the Wheat Kings Wednesday night and Saskatoon and PA this weekend, the attendance interview Rockets voice Regan Bartel did last week has morphed into relocation talk.
And Kootenay's right in the mix of it.
Cleeve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times-Colonist, who seems to do a WHL-back-to-Victoria piece every six months or so, has a story here about the rampant rumour mill turning in the capital about an imminent announcement this spring about the relocation or expansion of the league to Victoria in time of the 2012-13 season.
Couple of things here; Not to nitpick because Dheensaw's a vet who's covered the Island sports scene for a long time but he really throws a lot of teams against the relocation wall to see what will stick.
Kootenay and PG are among his first thrown out but for the Ice, GM Jeff Chynoweth threw cold water on that with "We're not moving anywhere."
Saskatoon - with an average of 4400 (albeit in a city of over 200,000) - is on the list but isn't going anywhere; Portland? Not now with their ownership. Yes they need a new building but relocation isn't happening; Chilliwack - with the battle their in for fans in the Fraser Valley with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat - is a possibility but I think it's almost as remote as the aforementioned.
The key ingredient in all of this could be Winnipeg and if the NHL goes back. The Moose then will be looking at Victoria for their AHL home and make Abby a more viable AHL market. At the same time it'll hurt Chilliwack but then Victoria won't be an option.
One has to think that if Winnipeg gets an NHL team back, two viable WHL potentials will be gone with one swoop.
Still, the fact that Kootenay's on every relocation list out there, as it was when the club came here in 98, has to make one think. Though I will add that the date - a supposed announcement for the 2012-13 season - is also a non-starter. If there's an announcement of a team moving it'll be done in June after the Memorial Cup. No team would announce that they're moving a year in advance, it would be murder on the pocketbook in terms of fans supporting a franchise that's gone in a year.
And Kootenay's right in the mix of it.
Cleeve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times-Colonist, who seems to do a WHL-back-to-Victoria piece every six months or so, has a story here about the rampant rumour mill turning in the capital about an imminent announcement this spring about the relocation or expansion of the league to Victoria in time of the 2012-13 season.
Couple of things here; Not to nitpick because Dheensaw's a vet who's covered the Island sports scene for a long time but he really throws a lot of teams against the relocation wall to see what will stick.
Kootenay and PG are among his first thrown out but for the Ice, GM Jeff Chynoweth threw cold water on that with "We're not moving anywhere."
Saskatoon - with an average of 4400 (albeit in a city of over 200,000) - is on the list but isn't going anywhere; Portland? Not now with their ownership. Yes they need a new building but relocation isn't happening; Chilliwack - with the battle their in for fans in the Fraser Valley with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat - is a possibility but I think it's almost as remote as the aforementioned.
The key ingredient in all of this could be Winnipeg and if the NHL goes back. The Moose then will be looking at Victoria for their AHL home and make Abby a more viable AHL market. At the same time it'll hurt Chilliwack but then Victoria won't be an option.
One has to think that if Winnipeg gets an NHL team back, two viable WHL potentials will be gone with one swoop.
Still, the fact that Kootenay's on every relocation list out there, as it was when the club came here in 98, has to make one think. Though I will add that the date - a supposed announcement for the 2012-13 season - is also a non-starter. If there's an announcement of a team moving it'll be done in June after the Memorial Cup. No team would announce that they're moving a year in advance, it would be murder on the pocketbook in terms of fans supporting a franchise that's gone in a year.
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