Memorial Cup Edition: May 26, 2018 by HockeyNow

TOP 31

NHL PROSPECTS RASMUS DAHLIN........... VASTRA FROLUNDA (SweE) ANDREI SVECHNIKOV........................BARRIE (OHL) FILIP ZADINA...............................HALIFAX (QMJHL) BRADY TKACHUK...........BOSTON UNIVERSITY (H.E.) OLIVER WAHLSTROM................... USA U18 (NTDP)

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HAMILTON BULLDOGS | SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS | REGINA PATS | ACADIEâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;BATHURST TITAN May 26, 2018

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TOP 31

+ Full List Inside

HAMILTON BULLDOGS | SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS | REGINA PATS | ACADIEâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;BATHURST TITAN May 26, 2018

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE

IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE A FAN

ETWEEN THE NHL PLAYOFFS, Memorial Cup and RBC Cup, who doesn’t love this time of year? The RBC Cup showed us once again that anything can happen, no matter the odds coming into a tournament. For the second year in a row, the RBC Cup host team managed an upset and won the cup on home ice. Last year, host Cobourg Cougars had an incredible run, losing only once and defeating the favourite Brooks Bandits to claim the championship. This year, the Chilliwack Chiefs kept things a little closer but pulled through when it matters most. This was a great one to watch and clearly the Chiefs show that the rest did them good and they used the time well. Further east in Regina, the Memorial Cup is underway and they too have a strong host team in the Pats, and are coming off a host win in Windsor last year. Make sure to take a closer look at the teams in the running this year in our feature spread, and follow us online for daily updates. Of course, this is also a great time of the year for hockey fans as the OHL Priority Selection and WHL Bantam Draft just wrapped up. At HN, this is when we get to see the players who have been shortlisted for our Player of the Year award have a piece of their future figured out. Our selection committee, spearheaded by ISS founder and head scout Dennis MacInnis, managed to shortlist some huge picks in advance of the drafts and it was great to see these young talented players get picked up. We’ll also get to see at least one of our former Players of the Year get drafted next month in Dallas. Spokane Chief Ty Smith, our 2015 POY and one of the top defenders in the dub, is expected to go in the first round and is currently ranked at 19 by ISS. We’ll have tons of player profiles, predictions, inside scoops from ISS scouts and more online and in our June issue leading up to the draft. Then we’ll turn our attention to choosing the 2018 POYs, which we’ll announce in our July issue. This is an especially great year to be a POY winner, as we’ve partnered with HockeyShot who are putting together some huge prize packs for the award winners in each region, and are also giving out monthly prizes to randomly selected players on our Top 10 lists. If you don’t already, follow us on Twitter and Facebook and sign up for our newsletter so you can catch the latest from the Memorial Cup, NHL Draft, our Player of the Year race and everything in between. As always, thanks for reading and we’ll see you at the rink.

LARRY FEIST, Publisher On Twitter: @HockeyNow

4 | HOCKEYNOW – May 26, 2018

NEXT EDITION: June 16, 2018 CONTACT THE EDITOR: larry@hockeynow.ca

NATIONAL EDITION Vol. 20, No. 5, Issue 688 - May 26, 2018

PUBLISHER Larry Feist larry@hockeynow.ca

Celebrate the 2017/18 MINOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS with our annual PARADE OF CHAMPIONS! Find it online at: hockeynow.ca/issues

CONTENT MANAGER Emily Whitemarsh emily@hockeynow.ca

ART + PRODUCTION Stacey Rourke stacey@hockeynow.ca

DISTRIBUTION office@hockeynow.ca

Find the next tournament for you or your team in our TOURNAMENT GUIDE! Available in print at online at hockeynow.ca/tournaments

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Larry Feist larry@hockeynow.ca

WRITERS Mike Beasley Iain Colpitts Neil Hilts Ryan McCracken Kristi Patton

SERIES

We're excited to be releasing the 20th EDITION of our HOCKEY SCHOOLS SERIES. Find it online at: hockeynow.ca/hockey-schools

With NEW CONTESTS every month and GREAT HOCKEY PRIZES on the line, why wouldn’t you enter? Entry is EASY, and FUN, so drop by our website for your chance to win apparel, equipment, training devices and so much more: hockeynow.ca/contests

COVER PHOTO BRANDON SAIGEON Aaron Bell/OHL Images GLENN GAWDIN Robert Murray/WHL CAMERON HEBIG Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats OLIVIER GALIPEAU LHJMQ Média

HockeyNow Box 714 Lethbridge, AB, T1J 3Z4 Telephone: 1-877-990-0520 Contents copyright 2018 by HockeyNow. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or duplicated in print or online without the written permission of HockeyNow. The opinions conveyed by contributors to HockeyNow may not be indicative of the views of HockeyNow. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, HockeyNow does not assume any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions.

CONTENTS

MAY 26, 2018

11 | ON THE COVER

MEMORIAL CUP CELEBRATES 100 YEARS: RELIVE BRONCOS, TITAN AND BULLDOGS RUN TO THE CUP

in this issue...

9 ISS

6 MINOR

17 POY

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL HOCKEY CHAMPIONS NAMED IN MEMBERTOU

8 RBC CUP

CHILLIWACK CHIEFS REST UP TO CLAIM RBC CUP ON HOME ICE

ISS RELEASES THEIR PENULTIMATE TOP 31 DRAFT PROSPECTS LIST

SHORTLISTED PLAYERS IMPRESS AT MAY’S WHL BANTAM DRAFT

20 FEMALE

GRINDSTONE AWARDS AND CWHL PARTNERING TO GROW THE GAME

9 May 26, 2018 – HOCKEYNOW | 5

MINOR

CHAMPIONSHIPS

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL ABORIGINAL FEMALE MANITOBA HOCKEY TEAM

UNITY AND PRIDE

Manitoba collects two medals at National Aboriginal Hockey Championships STORY Neil Hilts

FTER THE ESSO CUP WAS HELD IN BRIDGEWATER, N.S. LAST MONTH, ANOTHER big-time national championship came to Nova Scotia, bringing the top Aboriginal hockey players from across the country. The National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) welcomed the top Bantam and Midget skaters representing their home provinces and territories and it was one to remember. On the men’s side, British Columbia knocked off a powerhouse Saskatchewan team, while Manitoba repeated as champs in the women’s division. Beyond the hockey, the NAHC fosters “cultural unity and pride” and works as a “focal point for grassroots and regional Aboriginal hockey development,” according the the tournament website. Players come from all sorts of different programs, some playing locally in their communities and others at high-end travel teams. Held in Membertou, part of the greater tribal group of the Mi’kmaw Nation in Cape Breton, N.S., the tournament has moved to different Indigenous areas across the country each year.

For the second consecutive year, Team Manitoba won the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships female title behind a powerhouse team.

MEN’S DIVISION Despite rolling through the round robin with four wins and a 32 goals for and just four goals against through the round robin, Saskatchewan came back to earth in the knockout stage. In the semifinals, Saskatchewan beat Ontario South, the second place Pool A team, by a score of 4-3, their closest game yet. Austin Lamotte scored the game winner with less than three minutes to go. On the other side, BC bested Manitoba 4-3 as well after scoring the game’s first four goals before weathering the storm after Manitoba scored the next three. B.C. and Saskatchewan met in the finals, but Saskatchewan was the victor between the two in round robin when they won 5-1. However, B.C. came out as a new team. Up 3-0 after the first period, B.C. found the scoresheet but so did Saskatchewan, leaving the prairie squad with a three-goal lead entering the final frame. After scoring twice in about three minutes to draw within one goal, Dylan Devers came up big to score the tying goal with just one second remaining, forcing overtime. Devers wasn’t done as he potted the overtime winner to give Team B.C. the gold medal with a final score of 6-5. Manitoba and Ontario South battled for third place and Manitoba earned the hardware with a 4-1 victory. Saskatchewan’s Jayden Dureau was dominant in the tournament, scoring eight goals and 14 points. Tying him in points was Hadyn Delorme, who had nine goals. On their tail was Saskatchewan’s Lamotte with 13 points. It was a tough tournament for New Brunswick (0-4) and Eastern Door & North (0-3-1) who both finished on the bottom of their respective pools.

