Ten games into this year’s Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs, and it’s clearer than ever that this year’s tournament to determine a league champion will be tighter than ever.
Consider that after the first 10 games, every team had won at least one game. Entering Tuesday’s action, Portage and Waywayseecappo held a 2-1 series lead over Swan Valley and Winkler respectively, while Dauphin and OCN, as well as Selkirk and the Winnipeg Saints, were tied 1-1.
Five of those 10 games went into overtime, and eight of the first 10 games were decided by a single goal.
The most exciting series so far? The Waywayseecappo Wolverines vs. the Winkler Flyers.
The road team won the first three games in this series. And the last two featured dramatic goals to tie the game to send it into overtime.
In Game 2, the hometown Wolverines held leads of 3-0 and 4-2, but Winkler tied the game, and later, the series, thanks to two third-period goals.
First, Michael Wilgosh sliced the lead to 4-3 six minutes into the third period. Then, Matt Loopkey scored with only 11 seconds remaining to tie the game. Teammate Brad Haber scored at 10:44 of the second overtime to lift the Flyers to their first win of the series.
In Game 3, though, the Wolverines must have set some sort of record for the fastest, most dramatic goals in a game.
Trailing 2-0 late in third period on the road, the Wolverines finally got back in the game when Shane Goodrunning scored a power-play goal with 3:56 to play.
The Flyers, though, appeared to break the backs of the Wolverines, as Jake Rombach scored a power-play for the home team to restore the two-goal lead with only 1:23 left to play.
Then the unthinkable happened. First, Wayway’s Dave Williams scored with eight seconds remaining in the game to cut the lead to 3-2.
Too little, too late?
Not a chance. Incredibly, Ryan Duhaime scored with one second remaining – and seven seconds after Duhaime’s goal, to send the game into overtime.
Goodrunning completed the improbable comeback, handing Winkler their second devastating loss on home ice in these playoffs.
The Wolverines, who were the fifth-seeded team in the Sher-Wood Division, are giving the No. 1 seeded team in the Addison Division all they can handle. Having a crossover team defeat the top seed in another division would be the biggest upset since the fourth-seeded Portage Terriers ended the reign of the powerhouse OCN Blizzard with a four-game sweep years ago.
• Portage Terriers’ netminder Jason Kasdorf has been named the first MJHL Player of the Week for the playoffs, Commissioner Kim Davis announced.
Kasdorf is in a real goaltender’s duel with Swan Valley’s Jayson Argue. After three games, Kasdorf sports a 1.14 GAA and a .949 save percentage. Argue, meanwhile, has a 1.70 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
Kasdorf is no stranger to awards. He was recently named to the MJHL’s second team All-Star squad, has been outstanding all season, reflected in his 24-10 record, 2.53 GAA and .912 save percentage.
Also considered for this award was 18-year-old forward T.J. Constant of the OCN Blizzard and 19-year-old forward Shane Goodrunning of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
• The first suspension of the playoffs has already been handed out.
J.B. Voyer of the OCN Blizzard received a two game suspension for a gross misconduct penalty he was assessed on March 4 versus the Dauphin Kings.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Playoff predictions
OK, let’s get right to it this week with my playoff predictions.
I’ll note I made these predictions on March 1 on the eve of the playoffs starting.
Sher-Wood Division
No. 4 Swan Valley vs. No. 1 Portage
The Terriers had made a living knocking the Swan Valley Stampeders out of the playoffs until last year, when the Stampeders “upset” the Terriers in five games. It was an upset in that Portage caught fire late in the season and edged past the slumping Stampeders to earn home-ice advantage, but the Stampeders were clearly older and built to make it through to the second round, which they did in five games. This year the Portage Terriers overcame a slow start and held off the Dauphin Kings to earn top spot in the division. They did it with one of the top netminders in the league in Jason Kasdorf. As a team, the Terriers tied the Blizzard for the fewest goals against. Portage also did it with youth, as their top scorers (Brent Wold, Brendan Harms), were also some of their youngest players.
Swan Valley, who flirted with first place until January, relied on strong defence, netminding, and timely scoring to lock down fourth place. Amazingly this team was 10 games above .500 while scoring less goals than they allowed. Shelby Gray and Ryan Marshall were their top two scorers, but the team also got a bunch of points from the blueline from guys like Clark Byczynski and Brent Wilson. Swan Valley also has their own youth movement – Landon Peel eats up a lot of minutes on the blueline, and call up Justin Valentino, who had three points in two games for the Stampeders this year, was the second-leading scorer in the Manitoba Midget AAA Hockey League this year. Could he be an X-factor in this series?
Both teams won four of eight starts this year, btw.
Prediction: Stampeders in seven.
No. 3 OCN Blizzard vs. No. 2 Dauphin Kings
Dauphin isn’t the powerhouse they were last year, and they’ll have a much tougher road to travel to repeat as league champions.
