The winds of change blew through Swift Current on Thursday afternoon as the Broncos announced the resignation of Dean Brockman, who was in his fourth 
season as the community-owned organization’s general manager and head coach.
Chad Leslie, the Broncos’ assistant general manager, now is the interim GM, with assistant coach Devan Praught stepping in as interim head coach.
Leslie, 44, was the Broncos’ director of scouting each of the past three seasons.
Praught, 34, is from Summerside, P.E.I. He is in his first season with the Broncos after spending eight seasons at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask. He was the head coach of the U-18 Hounds for the past five seasons.
Matt Keillor, also in his first season, now is the lone assistant on the Broncos’ staff.
The Broncos (2-3-0) have lost three straight games after opening the season with a pair of victories — 2-0 and 3-2 — over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Swift Current is scheduled to play the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Saturday night and the Ice in Winnipeg on Sunday. The Broncos then will meet the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Tuesday, before returning home for a Friday night date with the Calgary Hitmen.
Brockman, 54, didn’t really explain why he was resigning, telling a news conference: “I want to reiterate this was my decision. It’s a personal decision on my behalf. It had nothing to do with the board of directors. In fact, the board of directors have supported me from Day 1. They took a chance and that chance was me.”
Before joining the Broncos, Brockman spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades, under Bob Woods, followed by two seasons as their head coach. The Blades fired him immediately after the conclusion of the 2017-18 regular season.
Brockman had spent 17 seasons with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, seven as GM/assistant coach and 10 as GM/head coach. Under Brockman, the Broncos won five league championships and two national titles. He was honoured as the SJHL’s coach of the year on four occasions.
Three months after being fired by the Blades, the Broncos hired him to replace Manny Viveiros, who had been named the WHL’s coach of the year after leading Swift Current to the WHL’s 2018 playoff championship. That was the Broncos’ first title since 1993. Viveiros joined the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers two days after the Broncos finished an 0-3 run at the Memorial Cup in Regina.
The Broncos paid a steep price for going all-in to win that championship, especially in trades with the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes. Swift Current sent five players — F Conner Chaulk, F Riley Stotts, D Dom Schmiemann, F Josh Prokop and G Ethan Hein — along with a second-round pick in the 2018 draft to the Hitmen, for F Matteo Gennaro, F Beck Malenstyn and a fifth-rounder in 2018.
Then, at the trade deadline, Swift Current dealt G Logan Flodell, F Logan Barlage, F Owen Blocker, D Matthew Stanley, first- and third-rounders in 2020 and a conditional second-rounder in 2021 to the Hurricanes for G Stuart Skinner, F Giorgio Estephan and F Tanner Nagel.
The rebuild hasn’t been especially rapid, with the Broncos going 11-51-6 and 10-48-5 in the two seasons after the championship. They were 6-16-2 in the 2021 development season.
At the moment, the Broncos hold the sixth and seventh selections in December’s WHL draft.
But just how tough has the rebuild been? The WHL’s final four in the spring of 2018 featured the Broncos, Hurricanes, Everett Silvertips and Tri-City Americans. Brad Brown (@saskawhat) pointed out via Twitter that Everett has won 114 regular-season games since then, with Lethbridge at 89; Tri-City, 60; and Swift Current, 29.
Financially, the team’s board of directors told shareholders that it had made a $561,500 profit in the 2017-18 championship season. However, a $38,196 profit for 2018-19 was followed by a loss of $791,000 for the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season.
Late last month, at the organization’s annual general meeting, shareholders were told there was a loss of $129,968 — including a $600,000 grant from the provincial government — for that 2021 development season in which the Broncos played 24 games in the Regina hub.