WOMEN’S DIVISION For the second consecutive year, Manitoba claimed the women’s NAHC, rolling from an undefeated round robin in Pool A, through a semifinal drubbing and into the final. Interestingly enough, the final four teams from both men’s and women’s sides were the same teams: B.C., Manitoba, Ontario South and Saskatchewan. Manitoba worked B.C. 10-1 in the semifinals, highlighted by Keyanna Lea’s four points. Successful on four of five powerplays, it was a big factor to push them to the finals. On the other side, Ottawa South outshot Saskatchewan by 20 en route to their 5-3 win. The game was tied at twos entering the third, but Ontario South scored three goals in 2:26 to get a spot in the final. In the finals, Lea was involved on all five goals for Manitoba as they beat Ontario South 5-3. Manitoba led the entire game, spotting a 2-0 lead through one and they didn’t let off the gas. Bianca Zak turned aside 19 shots in the win. Keyana Lea was the most dominant player across the weekend, but her sister Keyara was just behind her in regards to scoring. The twins ranked first and second in scoring – Keyanna had nine goals and 21 points in six games, while Keyara had five goals and 15 points. Teammate Carrigan Umpherville potted eight goals and 11 points overall. There was no home ice advantage for Atlantic as they lost all four games in the round robin, as did the other east coast squad, New Brunswick, across in Pool B. Saskatchewan, who won Pool B but fell to Ontario South in the semis, ended up claiming the bronze with a 4-3 overtime win over B.C. thanks to Anna-Leise King who tallied the winner. Zak and Shayna Moore were steady goalies all tournament, each going 2-0 in the round robin for Manitoba with save percentages over .900. Since 2001, the NAHC has welcomed hundreds of talented players, many who have gone on to successful hockey careers. Those include Micheal Ferland, Dwight King and Brigette Lacquette, among others. Next year, Whitehorse will host the 2019 edition of the championship, bringing in the next wave of Canada’s top Indigenous hockey players. 6 | HOCKEYNOW – May 26, 2018

NORTH VANCOUVER MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION NVMHA is the largest hockey association on the North Shore with over fifty years of history. We are currently seeking enthusiastic and passionate people to fill roles of Head coach and assistant coach for our Rep and C teams. We offer a great opportunity for both experienced coaches and new coaches to teach, lead and mentor the youth of our community and will provide training and support including reimbursement of any required coaching certifications. Come join a community sports organization which supports its athletes and the people that are a part of it. For more information, please contact operations@nvmha.com or visit www.nvmha.com and click on our “TEAM” button and complete the coach application. Applicants will then be notified by email about the coach selection process. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN NVMHA.

May 26, 2018 – HOCKEYNOW | 7

RBC CUP

DAVE HOLLAND/HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

JUNIOR A

BRINGING IT HOME

Host Chilliwack Chiefs rest and rebuild after early BCHL playoff elimination to win RBC Cup STORY Neil Hilts

LIMINATED FROM THEIR LEAGUE’S PLAYOFFS IN the first round in mid-March, the Chilliwack Chiefs had a lot of downtime to prepare for the RBC Cup they would be hosting two months later in May. The team worked on their systems and practiced frequently, trying to keep up intensity to match the other teams still playing in their respective leagues. Chilliwack also relieved their head coach of his role just a few weeks prior to the tournament, and the move worked out. Behind three third period goals, the Chiefs were crowned National Junior A Champions on home ice with their 4-2 win over the Wellington Dukes on May 20. The Chiefs are the second consecutive host team to win the title and sixth overall. After their two-month layoff, the Chiefs played their best hockey at the right time of the year. Nearly five minutes into the third, tournament MVP and team captain Will Calverley tied the game, putting momentum back on Chilliwack’s side. Four minutes later, Corey Andonovski buried the puck and it held up as the game winner. Tommy Lee added the Chiefs’ fourth goal of the game with eight minutes remaining to put a damper on the Dukes’ charge. Daniel Chenard had 26 saves on 28 shots in the win, finishing the tournament with one of the best lines at 1.77 GAA and .937 save percentage. He stopped all 10 shots he saw in the third period. Free hockey was a theme for the week. Of the 13 games during the tournament, six of them went to overtime or a shootout. Overall, nine of the games finished with a one goal difference, a true testament of the parity of Junior A hockey across the nation. Round robin records did not appear to matter entering the knockout stage, as the 4-0 Wenatchee Wild, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) Champions, fell to the fourth-seed Dukes, a team the Wild had trounced 7-1 just two days prior. The Dukes were able to pull off the 2-1 upset thanks in large part to Jonah Capriotti. The Wellington goalie turned aside an astonishing 50 of 51 shots he faced, including 16 in the final frame. Wenatchee outplayed Wellington overall,

8 | HOCKEYNOW – May 26, 2018

as evidenced by the 51-14 shot count, but the Dukes’ third period goal from Daniel Panetta nearly seven minutes into the third held up as the difference. Teams that have more time off that others often The odds were stacked against them, but the Chilliwack Chiefs can lose their competitive managed the ultimate upset to win Junior A's biggest prize on home ice. edge, and some wondered if that would happen to the Chiefs, who last played on March that likely had more eyes on them than others. 11 when they were knocked out the BCHL playoffs. Slava Demin, a defender for the Wild, was the topSince that time, the Chiefs replaced their head coach, ranked player in most rankings, looking to be a secJason Tatarnic, and promoted assistant coach Brian Maond-round pick. The 18-year-old had two assists in the loney, plus hired recently dismissed BCHL coach Cam opening game, but did not register a point after that. Keith to fill the assistant void. Steinbach’s Matthew Thiessen is a top-10 ranked goalie Clearly that move inspired the team. The Chiefs had in North America ahead of the draft, but he struggled in the second-best record in the group stage with two reghis two games, posting a save percentage below .900. He ulation wins, one overtime triumph and and an overtime was hurt midway through the second game and didn’t defeat. They were just one point behind the Wild. get a chance to get back in net. The semifinals pitted Chilliwack against the Ottawa Jr. Ottawa’s Ethan Manderville is a big centre who has Senators, who had a very nerve-racking first round, going scouts interested in his potential. He had a goal and assist beyond regulation in every game. Each team had at least and may be worth a late round flier. six power plays in the contest, but neither could convert, Smooth-skating blueliner Declan Carlile from Welmissing some big opportunities. After tying the game up lington had a single assist but is certainly a steady, at two late in the second period, Ottawa entered the third puck-moving defenceman that could be valuable for an with some momentum, however Chilliwack took advantage NHL team. Teammate Mason Snell is also a potential of their home crowd, and Kaden Pickering scored the evenNHL draft pick and the defender notched two helpers. tual game-winner with less than 10 minutes to play. Jasper Weatherby, a forward for Wenatchee, was sensational all tournament, with three multi-point games As previously mentioned, this RBC Cup was extremely – he led all scorers with eight points overall. After topping competitive. While Wenatchee finished 4-0 with 10 points the BCHL in scoring, the 20-year-old could be a late to win the round robin stage and earn the first seed, three round pick this year. of their four games were decided by a single goal and two Edmonton Oilers’ draft pick and son of new Carolina went to overtime/shootout. Hurricanes head coach, Skyler Brind’Amour had a goal The Steinbach Pistons, who finished last and missed and assist in the semifinals, finishing with five points the knockout stage since they only accumulated two overall. The Chiefs forward also assisted on his team’s first points, lost twice in extra time, plus had another singoal in the championship game. gle-goal loss. Had Steinbach picked up one win, they Next season, the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior would have surpassed Wellington for the final seed, draHockey League (AJHL) will play host to the RBC Cup. matically changing how the knockout stage would have The Bandits are a powerhouse every year in their league, been played. with seven straight appearances in the third round or Scouts were certainly in the stands, searching for the further, plus two trips to the RBC Cup (2013, 2017). next piece for their NHL teams, and there are a few players

RANKED 2018 PROSPECTS

ITH JUST UNDER A MONTH TO GO UNTIL THE NHL ENTRY DRAFT IN DALLAS, TX, ISS’s May Top 31 list of NHL draft prospects has the same top 10 pretty much holding steady, with a few rising stars featured lower down. Halifax Mooseheads centre Benoît-Olivier Groulx, son of longtime Q coach Benoît Groulx, is shooting back up to #22 after dropping slightly in March and April since breaking the list at 19 in October. Keep on the lookout for ISS Hockey’s 2018 Draft Guide, available soon, with all proceeds benefitting Hockey Helps the Homeless! PLAYER

POS

BIRTH

HT./WT.

