The Neepawa Natives have suffered through some lean years of late, but the junior A team feels this is their year to turn things around.
The team has been extremely active this off season, and they pulled off another deal last week when they acquired 20-year old goaltender Wendell Vye.
The overage netminder played with the P.E.I. Rocket of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last year. Due to a limit on the number of overage players at the major junior level, Vye is ready to play his final year of junior at the junior A level.
Last year, the Moncton, N.B., product finished first in save percentage in the Canadian Hockey League. He also finished third with a 2.20 GAA.
Neepawa Natives head coach Bryant Perrier told the MJHL website that Vye was “on our wish list”, though he admitted he had his doubts he could acquire the netminder.
“It was a pipe dream at times because we were fighting so many factors,” he said.”The team that owned his junior A rights was obviously not looking to move him. As well, with his ability, we were of the mind that he would be back in the QMJHL.”
Vye, who is not overly large at five foot 11 inches and 160 pounds, said he’s looking forward to playing for the Natives.
“The (Neepawa Natives) staff takes great pride in getting players to the next level and helping them out with their careers,” said Vye in a release. “I am very excited.”
In other deals, the Dauphin Kings have traded 17-year-old forward E.J. Faust to the OCN Blizzard for future considerations.
Not done there, the Dauphin Kings shipped 20-year-old forward Dale Hunt and future considerations to the Cowichan Capitals of the BCHL for 19-year-old forward Chris Daniels.
The Dauphin Kings also traded 20-year-old defenceman Mike Boese and future considerations to the Miramichi Timberwolves of the Maratime Junior A Hockey League for 20-year-old forward Keith Grondin and 19-year-old goaltender Leo Podolsky.
• The radio schedule for GX94 has been released, and the Swan Valley Stampeders will be on the air 15 times on the Yorkton-based radio station.
The first game is Sept. 29, when the Stampeders visit the Dauphin Kings.
GX94 will also broadcast 10 Waywayseecappo Wolverines games. Their first game will be on Sept. 19 against the Dauphin Kings.
In fact GX94 will carry five Wayway vs. Swan Valley games, three Wayway vs. OCN games, and two Wayway vs. Dauphin games.
Swan Valley’s other games include three against Dauphin, three against Portage, two against Neepawa and two against OCN.
GX94 isn’t planning to cover any Addison Division games this year.
You can see their full schedule at www.gx94radio.com.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A look at round two
Swan Valley Stampeders forward Myles Stevens will go down in history as one of the franchise’s all-time greats. He cemented that status with a great first-round playoff performance against the Portage Terriers.
Stevens had nine points in five games to help lead the Stampeders to a five-game victory over the Terriers.
It marked the second time in three years that Stevens has raised his game in the post season. Back in 2008 when the Stamps and Terriers did battle, Stevens recorded 12 points in seven games (as a rookie no less), giving him 21 career points heading into the second round against the Dauphin Kings.
Stevens also moved into second place all-time in Stampeder playoff scoring. He is only slightly behind Shaun McIvor, who scored 22 points in 22 games over three seasons. Stevens enters the second round one point back. He also recently passed former scoring greats Trevor Derlago and Tyler Czuba.
As Swan Valley’s unofficial statistician Craig Zamzow notes, at most levels of hockey, point per game trends tend to decline significantly when tight-checking playoff hockey arrives. This doesn’t apply to Stevens, who has a 1.18 point per game average in the regular season, and a 1.75 point per game average in the playoffs. He’s been elevating his game in the playoffs.
• Speaking of playoff performances, the clutch performance of the playoffs so far has to belong to Winkler’s Nick Lazorko.
The talented forward must now own the MJHL record for most overtime winners in one series after he scored three straight game clinchers against the Selkirk Steelers, helping the Flyers get back into the second round. One of the overtime winners was short-handed, making the performance that much more impressive.
Consider how difficult it is to even get a playoff game into overtime, and then score the winner in not one game, but three straight, and it makes Lazorko’s performance even more remarkable. By comparison, the NHL all-time leader for overtime winners in the playoffs is Joe Sakic. He scored eight overtime winners in 172 games.
The performance was enough to earn Lazorko the MJHL’s Potters Distillers Player of the Week honour.
Also considered for this award was Stevens, and Selkirk’s Brendan Baumgartner, who had five goals in four games.
• The MJHL also recently handed out their monthly award winners.
Dauphin Kings’ veteran forward Shane Luke has been named the RBC Player of the Month.
Luke, who hails from Ste. Rose du Lac, had 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in the final month of the regular season. His offensive outburst also clinched the Mike Ridley Trophy for Luke. The trophy is awarded to the league’s top point getter. Luke led all MJHL scorers this year with 101 points, two better than linemate Ryan Dreger.
Also considered for this award was Portage Terriers forward Tyler Moore and Wes Pawluk of the Neepawa Natives.
The Sher-wood Hockey Defenceman of the Month is Patrick Kozyra from the Dauphin Kings.
The Sherwood Park, Alta., native had 10 points and was solid on the back end for the Kings.
Also considered for this award was Kozyra’s teammate Steven Shamanski (the MJHL’s defenceman of the year) and Caleb Suderman of the Neepawa Natives.
The GDI Prairies Goaltender of the Month is Portage Terriers netminder Jason Kasdorf. The 17-year-old puck stopper had a memorable February, helping the Terriers win 11 in a row by going 5-0 record, sparkling 1.40 GAA and .939 save percentage.
He also played well in the first part of the playoffs against the Stampeders, but was pulled after losing three straight one-goal games.
