REBELS: Dumba Dealt To Portland

Trade breakdown (as per whl.ca)

The Red Deer Rebels have officially parted ways with Mathew Dumba.

Today, the Rebels traded Dumba’s WHL playing rights, along with a conditional 2014 WHL Bantam Draft pick, to the Portland Winterhawks. In return, the Rebels get 18-year-old forward Presten Kopeck and conditional bantam draft picks.

While it has become quite clear that the Minnesota Wild have no interest in sending Dumba back to play for an on-the-fringe playoff contender (if they ever had any to begin with), the chance to send him out west to play for a league championship and Memorial Cup contender may be a much more enticing possibility. It is clearly a possibility that both Rebels GM / Head Coach Brent Sutter and Winterhawks GM / Head Coach Mike Johnston are banking on.

Rebels Players Awards - Who's Gonna Win?

Contrary to popular belief, I have no insider info whatsoever as to who will win the 2012-2013 Red Deer Rebels Player Awards tonight.

But... as a guy who follows the team closely all season long... I should probably offer up my thoughts on the awards in the form of some predictions (which never ever work out well for me in the end).

Thankfully, at least one of this year's awards is an absolute slam dunk...

Rebels Gone Wild

Sometimes, as a broadcaster, you get lucky.



Prior to last night’s game at the Enmax Centrium between the Rebels and Regina Pats, Cam Moon and I were saying “How cool would it be if Paul Charles came to the game tonight?  He’d be a PERFECT intermission guest.”



Most of you probably don’t know who Paul Charles is… he is a scout with the Minnesota Wild.  And, as we’ve all seen, there’s no shortage of Rebels-Wild activity to chat about these days.



Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, Paul walked into the media lounge while Mooner and I were still chatting.  Perfect.



Paul is a big reason why Minnesota drafted Mathew Dumba 7th overall in last year’s NHL Entry Draft.  Before that, he was a big advocate for drafting Darcy Kuemper, which the Wild did in the sixth round (161st overall) of the 2009 draft.



That particular selection is turning out to be quite a steal for the Wild, and Charles couldn’t be happier.

Wild Camp Looms For Dumba

It looks like the Minnesota Wild will have their 2012 first round draft pick attending their training camp.

Red Deer Rebels Owner / President / GM / Head Coach Brent Sutter fully expects to lose the services of Mathew Dumba for a few days while he skates with the teams that selected him 7th overall last June.

“Matty will be leaving for sure,” Sutter confirmed before Monday’s practice at the Enmax Centrium. “There’s a good possibility Matty could be leaving before the weekend games [Friday at Saskatoon, Saturday at Prince Albert]. He’ll be gone for a few days and then he’ll be back again.”

Thursday Thoughts - "Rebels Clip Blades"

First off, if for some reason you have not seen Mathew Dumba's "Goal of the Year" candidate from last night... get on it!  Dumba's beauty goal was good enough to earn TSN Highlight of the Night honours... which, by the way, is a first time occurrence for the Rebels franchise.

---

The Red Deer Rebels have earned points in three straight games thanks to their 5-3 win over the Blades last night in Saskatoon.  The Rebels are 2-0-1 to start their stretch of seven straight games away from the Enmax Centrium.  Some thoughts...

- SCORING BY COMMITTEE... Five different players, none of them named Charles Inglis, lit the lamp for the Rebels last night... which is a great sign for this club.

- GIANT DIVIDENDS... Matt Bellerive was acquired from the Vancouver Giants with hopes/intentions that his playmaking ability to jump start the Rebels sometimes stagnant offensive attack.  Bellerive is tied for the Rebels scoring lead with six points, including the three assists he had in last night's win.

- KEY MOMENT... Midway through the third period, with the Rebels on a 5-on-3 powerplay, Josh Nicholls found himself with a breakaway for the Blades.  Patrik Bartosak came up with a huge save for the Rebels.  Mere seconds later, Cory Millette scored for the Rebels to make it 4-1, essentially putting the game out of reach. (Although Saskatoon scored just 10 seconds later to set up an interesting finish to this one).  Both Bartosak and Bolton Pouliot, as advertised, have been outstanding in net for the Rebels so far this season.