TEAM

RASMUS DAHLIN

4/13/2000

6.02/181

Vastra Frolunda, SweE

ANDREI SVECHNIKOV

3/26/2000

6.02/186

Barrie, OHL

FILIP ZADINA

11/27/1999

6.00/196

Halifax, QMJHL

BRADY TKACHUK

9/16/1999

6.03.25/196

Boston University, H.E.

OLIVER WAHLSTROM

6/13/2000

6.00.75/205

USA U18, NTDP

EVAN BOUCHARD

10/20/1999

6.01.75/193

London, OHL

QUINN HUGHES

10/14/1999

5.09.5/170

University of Michigan, Big Ten

ADAM BOQVIST

8/15/2000

5.11/170

Brynas IF Jr., SweJE

NOAH DOBSON

1/7/2000

6.02.75/180

Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL

JOSEPH VELENO

1/13/2000

6.01/195

Saint John, QMJHL

JOEL FARABEE

2/25/2000

5.11.5/164

USA U18, NTDP

BARRETT HAYTON

6/9/2000

6.00.27/191

Sault Ste. Marie, OHL

MARTIN KAUT

10/2/1999

6.01.5/176

Pardubice, CzeE

SERRON NOEL

8/8/2000

6.04.75/200

Oshawa, OHL

RASMUS KUPARI

3/15/2000

6.01.25/183

Karpat Oulu, FinE

JESPERI KOTKANIEMI

7/6/2000

6.01.5/188

Assat, FinE

ADAM GINNING

1/13/2000

6.03/196

Linkoping HC, SweE

GRIGORI DENISENKO

6/24/2000

5.11/163

Yaroslavl Loko, RusJr

TY SMITH

3/24/2000

5.10.25/176

Spokane, WHL

ISAC LUNDESTROM

11/6/1999

6.00.5/185

Lulea HF, SweE

JARED MCISAAC

3/27/2000

6.01/195

Halifax, QMJHL

22 BENOIT-OLIVIER GROULX

POSITION Centre

LHJMQ MÉDIA

Halifax, QMJHL BORN February 6, 2000 in Rouen, FRA

SHOT HEIGHT WEIGHT Left 6.00.75 192

BODE WILDE

1/24/2000

6.02.25/195

USA U18, NTDP

ALEXANDER ALEXEYEV

11/15/1999

6.03/200

Red Deer, WHL

JACOB BERNARD-DOCKER

6/30/2000

6.00/181

Okotoks, AJHL

RYAN MCLEOD

9/21/1999

6.02/200

Mississauga, OHL

AKIL THOMAS

1/2/2000

5.11.5/169

Niagara, OHL

DOMINIK BOKK

2/3/2000

6.01/178

Vaxjo, SweJE

KIRILL MARCHENKO

7/21/2000

6.02/176

Khanty Mansiysk, RusJr

JONATAN BERGGREN

7/16/2000

5.10/181

Skelleftea, SweJr

MATTHIAS SAMUELSSON

3/14/2000

6.03.5/217

USA U18, NTDP

GOALIE

POS

BIRTH

HT.

TEAM

OLIVIER RODRIGUE

7/6/2000

6.00.25/159

Drummondville, QMJHL

KEVIN MANDOLESE

8/22/2000

6.03.75/180

Cape Breton, QMJHL

May 26, 2018 – HOCKEYNOW | 9

10 | HOCKEYNOW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 26, 2018

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS Another incredible season of CHL hockey is in the books, and the Memorial Cup is celebrating 100 years in Regina, Sask. with the host Regina Pats, WHL Swift Current Broncos, OHL Hamilton Bulldogs and QMJHL Acadie-Bathurst Titan battling it out for Canadian major junior supremacy. The Broncos, Bulldogs and Titan came with a fire in their belly, as all three entered their respective playoffs as the #2 team in the standings, and managed to edge out their competition to claim the league crown. And we can’t discount the Pats, who saw their WHL playoff run end early but had a strong regular season thanks to a star-studded roster, plus have one of the best fanbases in the league cheering them on at the Brandt Centre. 

May 26, 2018 – HOCKEYNOW | 11

PHOTOS BY KEITH HERSHMILLER/REGINA PATS

CALE FLEURY JONAS HARKINS

JOSH MAHURA

SERIOUS CONTENDERS STORY | RYAN MCCRACKEN

REGINA PATS READY FOR SECOND SHOT AT MASTERCARD MEMORIAL CUP THE LONG WAIT IS FINALLY OVER FOR THE REGINA PATS. The Pats fell one goal shy of forcing overtime in Game 7 of their opening round Western Hockey League playoff series against the eventual champion Swift Current Broncos. While the setback has left them on the outside since April 2, Regina is ready to prove its place on the national stage as hosts of the 100th Memorial Cup. They’ll be the only team that hasn’t hoisted a trophy this season, but the Pats established themselves as serious contenders after making some important additions at the trade deadline, and they’ve been itching to return to the ice in front of a roaring home crowd since their early playoff exit. “We’ve been practising for what feels like forever,” said Pats centre Matt Bradley, adding he and his teammates were hoping they’d get another shot at Swift Current. “They’re a great team and they deserved to win the league, but now we get a second chance to be the heartbreaker and we’re really looking forward to it.” Regina missed out on last year’s Memorial Cup after losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds in Game 6 of the WHL final and fell short of the Ed Chynoweth Cup again this season, but Bradley says there’s strictly no lack of confidence in Regina’s dressing room after nearly seven weeks of intensive practices and exhibition games while waiting for a shot at redemption. “Some days it was two practices a day and one workout. It kind of varied, some days just one practice and we had a couple skill guys come in and help us out,” he said. “For the games we had some alumni like Connor Hobbs and Dawson Leedahl, and some (University of Regina) players like Zak Zborosky. It was pretty high-end talent to come out there and push us. “The games really had to simulate playoff hockey, and for us, we treated it like an actual game. Those other teams have been out there for six more weeks than we have, so it was really good and we’re prepared for the test that we’ve got coming.” Knowing they would be hosting the Memorial Cup for its 100th year, the Pats bolstered their roster with a handful of key additions who could very well tip the scales against the Canadian Hockey League’s best — starting with Bradley. The 21-year-old Surrey product became the first significant move Regina made ahead of the Memorial Cup when he was acquired fro the Medicine Hat Tigers, along three draft picks, in exchange for goaltender Jordan Hollett last May. The 6-foot, 190-pound centre says the new city quickly became a second home, as he went on to record 37 goals and 42 assists for a career-high 79 points in the regular season while becoming a prominent figure in Regina’s community. Bradley visited local schools to read to students and promote healthy lifestyles, raised $3,595 for breast cancer research