This series really is strength vs. strength – Dauphin sports the top point man and league MVP in Shane Luke, while OCN counters with the best goaltender in the league in Matt Krahn.
On special teams, Dauphin’s power-play efficiency of 35.24 per cent (second in the league) was only a bit better than OCN’s 31.53 per cent (fourth in the league).
That leads to more strength vs. strength, as OCN sports the best penalty kill unit in the MJHL at 80.54 per cent, while Dauphin was second at 76.12 per cent.
This series has seven games written all over it, and it will ultimately come down to special teams. Which strength will win in the end? Well, they say defence wins championships...
Prediction: OCN in seven.
Addison Division
No. 4 Waywayseecappo Wolverines vs. No. 1 Winkler Flyers
The Winkler Flyers were scorching hot in the last two months of the season, going 17-3-3 (including 9-1-2 in February). Their reward is a longer road trip in the first round against a team which was almost as hot down the stretch. Waywayseecappo went 14-8-2 in the final two months of the season, including a sizzling 9-3-1 mark in January. They might be the best fifth-place team in the MJHL since Swan Valley missed the playoffs with a 30 win season during the Del Pedrick years.
Waywayseecappo’s a hard-working team (seriously, what other team do you see running stairs after games?), and now that they’ve got a netminder in Ryan Benitez (11-6 since joining the team), they believe they can beat anyone.
But will a crossover team finally beat Winkler, a team which has had its share of playoff struggles in recent years? In a word, no.
Prediction: Winkler in six.
No. 2 Selkirk Steelers vs. No. 3 Winnipeg Saints
Selkirk lost their grip on top spot in the Addison Division, but they get a great runner-up prize – less travel in the first round of the playoffs, and an opponent who went ice cold down the stretch.
The Winnipeg Saints were battling with the Flyers and Steelers for one of the top two spots in the division until January. That’s when they put together a 10-13-0 run in the final two months of the regular season, including a 3-9-0 record in January.
The Saints are also changing rinks for the post-season, playing out of the Winnipeg Blues’ home arena – the new MTS Iceplex in Headingly. So much for home-ice advantage.
Selkirk might have sputtered down the stretch, but they should have enough in the tank to dispose of the Saints – better offence, defence and power play (best in the league). The only area the Saints have a statistical edge in is the penalty kill – Selkirk was 10th this season with a 65.87 success rate. Not that the Saints have much to brag about – they were ninth with a 68.22 per cent rate.
Prediction: Steelers in five.
That’s how I see it. How does the Dauphin Herald’s Doug Zywina see it?
Kings in five, Terrierse in six, Flyers in five, and Steelers in six.
I’ll note I made these predictions on March 1 on the eve of the playoffs starting.
Sher-Wood Division
No. 4 Swan Valley vs. No. 1 Portage
The Terriers had made a living knocking the Swan Valley Stampeders out of the playoffs until last year, when the Stampeders “upset” the Terriers in five games. It was an upset in that Portage caught fire late in the season and edged past the slumping Stampeders to earn home-ice advantage, but the Stampeders were clearly older and built to make it through to the second round, which they did in five games. This year the Portage Terriers overcame a slow start and held off the Dauphin Kings to earn top spot in the division. They did it with one of the top netminders in the league in Jason Kasdorf. As a team, the Terriers tied the Blizzard for the fewest goals against. Portage also did it with youth, as their top scorers (Brent Wold, Brendan Harms), were also some of their youngest players.
Swan Valley, who flirted with first place until January, relied on strong defence, netminding, and timely scoring to lock down fourth place. Amazingly this team was 10 games above .500 while scoring less goals than they allowed. Shelby Gray and Ryan Marshall were their top two scorers, but the team also got a bunch of points from the blueline from guys like Clark Byczynski and Brent Wilson. Swan Valley also has their own youth movement – Landon Peel eats up a lot of minutes on the blueline, and call up Justin Valentino, who had three points in two games for the Stampeders this year, was the second-leading scorer in the Manitoba Midget AAA Hockey League this year. Could he be an X-factor in this series?
Both teams won four of eight starts this year, btw.
Prediction: Stampeders in seven.
No. 3 OCN Blizzard vs. No. 2 Dauphin Kings
Dauphin isn’t the powerhouse they were last year, and they’ll have a much tougher road to travel to repeat as league champions.
This series really is strength vs. strength – Dauphin sports the top point man and league MVP in Shane Luke, while OCN counters with the best goaltender in the league in Matt Krahn.
On special teams, Dauphin’s power-play efficiency of 35.24 per cent (second in the league) was only a bit better than OCN’s 31.53 per cent (fourth in the league).
That leads to more strength vs. strength, as OCN sports the best penalty kill unit in the MJHL at 80.54 per cent, while Dauphin was second at 76.12 per cent.
