I love it when Swift Current comes to town

The Swift Current Broncos are coming to town on Friday.   We only see them in Portland once every two years, which is a shame.  There's lots of history with this team.

Both times that Swift Current won the WHL, they beat the Winterhawks in the final.   The entire city of  Swift Current would fit in the Rose Garden (pop. 14,946) - its the smallest market in the entire CHL.  Their rink only seats 3,239.

The Broncos are community owned, rather than having a single owner like Mike Gallagher or Paul Allen.  In fact, the Broncos would love for you to purchase a share of the team.

The Pipeline Show has interviewed several current Broncos lately, and they have some interesting players right now.

My favorite thing about the SC Broncos is the shoulder patch honoring the 4 retired numbers for that franchise:

• 8 Trent Kresse
• 9 Scott Krueger
• 11 Brent Ruff
• 22 Chris Mantyka

These are the 4 players who lost their lives in a bus crash on 12/30/86.  With the millions of miles that teams put on every year, we are fortunate that this isn't more common.  I found an in depth ESPN piece about it, as well as the crimes committed by their coach at the time: Graham James.

Gregg Drinnan is one of the authors behind a book about this era of Broncos:  Sudden Death The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos.  The voice of the Broncos, Shawn Mullin, had an interesting interview with Drinnan about the book.

Joe Sakic was on that bus.  He walked away unharmed, but never wanted to speak about the incident.  he married a girl from Swift Current, and they return during the summers.

Several other players on that fatal bus ride contributed to the Broncos 1989 Memorial Cup.  

I remember when Sheldon Kennedy made his story known about the abuse suffered under James.  It shocked the conscience.  I think we saw Theo Fleury's demons on and off the ice during his career.   One has to wonder if there were more players involved.

The Broncos have a history that we should know about:  stories of resilience & overcoming dire circumstances as well as horror stories that we must do what we can to keep them isolated incidents.   Its a shame that we, as 'Hawks fans, don't get to interact with the Broncos more than one night per season.  I'm looking forward to that night.

2013 Winterhawks preview

The 'Hawks put out their own preview:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Here's the archive of the Pipeline show WHL preview


Just today, I came across this dude's blog - he's got a better name than my blog does:

http://hodgesheroes.blogspot.com/

I haven't got to all of it yet, but it looks like there's good preview stuff on there.


Local freelancer Scott Sepich has started a new podcast - and a website to host it.  I've been fortunate enough to listen to the 1st episode - a T'birds preview featuring Andy Eide.  Its my understanding that there are Tri-City & 'Hawks previews about to be posted - so watch the earlier link & twitter feed for that.

Kelly Friesen wrote this WHL preview:

Past the CHL’s 2012-13 leading scorers, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Oliver Bjorkstrand, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Taylor Leier, 20-year-old Shane McColgan, and Chase De Leo will make up the rest of their top six. All four forwards have the potential to score 70-plus points and will be expected to with the possible exception of McColgan.

So, there's some early talk about lofty aspirations for this team - and from folks who know Jr Hockey:

The road to London starts here. #neelycup pic.twitter.com/rq8yO2BWei
— Andy Kemper (@AndyKemper) August 22, 2013

I think I could be talked into this frame of thought.  Here's my preview:

Forwards - drawbacks:

You lose the all time top WHL playoff goal scorer.  Dude plays the top line, PK, PP - every situation.  Hell, Rattie scored 2 shorthanded goals in the same PK during the Ed Cup clinching game.  His 1st playoff goal was a Game 7 OT goal, and his last goals were the GWG + insurance goals in a WHL championship.  You don't just replace guys like that.

The 'Hawks had one guy take every D zone draw, under all conditions, every playoff game.  I've never seen anything like it.  I mean, you have guys you lean on, and you used to see NHL teams go out and get a faceoff specialist for a playoff run - but Taylor Peters took every damn draw.  He also did a great job going up against the other teams top lines.  That's a tough role to replace.

They also have lost a quality checking winger, who started nearly every game.  I think you & I saw the peak of his hockey career the last game in the 'Garden:




That's pretty much the end of the losses of the forward group.  Seems somewhat manageable.