The Everett Silvertips have hired Casey Bryant as their broadcasting and media 
relations manager, replacing Mike Benton, who left to join Seattle radio station KJR where he plays host to Seattle Kraken pre-game, intermission and post-game shows. Benton had been with the Silvertips through six seasons. . . . From a Silvertips news release: “Bryant is an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster whose prior credits include the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (NAHL), Sacred Heart University Pioneers (NCAA D1), Jersey Hitmen (NCDC) and New York Apple Core (EHL). A 2017 graduate of Marist College, Bryant also worked as a production assistant for MSG Networks for four years, editing on-air promotions for the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and other MSG flagship teams.” . . . The Silvertips are scheduled to visit Kent, Wash., for a game with the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight.
JUST NOTES: F Patrick Brown of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers wasn’t able to play last night after being placed on the COVID-19 protocol list. . . . The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals have had three positive tests within their organization this week. OLB Chandler Jones is on the COVID list, while two unidentified staff members also have tested positive. The Cardinals have had 18 players on that list since July 23, with three of them landing there twice each. . . . The Atlanta Braves aren’t planning to have OF Jorge Soler on their roster when they play host to Game 1 of the NLCS on Saturday. Soler tested positive earlier this week and didn’t play in Game 4 of the NLDS as the Braves clinched the series with a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. OF Christian Pache was added to the roster in Soler’s place.
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JUNIOR JOTTINGS: The junior B Saanich Predators of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League named Cody Carlson, a former WHL player, as general manager and head coach on Thursday. He replaces Brent Polischuk, who was relieved of his duties “effective immediately.” Polischuk had been with Saanich since July 28, 2019. The Predators (5-9-1) are fourth in the five-team South Division. Carlson, 30, had joined the Kerry Park Islanders as assistant GM and associate coach prior in July. He split 305 regular-season WHL games between the Medicine Hat Tigers, Regina Pats and Prince George Cougars (2006-12). He played the past three seasons in Europe, mostly in Romania. . . . The NHL’s Calgary Flames have hired Connor Rankin, who played five seasons in the WHL, on a full-time basis as their video analyst. He had done part-time work for the Flames over the past five years. Rankin played 339 WHL regular-season games (2010-15), split between the Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets have released G Cole Schwebius, 20. He has cleared waivers so now is a free agent. He went 17-23-2 in 48 regular-season games split between the Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds over parts of four seasons. . . . D Jackson van de Leest, 20, has returned to the Calgary Hitmen from the camp of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He is expected to be in Calgary’s lineup tonight against the visiting Red Deer Rebels. . . . Ian Furness, who has done his share of play-by-play on Seattle Thunderbirds’ games during his career, was at the KJR radio microphone on Thursday night as the NHL’s Seattle Kraken played the Predators in Nashville. Furness was filling in for Everett Fitzhugh, who remains in Seattle after testing positive.
director of player development. . . . “He worked with our prospects at this year’s spring camp and has done a great job in our on-ice sessions at previous spring camps,” Russ Farwell, Seattle’s vice president of hockey operations, said in a news release. “He has been involved in both power skating and skills development the last 10 years and he is a great addition to our staff. Steven has been working for our new ownership group in the Edmonton area and that made this possible as a shared position to help us develop our prospects.” . . . From Stony Plain, Alta., Goertzen, 34, played three seasons (2001-04) with the Thunderbirds before going on to a pro career that included 68 NHL games and time in the AHL and in Europe. . . . Andy Side of 710 AM Seattle has more 
nine. It is tied with Regina for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . Swift Current (26-10-2) has lost three straight, but remains second in the overall standings. However, it now is nine points behind Moose Jaw. . . . F Dryden Michaud (2) gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 9:42 of the first period. . . . F Ethan Regnier (2) tied it at 14:11. . . . The Blades went back on top, 2-1, at 7:49 of the second period when D Evan Fiala scored his fourth goal of the season. . . . The Broncos tied it when F Kole Gable (4) scored at 8:38. . . . Paterson broke the tie, on a PP, at 5:36 of the third period. He’s got 19 goals in 39 games, and that’s two more than he scored in 72 games last season. An 18-year-old from Edmonton, Paterson has eight goals in a five-game streak. . . . F Braylon Shmyr (19), who also had an assist, got the empty-netter for Saskatoon, at 18:16. . . . The Blades were 1-4 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-3. . . . Saskatoon G Nolan Maier stopped 20 shots in earning his eighth straight victory. . . . The Broncos got 38 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . For much of the season’s first half, the Broncos’ top line of Glenn Gawdin, Aleksi Heponiemi and Tyler Steenbergen terrorized opponents. On Monday, all three were out of the lineup. Gawdin was ill, while Heponiemi (Finland) and Steenbergen (Canada) are in Buffalo at the World Junior Championship. Those three have combined for 204 points, including 86 goals. . . . Starting on Wednesday, Swift Current, which also is without D Artyom Minulin (Russia), will play four games in five nights before the WJC comes to an end. . . . G Ryan Kubic, who has played one game for the Blades since Nov. 18, was dressed in a backup role. . . . Announced attendance: 3,760.