- CAPTAIN'S CRUNCH TIME... Adam Kambeitz's assist on Tyson Ness' empty net goal was just his second point of the season.  With Inglis on a scoring tear, and Turner Elson still day-to-day with his lower body injury, Adam needs to seize the moment and start contributing offensively.  Only four games (max.) left until the Rebels overagers (20 year old's) situation will be dealt with.

- MILLER TIME?... Also waiting for Jesse Miller to make an impact in his first WHL season.  He got invovled physically last night with a third period fight with Jessey Astles but that's not why he's here.  The Rebels are banking on the 18 year old's offensive abilities to add some much needed scoring depth.

- MOON MAN... I don't always get to appreciate it while working at home games... but sitting in my living room last night while listening to Cam Moon's call of the game on 106.7 The Drive was a real treat.  Judging by a look at my twitter timeline... many of you agree with me that Mooner calls one helluva good game!

NEXT GAME... The Rebels continue their East Division tour tomorrow night by visiting the Regina Pats.  Game time is 7:00pm.  The aforementioned Mooner hits the air with the pregame show on The Drive starting at 6:50.

WHL Vice President Discusses Checking To The Head

It’s a bit after the fact now, but I wanted to make sure I shared this you incase you missed it (which if you were at last Friday’s Rebels/Tigers game you would have).



During the second intermission of our broadcast on 106.7 The Drive I had the pleasure of chatting with Richard Doerksen, Vice President of Hockey for the Western Hockey League.

Richard offered some great insight into the WHL’s recent stance on checking to the head, notably Mathew Dumba’s major penalty from opening night back on September 21st. 

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.

A Wild Birthday Milestone For Dumba

Courtesy:  Minnesota Star Tribune

Time to dust off the keyboard and do a bit of blogging for the first time in what seems like way too much time off.

As Mathew Dumba today celebrates his 18th birthday, I figured it would be a good idea to catch up with the star Red Deer Rebels defenceman. 

From playing at the World U-18's (becoming the first blueliner to lead the tournament in scoring), to being selected 7th overall by Minnesota at the NHL Entry Draft, to skating at the Wild's summer development camp and signing his entry level contract... "off-season" hasn't been a part of Dumba's vocabulary.

Rebels Report - Dumba, Bartosak, and Bittner (the new guy)

Got a quick pic with 
Evgeni Malkin while in Vegas.

I'm Baaaack!

What a lovely change it was for this guy to go from sunny and 40+ degrees Celsius in Las Vegas to rainy and 15 degrees back here in Red Deer .  But I suppose a guy has to put up with that kind of thing after having a great time over five days in Sin City.  I'll survive.

There was some hockey flavour to my trip as my buddy and I dropped in on an NHL Awards 'after party' last Wednesday night.  It was pretty cool to be 'just a fan' for a night and meet current NHLers like Evgeni Malkin, Daniel Alfredsson, and Twitter legend Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0).  And, even as a life long Flames fan, it was quite a thrill to meet Mark Messier.  There were plenty more NHLers in the building, unfortunately my knack for recognizing faces isn't what it should be for a guy in my position (though I did manage to shake hands with Henrik Lundqvist).  Regardless, it was a great way to start a holiday.

Draft Talk With Dumba And Bartosak

Two months ago when I booked my trip to Vegas I apparently overlooked the fact that I would be in 'Sin City' while the NHL Entry Draft takes place in Pittsburgh.

But that didn't stop me from putting in a couple of phone calls late last week to the two Red Deer Rebels who are likely to be selected this weekend.

It's a foregone conclusion that Mathew Dumba will have his name called in the first round of the draft on Friday night.  Depending on who's draft board you are looking at,  Dumba is ranked as high as 6th (Bob McKenzie, TSN) to 18th (Shane Malloy, The Art of Scouting) and everywhere in between.  NHL Central Scouting has him ranked 11th among North American skaters.

Canada Wins U-18 Bronze, Dumba Named Top Defenceman

Before you ask... no, I did not wake up at 4am to watch this morning's bronze medal game at the World U-18 Hockey Championship.  But I did make my way to the office in time to chat with Mathew Dumba for a few minutes.

Dumba had three assists in Canada's 5-4 OT win over Finland to win bronze to finish the tournament with 5 goals and 7 assists.  He was a fairly easy choice as the Top Defenceman for the tournament.