This series has seven games written all over it, and it will ultimately come down to special teams. Which strength will win in the end? Well, they say defence wins championships...
Prediction: OCN in seven.
Addison Division
No. 4 Waywayseecappo Wolverines vs. No. 1 Winkler Flyers
The Winkler Flyers were scorching hot in the last two months of the season, going 17-3-3 (including 9-1-2 in February). Their reward is a longer road trip in the first round against a team which was almost as hot down the stretch. Waywayseecappo went 14-8-2 in the final two months of the season, including a sizzling 9-3-1 mark in January. They might be the best fifth-place team in the MJHL since Swan Valley missed the playoffs with a 30 win season during the Del Pedrick years.
Waywayseecappo’s a hard-working team (seriously, what other team do you see running stairs after games?), and now that they’ve got a netminder in Ryan Benitez (11-6 since joining the team), they believe they can beat anyone.
But will a crossover team finally beat Winkler, a team which has had its share of playoff struggles in recent years? In a word, no.
Prediction: Winkler in six.
No. 2 Selkirk Steelers vs. No. 3 Winnipeg Saints
Selkirk lost their grip on top spot in the Addison Division, but they get a great runner-up prize – less travel in the first round of the playoffs, and an opponent who went ice cold down the stretch.
The Winnipeg Saints were battling with the Flyers and Steelers for one of the top two spots in the division until January. That’s when they put together a 10-13-0 run in the final two months of the regular season, including a 3-9-0 record in January.
The Saints are also changing rinks for the post-season, playing out of the Winnipeg Blues’ home arena – the new MTS Iceplex in Headingly. So much for home-ice advantage.
Selkirk might have sputtered down the stretch, but they should have enough in the tank to dispose of the Saints – better offence, defence and power play (best in the league). The only area the Saints have a statistical edge in is the penalty kill – Selkirk was 10th this season with a 65.87 success rate. Not that the Saints have much to brag about – they were ninth with a 68.22 per cent rate.
Prediction: Steelers in five.
That’s how I see it. How does the Dauphin Herald’s Doug Zywina see it?
Kings in five, Terrierse in six, Flyers in five, and Steelers in six.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Stamps earn all-star nods
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is in a giving mood these days.
They recently announced their major award winners: Dauphin’s Shane Luke (MVP, Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship); Dauphin’s Bryn Chyzyk (rookie of the year); OCN’s Matt Krahn; Swan Valley’s Clark Bzczynski (top defenceman); and OCN’s Scott McMillan (coach of the year).
The honours continued this week as the league announced their all-star teams.
The Sher-Wood Division dominated this year, taking five of six spots in both the first all-star team and the all-rookie team.
The forwards for the first all-star team are Luke, Swan Valley’s Shelby Gray and Waywayseecappo’s Paul Vandevelde.
The defence features Bzczynski and Selkirk’s Chris Delalande. Krahn is the team’s goaltender.
The second all-star team features forwards Brett Chartier from the Winnipeg Saints, as well as both Joel Ridgeway and Colan Jackson from the Selkirk Steelers.
On the blueline are Dale Warkentin from the OCN Blizzard, and Paul Bonar from the Winnipeg Blues.
The netminder is Jason Kasdorf from the Portage Terriers.
The all-rookie team features forwards Bryn Chyzyk from the Dauphin Kings, Brent Wold from the Portage Terriers, and Brett Pinkerton from the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
On the blueline are Yvan Pattyn from the Portage Terriers and Landon Peel from the Swan Valley Stampeders.
The top rookie netminder is Reed Peters from the Winkler Flyers.
• Speaking of Peters, the Morden native was also recognized as the MJHL Player of the Week.
The rookie puck stopper kicked out 103 of 110 shots he faced, leading his team to three victories, including a key first-place showdown win against the Selkirk Steelers. That victory gives the Flyers the advantage as they try to secure top spot in the division for the first time in recent memory.
Also considered for this award was 17-year-old forward Brent Wold of the Portage Terriers and 19-year-old forward Jesse Hall of the Winnipeg Saints.
• There will be more awards handed out in the coming days and weeks. One of those races is to see who will be the league’s top scorer.
Unless Dauphin opts to rest Luke before the playoffs, he should win the scoring title. The league MVP had 86 points heading into the final week of the regular season, eight more than Selkirk’s Jackson.
Jackson is going to win the goal-scoring title, though. He has 44 entering action this week.
He leads Michael Wilgosh from the Winkler Flyers (36) and Gray from the Stampeders (35) in this category.
Who will be the penalty minutes leader this year?
Winnipeg Saints’ forward Tim Hayduk is a surprising leader with 118 PIMs heading into action this week. He’s two ahead of OCN’s Denis Restoule and four ahead of Neepawa’s Nate Thompson.