points in five straight (3-0-2). The Oil Kings are 14 points away from a playoff spot. . . . Calgary (11-20-6) is 10th in the Eastern Conference, 11 points from a playoff spot. . . . The Oil Kings opened up a 3-0 first-period leads on goals from F Trey Fix-Wolansky, at 4:15; F Colton Kehler (14), on a PP, at 15:10; and Fix-Wolansky (16) again, at 18:20. . . . F Andrei Grishakov (11) got Calgary on the scoreboard, on a PP, at 6:16 of the second period. . . . Edmonton got that one back as F David Kope (5) scored at 18:43. . . . The Hitmen tied the game with three third-period goals, from F Mark Kastelic, at 4:09; F Jakob Stukel, at 11:39; and Kastelic (12), on a PP, at 15:36. . . . That set the stage for Koch (17) to get the winner at 16:26. . . . Edmonton got two assists from each of F Tomas Soustal, Fix-Wolansky and D Conner McDonald. . . . Grishakov and Stukel each had two assists for Calgary, with Kastelic getting one. . . . Calgary was 2-7 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-7. . . . The Oil Kings held a 35-19 edge in shots, including 16-1 in the first period. . . . G Josh Dechaine stopped 15 shots for the Oil Kings. . . . Calgary starter Nick Schneider surrendered four goals on 23 shots through the first two periods. Matthew Armitage came on in relief to stop seven of eight shots in 20 minutes. . . . Announced attendance: 9,821.
in each of their last two home games. They are ninth in the Western Conference, five points out of a wild-card spot. . . . The Royals (21-15-4) had been 1-0-1 in their previous two games. They are second in the B.C. Division, three points behind Kelowna, which holds three games in hand. . . . F Tyler Soy (17) gave the Royals a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 1:09 of the second period. . . . Kamloops pulled even when F Carson Denomie (5) scored at 6:25. . . . F Nick Chyzowski (12) broke the tie, on a PP, at 8:50 of the third period, and F Brodi Stuart (11) added insurance at 13:25. . . . F Quinn Benjafield, who also had two assists, got the empty-netter, at 19:42. . . . Kamloops was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . G Dylan Ferguson earned the victory with 23 saves. . . . At the other end, Griffen Outhouse stopped 43 shots. . . . Including this game, Kamloops will play Victoria in four of six straight games. The Royals will be back in Kamloops on Saturday. The Blazers are to visit Victoria on Jan. 12-13. . . . Don Hay of the Blazers now has 737 regular-season coaching victories, five short of the career record held by the retired Ken Hodge. . . . Announced attendance: 3,732.