Also considered for this award was Joe Caligiuri of the Dauphin Kings and Matt Krahn of the Neepawa Natives. Caligiuri recently was presented with the MJHL’s RBC $1,000 scholarship.
Stephane Pattyn, 18, of the Portage Terriers is the Husky Energy Rookie of the Month. The rookie had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in aiding the Terriers in their undefeated month.
Also up for this award was David Conrad, 18, of the Winnipeg Saints and forward Brendan O’Donnell, 17, of the Winnipeg South Blues.
• Prediction time. After a perfect 4-0 record in the opening round, it’s now time for my divisional championship picks (made before the second round got under way).
Swan Valley versus Dauphin: The smart money is to take the Kings. As the RBC hosts, they built a team to win a national championship, so getting to the league final should be a formality. However, that’s why they play the games. Swan Valley and Dauphin actually split their eight games in the regular season, though Dauphin won the final two in convincing fashion. Swan Valley, though, seems to have shaken off their February funk and are playing great hockey. Swan Valley’s had to come from behind in these playoffs, and though they won in five games, most of their games were tight and competitive. Dauphin, by contrast, had an easier time disposing of the Neepawa Natives in four straight. I think this series will go six or seven, and I think fans are in for a treat. Both teams have dynamic scoring threats, so it will be up to the defence and netminders to hold the fort. These two franchises have never met in the playoffs before. The heart says Swan Valley in seven, while the brain says Dauphin in seven. Betting against the team you cover isn’t a great way to sell papers, but this is obviously one time where I’m hoping my heart knows something my brain doesn’t. Either way, it should be entertaining.
Prediction: Kings in seven.
Winkler versus Winnipeg Saints: Here’s another series where the top seed was barely challenged in the opening round, while the lower seed had to play their best hockey to advance. Winkler has to be full of confidence after three straight overtime wins to eliminate the Selkirk Steelers. The Saints might have the best goaltender in the MJHL in Justin Leclerc, but the Flyers have a clutch playoff performer to look to in Lazorko. Strength versus strength. And one intangible to this series – Winkler will likely have more fans at every game in this series, as a trip to Winnipeg isn’t much of a hardship for the Flyers faithful, and the Saints are not exactly the hottest draw in Winnipeg.
Prediction: Saints in seven.
Stevens had nine points in five games to help lead the Stampeders to a five-game victory over the Terriers.
It marked the second time in three years that Stevens has raised his game in the post season. Back in 2008 when the Stamps and Terriers did battle, Stevens recorded 12 points in seven games (as a rookie no less), giving him 21 career points heading into the second round against the Dauphin Kings.
Stevens also moved into second place all-time in Stampeder playoff scoring. He is only slightly behind Shaun McIvor, who scored 22 points in 22 games over three seasons. Stevens enters the second round one point back. He also recently passed former scoring greats Trevor Derlago and Tyler Czuba.
As Swan Valley’s unofficial statistician Craig Zamzow notes, at most levels of hockey, point per game trends tend to decline significantly when tight-checking playoff hockey arrives. This doesn’t apply to Stevens, who has a 1.18 point per game average in the regular season, and a 1.75 point per game average in the playoffs. He’s been elevating his game in the playoffs.
• Speaking of playoff performances, the clutch performance of the playoffs so far has to belong to Winkler’s Nick Lazorko.
The talented forward must now own the MJHL record for most overtime winners in one series after he scored three straight game clinchers against the Selkirk Steelers, helping the Flyers get back into the second round. One of the overtime winners was short-handed, making the performance that much more impressive.
Consider how difficult it is to even get a playoff game into overtime, and then score the winner in not one game, but three straight, and it makes Lazorko’s performance even more remarkable. By comparison, the NHL all-time leader for overtime winners in the playoffs is Joe Sakic. He scored eight overtime winners in 172 games.
The performance was enough to earn Lazorko the MJHL’s Potters Distillers Player of the Week honour.
Also considered for this award was Stevens, and Selkirk’s Brendan Baumgartner, who had five goals in four games.
• The MJHL also recently handed out their monthly award winners.
Dauphin Kings’ veteran forward Shane Luke has been named the RBC Player of the Month.
Luke, who hails from Ste. Rose du Lac, had 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in the final month of the regular season. His offensive outburst also clinched the Mike Ridley Trophy for Luke. The trophy is awarded to the league’s top point getter. Luke led all MJHL scorers this year with 101 points, two better than linemate Ryan Dreger.
Also considered for this award was Portage Terriers forward Tyler Moore and Wes Pawluk of the Neepawa Natives.
The Sher-wood Hockey Defenceman of the Month is Patrick Kozyra from the Dauphin Kings.
The Sherwood Park, Alta., native had 10 points and was solid on the back end for the Kings.
Also considered for this award was Kozyra’s teammate Steven Shamanski (the MJHL’s defenceman of the year) and Caleb Suderman of the Neepawa Natives.
The GDI Prairies Goaltender of the Month is Portage Terriers netminder Jason Kasdorf. The 17-year-old puck stopper had a memorable February, helping the Terriers win 11 in a row by going 5-0 record, sparkling 1.40 GAA and .939 save percentage.
He also played well in the first part of the playoffs against the Stampeders, but was pulled after losing three straight one-goal games.
Also considered for this award was Joe Caligiuri of the Dauphin Kings and Matt Krahn of the Neepawa Natives. Caligiuri recently was presented with the MJHL’s RBC $1,000 scholarship.
Stephane Pattyn, 18, of the Portage Terriers is the Husky Energy Rookie of the Month. The rookie had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in aiding the Terriers in their undefeated month.
