It just seems wrong that the Red Deer
Rebels and Calgary Hitmen have gone nearly a full decade without
meeting in the playoffs. (not nearly as bad as the Oilers / Flames
playoff drought, but still…)
During the Rebels “glory
days” a yearly postseason date with the Hitmen was pretty much set
in stone. In the six seasons between 1999 and 2004 they met in the
playoffs four times…
1999 – Hitmen swept the Rebels 4-0
in the second round on their way to winning the WHL Championship
2001 – Rebels beat the Hitmen four games to two in second round
in their way to winning the Memorial Cup
2003 – Rebels beat the
Hitmen four games to one in the opening round on their way to winning
the Eastern Conference
2004 – Rebels beat the Hitmen four games
to three in the opening round
Showing posts with label Calgary Hitmen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calgary Hitmen. Show all posts
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Two Game Suspension: Lesson Learned For Dumba?
Amongst his long list of impressive attributes, Mathew Dumba's maturity goes somewhat unnoticed.
His booming shot, offensive prowess, and thunderous hitting power are what steal the headlines most often. But between the ears, he is just as impressive. Case in point, his handling of his bit of controversy.
Dumba has been suspended two games by the Western Hockey League for the checking to the head major penalty and game misconduct he incurred Friday night versus the Calgary Hitmen. (If you haven't seen the hit yet, CLICK HERE! Dumba sat out Sunday's game in Edmonton and will also sit out Friday's home game versus Medicine Hat. He will return to the Rebels lineup Saturday night in Calgary.
Not only is he taking things in stride, Dumba also realizes there is a lesson to be learned here.
His booming shot, offensive prowess, and thunderous hitting power are what steal the headlines most often. But between the ears, he is just as impressive. Case in point, his handling of his bit of controversy.
Dumba has been suspended two games by the Western Hockey League for the checking to the head major penalty and game misconduct he incurred Friday night versus the Calgary Hitmen. (If you haven't seen the hit yet, CLICK HERE! Dumba sat out Sunday's game in Edmonton and will also sit out Friday's home game versus Medicine Hat. He will return to the Rebels lineup Saturday night in Calgary.
Not only is he taking things in stride, Dumba also realizes there is a lesson to be learned here.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Hitmen Spoil Rebels Home Opener Party
It’s the night the Rebels, and their loyal fans, had been waiting a long time for. A chance to turn the page on a very long, difficult, injury-riddles 2011-2012 season. And what better way to get things going than by taking on one of their arch rivals, the Calgary Hitmen, in their home opener.
The Hitmen came out quick, recording the first six shots on goal, but it was the Rebels who would open the scoring in this one. A turnover at the Calgary blue line allowed Turner Elson to set up Colten Mayor. He beat Hitmen goalie Chris Driedger with gloveside wrister to kick start the hometown fans and give the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 6:54 of the first period.
The lid came off the Enmax Centrium a few minutes later when Mathew Dumba lit up Joe Kornelson with a massive open ice hit at the Rebels blue line. Unfortunately, Dumba was assessed a five minute major penalty for checking to the head and a game misconduct. He also incurred a second major penalty after dropping the mitts with Darian Henry, who took obvious offense to the huge hit on his Hitmen teammate.
Calgary would take full advantage of their five minute powerplay. Cody Sylvester would score with just 29 seconds left in the opening period to tie the game 1-1. Brady Brassart and Pavlo Padakin with the assists. Shots in the first period were 19-11 in favour of Calgary.
With Dumba’s penalty still on the clock to start the second period, Sylvester struck again to give the Hitmen their first lead of the night. Brooks Macek and Chase Clayton assisted on the goal which came just 39 seconds into the middle frame.
Another Rebels penalty, another Hitmen goal. With Turner Elson in the sin bin for tripping, Brady Brassart would put one past Patrik Bartosak. Cody Sylvester, with his third point of the game, and Zane Jones with the assists. 3-1 Calgary at 6:44 period two. The Hitmen would take their two goal lead into the final period.
The Rebels would get a powerplay of their own as they sought to overcome their deficit. In fact, the Rebels found themselves with a pair of man advantages but would come up empty.
In the final minute of the third period... Turner Elson gave the Rebels a glimmer of hope with his first goal of the season. 3-2 Calgary with 46.5 seconds remaining. After a Calgary penalty, the Rebels would get two faceoffs deep in Hitmen territory but to no avail. Final score - Hitmen 3, Rebels 2. Final shots on net were 34-27 favouring Calgary.
MOLSON CUP THREE STARS
1. Cody Sylvester CGY
2. Patrik Bartosak RD
3. Brady Brassart CGY
Next game... the Rebels visit the reigning WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday afternoon. Game time from Rexall Place is 2pm. Cam Moon will be on with the pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 1:50pm.
The Hitmen came out quick, recording the first six shots on goal, but it was the Rebels who would open the scoring in this one. A turnover at the Calgary blue line allowed Turner Elson to set up Colten Mayor. He beat Hitmen goalie Chris Driedger with gloveside wrister to kick start the hometown fans and give the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 6:54 of the first period.
The lid came off the Enmax Centrium a few minutes later when Mathew Dumba lit up Joe Kornelson with a massive open ice hit at the Rebels blue line. Unfortunately, Dumba was assessed a five minute major penalty for checking to the head and a game misconduct. He also incurred a second major penalty after dropping the mitts with Darian Henry, who took obvious offense to the huge hit on his Hitmen teammate.