through a personal campaign in October and volunteered his time to the Ranch Ehrlo Outdoor Hockey League — which provides inner-city youth and their families with access to recreational programs. “I just wanted to come and get out in the community a little bit, get myself out there and try to make a little bit of a difference. They welcomed me with open arms,” said Bradley. “With the breast cancer foundation, the team and the community really got behind me for that. The amount of money we raised is phenomenal. It’s absolutely mind blowing, I didn’t expect to raise that much.” The Pats went on to make a handful of big deals in approach of the trade deadline, the two biggest of which both came through the Saskatoon Blades. On Jan. 8, Regina made a move for Czech defenceman Libor Hajek, then two days later they called up the Blades again and acquired Edmonton Oilers prospect Cameron Hebig and 19-year-old goaltender Ryan Kubic. While the Pats gave up four players and five picks — including two first-rounders — to acquire the trio, Bradley says it has truly helped solidify an already-potent roster in Regina. “Every single guy came in here and had an effect early. Guys like Cameron Hebig put up huge numbers, Libor on the back end was phenomenal and then Kubic in net. Every trade we made we definitely gained a huge asset,” said Bradley, whose Pats went 19-6-2-1 after the trade deadline to finish third in a grueling East Division battle with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Broncos and Brandon Wheat Kings. “The team really whipped into shape there quickly. It’s kind of disappointing to end the series the way we did there in the playoffs but we’re really looking forward to a second chance.” Hebig went on to finish his season with 90 points — 32 of which came in 26 games with the Pats — while Hajek produced 14 points with a plus-5 rating on the back end and Kubic posted career-best numbers despite battling concussion symptoms down the stretch. Bradley added Regina has been buzzing in the days leading up to the tournament and the atmosphere inside the Brandt Centre has been second-to-none all season — and he’s hoping the Pats will be able to ride that energy to the fifth Memorial Cup championship in their franchise’s history. “Every game was sold out, or if not it was pretty damn close. It’s an awesome city to play in. The fans are great, they treat you amazing here and it’s going to be awesome,” he said. “Whenever we’re walking around we’ll get a couple comments, like ‘We’re all behind you,’ and little things like that. It’s really good for the fans too, all the celebrations and concerts going on down there, it’s a good time.”

REGINA PATS 2017-18 REGULAR SEASON

GAMES PLAYED

40 WINS

25 LOSSES

OVERTIME LOSSES

SHOOTOUT LOSSES

87 POINTS

TYLER STEENBERGEN ALEKSI HEPONIEMI

PHOTOS BY ROBERT MURRAY/WHL

ARTYOM MINULIN

COMING FULL CIRCLE STORY | RYAN MCCRACKEN

SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS SET UP FIRST ALLSASKATCHEWAN SHOWING AT MEMORIAL CUP SINCE 1989

SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS 2017-18 REGULAR SEASON

GAMES PLAYED

48 WINS

17 LOSSES

OVERTIME LOSSES

SHOOTOUT LOSSES

103 POINTS

THEY MAY NOT BE THE HOSTS, BUT THE SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS HAVE BEEN PLOTTING THEIR PATH TO THE MEMORIAL CUP FOR MONTHS. The Broncos kicked off the season on a frenetic pace led by their staggeringly effective top line of Glenn Gawdin, Tyler Steenbergen and Aleksi Heponiemi. While speculation surrounded their ability to carry that pace into the postseason, Swift Current silenced all of those doubts in approach of the trade deadline. Acquiring seven players while sending 13 to various squads across the league, the Broncos loaded up with some of the WHL’s best two-way talent between November and January — including former Prince George Cougars defenceman Josh Anderson, Calgary Hitmen centre Matteo Gennaro and Lethbridge Hurricanes Giorgio Estephan, Stuart Skinner and Tanner Nagel — before going on to end a 25-year Ed Chywnoweth Cup drought in Swift Current. “It’s tough losing guys on your team in deals like that, but we brought in good, character guys and they fit in right away. On and off the ice we just kind of jelled. I think they knew coming in that we were going to be a good team. I think the only thing holding us back was ourselves so we just tried to come together as quick as possible,” said Broncos captain Gawdin, who went on to earn the title of playoff MVP with 14 goals and 18 assists in 24 postseason games. “That’s pretty cool. I’m more happy about winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup, but winning [the MVP award], I wouldn’t be able to do it without my teammates and my linemates. They helped me throughout the season and the playoffs and I couldn’t have done it without them.” Gawdin added the Broncos made every move matter when the postseason rolled around. Facing one of the most difficult playoff roads a 48-win team has ever seen, Swift Current battled past the Memorial Cup host Regina Pats and the East Division champion Moose Jaw Warriors in back-to-back seven-game sets before topping the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Everett Silvertips in six games apiece to clinch their third championship in team history. “We had to face a lot of adversity, a lot of ups and downs, but in the end I think it just made us stronger fighting through that stuff. As the playoffs went on, I think our team got stronger. We just have such a close group of guys, we’re coming in to work every night for each other and I think that showed and it’s the reason we we’re the champions,” said Gawdin. “It’s kind of hard to put into words, the feeling of winning like that, especially at home and with such a good group of guys it just made it that much sweeter.”

Skinner proved to be a key acquisition for the Broncos, as the 19-year-old Edmonton product went on to post six shutouts, a .932 save percentage and a 2.20 goals against average through the playoffs before signing his name to a three-year entry-level contract with his hometown Oilers. “He truly deserves it. He works super hard and he’s such a great guy,” Nagel said of his goaltender. “When we needed him to bail us out he was there. He was unbelievable all playoffs. It gives us that much more confidence when he’s kicking that we can go out and do our thing and he’s there to back us up.” Nagel added the championship carries a special significance after growing up in Mossbank, Sask., as it's just the third time in 29 years that a Saskatchewan team has hoisted the the Ed Chynoweth Cup in the last 29 years — with Swift winning all three 1989, 1993 and now 2018 — and the eighth time since the league was founded in 1966. “It’s been a long time since a Saskatchewan-based team has won the WHL, so growing up here you watch a lot of the teams and to be a part of one — and one that can win — it’s awesome,” said Nagel. “There are no words to describe it.” This year will also mark the first time two Saskatchewan squads have been in the mix for the Memorial Cup since 1989, when Swift Current clinched their only national championship in franchise history with a 4-3 overtime win over the host Saskatoon Blades on May 13 — now one of the most important dates in Broncos history. “It kind of came full circle. Game 6 (against Everett) was on the same day [the 1989 team] won the Memorial Cup so it’s a special day in the Bronco organization now and just to be able to win it at home kind of put the cherry on top,” said Gawdin. “This city has been behind us all season.” Swift Current’s title also comes just over a month after a catastrophic bus collision took the lives of 13 members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Humboldt Broncos. It’s a situation Swift Current knows all too well, as the team lost four players in a bus crash in 1986. Fittingly enough, the Humboldt Broncos went on to lift the SJHL’s Hanbidge Cup that season. Nagel says many of the players on this year’s roster in Swift knew players on Humboldt’s bus and dedicated the remainder of their season to the SJHL squad as a result. “It’s tough to talk about actually. We had a lot of guys who knew a lot of guys on that team, so for them to play through that tragedy is just unbelievable and it just shows their character,” said Nagel. “A lot of guys dedicated their seasons to them, so it’s just amazing that we could go out and get a championship and those guys could do that for their friends.”