Also up for this award was David Conrad, 18, of the Winnipeg Saints and forward Brendan O’Donnell, 17, of the Winnipeg South Blues.
• Prediction time. After a perfect 4-0 record in the opening round, it’s now time for my divisional championship picks (made before the second round got under way).
Swan Valley versus Dauphin: The smart money is to take the Kings. As the RBC hosts, they built a team to win a national championship, so getting to the league final should be a formality. However, that’s why they play the games. Swan Valley and Dauphin actually split their eight games in the regular season, though Dauphin won the final two in convincing fashion. Swan Valley, though, seems to have shaken off their February funk and are playing great hockey. Swan Valley’s had to come from behind in these playoffs, and though they won in five games, most of their games were tight and competitive. Dauphin, by contrast, had an easier time disposing of the Neepawa Natives in four straight. I think this series will go six or seven, and I think fans are in for a treat. Both teams have dynamic scoring threats, so it will be up to the defence and netminders to hold the fort. These two franchises have never met in the playoffs before. The heart says Swan Valley in seven, while the brain says Dauphin in seven. Betting against the team you cover isn’t a great way to sell papers, but this is obviously one time where I’m hoping my heart knows something my brain doesn’t. Either way, it should be entertaining.
Prediction: Kings in seven.
Winkler versus Winnipeg Saints: Here’s another series where the top seed was barely challenged in the opening round, while the lower seed had to play their best hockey to advance. Winkler has to be full of confidence after three straight overtime wins to eliminate the Selkirk Steelers. The Saints might have the best goaltender in the MJHL in Justin Leclerc, but the Flyers have a clutch playoff performer to look to in Lazorko. Strength versus strength. And one intangible to this series – Winkler will likely have more fans at every game in this series, as a trip to Winnipeg isn’t much of a hardship for the Flyers faithful, and the Saints are not exactly the hottest draw in Winnipeg.
Prediction: Saints in seven.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
As promised, here are my playoff predictions, written a day before the playoffs were to get under way.
Winnipeg South Blues vs. Winnipeg Saints – Before the trade deadline, I would have called this a toss up. After the deadline, I have to go with the Saints. When they acquired Justin Leclerc, it was a game changer in the Addison Division. He’s 11-2 since joining the Saints. The Blues are well coached, but the Saints have depth they can’t compete with.
Prediction – Saints in five.
Winkler Flyers vs. Selkirk Steelers – Neither of these teams played particularly well heading into the playoffs, but something’s got to give here. Selkirk has the league’s MVP in Taylor Dickin, and both teams have netminders who were up for goalie of the year (Peter Alexander for the Winkler Flyers and Joey Rewucki of Selkirk Steelers). Selkirk’s not the overwhelming power they are accustomed to being, and some say they are a little soft. If this series goes deep, it could be Winkler’s year.
Prediction – Flyers in seven.
Neepawa Natives vs. Dauphin Kings – One team is highly talented, built to win a national championship. The other doesn’t care, and judging by their penalty total this year, are ready to make Dauphin pay for every goal in this series. Dauphin should win based on their netminding and scoring prowess, but the Natives could make this a series if they get Dauphin off their game. The downside to playing tough, aggressive hockey is that Neepawa could give Dauphin more power-play chances.
Prediction – Dauphin in five.
Swan Valley Stampeders vs. Portage Terriers – The Stampeders blew their chance for home ice advantage in this series, but perhaps that works in their favour a bit, as the pressure to win switches to Portage. Swan Valley has always played Portage tough in the playoffs, especially as the underdog. Though Portage finished on a tear, they’re not the overwhelming favourite in this series. There’s such a thing a peaking too early, and the long layoff probably didn’t help Portage. Is this Swan Valley’s year? If not this year, when will they win another playoff round?
Prediction – Stampeders in seven.
Take those pics for what they’re worth – just one man’s opinion.
Winnipeg South Blues vs. Winnipeg Saints – Before the trade deadline, I would have called this a toss up. After the deadline, I have to go with the Saints. When they acquired Justin Leclerc, it was a game changer in the Addison Division. He’s 11-2 since joining the Saints. The Blues are well coached, but the Saints have depth they can’t compete with.
Prediction – Saints in five.
Winkler Flyers vs. Selkirk Steelers – Neither of these teams played particularly well heading into the playoffs, but something’s got to give here. Selkirk has the league’s MVP in Taylor Dickin, and both teams have netminders who were up for goalie of the year (Peter Alexander for the Winkler Flyers and Joey Rewucki of Selkirk Steelers). Selkirk’s not the overwhelming power they are accustomed to being, and some say they are a little soft. If this series goes deep, it could be Winkler’s year.
Prediction – Flyers in seven.
Neepawa Natives vs. Dauphin Kings – One team is highly talented, built to win a national championship. The other doesn’t care, and judging by their penalty total this year, are ready to make Dauphin pay for every goal in this series. Dauphin should win based on their netminding and scoring prowess, but the Natives could make this a series if they get Dauphin off their game. The downside to playing tough, aggressive hockey is that Neepawa could give Dauphin more power-play chances.
Prediction – Dauphin in five.
Swan Valley Stampeders vs. Portage Terriers – The Stampeders blew their chance for home ice advantage in this series, but perhaps that works in their favour a bit, as the pressure to win switches to Portage. Swan Valley has always played Portage tough in the playoffs, especially as the underdog. Though Portage finished on a tear, they’re not the overwhelming favourite in this series. There’s such a thing a peaking too early, and the long layoff probably didn’t help Portage. Is this Swan Valley’s year? If not this year, when will they win another playoff round?