Calgary would take full advantage of their five minute powerplay. Cody Sylvester would score with just 29 seconds left in the opening period to tie the game 1-1. Brady Brassart and Pavlo Padakin with the assists. Shots in the first period were 19-11 in favour of Calgary.
With Dumba’s penalty still on the clock to start the second period, Sylvester struck again to give the Hitmen their first lead of the night. Brooks Macek and Chase Clayton assisted on the goal which came just 39 seconds into the middle frame.
Another Rebels penalty, another Hitmen goal. With Turner Elson in the sin bin for tripping, Brady Brassart would put one past Patrik Bartosak. Cody Sylvester, with his third point of the game, and Zane Jones with the assists. 3-1 Calgary at 6:44 period two. The Hitmen would take their two goal lead into the final period.
The Rebels would get a powerplay of their own as they sought to overcome their deficit. In fact, the Rebels found themselves with a pair of man advantages but would come up empty.
In the final minute of the third period... Turner Elson gave the Rebels a glimmer of hope with his first goal of the season. 3-2 Calgary with 46.5 seconds remaining. After a Calgary penalty, the Rebels would get two faceoffs deep in Hitmen territory but to no avail. Final score - Hitmen 3, Rebels 2. Final shots on net were 34-27 favouring Calgary.
MOLSON CUP THREE STARS
1. Cody Sylvester CGY
2. Patrik Bartosak RD
3. Brady Brassart CGY
Next game... the Rebels visit the reigning WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday afternoon. Game time from Rexall Place is 2pm. Cam Moon will be on with the pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 1:50pm.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
WHL Central Division Preview
Here are the team previews for the WHL Central Division as compiled and released by the Western Hockey League...
Calgary Hitmen
General Manager: Kelly Kisio
Head Coach: Mike Williamson
2012 pre-season: 4-2-0-0
2011-12 Record: 44-25-2-1, 91pts (2nd in Central Div., 3rd in Eastern Conf.) GF: 273 GA: 221
2011-12 Power Play / Penalty Killing ranking: PP: 20.9% (12th); PK: 81.0% (4th)
2012 Playoffs: Lost in five games to Brandon in first round
2011-12 Top Scorers:
Jimmy Bubnick 72gp-36g-41a-77pts
Cody Sylvester 66gp-23g-45a-68pts
Victor Rask 64gp-33g-30a-63pts
Calgary Hitmen
General Manager: Kelly Kisio
Head Coach: Mike Williamson
2012 pre-season: 4-2-0-0
2011-12 Record: 44-25-2-1, 91pts (2nd in Central Div., 3rd in Eastern Conf.) GF: 273 GA: 221
2011-12 Power Play / Penalty Killing ranking: PP: 20.9% (12th); PK: 81.0% (4th)
2012 Playoffs: Lost in five games to Brandon in first round
2011-12 Top Scorers:
Jimmy Bubnick 72gp-36g-41a-77pts
Cody Sylvester 66gp-23g-45a-68pts
Victor Rask 64gp-33g-30a-63pts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Monday, Monday... So Cruel To Me (Rebels Fan)
As if Mondays aren't already tough enough to deal with...
Rebels fans are dragging themselves to work while dealing with the reality that the dream of getting into the WHL playoffs is officially over.
That dream ended with a thud over the weekend. Three losses in three nights. All of them of the blowout variety... 5-2 to Edmonton on Friday (which included two empty netters), 7-4 in Edmonton on Saturday, and 5-2 yesterday in Calgary.
Yesterday's game in Cowtown was a recipe for disaster before it even started. The Hitmen were at home looking to clinch home ice advantage in the first round of playoffs. A huge crowd of more than 13,000 Hitmen supporters were on-hand at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Chad Robinson and Cory Millette were lost to injury. And... the Rebels were playing their third game in less than three days while losing an hour to the spring ahead time change.
That's a rather nasty recipe.
To their credit... the Rebels did battle with everything they had left in their tank. It was 3-2 early in the third period before the Hitmen scored a pair to pull away for the win. Calgary can now finish no lower than 4th in the conference and are just two points behind Medicine Hat for third. The Rebels will likely finish 9th as they are six points ahead of 10th place Swift Current.
Meanwhile... some rather interesting accusations were made by Oil Kings Head Coach Derek following Saturday night's game in Edmonton (7-4 win for Edmonton).
Laxdal, as quoted in Chris O'Leary's Edmonton Journal article, accused Rebels GM / Head Coach Jesse Wallin of sending players on the ice specifically for the purpose of injuring and fighting some of the Oil Kings players.
From the article...
The word repeatedly used by Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal after the game was "unprofessional."
"When their coaches start chirping our bench, I have a problem with that," Laxdal said. "And I think that's very unprofessional.
"We don't tell our players to go out and hurt other players and I saw their coaches talk to one of their players. I think that's very unprofessional and that's all I have to say about that."
Wallin was somewhat caught off-guard when asked about the allegations...
"Tell a player to go out and do something. Derek Laxdal said that? Wow. It surprises me that Derek Laxdal would say that," Wallin said. "I've never told a player to go out and do anything. If Derek Laxdal would like to address that with me, he's more than welcome to come down and do so.
