Elmwood Golf and Country Club (a sponsor who helps make this blog possible) is hosting a big Demo Day on Saturday. I caught up with GM Sheldon Reinhart to talk about that and a tournament they’re hosting this weekend that has a few spots open!

Sheldon Reinhart Talks Demo Day (Download)

Here’s what Head Professional Jeff Chambers had to say about the Demo Day:

“Hello everyone,  Mother nature decided to cooperate and it looks like we’re finally going to have a great May long weekend.

This is a reminder of the big demo day tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am to 3pm.   The top four Golf companies (Titleist, Taylormade, Ping, and Callaway) are all here to let you try out the latest and greatest equipment!

Come get fit up for that set of clubs that you deserve.

To show appreciation for our Sales reps making the long journey to be here, we will have Specials all day Saturday in the Pro shop on clothing such as 40% off Callaway Ladies apparel, 30% off all Tommy Hilfiger clothing, 25% off Footjoy, Ping, and Adidas Clothing.  All Ping, Titleist, Callaway and Taylormade/Adidas Caps all 15 % off.

Also for Saturday only, save the taxes on all Footjoy and Adidas shoes.   We look forward to seeing you out at the course whether you’re playing, shopping, demoing, or just out having lunch.”

Tim Tisdale with his son Logan

Here are some articles we’ve had on Swift Current Online lately with some Bronco related topics…

• Tisdale reflects on 89 Memorial Cup
• Heatherington moves up ISS Rankings
• Molleken leads Blades into Memorial Cup
• Sakic takes over Avalanche hockey ops
• Second round starts for local NHLers
• Hughes facing tough decision after big year

It’s an exciting day in the hockey world as the Memorial Cup starts in Saskatoon. We’ll have coverage for you on The Eagle 94.1 FM with daily reports and on Swift Current Online with a blog I’ll be updating from the tournament with stories, commentary and interviews. Click here to check out that blog.

I’ll have some thoughts on this website throughout that time too.

Coming up on this blog I want to take a closer look one by one at each of the Bronco draft picks with whatever extra info I can find. I’m also planning to examine the possible structure of the roster next year and where the key needs or key battles could be.

What are your predictions for the Memorial Cup? Are you making the trip to Saskatoon?

Here is the latest from Elmwood Golf and Country Club’s Jeff Chambers:

Hello everyone,

We have a busy week on the way and hopefully nice weather to go with it.  We just about blew away today teaching kids lessons in 40km’s winds…

Tuesday – Ladies night starts at 6pm shotgun start.  5:15 is the mini drop in lesson for the ladies and for $5, the lesson that was requested will be “how to hit the damn ball in the air”.

Wednesday – Men’s night is at 4:30 shotgun.  Sponsor for men’s and ladies this week is Banks Eye Clinic (Malcolm Banks)

Thursday – Regular times available

Friday – Regular times available

Saturday – tee times available till 9am then some in the afternoon.  Diamond Energy Cash Scramble is Saturday and Sunday.  See the attached poster for details and enter soon.

Saturday afternoon we’re hosting the Greek Orthodox tournament.

Sunday- tee times available all morning.  1pm we host the MJT junior tournament and also a Junior Mini tournament consisting of 9 holes for kids ages 7 to 12.  Call Jeff to register.

Monday- MJT day two of tournament from 9am to noon.  Times available to book in the morning and afternoon.

This Saturday we are having the “big four” companies come out to provide us with a terrific demo day.   Taylormade, Ping, Titleist, and Callaway will all be here to offer up assistance is all the new 2013 equipment.    They will all be on the range from 10am to 3pm and possibly a little later if it’s really busy.

Home Hardware’s Overtime for May 13 (Download)

Tonight on Overtime we previewed the 2013 Memorial Cup in Saskatoon with Blades Coach/GM Lorne Molleken, Portland Winterhawks broadcaster Todd Vrooman and Willy Pavlov of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. We also caught up with Rhett Rho of the Redneck Betties roller derby squad. Thanks to all our guests, co-host Terry Pavely and the staff and Boston Pizza for hosting us.

