Monday 23 April 2018

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Last Year's Three 20's

Ask any player about being an "elder statesman" as a 20-year-old in the WHL and they will say it's never easy. Not only is it your final year in the league that you've called "home" for a few years, but there is a ton of unpredictability near the end.  Will your team make the playoffs? How deep will they go? And what's the plan to continue playing after the final buzzer goes?

The last batch of WHL graduates to come through the Lethbridge Hurricanes system saw some varying degrees of success on their new adventures.

#1. Tyler Wong
The fan favourite and former Hurricanes captain captured the imagination of many in the hockey world after he scored the first goal in Vegas Golden Knights history, albeit in pre-season play, on his way to a hat-trick in his debut. A few fans were hopeful they would see the 5'9" forward in the NHL before too long with a performance like that. But he wasn't able to replicate the performance at all. The now-22-year-old played in 54 games for the AHL's Chicago Wolves this season, amassing just three goals and four helpers. He also played six games with the ECHL's Quad City Mallards, picking up a goal and assist.


#2. Matt Alfaro
A late-season acquisition from Kootenay in hopes of getting some secondary scoring, Alfaro's career took him back home last season, as he played in 26 games for the University of Calgary. He netted three goals and nine assists in that time for a Dinos club that didn't make it to the playoffs.

#3. Zak Zborosky
Picked up from the Ice in that same late-season deal for Alfaro, Zborosky found himself in a similar situation as his old teammate, just in a different location. The 21-year-old forward played in 18 games for the University of Regina, scoring nine goals and 13 assists to finish second in Cougars scoring. He was also named to the Canada West all-rookie team for his efforts.



A few other 20-year-olds made cameo appearances for the Hurricanes last season and continued on with their hockey careers this past season. Ryley Lindgren was traded to Swift Current during his last WHL season and he played four games for Mount Royal University in Calgary this past season. He was joined on the Cougars by Kord Pankewicz, who found himself as a member of the AJHL's Brooks Bandits to finish off his junior career. And Shaun Dosanjh, who ended up with Portland at the end of last season, played four games with the UBC Thunderbirds.

There's no doubt post-secondary has become a destination of choice for many players who aren't able to go pro, as this list attests. The WHL scholarship program doesn't hurt in those efforts, as players look to continue playing hockey while lining up another possible career choice to fall back on.

Monday 16 April 2018

BY THE NUMBERS: Swift Current or Moose Jaw?

The Lethbridge Hurricanes find themselves in an envious position heading into the third round of the WHL playoffs. They are sitting passenger seat, waiting patiently to find out if they will be playing the Swift Current Broncos or the Moose Jaw Warriors in the conference final.

With Game 7 happening tonight in Moose Jaw, you can bet the Hurricanes are hoping the two combatants go into quadruple overtime and beat the ever-living-you-know-what out of each other. It's no secret that both the Broncos and Warriors loaded up for a deep playoff run and one team will be left disappointed while the other will get to continue.

The trek won't get easier, as the Hurricanes have defied a few odds, or at least the odds that were set out when the club traded captain Giorgio Estephan and goaltender Stuart Skinner to the Broncos. Some fans didn't think the 'Canes would get out of the first round, let alone make it this far. But after five-game series wins over Red Deer and Brandon thanks to balanced scoring, capable defensive play and solid goaltending, no one is writing this team off quite yet.

No player will ever say who they would rather play, but you can't really blame the Hurricanes for not really favouring one team or the other when it comes to tonight's matchup. The Hurricanes finished with just one win against each during the season. The Broncos' offense seemed to have better luck against Lethbridge during the season, putting up six goals in each of the first three games. But those are kind of a wash when you realize those games were played pre-Christmas and thus, pre-blockbuster trade.

READ MORE: The Everlasting Impact of Giorgio and Stuart

As I sifted through the stats for each of the games, particularly the February 2nd 5-2 win over Swift Current and the February 27th 4-3 win over Moose Jaw, a trio of things stood out.

#1. Logan Flodell
He was a star in each of those outings. He had to make 40 saves in the Swift Current game and 37 more in the Moose Jaw game. If the 'Canes want to win in round three, they will likely have to do it on the back of their netminder.

#2. Stay Outta The Box
This probably goes without saying, but in each of the wins, the Hurricanes found themselves shorthanded just three times. With the high-powered powerplays for both teams, you want to force them into rolling all four lines and not find yourself hemmed into your zone for too long.

#3. Balanced Scoring
This goes hand-in-hand with #2 really. The Hurricanes have had some outstanding performances from Brad Morrison, Jordy Bellerive and Taylor Ross so far. But in the wins against the Broncos and Warriors, it was Igor Merezkho and Egor Zudilov, respectively, who had goal and assist efforts. And you know who had a goal in each contest? Keltie Jeri-Leon. The blueline was also a factor in both outings.

The Hurricanes will come into the third round well-rested and prepared for whoever comes out of tonight's game. They're also going in with nothing really to lose as they will undoubtedly be the underdogs. But if all three of the above factors play out, they could play more than just spoiler if the regular season's matchups are any indication.

There might be one storyline that WHL hockey fans are cheering for and that's a Swift Current victory. Why? Imagine the storylines of players "coming home" and "old friends becoming arch-nemeses." The emotional intensity of a best-of-seven with so many familiar faces would, most certainly, be worth the price of admission.

Monday 9 April 2018

Coming Together for Humboldt

There is a special bond that can be built on the team bus.