Prediction – Stampeders in seven.
Take those pics for what they’re worth – just one man’s opinion.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is going to be handing out some hardware during the final week of the regular season and possible into the start of the playoffs.
There are some outstanding nominees for the various awards the MJHL hands out at the end of each season.
They did away with a year end banquet, and instead now present the awards to the players (and coaches) in front of their fans.
First up, who is this year’s MVP? They will take home the Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh award. Nominees include David Aime from the OCN Blizzard, Steven Shamanski from the Dauphin Kings and Taylor Dickin from the Selkirk Steelers.
Aime might seem like an odd choice given the Blizzard are not likely to make the playoffs this year, but anyone who watched the Blizzard this year know he basically carried them on his back with his stellar netminding.
The top defenceman in the MJHL will capture the Brian Kozak trophy. Shamanski is also nominated for this award. Joining him are Dale Warkentin from the OCN Blizzard and Zach Tully from the Portage Terriers.
The Vince Leah trophy is handed out to the top rookie in the MJHL each year. This year the race is between Cole Brunet of the Portage Terriers, Brendan O’Donnell of the Winnipeg South Blues and Eric Coulombe of the Steinbach Pistons. While it’s great to see the Pistons franchise represented here, O’Donnell is the likely winner in this category.
The player deemed to show the most hockey ability and sportsmanship is presented the Lorne “Windy” Lyndon trophy. Players up for this award include Shane Luke from the Dauphin Kings, Chris Reimer from the Swan Valley Stampeders, and Blake Chartier from the Winnipeg Saints.
If Aime doesn’t win the MVP title, maybe he’ll win the top goaltender trophy. He’s up against Peter Alexander from the Winkler Flyers and Joey Rewucki from the Selkirk Steelers.
The final trophy to be handed out in the next couple of weeks is the coach of the year honour.
Either Ryan Smith from the Selkirk Steelers, Dwayne Kirkup from the Swan Valley Stampeders or Rich Gosselin from the Steinbach Pistons will win the “Muzz McPherson” award.
Then again, maybe none of them want it. Last year’s winner – Doug Hedley – was not brought back as head coach of the OCN Blizzard.
• Dauphin Kings forward Shane Luke is the Potters Distillers Player of the Week.
The 19 year old had eight points in two games, including six against the Swan Valley Stampeders in a 9-3 victory.
Also considered for this award was Shael Hechter of Winkler Flyers and Jason Kasdorf of Portage Terriers.
The 20-year-old Hechter had three goals and seven points last week, while Kasdorf, 17, went 2-0 while posting a 1.50 GAA and .944 save percentage. He also shut out the Swan Valley Stampeders.
• Speaking of that shutout, that win pretty much sealed second place for the Terriers in the Sher-Wood Division. Regardless of where it starts, the two teams will clash in the opening round of the playoffs this year. Portage has never lost to Swan Valley in a seven-game series before. Each team picked up four wins against each other this season – three of which went to a shootout. Portage is ending the season on a real hot streak, but the Stampeders know a little bit about that as well. In the 2005-06 season the Stampeders won 11 straight games down the stretch. It didn’t matter when the playoffs started – they lost in five games.
The other Sher-Wood series pits the Dauphin Kings against the Neepawa Natives. Neepawa finally earned a win against the Kings last week, but they will be hard-pressed to win four times in the playoffs against the RBC hosts. Dauphin might be more interested in escaping the opening round with as few bumps and bruises as possible.
In the other division the Winnipeg Saints came alive in February, blew past the Selkirk Steelers and claimed top spot in the division. As I write this column with a week to play, it looks as though the Saints will likely face the Winnipeg South Blues, who have all but clinched the final spot away from the OCN Blizzard, and are a bit too far away from Winkler for a realistic charge at third. An all-Winnipeg matchup probably suits the Saints just fine, as they (and their pocket book) were not likely too enthralled with the prospects of travelling to OCN for an opening-round playoff series.
The other series will see the Steelers host the Winkler Flyers. The strongest rural teams in the Addison will battle for a right to take on Winnipeg’s best team in the Addison Division final.
I’ll have my playoff predictions in next week’s column.
There are some outstanding nominees for the various awards the MJHL hands out at the end of each season.
They did away with a year end banquet, and instead now present the awards to the players (and coaches) in front of their fans.
First up, who is this year’s MVP? They will take home the Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh award. Nominees include David Aime from the OCN Blizzard, Steven Shamanski from the Dauphin Kings and Taylor Dickin from the Selkirk Steelers.
Aime might seem like an odd choice given the Blizzard are not likely to make the playoffs this year, but anyone who watched the Blizzard this year know he basically carried them on his back with his stellar netminding.
The top defenceman in the MJHL will capture the Brian Kozak trophy. Shamanski is also nominated for this award. Joining him are Dale Warkentin from the OCN Blizzard and Zach Tully from the Portage Terriers.
The Vince Leah trophy is handed out to the top rookie in the MJHL each year. This year the race is between Cole Brunet of the Portage Terriers, Brendan O’Donnell of the Winnipeg South Blues and Eric Coulombe of the Steinbach Pistons. While it’s great to see the Pistons franchise represented here, O’Donnell is the likely winner in this category.
The player deemed to show the most hockey ability and sportsmanship is presented the Lorne “Windy” Lyndon trophy. Players up for this award include Shane Luke from the Dauphin Kings, Chris Reimer from the Swan Valley Stampeders, and Blake Chartier from the Winnipeg Saints.
