Going for a trifecta

Lucas Punkari
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Going for a trifecta

If anyone is looking for the key to Tyler Tardi’s success, it might be from planning ahead.

“We have a formula that just seems to work for us when it comes to settling in to where we are playing and getting into our groove before our first round-robin game,” Tardi said.

“It comes down to just finding what’s best for each other and what works best. We’ve seem to have found that and we plan to keep doing that for years to come.”

Whatever their secret is, Tardi and teammate Sterling Middleton have a chance to make history at the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Prince Albert.

The skip and third for British Columbia have won the last two national championships and can become the first men’s players to win three straight national titles.

“That’s always lingering in the back of your mind, especially after we won the provincials and earned the chance to come back to the nationals,” Tardi said.

“We’re just going to take things one step at a time though and hopefully we can achieve our goal once more.”

After finishing in third place in his first trip to the nationals in 2016, Tardi led his provice to a title a year later with a 9-7 win over Matthew Hall of Ontario.

He followed that up in 2018 with an 8-4 triumph over Northern Ontario’s Tanner Horgan and captured his first world title later that winter with a 6-5 extra end triumph over Scotland’s Ross Whyte.

“The way both weeks came together were pretty different,” said Middleton, who has been the third on the Tardi rink for the last two seasons.

“When we won in Victoria in 2017, we only lost one game all week and we played well to earn a bye straight into the final. Last year’s juniors (which were held in Shawinigan, Que.) were more of a grind. Tyler was sick during the week and we ended up winning a lot of close games that could have gone either way early, but we really played well in the playoffs once we got there.”

Lucas Punkari/Daily Herald British Columbia second Matthew Hall and third Sterling Middleton sweep a rock Friday as they prepare for the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships.

The rink has also added some more experience as Hall headed out to British Columbia after playing for Ontario at the last three nationals.

“Our team had a discussion at the end of last year and we just weren’t having fun together anymore, so it pretty much ran its course for that group,” Hall said. “I knew that they were looking for a new second as (Jordan Tardi) was aging out, so I went out on a limb and asked if they needed someone, which led to me moving out there.

“It was a little weird to open up the boxes that our uniforms were in last night and to see the British Columbia colours, but the goal is still the same at the end of the day and I’m excited to play with a great group of guys.”

Alex Horvath, who is joining the rink at lead this year, also has experience at this event as he played in the same position on Cameron De Jong’s team in 2014.

British Columbia will open up their Pool A slate at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre against Trygg Jensen of the Yukon.

The rest of the group consists of Ontario’s Samuel Steep, Alberta’s Desmond Young, Newfoundland & Labrador’s Gregg Blyde, Saskatchewan’s Rylan Kleiter and Nunvaut’s Javen Komaksiutiksak.

Pool B features Horgan, Manitoba’s J.T. Ryan, Nova Scotia’s Graeme Weagle, Quebec’s Vincent Roberge, New Brunswick’s Jack Smeltzer, Prince Edward Island’s Tyler Smith and the Northwest Territories’ Sawer Kaeser.

Making a difference

Lucas Punkari
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Making a difference

A battle between two crosstown rivals will have a much bigger meaning to it Tuesday night.

The Carlton Crusaders and St. Mary Marauders senior girls’ basketball teams will take to the court at St. Mary School at 7 p.m. as the Marauders will host the “Swish for a Cure” game that will see all proceeds go the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital Foundation.

“We got invited to take part in the game that the North Battleford Vikings hosted a year ago and now we’re paying it forward,” Marauders coach Dwayne Gareau said. “We’ve invited the Crusaders to take part in the evening and we’ll be paying for their pink jerseys that they will wear when they host the Pink Game next year, just like the Vikings did for us last year.”

“This is the first time that I’ve been involved in an evening like this and I think it’s fantastic to see everyone coming together to help out our community,” Crusaders coach Kelsey Pearson added. “My dad (Richard Rink) is the longtime coach at Wynyard and they were one of the first teams to be involved in the game, so he gave me a really good idea of everything that’s involved with it and what to expect.”

The funds from the game, which will also include a silent auction and a halftime performance from local dance studios, will go towards purchasing Continuous Ambulatory Delivery Device (CADD) pumps that help cancer patients receive medication during their treatments.