It’s interesting to note how small the PIM leader totals are this year. With players limited to five fighting majors this year, the days of 200 or even 300 penalty minutes could be gone for good.
Jordan Davies from the Winnipeg Saints leads all defenceman in scoring, heading into action this week with 11 goals and 33 assists for 44 points.
Right behind him is Kyle Rous from the Steinbach Pistons (13 goals, 30 assists), and Dylan Heide from the Winkler Flyers (eight goals, 32 assists).
In goal, Krahn’s GAA of 2.20 will likely hold up as the best in the MJHL, barring a terrible week for the league’s top netminder. He leads Ryan Benitez (who only has 18 starts since coming to the MJHL), who sports a 2.42 GAA.
Some consider the save percentage a more important statistic, and here too Krahn leads the way with a sizzling .927 save percentage. He leads Joey Rewucki from the Selkirk Steelers, who sports a .919 save percentage.
It wasn’t a great year for shutouts, as five puck stoppers are tied for top spot with two. They include Krahn, Kasdorf and his Portage teammate Kirk Coswell, Jayson Argue from the Swan Valley Stampeders, and Rewucki.
They recently announced their major award winners: Dauphin’s Shane Luke (MVP, Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship); Dauphin’s Bryn Chyzyk (rookie of the year); OCN’s Matt Krahn; Swan Valley’s Clark Bzczynski (top defenceman); and OCN’s Scott McMillan (coach of the year).
The honours continued this week as the league announced their all-star teams.
The Sher-Wood Division dominated this year, taking five of six spots in both the first all-star team and the all-rookie team.
The forwards for the first all-star team are Luke, Swan Valley’s Shelby Gray and Waywayseecappo’s Paul Vandevelde.
The defence features Bzczynski and Selkirk’s Chris Delalande. Krahn is the team’s goaltender.
The second all-star team features forwards Brett Chartier from the Winnipeg Saints, as well as both Joel Ridgeway and Colan Jackson from the Selkirk Steelers.
On the blueline are Dale Warkentin from the OCN Blizzard, and Paul Bonar from the Winnipeg Blues.
The netminder is Jason Kasdorf from the Portage Terriers.
The all-rookie team features forwards Bryn Chyzyk from the Dauphin Kings, Brent Wold from the Portage Terriers, and Brett Pinkerton from the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
On the blueline are Yvan Pattyn from the Portage Terriers and Landon Peel from the Swan Valley Stampeders.
The top rookie netminder is Reed Peters from the Winkler Flyers.
• Speaking of Peters, the Morden native was also recognized as the MJHL Player of the Week.
The rookie puck stopper kicked out 103 of 110 shots he faced, leading his team to three victories, including a key first-place showdown win against the Selkirk Steelers. That victory gives the Flyers the advantage as they try to secure top spot in the division for the first time in recent memory.
Also considered for this award was 17-year-old forward Brent Wold of the Portage Terriers and 19-year-old forward Jesse Hall of the Winnipeg Saints.
• There will be more awards handed out in the coming days and weeks. One of those races is to see who will be the league’s top scorer.
Unless Dauphin opts to rest Luke before the playoffs, he should win the scoring title. The league MVP had 86 points heading into the final week of the regular season, eight more than Selkirk’s Jackson.
Jackson is going to win the goal-scoring title, though. He has 44 entering action this week.
He leads Michael Wilgosh from the Winkler Flyers (36) and Gray from the Stampeders (35) in this category.
Who will be the penalty minutes leader this year?
Winnipeg Saints’ forward Tim Hayduk is a surprising leader with 118 PIMs heading into action this week. He’s two ahead of OCN’s Denis Restoule and four ahead of Neepawa’s Nate Thompson.
It’s interesting to note how small the PIM leader totals are this year. With players limited to five fighting majors this year, the days of 200 or even 300 penalty minutes could be gone for good.
Jordan Davies from the Winnipeg Saints leads all defenceman in scoring, heading into action this week with 11 goals and 33 assists for 44 points.
Right behind him is Kyle Rous from the Steinbach Pistons (13 goals, 30 assists), and Dylan Heide from the Winkler Flyers (eight goals, 32 assists).
In goal, Krahn’s GAA of 2.20 will likely hold up as the best in the MJHL, barring a terrible week for the league’s top netminder. He leads Ryan Benitez (who only has 18 starts since coming to the MJHL), who sports a 2.42 GAA.
Some consider the save percentage a more important statistic, and here too Krahn leads the way with a sizzling .927 save percentage. He leads Joey Rewucki from the Selkirk Steelers, who sports a .919 save percentage.
It wasn’t a great year for shutouts, as five puck stoppers are tied for top spot with two. They include Krahn, Kasdorf and his Portage teammate Kirk Coswell, Jayson Argue from the Swan Valley Stampeders, and Rewucki.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
award nominees
With the regular season almost over, the brain trust in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League has been working hard to come up with nominees and winners for the yearly individual trophies handed out annually at this time of the year.