Here's the transcript of my chat with Mat...

TG - Congrats on winning the bronze, Mat.  What are your overall thoughts on today's game?
MD - "It was a really good game by us.  We came out in the first really strong, up 2-0 going into the second.  The we took 10 minutes in penalties and we were killing the whole period.  That was tough to be in penalty trouble and the Finns are pretty feisty and they fought back just like we expected them too.  But it's a bronze medal [for us] and something to go home with.  Both teams really played hard and in the end we just kinda out-willed them.  We greased one out and it was good to see." 

TG - Was it tough for you guys to get motivated for today's game?  Bronze medal games aren't always easy for Canadian teams to get up for.MD - "No, it wasn't at all.  We've come all this way and to lose and not get anything from it would have been terrible.  It would have been a major failure for us and Hockey Canada.  We wanted to do something to take a little bit of pride home and have that [medal] in our bag to say we won something.  A medal is still a medal.  It's still a world championship with the best teams in the world so we're just satisfied taking home a bronze medal."
TG - You guys played probably your worst game of the tournament in losing 4-3 to Finland in the round-robin.  There must have been some motivation in getting another shot at them in the bronze medal game?MD - "Yeah, for sure.  We really didn't show them our best game in our first game.  But all the teams in this tournament get better in each game and today really showed that.  Both teams had got better and it was a really fast-paced game, high tempo and a lot of fun."

TG - You obviously put up a top of points at the tournament [led all skaters with 12 points] but were you happy with your individual play overall?
MD - "I was very happy with my point production, I kinda just got luck with all of that.  I got on a roll and it was nice but I think I also did a good job of playing defence and shutting down some key players in the tournament.  I maybe would've liked some plays back on the defensive end of things but the tournament goes by way too fast to dwell on those little things.  You just gotta be mentally tough battle through that stuff and I felt I did a really good job of that."

TG - This is the second straight overseas tournament in which you've led Team Canada in scoring [2011 Ivan Hlikna Memorial was the other] obviously something about European-style hockey suits your game.
MD - "Yeah, I guess so.  It kinda just puts me into a position where I can skate, get the puck on net and have a lot of opportunities.  I was pretty fortunate to be placed here in the positions that I was.  To have that powerplay time and be looked at as one of the key players on the team, I just embraced that as much as I could."
TG - Now that the tournament is over, talk about the fun you're having there [Czech Republic] off the ice.
MD - "It's a totally different world over here.  It's fun coming here.  Just to see the scenery and the history that is here is amazing.  Kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so thankful for it."

---

A few other quick thoughts...

- Dumba's play at the U-18's was, for lack of a better term, typical 'Dumba Hockey.'  He was a juggernaut offensively while still having a few off-moments in his own end (as he admitted to in our chat).  But he certainly responded well after being criticized in the wake of his drop in draft ranking.  Next up on his agenda... what is sure to be a long list of NHL teams calling him for pre-draft interviews leading up to June 22nd in Pittsburgh

- Jesse Wallin's coaching resume becomes even more impressive with the job he did at the U-18's.  Canada was right there in every game they played against teams which for the most part are together year-round.  In the case of the USA they have been together for two full years and Canada pushed them to the limit, twice.  The Rebels definitely have the right man at the helm as they look to re-group and get back into the WHL playoffs in 2012-13.

- Hunter Shinkaruk's third goal of the bronze medal game was the overtime winner.  He had 49 goals for Medicine Hat as a 17-year-old.  Even with Emerson Etem moving on is it a stretch to think he could net 60 goals next season? (as Etem did this year)

- Huge props to Cam Moon for getting me Dumba and Wallin to chat with throughout the tournament.  No doubt Mooner has had a great time being with the team in the Czech Republic, will be fun to chat with him when he gets back to Red Deer.

Canada Beats Russia / Catching Up With Kudrna

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

A Tough Loss But Strong Showing For Canada's U-18's

It's rare that a Canadian national hockey team can feel good after a loss at any level. But the U-18's definitely have that right after what we saw from them yesterday.

Jesse Wallin's crew battled hard but came up just short in a 5-3 loss to the heavily favoured Americans in Brno, Czech Republic.