"That didn't happen. Absolutely not. Never done that, never will."
Regardless, Laxdal set the stage for some potential fireworks to go off during the regular season finale this coming Saturday at the Enmax Centrium...
"It was very cheap and very unprofessional. We picked up an injury from it and that's going to hurt us down the stretch here. But we've got guys we can put in the lineup. We have to go in (to Red Deer) next Saturday night. What comes around, goes around."
My personal opinion... I have a hard time believing Wallin and the Rebels would use such tactics... simply because they don't have a full roster as it is. Having players sit in the penalty box with majors, or get tossed from the game altogether, wouldn't really help that out much. Admittedly, I don't know Laxdal as well as I do Wallin. But it seems quite surprising that he would straight out accuse the Rebels of playing dirty pool like that.
As a rather colourful football once proclaimed... "Get Your Popcorn Ready!"
Just three games left for the Rebels to play out starting tomorrow night in Medicine Hat. Friday, they host Lethbridge before Saturday's potentially explosive home game versus Edmonton.
---
Another playoff game... another shutout for the Red Deer Midget AAA Optimist Rebels.
They blanked the Calgary Northwest Flames 3-0 in yesterday's opening game of the Alberta Midget Hockey League south division final at the Red Deer Arena.
Red Deer scored all three of their goals in the third period. Scott Ferguson (Rebels prospect), Kirk Johnson and Brady Bakke each scored once.
Dasan Sydora made 24 saves for his third shutout in four playoff games.
Game two of the series goes Wednesday night in Calgary. [www.amhl.ab.ca]
---
It was an all Red Deer final at the Sutter Cup midget-15 playoff tournament in our city.
The IROC Chiefs beat the North Star Chiefs 2-1 to win gold.
Both teams earn spots at Provincials later this month in Calgary.
---
What an absolutely fantastic Saturday night in Lacombe!
More than 350 supporters turned out for the 3rd annual fundraising gala in support of MEGlobal Athletic Park.
Darren Gagnon of Lacombe Ford and his tireless group of volunteers did another great job of putting together this event. And this year's list of CFL celebrities was perhaps the best yet...
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats QB Henry Burris
- Calgary Stampeders RB Jon Cornish
- Calgary Stampeders DB Keon Raymond
- Edmonton Eskimos P Burke Dales
- Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Ed Jones, Bing Norrie, Fred Dunn, and Bill Marchuk
Not gonna lie... it was pretty weird to see Henry wearing TiCat colours (and Burke wearing Esks colours for that matter) but both wore their new silks with pride and had a ton of fun on the night. In fact, Dales was not originally scheduled to attend this year's event. But he had such a blast last year that as soon as he found out about this year's gala he wanted in again. Awesome stuff.
Jon Cornish said the same thing. He attended the inaugural gala in 2010 along with Joffrey Reynolds and had a blast. 'Corn Dog' was the life of the party this time around.
I was lucky enough to sit at a table with Keon Raymond (thanks to a friend of mine who made a generous donation to the athletic park!) just one day after he won the Stampeders President's Ring Award and signed a contract extension. Needless to say, he was in a good mood.
One of my favorite parts of this event is that personalities from most all of the radio stations in our market join forces for the emcee duties. Savage and T-Bo from The Drive along with Al and Marilyn from Zed, Lindsay from Kraze and Tank from Sunny did a helluva job and made the night quite entertaining for everyone.
The event raised tens of thousands of dollars (I hope to get a final total in the next day or two) for the athletic park... which you can find out more about by visiting www.lacombeathleticpark.ca
---
The 2012 Red Deer Community Sport Awards were handed out at the Sheraton hotel on Friday... (nominees and winners are listed)
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
Nick Marchuk
Brett Pasula
Mathew Dumba
WINNER: BRETT PASULA
Junior Female Athlete of the Year
Jordan Hudson
Emma MacDermaid
Molly Li
WINNER: EMMA MCDERMAID
Open Male Athlete of the Year
Darcy Kuemper
Keegan Soehn
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
WINNER: KEEGAN SOEHN
Open Female Athlete of the Year
Zina Kosher
Julie Young
Jodi Sanguin
WINNER: JODI SANGUIN
Senior Male Athlete of the Year
Birchmans Pereira
WINNER: BIRCHMANS PEREIRA
Senior Female
Marianne Badenhorst
WINNER: MARIANNE BADENHORST
Team of the Year
Lindsey Thurber Junior Raiders
Midget AAA Optimist Rebels
Peterman Curling Team
WINNER: LINDSEY THURBER JUNIOR RAIDERS
Coach of the Year
Doug Quinn
Esad Elkaz
Rene Simon
WINNER: ESAD ELKAZ
Kendall Dunkle Award
Shawna Pearman
Tammie Lynn Paul
WINNER: SHAWNA PEARMAN
Official of the Year
Harvey Penhale
Donna Hately
WINNER: DONNA HATELY
Youth Official of the Year
WINNER: JENNIFER HOVDE
Local Business of the Year
KFC
Vellners Leisure
Eastside Marios
Runners Den
Dairy Queen
WINNER: KFC
Lifetime Achievement
COWINNERS: GREG ATKINSON & KEN VANLOON
Spirit of Sport
WINNER: BLAIR MURRAY
Volunteer of the Year
WINNER: DR. AZIZ REHAMN
Congratulations to all!