The battle for the title of league MVP (the Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh Award) comes down to a prolific scorer and two puck stoppers. The nominees are Shane Luke of the Dauphin Kings (80 points heading into the second last week of the season), Jason Kasdorf of the Portage Terriers (leads the league with 20 wins) and Matt Krahn of the OCN Blizzard (league-best goals against average and save percentage).
Prediction: While I think this award should go to a forward, Krahn’s numbers are off the charts this year, so give the nod to the OCN puck stopper.
The league’s top defenceman (winner of the Brian Kozak Trophy) will be either Paul Bonar from the Winnipeg Blues, Chris Delalande from the Selkirk Steelers, or Clark Bzczynski from the Swan Valley Stampeders.
Prediction: Swan Valley and Winnipeg really lean on their candidates – I think Bzczynski edges Bonar.
The MJHL’s top rookie wins the Vince Leah Trophy, and this year I have to think Portage’s Brent Wold will take home the award. When you lead your team in scoring as rookie, I think that sort of makes you the front runner. Also up for this award is Dauphin’s Bryn Chyzyk and Waywayseecappo’s Brett Pinkerton.
Prediction: Wowk is all but a lock.
The “Windy” Lyndon Trophy goes to the player who shows the best hockey ability and sportsmanship (aka goons need not apply). The nominees are Joel Ridgeway of the Selkirk Steelers, Ryan Marshall of the Swan Valley Stampeders and Shane Luke of the Dauphin Kings.
Prediction: If Luke doesn’t win the MVP award, he might get this as a consolation prize.
Krahn and Kasdorf will also battle for the Top Goaltender Trophy. Joining them for this award will be Joey Rewucki of the Selkirk Steelers.
Prediction: Two awards for Krahn? I think so.
And who’s up for the Coach of the Year (the Muzz McPherson Award)? Scott McMillan from the OCN Blizzard, John Marks from the Winkler Flyers and Blake Spiller from the Portage Terriers.
Prediction: Portage winning the ultra-competitive Sher-Wood Division might be enough to give Spiller the award.
These awards will be handed out in the coming days in front of the player’s hometown fans.
• The MJHL player of the week is Winkler Flyers defenceman Brad Habet.
The Aldergrove, B.C., native had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in three games last week for the Flyers, who are vying for the Addison Division title.
Also considered for this award was 17-year-old goaltender Jayson Argue of the Swan Valley Stampeders and 20-year- old goaltender Brett Willows of the Dauphin Kings.
• Dauphin Kings defenceman Eddie Friesen was handed a two game suspension for receiving his third checking from behind minor penalty in the season.
The battle for the title of league MVP (the Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh Award) comes down to a prolific scorer and two puck stoppers. The nominees are Shane Luke of the Dauphin Kings (80 points heading into the second last week of the season), Jason Kasdorf of the Portage Terriers (leads the league with 20 wins) and Matt Krahn of the OCN Blizzard (league-best goals against average and save percentage).
Prediction: While I think this award should go to a forward, Krahn’s numbers are off the charts this year, so give the nod to the OCN puck stopper.
The league’s top defenceman (winner of the Brian Kozak Trophy) will be either Paul Bonar from the Winnipeg Blues, Chris Delalande from the Selkirk Steelers, or Clark Bzczynski from the Swan Valley Stampeders.
Prediction: Swan Valley and Winnipeg really lean on their candidates – I think Bzczynski edges Bonar.
The MJHL’s top rookie wins the Vince Leah Trophy, and this year I have to think Portage’s Brent Wold will take home the award. When you lead your team in scoring as rookie, I think that sort of makes you the front runner. Also up for this award is Dauphin’s Bryn Chyzyk and Waywayseecappo’s Brett Pinkerton.
Prediction: Wowk is all but a lock.
The “Windy” Lyndon Trophy goes to the player who shows the best hockey ability and sportsmanship (aka goons need not apply). The nominees are Joel Ridgeway of the Selkirk Steelers, Ryan Marshall of the Swan Valley Stampeders and Shane Luke of the Dauphin Kings.
Prediction: If Luke doesn’t win the MVP award, he might get this as a consolation prize.
Krahn and Kasdorf will also battle for the Top Goaltender Trophy. Joining them for this award will be Joey Rewucki of the Selkirk Steelers.
Prediction: Two awards for Krahn? I think so.
And who’s up for the Coach of the Year (the Muzz McPherson Award)? Scott McMillan from the OCN Blizzard, John Marks from the Winkler Flyers and Blake Spiller from the Portage Terriers.
Prediction: Portage winning the ultra-competitive Sher-Wood Division might be enough to give Spiller the award.
These awards will be handed out in the coming days in front of the player’s hometown fans.