Yes, it was a loss. But as Wallin told the Canadian Press he feels his squad is more than ready for the medal round.

“We grew as a team today and that's what we had to do,'' he said. “We have to be that much better for our next game. We can't hang our heads, we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep getting better, keep plugging away and stay the course here.''

Mathew Dumba had another eventful game at both ends of the rink.

On the good side, Dumba netted a goal and an assist for the fourth straight game (earning him player of the games honours for Canada). He now leads all skaters at the tournament with eight points. On the bad side, he was on for two more goals against (albeit one was a powerplay goal by the Americans) in another perfect showcase for Dumba's high risk, high reward style of play.

And what a nice addition Hunter Shinkaruk has been to Canada's roster. He was a late arrival once Medicine Hat was knocked out of the WHL playoffs, but he was solid yesterday in netting a goal and an assist of his own versus the Americans. Brandon Wheat Kings blueliner Ryan Pulock also scored for Canada meaning all three goals in yesterday's game came from Western Hockey Leaguers!

Canada will now hit the ice for quarter-finals action tomorrow (Thursday) versus Russia.

---

Once upon a time, there was a time when the name "Raffi" brought to mind warm thoughts of a beloved children's entertainer known for such classics as "Baby Beluga" and "Down By The Bay."

Sadly, Raffi Torres has ruined that for me.

With yet another predatorial hit last night, this time on Chicago's Marian Hossa, the Phoenix Coyotes winger enraged hockey fans yet again. Ironically, the hit came one later to the exact day after Torres (while with Vancouver) nailed Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook with a high hit.

I don't have enough time or desire to re-type Torres' full list of transgressions but safe to say he's done it way too often.

Bottom line... if Sherriff Brendan Shanahan does not do us all a favour and throw the book at him then he himself should perhaps given the boot. Mind you, Shanny has been quite a busy man over the past week or so. He's already dished out more suspensions in the first round than we saw during all of last year's playoffs. Intensity is one thing. But players are crossing the line and not just by a little bit.

---

Next year at this time the Bentley Generals will be hosting the 2013 Allan Cup right here in Red Deer. The 2012 AC is on right now in Lloydminster. Today marks day three of round-robin action. Check out www.allancup.ca for all the latest.

---

"An Important 'Czech Mark' for Team Canada"

A good bounce back effort for Team Canada today at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship.

Mathew Dumba had a goal and an assist (for the third straight game) as Canada beat the host Czech Republic 6-2, improving their round-robin record to 2-1.

During a quick phone chat right after the game, Wallin told me he really liked what he saw in what he called a 'game seven' situation for his squad.

"It's early in the tournament to be in that position but things happen that quickly. I thought the guys really responded to the challenge. They stepped up."

"We came off a game the other night against Finland where we were just absolutely rotten." Wallin told me, in reference to Canada's 4-3 loss on Saturday. "We had guys on their own page and everybody was cheating, not playing systems and whatnot."

Today's was an important win for Canada in that it clinched them a spot in the quarterfinals. It also sets up a showdown for first place in their pool versus the United States. The task will be a daunting one to say the least.

"The U.S. is undefeated in the tournament, they haven't given up a goal yet. They're a team that's been together for two years so they know each other well and are very organized."

That being said, Wallin is confident that his team has what it takes to get the job done.

"We've got a real good group of players. They're great people, they've really gelled well off the ice. But ultimately the game is played on the ice and they have to play together as a team. And today I really thought they took a step in the right direction."

Wednesday's game versus the United States starts at noon Alberta time and will be shown on TSN.

(NOTE - Thanks to Cam Moon for tearing Jesse away from a conversation with Steve Yzerman so that we could have our phone interview. Sorry about that, Stevie!)

---

As we ended our chat, I quickly asked Jesse for a quick thought on Brent Sutter. It's been an eventful few days for Wallin's mentor and Rebels boss. But as you would expect with all that he's been up to, Wallin didn't have much to say at this time.

"I haven't talked to anyone back there [Red Deer] other than my wife so I've only caught what she's told me and what I've found on the internet. He's an excellent hockey coach and I'm excited that he got the opportunity for the World Championships. He'll do an excellent job there."