---
It's been a long, long time since the Calgary Flames had reason to be excited about one of their draft picks... but Sven Baertschi is changing that in a real hurry.
Baertschi scored his first ever NHL goal, in just his second game, in yesterday's 4-3 Flames win in Minnesota.
WHL fans are certainly aware of what the Swiss forward brings to the table... the Portland Winterhawks forward is 9th in league scoring with 94 points in just 47 games played (putting him on pace for 144 points in a full 72 game season).
The last draft pick to create anywhere close to this much buzz in Calgary... it probably was Dion Phaneuf back in 2004.
The Flames still have a long way to go when it comes stocking their cupboards with young talent... but Baertschi is an excellent start.
---
No Alberta sweep when it comes to Canadian curling titles.
Kevin Koe's rink simply ran out of mojo in their 7-6 loss to Ontario's Glenn Howard in the Brier final in Saskatoon.
Alberta rallied form behind in playoff wins over the Territories and Manitoba. They fell behind early against Ontario as well... but Howard would have no part in letting Koe and Co. pull out more late game heroics.
In fact, Ontario played a near perfect game. The final score definitely flattered Alberta.
So... our province will have to be content with winning three of four major national curling titles (Scotties, Canadian Men's and Women's Juniors).
---
Rebels fans are dragging themselves to work while dealing with the reality that the dream of getting into the WHL playoffs is officially over.
That dream ended with a thud over the weekend. Three losses in three nights. All of them of the blowout variety... 5-2 to Edmonton on Friday (which included two empty netters), 7-4 in Edmonton on Saturday, and 5-2 yesterday in Calgary.
Yesterday's game in Cowtown was a recipe for disaster before it even started. The Hitmen were at home looking to clinch home ice advantage in the first round of playoffs. A huge crowd of more than 13,000 Hitmen supporters were on-hand at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Chad Robinson and Cory Millette were lost to injury. And... the Rebels were playing their third game in less than three days while losing an hour to the spring ahead time change.
That's a rather nasty recipe.
To their credit... the Rebels did battle with everything they had left in their tank. It was 3-2 early in the third period before the Hitmen scored a pair to pull away for the win. Calgary can now finish no lower than 4th in the conference and are just two points behind Medicine Hat for third. The Rebels will likely finish 9th as they are six points ahead of 10th place Swift Current.
Meanwhile... some rather interesting accusations were made by Oil Kings Head Coach Derek following Saturday night's game in Edmonton (7-4 win for Edmonton).
Laxdal, as quoted in Chris O'Leary's Edmonton Journal article, accused Rebels GM / Head Coach Jesse Wallin of sending players on the ice specifically for the purpose of injuring and fighting some of the Oil Kings players.
From the article...
The word repeatedly used by Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal after the game was "unprofessional."
"When their coaches start chirping our bench, I have a problem with that," Laxdal said. "And I think that's very unprofessional.
"We don't tell our players to go out and hurt other players and I saw their coaches talk to one of their players. I think that's very unprofessional and that's all I have to say about that."
Wallin was somewhat caught off-guard when asked about the allegations...
"Tell a player to go out and do something. Derek Laxdal said that? Wow. It surprises me that Derek Laxdal would say that," Wallin said. "I've never told a player to go out and do anything. If Derek Laxdal would like to address that with me, he's more than welcome to come down and do so.
"That didn't happen. Absolutely not. Never done that, never will."
Regardless, Laxdal set the stage for some potential fireworks to go off during the regular season finale this coming Saturday at the Enmax Centrium...
"It was very cheap and very unprofessional. We picked up an injury from it and that's going to hurt us down the stretch here. But we've got guys we can put in the lineup. We have to go in (to Red Deer) next Saturday night. What comes around, goes around."
My personal opinion... I have a hard time believing Wallin and the Rebels would use such tactics... simply because they don't have a full roster as it is. Having players sit in the penalty box with majors, or get tossed from the game altogether, wouldn't really help that out much. Admittedly, I don't know Laxdal as well as I do Wallin. But it seems quite surprising that he would straight out accuse the Rebels of playing dirty pool like that.
As a rather colourful football once proclaimed... "Get Your Popcorn Ready!"
Just three games left for the Rebels to play out starting tomorrow night in Medicine Hat. Friday, they host Lethbridge before Saturday's potentially explosive home game versus Edmonton.
---
Another playoff game... another shutout for the Red Deer Midget AAA Optimist Rebels.
They blanked the Calgary Northwest Flames 3-0 in yesterday's opening game of the Alberta Midget Hockey League south division final at the Red Deer Arena.
Red Deer scored all three of their goals in the third period. Scott Ferguson (Rebels prospect), Kirk Johnson and Brady Bakke each scored once.
Dasan Sydora made 24 saves for his third shutout in four playoff games.
Game two of the series goes Wednesday night in Calgary. [www.amhl.ab.ca]
---
It was an all Red Deer final at the Sutter Cup midget-15 playoff tournament in our city.
The IROC Chiefs beat the North Star Chiefs 2-1 to win gold.
Both teams earn spots at Provincials later this month in Calgary.
---
What an absolutely fantastic Saturday night in Lacombe!
More than 350 supporters turned out for the 3rd annual fundraising gala in support of MEGlobal Athletic Park.
