• WHL Box Score
• Broncos website summary

Post-Game Interviews with Andy Schneider, Levi Bews and Graham Black (Download)

Well that seemed like it was going to be a sleeper. The Broncos didn’t appear to have any life or energy through the first two periods of the game. Jon Groenheyde’s strong play and a good penalty kill kept them in the game. They were lucky it was only 1-0 Raiders after 40 minutes.

What the heck happened in the third? It was like night and day. The Broncos sprang to life after the goal by Levi Bews and completely took over the period. It seemed like they were well on their way to two points before Anthony Bardaro made good on the only chance the Raiders got in the final few minutes. 10 seconds left? That’s a tough way to give up a point.

The teams may have split the wins in their season series so far, but the Broncos have earned points in all six games compared to only four for the Raiders. With four overtime games between them these two teams have been pretty charitable to one another!

Tonight’s game certainly didn’t have the entertainment value of Saturday or Monday. Either way, the Broncos wrapped up their three consecutive games at home with 5 of a possible 6 points. That’s nothing to sneeze at. They also have points in 4 of their last 5 games.

Now they have to find a way to get it done on the road. Brandon and Moose Jaw are both really tough to beat in their own building… especially the Warriors. Brandon has been on a huge role lately as well. We will see if this improving young roster can find a way to translate their consistent success on home ice to a better finish on the road.

On another positive note, the penalty kill has only allowed one goal in the last three games. After some terrible results in the first half of this month it’s good to see them settling things down.

As noted on the Swift Current Broncos twitter, Levi Bews now has 9 points in 11 games this month. He went pointless in his first 9 games as a Bronco. The former 2nd round bantam draft pick is proving there was a reason Saskatoon picked him when they did. At the price they paid for him… the Broncos have to be thrilled so far.

Graham Black’s goal was his second in three games after going without a goal in the 22 games before that. He also has 5 points in his last 3 games.

Taylor Vause had his eight game point streak snapped tonight. He has been terrific lately. I have to think the complete and consistent season he has had is getting him some attention from Canadian college teams and some professionals as well. Vause has been in the top 20 of WHL scorers all season on a club that has had a harder time putting pucks in the net during the second half. I’m sure he will have a strong finish to his Bronco career.

I also wanted to congratulate local product Tim Vanstone on playing his first WHL game tonight. He had a good showing and even nearly goat a point after winning a draw to set up a chance from a point shot. There is a good chance he makes the Raiders next season. Before it gets to that… Vanstone and the Home Hardware Midget AAA Legionnaires travel to Prince Albert to start their playoffs against the Mintos on Saturday. They’re home on Sunday afternoon. I hope the guys get some strong support for their first home playoff game in eight years.

Vanstone is a good interview for a 15-year-old! I have my talk with him posted in the pre-game blog.

Next up? We’re off to Brandon tomorrow for a game on Friday and then Moose Jaw on Saturday. The Broncos aren’t at home again until March 6th. It’s hard to believe there are only three home games left in the regular season. It will be training camp again before we know it.

BRONCOS LINEUP

Black/Vause/Gordon
Moser/Rossignol/Hoban
Derko/Cave/Bews
Dale/Blanke/Adam Smith

Heatherington/Scarlett
Craig/Nedomlel
Walker/Reum

Groenheyde
Austin Smith

Scratches: Evans, Magnus, Howorko, Lowry, Fleming

RAIDERS LINEUP

McVeigh/Bardaro/Maylan
Winther/McNeill/Danyluk?
Hlinka/Perreaux/Knowler
Braid/Vanstone/Mahura

Morrissey/Ruopp
Yaworski/Corbin
Hart/Lange
Guenther?

Holowenko
Lee-Knight

Scratches: Bourhis, Knutsen, Tochkin, Danyluk or Guenther

PRE-GAME AUDIO

Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb (Download)

Broncos F Brad Hoban (Download)

Raiders Prospect F Tim Vanstone (Download)

Raiders Coach Steve Young (Download)

Our broadcast gets started at 6:30pm on The Eagle 94.1 FM

Broncos legend Todd Holt showed tremendous strength and courage today as he took the stand to testify at the sentencing hearing for convicted sex offender and former Broncos Coach Graham James. Holt’s name had been under a publication ban. Today he shared the heartbreaking details of the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life.

I can’t even imagine for a second what Holt, Sheldon Kennedy, Theo Fleury and the other victims of James have gone through. For them to fight through that pain and share their stories with the world… it must take incredible strength.

