Tag: Richmond Sockeyes

Sidorov sparks Blades’ victory . . . Rebels head to ‘Toontown for Game 7 . . . Ice at Warriors in Game 6 tonight

There is a link to a GoFundMe page on the link below. Please give it some consideration . . .

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The Saskatoon Blades will be playing in a Game 7 on home ice for a second straight series, both times after losing the first two games at home. . . . The Blades dropped Games 1 and 2 to the visiting Regina Pats in a first-round series, before coming back to win Game 7, 4-1, in Saskatoon on April 10. . . . And now, after having lost the first two games to the visiting Red Deer Rebels, the Blades have forced a seventh game, thanks to a 5-3 road victory on Sunday afternoon. . . . They’ll play Game 7 in Saskatoon on Tuesday night. . . .

Not only were the Blades trailing 3-0 in this Eastern Conference semifinal, but they fell behind 2-0 at 13:05 of the first period of Game 4 in Red Deer before storming back to win, 4-2. . . .

On Tuesday night, the Blades will be attempting to become the third team in WHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. . . . Interestingly, the only two teams to have managed this feat needed OT in Game 7. . . . In 1996, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks in Game 7, winning 4-3 when F Darren Sinclair scored 58 seconds into OT. . . . In 2013, the Kelowna Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7, winning on a goal at 5:10 by F Tyson Baillie. . . . Saskatoon had an opportunity to do it in a 1990 Eastern Conference semifinal but lost Game 7, 4-3 in OT, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on a goal by D Neil Hawryluk at 2:31 of extra time. . . .

A tweet from Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) from Saturday’s game in Winnipeg in which the Ice beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2: “After ceding first two goals, Conor Geekie puts Winnipeg on his back by scoring the next two nine minutes apart in the 2nd and completing a hat trick into an empty net. 3rd trick in last 23 games, 4th of season. Scored grand total of five in other 19.” . . . The Ice holds a 3-2 lead in that Eastern Conference semifinal with Game 6 scheduled for tonight in Moose Jaw.

Meanwhile, the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 2 Kamloops Blazers await the arrival of Saturday night and Game 1 of the Western Conference final in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds last played on Wednesday when they completed a sweep of the No. 4 Prince George Cougars, while the Blazers finished a sweep of the No. 3 Portland Winterhawks on Thursday. . . . The Thunderbirds and Blazers both are 8-0 in these playoffs, so something is going to give on Saturday. . . . They’ll play the second game in Kent on Sunday.

Dorothy-040719The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

SUNDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Saskatoon (2) at Red Deer (3) — F Egor Sidorov scored twice and added an Saskatoonassist as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Red Deer Rebels, 5-3. . . . The Eastern Conference semifinal is tied, 3-3, with Game 7 scheduled for Sasdatoon on Tuesday night. . . . The Blades now are 4-0 in elimination games. . . . Sidorov, who has nine goals in the playoffs, gave his guys a 1-0 lead just 34 seconds into the game, then drew the secondary assist on a goal by F Trevor Wong (5), at 16:24, for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Jace Isley (2) got Red Deer to within a goal at 5:09 of the second period, but Sidorov got that one back via a PP at 9:53. . . . F Jake Chiasson (4) gave Saskatoon a 4-1 lead at 17:37. . . . F Kai Uchacz (9) scored at 19:31 and the Rebels went to the third period trailing by two. . . . Isley (3) cut the deficit to one goal at 12:13 of the third. . . . F Jayden Wiens (7) got the empty-netter for the Blades at 18:08. . . . Saskatoon was 1-for-6 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-4. . . . In his first start since Game 3, Saskatoon G Austin Elliott stopped 35 shots. . . . Red Deer gave G Chase Coward his first start of these playoffs and he responded with 18 saves. . . . There were some shenanigans at 19:12 of the third period that resulted in 49 penalty minutes being doled out. F Jhett Larson of the Rebels picked up 37 of them — an instigating minor, two fighting majors, and a double game misconduct, the second one for getting into a second fight during the same stoppage. Chances are he will be hearing from the Dept. of Discipline. . . . By game’s end, the Rebels had taken 78 of the 112 penalty minutes that were handed out. . . . The Blades were without suspended F Justin Lies, who will complete a three-game suspension by also missing Game 7. He was suspended for a headshot on Red Deer F Kalan Lind, who hasn’t played since taking that hit in Game 4. . . . The Rebels were without suspended F Frantisek Formanek, who drew a one-game sentence under supplemental discipline after taking a boarding penalty in Game 5 for a hit on Saskatoon D Blade Gustafson, who didn’t play in Game 6.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Cullen Revel is the new head coach of the junior B Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. He spent nine years coaching in Taiwan, including with the Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey Federation. He also has coach at the U18 level in North Vancouver. . . . Revel replaces Bayne Koen, who held the position from May 1, 2020, through the end of the 2022-23 season.