Lorne Molleken

The only local sports talk show in southwest Saskatchewan hits the air tonight.

Home Hardware’s Overtime runs from 6pm to 7pm every Monday night live from Boston Pizza’s lounge in Swift Current and on The Eagle 94.1 FM.

On tonight’s show we’ll preview the Memorial Cup. The CHL’s national championship tournament runs from May 17th to the 26th at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon and we’ll have reports twice daily on Swift Current radio as well as a daily blog. Tonight we’ll talk to Saskatoon Blades Coach/GM Lorne Molleken (a former Bronco in his playing days) as well as media from Saskatoon, Portland and Halifax to give you insight on the teams that will be playing for the cup. We’ll also catch up with Rhett Rho from the Redneck Betties on their weekend bout in Calgary and the major challenge they’re facing against the roller derby national champions from Saskatoon on June 1rst in Swift Current.

We always want your thoughts!

Join the discussion every Monday from 6pm to 7pm by texting us at 306-773-0941, tweeting Shawn @shawnmullin or joining us live at Boston Pizza in the lounge.

Listen live at 94.1 FM or click here for our online stream.

Overtime is brought to you by Home Hardware in downtown Swift Current.

Tyler Steenbergen

Home Hardware’s Overtime on May 6th (Download)

The only local sports talk show in southwest Saskatchewan hit the air on Monday night.

Home Hardware’s Overtime runs from 6pm to 7pm every Monday night live from Boston Pizza’s lounge in Swift Current and on The Eagle 94.1 FM.

On Monday’s show were were joined by the first round WHL Bantam Draft pick of the Swift Current Broncos Tyler Steenbergen. We also talked with Kevin Shcafer from Speedy Creek Racing and were joined on the phone by Ottawa Senators broadcast host AJ Jakubec to talk about the NHL playoff battle going on with Maple Creek’s Zack Smith and the Ottawa Senators against Stewart Valley’s Travis Moen and the Montreal Canadiens. Darwin Gooding and Shawn Mullin also talked NHL playoff hockey and the results of the CFL Canadian Draft.

We always want your thoughts!

Join the discussion every Monday from 6pm to 7pm by texting us at 306-773-0941, tweeting Shawn@shawnmullin or joining us live at Boston Pizza in the lounge.

Listen live at 94.1 FM or click here for our online stream.

Overtime is brought to you by Home Hardware in downtown Swift Current.

Kevin Schafer from Speedy Creek Racing and Golden West Radio’s Darwin Gooding

Mark Lamb addressing the troops

The Swift Current Broncos added 10 new faces to their organization at the WHL Bantam Draft yesterday. You can scroll down here or visit Swift Current Online for more extensive coverage of the draft. I also caught up with Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb for his reaction to the draft.

Mark Lamb Interview (Download)

Interview with Elmwood GM Sheldon Reinhart (Download)

It’s another sign that spring is finally here as Elmwood Golf and Country Club in Swift Current is opening up today.

Opening day comes two weeks later than it did last year due to the extended winter with snow and cool temperatures in April.

All 18 holes will be open and ready.

“The course is looking very good,” said General Manager Sheldon Reinhart. “I went out and saw a few of the greens today. Just the ones that you can see from the clubhouse as well they look in very good shape. It’s kind of similar to what we were about three years ago when we had a lot of snow cover.”

The amount of snow was actually a positive for the greens.

“When there is no snow cover we get so much wind that it takes a pretty big toll on the greens drying them out,” Reinhart said. “This year because we had so much cover they’re looking good.”

He’s optimistic the warm weather in the forecast for next week will help them out as well.

“If we can get that weather then all the fairways should be green and we should be off to a very good start,” Reinhart added.

(Elmwood is advertising a cheaper $40 rate at the start of the season as they get the course in top condition and they are holding a Taylor Made demo day from 2-6pm today… Thanks to Elmwood for their continued support of this blog!)

