Rebels Weekend

Game night thread:

Red Deer Rebels (8-8) vs Everett Silvertips (7-4) - 7:30 p.m. (Enmax Centrium)

-I'll have the pregame show for you starting at 7 p.m. (www.1067thedrive.fm)

-With a win, the Rebels will climb above the .500 mark for the first time since September the 25th. (a 4-2 victory over Lethbridge)

Last night, the Rebels looked good in a 4-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. Here's the summary:

1. R.D Cowen, (4) (Green, Coetzee), 12:38
1. R.D Cowen, (5) (Coetzee, Morin), 12:56
2. R.D Green, (7) (Kudrna, Ferraro), 2:28
2. R.D Coetzee, (9) (Nugent-Hopkins, Green), 4:39 (PP)
2. M.H Gal, (5) , 13:04 (SH)
3. M.H King, (8) (MacKay, Kundratek), 4:22

The lineup for tonight is as follows:

-Darcy Kuemper makes his 2nd straight start. he stopped 42 shots last night.

Kudrna - Green - Ferraro
Cowen - Nugent-Hopkins - Coetzee
Redmond - Ferguson - Persson
Mayor/Elson - Kambeitz - Siwak


Some evening notes.

-Former Rebel Brandon Sutter scored his first of the season for the Carolina Hurricanes this afternoon in a 6-1 loss to Philly. Even though they lost by five, Brandon had 6 shots on goal and was a +1 in 12:55 of ice time.

Red Deer's Matt Fraser (Kootenay Ice) has started a fundraiser to raise money for Cranbrook's regional hospital. He also has a pretty entertaining blog on the ice website. Check both out here:

http://www.kootenayice.net/?pID=2&nID=1290#1290

Thursday Blogging

Due to my computer crashing with a nasty virus, (probably H1N1) I did not blog after the Seattle - Red Deer game on Tuesday. Here are some thoughts on Red Deer's 4-3 shootout win.

First , the summary:


1. R.D Green, (5) (Coetzee, Kudrna), 7:46
1. R.D Borejko, (1) (Nugent-Hopkins), 18:53

2. SEA Jacobs, (4) (Rouse, Ramsay), 8:14
2. SEA Nielsen, (1) (Rai, Parker), 13:45
2. SEA Parker, (6) (Chaffin, Elliot), 14:55

3. R.D Green, (6) (Coetzee, Morin), 18:46 (PP)


Shootout - RD 1/3 (Coetzee) SEA 0/3

-Rebels get off to a great start in the first. With the way SEA has struggled to score goals, a 2-0 lead was a nice cushion to have after one. Noone told the T-Birds that though, as they roared back with three straight in the second.

-In the third, the Rebs had all kinds of pressure, but when you only give yourself 20 minutes for a comeback, you take a risk of the other goaltender stealing a game, and Calvin Pickard almost did just that. He made 39 saves, finally surrendering a goal to Green with 1:14 to go. Pickard is the best goaltender I have seen in the WHL this year.

-RD's Kraymer Barnstable made his first home start, and was very good, especially in OT and the shootout. I wouldn's be surprised to see him start once over the weekend.

-With his two assists (he had a dissallowed goal as well) Willie Coetzee has 26 points in 15 games, second in the league behind CGY's Brandon Kozun

-Landon Ferraro is getting very close to a return. We MAY see him Friday night. He's been skating all week.

-The 4-3 shootout win was the first time all season that Red Deer has gone to overtime.

-the win moves the Rebels to 7-8, good for 14 points, all alone in 4th in the Central Division. If the playoffs started today, Red Deer would be 9th in the East, on the outside looking in.

-Rebels take on Med Hat Friday night, and Everett Saturday.
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In the last post, I wrote about the arrest of Red Deer boxer Cam O'Connell. Here are some additional thoughts I penned for the Red Deer Express


http://www.reddeerexpress.com/article/20091028/EXP1101/310289980/-1/EXP11/boxing-club-faces-tough-test-following-oconnell-arrest

-The Western Canada U16 Challenge begins this afternoon in Blackfalds. the four-day tourney features the best 15 year-old players from the four Western provinces. Manitoba and Saskatchewan face off at 4 p.m., while Alberta takes on B.C. at 7 p.m.

Playing for Team Alberta - Rebels Bantam Draft selections Matt Dumba, Mason Burr, Joel Hamilton, and Davin Stener. In addition, the three players who were selected ahead of Dumba in the first round are playing as well:

Dereck Pouliot - first overall - SK
Morgan Reilly - second overall - SK
Griffin Reinhardt - third overall - BC


-Former Rebel Martin Hanzal (85 points in 58 games back in 2006-07) scored his first of the season in a 4-1 Pheonix win over Columbus. Hanzal, with his strong skating, 6'5'' frame, and long reach, has been used in an increasing shutdown-defensive role, and Coyotes broadcaster Darren Pang told me last year, "I think he can win a Selke in the coming years".