“Malcolm Jenkins has come forward and will match whatever we raise to help towards the CADD pumps, so to have his support and everyone else in the community has been awesome,” Gareau said. “It should be a really memorable evening.”

The Marauders brought out their pink jerseys for the first time this past Friday on their home court, as they took on the Crusaders during a quarter-final game of the Kelly Smith “Big 12” Memorial Tournament.

“We really wanted to raise more awareness for the event, so we felt like it would be a good time to bring the uniforms out,” Gareau said. “We’re still shirts and accepting donations for the evening, but we want people to know that they should get to the gym a bit before the game starts at 7 p.m., as we expect it to be well-attended.”

Although the home tournament didn’t quite go the Marauders way as they ended up in the consolation round, the team is looking to build on their consistency for the remainder of the season, starting with a tournament in Regina this weekend.

“Our girls are a little bit on the younger side when it comes to on-court experience, so our biggest thing right now is just finding a balance and having a good showing against the top teams in the province,” Gareau said.

“We did the small things well at home, but we still need to have a complete game. I think going down to Regina should help with that, especially as we play the defending provincial 5A champions (the LeBoldus Golden Suns) on their home court.”

Meanwhile, the Crusaders are coming off a fourth place result this past weekend, as they lost in the bronze medal game to the Melfort Comets.

“Even though we won a tournament down in Swift Current earlier this year, I thought this was our best weekend of the season,” Pearson said. “We were playing as a team and we were playing with confidence.

“It seemed like everything was clicking for us and hopefully this is just the start of a strong push for the girls as we get ready for the Moose Jaw Invitational Tournament this weekend.”

Tickets to Tuesday’s game are $5 for adults and $2 for students, while children 12 years of age or under will get in for free.

A different look

Lucas Punkari
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A different look

Right after the Prince Albert Raiders skated off the ice Saturday following a 7-3 win over the Calgary Hitmen, work began to do a complete makeover to the Art Hauser Centre.

Work crews took to the playing surface and started to remove all of the glass around the stands, as the venue switches over from being the home to hockey teams to being one of the host venues for the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships, which gets underway Saturday morning.

Leading the way for turning the rink into a five-sheet curling facility are veteran icemakers Jayson Braaten and Darren Gress, who came to town Sunday morning.

“Once we arrived here, we got some help from the rink crew here as we got a level on the ice surface and then we brought the Zamboni out to take out as many hills that we can to have a level playing surface for the curlers,” Braaten said.

“We did a flood on Sunday night and then we painted the surface white on Monday, in addition to adding all of the colours for the rings and everything else. Now we’re just doing a number of floods now for each of the levels that go with the ice.”

Although the Art Hauser Centre is almost 50 years of age, Braaten believes that won’t play any issues when it comes to hosting a major event like the Canadian Juniors.

“All rinks have their quirks, but they have a great dehumidifier system here and everything looks great in here,” Braaten said. “We’re hoping it doesn’t get 40 below zero outside, but we’ll see what happens.

“Obviously the weather plays a big role, but it’s just a matter of keeping the building warm. I’m sure everything will be fine there and everyone will be comfortable in the building during the week.”

Although there isn’t as much of a change taking place at the Prince Albert Golf & Curling Club, they finished up their regular club play Tuesday to get their sheets ready for the tournament this weekend.

“They have a couple of dandy icemakers there to look after everything as we speak,” Braaten said.

“John Toner (who is the co-director of facilities for the host committee) has done a great job of getting volunteers here to help us out in getting everything ready.”

Organizers putting on finishing touches ahead of Canadian Juniors

Lucas Punkari
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Organizers putting on finishing touches ahead of Canadian Juniors

It’s been a whirlwind of activity over the last couple of weeks for those involved with the 2019 New Holland Canadian Juniors, as they prepared to welcome the top young curlers in Canada to Prince Albert ahead of Saturday’s opening draws.

“It’s really felt like a blur at times,” event chair Bryan Rindal said during a pre-tournament press conference at the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club Friday. “Everything’s coming together and I’m so proud of the work that our staff and our volunteers have done to take this event on.

“We know there’s some last minute things that we will need to take care of over the next few days, but we’re all looking forward to everything starting Saturday and getting a chance to enjoy the event.”

The committee chairs and directors have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes over the last few months, along with a group of 300 volunteers that held their orientation kick-off event at the Art Hauser Centre Sunday.

“There’s been a lot of hours that have put in just to get to where we are now,” Rindal said.