Dumba Discusses Draft, Team Canada

Ok... so he didn't so much discuss it with me as he did politely comment on it and move on.

But either way, Mathew Dumba doesn't seem too concerned about his final ranking from NHL Central Scouting for this June's entry draft. A ranking which saw him fall from 7th among North American based skaters to 11th.

"Anything can happen at a draft," Dumba said over the phone from the Czech Republic. "It's a team's perspective and if a team wants you that's what they're gonna do."

Fair enough. We'll see how things unfold when the first round of the draft takes place in Pittsburgh on June 22nd.

In the meantime, Dumba has more pressing issues to worry about as he and the rest of Team Canada get set for their first round robin game at the World U-18 Hockey Championship (tomorrow, 8am Alberta time vs. Denmark).

"It's tough playing these other teams because a lot of them have been together year-round," he said in reference to Canada's two pre-tournament games (5-3 win over Germany, 5-4 OT win over Czech Rep.) "We just come together on short notice and have to play our best hockey. There's definitely a learning curve with that. Guys weren't always in the right places and little things like that. Little details which we've worked on this week."

It should come as no surprise that Team Canada has taken on a style of play we've come to expect from a Jesse Wallin coached hockey club.

"We're gonna be a very hard working team. Hard-nosed, gritty, greasy team that's gonna go out there and battle the whole time. We've got some big strong forwards that will go to the net. And on defence we've got guys who can skate and move the puck. It's pretty fun."

I also asked Mat if any of his teammates had asked him about what to expect in having Wallin as their coach. Dumba says they found that out for themselves rather quickly.

"It was our first game versus Germany. We didn't play the best period and he came in [to the dressing room] and was 'real firm.'

Yup. Sounds familiar.

Anyhoo... it should be made official today that Dumba will wear the "C" for Team Canada starting tomorrow. After that we'll 'see' what happens throughout the tournament, the NHL Entry Draft, and beyond.

TG

Optimist Rebels One Win Away From Telus Cup

Check out TSN's latest story on Red Deer Rebels defenceman Mathew Dumba as he gets set to lead Team Canada into battle at the World U-18 Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic.

---

The scene played out last night at the Red Deer Arena was one we have already seen numerous times during the Red Deer Optimist Rebels playoff run.

Stifling defensive play. Dozens of shots on the opponent's net. Fast-paced. Low scoring.

Ty Mappin scored the only goal of the game with just 2:19 left in the third period. The Optimist Rebels took game one of the Pacific Region Midget AAA Championship 1-0 over the Vancouver NW Giants. Red Deer grabs a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

Mappin (who had three or four great scoring chances go for naught earlier in the period) was the beneficiary of a great setup by Tanner Lomsnes... who charged into Vancouver territory down the left wing side, blew past the defender and circled the net before sliding the puck through the crease to an open Mappin. Dylan Thudium was also in the area but admitted after the game that it was indeed Mappin who netted the game winning goal.

Lomsnes' solid effort did not go unnoticed by Red Deer Optimist Rebels Head Coach Doug Quinn.

"Tanner is one of the players that has certainly stepped up for us throughout the playoffs" Quinn commented following the game. "He's taken his game to another level. That line [with Mappin and Thudium] has really carried us."

At the other end of the rink, Dasan Sydora did what he's done all playoffs long for Red Deer. He wasn't tested often, Vancouver had 16 shots on the night, but faced some quality chances. Especially so in the third period when both teams were pressing hard for the elusive first goal. Sydora earned his fifth shutout in 11 playoff games played. His goals against average drops to a miniscule 0.91 while his save percentage rises to a sparkling .963.

Quinn said it was exciting for his players to play in front of a raucous hometown crowd [estimated at approx. 1000] but felt it also may have played a role in what he felt was a slow start to the game for the Optimist Rebels.

When it comes to the Vancouver NW Giants, Braden Krogfoss was their best player on the night (he and Lomsnes were selected as the Players of the Game for their respective teams). The 16-year-old netminder turned aside 37 of the 38 shots he faced and gave his team a chance to win right up until the final whistle. Now when you look at the Giants stats, they have split their games fairly evenly between Krogfoss and his goaltending partner, Liam Smith. It will be very interesting to see who Head Coach Todd Harkins goes with tonight for game two.