• Click here for the webcast
• Click here for the live results
• Click here for our Swift Current Online draft coverage
• Click here for draft coverage from SCBroncos.com
• Click here for a bantam draft preview
• Click here for Jamie Porter’s draft preview

I’ll update this page throughout the day with results and reaction as the Broncos make all their picks in the draft.

BRONCOS DRAFT PICKS

Tyler Steenbergen

12th: C Tyler Steenbergen (5’10, 160lbs) Red Deer Rebels White (32 GP: 39-28-67)

Interview with Tyler Steenbergen (Download)

Interview with Broncos AGM Jamie Porter on Steenbergen (Download)

Interview with Red Deer Bantam Associate Coach  Carter Duffin (Download)

SCOUT’S TAKE: “Elite scorer, good shot and a great pick at that spot.  He played on a
 subpar team but accumulated points on over 60% of the team’s goals.” Tyler Neisz from Western Elite Hockey Prospects

Cole Johnson (#22)

34th: LW Cole Johnson (5’10, 186lbs) Lloydminster Heat (33 GP: 40-31-71)

Interview with Cole Johnson (Download)

Jamie Porter on Johnson (Download)

SCOUT’S TAKE: “Bull in a china shop if you will, hits everything in sight and can score
 with an above average shot.  Pure gamer.  PIMS come from hard hits.” Tyler Neisz from Western Elite Hockey Prospects

Matthew Parsons

56th: LD Matthew Parsons (6’1, 160lbs) Humboldt Broncos (22 GP: 4-12-16)

Interview with Matthew Parsons (Download)

Jamie Porter on Parsons (Download)

SCOUT’S TAKE: “The Parsons pick is a good one.  He is still pretty raw but had a great
season despite playing on a team that was dead last in SBAAHL.” Tyler Neisz from Western Elite Hockey Prospects

93rd: LD Jacob Thomas (5’11, 148lbs) SSAC Lions (31: 2-13-15)

Interview with Jacob Thomas(Download)

Jamie Porter on Thomas (Download)

SCOUT’S TAKE: “A fluid and safe defender.” Zenon Herasymiuk from Future Considerations

Hunter Lorenson

100th: G Hunter Lorenson (5’08.5 165lbs) MLAC (13-4-1, 3.11 GAA, 0.915%)

Interview with Hunter Lorenson (Download)

Jamie Porter on Lorenson (Download)

Owen Seidel

144th: RW Owen Seidel (5’9, 150lbs) Burnaby Winter Club

Interview with Owen Seidel (Download)

Jamie Porter on Seidel (Download)

Dalton Angeltvedt

188th: LD Dalton Angeltvedt (6′, 160lbs) Lloydminster Heat (29 GP: 1-6-7)

Jamie Porter on Angeltvedt (Download)

210th: LW Brandon Biro (5’6, 115lbs) Sherwood Park Flyers  (30 GP: 28-36-64)

Jamie Porter on Biro (Download)

232nd: LW Ryan Sokoloski (5’10, 140lbs) Winnipeg Sharks

Jamie Porter on Sokoloski (Download)

248th: LD Matthew Stanley (5’10, 163lbs) Interlake Lightning (54 GP: 2-4-6)

Jamie Porter on Stanley (Download)

Lowry with the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy

• Click here for our article from Swift Current Online
• Click here for the official press release
• Click here for a list of all WHL awards winners

Interview with Adam Lowry (Download)

Interview with Mark Lamb (Download)

Huge congratulations are in order to Adam Lowry on this tremendous achievement. It’s one thing to have a great season and be listed among the great players in all of the WHL and it’s another thing entirely to be recognized as the WHL Player of the Year. Management, coaches and media throughout the WHL gave Lowry their votes and put him a step above all his peers. It’s something he should be extremely proud of and is an honour I know Bronco fans are thrilled to see Lowry receive.