Forwards - Plusses:

The 'Hawks bring back 5 of their top 6  - a mostly intact forward group which led the league in goals last year.  There are fun discussions on who gets that top line spot - Paul Bittner had 4 straight game winning goals on that line last year.  Seems like it might work.

My gut feeling is that so far in training camp / pre-season is that Alex Schoenborn has made a great case for that spot - and I'm pulling for him.  He took a huge gamble walking away from NCAA eligibility to play in Portland, and so far it hasn't worked out his way.

Shane McColgan seems like he might be a good fit for that line - he really impressed me the year that Kelowna took the 'Hawks to 6 games.  He's scored a point-per-game his entire WHL career - very consistent.

Many 'Hawks fans are excited about guys like Iverson, Turgeon, and Kopeck taking on bigger roles.  Kopeck looks to be the guy to take on the defensive specialist role.  Iverson could play on the top line too - but I like the other two players at center.

I'd leave the 27-9-20 line in tact - they should terrorize goalies this year.

I haven't seen it addressed directly, but my hunch is that Adam Rossignol may have came in here and stole a spot.  If you look at it like a checking line forward from last years Regina Pats - that's just not good enough for this years 'Hawks.  The other side is that Rossignol was on the Kootenay team that we saw in the 2011 Final - so he could bring in additional championship experience to the lineup.

McColgan, Turgeon, and Joe Mahon are all hurt to start the year - mid October return estimates for all 3 - which just opens up opportunity for the other forwards in the meantime.

I think the clear answer is to go with Ethan Price on the top line.  I doubt that Coach Johnston has the courage to go this route this season, but he will have to eventually.

Defenseman - drawbacks:

There are 3 defenseman from last years team playing pro this season - taking 651 games of regular season experience (163 playoff games) with them.

We lost a captain.  A 5 year guy, all time franchise leader in games played.  A player who was huge in the resurrection of this team.  Hard to replace.

Seth Jones will be playing in Nashville this year - 'nuff said.  His departure leaves a hole on the back end for sure.

I'm seeing lose talk of Wotherspoon making the Flames this year.  Our loss is their gain.

Defenseman - known unknown:

Derrick Pouliot likely won't be back in Portland for at least 3-4 weeks, possibly longer.
— Scott Sepich (@SSepich) September 17, 2013

For my money, as long as #51 makes it back before the playoffs - that's all that matters.  I'm only going off of one tweet there, but it looks like Pouliot may get a 9 game audition - and maybe more.  If he makes the Penguins, that puts a serious dent in the 'Hawks repeat hopes.

Here's a detailed illustration about what makes Pouliot so good.

Defenseman - plusses:

If the top paring is Hanson - Pouliot: there's 376 games of experience there (108 playoff games).  By my count, there is 95 games total WHL experience amongst the rest of the D corps.

Of course, the 3 highly touted additions to Portland's back end have zero WHL games to this point, but that doesn't mean they aren't ready to contribute.  Garrett Haar is the rare 20 year old rookie.  He'll have several NHL training camps under his belt before making his major junior debut - so its not like he's never seen this caliber of competition before.

Anton Cederholm hasn't played in North America yet, but he has played pro games in the Swedish Elite League.  Sounds like he plays nasty too, which you have to love when he's on your team.

Many folks thought that Keoni Texeira was good enough for this league as a 15 - even though only the best 16's get a shot at playing defense on most teams.  Other than Pouliot & Wotherspoon, ice time for 16's on the blueline has been real scarce, so we shall see how #44's ice time shakes out.  Sky's the limit for this kid.

How does Shaun MacPherson look this year?  Like many fans, I'm not sold.  Anything can happen in Jr hockey, and he wouldn't be the first to be a late bloomer.  The same could be said for Veviros.

Jordan Davies & Zach Patterson are young D men hoping to crack the lineup, but I'm not sure there's room at at the inn right now.  Duty now for the future.