“With more of the volunteers getting involved now, I think you’ll start to see more of the excitement building here in Prince Albert. Hopefully we see that spill over into people filling the stands, especially as we have some of the curling starts of tomorrow coming here.”

Friday’s press conference also served as way to pay thanks to some of the event’s sponsors.

Lake Country Co-op presented a $35,000 cheque to the organizing committee and Farm World announced that a brand new New Holland Workmaster 25S sub-compact tractor will be won by a fan during the men’s final on Sunday, Jan. 27.

“It’s a general rule of thumb that the sponsorships should help to cover almost any expenses that you may have, with the 50/50 and tickets sales being an added bonus,” Rindal said.

“We’ve designated any profits to go towards the new flooring and renovations here at the Golf and Curling Club. We celebrated our 50th anniversary last year, and as anyone who owns a house knows, you need to freshen things up as time goes along.”

The preparations to turn the Art Hauser Centre into a curling facility are already in full swing as work crews began to take out the glass along the board following Saturday’s home game for the Prince Albert Raiders.

“To see it being changed over is pretty amazing,” Rindal said. “We see what it looks like on TV, but to be able to watch the doing it really fascinating.

“We’re inviting people to come check it out as it goes along, in addition to the practices at both facilities on Friday. That’s free of charge and hopefully it will get people excited about the event.”

There won’t be as much of a turnover needed to get things ready at the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club, though they will conclude their regular league play Tuesday.

Tickets packages for the entire tournament, which runs from Jan. 19-27, cost $135 and can be purchased at BTR Financial Planning, Perry’s Automotive and the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club.

Day passes, which are good for both venues, cost $20 and individual draw tickets cost $10.

Dramatic finish earns Bears a weekend split with the Hounds

Lucas Punkari
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Dramatic finish earns Bears a weekend split with the Hounds

The Prince Albert Northern Bears couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu at the Kinsmen Arena Sunday.

Having dropped the first half of their weekend series to the Notre Dame Hounds by a score of 3-2 Saturday, the Bears were once again trailing by an identical score as the clock wound down.

A late power-play proved to be beneficial, as Brooklyn Anderson capitalized on a scramble in front of Hounds goalkeeper Rayanne McKenzie to tie the game with 23 seconds to go.

It only took a minute and 37 seconds of play in overtime for the Bears to complete the comeback as Miranda Heidt scored on a nearly identical play to give her team a dramatic 4-3 win.

“After we won the draw, Jasper (Desmarais) made a beautiful pass over to me,” Heidt said. “I thought she was going to shoot it, so I knew that I had better score after she made that pass.

“Our team really came together at the end of this game compared to yesterday and I think that showed in the final result.”

This marked the second straight weekend that the two sides had gone head-to-head.

The Hounds had won a 2-1 overtime affair at the Duncan McNeill Arena in Wilcox on Friday, Jan. 4, but the Bears would rebound the following afternoon with a 5-1 triumph.

“I think after these four games and the one that we had at the (Mandi Schwartz) tournament down there, the goal difference between us is pretty much equal,” Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby said. “We’ve had some pretty good battles out there with them and it’s incredible to see how close both teams are after all those games.”

“It always feels like it’s a back and forth battle every time we play them,” Heidt added. “They always put up a fight and it’s a great feeling to be able to pull out a win like we did today.”

Tori MacDonald and Kate Ball also scored for the Bears Sunday, who improved their record to 12-8-2 on the season and are now four points ahead of the Swift Current Wildcats for third place in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League standings.

Kailee Peppler led the way on offence with a pair of assists, while Lexi Beuker made 32 saves.

The Hounds, who are seventh in the standings with a 6-9-3 mark and are three points back of the Melville Prairie Fire, got a goal and an assist from Raea Gilroy.

Ally Kosteniuk and Kaitlyn Gilroy also scored in the loss, which saw McKenzie turn aside 18 shots.

Lyndsey Janes turned an impressive performance on Saturday for the Hounds as she scored twice and helped to setup Kaitlyn Gilroy’s marker.

Kailey Ledoux was the pacesetter for the Bears as she found the back of the net and also had an assist on a goal by Heidt.

Kaitlyn Ross made 27 saves to earn the victory, while Scout Anderson turned aside 22 shots for the hosts.