Darren Gagnon of Lacombe Ford and his tireless group of volunteers did another great job of putting together this event. And this year's list of CFL celebrities was perhaps the best yet...
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats QB Henry Burris
- Calgary Stampeders RB Jon Cornish
- Calgary Stampeders DB Keon Raymond
- Edmonton Eskimos P Burke Dales
- Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Ed Jones, Bing Norrie, Fred Dunn, and Bill Marchuk
Not gonna lie... it was pretty weird to see Henry wearing TiCat colours (and Burke wearing Esks colours for that matter) but both wore their new silks with pride and had a ton of fun on the night. In fact, Dales was not originally scheduled to attend this year's event. But he had such a blast last year that as soon as he found out about this year's gala he wanted in again. Awesome stuff.
Jon Cornish said the same thing. He attended the inaugural gala in 2010 along with Joffrey Reynolds and had a blast. 'Corn Dog' was the life of the party this time around.
I was lucky enough to sit at a table with Keon Raymond (thanks to a friend of mine who made a generous donation to the athletic park!) just one day after he won the Stampeders President's Ring Award and signed a contract extension. Needless to say, he was in a good mood.
One of my favorite parts of this event is that personalities from most all of the radio stations in our market join forces for the emcee duties. Savage and T-Bo from The Drive along with Al and Marilyn from Zed, Lindsay from Kraze and Tank from Sunny did a helluva job and made the night quite entertaining for everyone.
The event raised tens of thousands of dollars (I hope to get a final total in the next day or two) for the athletic park... which you can find out more about by visiting www.lacombeathleticpark.ca
---
The 2012 Red Deer Community Sport Awards were handed out at the Sheraton hotel on Friday... (nominees and winners are listed)
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
Nick Marchuk
Brett Pasula
Mathew Dumba
WINNER: BRETT PASULA
Junior Female Athlete of the Year
Jordan Hudson
Emma MacDermaid
Molly Li
WINNER: EMMA MCDERMAID
Open Male Athlete of the Year
Darcy Kuemper
Keegan Soehn
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
WINNER: KEEGAN SOEHN
Open Female Athlete of the Year
Zina Kosher
Julie Young
Jodi Sanguin
WINNER: JODI SANGUIN
Senior Male Athlete of the Year
Birchmans Pereira
WINNER: BIRCHMANS PEREIRA
Senior Female
Marianne Badenhorst
WINNER: MARIANNE BADENHORST
Team of the Year
Lindsey Thurber Junior Raiders
Midget AAA Optimist Rebels
Peterman Curling Team
WINNER: LINDSEY THURBER JUNIOR RAIDERS
Coach of the Year
Doug Quinn
Esad Elkaz
Rene Simon
WINNER: ESAD ELKAZ
Kendall Dunkle Award
Shawna Pearman
Tammie Lynn Paul
WINNER: SHAWNA PEARMAN
Official of the Year
Harvey Penhale
Donna Hately
WINNER: DONNA HATELY
Youth Official of the Year
WINNER: JENNIFER HOVDE
Local Business of the Year
KFC
Vellners Leisure
Eastside Marios
Runners Den
Dairy Queen
WINNER: KFC
Lifetime Achievement
COWINNERS: GREG ATKINSON & KEN VANLOON
Spirit of Sport
WINNER: BLAIR MURRAY
Volunteer of the Year
WINNER: DR. AZIZ REHAMN
Congratulations to all!
---
It's been a long, long time since the Calgary Flames had reason to be excited about one of their draft picks... but Sven Baertschi is changing that in a real hurry.
Baertschi scored his first ever NHL goal, in just his second game, in yesterday's 4-3 Flames win in Minnesota.
WHL fans are certainly aware of what the Swiss forward brings to the table... the Portland Winterhawks forward is 9th in league scoring with 94 points in just 47 games played (putting him on pace for 144 points in a full 72 game season).
The last draft pick to create anywhere close to this much buzz in Calgary... it probably was Dion Phaneuf back in 2004.
The Flames still have a long way to go when it comes stocking their cupboards with young talent... but Baertschi is an excellent start.
---
No Alberta sweep when it comes to Canadian curling titles.
Kevin Koe's rink simply ran out of mojo in their 7-6 loss to Ontario's Glenn Howard in the Brier final in Saskatoon.
Alberta rallied form behind in playoff wins over the Territories and Manitoba. They fell behind early against Ontario as well... but Howard would have no part in letting Koe and Co. pull out more late game heroics.
In fact, Ontario played a near perfect game. The final score definitely flattered Alberta.
So... our province will have to be content with winning three of four major national curling titles (Scotties, Canadian Men's and Women's Juniors).
---
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Hitmen Push Rebels To The Brink
You can moves the doomsday clock another tick closer to midnight for the Red Deer Rebels.
Once again, the Rebels played hard but came up short in a 3-2 to the Calgary Hitmen last night at the Enmax Centrium.
That reduces the Rebels elimenation number to four... meaning any combination of points gained by the Brandon Wheat Kings and/or lost by the Rebels will elimenate the local hockey heroes from WHL playoff contention. More simply... a Wheaties win combined with a Rebels loss in regulation closes the lid.
One could look at last night as another case of the Rebels putting forth a solid effort but coming away with nothing to show for it. Mind you, GM and Head Coach Jesse Wallin wasn't particularly sold on his team's effort last night...