I’m in a bit of a rush here so for now I’ll post my article from Swift Current Online and maybe chime in a bit more later. Don’t forget to watch this blog and Swift Current Online for WHL Bantam Draft 2013 results tomorrow. I’ll have reaction from both the team and the young draft picks.

Here is my article from Swift Current Online on Lowry’s award:

A remarkable way to cap a remarkable season for Swift Current Broncos Captain Adam Lowry.

Lowry is the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy recipient as WHL Player of the Year.

He received the honour during the WHL awards luncheon today.

“I know how much the award means to the Broncos organization after being named after the four Broncos who tragically passed away in the bus crash 26 years ago,” Lowry said. “To be able to bring that trophy back to them it’s a huge honour.”

“Swift Current has given me a great opportunity to mature not only as a player but as a person over the past four years. I owe the organization and the community a lot.”

The Calgary product scored 45 goals and 43 assists this season while playing in every situation for Swift Current. He was second on the Broncos with a +18 rating and factored in on 43% of the team’s goals. Lowry finished 6th in the WHL in goals, 12th in points, tied for 8th with 14 power play goals, tied for 2nd with 6 shorthanded goals and tied for 2nd with 8 game-winning goals.

“What he’s done for our organization in the last four years has been incredible,” said Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb. “When we put our identity together in what type of team we want to be like and play like he’s the perfect guy… it’s a huge honour for him it’s a huge honour for the organization.”

Lamb tried to put his finger on what allowed Lowry to stand out from among all the top players in the WHL this season.

“It’s his heart and character and really wanting to be a player,” Lamb said. “He’s a very coach-able guy in all aspects of the game and he’s a student of the game… he’s going to have a long career.”

Lowry was also the only unanimous selection to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team, Captained Team WHL at the Subway Super Series and was named Player of the Month in December as he was in the middle of a 21 game point streak. While Lowry had high hopes entering his 19-year-old season, his sights weren’t necessarily set this high.

“I didn’t think I’d come in and be the best player in the league or mean the most to my team by any means,” Lowry said. “I just wanted to be a consistent performer. I tried to get better every day and I felt a lot of it had to do with confident. As the season wore on I started to get better and started to get more confident. It really allowed my game to take it to the next level.”

The son of former NHLer Dave Lowry, Adam dealt with adversity throughout his career including a bout of mono in his sophomore season and a broken wrist in his third season.

“I wanted to come in and prove that my wrist injury wasn’t going to hamper my development,” Lowry said. “Being able to lean on (Dave Lowry) was really helpful my 18-year-old year when I missed my second half with injury. He just told me to continue to work hard and your hard work is gonna pay off. There were long days in the gym where I didn’t think it would pay off. I wanted to be on the ice and helping the Broncos out.”

He is the first Bronco to win the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy since Sergei Varlamov in 1997-98 and the fourth to win it overall. Jason Krywulak took it home in 1992-93 and Joe Sakic twice won the award in 1986-87 and 1987-88.

“A lot of that credit goes to my teammates they really helped out,” Lowry said in specifically referencing line-mates like Coda Gordon and Colby Cave. “I think I was fortunate enough my 16-year-old year to watch what Cody Eakin was able to do. The way he was able to change games and push to wins. Last year Taylor Vause kind of willed us to wins some nights. I tried take little things from each of their games and tried to lead by example on the ice.”

The 6’5 and 201lbs forward played for Lamb in all four his seasons with the Broncos. He was converted to centre this season after spending his first three at left wing.

“Mark Lamb and the coaching staff in the organization have done me a great job in allowing me to learn at my own pace,” Lowry added. “It’s been a long process. I’ve made a lot of good, life-long friends like Reece Scarlett.. we came in as 16-year-olds and we’re finishing our careers as 19-year-olds this season… they’ve done a great job developing us and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have played for the Broncos.”

Lowry recently signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets. He finished the season with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate in St. John’s and is set to start his professional career full-time this fall.

The Broncos will now turn their attention to Thursday’s WHL Bantam Draft. They pick 12th in the first round.