The Bears are now gearing up for a trip to Shellbrook on Saturday as they’ll take on the Prairie Fire at 3 p.m. as part of the community’s annual Hockey Day in Shellbrook.

“We’re looking forward to being a part of the event,” Willoughby said.

“It’s always great when we can bring the league out to a location where they don’t have a team, especially as we usually have some pretty good crowds come out to watch the girls.”

The two sides will then square off at the Kinsmen Arena at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Raiders conclude homestand in convincing fashion

Lucas Punkari
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Raiders conclude homestand in convincing fashion

A night after stopping the Portland Winterhawks’ six-game win streak, the Prince Albert Raiders did the exact same thing to the Calgary Hitmen.

The hottest team in the Western Hockey League were unable to slow down the Raiders’ attack Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre, as the hosts picked up a 7-3 victory and improved their record to 37-5-0-1 in the process.

“Our first period (where the Raiders scored twice and outshot the Hitmen by a 15-4 margin) was probably one of our best of the year,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said. “We were playing fast, we weren’t missing a pass and you could tell that the guys had their mojo back.

“We were playing the right way tonight. Our energy and execution was good and it felt like we were in sync.”

One of the players who helped to generate chances for the Raiders was assistant captain Parker Kelly, who led the offence with two goals and an assist.

Although it had only been two games since his last goal, the Ottawa Senators’ prospect was starting to wonder what it would take to find the back of the net as he had been stymied on numerous chances against the Winterhawks and Hitmen.

“When you get a lot of opportunities like that and you can’t score, it really starts to feel like it’s been a lifetime since you’ve put one in, especially when you miss some open nets and hit a few posts,” Kelly said.

Although Habscheid jokingly offered him the use of a goalie stick to try and score after he hit the post late in the second period, Kelly didn’t need it in the third as he lit the lamp twice in the final frame.

“We actually talked this morning and he told me to not get to down on myself,” Kelly said. “He said he’d only be concerned if I wasn’t getting the chances, and luckily I was able to score on a couple tonight.”

Dante Hannoun also got the monkey off his back Saturday as he wired a shot home in the second period to record his first goal as a member of the Raiders.

“It was pretty special to get that one,” said Hannoun, who also had an assist on one of Kelly’s third period goals. “We were battling hard along the boards and (Zack Hayes) made a good play to get the puck out. I was just lucky enough to be there and get the shot on net.”

“I thought he played really well tonight,” Habscheid said. “You can tell that he’s more used to our speed and pace out there, which has allowed him to generate some chances.”

Cole Fonstad and Ozzy Wiesblatt had a goal and an assist each for the Raiders, while Sergei Sapego had a pair of assists.

Brayden Pachal and Brett Leason also scored in the triumph, which saw Ian Scott make 21 saves.

The 21-17-3-1 Hitmen, who have lost all three meetings to the Raiders this year, got a two-goal outing from Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Riley Stotts.

Former Raider Luke Coleman also scored for the visitors, who received a 34-save performance from rookie netminder Jack McNaughton.

With the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships now taking over the Art Hauser Centre, the Raiders will head out on the road for the next six games, as they’ll start their adventure through British Columbia on Wednesday against the Prince George Cougars.

“That trip can be a bit of a culture shock if you are new to the league,” Kelly said. “You get to play in bigger buildings and in front of more fans, plus it’s a long 12 days being away from home.

“I’m sure us older guys will be giving the rookies some pointers, but it will be a great experience for everyone.”

The Raiders will be back at home on Friday, Feb. 1 for a date with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Post-Game Notes

Thanks to their seven-goal outing Saturday, the Raiders are now two markers away from cracking the 200 goal mark for the campaign.

Only the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL have surpassed that plateau this year, as they’ve found the back of the net on 214 occasions.

Brayden Pachal’s 11th goal of the season briefly gave him the outright lead among all blueliners in the WHL, but he was again surpassed by Bowen Byram as the Vancouver Giants defenceman scored twice Saturday.

Bryce Bader and Loeden Schaufler did not dress for the Raiders Saturday, while the Hitmen scratched Tye Carriere, Jake Kryski and Carl Stankowski.