"We just seemed to give them a little bit too much respect and too much time and space in our zone. Didn't finish enough checks to get the puck back. In the end we allowed them to score too easily."
One could say the Rebels were lacking a certain 'excellence in execution' versus the Hitmen.
The Hitmen fired 43 shots on goal last night. Not good enough if you're a team needing to win at all costs (the Rebels had 35 shots last night).
Rather than keep hashing on the nearing of the end for the Rebels... here are some good things from last night's game...
- Marc Mackenzie played one of his best games (that I've seen) as a Rebel. Not counted on to be an offensive leader, Mackenzie had a number of great scoring chances last night. He even showed some slick hands while making some nice moves to create his opportunities. Mackenzie was also a force down low and was effective in cycling the puck in Hitmen territory on numerous shifts. A nice effort last night by #27.
- Dexter Bricker gave us another glimpse of the play that will surely make him a fan favorite next season. The 16-year-old call up laid a solid jolt on 19-year-old Hitmen foward Cody Sylvester in the first period last night. Sylvester didn't really like that very much and challenged Bricker to a duel. They dropped the mitts but no real blows were landed. Regardless, Bricker is the kind of player who plays without fear and who loves to stir things up on the ice. Look for him to bring that on a nightly basis next season.
- Deven Dubyk, as per usual, was solid between the pipes and gave the Rebels a chance to win. He couldn't be faulted for at least two of Calgary's three goals as they came from rebound opportunities on which his teammates failed to get the puck out of harm's way. It won't rank highly when it comes all-time Rebels performances... but Dubyk's work this season has been nothing short of exemplary.
Next game for the Rebels... Friday night at home versus Edmonton.
---
Jocelyn Peterman and her Red Deer rink continue to roll at the World Junior Championship in Sweden.
They beat Russia 10-6 earlier this morning to improve their record to 6-1, tied for first place with Sweden.
Of note, Peterman's win came over Anna Sidorova who skipped Russia's team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
---
Once again, the Rebels played hard but came up short in a 3-2 to the Calgary Hitmen last night at the Enmax Centrium.
That reduces the Rebels elimenation number to four... meaning any combination of points gained by the Brandon Wheat Kings and/or lost by the Rebels will elimenate the local hockey heroes from WHL playoff contention. More simply... a Wheaties win combined with a Rebels loss in regulation closes the lid.
One could look at last night as another case of the Rebels putting forth a solid effort but coming away with nothing to show for it. Mind you, GM and Head Coach Jesse Wallin wasn't particularly sold on his team's effort last night...
"We just seemed to give them a little bit too much respect and too much time and space in our zone. Didn't finish enough checks to get the puck back. In the end we allowed them to score too easily."
One could say the Rebels were lacking a certain 'excellence in execution' versus the Hitmen.
The Hitmen fired 43 shots on goal last night. Not good enough if you're a team needing to win at all costs (the Rebels had 35 shots last night).
Rather than keep hashing on the nearing of the end for the Rebels... here are some good things from last night's game...
- Marc Mackenzie played one of his best games (that I've seen) as a Rebel. Not counted on to be an offensive leader, Mackenzie had a number of great scoring chances last night. He even showed some slick hands while making some nice moves to create his opportunities. Mackenzie was also a force down low and was effective in cycling the puck in Hitmen territory on numerous shifts. A nice effort last night by #27.
- Dexter Bricker gave us another glimpse of the play that will surely make him a fan favorite next season. The 16-year-old call up laid a solid jolt on 19-year-old Hitmen foward Cody Sylvester in the first period last night. Sylvester didn't really like that very much and challenged Bricker to a duel. They dropped the mitts but no real blows were landed. Regardless, Bricker is the kind of player who plays without fear and who loves to stir things up on the ice. Look for him to bring that on a nightly basis next season.
- Deven Dubyk, as per usual, was solid between the pipes and gave the Rebels a chance to win. He couldn't be faulted for at least two of Calgary's three goals as they came from rebound opportunities on which his teammates failed to get the puck out of harm's way. It won't rank highly when it comes all-time Rebels performances... but Dubyk's work this season has been nothing short of exemplary.
Next game for the Rebels... Friday night at home versus Edmonton.
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Jocelyn Peterman and her Red Deer rink continue to roll at the World Junior Championship in Sweden.
They beat Russia 10-6 earlier this morning to improve their record to 6-1, tied for first place with Sweden.
Of note, Peterman's win came over Anna Sidorova who skipped Russia's team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
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Sunday, February 5, 2012
A Great Night for KidSport, Not So Much for the Rebels
"4" was not a good number last night for the Red Deer Rebels.
They had only 4 defenceman dressed for their game versus the Calgary Hitmen. They gave up four goals before most fans finished their first beer. And they now sit four points out of a playoff spot.
After two solid efforts this week in Medicine Hat and Edmonton, the Rebels sleepwalked through the first period of last night's game... and it cost them big time. Now winners of 15 of their last 17 games, the Hitmen took full advantage on their way to winning 6-2.