-Red Deer's Brandon Sutter was called up by the Carolina Hurricanes last week, replacing the suspended Tuomo Ruttuu. Hopefully, Brandon has seen the last of the AHL. He, along with fellow former WHL'ers Zach Boychuck and Drayson Bowman had all been eplaying exceptionally well for Albany.

Unfortunate Story

A story that I unfortunately had to break this morning:

THREE RED DEER MEN WERE CHARGED YESTERDAY IN WHAT POLICE SAY WAS A NATIONAL COCAINE TRAFFICKING RING.

ONE THE THREE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AS HIGH PROFILE RED DEER BOXER CAM O'CONNELL, WHO TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE, ALONG WITH 23 YEAR OLD MATTHEW EARLS, AND 21 YEAR OLD BRENT CYR.

O'CONNELL, WHO TRAINS DAILY OUT OF THE RED DEER BOXING CLUB, IS AN EIGHT TIME ALBERTA PROVINCIAL BOXING CHAMPION, THE 2007 RINGSIDE WORLD CHAMPION, AND A NATIONAL CHAMP BACK IN 2005.














Cam is profiled at the 3:40 mark of this clip. This whole situation is very, very unfortunate.

http://watch.tsn.ca/clip205195#clip205195


RED DEER BOXING COACH STEVE BOISSON SUPPORTS THE YOUNG FIGHTER.

"I BELIEVE IN CAM O'CONNELL. I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HIM TO BE THE BEST MAN HE CAN BE. I BELIEVE WITHOUT A DOUBT CAM O'CONNELL HAS INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE RING."

"THE RED DEER BOXING CLUB MAiNTAINS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF CHARACTER, PROMOTES THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF CHARACTER, AND DOES NOT CONDONE ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, BEHAVIOR, OR THE IMAGE OF SUCH."


POLICE BELIEVE THE SOPHISTICATED OPERATION MOVED BETWEEN 30 AND 50 KILOS AROUND THE COUNTRY EVERY MONTH.

Rebsl add Defenseman

Red Deer Rebels Trade For Defenceman

The Rebels best defenseman, Alex Petrovic, is still out for at least a couple of weeks with a high ankle sprain. Meanwhile, Nick Bell took a Michael Stone slapshot off the ankle Tuesday, and has a hairline fracture. Add to that the fact the Red Deer was already deploying 20 year-old forward Jordie Deagle on the blueline as well., and the need for another body on the blueline became imperative.

RED DEER, AB – Jesse Wallin, Vice-President of Hockey Operations/Head Coach of the Red Deer Rebels Hockey Club, announced today the team has traded for 18-year old defenceman Aaron Borejko from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for a 4th round selection in the 2009 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft. Borejko is in his second season in the WHL, and was a fifth round pick of the Rockets in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft.

With this move, the Rebels have 23 players on their roster. Borejko is expected to play for the Rebels Friday in Medicine Hat.


Aaron Borejko (bohr-AY-koh)
DOB: March 28/91
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Position: Defence
HT: 6’0”
WT: 205lbs

Year Team GP G A PTS PIM
2008-09 Kelowna 50 1 5 6 28
2009-10 Kelowna 11 0 1 1 6
WHL Totals 61 1 6 7 34

Rebels Vs Hitmen Post Mortem

Calgary Hitmen 6 Red Deer Rebels 3

Now first off, I can honestly say that I have never, in my recollection, ever made an overly critical comment about the officiating at a Rebels game. To have an overly-opinionated view of a ref means to have a direct emotional attachment to the game. Coaches will have this, fans will have this, players will have this, parents will have this. I haven't, and I am a big believer in the "human error" component of a game.

That being said, there is a first time for everything, and in my five years hosting the Rebels broadcasts, last night was the first time I have ever seen a referee undoubtably, directly decide a hockey game with 30 seconds of officiating.

This matchup, a very good CGY Hitmen squad against the streaking RD Rebels, had all the makings of a great battle. With the score tied 2-2 in the second period, this game was quite literally up for grabs, and if there was ever a time for Red Deer to knock off Calgary (0-7-1 in their last eight meetings) this may have been it.

And then, this sequence of events:

1) Josh Cowen gets hit from behind by Tyler Fiddler. Intentional or not, a very dangerous play. Cowen piles into the boards, and thankfully, gets up, albeit slowly. No call.

2) Jordie Deagle jumps Fiddler, sticking up for Cowen. Fiddler goes down, and Deagle throws some punches.

3) Deagle is handed a four-minute double minor, along with a 10 minute misconduct.

4) The crowd, and the Rebels bench are absolutely livid. Jesse Wallin makes his thoughts known, and is handed a two-minute bench minor, resulting in a two minute 5 on 3 for the Hitmen. (Along with an additional two minutes)

5) Calgary's vaunted powerplay strikes twice, with authority. Michael Stone. (he's good) Brandon Kozun. (he's good too). Game. Set. Match.

-The biggest thing with this sequence of events that I don't like, and I would say this about any game anywhere in this situation, is that in a 2-2 hockey game, an evenly matched hockey game, when Tyler Fiddler ran Josh Cowen from behind, exactly the kind of dangerous hit the WHL is trying to eliminate, he WON his team the game. How does this accomplish anything?