MATTHEW STROME ROBERT THOMAS

PHOTOS BY AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

WILL BITTEN

TOOTH AND NAIL STORY | IAIN COLPITTS

RESILIENT HAMILTON BULLDOGS TOOK THE LONG ROAD TO MEMORIAL CUP BERTH THE HAMILTON BULLDOGS DIDN’T NEED AN ACE IN THE HOLE TO REACH THE 2018 MASTERCARD MEMORIAL CUP. Along with the Regina Pats and Oshawa Generals, they were a finalist in the Memorial Cup bidding process last year, and most figured the NHL-sized FirstOntario Centre, hotels in the downtown core and Hamilton’s proximity to Toronto would give them the edge. Regina won the rights to host it instead, and thus the Bulldogs went to work on forming a team strong enough to make it the old fashioned way. Backed by a number of mid-season trade pickups, most notably St. Louis Blues prospect Robert Thomas, the Bulldogs were able to outlast the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, the CHL’s top-ranked team, to win the OHL title and punch their ticket to Regina. In the OHL final, Hamilton surprised many in a six-game series win over the Soo, who put forth one of the most dominant regular season performances in recent history. Coach John Gruden said it really showed the team’s ability to play with resilience and urgency. “We collectively do that,” Gruden said. “We’re a very tight group. [Captain Justin Lemcke] has done a great job and our leadership is outstanding. We’re having a lot of fun with this.” Even after going through back-to-back seven-game series, the Greyhounds still went punch-for-punch with Hamilton, with both teams setting the stage for a very fast-paced championship series. Like his coach, Lemcke believes the Bulldogs have an abundance of character. Even though they only played 15 games leading into the final compared to the Soo’s 18 and didn’t have nearly as extensive of a travel schedule as the Greyhounds, Lemcke says it was a tough road just to get to the championship series. “We’ve had to bring it every night,” said Lemcke, who knows a thing or two about adversity, having come back from a fractured fibula two years ago. “The games we didn’t play our best are the ones we lost in each series.” Hamilton overcame the Western Conference’s dominance in OHL finals. In the last 12 seasons, the Bulldogs are only the second Eastern Conference team to win the league title. It took an all-around effort for the Bulldogs to get through the OHL final. Garnering attention alongside Thomas, the OHL’s playoff MVP and Hamilton’s leading point getter through the playoffs, is the Bulldog’s leading playoff goal scorer, Brandon Saigeon,

who notched an incredible 18 goals, only three shy of Connor McDavid’s playoff goal total in 2014-15. And while a lot has been said about Thomas and Saigeon, there’s a number of players who may have been underrated during Hamilton’s playoff run. Defenceman Riley Stillman, another one of Hamilton’s prized trade acquisitions, took his game to another level in the playoffs and contributed with five points in the championship series, including game-tying goals in games four and six. Ben Gleason has emerged as a top-end defender as well and averaged close to a point per game in the playoffs. It took a while for MacKenzie Entwistle to get going in the post season, but he has now scored 10 goals in his last 14 games. And of course, the Bulldogs wouldn’t be where they are if it weren’t for some timely saves from Kaden Fulcher too. While some people felt the Bulldogs got through in an upset over the Greyhounds, Gruden isn’t going to label them underdogs at the Memorial Cup. “We know when we’re doing it the right way, skating out pucks and sticking to the game plan, we’re a really good hockey team,” he said. “We’re not here by accident. This group has worked their butts off all season to get us to this point.” In Regina, Hamilton will look to its regular season leading goal scorer, Matt Strome to play a big role. Ryan Moore and Nicholas Caamano, both acquired through a major trade with the Flint Firebirds in November, are among Hamilton’s biggest point getters as well. It’s been a quick rise to success for the Bulldogs since the franchise moved to Hamilton from Belleville in 2016. In their first year, they didn’t make the playoffs and were eliminated in a first-round, seven-game series against the Kingston Frontenacs in 2017. Prior to being sold and moved to Hamilton, the Belleville Bulls won their last OHL championship in 1999 and qualified for their last Memorial Cup in 2008. The Bulldogs will try to continue the OHL’s winning ways at the Memorial Cup. The trophy has been hoisted by OHL clubs the last three years – Oshawa Generals in 2015, London Knights in 2016 and Windsor Spitfires as hosts in 2017. While Hamilton had a rich history in the OHL up until the early 1990’s, the last time the city boasted a Memorial Cup championship team was in 1976 when the Hamilton Fincups were victorious.

HAMILTON BULLDOGS 2017-18 REGULAR SEASON

GAMES PLAYED

43 WINS

18 LOSSES

OVERTIME LOSSES

SHOOTOUT LOSSES

93 POINTS

JEFFREY TRUCHON-VIEL ANTOINE MORAND

PHOTOS BY DAVID CHAN

NOAH DOBSON

YOUTH AND BRAWN STORY | MIKE BEASLEY

ACADIE-BATHURST TITAN EARN MEMORIAL CUP ENTRY FOR FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 20 YEARS

ACADIEBATHURST TITAN 2017-18 REGULAR SEASON

GAMES PLAYED

43 WINS

15 LOSSES

OVERTIME LOSSES

SHOOTOUT LOSSES

96 POINTS

THE LAST TIME THE ACADIE-BATHURST TITAN QUALIFIED FOR THE MEMORIAL CUP, JEAN CHRETIEN WAS THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA AND COMPOSITE HOCKEY STICKS WERE ON THE VERGE OF REVOLUTIONIZING HOCKEY FOREVER. In 1999, the Memorial Cup had not adopted their current corporate MasterCard title when the event was held in Ottawa, Ontario that spring. The Titan did not fare well that May, finishing the tournament with a 0-3 record, scoring just 3 goals which resulted in an early exit from the CHL’s National Championship. Fast forward to May 2018 and the current Titan, many of which in 1999, were just a few months or a few years old or not born yet, are looking for a much better Memorial Cup result this time around. On Sunday, May 13, the Titan defeated the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 2-1, before a sold out crowd at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst, New Brunswick to take the best-of-seven league final series in six games and capture the President's Cup. Now it’s on to the franchise’s second MasterCard Memorial Cup appearance as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan since relocating from Laval, Quebec in 1998. “I’m very happy for the players, fans and our GM Sylvain Couturier who gave me the opportunity to coach this team and realize our dream of winning the President’s Cup,” said Titan head coach, Mario Pouliot. “I’d like to thank players like Jordan Truchon-Viel, Jordan Mayer, Elijah Francis and Sam L’Italien who arrived in Bathurst with me in 2014. We passed through the process, worked together and were rewarded together with a league championship.” The Titan had a strong regular season with a 43-15-8-2 record to win the Maritimes Division and finish second overall to Blainville-Boisbriand. In the postseason, the Titan lost only four times with series wins over Chicoutimi (4-2), Sherbrooke (4-0), Victoriaville (4-0) and Blainville-Boisbriand (4-2). The Titan slowly made their way up the ladder to success which so happens to coincide with Pouliot’s arrival in 2014 to the Northern New Brunswick city which sits on the Gulf of Chaleurs. In 2014-15, the first year of their rebuild, Acadie-Bathurst went 17-43-6-2 for a paltry 39 points. But with every new start, young, talented prospects brighten the future and have GMs and head coaches waiting for the day when a championship may come their way. The Titan started to accumulate those much needed skilled prospects and after some development and experience in the league, Pouliot and company started seeing a return on their investments. Names like Antoine Morand, Jordan Maher, Cole Rafuse and blue chip prospect, D Noah Dobson who,

according to International Scouting Service (ISS) is slated to be a Top 10 NHL draft pick this June in Dallas. Couturier, the organization’s long-time GM, could see that his team was starting to have potential but still needed a few key ingredients to plug some holes. Along the way, TruchonViel was brought over from Sherbrooke and has turned into the undisputed team leader and captain of the Titan. The solid two-way forward cracked the top 5 in playoff scoring with 23 points after being sandwiched between four Armada players. Forward Sam L’Italien proved to be a tremendous acquisition from Cape Breton and evolved into a tremendous playoff performer during his third year in Bathurst. The Titan began to see some light at the end of the tunnel in 2015-16 winning 27 games and qualified for a spot in the playoffs with 60 points. Over the last two years, Acadie-Bathurst became a force in the league with season point totals of 84 in 2016-17 and a jump to 96 this past QMJHL campaign. Last year, they swept the Quebec Remparts (4-0) before running into their nemesis, the Armada in the second round who knocked the Titan out in a close hard fought series that needed the seven game distance to be determined. This spring, Acadie-Bathurst chased the Blainville-Boisbriand demons away with an emotion-packed series clincher in front of their faithful fans to cap off a fantastic playoff run and President’s Cup victory that will be remembered for years. The Titan didn’t start the year as a contender or favourite to be around this late in the year but some clever trades by Couturier paid huge dividends. In November, Couturier acquired German Rubstov from the Chicoutimi Saguenéens to add some offence to the lineup. The Russian born forward and Philadelphia Flyers pick ended up with 32 points in 38 games during the season and added another 10 in 19 playoff contests. Just before Christmas, F Mitchell Balmas was moved to the Titan from the Gatineau Olympiques, adding another valuable piece to the Acadie-Bathurst landscape. Around the same time, D Olivier Galipeau found a new home in Bathurst after spending parts of four plus seasons in Val-d’Or and Chicoutimi. It cost the Titan five draft picks but the move has paid off handsomely as the overager led all Q defencemen in playoff scoring with 20 points in as many games. But their best pick-up was made a few days prior to the January 6 trade deadline when G Evan Fitzpatrick found a new crease to tend after spending three plus seasons with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Fitzpatrick played a pivotal role in his new squad’s success as he led the Q in playoff goaltending with 16 wins, 2.10 save percentage and 2 shutouts.