Giants defenceman Josh Thrower was given plenty of ice time to audition for his WHL team. The 6'0" 186 lb. defender was selected in the 2nd round of the WHL Bantam Draft by the Calgary Hitmen... and both GM Kelly Kisio and Assistant Coach Brent Kisio were in attendance last night to see him play first hand. I think they'll be pleased with what they saw for the most part. Aside from a couple of minor miscues, Thrower played very well for the amount of ice time he received... which was a lot.

Vancouver's leading scorer Adam Helewka (9 points in playoff games coming into last night, 53 points in 40 regular season games) was held at bay last night. But judging by those numbers it'll be tough to do that two nights in a row. No doubt he'll have something to say about how tonight's game turns out.

"We had a kind of nervous energy and sometimes that can tire a body out. But, we found a way to win and that's all that matters right now."

It's safe to say that Quinn and the rest of the Optimist Rebels would love to see another large crowd on-hand tonight at the Red Deer Arena as they try to clinch the series and a trip to the Telus Cup in Leduc. Game time tonight is at 7pm.

If you're unable to make it to the game, check out www.imediatv.ca as I'll have live play-by-play coverage. We had great response to our first broadcast last night, thanks to everyone who tuned in! We hope to have you back again tonight (and tell some friends!)

Czeching In with Jesse Wallin

We will find out sometime today what Canada's team will look like for the World U-18 Hockey Championship.

Two things are certain... Mathew Dumba will be on the roster (and is a good bet to wear the "C"). Jesse Wallin will have this team working its collective arses off during each and every shift.

Wallin (along with the voice of the Rebels Cam Moon, who gets the sweet gig of doing media relations for the team) is currently in Toronto. That's where the squad will assemble before heading to the Czech Republic later this week.

Assembling a team for the U-18's is much like it is for the World Championship, you don't necessarily get to choose from the 'cream of the crop' when it comes to players. Nevertheless, Wallin is confident his assembled crew will be a competitive one.

"Our goaltending sounds like it's gonna be solid" Wallin told me when I stopped by his office on Monday. "Our defence, we should have four real solid guys and some good depth. And up front, we're gonna have a good mix of size and skill on our top couple of lines."

"A lot of players are still playing with their club teams so you're basically taking the best of what's available. But at the same time, I think we've got some depth in our country and it may not be the best team we could put together [if we had the whole crop to choose from] but yet I think we'll still put a pretty competitive team together."

As most of you know, this is Wallin's second go-round with the U-18's. He served as an Assistant Coach under Pat Quinn when Canada won gold in 2008. Wallin doesn't foresee any big differences in his role until the tournament gets underway.

"Pat was quite a presence and, of course, very experienced. We just kinda worked around him and supported him. So this time certainly having to be the guy taking that lead will be a great challenge for me, but it's definitely one I'm excited about.

Given the nature of the U-18 tournament, Wallin says having previous experience will definitely come in handy.

"I don't know of any other situation where it happens quite like this. There's no training camp whatsoever. It's just get the team together, get on the plane and go overseas. You really have to get your team to bond in a hurry."

We'll get our first look at how things are coming together when Canada takes on Denmark for its first game of the tournament next Thursday (12th) versus Denmark.

HERE'S THE FULL AUDIO FROM MY CHAT WITH WALLIN THIS PAST MONDAY.

NOTES... Wallin is also looking forward to visiting with some familiar faces while in the Czech Republic (his first time in the country in what will be his fifth trip to Europe overall). Rebels goalie Patrik Bartosak has promised to drop by for at least one day to visit with his junior coach (and his teammate Dumba for that matter). Also, former Rebels sniper Andrej Kudrna, who is playing pro hockey in his native Czech Republic, is hoping to connect with Wallin and Dumba at some point during the tournament.

What's Left To Play For?

(NOTE - The latest episode of 'Southside Dodge Rebels This Week' is now online)

Even with their main goal of earning a WHL playoff spot no longer possible, there are still a few things on the line for the Red Deer Rebels this week.

If they somehow manage to win their remaining three games starting tonight in Medicine Hat, they would salvage a .500 record for the season. They enter tonight 30-33-1-5 on the season.