Goaltending drawbacks:

We've seen the last junior game that all time WHL playoff wins leader Mac Carruth will play.  It seems like it was just the other day he was squaring off with goalies at center ice, or telling fans to "zip it" in Kamloops,  breaking dudes noses, going after the biggest goon in the league, and pitching Game 7 shutouts.  Good goalies are hard to find.

The 'Hawks are handing the reins to a player with a WHL playoff career  8.19 GAA / .571 SV%.  Again, a known unknown.

Goaltending plusses:

The nameplate on the 'Hawks starter is legit.  His dad was a great NHL goalie, and is currently the goalie coach for the Coyotes.  Burke has looked shaky in his time in Portland, but that could be expected from a goalie in his 16 & 17 years.  He's improved from 3.58 / .875 to 2.65 / .908 - which is a nice progression - and one that should continue.  I've made the point that Burke is probably ahead of where Carruth was at this point of his career.

On the one hand, kid is 31-7 for his career, but on the other hand, Chris Ward could win games with the group the 'Hawks have put on the ice for the last few years.  I don't think there's reason to think that Burke won't be good, even if you remember the time Johnston attempted to pull him in the middle of a shootout.

Folks are generally high on Jarrod Schamerhorn.  I admire his patience - breaking into the league as an 18 year old backup, although roles can change quickly at this level.  One thing to keep in mind is if this tandem isn't delivering the production that is expected - Coach Johnston is generally pretty good at finding players.  He'll go out and get someone, if need be.


Conclusion:

The 'Hawks are gonna score a ton of goals.  That goes a long way.

If Burke plays like most fans expect him to, then you are looking at goaltending good enough to contend for the cup.

If Haar & Cederholm are as good as advertised, they aren't much of a drop off from the guys we've lost from last season.  Hanson has to step into a bigger role, which he should excel at.  I think Texeria is good enough for a regular shift as a 16, but there's reasons they don't let me make those decisions.  There's a lot of moving parts there, but this defense corps should also be quality enough to make some noise in the playoffs.

Coach Johnston always says that at the 20 game point is where you know what kind of team you have. That being said, at the zero game mark I think there's lots of room for optimism that a repeat is within reach.

Winterhawks training camp 2013

Photos:

Bryan Heim photos - set 1

Bryan Heim photos - set 2

The 'Hawks had official recaps for each day:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Final day

I pretty much let you down on this one, as I only attended about 35% of camp:  the 2nd half of Saturday & 90% of Sunday.   I was tied up doing fun non-hockey things.

I took some notes on Sunday - just some things that stuck out to me:

Justin Greer (Red #4 - Defenseman)

  -  As a 15, he just seemed poised to me.  Looked confident and smooth.  2012 4th round pick.

Steven Aldridge (Black #28 - Forward)

  -  He's a 17 this year, and had 'Hawks gear on.  Spent last year in the AJHL, so he may very well be ready to move up - but his numbers might not support that notion.  I just had a gut feeling about him looking good this weekend.  Not sure how many forward spots are going to be open - should be a tough lineup to crack.  He's a list player.

Keoni Texeira (Black #44 - D)

  -  You know about this kid, right?  He's the future.  2012 2nd round pick, which was the 'Hawks first pick that year.  Coach Johnston has said that Texeira is the only 16 he expects to make this team.  Two plays that jumped out at me were one where he took the puck out of the corner RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS OWN GOALIE on his way up ice.  The usual "ooohs & aahhhhs" you hear in a crowd were evident on that play.  A shift or two later he got all Bobby Orr with it and put a nice shot on after a coast-to-coast rush.  Risk / reward should be interesting with this kid.  I clearly remember before he signed, his visit to a playoff game in the Garden.  Full house, rockin' barn - when his presence was announced, he stood up and waved to the crowd.  That had to be a pretty effective selling point.

Ethan Price (Black #25 - F)

  -  First off,  I'm incapable of being unbiased with this kid.  He's from Lincoln, Nebraska.  I'm from Nebraska.  There's never been a hockey player of note from the 37th state.  I've played on the sheet that he grew up on. There's only one rink in that town, and a USHL team plays there - its on the state fair grounds and has horses in there during the fair: literally a barn.  Its name is the Ice Box.  He makes this team, and I'm gonna love him like his parents do.