NORTH SHORE WINTER CLUB READY FOR EXCITING NEW SEASON With a history and tradition for delivering a model hockey program to it’s over 450 members, the North Shore Winter Club (NSWC) is preparing for another great season of hockey, with some big developments pointing them in an exciting new direction. Over the past month or so, the NSWC, a fully integrated recreation facility in the heart of North Vancouver, B.C., has secured a partnership with BC Hockey, has brought a new director of hockey on board and is finalizing the implementation of a brand new Bantam Elite Program.

BC HOCKEY AND NSWC ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

On May 4, 2018, BC Hockey and the NSWC announced a partnership that will see the NSWC become the host of BC Hockey’s Vancouver North West zone teams starting next season. This new partnership will mean that the NSWC will become the home of the Vancouver North West Giants Major Midget League (MML) and Minor Midget League teams along with any future zone program teams for the region. “The NSWC brand stands for excellence in the development, delivery and execution of its hockey programming, and we are confident that our plans for building an effective hockey program in partnership with BC Hockey will achieve those objectives and most importantly, enhance the overall hockey experience for all participants in the Vancouver North West zone,” said NSWC General Manager Joanna Hayes. “We are very excited by the opportunity to extend the partnership with the NSWC for the Vancouver North West Midget teams,” said BC Hockey Chief Executive Officer Barry Petrachenko. “This provides our teams with access to great facilities, including four (4) ice surfaces, fitness centre and dressing room space, and creates the opportunity to expand our cooperation for future program enhancements.”

AARON WILBUR NAMED NEW DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY

After an extensive search that included more than forty highly

qualified applicants from BC and across Canada and the U.S., the NSWC announced in early April that Aaron Wilbur would be joining the club as the new Director of Hockey. Aaron joins the NSWC from the Northwest Giants where he served as Head Coach for the past one and a half seasons. Aaron’s coaching resume includes a BCHL championship as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator with the Penticton Vees in 2008, a Keystone Cup (Western Canadian Championship) as head coach of the Richmond Sockeyes in 2013 and two years spent as the assistant coach of the UBC Mens Hockey program. In 2010, Aaron stepped down from UBC to found 'The Coaches Site,’ an online resource for hockey coaches and producers of TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference. He has also traveled extensively to China working on the development of grassroots hockey. In 2014, he produced a documentary on the growth of hockey in China in partnership with the Vancouver Canucks and has acted as the Canucks ambassador in China, overseeing Canucks hockey schools and development programs in China and Vancouver. “I’m extremely honored to be joining a program that is so rich in tradition and has provided a stepping stone for so many players and coaches to reach their goals” said Wilbur. “Our plan is to recruit great people and coaches to ensure that each player receives a first class hockey experience.”

NSWC ATHLETICS TEAM EXPANDS

On top of welcoming Aaron to the team, the club has hired several new coaches to complement an already strong coaching faculty, namely: BRAD RIHELA, HEAD COACH - BANTAM ELITE (formally the Head Coach of the Yale Hockey Academy Bantam Prep Team)

CHRIS SHAW, HEAD COACH - NORTH WEST GIANTS MAJOR MIDGET (formally the Associate Coach of the Langley Riverman) GUIDO LAMBERTI-CHARLES, HEAD COACH - NORTH WEST GIANTS MINOR MIDGET (formally an Assistant Coach of the Valley West Hawks BCMML) GLENN CARNEGIE, DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT - NSWC (current Skills Coach of the Vancouver Canucks)

CLUB INTRODUCING NEW BANTAM ELITE PROGRAM

New for the 2018-19 season, the NSWC will be offering a premier hockey experience with the Bantam & Midget Elite Programs. In partnership with the North and West Vancouver School District’s Peak/Pursuit Academic programs, the new Bantam Elite and established Midget Elite Programs will provide players the opportunity to obtain an education at their school of choice while continuing to develop as hockey players. This partnership will give players the best of both academics and sports, and will provide them a platform to excel at the next level. NSWC Elite development players will also face top competition in the most scouted and prestigious tournaments and showcases. Each player will be offered an environment that will allow them to succeed as student athletes and continue to advance to the major midget, junior hockey and college levels. As a club, the NSWC strives to create a culture that will produce well-rounded young hockey players, both on and off the ice. Education, leadership, respect and strong work ethic describe its Elite program philosophy. Bantam and Midget Elite Teams will participate within the PCAHA League at the A1 level and augment the existing schedule by participating in Bantam & Midget AAA tournaments. Athletes selected for the full season U15 or U18 Elite program will have a unique opportunity to play at the highest PCAHA level, and augment the existing schedule by participating in AAA tournaments, while studying and living at home.

NEW STAFF MEMBERS AARON WILBUR DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY

BRAD RIHELA

HEAD COACH, BANTAM ELITE

CHRIS SHAW

HEAD COACH, MAJOR MIDGET

GUIDO LAMBERTI-CHARLES HEAD COACH, MINOR MIDGET

GLENN CARNEGIE

DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MINOR

FINALISTS MAKE THEIR MARK

W POWERED BY

E’RE LESS THAN TWO MONTHS OUT FROM making our final selections for the HockeyNow Minor Hockey Player of the Year award winners in B.C., Alberta and Ontario. The 2018 nominees have been impressing us all season long and some were fortunate enough to make their mark at the Telus Cup in Sudbury late last month. We also got to see some of our Ontario shortlisted players get picked up in the OHL Priority Selection last month, including first overall selection Quinton Byfield, who has been making the cut on our shortlists all year. Byfield joined fellow POY finalists Evan Vierling, William Cuylle, Cameron Tolnai, Jamie Drysdale, Ryan O’Rourke and Cole Perfetti who were also picked up in the first round. This month we turned our attention to the West, where Alberta and B.C. major junior teams stacked their rosters

at the WHL Bantam Draft. Once again, many of the players on our Top 10 POY lists were selected in the top 22. From our Alberta shortlist, Dylan Guenther was the first overall draft selection and joined by other Alberta POY nominees Sean Tschigerl, Jayden Grubbe, Zack Stringer, Craig Armstrong, Zack Ostapchuk and Marc Lajoie in Round 1. In B.C., Logan Stankoven, Nolan Bentham, Jake Chiasson, Graham Sward and Trevor Wong were all selected in the first round and have been on our POY selection committee’s radar all season. Next month, we’ll be releasing our final regional preliminary lists before announcing our winners in our July edition. This year, we are excited to be partnering with HockeyShot, who on top of honouring our winners in each region with a huge prize pack, is also giving out monthly prizes to randomly selected finalists on our Top 10 lists.

PRELIMINARY LIST BC 2003s, APRIL 2018

PRELIMINARY LIST AB 2003s, APRIL 2018

PRELIMINARY LIST ON 2002s, APRIL 2018

BENTHAM, NOLAN - YALE BNTM PREP Rock solid defenseman who is very smart and plays his position well. Excellent edge use. When he gets the puck he has a very accurate outlet pass.