If Aime doesn’t win the MVP title, maybe he’ll win the top goaltender trophy. He’s up against Peter Alexander from the Winkler Flyers and Joey Rewucki from the Selkirk Steelers.
The final trophy to be handed out in the next couple of weeks is the coach of the year honour.
Either Ryan Smith from the Selkirk Steelers, Dwayne Kirkup from the Swan Valley Stampeders or Rich Gosselin from the Steinbach Pistons will win the “Muzz McPherson” award.
Then again, maybe none of them want it. Last year’s winner – Doug Hedley – was not brought back as head coach of the OCN Blizzard.
• Dauphin Kings forward Shane Luke is the Potters Distillers Player of the Week.
The 19 year old had eight points in two games, including six against the Swan Valley Stampeders in a 9-3 victory.
Also considered for this award was Shael Hechter of Winkler Flyers and Jason Kasdorf of Portage Terriers.
The 20-year-old Hechter had three goals and seven points last week, while Kasdorf, 17, went 2-0 while posting a 1.50 GAA and .944 save percentage. He also shut out the Swan Valley Stampeders.
• Speaking of that shutout, that win pretty much sealed second place for the Terriers in the Sher-Wood Division. Regardless of where it starts, the two teams will clash in the opening round of the playoffs this year. Portage has never lost to Swan Valley in a seven-game series before. Each team picked up four wins against each other this season – three of which went to a shootout. Portage is ending the season on a real hot streak, but the Stampeders know a little bit about that as well. In the 2005-06 season the Stampeders won 11 straight games down the stretch. It didn’t matter when the playoffs started – they lost in five games.
The other Sher-Wood series pits the Dauphin Kings against the Neepawa Natives. Neepawa finally earned a win against the Kings last week, but they will be hard-pressed to win four times in the playoffs against the RBC hosts. Dauphin might be more interested in escaping the opening round with as few bumps and bruises as possible.
In the other division the Winnipeg Saints came alive in February, blew past the Selkirk Steelers and claimed top spot in the division. As I write this column with a week to play, it looks as though the Saints will likely face the Winnipeg South Blues, who have all but clinched the final spot away from the OCN Blizzard, and are a bit too far away from Winkler for a realistic charge at third. An all-Winnipeg matchup probably suits the Saints just fine, as they (and their pocket book) were not likely too enthralled with the prospects of travelling to OCN for an opening-round playoff series.
The other series will see the Steelers host the Winkler Flyers. The strongest rural teams in the Addison will battle for a right to take on Winnipeg’s best team in the Addison Division final.
I’ll have my playoff predictions in next week’s column.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
No more fighting?
I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn here when I state that the average Manitoba Junior Hockey League fan enjoys a good fight.
MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis is a leader in this league, but he answers to those above him in the hockey hierarchy in Canada. And last November, Hockey Canada passed a motion to limit the number of fights a player can have in a game to one. This would be much like preseason rules – one fight and you’re tossed.
The motion which was passed reads as such – A Major Penalty should be imposed on any player who engages in fisticuffs for the first time in a game. A second offense would result in a Major Penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty. A player identified as the instigator in a fight shall be assessed, in addition to the Major for fighting, a Minor and a Misconduct penalty. Note: All players who engage in a fight will receive a Major penalty and a Game Misconduct. Rationale: This would discourage fighting and provide consistency within our playing rules.
“Essentially, it’s no fighting, since if you fight once, you’re out,” said Davis. “That’s been approved by the Hockey Canada board, but having said that, I and my counterparts from the other junior A leagues in the West, are doing what we can to see if we can clarify that, and see if we can have it changed or amended.”
The motion will be voted on at Hockey Canada’s annual general meeting in May.
There are other motions as well. Any player who gets in their third fight of the season would be suspended a game. Four fights? Two games. Five fights? Three games. Six? Indefinite suspension.
Apparently Hockey Canada wants to implement this as soon as next season. Davis acknowledges this is an extremely import discussion.
“This is about the future of not just our league, but other leagues like ours,” he said. “I’ve been working behind the scenes over the last few months.”
Davis said the MJHL is looking for some alternative arrangements for his and other junior A leagues.
“We’re in the business to operate (franchises) and attract fans,” he said. “And there’s other issues as well. When you make a big rule change, there’s reactions in other parts of the game as well.”
What do you, the fan, think? Is a no-fighting MJHL something you’re looking forward to? Or do you disagree with Hockey Canada’s plans? Send me a note at editor@starandtimes.ca and let me – and the policy makers at Hockey Canada – know.
• The battles in the MJHL are so tight this month (a refreshing change from other years) that several teams could feasibly end up tied when they’re done playing their 62 games.
If that’s the case, the MJHL has a set policy for tiebreakers.
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. As explained by the MJHL, “In the event that two or more clubs are tied with the same number of points, then the higher position shall be awarded to the club having won the greater number of games against each other”.
If that doesn’t break the tie, they then resort to the number of wins, and other categories.
“If the tie is still not broken, then the team with the greater number of wins shall be awarded the higher position. Should the clubs be tied in all the foregoing departments, then the higher position shall be awarded to the club using the following process: The greatest positive differential between goals scored for and against by the clubs having equal standing in games played between the clubs. If still tied, the method used will be the goal differential in the total league games played by the clubs with equal standing.”
The bottom line is, win the season series against the team you are battling, and you’ll win the tiebreaker.
Unless we’re talking about the crossover. The OCN Blizzard will have to do better than the Winnipeg South Blues if they want to earn that crossover spot.