But I'm going to have a closer eye on the team scoring race... which is still very much a race in the final week of the regular season.

John Persson currently leads the way with 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists) in 67 games played. He is just two points ahead of Mathew Dumba who sits with 54 points (20 goals, 34 assists) in 66 games.

By no means are the totals overwhelming. But it could make for a interesting bit of team history.

No defenceman has ever led the Rebels in scoring through an entire regular season despite some rather impressive performances...

- Darren Van Impe (1993-94) had 20 goals and 64 assists for 84 points in 58 games (that translates to 104 points over 72 games). Craig Reichert led the team with 119 points.

- Ross Lupaschuk (2000-01) had 28 goals (team record for d-men) and 37 assists for 65 points in 65 games. Justin Mapletoft led the Rebels and the WHL with 120 points.

- Dion Phaneuf's best total was 56 points in his final season with the Rebels in 2004-05. Roman Wick led that team with 70 points.

You can draw your own conclusions as to what it would mean to have the Rebels team scoring leader possibly finish with under 60 points. (Brandon Sutter led the team with 49 points in the much maligned 18 win 07-08 season) But should Dumba finish as the team leader it would still be an impressive feat.

For his part, Dumba told me he doesn't think that he will end up winning the team scoring race...

"I think Johnny's got that. He's a great player, and he's a forward. I think he's gonna rack up more points than I will in the last few games here. I'm not too concerned about it."

We'll see what happens.

The Rebels visit the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight at 7pm. Cam Moon has the pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 6:50pm.

---

Oilers fans... help me out if you could.

You continue to show an incredible amount of patience despite the fact your team continues to pile up the losses one after another.

I get the fact that the Oilers are a young team with some impressive talent and plenty of potential. But how long should it take before progress is made when it comes to actually winning some games.

The coach has finally lost his patience (for what it's worth) and the Edmonton media is quickly losing it's patience (for what it's worth) but yet the fans for the most part have remained patient while waiting for results to come around at some point.

Perhaps it's the promise of yet another elite prospect soon coming in the form of another high draft pick. The Oilers appear to be a lock to finish 29th overall meaning they'll likely pick 2nd overall this June in Pittsburgh. Heck, if they win the draft lottery they could pick 1st for the third straight year. Nail Yakupov would create quite a log jam of talent in the Oilers forward ranks. Wouldn't do much for their sagging defence or leaky goaltending though.

For the record... my NHL allegiances do lie with Calgary. But also for the record... I've long desired for them to start a rebuild of their own. Sven Baertschi creates good reason for excitement... but the Flames could use a few more like him.

Rally For The Ages

(ok... maybe I went a bit over the top with the headline... or maybe not lol)

It's not just 'that' the Red Deer Rebels won last night... but 'how' they won that could prove to be a launching point for the rest of the season.

Trailing the high flying Tri City Americans 2-0 after two periods of play last night at the Enmax Centrium. That meant they Rebels would need comeback of Herculean proportions to salvage any points and gain ground on Brandon (who lost 6-2 in Edmonton FYI).

John Persson would carry out the first (not necessarily out of 12) task for the Rebels when he got them on the board early in the third period, cutting their deficit to 2-1. It was a skilled goal by a skilled player as Johnny P showed some great hands in tight before tucking the puck past Americans goalie Eric Comrie.

That lit the fuse for the fans in the stands as the thousands of Rebels faithful in attendance had been anxiously waiting for their hometown heroes make a rally.

Next up... Deven Dubyk with a number of outstanding saves to keep the Rebels in it (really, he'd already been doing that through the first two periods). But in the third period Dubyk's highway robberies of both Patrick Holland and Adam Hughesman set the stage another Rebels hero to step up.

Cue Mathew Dumba. With 9:08 remaining in the third period, Dumba broke into the offensive zone for a shot on net, only to be stopped by Comrie. But the fine young defenceman followed up and jammed home his own rebound to tie the game 2-2. And if you thought the crowd was into it after Persson's goal...

The Rebels and Americans then traded scoring chances through the rest of the third period. But after sixty minutes of play and 75 combined shots on net this game was going to overtime.

But not for long...

Not satisfied with just tying this game up, Dumba took it upon himself to score the game winner for the Rebels as well. Just 38 seconds into the extra frame, he roofed a shot high past Comrie.