• The MJHL player of the week is Winkler Flyers defenceman Brad Habet.
The Aldergrove, B.C., native had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in three games last week for the Flyers, who are vying for the Addison Division title.
Also considered for this award was 17-year-old goaltender Jayson Argue of the Swan Valley Stampeders and 20-year- old goaltender Brett Willows of the Dauphin Kings.
• Dauphin Kings defenceman Eddie Friesen was handed a two game suspension for receiving his third checking from behind minor penalty in the season.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
All-Star thoughts
Swan Valley fans should be applauded for turning out Wednesday for the MJHL all-star game. More than 500 people braved bone-chilling temperatures to support a celebration of junior A hockey in this province, which is slightly higher than what I was predicting – and certainly better than the Stampeders have been drawing this season (which is a whole other column itself).
The fans in the stands might also have witnessed the last all-star game for the forseeable future, as I can’t see many people wanting to continue on with what we witnessed last week.
To call this year’s game lackluster would be too kind. The young novice and squirt hockey players who have been playing scrimmages in between periods at recent Stampeder games put forth more effort than the all-stars did last Wednesday.
Ryan Marshall’s tip-in goal 40 some odd seconds into the game set the tone for what sort of game we were going to see. Players were moving at half speed, there was no hitting, and there was little in the way of defence.
There was one exception – Steinbach’s Addison Herosian stopped 26 of 29 shots he faced. This netminder deserves special recognition for putting forth the best performance of the evening, in my opinion anyway.
It got so bad that players were fishing the puck out of the net after they scored and quickly skating back to centre ice just to get the game over with.
Now I don’t put any blame on the players or coaches. They had no incentive, nothing to play for. Worst case scenario would be someone getting hurt, and they made sure that wasn’t going to happen.
That’s not to say there isn’t some way to spice up this game. Perhaps by putting something on the line, such as home ice advantage in the MJHL final, fans might get a better game. I even heard someone suggest a top prospect’s game would be a better idea. Or just have a skills competition, where players see who has the hardest shot, and who skates the fastest.
I walked around the rink quite a bit Wednesday night and not one person told me they thought they were watching an entertaining game.
The MJHL needs to take a hard look at this event. Yes, being named an all-star in this league is an honour, but if it means going through the motions in a nothing game, then put this event out of its misery.
• The Swan Valley Stampeders are preparing for a playoff run in early March, though they have yet to clinch a spot or find out who their first-round opponent is.
Regardless, the team’s board of directors was so pleased with the performance of the team that they announced a two-year extension has been offered and accepted by head coach Dwayne Kirkup. The team also holds an option for a third year.
This sets Kirkup up to potentially join Del Pedrick as men who have coached this team for four years.
Kirkup said he really wasn’t focused on getting a new deal, even though his current contract was set to end at the conclusion of this season.
“It’s good that it’s a done deal, but it wasn’t a real priority for me,” said Kirkup. “I didn’t want to be taking away from the team, as I was focused on that.
“But the board of directors felt it was time to do something, and I am pleased to be with the Stampeders for a couple of more years,” he added. “I just want to make sure this franchise moves forward and we can win some hockey games.”
After Saturday’s victory over the Portage Terriers, Kirkup sports a 59-40-2-8 record as head coach of the Stampeders. He also has one playoff series victory, and was named the MJHL’s coach of the year in his rookie season.
• The Winnipeg Blues’ Patrick Henderson is this week’s MJHL Player of the Week.
The 20-year-old forward recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in two games played for the Blues who sit fourth in the Addison Division but are not likely going to make the playoffs.
Henderson, who stans six-feet tall and weighs 180-pounds, leads the Blues’ in scoring with 11 goals and 34 points heading into the final week of January.
Also considered for this award was a pair of 20-year-old players – Michael Wilgosh of the Winkler Flyers and Guillaume Vallee of the OCN Blizzard.
• The Portage Terriers are now the only MJHL team in the top 20 of the CJHL weekly rankings.
The Terriers are now ranked No. 11 in the country, two spots down from the previous week.
The Selkirk Steelers fell completely off the charts as they are going through a rough patch, posting a 4-4-2 record in their last 10 games heading into the final week of January.
The Dauphin Kings, the hottest team in the MJHL, were given an honourable mention and are threatening to make it onto the list.
• One of the major goals for junior A teams is to get their players a scholarship And one of the best puck stoppers in the league has earned himself a place to play after his junior career is done.
Jason Kasdorf of Portage Terriers has committed to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, beginning the fall of 2012. RPI competes in the ECAC conference.
Kasdorf, who hails from Winnipeg, sits second overall in the MJHL goaltending race with a 15-8 record, 2.42 GAA after 23 games. His save percentage is .914. He also took place in the MJHL all-star game.
Kasdorf follows in the steps of alumni Ryan Shields, who played with RPI from 2000-2004.