“(The tiebreakers) do not apply for the crossover mechanism that the (MJHL) uses. In that case, the cross over team must have more points than the team it is trying to replace in the division. Having the same number of points in the standings is not good enough to qualify for eligibility to cross over.”
Most teams would rather settle things definitely and not have to worry about a tiebreaker. But if it’s needed, the MJHL has the policies in place to determine who gets to finish higher in the standings.
• Speaking of the playoffs, Davis said he’s excited about the league playoffs which are set to start at the end of February.
“Unlike some recent years, I think it’s wide open in terms of who could win the league championship,” he said. “Once we get the (playoff) matchups finalized, it’s going to be really exciting.”
Davis is also keeping tabs on Dauphin’s preparations for the RBC Cup.
“They have regular meetings with Hockey Canada reps and Hockey Manitoba, and they’re right on schedule in terms of what they need for infrastructure needed to host this event,” he said. “They’re doing a great job.”
And MJHL fans are excited about the potential prospect of having two MJHL teams take part in the RBC Cup. The MJHL initially hoped if Dauphin won the ANAVET Cup that the MJHL runner up would get in, but that isn’t the case. Still, if a MJHL team is able to knock off the Dauphin Kings (no easy task since they’ve set a franchise benchmark for wins this year) and beat the SJHL in the ANAVET Cup, the MJHL could have two teams in the year-end tournament.
• Dauphin Kings forward Devin Mitzner is the latest Potters Distillers Player of the Week.
The Strathmore, Alta., product scored four goals and added five assists in three games for the Kings.
Also considered for this award was Mitzner’s teammate Mitch Czibere and Portage Terriers’ goaltender Jordan Washburn.
Czibere also had four goals and nine points in three games, while Washburn went 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .962 save percentage.
MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis is a leader in this league, but he answers to those above him in the hockey hierarchy in Canada. And last November, Hockey Canada passed a motion to limit the number of fights a player can have in a game to one. This would be much like preseason rules – one fight and you’re tossed.
The motion which was passed reads as such – A Major Penalty should be imposed on any player who engages in fisticuffs for the first time in a game. A second offense would result in a Major Penalty and a Game Misconduct penalty. A player identified as the instigator in a fight shall be assessed, in addition to the Major for fighting, a Minor and a Misconduct penalty. Note: All players who engage in a fight will receive a Major penalty and a Game Misconduct. Rationale: This would discourage fighting and provide consistency within our playing rules.
“Essentially, it’s no fighting, since if you fight once, you’re out,” said Davis. “That’s been approved by the Hockey Canada board, but having said that, I and my counterparts from the other junior A leagues in the West, are doing what we can to see if we can clarify that, and see if we can have it changed or amended.”
The motion will be voted on at Hockey Canada’s annual general meeting in May.
There are other motions as well. Any player who gets in their third fight of the season would be suspended a game. Four fights? Two games. Five fights? Three games. Six? Indefinite suspension.
Apparently Hockey Canada wants to implement this as soon as next season. Davis acknowledges this is an extremely import discussion.
“This is about the future of not just our league, but other leagues like ours,” he said. “I’ve been working behind the scenes over the last few months.”
Davis said the MJHL is looking for some alternative arrangements for his and other junior A leagues.
“We’re in the business to operate (franchises) and attract fans,” he said. “And there’s other issues as well. When you make a big rule change, there’s reactions in other parts of the game as well.”
What do you, the fan, think? Is a no-fighting MJHL something you’re looking forward to? Or do you disagree with Hockey Canada’s plans? Send me a note at editor@starandtimes.ca and let me – and the policy makers at Hockey Canada – know.
• The battles in the MJHL are so tight this month (a refreshing change from other years) that several teams could feasibly end up tied when they’re done playing their 62 games.
If that’s the case, the MJHL has a set policy for tiebreakers.
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. As explained by the MJHL, “In the event that two or more clubs are tied with the same number of points, then the higher position shall be awarded to the club having won the greater number of games against each other”.
If that doesn’t break the tie, they then resort to the number of wins, and other categories.
“If the tie is still not broken, then the team with the greater number of wins shall be awarded the higher position. Should the clubs be tied in all the foregoing departments, then the higher position shall be awarded to the club using the following process: The greatest positive differential between goals scored for and against by the clubs having equal standing in games played between the clubs. If still tied, the method used will be the goal differential in the total league games played by the clubs with equal standing.”
The bottom line is, win the season series against the team you are battling, and you’ll win the tiebreaker.
Unless we’re talking about the crossover. The OCN Blizzard will have to do better than the Winnipeg South Blues if they want to earn that crossover spot.
“(The tiebreakers) do not apply for the crossover mechanism that the (MJHL) uses. In that case, the cross over team must have more points than the team it is trying to replace in the division. Having the same number of points in the standings is not good enough to qualify for eligibility to cross over.”
Most teams would rather settle things definitely and not have to worry about a tiebreaker. But if it’s needed, the MJHL has the policies in place to determine who gets to finish higher in the standings.
• Speaking of the playoffs, Davis said he’s excited about the league playoffs which are set to start at the end of February.
“Unlike some recent years, I think it’s wide open in terms of who could win the league championship,” he said. “Once we get the (playoff) matchups finalized, it’s going to be really exciting.”
Davis is also keeping tabs on Dauphin’s preparations for the RBC Cup.
“They have regular meetings with Hockey Canada reps and Hockey Manitoba, and they’re right on schedule in terms of what they need for infrastructure needed to host this event,” he said. “They’re doing a great job.”