In the beginning, it’s a motoring couch for players to build friendships and banter mindlessly about the places you have been, the people you have met, and the road you have taken to make it this far in your sporting journey. A movie might be on, a few players might have their cellphones out, but it’s a chance to get to know one another.

By the playoffs, you’re family. Everyone knows everyone. You’re sharing stories of the season, but you’re also into your routines. The mindset has changed from kid-like curiousity about one another to adult-like preparation. Every stop has the potential to see the season continue on victoriously or come to an end in bitter defeat.

Anyone in the sports world will tell you about riding the bus. The stories are endless and will always bring a smile to the faces of those telling them. They were getting to play the game they love and travel with the people they learned to love, all the way from the coaches and trainers to the announcers and drivers. We all know someone who has lived that life.

And I think that’s why it’s been so hard to put into words the grief everyone is feeling after the bus crash in rural Saskatchewan that claimed the lives of 15 members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey family.


Tears have been welled up in my eyes since I first started seeing the emails, tweets and messages. The knot in my stomach and lump in my throat won’t be going away any time soon. It’s a feeling that many Canadians are dealing with.

Many of us didn’t know anyone on the bus or any of the families now dealing with the tragedy. But we all know someone who did. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time in junior hockey, it’s that the hockey world is a small one. In Lethbridge, for example, current Hurricane Logan Barlage hails from the tiny community of 5,900, while local product Logan Boulet has been the focal point of many stories for donating his organs before his death. The sports world, in general, is also pretty small.


That world will undoubtedly struggle to come to grips with what happened. Looking at the pictures of those who have left us and those who are still fighting for their lives makes us feel helpless. Yet, it’s in this time of need when the hockey world and our country have come together.

It has been absolutely heartwarming to see the love and support shown from coast to coast. We’ve come together in the darkest of times to show solidarity, whether it be on the ice in tributes or off the ice with donations and, more importantly, shoulders to cry on.


Sometimes, I think we forget that we are all family. We forget to stop and realize that we’re all just human, whether it’s trying to make our dreams come true or simply trying to make ends meet. In the heat of battle, whether in hockey or in life, we forget that we’re all in this together.

On the team bus, a lot of strategizing is done. There is talk about how to beat the opponent. But there’s also talk about why. It might be for a family member, an injured teammate or another noble cause.


As we mourn the lives of the Broncos’ players and staff lost and think about those who are still fighting for their lives, let’s also remember to thank those who came upon the scene and tried to help them. From the first responders and passersby to the doctors and nurses at the hospital. Let’s also keep the families and friends of those involved in our thoughts, as their journey through this has only just begun. And let us keep coming together, not just in death, but in life, look out for each other and love each other, as we’ll just never know what’s coming down the road.

Let’s do it for the Broncos.

If you wish to donate the GoFundMe campaign set up for them, click here.

Sunday 1 April 2018

Where Are The Alberta WHL Hockey Fans?

WHL hockey fans were treated to some good and some not-so-good hockey through the first four games of the playoffs. We had a few solid toe-to-toe matches and some unbelievable blowouts.

While combing through some of the pictures and videos from the different barns, I couldn't help but notice empty seats in the front rows. This isn't necessarily a "new" problem per se, but it's certainly something I've always been intrigued by.

Let me first say that there are a ton of elements factoring into attendance at games. How the home team is doing, the rivalry with the opponent, the weather, the economy and what else is going on around town all play a part in determining how many butts are in the seats. So I get it.

But when you look at some of the numbers, it's interesting to see what's happening here in Alberta, where it's actually pretty easy to eliminate two of those factors because the situations are almost identical between 2017 and 2018.

With the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Red Deer Rebels, they played each other in both years and the same sequencing for home games. In Lethbridge in 2017, game one drew 4,118 fans while game two saw 3,380. In 2018, game one featured 3,204 while game two had 3,403. So it was down substantially in game one and up slightly in game two. Again, a ton of factors could have been a part of it.

In Red Deer, the drop-off was a little more noticeable. Game three attendance went from 5,017 in 2017 to 4,227 this year and game four dropped from 5,213 down to 4,289. Now, the Rebels were coming off two blowouts at the Enmax Centre so the pessimism might have been a little daunting for a few people in game three and maybe got worse going into game four down 3-0.

The only other Alberta team in the running has also seen a dip at the turnstiles that's pretty hard to ignore. Gregg Drinnan talked about this in one of his recent posts. For the second-straight year, the Medicine Hat Tigers entered the first round against the Brandon Wheat Kings. Again, they had home ice advantage. Attendance in game one in 2017: 3,583. In 2018: 3,050. How about game two? Even worse, from 3,791 down to 2,943. For a city that prided itself on 4,006 in the old arena come playoff time (even if there were a few empty seats), the new Canalta Centre hasn't exactly been helpful in creating a jam-packed, playoff atmosphere in the 'Hat.

I did go around the WHL for a few more examples. Regina and Swift Current recorded packed houses both years, Moose Jaw has seen a noticeable increase from last year, while we don't have a comparitive for Prince Albert. Over in the west, attendance has been stronger than last year in Everett, Seattle, Portland and Tri-City. Kelowna is down slightly, but I attribute that to facing Kamloops last year and Tri-City this year, so the regional enemy is kind of lacking.

Again, I know a lot of factors play into whether people come to the arena to watch a hockey game. There's no denying that the economy has drained a few people of their expendable income. And the weather also hasn't been the greatest. But the numbers don't lie. Through the first four games of the playoffs, Alberta barns weren't packed to the rafters. Make no mistake that, during the off-season, there will be more than a few conversations had in each of this province's markets to figure out how to get more butts in the seats.

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