The fans in the stands might also have witnessed the last all-star game for the forseeable future, as I can’t see many people wanting to continue on with what we witnessed last week.
To call this year’s game lackluster would be too kind. The young novice and squirt hockey players who have been playing scrimmages in between periods at recent Stampeder games put forth more effort than the all-stars did last Wednesday.
Ryan Marshall’s tip-in goal 40 some odd seconds into the game set the tone for what sort of game we were going to see. Players were moving at half speed, there was no hitting, and there was little in the way of defence.
There was one exception – Steinbach’s Addison Herosian stopped 26 of 29 shots he faced. This netminder deserves special recognition for putting forth the best performance of the evening, in my opinion anyway.
It got so bad that players were fishing the puck out of the net after they scored and quickly skating back to centre ice just to get the game over with.
Now I don’t put any blame on the players or coaches. They had no incentive, nothing to play for. Worst case scenario would be someone getting hurt, and they made sure that wasn’t going to happen.
That’s not to say there isn’t some way to spice up this game. Perhaps by putting something on the line, such as home ice advantage in the MJHL final, fans might get a better game. I even heard someone suggest a top prospect’s game would be a better idea. Or just have a skills competition, where players see who has the hardest shot, and who skates the fastest.
I walked around the rink quite a bit Wednesday night and not one person told me they thought they were watching an entertaining game.
The MJHL needs to take a hard look at this event. Yes, being named an all-star in this league is an honour, but if it means going through the motions in a nothing game, then put this event out of its misery.
• The Swan Valley Stampeders are preparing for a playoff run in early March, though they have yet to clinch a spot or find out who their first-round opponent is.
Regardless, the team’s board of directors was so pleased with the performance of the team that they announced a two-year extension has been offered and accepted by head coach Dwayne Kirkup. The team also holds an option for a third year.
This sets Kirkup up to potentially join Del Pedrick as men who have coached this team for four years.
Kirkup said he really wasn’t focused on getting a new deal, even though his current contract was set to end at the conclusion of this season.
“It’s good that it’s a done deal, but it wasn’t a real priority for me,” said Kirkup. “I didn’t want to be taking away from the team, as I was focused on that.
“But the board of directors felt it was time to do something, and I am pleased to be with the Stampeders for a couple of more years,” he added. “I just want to make sure this franchise moves forward and we can win some hockey games.”
After Saturday’s victory over the Portage Terriers, Kirkup sports a 59-40-2-8 record as head coach of the Stampeders. He also has one playoff series victory, and was named the MJHL’s coach of the year in his rookie season.
• The Winnipeg Blues’ Patrick Henderson is this week’s MJHL Player of the Week.
The 20-year-old forward recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in two games played for the Blues who sit fourth in the Addison Division but are not likely going to make the playoffs.
Henderson, who stans six-feet tall and weighs 180-pounds, leads the Blues’ in scoring with 11 goals and 34 points heading into the final week of January.
Also considered for this award was a pair of 20-year-old players – Michael Wilgosh of the Winkler Flyers and Guillaume Vallee of the OCN Blizzard.
• The Portage Terriers are now the only MJHL team in the top 20 of the CJHL weekly rankings.
The Terriers are now ranked No. 11 in the country, two spots down from the previous week.
The Selkirk Steelers fell completely off the charts as they are going through a rough patch, posting a 4-4-2 record in their last 10 games heading into the final week of January.
The Dauphin Kings, the hottest team in the MJHL, were given an honourable mention and are threatening to make it onto the list.
• One of the major goals for junior A teams is to get their players a scholarship And one of the best puck stoppers in the league has earned himself a place to play after his junior career is done.
Jason Kasdorf of Portage Terriers has committed to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, beginning the fall of 2012. RPI competes in the ECAC conference.
Kasdorf, who hails from Winnipeg, sits second overall in the MJHL goaltending race with a 15-8 record, 2.42 GAA after 23 games. His save percentage is .914. He also took place in the MJHL all-star game.
Kasdorf follows in the steps of alumni Ryan Shields, who played with RPI from 2000-2004.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
NEW RANKINGS
Two MJHL teams find themselves in the top 20 in the nation.
The Portage Terriers were ranked ninth in the latest Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings, unchanged from the previous week. The Selkirk Steelers were ranked 14th, up from 16 in the previous rankings.
The Dauphin Kings, who are coming on hard of late, received an honourable mention. But if it were up to me, the Kings would be ranked higher.
Speaking of rankings, let’s see what the Hockey Insider thinks about the 11 MJHL teams heading into the stretch run.
1. Portage Terriers – Finally get on top, but are already looking over their shoulders at ...
2. Dauphin Kings – Hottest team in the MJHL. Loaded up on talent at the deadline. Are they now the favourite to win the Sher-Wood?