I was glad to see on twitter some immediate support for Holt from residents of Swift Current. Despite what happened to him here he is still a passionate and enthusiastic member of the Broncos alumni. You can’t talk about the greatest Broncos and even greatest WHL players of all-time without mentioning Holt’s name. He is the Broncos franchise leader in goals (216) and points (423). He was also voted fan favourite year after year.

It’s heartbreaking to hear how the abuse by James robbed Holt not only of the opportunities he could have had… but the way it made him feel and the suffering he has gone through since. I know when he was in Swift Current last year he talked about battling back from substance abuse issues and seemed to be in great spirits. I pray nothing but better days are ahead for Holt.

We all owe these men a great debt of gratitude. They are making the world safer for our kids. Hopefully we will all do our part as well.

WHL Commissioner Ron Robison was in Swift Current on Monday to present longtime Broncos Governor Ben Wiebe with the WHL Governors Award.  I had a chance to chat with him during the first intermission of the Broncos victory over Moose Jaw.

Commissioner Ron Robison (Download)

• Game summary
• Broncos website summary

Highlights of Broncos Hockey on The Eagle 94.1 FM (Download)

Post-Game with Broncos G Jon Groenheyde and Assistant Andy Schneider (Download)

Pre-Game with Broncos F Graham Black (Download)

Pre-Game with Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb (Download)

Pre-Game with Warriors Coach Mike Stothers (Download)

Five Minute Major with Legionnaires Coach/GM Jason Johns (Download)

That was another fun game. The vibe and atmosphere was terrific. There were over 2500 loud fans in the building to witness a roller coaster of a game with a perfect result for the home crowd. The crowd full of kids really makes me wonder how well they would do with regular Sunday afternoon games next season.

Saturday night felt like the night of emerging young talents. Today belonged to the veterans and the power play. Three of Swift Current’s four goals were scored on the man advantage and the other came on a delayed penalty. Taylor Vause had another big night with a goal and two assists, while Brad Hoban’s goal and an assist leaves him with five points in his last two games. The other overager, Jon Groenheyde made two gigantic saves in overtime before stumping all three Warriors in the shoot out. Groenheyde could make the plays of the week a few times based on the last two games.

Coda Gordon’s streak of two-goal games was snapped at three. All he could manage was a measly one! It was enough to tie him for the lead among rookie goal scorers.

We had Graeme Craig as our unsung hero on the broadcast. Not only did he score on an absolute blast on the PP, but Craig was particularly solid on the back end. There are some kinks to work out, but I do think Nedomlel and Craig could end up being a very effective pairing. They certainly won’t make life easy on people.

That was a great weekend for the Broncos and they have now won three of their last four games. We will see if they can build on that at home on Wednesday against the Raiders. They are now 15 points out of the playoffs with 11 games to go. It’s going to take quite a streak to have a chance now. Either way, it’s good to see the Broncos playing successful and entertaining hockey against teams ahead of them in the standings.

Meanwhile, the team participated in a post-game public skate that I thought was really well attended. I think some of the Broncos made fans for life including I believe Dalton Reum and Eric Walker here:

That kind of picture sort of says it all about the kind of relationship the team can have with the community doesn’t it?

I also had the chance to chat with Commissioner Ron Robison during the first intermission as he was in town to present Ben Wiebe with the WHL Governors Award. He didn’t say anything that is going to stop the presses, but it is always interesting to get his perspective and I enjoyed the conversation. I will have that for you on the blog tomorrow.

BRONCOS LINEUP

Black/Vause/Gordon
Moser/Rossignol/Hoban
Derko/Cave/Bews
Dale/Blanke/Adam Smith

Heatherington/Scarlett
Craig/Nedomlel
Walker/Reum

Groenheydets
Austin Smith

Scratches: Evans, Magnus, Howorko, Lowry, Fleming

Our broadcast starts at 1:30pm on The Eagle 94.1 FM

Sorry for the late post! I wrote this when I came home from getting a bite to eat on Saturday and apparently hit save instead of publish. Gave me the chance to add another couple of links though.