Saturday’s Scores

  • Brandon 3 Moose Jaw 2 (Jiri Patera – 27 Saves)
  • Red Deer 9 Regina 4 (Brandon Hagel – Three Goals and Two Assists – Second Hat Trick This Season and Fifth Career)
  • Portland 5 Saskatoon 4 (Mason Mannek – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Seattle 5 Swift Current 3 (Sean Richards – Two Goals)
  • Lethbridge 3 Kootenay 2 (Jordy Bellerive – One Goal and One Assist)
  • Edmonton 2 Medicine Hat 1 (Vince Loschiavo Overtime Winner – Mads Sogaard – 32 Saves)
  • Prince George 4 Kelowna 0 (Ethan Browne – Three Assists – Taylor Gauthier – 20 Saves – Third Shutout This Season)
  • Vancouver 7 Kamloops 4 (Bowen Byram – Two Goals and Three Assists)
  • Spokane 8 Tri-City 3 (Jaret Anderson-Dolan – Three Assists)
  • Everett 3 Victoria 0 (Dustin Wolf – 29 Saves – Fourth Shutout This Season and Eighth Career)

Sunday’s Schedule

  • Brandon vs. Swift Current – 4 p.m.
  • Lethbridge vs. Edmonton – 6 p.m.
  • Victoria vs. Vancouver – 6 p.m.

Leason and Scott reflect on experience at World Juniors

Lucas Punkari
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Leason and Scott reflect on experience at World Juniors

Although they weren’t able to come away with a medal from the 2019 World Juniors, the chance to play for Team Canada is something that Prince Albert Raiders teammates Ian Scott and Brett Leason won’t forget.

“It’s something you dream about since you’re a little kid,” Scott said. “You grow up and hope that you have a chance to play in the tournament, so it was really special to have that happen.

“When you get the chance to put on the Canada jersey, it’s a proud moment,” Leason added. “It was a really fun experience for me and I really enjoyed every day that I was out there.”

Leason, who led the Raiders in scoring with 66 points in 34 games going into Friday’s home game with the Portland Winterhawks, had a slight scare before the tournament began as he blocked a shot with his hand during the third and final scrimmage at Canada’s selection camp in Victoria.

“Obviously my hand was a bit sore after that, but it turned out to be a little stinger so I felt like I would be okay for the tournament,” Leason said. “With that said, I put in a lot of extra work in order to get back on the ice.

“I think everything really started to hit me as I was getting ready for that first game of the round-robin against Denmark. You start think about what the opportunity that you have and everyone you are playing for. That was a truly memorable moment.”

During the tournament, Leason showed why he’s being talked about as a first round pick in this year’s NHL Draft, as he recorded three goals and two assists in five games.

“ I was lucky enough to play for most of the tournament with (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds teammates) Morgan Frost and Barrett Hayton,” Leason explained.

“They are both smaller guys, but they are really skilled playmakers and really did well together. Unfortunately, we just weren’t able to do enough on offence to get past the quarter-finals.”

Photo Courtesy of Hockey Canada Ian Scott turns aside a shot during Canada’s 3-2 win over Switzerland during round-robin play at the World Juniors

Scott, who had a 24-4-0-1 record with a 1.73 goals against average, a .939 save percentage and four shutouts heading into this weekend’s games, served as the backup to Ottawa 67’s netminder Michael DiPietro at the tournament.

He did get the start in one round-round game, as he turned aside 15 shots in a 3-2 win over Switzerland.

“When you step on the ice and see all of the fans around the rink, you get chills,” Scott said.

“I was pretty happy with how I played against Switzerland. It was a slower paced game, but when you are up against international competition you have to be ready at all times because anyone can score when they have a chance.”

Away from the ice, Scott was able to receive his 2018 Calder Cup ring from his stint with the Toronto Marlies at the tournament, as he met up with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas.

“Kyle happened to be staying at the same hotel that my family was at, so we got we were able to meet up around New Year’s and he presented me with the ring then,” said Scott, who signed his entry level contract with the Maple Leafs prior to the tournament.

“That was a really cool moment for everyone, but I think my dad might have been the most excited out of all us. He sees all of the NHL general managers on TV, so it was pretty neat for him to get to meet Kyle in person.”

While both players are now gearing up to help the Raiders win their first Western Hockey League title since 1985, Leason will soon have another opportunity to showcase his skills on a big stage.

He will represent the team at the 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, which will be held in Red Deer on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

“I think there’s a lot that I can take away from the World Juniors towards events like that and other opportunities that might come my way in the future,” Leason said.