Trevor Cheek opened the scoring 2:40 into the first. Cody Sylvester made it 2-0 at 8:11. Danny Gayle scored the eventual game winner at 12:07 and that would be it for Deven Dubyk on the night. The Rebels netminder giving up three goals on seven shots, none of which he really had much chance on. Then, following the entry of Bolton Pouliot and a Rebels timeout, Jimmy Bubnick made it 4-0 at 12:31 and this one was essentially over.
The Rebels did their best to make a game of it in the second period. John Persson got them on the board on a 5-on-3 powerplay early in the middle frame. Alex Petrovic cut the deficit to 4-2 late in the frame. But unlike the Tri-City game last weekend there would be no third period magic for the Rebels on this night... much to the chagrin (to the majority) of the announced crowd of 5787 fans.
In Swift Current... the Wheat Kings scored five unanswered goals for a 6-3 win over the Broncos. Brandon now leads the Rebels by four points for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference. The Rebs do still hold two games at hand... but they need to put together a string of wins for those to be a factor.
The good (fantastic) news last night from the Enmax Centrium came from the overwhelmingly successful jersey fundraiser for KidSport. The silent auction for the one night only Finning Canada Rebels jerseys raised $26,250... well above the goal of raising $20,000. Really, this should surprise no one given the outstanding track record of generosity shown by Rebels fans and Central Albertans in general.
Plenty of smiles all around... last night on the faces of the winning bidders who were on the ice to receive their game worn jerseys... and plenty more to come from the dozens of kids who will get to take part in sports thanks to the money raised.
OTHER NOTES...
- Marc Mackenzie was listed as the 'fifth defenceman' on the Rebels roster for this game
- Mathew Dumba's seven game point streak game to an end last night
- For the third time in as many games, Charles Inglis recorded two points
- Following the game, Jesse Wallin confirmed our fears that Aaron Borejko will be out for the foreseeable future... perhaps for good. Borejko suffered his second concussion of the season and is in rough shape. We'll get an official update likely tomorrow, but it doesn't look good.
- Injury updates on Fafard (upper) Doetzel (upper) will likely come tomorrow as well
- Next game action for the Rebels... Wednesday night at home versus the Prince Albert Raiders.
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The Bentley Generals are off to the Chinook Hockey League final after beating the Stony Plain Eagles 4-2 last night in Stony. The Generals sweep the best-of-three semifinal series 2-0. They now await the winner of tonight's game in Lloydminster between the Border Kings and Sylvan Lake Admirals, that series is tied 1-1.
The Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs kicked off Senior AAA provincial playdowns with an 8-4 win over the Horse Lake Chiefs. The winner of this best-of-three series will play the Generals in the provincial semifinals. Sylvan Lake and Stony Plain are set to meet in the other semifinal series.
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Last night in Heritage Junior B Hockey League action...
- Red Deer Vipers 7, Three Hills Thrashers 3
- Strathmore Wheatland Kings 2, Blackfalds Wranglers 1
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RDC Athletics results form last night...
- Queens Volleyball beat Augustans three sets to none
- Kings Volleyball beat Augustana three sets to one
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If you're in or around Red Deer today and have no plans for Superbowl... join us at 106.7 The Drive for our Superbowl Party at Bo's Bar and Grill (2310 50th Avenue 403-309-2200)
They had only 4 defenceman dressed for their game versus the Calgary Hitmen. They gave up four goals before most fans finished their first beer. And they now sit four points out of a playoff spot.
After two solid efforts this week in Medicine Hat and Edmonton, the Rebels sleepwalked through the first period of last night's game... and it cost them big time. Now winners of 15 of their last 17 games, the Hitmen took full advantage on their way to winning 6-2.
Trevor Cheek opened the scoring 2:40 into the first. Cody Sylvester made it 2-0 at 8:11. Danny Gayle scored the eventual game winner at 12:07 and that would be it for Deven Dubyk on the night. The Rebels netminder giving up three goals on seven shots, none of which he really had much chance on. Then, following the entry of Bolton Pouliot and a Rebels timeout, Jimmy Bubnick made it 4-0 at 12:31 and this one was essentially over.
The Rebels did their best to make a game of it in the second period. John Persson got them on the board on a 5-on-3 powerplay early in the middle frame. Alex Petrovic cut the deficit to 4-2 late in the frame. But unlike the Tri-City game last weekend there would be no third period magic for the Rebels on this night... much to the chagrin (to the majority) of the announced crowd of 5787 fans.
In Swift Current... the Wheat Kings scored five unanswered goals for a 6-3 win over the Broncos. Brandon now leads the Rebels by four points for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference. The Rebs do still hold two games at hand... but they need to put together a string of wins for those to be a factor.
The good (fantastic) news last night from the Enmax Centrium came from the overwhelmingly successful jersey fundraiser for KidSport. The silent auction for the one night only Finning Canada Rebels jerseys raised $26,250... well above the goal of raising $20,000. Really, this should surprise no one given the outstanding track record of generosity shown by Rebels fans and Central Albertans in general.
Plenty of smiles all around... last night on the faces of the winning bidders who were on the ice to receive their game worn jerseys... and plenty more to come from the dozens of kids who will get to take part in sports thanks to the money raised.
OTHER NOTES...
- Marc Mackenzie was listed as the 'fifth defenceman' on the Rebels roster for this game
- Mathew Dumba's seven game point streak game to an end last night
- For the third time in as many games, Charles Inglis recorded two points
- Following the game, Jesse Wallin confirmed our fears that Aaron Borejko will be out for the foreseeable future... perhaps for good. Borejko suffered his second concussion of the season and is in rough shape. We'll get an official update likely tomorrow, but it doesn't look good.