The Herculean comeback was complete... which for me created two causes for concern... the state of the Enmax Centrium after the raucous crowd lifted the lid... and the state of my left elbow following a rather exuberant fist pump.

The win itself is important, of course. But coming back from being two goals down against one of the best teams in the entire CHL is the kind of thing that will provide this Rebels team with a "we can beat anyone, on any night" mentality.

And they will need to apply that mentality starting tonight in what Jesse Wallin admits is the 'biggest game of the year' for his club. The Brandon Wheat Kings visit the Enmax Centrium two points up on the Rebels for the eighth and final playoff spot. With a win tonight, the Rebels would technically stake claim to the playoff spot due to less games played.

Oh... it's also 80's night tonight... can't wait to see and hear what the evening has in store!

OTHER NOTES...

- Adam Kambeitz is the biggest cause for concern coming out of last night's game. The Rebels captain was slashed late in the first period and went down awkwardly. He gutted out a couple of shifts early in the second period before leaving the game for good. His status for tonight is TBA.

- You can also add defenceman Kayle Doetzel to the Rebels list of injuries. He missed last night's game with an upper body injury he suffered Wednesday night versus Vancouver.

- It really was fun to see the Feser brothers play against each other for the first, and quite possibly only, time ever. Older brother Justin has been quite a leader for the Americans during his four seasons with Tri City. Scott definitely has the potential to do the same with the Rebels. Americans coach Jim Hiller is definitely impressed with the younger Feser!

- Red Deer minor hockey products Derek Ryckman, acquired earlier this season from Lethbridge, and Mitch Topping were also in the line up for the Americans last night.

Dumba Taking Flight

Simplicity.

That has been the key to Mathew Dumba's recent offensive success according to Rebels GM and Head Coach Jesse Wallin.

"He's a very passionate guy and he wants to be a difference. But at you move on at this level and beyond, even more so at the next level, sometimes as a defenceman less is more. He's played very assertively but has kept his game simple. He's not trying to rush the puck every time he gets it. He's just getting shots through to the net, making a good first pass, finding the open man."

Dumba has five points, including three goals, in his last three games while continuing to bring the thundering physical presence that has made him a fan favorite and top draft prospect. The 18-year-old admits being cut from Team Canada for the World Juniors took quite a while to get over, but he's finally done just that.

"I played so good at that camp and I knew coming back to the team that I wanted to bring as much back as I could and show that experience. I wanted to make an impact and didn't do that initially. But the slump was good for me in that I worked my way out of it."

Another key to Dumba's offensive surge has been some good chemistry with Turner Elson. They combined for a highlight reel 2-on-0 shorthanded goal versus Prince George last Saturday. Elson finished the game with four points, Dumba with three.

"It started in Brandon when we hooked up for a goal there. It hasn't really stopped yet. It's going good and we'd like to keep it going."

It's safe to say that if the Rebels hope to establish any sort of consistency in their chase for a playoff spot that #24 will play a key role.

The Rebels host the Vancouver Giants at the Enmax Centrium tomorrow night at 7pm.

---

So instead of the Boston Bruins being able to enjoy their big moment at the White House with President Obama and the Stanley Cup, all anyone is talking about is Tim Thomas.

The Conn Smythe trophy winning goalie, and only American born player on the Bruins roster, was the only player who did not attend yesterday's ceremony. His reason... "I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People." He added "This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country."

I'm not too sure where I come out on this one. Normally, I am all for players exercising their right to express their opinions and personal beliefs. But part of me feels Thomas is being a bit selfish here. I dunno. What do you think?

---

As expected as yesterday's move was, it's still sad for me to know that the Joffrey Reynolds era in Calgary is over. In future years when we look back at #21's time with the Stampeders, the two words that will jump to mind first will be "Class Act." Never did he exemplify that more than this past 2011 season after he was demoted in favour of Jon Cornish. Not once did Reynolds raise a stink about it. He definitely could have, creating big time problems for the Stamps in the process, but he put the team ahead of himself and soldiered on. In due time, he will be enshrined on the Stamepders' Wall of Honour and eventually the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. But for now he deserves the opportunity to continue his career elsewhere.