TIGERS WHL PREVIEW


Saturday, September 25, 2010 — THE MEDICINE HAT NEWS


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SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS LAST SEASON: 37-30-1-4, SEVENTH IN EASTERN CONFERENCE, THIRD IN EAST DIVISION. LOST IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS. HEAD COACH: MARK LAMB


(SECOND SEASON, SECOND OVERALL). ASSISTANT: DARREN EVJEN (FIRST SEA- SON). KEY LOSSES: D DEREK CLAFFEY, RW MICHAEL STICKLAND AND C MATT TASSONE, ALL TO GRADUATION. THE 20-YEAR-OLDS: G MARK FRIESEN, D TRAVIS BOBBEE, C JUSTIN DOWLING AND RW STEPAN NOVOTNY. THE IMPORTS: CENTRE STEPAN NOVOTNY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC WAS AQUIRED IN A TRADE LAST SEASON. DEFENCEMAN RICHARD NEDOMLEL FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND F JURAJ ROZNIK OF SLOVAKIA WERE BOTH SELECTED IN THE CHL’S IMPORT DRAFT IN JUNE. KEY RETURNEES: C CODY EAKIN AND C JUSTIN DOWLING, IF THEY RETURN FROM THE NHL, SHOULD LEAD THE TEAM IN SCORING. LW ADAM LOWRY AND D REECE SCARLETT WHO WILL BE YOUNG LEADERS ON THE TEAM. THE DARK HORSE WILL BE LW BRAD HOBAN, 19, WHO HAS BEEN A HOT/COLD OFFENSIVE THREAT. HE WILL BE LEANED ON, ESPECIALLY IF EAKIN AND DOWLING DON’T RETURN. NEW FACES:F SHEA HOWORKO, RW ROBBIE NEWTON AND G AUSTIN SMITH. WATCH FOR:NEDOMLEL AND GRAHAM CRAIG SHOULD BE TOUGH FORCES ON THE BLUE LINE.THE BRONCOS COULD BE ACTIVE ON THE TRADE MARKET DEPENDING ON G MARK FRIESEN’SPLAY, WHAT THEY DECIDE TO DO WITH THEIR OVERAGERS, IMPORTS AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH EAKIN. JUST NOTES: THE BRONCOS HAVE SMITH, 17, LISTED AS THE BACK-UP GOALIE AFTER THE BRONCOS DISPATCHED VET MORGAN CLARK TO PRINCE GEORGE. IF FRIESEN FALTERS OR GETS INJURED, THE CALGARY NATIVE BECOMES VITAL. DID YOU KNOW: THE BRONCOS ARE CELE- BRATING THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOVING BACK TO SWIFT CURRENT THIS SEASON. THE PROGNOSIS: THE BRONCOS SHOULD BE STRONG OFFENSIVELY AND THEY LOOK TO HAVE IMPROVED DEFENSIVELY. THE QUESTION MARK, AS WAS THE CASE LAST YEAR, IS IN GOAL. WITH ONLY 17-YEAR- OLD ROOKIE AUSTIN SMITH IN THE WINGS, THE BRONCOS WILL BE AS GOOD AS THEIR GOALTENDING. NO EAKIN, NO GOALTEND- ING, THEY DON’T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. WITH BOTH, MAYBE A SOLID SECOND PLACE IN THE EAST DIVISION. — CHRIS JASTER, PRAIRIE POST


SASKATOON BLADES LAST SEASON: 46-19-3-4, SECOND IN EAST DIVISION, THIRD IN EASTERN CONFERENCE, LOST IN SECOND ROUND TO BRANDON. HEAD COACH-GM: LORNE


MOLLEKEN (SEVENTH SEASON). ASSISTANT: DAVID STRUCH (FIFTH SEA- SON). KEY LOSSES: LW DEREK HULAK — SASKATOON’S CAPTAIN AND LEADING SCORER — GRADUATED ALONG WITH RW WALKER WINTONEAK AND SHUTDOWN D SAM KLASSEN. C CHARLES INGLIS, 18, AND C TRAVIS TOOMEY, 20, WERE DEALT TO PRINCE GEORGE AND SEATTLE, RESPECTIVELY, EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE 20-YEAR-OLDS:C MAREK VIEDENSKY, C GAELAN PATTERSON AND D TEIGAN ZAHN ARE THE LEADING CON- TENDERS. VIEDENSKY (SAN JOSE) AND ZAHN (TAMPA BAY) HAVE ALREADY BEEN RETURNED BY THEIR NHL TEAMS BUT PATTERSON IS AUDITIONING WITH THE CALGARY FLAMES. THE OTHER OVERAGE CONTENDERS ARE: G STEVEN STANFORD, AND FORWARDS SENA ACOLATSE, JEREMY BOYER AND RANDY MCNAUGHT. THE IMPORTS: SLOVAKIAN C MAREK VIEDENSKY, 20, AND CZECH RW MATEJ STRANSKY, 17. THE BLADES ALSO DRAFT- ED C ANDREJ STASTNY, 19, BUT HAVEN’T SECURED HIS RELEASE FROM SLOVAKIA’S UNDER-20 PROGRAM. KEY RETURNEES: VIEDENSKY HAS DYNAMIC SKILLS AND RELENTLESS WORK ETHIC. EXPECT INCREASED POINT PRODUCTION FROM LW CURTIS HAMILTON, A SECOND-


ROUND PICK OF THE EDMONTON OILERS, AND ABRASIVE LW DARIAN DZIURZYNSKI. ON DEFENCE, ZAHN IS A TOUGH CUR- MUDGEON, AND STEFAN ELLIOTT COULD LEAD ALL BLUELINERS IN POINTS. ALSO EXPECT A BREAKOUT YEAR FROM D DUNCAN SIEMENS, WHO WON UNDER-18 GOLD WITH CANADA. NEW FACES: C RYAN OLSEN, THE 20TH OVERALL BANTAM PICK IN 2009. C LUKAS SUTTER, 17, HELPED THE U.S. WIN UNDER-18 SILVER THIS SUMMER IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC. WATCH FOR: THE BLADES TO DEAL MORE 20-YEAR-OLDS FOR BANTAM PICKS. JUST NOTES: SUTTER GREW UP IN LETHBRIDGE, BUT HAS DUAL CITIZENSHIP BECAUSE HE WAS BORN IN THE U.S. WHILE HIS FATHER, RICH, WAS A MEMBER OF THE ST. LOUIS BLUES. DID YOU KNOW’ MOLLEKEN IS 36 WINS SHY OF REACHING 500 FOR HIS WHL CAREER. ONLY THREE WHL COACHES — KEN HODGE, ERNIE MCLEAN AND PAT GINNELL — HAVE REACHED THAT MILE- STONE. THE PROGNOSIS: THE BLADES HAVE THE TOP-END TALENT TO AGAIN CHALLENGE FOR THE DIVISION TITLE. AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY SHOULD SECURE A TOP-FOUR SEED IN THE EIGHT-TEAM EASTERN CONFERENCE. — CORY WOLFE, SASKATOON STARPHOENIX


MOOSE JAW WARRIORS LAST SEASON: 33-27-5-7, EIGHTH IN EASTERN CONFERENCE, FOURTH IN EAST DIVISION. LOST IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS. HEAD COACH: DAVE


HUNCHAK (FOURTH SEASON). ASSISTANTS: TREVOR WEISGERBER (FIRST SEASON); DAVID MARCOUX, GOALTENDER COACH (SECOND SEASON). KEY LOSSES: THREE-TIME TEAM MVP JASON BAST AND D RYAN STANTON TO GRADUATION. THE 20-YEAR-OLDS: THE WARRIORS HAVE FIVE OVERAGERS — G THOMAS HEEMSKERK, C SPENCER EDWARDS, RW THOMAS FRAZEE, LW DYLAN HOOD AND C BRENDAN ROWINSKI. ROWINSKI IS OUT UNTIL AT LEAST OCTOBER AFTER HAVING OFF-SEASON KNEE SURGERY. HEEMSKERK WILL STICK, BUT WHICH TWO FORWARDS JOIN HIM WILL BE UP IN THE AIR UNTIL ROWINSKI IS HEALTHY. THE IMPORTS: SECOND-YEAR CZECH WINGER ANTONIN HONEJSEK, WHO SCORED 16 GOALS LAST SEASON, AND FIES- TY 6-FOOT-2 ROOKIE SLOVAK FORWARD MICHAL HLINKA. KEY RETURNEES: LW QUINTON HOWDEN AND D DYLAN MCILRATH (BOTH TAKEN IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2010 NHL DRAFT) ALONG WITH WHICHEVER TWO 20-YEAR-OLD FOWARDS MAKE THE GRADE. NEW FACES: HEEMSKERK, D COLLIN BOWMAN, 19, ACQUIRED FROM KELOWNA FOR D KEVIN SMITH. D MORGAN RIELLY, 16, WHO WAS THE SASK. MIDGET AAA DEFENCEMAN OF THE YEAR ON THE NATIONAL TITLE WINNING NOTRE DAME HOUNDS. WATCH FOR: THE OFFENSIVE SIDE OF RIELLY’S GAME. THE FORMER SECOND OVERALL BANTAM PICK IS A WORK IN PROG- RESS, BUT HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY DAZ- ZLING WHEN HE’S RUSHED THE PUCK. JUST NOTES: ALL SEVEN OF THE WARRIORS DEFENCEMEN ARE LIKELY TO BE BACK WITH THE TEAM IN 2011-12. THE WARRIORS WILL HAVE 14 DAYS TO GET BACK DOWN TO THREE 20-YEAR-OLDS AFTER ROWINSKI RETURNS TO THE LINEUP. DID YOU KNOW: THIS WILL BE THE WARRIORS FINAL SEASON IN THE CIVIC CENTRE BEFORE MOVING INTO A NEW ARENA NEXT FALL. THE WARRIORS HAVE SOLD 2,186 SEASON TICKETS TO DATE WHICH IS A FRANCHISE RECORD. THE PROGNOSIS: AFTER A 37-POINT TURNAROUND LAST SEASON, THE WARRIORS ARE LOOKING TO TAKE ANOTH- ER STEP FORWARD. GOAL SCORING IS A CONCERN, BUT WITH HEEMSKERK AND FIVE VETERAN DEFENCEMEN, THE WARRIORS ARE AIMING TO BE AMONG THE CONTENDERS IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. — MATTHEW GOURLIE, MOOSE JAW TIMES-HERALD.


PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS LAST SEASON: 32-35-3-2, NINTH IN EASTERN CONFERENCE, FIFTH IN EAST DIVISION. MISSED PLAYOFFS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON. HEAD COACH: BRUNO


CAMPESE (FOURTH SEASON). ASSISTANTS: CRAIG BEDARD (FOURTH SEASON), STEVE YOUNG (THIRD SEASON). KEY LOSSES:G GARRETT ZEMLAK (ONTARIO, ECHL), F DUSTIN CAMERON (ELMIRA, ECHL), F CRAIG MCCALLUM (UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN), F RYAN HARRISON (TRADED TO MEDICINE HAT), F JORDAN HICKMOTT (TRADED TO EDMONTON). THE 20-YEAR-OLDS: D NATHAN DECK, D JORDAN ROWLEY, F IGOR REVENKO. THE IMPORTS: REVENKO, A THIRD-YEAR RAIDER, AND NEW F SEBASTIAN SVENDSEN, A 19-YEAR-OLD DANE ACQUIRED FROM EDMONTON IN THE HICKMOTT DEAL. (D STEFAN WARG JUMPED TO PRO IN SWEDEN). KEY RETURNEES: JAMIE TUCKER IN GOAL, DECK, ROWLEY AND RYAN BUTTON ON DEFENCE, AND FORWARDS REVENKO, BRANDON HERROD, JUSTIN MAYLAN AND MARK MCNEILL. NEW FACES: D AUSTIN BOURHIS (YORKTON, SJHL) AND F TODD FIDDLER (SASKATCHEWAN MIDGET SCORING CHAM- PION) WERE ACQUIRED FROM MEDICINE HAT IN THE HARRISON TRADE. YOUNG FORWARDS INCLUDE BROCK BALSON, SHANE DANYLUK, MARC MACKENZIE AND 2009 FIRST-ROUND PICK MIKE WINTHER. G ERIC WILLIAMS, 17, IS TUCKER’SBACK- UP. JUST NOTES: F JONATHAN PARKER IS THE LONE PLAYER LEFT FROM THE THREE CALIFORNIANS WITH LAST SEASON’S RAIDERS. BEFORE THIS YEAR’S FINAL CUTS, NINE SASKATCHEWAN PRODUCTS WERE AMONG THE 26 PLAYERS ON THE RAIDERS’ ROSTER. MCNEILL, WHO WAS A FINALIST FOR CANADA’S UNDER-18 TEAM, AND D HARRISON RUOPP ARE CANDIDATES FOR THE 2011 NHL DRAFT. DID YOU KNOW: INCLUDING THEIR JUNIOR A GLORY DAYS, THE RAIDERS ARE CELE- BRATING THEIR 40TH ANNIVERSARY. THEY WON FOUR CENTENNIAL CUPS AND THE 1985 MEMORIAL CUP. THE PROGNOSIS: PLENTY OF DEPTH ON THE BLUE-LINE, WITH SKILLED VETERANS AND PHYSICAL PLAY FROM THE LIKES OF RUOPP AND EMERSON HRYNYK. INGOAL, TUCKER HAS BIG SHOES TO FILL IN SUC- CEEDING MVP ZEMLAK. UP FRONT, HERROD, MCNEILL AND REVENKO ARE POISED FOR BIG YEARS, BUT WILL THE KIDS BE ABLE TO COMPLEMENT THAT OFFENCE? THE RAIDERS’ YOUTH MOVEMENT SHOULD COME TO FRUITION IN A YEAR OR TWO, BUT THE COMMUNI- TY-OWNED ORGANI- ZATION NEEDS TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS SEASON AND WIN BACK ITS FICKLE FANS. — JOHN MACNEIL, PRINCE ALBERT DAILY HERALD


BRANDON WHEAT KINGS


VANDENBERGHE (INTERIM, FIRST SEASON), MATT COCKELL (GOALTENDING COACH, FOURTH SEASON). KEY LOSSES: LW MATT CALVERT, C JAY FEHR AND RW AARON LEWADNIUK GRAD- UATED, LW TONI RAJALA RETURNED TO FINLAND, WHILE D COLBY ROBAK, D TRAVIS HAMONIC, D ALEXANDER URBOM AND C BRENT RAEDEKE SHOULD PLAY PROFESSIONALLY AS 20-YEAR-OLDS. THE 20-YEAR-OLDS: LW SHAYNE WIEBE, RW DAVID TOEWS, D MARK SCHNEIDER, D DARREN BESTLAND, G ANDREW HAYES AND G JACOB DESERRES ARE COMPETING FOR THREE SPOTS. AT LEAST ONE GOALIE WILL GO. THE IMPORTS: DANISH RW MARK MIERITZ WAS SELECTED IN THE CHL IMPORT DRAFT AND IS WILLING TO PLAY ALONG THE BOARDS. KEY RETURNEES: THE CLUB HOPES C BRAYDEN SCHENN (34 GOALS, 99 POINTS) RETURNS FROM THE NHL AND EXPECTS C/RW SCOTT GLENNIE (32 GOALS, 89 POINTS) BACK. BRODIE MELNYCHUK (24 POINTS, +46 PLUS/MINUS) BECOMES THE NO.1 DEFENCEMAN. NEW FACES: TOEWS ARRIVED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA. G LIAM LISTON, 17, IS A TOP PROSPECT AND D ERIC ROY, 16, WAS A FIRST-ROUNDER IN THE 2009 BANTAM DRAFT. WATCH FOR: MORE OFFENCE FROM WIEBE (50 POINTS LAST SEASON). BREAKOUT SEA- SONS FROM LW MIKE FERLAND AND RW BRENDEN WALKER. PLENTY OF ICE FOR ROOKIE DEFENCEMEN, WITH LIKELY NO MORE THAN THREE RETURNEES ON THE BLUE-LINE. NOTEWORTHY: SCHENN IS THE FIRST PLAYER TO WIN OR SHARE THE TEAM SCOR- ING TITLE THREE STRAIGHT SEASONS. DID YOU KNOW: TOEWS IS THE BROTHER OF CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS CAPTAIN JONATHAN TOEWS. THE PROGNOSIS: A STEP BACK FROM THEIR 2009-10 MEMORIAL CUP FINALIST SEA- SON IS EXPECTED, BUT THE CLUB BOASTS ENOUGH DEPTH UP FRONT, PARTICULARLY IF SCHENN RETURNS, TO KEEP THE DROP- OFF FROM BEING TOO STEEP. THE YOUNG DEFENCE WILL BE TESTED, BUT THE WHEAT KINGS ARE TALENTED ENOUGH TO MAKE AN 11TH STRAIGHT TRIP TO THE PLAYOFFS. — ROB HENDERSON, BRANDON SUN


REGINA PATS LAST SEASON: 30-35-3-4, 10TH IN EASTERN CONFERENCE; MISSED PLAYOFFS. GM: CHAD LANG (FIRST SEASON). HEAD COACH: CURTIS HUNT


(SIXTH).


ASSISTANTS: SHAUN SUTTER (SECOND), RYAN CYR (GOALIE COACH, FOURTH). KEY LOSSES: CHL PLAYER OF THE YEAR JORDAN EBERLE, D COLTEN TEUBERT, RW BRETT LEFFLER, LW MATT STRUEBY. THE 20-YEAR-OLDS:C COLIN REDDIN. THE IMPORTS: A PAIR OF SWEDES — VET- ERAN F HAMPUS GUSTAFSSON AND ROOK- IE D RICARD BLIDSTRAND. KEY RETURNEES: WITH EBERLE AND TEUBERT GONE, NEW CAPTAIN GARRETT MITCHELL, C JORDAN WEAL, LW CARTER ASHTON, D BRANDON DAVIDSON AND D CODY CARLSON MUST COLLECTIVELY TAKE THE REINS. MYLES BELL, 17, IS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING A DOMINANT BLUE- LINER. GUSTAFSSON AND REDDIN NEED TO PROVIDE SECONDARY SCORING BEHIND WEAL AND ASHTON. DIMINUTIVE RW KILLIAN HUTT HAS THE SKILL TO BE AN X-FACTOR ON OFFENCE. G DAMIEN KETLO MUST MATURE INTO A GAME-STEALER IN HIS SECOND YEAR AS A STARTER. NEW FACES: REDDIN (TRADE WITH P.A.), BLIDSTRAND (FIRST ROUND, 46TH OVER- ALL, 2010 CHL IMPORT DRAFT), FLASHY LW DANE MUENCH (FREE-AGENT CAST- OFF FROM SWIFT CURRENT), SPEEDY F MIKAEL JUNG (TRADE WITH VANCOUVER); BLUE-CHIP C CHANDLER STEPHENSON (FIFTH OVERALL, 2009 BANTAM DRAFT); FEISTY F DYSON STEVENSON (FIFTH ROUND, 2008). WATCH FOR: LANG TO BEGIN PUTTING HIS STAMP ON THE TEAM BY ADDING TWO NEW 20-YEAR-OLDS. ASHTON TO BE DEALT FOR FUTURE ASSETS BEFORE THE JAN. 10 TRADE DEADLINE. JUST NOTES: BELL HELPED THE CANADIAN UNDER-18 TEAM WIN A GOLD MEDAL THIS SUMMER. ASHTON IS A STRONG CANDI- DATE FOR CANADA’S WORLD JUNIOR SQUAD. DID YOU KNOW: REGINA HAS MISSED THE PLAYOFFS IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE JOINING THE LEAGUE IN 1966-67. THE PROGNOSIS: EXPECTATIONS COULDN’T BE LOWER FOR THE PATS, WHO ARE PROJECTED TO FINISH AT OR NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE CONFERENCE. HOWEVER, WITH THE PRESSURE OFF — AND EBERLE’S BLINDING SPOTLIGHT REMOVED — AN OPTIMIST MIGHT SAY THERE’S STILL ENOUGH HIGH-END TALENT TO OVER- ACHIEVE AND PERHAPS EVEN SLIP INTO THE PLAYOFFS UNDER THE RADAR. — GREG HARDER, REGINA LEADER-POST


LAST SEASON: 50-18-1-3, SECOND IN EASTERN CONFERENCE, FIRST IN EAST DIVISION. LOST IN CONFER- ENCE FINAL. HEAD COACH/GEN- ERAL MANAGER: KELLY MCCRIMMON (SEVENTH SEASON AS COACH, 22ND AS GM). ASSISTANTS: DWAYNE GYLYWOYCHUK (EIGHTH SEASON), DARREN RITCHIE (FOURTH SEASON), MIKE


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POSITION: G HT: 6’2.5”WT: 178 D.O.B Aug/15/1991 HOMETOWN: Minitonas, mb 09/10 SEASON: medicine hat tigers LEAGUE: whl GP: 21 MP: 1027 GA: 59 SO: 00 GAA: 3.45 DRAFT: Free agent


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POSITION: D HT: 5’8.5”WT: 162 D.O.B JAN/23/1993 HOMETOWN: SIPOO, FINLAND 09/10 SEASON: HELSINKI IFK LEAGUE: FINNISH JUNIOR GP: 38 G: 06 A: 17 PTS: 23 PIM: 20 DRAFT: ELIGIBLE 2011


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POSITION: D HT: 6’4” WT: 196 D.O.B OCT/08/1991 HOMETOWN: HAGERSTEN, SWEDEN 09/10 SEASON: TIMRA JUNIOR LEAGUE: SWEDISH JUNIOR GP: 40 G: 03 A: 13 PTS: 16 PIM: 118 DRAFT: ATL 2010


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