• Video Highlights
• Game summary
• Broncos Website summary
• Swift Current Online summary

Highlights of Broncos Hockey on The Eagle 94.1 FM (Download)

Post-Game Interviews with Andy Schneider, Colby Cave and Levi Bews (Download)

Intermission Interview with Broncos Legend Sheldon Kennedy (Download)

Pre-Game Interview with Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb (Download)

Pre-Game Interview with Broncos F Coda Gordon (Download)

Pre-Game Interview with Blades Coach/GM Lorne Molleken (Download)

Well that was a lot of fun. What a weird and wild night at the Credit Union iPlex. From an emotional standing ovation for Sheldon Kennedy… to the spoken word anthemist who got busted open after falling on the ice and still finished the song… to Charlie Horse celebrating his birthday with his new friend Charlene Horse… to one of the best performances the Broncos have put on this season.

It was an honour to talk with Broncos legend Sheldon Kennedy in the first intermission. He is a true hero that has been through so much and has made changes in our society that protect kids from abusers. I was really happy to see Swift Current honour him with the Scotiabank Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Dr. Noble Irwin Foundation and the city making Saturday Sheldon Kennedy Day.

As for the game, it felt like 80s Broncos hockey as they piled up 4 goals in a dominant first period. What led the way for the Broncos? Early on it felt like it was their emotion. They came out with a tremendous amount of fire. They played the body, they were fired up and they helped create the pace of the game.

I think the game was good for the Broncos as there have been times this season where they have played with that kind of fire and didn’t get rewarded with goals. This time those chances turned into goals. Maybe those goals turn into confidence.

It’s especially important to see the development of the young players. Coda Gordon’s run this week was something else. He scored two goals in three straight games. All six of his goals were scored right around the front of the net. It’s amazing how his instincts kick in when that puck finds him in a goal scoring area. He has the second most goals (27) among WHL rookies and maybe just as impressively has the third most power play goals (15) in the entire league.

Gordon wasn’t alone when it came to impressive performances from Swift Current’s youth. We’ve been talking on the broadcast about the developing chemistry between Colby Cave, Levi Bews and Josh Derko. They were creating chances and the rewards were starting to come slowly. Saturday’s game was a nice way for that developing chemistry to really pay off. Bews scored twice, Cave had three assists and Derko had a two point night to lead the way for the Broncos offensively. That’s a line that brought a little bit of everything to the game. They were physical, played smart in their own end, had some speed and of course put the puck in the net. I think all three guys have made some big strides and this game is just the best example of it.

It was nice to see Graham Black put the puck in the net as well. It’s been a long time coming for him as Black hadn’t scored yet in 2012. I don’t think he’s been bad at all… but you could see it was starting to get him and the confidence wasn’t where it was once. Often just one goal can get that back on track. Even after an extended slump like that he is still 10th in WHL rookie points and has done enough to draw a lot more attention from the other teams than he was earlier this season.

The young guys certainly didn’t do it alone. Brad Hoban had a very strong night with the puck to get three assists, Taylor Vause was his usual self in picking up a goal and a helper, and Reece Scarlett chipped in with a couple of assists as well. The whole back end played a much strong game. It will be interesting to watch how Craig and Nedomlel develop as a potential shut down pair. They didn’t have a great game on Friday but were solid in the re-match and have both at times thrived in that kind of role this season. They certainly provide as physical a dimension as any other pairing in the league.

The highlight of the game? It had to be when Benson’s dump in front centre hit of the glass and took a crazy hope towards the goal. Groenheyde was coming out of his net to play the puck and still was able to dive back in to make an amazing stop… and the Broncos came right back down the ice to score. That should make the plays of the week for sure.

It was a good night for the PK as they killed off all by one Saskatoon PP and that one was a 5 on 3. Any positive steps are important at this point as the PK has been a sore spot all season. They’ve made some big improvements at different times, but are still looking for consistency from those units. Hopefully they can find it in the final few weeks here.

A 2-1 week was certainly a nice change of pace after five straight losses before that. Now we will see if the Broncos can build on all the positives from Saturday when they most Moose Jaw on a special Family Day Monday Matinee. It’s a 2pm start so our pre-game show gets started at 1:30pm on The Eagle 94.1 FM.

BRONCOS LINEUP

Black/Vause/Gordon
Moser/Rossignol/Hoban
Derko/Cave/Bews
Dale/Blanke/Adam Smith

Heatherington/Scarlett
Craig/Nedomlel
Walker/Reum

Groenheyde
Austin Smith

Scratches: Evans, Magnus, Howorko, Lowry, Fleming

The broadcast gets started at 6:30pm on The Eagle 94.1 FM

• Official WHL summary
• Broncos website summary
• Swift Current Online summary

Post-Game Coach’s Show with Darren Evjen (Download)

The Q with Bronocs Coach/GM Mark Lamb (Download)

That was a frustrating game for the Broncos. They gave themselves every chance to be in the game… and then kept giving it away. Each time they scored to get within a goal of the Blades, they gave up a goal in at least 2:04. The other big story for the Broncos in this game was their continuing issues on the penalty kill. Taking five penalties over the first two periods is one thing… it will hurt you to some degree… but you have to kill some of them off.