Here's the summary:

1. R.D Nugent-Hopkins, (9) (Kudrna, Bell), 9:27 (PP)
1. CAL Broda, (4) (Fiddler, Madaisky), 15:20 (PP)

2. CAL Madaisky, (3) (Broda), 4:36
2. R.D Kudrna, (7) (Coetzee, Green), 5:39
2. CAL Stone, (4) (Kozun, Fiddler), 7:41 (PP)
2. CAL Kozun, (6) (Broda, Stone), 8:56 (PP)
2. CAL Schaber, (4) (Madaisky), 9:20

3. R.D Green, (4) (Coetzee, Morin), 4:41 (PP)
3. CAL Stone, (5) (Kozun, Schultz), 13:51

-As you can see, three goals in 1:40 did the Rebels in. Although the fifth Hitmen goal came 5 on 5. Red Deer was clearly rattled at that point, but they get get credit for battling at the end of the second and in the third. They nearly made a game of it again.

-It wasn't Calgary's fault the game went like this. I'm not a HItmen hater. Full credit to Calgary's powerplay. Some great players on that side, and they took full advantage of an opportunity. I would love to see Michael Stone on Canada's WJC team, or at least get a shot.

-Nick Bell took a Stone slapshot off the ankle in the first period, left the game, and didn't return.

-Here's a couple of thoughts from Head Coach Jesse Wallin after the game. He was obviously upset, but chose to be diplomatic.

"It's disappointing. I thought the turning point in the hockey game was the penalty(s) in the second period. The referee and I obviously had a very different view on that call, and quite frankly I've got quite a bit of confusion as to how that works. I thought it was a tight hockey game to that point and the call I wasn't very happy with was the turning point in the hockey game."

"I didn't think there was any quit in us at all. We lost Nick Bell in the second period, and then Jordie Deagle sticking up for a teammate ended up in the penalty box for quite some time. I didn't think we quit."

"Our approach going into the third was that anything could happen, and I thought we went out and went to it, but at the end of the day it's disappointing when the players don't decide the game."
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RD Rebels vs CGY Hitmen

Gameday Thread:

Rebels vs. Hitmen - 7 p.m. (Enmax Centrium)
-I'll have the pregame show at 6:30 - www.1067thedrive.fm

-Rebels trying to win their fourth game in a row for the first time since February of the 2006-07 season. Trudeau was Prime Minister, Gas was $0.30 a litre, and the Leafs were actually good. I kid...but it's been a while.

-The last time the Rebels defeated CGY was Feb. 8th, 2008. The Rebs are 0-7-1 against the Hitmen since, including 0-2 this year.

Lineup: (unchanged)

Kudrna - Green - Coetzee
Ferguson - Nugent-Hopkins - Cowen
Redmond - Kambeitz - Elson
Mayor - Siwak - Persson

Morin - Weller
Archer - Bell
Witt - J. Deagle

The goaltending matchup will be Kuemper vs Martin Jones

Back to .500 / Monday Reading

The Red Deer Rebels have clawed their way back to that elusive .500 mark. Entering the weekend at 4-6, Red Deer managed to keep the win streak going, and now sit at 6-6 this season, fourth in the Central Division, and eighth in the conference. Here's the summary from Saturday night, a 3-2 win over the Chilliwack Bruins.

1. R.D Ferguson, (4) (Redmond, Bell), 9:36 (PP)
1. R.D Ferguson, (5) (Green), 19:26

2. R.D Witt, (1) (Coetzee, Kudrna), 7:37
2. CWK Grant, (1) (Sundher, Pauls), 18:23 (PP)

3. CWK Horak, (2) (Manning, Stahl), 4:20


-Brett Ferguson is enjoying the finest stretch of his WHL career, as he scored five points over the weekend, and has already eclipsed last year's goal total.

-With an assist, Willie Coetzee extended his point streak to seven games. He has 17 points (6g 11a) over that span.

-He took about 10 games to get going, but this weekend was the Darcy Kuemper we're used to seeing. Back to back 34-save performances, and three-star selections both nights.

-Red Deer returns to action Tuesday night as they play host to the Calgary Hitmen - 7 p.m. (Enmax Centrium) I'll have the pregame show at 6:30 (http://www.1067thedrive.fm/)


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Some Monday Reading:

Caroline, AB's Kris Russell, a former Medicine Hat Tiger, inked a three-year contract extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets. I really believe we are very close to see Russell fully breaking out at the NHL level and turning into the point producer he was in Junior.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/article/2009-10-17/jackets-sign-russell-for-3-more-years














-Red Deer's Colton Sceviour is off to a good start to his pro hockey career. The 20 year-old has a goal and four assists in his six-game stint with the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars: www.texasstarshockey.com

-Red Deer's Chase Schaeber, in one of his finest games in the WHL, put up three points as the Calgary Hitmen defeated Portland 6-5 Sunday night. http://whl.ca/stats/player.php?id=25033
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