3. Selkirk Steelers – They don’t get challenged game in and game out the way Sher-Wood Division teams do, but the Steelers are comfortably in first in the Addison and look to stay there until the playoffs.
4. OCN Blizzard – Can Matt Krahn carry this team to the promised land? I bet Neepawa wishes they still had this tender on their roster.
5. Winkler Flyers – Southern most team is starting to pull away and lock down second place.
6. Winnipeg Saints – Only 5-5 in their last 10 games as of this writing. Only playing average hockey at this time.
7. Swan Valley Stampeders – From first to fourth in just more than a month, and if they don’t start scoring, they might end up in a crossover position.
8. Neepawa Natives – Even after all their deals, the Natives are still playing strong hockey and are threatening pull past the Stampeders.
9. Waywayseecappo Wolverines – They are running out of time to make a run at a playoff spot. They need to get hot.
10 Winnipeg Blues – Trading away the veterans means more ice time for the younger players – and they are responding.
11. Steinbach Pistons – Yet another year out of the playoffs for this franchise.
• OCN Blizzard goaltender Matt Krahn has been named the MJHL Player of the Week.
Krahn was once again brilliant in posting a 2-0 record last week. The Winnipeg native allowed only three goals on 64 shots on goal. He also leads all MJHL goaltenders with a sparkling 2.09 GAA.
Krahn, 19, has an overall record of 14-12 in 26 games played. His save percentage is a lofty .932.
Also considered for this award was Stephane Pattyn, 19, of the Portage Terriers, as well as 19-year-old goaltender Brett Gagnon of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
• No more trades to report for this year, but the league does seem to be handing out more suspensions of late.
Waywayseecappo Wolverine Matt Malenstyn and Neepawa Native Nate Thompson each received a one game suspension for participating in a multiple fight situation Jan. 14
Winnipeg Saints forward Tim Hayduk received a five-game suspension forechecking from behind in the game on Jan. 11 versus the Portage Terriers.
Swan Valley’s Shelby Gray got off a little easier after he was handed a two-game holiday for his hitting from behind major Jan. 8 versus the Winnipeg Blues.
The Portage Terriers were ranked ninth in the latest Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings, unchanged from the previous week. The Selkirk Steelers were ranked 14th, up from 16 in the previous rankings.
The Dauphin Kings, who are coming on hard of late, received an honourable mention. But if it were up to me, the Kings would be ranked higher.
Speaking of rankings, let’s see what the Hockey Insider thinks about the 11 MJHL teams heading into the stretch run.
1. Portage Terriers – Finally get on top, but are already looking over their shoulders at ...
2. Dauphin Kings – Hottest team in the MJHL. Loaded up on talent at the deadline. Are they now the favourite to win the Sher-Wood?
3. Selkirk Steelers – They don’t get challenged game in and game out the way Sher-Wood Division teams do, but the Steelers are comfortably in first in the Addison and look to stay there until the playoffs.
4. OCN Blizzard – Can Matt Krahn carry this team to the promised land? I bet Neepawa wishes they still had this tender on their roster.
5. Winkler Flyers – Southern most team is starting to pull away and lock down second place.
6. Winnipeg Saints – Only 5-5 in their last 10 games as of this writing. Only playing average hockey at this time.
7. Swan Valley Stampeders – From first to fourth in just more than a month, and if they don’t start scoring, they might end up in a crossover position.
8. Neepawa Natives – Even after all their deals, the Natives are still playing strong hockey and are threatening pull past the Stampeders.
9. Waywayseecappo Wolverines – They are running out of time to make a run at a playoff spot. They need to get hot.
10 Winnipeg Blues – Trading away the veterans means more ice time for the younger players – and they are responding.
11. Steinbach Pistons – Yet another year out of the playoffs for this franchise.
• OCN Blizzard goaltender Matt Krahn has been named the MJHL Player of the Week.
Krahn was once again brilliant in posting a 2-0 record last week. The Winnipeg native allowed only three goals on 64 shots on goal. He also leads all MJHL goaltenders with a sparkling 2.09 GAA.
Krahn, 19, has an overall record of 14-12 in 26 games played. His save percentage is a lofty .932.
Also considered for this award was Stephane Pattyn, 19, of the Portage Terriers, as well as 19-year-old goaltender Brett Gagnon of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
• No more trades to report for this year, but the league does seem to be handing out more suspensions of late.
Waywayseecappo Wolverine Matt Malenstyn and Neepawa Native Nate Thompson each received a one game suspension for participating in a multiple fight situation Jan. 14
Winnipeg Saints forward Tim Hayduk received a five-game suspension forechecking from behind in the game on Jan. 11 versus the Portage Terriers.
Swan Valley’s Shelby Gray got off a little easier after he was handed a two-game holiday for his hitting from behind major Jan. 8 versus the Winnipeg Blues.
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