The PK is operating at only 61% in February so far. Given how strong they were on the penalty kill last season… it’s hard to understand why things haven’t worked this season. Injuries to key guys have been a factor of course. Lowry and Evans were important PK guys. The trade of Muth sent away a guy who was a key penalty killer on D. That said, there are enough guys on this roster that should be able to get that job done. I obviously don’t have the answer for why they haven’t… but it has been a big factor in leaving some points on the table.

As I said on twitter, some of the good news from this game was that they were getting production from guys who are going to carry the mail here for at least a few years. Coda Gordon made two terrific plays tipping pucks in front of the Blades net and now has four goals in his last two games. Levi Bews was hungry on the puck again and scored against his old team for the second time as a Bronco. Dillon Heatherington picked up his second assist in as many nights and now has three points in his last four games. Losing games isn’t fun… but at least things like that can give fans hope that these guys really are developing and may be ready to take on those big roles when called upon.

I can’t write this post without mentioning a very impressive performance Darren Dietz. He tied the WHL record for most goals in a game for a defenceman (4) and then hit the cross bar in the third period. Dietz had the magic touch last night and I’m sure will remember that game for the rest of his life.

SHELDON KENNEDY DAY

I just wanted to mention quickly that today is Sheldon Kennedy Day in Swift Current. He received the Scotiabank Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Dr. Noble Irwin Foundation last night. Kennedy will be at the Swift Current Broncos game tonight and there will be a special pre-game ceremony to honour him. Kennedy’s efforts on behalf of the victims of sexual abuse should be applauded and supported as much as possible. I look forward to hearing the strong reaction he will get tonight.

BRONCOS LINEUP

Black/Vause/Gordon
Moser/Rossignol/Hoban
Derko/Cave/Bews
Dale/Blanke/Adam Smith

Craig/Nedomlel
Heatherington/Scarlett
Fleming or Walker/Reum

Groenheyde
Austin Smith

Scratches: Evans, Magnus, Howorko, Lowry, Fleming or Walker

BLADES LINEUP

Trask/Sutter/Burns
Stransky/Benson/Nicholls
Paradis/Olsen/Collins
Zajac/McEvoy/Stovin

Cox/Dietz
Thrower/Lernout
Haas/Schmidt

Makarov
Todd

Scratches: Pufauhl, Siemens, Stipancik, Muller or Sotvin

POST-GAME AUDIO FROM PRINCE ALBERT

Highlights of Swift Current’s 4-3 Overtime Victory (Download)

Post-Game Coach’s Show with Darren Evjen (Download)

Post-Game Interview with F Adam Rossignol (Download)

PRE-GAME AUDIO FROM SASKATOON

Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb (Download)

Blades Coach/GM Lorne Molleken (Download)

KENNEDY

Sheldon Kennedy gets honoured tonight with a Scotiabank Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement. The former Bronco has been a heroic crusader against sexual abuse and deserves any honour he gets. I hope the event tonight is a great one. I wish I could be there! I also look forward to seeing the big ovation he gets when he makes his appearance at the game in Swift Current tomorrow night. Our own Todd Vallee caught up with Sheldon last week…

Former Bronco Sheldon Kennedy (Download)

LEGIONNAIRES

Lastly I just want to say congratulations to the Midget AAA Home Hardware Legionnaires. The Swift Current club which features Broncos prospects Zac Mackay and Jordan Wittman qualified for the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. That franchise has been through so much turmoil over the years it is great to see them back in the post-season dance where they belong. Stay positive guys… everyone in the city is proud of you and the best is yet to come for all of you.

The Legionnaires host the Saskatoon Blazers on Saturday at 2:15 and on Sunday at 3:30. Half the proceeds from the games will go to Earl Monkman’s family to help cover the costs of his funeral and things of that nature. It’s a worthy cause and should be some fun hockey. Check it out.

Our broadcast tonight gets started at 6:30pm from Saskatoon on The Eagle 94.1 FM