ARMSTRONG, CRAIG - AIRDRIE XTRM One of the best players at CSSHL Bantam Showcase. Had positive impact every game, and made things happen out there. His skating is his greatest asset.

BYFIELD, QUINTON - YORK SIMCOE Big skilled offensive forward Showed great hands with an ability to control the puck. Ability to create plays out of nothing. Top line center at next level with Pro upside.

CARMICHAEL, ELIAS - BWC BNTM PREP Big, all situations defender that continues to improve and is developing a more consistent offensive game. Good size and long body - long powerful skating stride. CHIASSON, JAKE - YALE BNTM PREP Has a work ethic that is hard to ignore, and looks to make things happen out there. Plays at a high speed and high energy. Has a fantastic shot when he is given time. SAMSON, ETHAN - DELTA BPREP GREEN Delta BPrep Green -- Very mobile two-way defender who has good size, is tall and lanky with potential to grow and get bigger, bright future and has improved during second half of the season. Playing with more confidence , hanging on to the puck and making better decisions. GALLOWAY, TYSON - YALE BNTM PREP Big, smooth skating defender continues to get better and better and plays a mature game - long reach makes him difficult to get around, good upside for this player.

CEULEMANS, CORSON - OHA EDM BNTM PREP One of the best players at CSSHL Bantam Showcase. Had positive impact every game, and made things happen out there. His skating is his greatest asset.

CUYLLE, WILLIAM - TOR MARLBORO Cuylle is a big bodied goal scoring forward who can take over a game. Utilized his size and strength to gain his ice and put himself in dangerous offensive opportunities. Lightning quick shot was both hard and accurate. Has the tools to be a top line OHL player.

GRUBBE, JAYDEN - CAL. BISONS Big power forward that is a handful for defenders to contain in the OZ. Shields the puck very well and was great on the down low OZ cycle.

DRYSDALE, JAMIE - TOR MARLBORO Dynamic skater with excellent edge use and skating ability. Projects as a top pairing offensive defender with #1 defenceman upside.

GUENTHER, DYLAN - N. ALB XTRM BNTM PREP Big goal scoring forward who is dangerous around the net. An opportunistic goal scorer and can really shoot the puck. Backcheck pressure could be stronger.

O'ROURKE, RYAN - VAUGHAN Two-way defenseman with good size. Has the ability to contribute both on offense and defense. OHL top pairing upside.

HYLAND, BRETT - CAL. BISONS Just plays the game the right way, makes others around him better - finishes his checks and competes hard in all zones. Good penalty killer and an easy guy to play with.

STANKOVEN, LOGAN - YALE BNTM PREP Had a fantastic showcase including a 7 point game. Very productive forward with pure speed and the ability to consistently create scoring chances.

LAJOIE, MARC - N. ALB XTRM BNTM PREP Has a big time shot and can score from way out - plays a confident game and wants the puck on his stick - long reach and body and is tough to get around.

SWARD, GRAHAM - YALE BNTM PREP Plays both ends of the ice very well, and was a consistent presence on the ice. Excellent skating, and uses it to his advantage defensively.

OSTAPCHUK, ZACK - N. ALB XTRM BNTM PREP Impressed with his development curve. Excellent set of physical tools and continues to get better and better. Can really skate and is a handful when he drives the net.

VERBICKY, KOBE - YALE BNTM PREP Has a high energy game and pressures the puck hard on the forecheck. Has the ability to force turnovers. Reads the play well and makes good decisions with the puck.

SMITH, MATT - DELTA BPREP GREEN His edges are very good and might be the best backwards skater in the draft, his lateral movement is very good. His decisions are improving and playing more of steady, smart and simple game. Would like to see him use his speed more and join the rush and attack more from the back end.

WILLIAMS, FINLAY - BWC BNTM PREP continued to impress with work ethic, blocking shots and doing dirty work in front of the net and along the boards, plays hard and very serviceable in all situations, has a scoring touch cause he is always around the puck, he would be a great 2/3rd line C for WHL team as he plays his role and leads by example. WONG, TREVOR - ST. GEORGES 1 Tiny dynamic offensive player who carries his team - tremendous anticipation and hockey sense - very good skater who is shifty and can change direction on a dime.

STRINGER, ZACK - LETHBRIDGE Good two-way game, and is effective at both ends of the ice. Very unselfish player - long stride but lacks leg strength. Looks to create screens, and capitalize on rebounds. TSCHIGERL, SEAN - OHA EDM BNTM PREP Fantastic CSSHL Showcase was one of the best players out there consistently. Relentless work ethic, looks to make something happen every time he is on the ice

PERFETTI, COLE - VAUGHAN High end two way forward with ability to create on the rush or cycle - Strong playmaking skills. Projects as a first line center at the OHL level. PETERSON, DYLAN - CIH WHITE Dynamic offensive forward. All-around offensive threat, capable of creating offense out of very little. High-end puck skills with good vision. Top line OHL upside POWER, OWEN - MISS. REPS Able to control the game from the backend - Hard to find anything wrong with his game. Has all the tools to be a number one defender at the OHL level. ROBINSON, DYLAN - TOR JR. CANADIENS Well rounded and multitalented centre. Tough to contain with his combination of size, speed and skill. Has shown good progression this season. Lanky offensive forward with a good frame and a lot of room for growth and size. Feet and skating look improved through the season and he has better acceleration and mobility. TOLNAI, CAMERON - OAKVILLE RANGERS Offensive centre. Average size, below average strength. Has shown progression this season in skating and puckhandling. Reads the play well, with tremendous instincts. Smart plays with and without the puck and finds himself in the right position. VIERLING, EVAN - YORK SIMCOE Has shown tremendous improvement this season, one of the best progressions of the year. Consistent offensive threat who possesses great playmaking ability. Cemented himself as one of the top prospects at OHL Cup. High end two way game as well as goal scoring and playmaking abilities offensively.

May 26, 2018 – HOCKEYNOW | 17

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

PJHL WELCOMES NEWEST EXPANSION CLUB, WHITE ROCK WHALERS After nearly 30 years, Junior B hockey is returning to White Rock. The White Rock Whalers have been introduced as a PJHL expansion team for the 2018-19 season. “Seeing the remarks on Twitter and the support they’re getting from the community, it’s very encouraging,” said PJHL president Ray Stonehouse. Owned by Ron Paterson, who up until now was part of the Richmond Sockeyes ownership group, the Whalers will play their home games out of Centennial arena. A previous incarnation of the Whalers also played in White Rock from 1985 to 1989. They won the league championship, as well as the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial title in 1988. There’s a quirky tie in between the Whalers and the Sockeyes as Tim Wozney and Gary Keremidschieff were part of the 1988 championship team while their sons, Noah Wozney and Jake Keremidschieff, won the Cyclone Taylor Cup 30 years later with Richmond. Stonehouse feels Paterson’s expertise as an executive in the league will help the team excel right away.

“Without that background and experience, it’s a much more difficult challenge,” he said. “With Ronnie’s experience and having been a partner with the Richmond Sockeyes for a number of years, he’s intimately familiar with the operations of the junior hockey league. I expect to see a very competitive squad, well administered and ready from the get go. I don’t see any growing pains for this organization.” The league is coming off a season in which the expansion Langley Trappers had a respectable year. Coach Burt Henderson iced a team made up mostly of young players born in 1999 and 2000, but they finished third out of six teams in the Brittain Conference and qualified for the playoffs, where they were swept in the opening round by the Abbotsford Pilots.

even number of teams. Paterson’s connections in the Semiahmoo community should help with recruiting talented players in the area. “A lot of the recruits will come out of Semiahmoo minor hockey and they’ve got a pretty strong minor hockey program there,” said PJHL executive vice president Len McNeely. “It provides a pretty good nucleus.” Last year, Stonehouse told Peace Arch News the league was looking to expand and was eyeing White Rock and Cloverdale as sites for possible expansion. The league believes it can contain up to 14 clubs in the near future.