And MJHL fans are excited about the potential prospect of having two MJHL teams take part in the RBC Cup. The MJHL initially hoped if Dauphin won the ANAVET Cup that the MJHL runner up would get in, but that isn’t the case. Still, if a MJHL team is able to knock off the Dauphin Kings (no easy task since they’ve set a franchise benchmark for wins this year) and beat the SJHL in the ANAVET Cup, the MJHL could have two teams in the year-end tournament.
• Dauphin Kings forward Devin Mitzner is the latest Potters Distillers Player of the Week.
The Strathmore, Alta., product scored four goals and added five assists in three games for the Kings.
Also considered for this award was Mitzner’s teammate Mitch Czibere and Portage Terriers’ goaltender Jordan Washburn.
Czibere also had four goals and nine points in three games, while Washburn went 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .962 save percentage.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Stretch run
Swan Valley Stampeders head coach Dwayne Kirkup said early in the season that he saw a lot of parity in the MJHL this year.
He wasn’t kidding.
Recent results have shown there are no easy games in this league anymore.
Take a look at the Sher-Wood Division. The sixth-place Waywayseecappo Wolverines recently won eight of 12 games. They’re too far back to realistically catch teams for a playoff spot, but they’re playing the role of spoiler perfectly. Those wins have come against teams such as Dauphin, Selkirk, Portage and most recently, the OCN Blizzard.
The Sher-Wood has proven to be extremely tight down the stretch. In the span of a little more than a week, the Wolverines defeated the OCN Blizzard, the Blizzard defeated the Neepawa Natives, the Natives beat the Portage Terriers, the Terriers beat the Stampeders, and the Stampeders beat the Wolverines. And the top team in the division, the Dauphin Kings, well they set a team record for wins after being shutout by the top team in the Addison Division.
Speaking of the Addison Division, after the Steelers spanked the Saints in a battle for first place, they trailed off a bit while the Saints started winning again, leaving top spot in the division up for grabs.
The Saints and Steelers entered February two points apart, and this battle might come down to the final game of the regular season when they face each other.
Of course, first place might mean facing the OCN Blizzard in the opening round. The Blizzard have a slight lead on the Winnipeg South Blues for a potential crossover. Both teams schedules’ are similar to one another, so this could be a real photo finish.
If I had to guess, I would predict the following first-round matchups.
In the Sher-Wood, Neepawa vs. Dauphin, and Portage vs. Swan Valley.
In the Addison, OCN versus Selkirk and Winkler vs. the Winnipeg Saints.
• There are other races to follow this month as well.
Dauphin’s Ryan Dreger entered the month with 85 points, tops in the MJHL. Linemate Shane Luke and Selkirk’s Taylor Dickin were close behind at 80 points, with Dauphin’s Bryce Lamb is fourth with 79 points. One of these four will win the league’s scoring race.
Dreger should be a lock for the goal-scoring title, though, as he has 42 this year, best in the MJHL. Dickin is second with 36, followed by Swan Valley’s Ryan Marshall with 35. If anyone can catch him, it might be Dickin, but he would need to get hot and have Dreger cool off.
Luke leads the MJHL with 55 helpers, six better than Swan Valley’s Myles Stevens and seven better than Blake Chartier from the Winnipeg Saints.
The top MJHL players are posting strong numbers, but we’re not seeing players with over 100 points already or multiple 50-goal scorers, which is a good indicator the MJHL is of a better quality this year. The last-place teams are not rolling over and allowing 10 goals against a game, something which was all too frequent in past years.
Tim Hayduk from the Winnipeg Saints is the top penalty man with one month to play. He had 192 compared to 187 for Swan Valley’s Cody Straker. Portage’s Luke MacInnis is third with 176.
The top scoring defenceman is Dauphin’s Steven Shamanski with 54. Swan Valley’s Brent Wilson remained in second place despite missing all of January with an injury. He has 40, while Swan Valley’s Paul Bonar is third with 37.
The rookie scoring title is between Brendan O’Donnell from the Winnipeg South Blues (50 points), Eric Coulombe from the Steinbach Pistons (47) and Seth Ronsberg (46) from the Winkler Flyers.
Justin Leclerc from the Winnipeg Saints had the best GAA at 2.25, slightly better than Swan Valley’s Caden Unger who has a 2.35 GAA.
A more telling statistic for some goalie observers is save percentage. Both of those netminders lead this category as well .931 for Leclerc and .920 for Unger.
Of course, the best goaltender statistic is wins, and Selkirk’s Joey Rewucki had 27 wins entering February, three better than Dauphin’s Joe Caligiuri.
• Speaking of Leclerc, his 4-0 shutout victory over the Dauphin Kings helped him earn the MJHL Potters Distillers Player of the Week award.
Leclerc, 20, had a 0.50 GAA and a .983 save percentage in two games to earn the award.
Also considered for this award was Waywayseecappo Wolverines’ goaltender Brett Gagnon, 19, and Swan Valley Stampeders forward Shelby Gray, 19.
He wasn’t kidding.
Recent results have shown there are no easy games in this league anymore.
Take a look at the Sher-Wood Division. The sixth-place Waywayseecappo Wolverines recently won eight of 12 games. They’re too far back to realistically catch teams for a playoff spot, but they’re playing the role of spoiler perfectly. Those wins have come against teams such as Dauphin, Selkirk, Portage and most recently, the OCN Blizzard.
The Sher-Wood has proven to be extremely tight down the stretch. In the span of a little more than a week, the Wolverines defeated the OCN Blizzard, the Blizzard defeated the Neepawa Natives, the Natives beat the Portage Terriers, the Terriers beat the Stampeders, and the Stampeders beat the Wolverines. And the top team in the division, the Dauphin Kings, well they set a team record for wins after being shutout by the top team in the Addison Division.