“When you get to the international stage, everyone’s a step faster than what you see on a regular basis here in the WHL. You realize right away of the level that you need to play at, especially at an event like the World Juniors.”

Raiders end Winterhawks winning ways

Lucas Punkari
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Raiders end Winterhawks winning ways

The Portland Winterhawks were the hottest team in the Western Hockey League heading into Friday night as they were on a six-game win streak.

Following 60 minutes of play, the Prince Albert Raiders had put an end to that recent run of form.

Brett Leason broke open a 2-2 affair near the midway point of the third period and Sean Montgomery would seal the deal with a late empty netter as the Raiders came away with a 4-2 triumph at the Art Hauser Centre.

“We played a full 60 minutes tonight,” Leason said. “We can still sharpen things up when it comes to our discipline and we can improve a few things on our special teams, but I thought we had a really good game.

“Both teams play fast and have a lot of skill, so it was pretty back and forth out there. I felt like we dominated the game when it was five-on-five, but they hung around all night and kept things close until the very end.”

After a wild opening frame that saw both teams score twice and dueling glove saves by Ian Scott and Joel Hofer, neither side was able to break through until Leason sniped a shot past Hofer for his first WHL goal since a game in Swift Current on Dec. 4.

“It’s been awhile since I scored,” Leason said. “It felt nice to finally get one and have some luck go my way.”

“He’s not here to block shots that’s for sure,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid joked. “Brett didn’t quite have that jump in his game (after coming back from the World Juniors) but he was a lot better tonight and that goal should really help him gain some confidence.”

While some of the penalties that were called against the Raiders left Habscheid perplexed, he was pleased with the team’s penalty kill as they stymied five of the Winterhawks’ six power play chances.

“Other than when they scored on the five-on-three, we didn’t give them a lot of opportunities,” Habscheid said. “We’re definitely happy with how our guys played, especially when your up against two talented guys like (Joachim) Blichfeld and (Cody) Glass.”

“You have to play hard against guys like them because they are always capable of making plays,” Raiders blueliner Zack Hayes added. “A lot of our focus tonight was just on being in the proper position out there. If we are playing well in our zone, they can’t score.”

Hayes and Leason had a goal and an assist each for the 36-5-0-1 Raiders, while Noah Gregor had a pair of assists.

Cole Fonstad joined Montgomery in finding the back of the net and Scott turned aside 27 shots to set a new single-season high in wins with 25.

Jake Gricius and Seth Jarvis both scored for the 25-11-3-2 Winterhawks, who received a 23-save performance from Hofer as he made his debut for the club following a trade with the Swift Current Broncos Wednesday.

The Raiders will wrap up a five-game home stand Saturday as the Calgary Hitmen will come to town for a 7 p.m. affair.

Post-Game Notes

Not only did the Raiders prevent the Winterhawks’ from having a chance to sweep their East Division road swing, they also picked up their first home win over Portland since a 7-0 affair on Oct. 21, 2008.

The Raiders went 4-1 this year against U.S. Division sides at the Art Hauser Centre, with their only loss coming in a 4-1 affair on Wednesday against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Joachim Blichfeld and Jake Gricius were both able to extend their point streaks to seven games Friday for the Winterhawks, though forward Lane Gilliss saw his seven-game run come to an end.

Bryce Bader and Loeden Schaufler did not dress for the Raiders after joining the team in trades on Thursday, while the newly-acquired Boston Bilous served as the backup to Scott.

The Winterhawks scratched Brendan De Jong, Haydn Delorme, Tyson Kozak and Kade Nolan.

Friday’s Scores

  • Seattle 7 Moose Jaw 2 (Andrej Kukuca – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Calgary 4 Saskatoon 3 (Mark Kastelic Overtime Winner – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Red Deer 5 Brandon 3 (Brett Davis – One Goal and Three Assists)
  • Edmonton 5 Lethbridge 1 (Scott Atkinson – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Medicine Hat 5 Regina 2 (Brett Kemp – Two Goals)
  • Prince George 7 Kelowna 2 (Josh Maser – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Victoria 4 Kamloops 1 (Scott Walford – One Goal and One Assist)
  • Tri-City 4 Everett 3 (Sasha Mutala – One Goal and One Assist)

Pre-Game Notes

As a result of the Portland Winterhawks’ loss to Prince Albert and their own 4-3 overtime victory over the Saskatoon Blades Friday, the Hitmen are now the hottest team in the WHL as they have won their last six outings.