——

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Keys

Hope: It’s been a wonderful run . . . Does Prince George Rec League need help from feds? . . . New commish for PJHL

It sounds like Cam Hope doesn’t know why he was fired on Wednesday as the president and general manager of the WHL’s Victoria Royals, and he’s taking the high road. . . . Interestingly, Hope ran the Royals’ bantam draft on April 22, then had the rug yanked out VictoriaRoyalsfrom under him just one week later. . . . Hope had joined the Royals in 2012 after spending seven seasons with the NHL’s New York Rangers, the first three as vice-president of hockey operations and the last four as assistant GM. . . . He was the Royals’ GM for three seasons, then president and GM for five. . . . The Royals made the playoffs in each of his eight seasons, but never got out of the second round. . . . “We’re in a results oriented business,” Hope told Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist,“and (results) are a matter of perspective. If you don’t win a championship, (well) you serve at the pleasure of ownership. I thought we had three good chances — in 2016, in 2018 and, as crazy as it sounds, this year with a team that was poised, and it’s disappointing not to get that chance. Often in sports, it’s in the hands of the gods.” . . . Graham Lee, the franchise’s owner, was quoted in the news release announcing Hope’s dismissal, but that’s been it. . . . Hope added: “It’s been eight terrific years in the best job in junior hockey. It’s extremely hard to create a sustainable business in this league. But I’ve enjoyed every day of it and it’s been a wonderful run.” . . . With Hope pulling the strings, the Royals had a 316-205-52 regular-season record. Good luck to the Royals in finding someone who can match that. . . . Dheensaw’s complete story is right here.

The 2020 IIHF World Men’s Hockey Championship had been scheduled for Lausanne and Zurich, Switzerland, from May 8-24. Of course, it was postponed. There had been talk of Switzerland playing host in 2021, but that has been ruled out and it will remain in Belarus and Latvia. . . . The Swiss federation was interested in 2021, but changed its mind, citing financial risks and — get this! — the risk of the coronavirus still being a factor a year from now. . . .

The Hungarian government has banned all large gatherings through Aug. 15, so the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix will be run without fans in attendance if it is held on Aug. 2. . . . F1 officials continue to work on their schedule, which has been riddled by cancellations and postponements. . . .

NASCAR says it is going to start its season on May 17 at Darlington, S.C., Raceway. The Coca-Cola 600 is set for Charlotte, N.C., Motor Speedway on May 24. . . . No fans allowed, though.

Waldo

The WHL made it to fark.com, which took note of the 2020 bantam draft with this: “The virus of Brayden has passed its peak. Minus, it has mutated into variations of Hayden, Aiden, Kaden, Jayden, Grayden and (deep breath) Teydon.”

Here is Jack Finarelli, aka The Sports Curmudgeon with his Thought for the Day, this one from Will Rogers: “The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.”

If baseball’s 10-team Expedition League does get its season started, the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks, who call Brandon home, will be playing out of a city in North Dakota. . . . Brian Pallister, Manitoba’s premier, had said on Wednesday that there won’t be live sporting events with fans in attendance in the province until at least September. That combined with the U.S.-Canada border being closed to non-essential travel meant the Whiskey Jacks wouldn’t be able to play in Brandon. So they will set up shop in a North Dakota community yet to be named. . . . The league’s Opening Day had been set for May 26, but that has been postponed, although a new date hasn’t yet been announced. . . . The league, a summer circuit for college players, also has teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming. . . . Thomas Friesen of the Brandon Sun has more right here.

With a number of sporting leagues — CFL, CPL, CEBL, BCHL, KIJHL — apparently asking the feds for some financial help, Hartley Miller of 94.3 The Goat in Prince George and myprincegeorgenow.com wonders: “Is it time for the Prince George Rec Hockey League to ask the government for a handout?” . . . Yes, I think he was joking. But, hey, in these bizarre times you just never know.

In his weekly Hart Attack column, which is right here, Hartley Miller asked a few timely questions:

“What are the contingency plans for junior hockey leagues like the WHL and BCHL should physical distancing measures still be in place for the fall (which is highly likely) and even into the new year? It seems obvious that these leagues are not financially viable without fans, and many of them, in the stands.

“What will be the protocol when sports do return and a competing athlete tests positive for COVID-19? Does everything get shutdown again or do we just shrug our shoulders and just keep playing?”

Hands

Trevor Alto is the junior B Pacific Junior Hockey League’s new commissioner. Alto, 41, takes over from Ray Stonehouse, who had been in charge since 2016. Stonehouse, 76, will remain as a senior advisor through 2021-22. . . . Alto was the BCHL’s executive director under then-commissioner John Grisdale from 2012-19.

——

Bayne Koen is the new head coach of the junior B Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. He is a veteran junior coach on the Lower Mainland of B.C., and, in fact, has won four championships, most recently in 2018-19 in his fourth and final season with the North Van Wolf Pack. He also has been a PJHL head coach with the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos and Port Moody Black Panthers. Last season, he was the director of player development with the White Rock Whalers and also coached a bantam prep team at the Delta Hockey Academy. . . . With the Sockeyes, he takes over from Brett Reusch, who left the club on April 9, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Embalm