three games. They now have as many victories as they had all of last season when they finished 20-46-6 and out of the playoffs for a third straight season. . . . The Giants are third in the B.C. Division, one point behind Victoria and nine ahead of Kamloops. . . . The Cougars (14-18-6) got a victory and an OTL from the doubleheader in Langley. They had won a wild one, 7-6 in OT, on Saturday. . . . Prince George is fifth in the B.C. Division, two points behind Kamloops. . . . Yesterday, the Cougars had a 2-0 lead early in the first period as D Dennis Cholowski (11) scored at 6:19 and F Kody McDonald got his 19th at 6:33. . . . F Brayden Watts (11) got the Giants to within a goal, on a PP, at 8:21, and F Jared Dmytriw tied the score, at 13:26. . . . Dmytriw (10), who had two goals and two assists, gave the Giants their first lead at 9:05 of the second. . . . Cholowski forced OT when he scored his 12th goal at 12:44 of the third period. Cholowski, who is from Langley, had scored two goals and added two assists in Saturday’s game. He now has 35 points in 35 games. . . . F Owen Hardy had two assists for Vancouver, with Watts getting one. . . . Vancouver was 1-5 on the PP; Prince George was 0-3. . . . G David Tendeck started for the Giants but lasted just 6:33 as he allowed two goals on six shots. Todd Scott came on to earn the victory, stopped 12 of 13 shots in 55:27. . . . The Cougars got 34 stops from Tavin Grant. . . . Ethan Browne, acquired earlier in the day from the Everett Silvertips, wasn’t in the Cougars’ lineup as they went with 11 forwards. . . . Announced attendance: 3,776.
row. . . . The Tigers are atop the Central Division, five points ahead of Kootenay. . . . Kootenay (18-17-3) has points in seven straight (5-0-2). . . . With this game, the Ice started a stretch of five games in six nights. It starts with three games in three nights as it visits Lethbridge tonight and Swift Current on Wednesday. . . . The Tigers looked to have this one under wraps with a 4-1 lead early in the third period. . . . After a scoreless first period, F Ryan Chyzowski (13) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 7:02 of the second. . . . F Mark Rassell (32), who also had two assists, upped it to 2-0 at 13:26. . . . Ice F Brett Davis halved the deficit at 1:18 of the third period, but Medicine Hat went ahead 4-1 on a pair of shorthanded goals by F James Hamblin, at 6:20 and 6:55. He’s got 13 goals. . . . The Ice got even by scoring three times in 6:25. . . . F Alec Baer got it started, on a PP, at 7:18. . . . F Cameron Hausinger (12) pulled the home boys to within a goal at 7:56. . . . Baer forced OT with his 16th goal, at 13:43. . . . Rubins won it with his third goal of the season. . . . Davis added an assist to his goal for the Ice. . . . Each team was 1-2 on the PP. . . . G Jordan Hollett made 35 saves for the Tigers, four more than the Ice’s Bailey Brkin. . . . Announced attendance: 2,426.
remains tied with Saskatoon for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . Prince Albert (13-17-8) has lost five in a row (0-4-1) and is 1-6-1 in its past eight. It now trails Regina and Saskatoon by eight points. . . . D Dawson Davidson (7) gave the Pats a 1-0 lead when he scored shorthanded at 7:41 of the first period. . . . The Raiders then took a 3-1 lead on second-period goals from D Brayden Pachal (2), at 7:27; F Cole Fonstad (12), on a PP, at 13:27; and F Parker Kelly (16), at 16:54. . . . Regina erased that deficit and took a 4-3 lead by scoring three times in 2:38 of the third period. . . . D Josh Mahura (12) pulled the home boys to within a goal at 4:46. . . . F Nick Henry (6) tied the game at 7:14. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn gave Regina its first lead at 7:24. . . . The Raiders pulled even when F Jordy Stallard (26) scored, on a PP, at 13:01. . . . Bradley won it with his 24th goal of the season. . . . Mahura, in his first game since being released by the Canadian national junior team on Dec. 26, also had two assists, including the primary helper on the winner. . . . F Robbie Holmes also had two assists for Regina. . . . The Raiders got two assists from each of Pachal and F Spencer Moe, with Fonstad and Stallard each getting one. . . . Prince Albert was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-3. . . . G Tyler Brown blocked 27 shots for Regina, while the Raiders’ Curtis Meger, who is from Regina, stopped 34. . . . Announced attendance: 6,243.
TAKING NOTE 