Next season, the Whalers will join the Sockeyes, Delta Ice Hawks, North Vancouver Wolfpack, Grandview Steelers and Port Moody Panthers in the Shaw Conference.

“With a population of about 3 million people (in the lower mainland), we have a great number of kids and we’d like to tie up as many of the municipalities as we can,” said Stonehouse, adding the league prides itself on being a junior loop in which kids don’t have to move away from home to play.

The Whalers will be the 12th team in the league, which will make it easier for the league to schedule games now that there’s an

“We complain in this league when we have to travel 45 minutes to another arena. Most of them can be done in about 15 or 20 minutes.”

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

RECENT EXPANSION TEAM TRACK RECORD Stonehouse jokes that not everyone can be like the Vegas Golden Knights. While the NHL club has set the standard for how to build a roster from scratch (as evidenced by their long run through the Stanley Cup playoffs), most expansion teams are expected to struggle in their opening season.

Inaugural season: 1-39-1-1, eighth in league, missed playoffs

More than half of the PJHL’s current teams have joined the league since 1999 and here’s how they’ve fared in their opening season.

Formed in 2008

PORT MOODY PANTHERS

Formed in 1999, originally as the Port Coquitlam Buckaroos Inaugural season: 21-21, third in league standings, lost in semifinals to Grandview

It’s been a tough go for the Panthers since 2012 as they’ve gone six seasons since their last playoff appearance.

SURREY KNIGHTS

Formed in 1999, originally as the Queen’s Park Pirates Inaugural season: 5-34-3, seventh in league, missed playoffs

The Knights have won only five games in the last three seasons and went winless in 2016-17, their first year in Surrey since moving from Langley.

MISSION CITY OUTLAWS Formed in 2003, originally as Hope Icebreakers

The Langley Trappers finished third in the Brittain Conference and qualified for the playoffs in their expansion season last year. Will the White Rock Whalers do the same next season? (Doug Abbott photo)

Mission reached the PJHL final in 2014-15 before capturing the championship in 2016.

ALDERGROVE KODIAKS

originally as Squamish Wolf Pack Inaugural season: 14-30-0-4, fifth in Shaw Conference, missed playoffs

The Wolf Pack missed the playoffs their first three seasons in the league, but won the PJHL title in 2015.

Inaugural season: 23-22-3, second in Brittain Conference, lost in division semifinals to Port Moody

LANGLEY TRAPPERS

Within their first 10 seasons, the Kodiaks won three league championships (2008, 2014 and 2017) and reached the final of the 2014 Cyclone Taylor Cup.

Inaugural season: 18-22-2-2, third in Brittain Conference, lost in division semifinals to Abbotsford

NORTH VANCOUVER WOLF PACK

This past season, the Trappers went through a seven-game unbeaten streak through December and January to set the tone for their playoff push.

Formed in 2008,

Formed in 2017

CWHL

KRISTI PATTON/HOCKEYNOW

FEMALE

Earlier this month, the Grindstone Foundation held a 'girls try hockey for free' event at the Whistler Spring Fling tournament in B.C.

BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION Grindstone Awards and CWHL work together to bring more girls to the game STORY Kristi Patton

INCE GETTING ONE MINUTE OF AIR TIME ON Hockey Night in Canada last year, during a special segment featuring positive contributors to the game, the Grindstone Award Foundation continues to grow. Committed to raising money to help girls facing financial barriers to the sport get on the ice, the registered Canadian not-for-profit recently announced a new partnership with the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. “By partnering, we are helping each other bring more exposure to women’s hockey and giving young females not just a pipe dream of playing elite level hockey, but showing them the actuality of it by putting powerful female role models in front of these young girls,” said Danielle Grundy, president and founder of the Grindstone Award Foundation.

20 | HOCKEYNOW – May 26, 2018

Earlier this year, the Grindstone collaborated with the Toronto Furies to host a girls hockey event with all proceeds donated to the foundation. Over 45 kids, from the ages of eight to 17, skated with some of the Furies and took part in a chalk talk session. Recently, over two weekends in May, the foundation received a financial boost thanks to the Whistler Spring Fling 24-team tournament. The Grindstone held a girls try hockey free event in conjunction with the tournament and Spring Fling organizer Melissa Talaro said it was one of her favourites moments over the two weekends. “I just saw these two little girls and they had the biggest smiles on their faces. I think that’s when it hit me, what we are doing. They were so happy with their jerseys, they were so excited when they were getting their skates and went finally got on the ice — they were just super happy. I could see their smiles through their helmets. That was a good accomplishment,” said Talaro. For Grundy, that is also what it is all about — giving girls a positive experience on the ice and helping grow the grassroots of the game. “Our charity believes that getting girls into sport,

whether it is hockey or something else, helps build confidence and skills that enable them to be leaders off the ice as well. We have seen and heard if first hand from the 10 girls of all skill levels, that we gave bursaries to last year about how the impact of been given the opportunity to play a sport has changed their lives. Those are the stories we love to hear most,” said Grundy. The foundation is now accepting grant applications for those needing financial support until Aug. 1. The Grindstone provides bursaries to players across Canada under the age of 19 who have a desire to pursue their goals in athletics. Funding is provided on a basis of financial need and desire, not on hockey ability. The Grindstone Award Foundation is also hosting their second annual women’s charity tournament, in Kelowna, B.C. from July 20 to 22, and is registering players for the event with proceeds going to bursaries to provide financial support and equipment to female hockey players in need. “Our goal this year is to make this weekend bigger and better in hopes of raising enough funds to support 30 female hockey players for this upcoming season,” said Grundy. “Play in a tournament and make a difference. Think about how much hockey has added to your life and now think about how cool it would be to help a girl, who otherwise might not have been able to, experience the joy of hockey. Pretty cool if you ask us.” A second event, Girls Rock the Rink, will also take place during the tournament. It is a free event for girls to try hockey and learn from a stack of notable guest coaches and female role models. Girls Rock the Rink takes place on July 21 at the Kelowna Capital News Centre. The event is geared towards girls five to 18 years old and available for all skill levels. Girls Rock the Rink includes both on and off ice sessions, is open to first 90 players only and one free registration from the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association will be raffled off. In 2017 the Grindstone Award Foundation women’s charity tournament had over 200 players come from all over B.C., Alberta and Washington to participate. The women’s tournament costs $120 per player and is open to all women of various skill levels. The first 100 players to register will be entered to win a $100 Sport Chek gift card. Players will be assigned teams, however you can request to play with specific players. The event will also have a silent auction, charity dinner (included with registration fee), Sport Chek skills competition, four games, on-site massages and more.

WORKING ON BAD ANGLE SHOTS

BY: HOCKEYSHOT BENCH BOSS, JEREMY RUPKE

LAYERS LIKE AUSTON MATTHEWS AND PHIL KESSEL don’t just wake up and snipe from impossible angles; they practice those situations constantly. There is no better way to do this than with visualization + situational drills. You will quickly learn that the center area of the slot is often protected, so shooters must improvise. Tight-angled shots are something players must get used to if they want to see the puck in the back of the net more often. Start with what you’re comfortable with (strong side), and then move on to more challenging angles (right-handed shooters choose left corners and vice versa). When you move to the opposite/ weak side, it gets tougher. One easy tip that helps with the flow and accuracy of the shot is to toe the puck (control with the toe of your stick) and squaring your blade before the release. Dragging the puck closer to you adds precision and allows you to look at the target before a quick release. Increasing the speed of your release on the second round of shots is recommended. Putting more zip on the squared-release shot will help with hitting your target, but master one thing at a time. The pros choose HockeyShot.com because their products are in line with what players and coaches need for training simple, adjustable, and high quality. HockeyShot products are guaranteed to give you the edge in off and on ice training!

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May 26, 2018 – HOCKEYNOW | 21

22 | HOCKEYNOW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 26, 2018