The Hitmen have a 21-16-3-1 record to sit in fifth place in the Central Division and enter Saturday’s slate of games with an eight point lead over the Brandon Wheat Kings for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Goaltender Carl Stankowski and forward Tye Carriere are both not expected to play as they are sidelined for at least two more weeks with injuries.

Saturday’s Schedule

  • Brandon vs. Moose Jaw – 7 p.m.
  • Calgary vs. Prince Albert – 7 p.m.
  • Red Deer vs. Regina – 7 p.m.
  • Portland vs. Saskatoon – 7 p.m.
  • Seattle vs. Swift Current – 7 p.m.
  • Kootenay vs. Lethbridge – 8 p.m.
  • Edmonton vs. Medicine Hat – 8:30 p.m.
  • Kelowna vs. Prince George – 9 p.m.
  • Tri-City vs. Spokane – 9 p.m.
  • Everett vs. Victoria – 9 p.m.

Mintos win wild affair against Stars

Lucas Punkari
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Mintos win wild affair against Stars

Thursday’s Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League contest between the Battlefords Stars and Prince Albert Mintos is one that would take quite awhile to describe for those who weren’t at the Art Hauser Centre.

Down 3-0 early in the second period, the Mintos would then score four times in the middle stanza to take the lead and would hold on for an 8-6 triumph.

Down 3-0 early in the second period, the Mintos would then score four times in the middle stanza to take the lead and would hold on for an 8-6 triumph.

“I thought we got off to a pretty good start, but we had some tough breaks to fall behind early. We stay focused and we were able to rebound with a strong offensive effort.”

Although the Mintos were able to fire 55 shots on Stars netminder Joseph Young, their defensive play left a bit to be desired as head coach Ken Morrison watched his squad give up six goals on 27 shots.

“We’re not going to beat any of the good teams in our league if we’re giving up six goals a night,” Morrison said. “It looked like shinny out there at times and to give up that many goals was hard to take.”

Klassen, a first round pick by the Portland Winterhawks in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft, led the way for the Mintos on offence as he scored two goals and had three assists.

“I felt like he was holding on to the puck a little bit too long against Moose Jaw as he was looking to make the pass instead of taking a shot on goal,” Morrison said.

“He took advantage of his chances tonight and he had another strong game for us.”

Andrew Schaab had a pair of goals in the win, while Dawson Springer and Cooper Chisholm both had two assists on the evening.

Cohner Saleski had a goal and an assist each for the Mintos, who improved their record to 16-14-1-0 and are tied with the Notre Dame Hounds for fifth place in the standings.

Jake Huska, Logan Cox and Chase Bertholet also scored for the hosts, who received a 21-save showing from Spencer Welke.

Shayde Peterson had two goals and an assist for the 9-18-2-0 Stars, who are in 10th place in the league table and are eight points back of the Beardy’s Blackhawks for the final playoff spot in the league.

Luke Fennig, Carson Dobson, Josh Groenwold and Eric Robbie also found the back of the net for the visitors, while Young turned aside 47 shots.

With the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships coming to town, the Mintos will now be out of the Art Hauser Centre for the rest of January.

They will start off a five game road trip Sunday as they’ll visit the Tisdale Trojans.

Strong start for Silvernagle rink at Meridian Canadian Open

Lucas Punkari
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Strong start for Silvernagle rink at Meridian Canadian Open

The bright lights of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling haven’t fazed Robyn Silvernagle’s rink this week.

The North Battleford based squad, which includes Prince Albert’s Kara Thevenot at lead, have posted a 2-1 record following the first three days of action at the Meridian Canadian Open, which is being held at the North Battleford Civic Centre.

Silvernagle, who also curls with third Stefanie Lawton and second Jessie Hunkin, curled 90 percent Wednesday morning in a 6-3 win over Tracy Fleury’s rink from Winnipeg.

They followed that up with a 9-5 extra-end win over Nina Roth of the United States Thursday morning, but lost 8-3 to Ottawa’s Rachel Homan in an ‘A’ event final Thursday afternoon.

The team has a second chance to reach the playoffs in the triple knockout competition Friday afternoon, as they’ll play Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in a ‘B’ event final.

The Canadian Open runs through Sunday and is airing nationally on CBC and Sportsnet.

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