Speaking of the Addison Division, after the Steelers spanked the Saints in a battle for first place, they trailed off a bit while the Saints started winning again, leaving top spot in the division up for grabs.
The Saints and Steelers entered February two points apart, and this battle might come down to the final game of the regular season when they face each other.
Of course, first place might mean facing the OCN Blizzard in the opening round. The Blizzard have a slight lead on the Winnipeg South Blues for a potential crossover. Both teams schedules’ are similar to one another, so this could be a real photo finish.
If I had to guess, I would predict the following first-round matchups.
In the Sher-Wood, Neepawa vs. Dauphin, and Portage vs. Swan Valley.
In the Addison, OCN versus Selkirk and Winkler vs. the Winnipeg Saints.
• There are other races to follow this month as well.
Dauphin’s Ryan Dreger entered the month with 85 points, tops in the MJHL. Linemate Shane Luke and Selkirk’s Taylor Dickin were close behind at 80 points, with Dauphin’s Bryce Lamb is fourth with 79 points. One of these four will win the league’s scoring race.
Dreger should be a lock for the goal-scoring title, though, as he has 42 this year, best in the MJHL. Dickin is second with 36, followed by Swan Valley’s Ryan Marshall with 35. If anyone can catch him, it might be Dickin, but he would need to get hot and have Dreger cool off.
Luke leads the MJHL with 55 helpers, six better than Swan Valley’s Myles Stevens and seven better than Blake Chartier from the Winnipeg Saints.
The top MJHL players are posting strong numbers, but we’re not seeing players with over 100 points already or multiple 50-goal scorers, which is a good indicator the MJHL is of a better quality this year. The last-place teams are not rolling over and allowing 10 goals against a game, something which was all too frequent in past years.
Tim Hayduk from the Winnipeg Saints is the top penalty man with one month to play. He had 192 compared to 187 for Swan Valley’s Cody Straker. Portage’s Luke MacInnis is third with 176.
The top scoring defenceman is Dauphin’s Steven Shamanski with 54. Swan Valley’s Brent Wilson remained in second place despite missing all of January with an injury. He has 40, while Swan Valley’s Paul Bonar is third with 37.
The rookie scoring title is between Brendan O’Donnell from the Winnipeg South Blues (50 points), Eric Coulombe from the Steinbach Pistons (47) and Seth Ronsberg (46) from the Winkler Flyers.
Justin Leclerc from the Winnipeg Saints had the best GAA at 2.25, slightly better than Swan Valley’s Caden Unger who has a 2.35 GAA.
A more telling statistic for some goalie observers is save percentage. Both of those netminders lead this category as well .931 for Leclerc and .920 for Unger.
Of course, the best goaltender statistic is wins, and Selkirk’s Joey Rewucki had 27 wins entering February, three better than Dauphin’s Joe Caligiuri.
• Speaking of Leclerc, his 4-0 shutout victory over the Dauphin Kings helped him earn the MJHL Potters Distillers Player of the Week award.
Leclerc, 20, had a 0.50 GAA and a .983 save percentage in two games to earn the award.
Also considered for this award was Waywayseecappo Wolverines’ goaltender Brett Gagnon, 19, and Swan Valley Stampeders forward Shelby Gray, 19.
January players of the month
No room for the MJHL players of the month in the hockey column this week, so we’ll kick off this column by recognizing the best in the MJHL from the month of January.
Winnipeg South Blues’ forward Brendan O’Donnell has been named January’s RBC Player of the Month. The 17-year-old rookie had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 11 games last month.
Not shockingly, he was also named the Husky Energy Rookie of the Month.
Also considered for this award was Niko Grose, 20, of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines and Wes Pawluk, 20, of the Neepawa Natives.
Stephane Robidoux of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines was named the Sher-wood Hockey Defenceman of the Month. The Haywood product scored 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) to lead the Wolverines to an incredible month of January.
Other players considered for this award was Peter Stoykewych of the Winnipeg South Blues and Dale Warkentin of the OCN Blizzard.
The GDI Prairies Goaltender of the Month is Winnipeg Saints netminder Justin Leclerc. Arriving at the trade deadline, the former WHL netminder posted a 6-1 record, along with a 2.25 GAA and .931 save percentage. He also shutout the top team in the MJHL, the Dauphin Kings.
Also considered for this honour was Jason Kasdorf of the Portage Terriers and Matt Krahn of the Neepawa Natives.
Winnipeg South Blues’ forward Brendan O’Donnell has been named January’s RBC Player of the Month. The 17-year-old rookie had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 11 games last month.
Not shockingly, he was also named the Husky Energy Rookie of the Month.
Also considered for this award was Niko Grose, 20, of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines and Wes Pawluk, 20, of the Neepawa Natives.
Stephane Robidoux of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines was named the Sher-wood Hockey Defenceman of the Month. The Haywood product scored 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) to lead the Wolverines to an incredible month of January.
Other players considered for this award was Peter Stoykewych of the Winnipeg South Blues and Dale Warkentin of the OCN Blizzard.
The GDI Prairies Goaltender of the Month is Winnipeg Saints netminder Justin Leclerc. Arriving at the trade deadline, the former WHL netminder posted a 6-1 record, along with a 2.25 GAA and .931 save percentage. He also shutout the top team in the MJHL, the Dauphin Kings.
Also considered for this honour was Jason Kasdorf of the Portage Terriers and Matt Krahn of the Neepawa Natives.
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