That being said, he had a good weekend.  Several goals, some nice body checks, etc.  He was on the ice in the dying minutes of a game that his team was down 5-3, and scored.  He remained on the ice for the 5-4 result.  He had 'Hawks gear on, which is a good sign.  He's a 16 this year, and the current forward corps is deep.  2012 6th round pick.

Garret Haar (Black #17 - D)

  -  There are some concerns with Haar & how he arrived in this fair city.  I'm a big 2nd chance guy, so we'll see how this goes.  He seemed pretty feisty,  which I love in a WHL game (not sure about training camp).  I also noticed him skating slowly back to the bench after several goals against on Sunday - which also could mean nothing.  It should be nothing new having a controversial #18 out there, right?  The Capitals are pretty high on the kid.  Traded a conditional pick for his rights.

Keegan Iverson (Black #13 - F)

  -  This kid has a ton of potential.  In the last 9 months, he's earned a WHL Championship, Memorial Cup berth, a Silver medal, & a Bronze medal (both with team USA) - and he's just getting started.  Looked like he was taking draws on Sunday - I believe he's listed as a center, but has been playing the wing.  Often times you see many centers listed on teams at this elite level + beyond, as your best forwards are usually your centers, and they tend to move up to the next level.  List player.

Alex Schoenborn (Red #22 - F)

  -  Seemed like he had goals in all of his games, including a hat trick.  One goal I saw was against Lane Veveiros & Garrett Haar - which ain't 15 year old kids out there.   Made a big commitment to come to the 'Hawks and burn his NCAA eligibility, and hasn't found his groove here yet.  Missing time with an injury last year certainly didn't help.  He spent some time in the NAHL last year,  and his coach speaks highly of him:

@beerphoto Alex is a good kid with a bright future.
— Bliss Littler (@BlissLittler) February 18, 2013

Of course, the 'Hawks are only loosing a couple forwards off of last years team, so who gets that ice time?  I'd think Schoenborn is in a tough situation.  I believe he was a list player, and I know he was a 1st round USHL pick.

Oliver Bjorkstrand (Red #27 - F)
  -  This dude is good.  I think he's a lock to make this team.  He was flying around all weekend.

Lukas Walter (Red #13 - F)
  -  He had an effort goal: hacking and whacking at the puck getting the 3rd chance to score.  Thats the kind of player he's got to be to earn an overage season - wether its in Portland or elsewhere.   There's familiarity with him, as he came real close to making this team a few years ago before Tri-city claimed him off waivers.  Again, forward spots are few, and spending an overage spot on a 3rd/4th liner isn't that appealing.  Free agent invite.

Nick Heid (Blue #5 - D)
  -  As a 15 that's been playing high school hockey in Minnesota, he seemed very comfortable.  Played both ends of the ice,  jumping up in the play as well as throwing checks in the corners.  Decent size.  List player.

Jeremey Leipsic (Blue #23 - F)
  -  Scored a few goals, threw a few hits.  Lets just hope he's like his brother, which would make him a serious fan favorite on several levels.  As a 16 year old forward, he's not going to make this team.  List player.

Zach Patterson (Grey #5 - D)
  -  Looked like he knew what he was doing.  As a 17, this is where you break into the WHL as a D man, but is there room?  2011 2nd round pick.

Taylor Leier (Blue #20 - F)
  -  He was scoring all weekend, which makes sense.  From the outside it appears as though there are no lasting effects from his concussion during the Memorial Cup - that was a nasty injury.

Brendan Leipsic (Blue #28 - F)
  -  Dude was flying all weekend.  If he can get better in his 19 year, after leading the league in scoring, then the 'Hawks are gonna win some games.  I like it.


I ended up making friends with one of the players parents, making small talk, but I think that's a different post.

USA! USA! USA! - Hlinka update

As we discussed earlier,  this tournament features 3 guys that most 'Hawks fans are pretty excited have on our team.  Also, its a really hard tournament to follow.  There is no video feed, no audio PXP, and only bits and pieces of game summaries.  Here's what I found:

There was one per-tournament exhibition game.  Turgeon scored the only goal - summary here.