- Injury updates on Fafard (upper) Doetzel (upper) will likely come tomorrow as well
- Next game action for the Rebels... Wednesday night at home versus the Prince Albert Raiders.
---
The Bentley Generals are off to the Chinook Hockey League final after beating the Stony Plain Eagles 4-2 last night in Stony. The Generals sweep the best-of-three semifinal series 2-0. They now await the winner of tonight's game in Lloydminster between the Border Kings and Sylvan Lake Admirals, that series is tied 1-1.
The Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs kicked off Senior AAA provincial playdowns with an 8-4 win over the Horse Lake Chiefs. The winner of this best-of-three series will play the Generals in the provincial semifinals. Sylvan Lake and Stony Plain are set to meet in the other semifinal series.
---
Last night in Heritage Junior B Hockey League action...
- Red Deer Vipers 7, Three Hills Thrashers 3
- Strathmore Wheatland Kings 2, Blackfalds Wranglers 1
---
RDC Athletics results form last night...
- Queens Volleyball beat Augustans three sets to none
- Kings Volleyball beat Augustana three sets to one
---
If you're in or around Red Deer today and have no plans for Superbowl... join us at 106.7 The Drive for our Superbowl Party at Bo's Bar and Grill (2310 50th Avenue 403-309-2200)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
"WORST GAME OF THE YEAR"
Those are Jesse Wallin's words. Not mine.
Not that there is much to argue... last night's 5-1 Rebels loss to the Calgary Hitmen at the Enmax Centrium was quite possibly their poorest effort of the season.
You could see signs in the first period that the Hitmen were destined for big things. But the Rebels did just enough to hang on and keep the game scoreless through the opening twenty minutes.
Reason for hope came 4:09 into the second period when Mathew Dumba opened the scoring with his 12th of the season. That went up in smoke when Calgary tied the game just 39 seconds later. At 11:29 the Hitmen went ahead 2-1. They added three more goals in the third period to pull away for the win.
One would be wasting their time to try to figure out why the Rebels came out flat last night. The bottom line is that for a team that is supposedly desperate to get back into a playoff spot... the effort was inexcusable.
The Hitmen do deserve kudos for earning their eighth win in a row. But the least the Rebels could have done is made it tough for them to earn. No longer are injuries an excuse.
"Every goal we handed right to them" said Wallin post-game "our forwards were quitting on the backcheck and our defense was getting beat one one one. It was just a lot of soft, soft, soft, soft plays tonight." Not exactly a glowing review.
A few other quick notes...
- kudos to Alex Petrovic and Charles Inglis for coming to the aid of teammates who were checked from behind into the boards last night. The downside the Rebels lost their services for 17 minutes each, Petrovic in the first period and Inglis in the third
- kudos to the brave fans who came out to the Enmax Centrium despite the brutal conditions outside... you weren't necessarily big in numbers but you were big in spirit... keep hanging in there, your team needs you!
- Marc Mackenzie missed last night's game with an upper body injury he suffered Saturday night in Swift Current. He will also miss both games this coming weekend and is officially listed as out 'week to week'
- Thanks to Mooner for letting me sit in his chair while we sorted out some 'technical difficulties' with my booth in the lounge... it could have been a disaster but we pulled it out of the fire just fine!
Not that there is much to argue... last night's 5-1 Rebels loss to the Calgary Hitmen at the Enmax Centrium was quite possibly their poorest effort of the season.
You could see signs in the first period that the Hitmen were destined for big things. But the Rebels did just enough to hang on and keep the game scoreless through the opening twenty minutes.
Reason for hope came 4:09 into the second period when Mathew Dumba opened the scoring with his 12th of the season. That went up in smoke when Calgary tied the game just 39 seconds later. At 11:29 the Hitmen went ahead 2-1. They added three more goals in the third period to pull away for the win.
One would be wasting their time to try to figure out why the Rebels came out flat last night. The bottom line is that for a team that is supposedly desperate to get back into a playoff spot... the effort was inexcusable.
The Hitmen do deserve kudos for earning their eighth win in a row. But the least the Rebels could have done is made it tough for them to earn. No longer are injuries an excuse.
"Every goal we handed right to them" said Wallin post-game "our forwards were quitting on the backcheck and our defense was getting beat one one one. It was just a lot of soft, soft, soft, soft plays tonight." Not exactly a glowing review.
A few other quick notes...
- kudos to Alex Petrovic and Charles Inglis for coming to the aid of teammates who were checked from behind into the boards last night. The downside the Rebels lost their services for 17 minutes each, Petrovic in the first period and Inglis in the third
- kudos to the brave fans who came out to the Enmax Centrium despite the brutal conditions outside... you weren't necessarily big in numbers but you were big in spirit... keep hanging in there, your team needs you!
- Marc Mackenzie missed last night's game with an upper body injury he suffered Saturday night in Swift Current. He will also miss both games this coming weekend and is officially listed as out 'week to week'
- Thanks to Mooner for letting me sit in his chair while we sorted out some 'technical difficulties' with my booth in the lounge... it could have been a disaster but we pulled it out of the fire just fine!
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