 

 

  

 Once this tourney got going, it was time for our boys to turn it up.  The first game was against Finland, and Paul Bittner scored the games first goal.  Unfortunately, the Finns got a PPG in OT - but USA got a point.  This is format where all games are 3 point games, and an OT / shootout game splits 2 for the winner / 1 for the loser, whereas a regulation win is worth 3 points.

The 2nd game was a 4-2 victory over Russia, although none of our guys scored in this game.  This Nick Schmaltz kid has 6 points in 3 games, which is pretty good.  He was good in this game.

  

Going into the final game, a win puts you squarely in the medal round - and 4 goals in the 1st period against Slovakia did the trick.  Bittner had a goal + 2 assists, and Iverson also scored.  5-2 final, and USA wins their pool.

I misunderstood the format, until today.  Winner of each pool plays the 2nd place team from the other pool - in this case, its Czech Republic VS USA - as well as Russia VS Canada.  The winners of those matchups meet for the gold medal.  Those games are on 8/9 & 8/10.  

The worst the US team can do is 4th place.  Last year they came in 7th, and have never won this tournament.  Of course, they've never had 3 Winterhawks on the team, either.  Should be interesting to see how it shakes out - I like these odds.

USA Hockey coverage here

 

The 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and what it means to you

What is the Ivan Hlinka tournament, you say?  You are not alone - it takes a certain level of hockey nerd-dom to follow it, as well has having players involved that you already follow.  You are in luck.

Short story is that this is a pre-season tournament, world junior style, featuring players in their 17 year old year.  This creates a buzz due to having the top draft eligible players representing their countries, even if its off the radar of your casual fan.

The 2012 Team Canada entry brought home the gold, featuring Nic Petan (as well as McKinnon & Drouin).  Derrick Pouliot has a gold medal from his 2011 efforts.

The 2013 tournament runs August 5-10.  Why it matters to you is that there are 3 Winterhawks playing, all for Team USA!  Paul Bittner, Dominic Turgeon, and Keegan Iverson have been named to the team. One could interpret these developments as the 'Hawks have 25% of the best forwards the USA has to offer.  We've been fortunate enough to watch these 3 players for a season now, and the sky's the limit with how far these guys can go.  Coach Johnston recently told Yahoo! that this trio will be taking on a bigger role with the 'Hawks this year, which should be fun to watch (there's some other interesting MJ quotes in there - give it a read).

Our friends over at the Pipeline Show had a segment which touched on this USA team, as well as some other levels of USA hockey.  Sounds like the enthusiasm for these kids' potential extends well beyond Oregon.

I'm not sure what kind of coverage this tournament will have.  You would guess there's some sort of webstream - I'll keep an eye out for it, and will try and post via twitter.  If you come up with anything, let me know.

Noon Memorial Cup Rally

The Oregonian shot some nice video at the cup rally:

CSNNW had some video as well:

rally overview here

MJ: "We've had fans hang in there, before we got here, when the team was at rock bottom..."

 Green: "In a way, its like playing Game 7's every night (in the Memorial Cup)"

 Leipsic: "We still have some unfinished business in Saskatoon"

 Carruth: "Obviously, I think we have the best fans in the league"


I shot the portion where Todd & Andy addressed the crowd in a Memorial Cup preview:

The Portland Winterhawks triumphant return with the Ed Chynoweth Cup

There was a rally at the VMC celebrating the 'Hawks triumphant return with the Ed Chynoweth Cup - here's what I shot:

Of course, Comcast Sports Northwest did a better job than I did:

on ice cup presentation

Rutowski: "I'd rather have won it in Portland"

Ty Rattie: playoff MVP

Taylor Peters: from the 'Hawks dark ages to the top of the mountain

Travis Green: "My heart goes out to a guy that's waiting back home for us"

When Mike Johnston speaks: you listen

 Party time on the loading dock

 Pictures I found, and thought were worth stealing: