What I Did This Summer and What I'm Doing This Year

You may have noticed that I pretty much took the summer off from blogging..I've spent the summer transitioning into my new job as a Producer for Access Communications in the Humboldt-Melfort area.

There has been a lot of adjustments moving back..even if it's my hometown.

I did manage some vacation time during August as I traveled west to Vancouver for a wedding and managed to head to Seattle for a couple of days to check out the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners in a pair of games at Safeco Field.

I took the train down from Vancouver to Seattle while the scenery was beautiful, the 2 hour delays weren't. The 4 hour ride turned into a 6.5 trip.

The first Blue Jays and Mariners game I went to manage to take a picture of the opening pitch from the right field bleachers. (pictured to the right) Which was a good thing because Jose Reyes would crush this pitch to Center Field about two sections from me, it was pretty cool seeing the first pitch go over the fence.


I stayed in downtown Seattle for the night so I wasn't too far away from the major tour attractions. In the morning I stopped by Pike Place Market.

Then it was up to the Space Needle and you get such a beautiful view of Seattle from the top of the Needle.

Also at the Seattle Centre there's the EMP Museum, and you would enjoy if you're like me a  huge Nirvana fan as they have an entire wing dedicated to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.

I went to the third and final game of the Jays and Mariners series. While the Jays lost, it was still a fun day to be at the ball park.

So that's a quick summary of my trip to Seattle. I took like a 1,000 pics but I couldn't post them all on here.

The other highlight was covering the Stanley Cup Day in Lanigan with Sheldon Brookbank. I've had the opportunity to kiss the Stanley Cup. Still I think I topped that experience

Along with my normal day to day with duties with Access, I'm going to be joining the SJHL Game of the Week broascasts on Access as an ice level reporter. You'll see during the intermissions of the broadcasts as I interview the players and coaches of the SJHL. I'm looking forward to covering all the teams after spending the last 5 years following one team. So that is part of what I will be blogging, I'm looking forward to traveling the province and checking out of the SJHL rinks from a different perspective. My first two games involve my old team the Estevan Bruins, first the opener which is tonight and then I head to Estevan next week.

I'll also be launching a Humboldt version of Locker Talk in the near future as it will be taking place at the new Boston Pizza when it opens this fall.

So Long Estevan..Thanks for the Memories..

It’s been a month since I left my position of the Play by Play Announcer as the Estevan Bruins and Morning News & Sports Anchor for Goldenwest Radio. I was planning to post a final blog posting from Estevan around that time of my departure but the final weeks in Estevan were quite hectic and left me little time to wrap around my final thoughts.  During my holidays there were a couple of times I attempted to put together a blog posting but I suffered the famous “writers block”.

But first off I just want to thank the community of Estevan for the past 4+ years, I met some amazing people during my time in the Energy City and to list them all would be nearly impossible. Thanks to anyone that helped me out whether it was at the radio station, at the rink or anywhere else in the community.

There are a few memories that stick out in time in Estevan. One of them was being a part of the football program. When I first moved to Estevan I was shocked to find out there was no high school football program in the city, coming from an area with tiny communities that had 6 man football I just couldn’t believe a City with over 10,000 people didn’t have a high school team. I’m proud to have been a member of the Elecs football for their first 4 seasons of existence. 

 I really enjoyed my time as a coach for the Elecs and while the team didn’t win too many games, I believe the foundation has been made for future success. I want to thank Marco, Mark and the rest of the coaching staff for making the coaching experience so enjoyable, the players who were great to work and the volunteers of football in Estevan who are some of the hardest working people that I know. 

One of the things I enjoyed about my time in Estevan was the Fundraising Dinners, whether they were for Spectra Place or for the Football program. I had the chance to listen to a lot of great speakers over the years, but the one dinner that will always stick out in my mind is the dinner in March of 2010 which was highlighted by Steve Yzerman only a couple of weeks after Canada claimed Gold in Men’s Hockey of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It was just amazing shaking the hand of Yzerman and getting to meet one of the greatest Captains in hockey history. 

One of my favorite days in Estevan was the Kraft Celebration Tour. It’s kind of weird thinking that Estevan will be the last stop for Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole in Saskatchewan as a part of the tour with the announcement that they will be leaving for FOX Sports One in LA next month. Jay and Dan were two of the nicest guys I have ever had the chance to interview. I was amazed by the energy Jay had in his suit despite the temperature being around +33 throughout Sportscentre. At the time Estevan had the largest attendance on the Kraft celebration Tour and it was great to see the community rally together after the severe floods from the spring of 2011.

But no doubt the best part of my job was being the voice for the Estevan Bruins. First I want to thank all the volunteers and staff of the Bruins organization, the fans, the parents of the players for all of their support over the years. I want to thank Karry Biette, Sean Garagan, Chad Leslie, Keith Cassidy and Cole Zahn for all of their help as coaches of the Bruins. They always made job a lot easier and were all very accessible for interviews whenever I needed them. 

The Estevan Bruin players were unbelievable to me. In my 5 years with the Bruins every single Bruins player was great to me and I really appreciated that.  It was unfortunate that the Bruins never achieved much success in the standings during my time with the team but I will always look back with fond memories because of the friendships I made with the team.

One of the guys who I have to give a special shutout is Lucas Stubel. There was no one in Estevan who I interviewed more  than Stubs, I think in his first year he was a little bit hesitant but soon enough he became my go to guy whenever I needed an interview from a Bruin. It was unfortunate that Stubel got injured late in his 20 year old season but if there was one benefit it was that he stepped inside of the booth to provide color commentary, a job he would continue to help me out for the last couple of years while he played Senior Hockey in Bienfait and Midale. Also I have to give a shout out to Mark Cross and Ty Ariss for being the other two players who were with the Bruins for my first three years with the team. 

There was only one player who was with the Bruins for 4 years during my time with the team and that was Dylan Smith. Smitty was an outstanding player on the ice and he always very accommodating to me with interviews, whether it was practice, after the game or when he was in Connecticut. I appreciate all the help he provided me over the years.

While I enjoyed all five years with the Bruins, my favorite was my third season with the Bruins (2010-11). There were a lot of great guys who were with the Bruins for that season only like Troy Hunter, Ben Findlay, Joel Kot, Joel Danyluk, and others. Along with the vets there were a lot of talented rookies on the team including Josh Jelinski, Ryan Ostertag, Eric Baldwin, Cole Olson. With the mix of vets and rookies it made for a great locker room atmosphere, and while the team failed on their high expectations, I looked back at that year with fond memories that I will remember for the rest of my life.

I also have to give a special shutout to Cole Olson. It’s been a lot of fun watching Olly play over the last three years, it almost seemed like yesterday I was chasing him in Battlefords for our first interview. On the ice, Olly was the hardest working player who gave it all on every night. Off the ice, while he didn’t say too much, everyone loved Olly and you will never hear anyone ever say a bad word about Olly.

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Other players who I just want to say thanks for everything they’ve done for me during my time in Estevan include Matthew Dochylo, Chris Daniels, Michael Hengen, Calder Neufeld, Dominic Perrault, Matt Brykaliuk, Tanner Froese, Tyler Poskus, Austin Yano just too name a few, I know I’m missing some names but like I said the list would be too long to name it all.  

I’ve just started my new position in Humboldt as an Assistant Producer for Access Communications. You may see my face (and hear my voice) with the SJHL broadcasts on Access in the fall.

 

I plan on keeping this blog running, there probably won’t be much material for the next bit while I get settled in the new job. I might just post some random thoughts of mine in the sports world while I get settled back in the local scene. 

 I also plan on producing/hosting Locker Talk in Humboldt so check back for details on that in the future.  I do plan on making some changes as compared to the show I did in Estevan but I have no timetable yet on when I will start that up. 

And while I look back on my days in Estevan fondly, I’m excited to be back home and seeing the familiar faces in my life once again. I hope you come back and see the world of sports through my eyes.

Thank You

In case you don't follow me on Twitter but I announced today that I've stepped down as the Play by Play Announcer for the Estevan Bruins and New/Sports Anchor for Goldenwest Radio in Estevan.

I'll provide a more appropriate Thank You blog posting before my final day which is next Friday, but I quickly want to thank everyone who has made these last 5 years in Estevan so great.

Thanks Again!

Estevan Bruins Spring Camp

The Estevan Bruins held their Spring Camp this weekend, and I had the chance to speak with Bruins Scout (former Assistant Coach) Cole Zahn about the camp and what's next for the Bruins.

Q an A with Riders Weston Dressler, Geroy Simon and Corey Chamblin at Estevan Football Dinner

It was another successful Estevan Football Fundraiser Dinner last night at the Days Inn Plaza. The guest speakers of the evening were the Saskatchewan Roughriders Head Coach Corey Chamblin, newcomer Geroy Simon and the popular Weston Dressler.

All the money raised will be going to the football program here in Estevan. I had a chance to speak with all three speakers.

Geroy Simon

                                                                       Corey Chamblin

                                                                                  

Cassidy Removed as Head Coach/GM of the Bruins

 

The Estevan Bruins announced today they would be parting ways with Keith Cassidy. I apoligize I won't be able to provide more details as I'm away on vacation until next week.

 

Here's the statement from the team

 

The executive of the Estevan Bruins Hockey Club would like to announce it has decided not to renew the contract of head coach and general manager Keith Cassidy. He will no longer handle head coach and GM duties effective immediately.
"We would like to thank Keith for his contributions to the Bruins organization. Keith played a key role in the team's transition to Spectra Place and has been a strong ambassador in the community," said president Jeff Pierson. "However this is a results based business and there is no getting around the fact the past year was a disappointing one. We feel our fans deserve a winning team and we will take all steps necessary to make that happen."
Pierson added that the search for a new head coach and GM will begin immediately.

Final Postgame Interview from Mar.16

While the Bruins season came to an end last Saturday, it has been much offseason so far for myself with the Big 6 Playoffs and work at the radio station. But he's the audio from the postgame of last Saturday's loss to Yorkton with Head Coach Keith Cassidy. I'll post a few thoughts tomorrow.

Bruins Season Comes to an End with 6-3 loss to Yorkton

The 2012-13 season came to an end for the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins as they were defeated by the Yorkton Terriers 6-3.

The Bruins fell behind early as Patrick Martens knocked in a loose rebound to get the Terriers on the scoreboard. The Bruins had a great chance to tie the game in the first period as they went on the powerplay for 5 minutes including a 5 on 3 for about a minute. But the Bruins weren't able to capitalize as Jeremy Johnson scored a short handed goal to make it a 2-0.

Estevan would get on the scoreboard shortly afterwards as Tanner Froese knocked in a loose puck in and made it 2-1 after the first. The Bruins dominated the shot clock as they outshot the Terriers 21-6 in the period but the Terriers Dawson MacAuley was outstanding in net.

In the second period Kailum Gervais scored on a wraparound the gave Yorkton a 4-2 win. The Bruins answered back shortly afterwards as Hudson Morrison scored on the powerplay to make it 4-3. But late in the period Martens scored on the powerplay to make it 5-3 after the second period.

In the third period the Bruins were unable to close the gap as they remained down by a pair of goals. Yorkton extended their lead as Martens scored his third goal of the evening as he crashed in the net and was able to get the puck past the goal line according to the refs eyes before the net came off its moorings. The Bruins answered back shortly as Calder Neufeld scored to make it 5-3. But the Bruins couldn't close the gap as Tyler Giebel finished off the game with an empty net to make the final 6-3.

The Terriers will move on to the Sherwood Conference while the Bruins are now looking ahead to next year.

The Bruins will lose 7 20 year olds to graduation in Curtis Martinu, Alex Cote, Tyler Paslawski, Connor Milligan, Calder Neufeld, Dylan Smith and Cole Olson.

Bruins On the Brink of Elimination after 2-1 Loss

It was another close one goal loss for the CanElson Drilling Estevan as the Yorkton Terriers defeated the Bruins 2-1 which leaves the Bruins on the brink of elimination as they trail in the series 3-1.

The Bruins came out firing in the first period as they had several opportunities to get the lead but were unable to beat the Terriers Dawson MaCauley. Instead it was Yorkton would picked up the lead as Brady Norrish took the puck from his blue line and went inside of the Bruins zone and buried a shot past the Bruins Curtis Martinu to make it 1-0.

In the second period, the Bruins once again ran into penalty trouble. While the Bruins were able to kill off the three penalties, the Bruins weren't able to gain the momentum until late in the second period when they received a powerplay opportunity. The Bruins had their chances but once again couldn't solve MaCauley as the Bruins remain down 1-0 after two periods.

In the third period the Bruins were able to get on the scoreboard after a hardworking shift from Taylor Reich, Brett Dumaine and Wyatt Garagan. The shift ended with Garagan burying a shot top shelf to tie the game at 1-1.

The Terriers came back with a flurry of chances after the Garagan and with just over 6 minutes left, Tyler Giebel knocked a shot past Martinu to make it 3-2. The Bruins were unable to register the tying goal and now face elimination tomorrow night in Yorkton.

Game 5 of the series can be heard on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15.

Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy comments on the game.

Bruins Lose 2-1 to Yorkton and Now Trail 2-1 in Series

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins pushed the Yorkton Terriers to the limit last night but it was not enough as the Terriers won 2-1 and with the victory, the Terriers lead the series 2-1.

It was an even game through the first 40 minutes, while the shot clock read 21-12, the chances were even as the Bruins had several opportunities but weren't able to capitalize. Brett Blatz had a great chance for the opening goal in the second period but rang a shot of the crossbar. Wyatt Garagan also had a great chance but had a shot go wide by a couple of inches.

At the other end of the ice, the Bruins Curtis Martinu was making lives difficult for the Terriers as Yorkton struggled getting a shot past Martinu. The 20 year old goalie flashed the leather on numerous occasions with some big glove saves including a great chance from the Terrier Captain Devon McMullen.

In the final period, Patrick Martens was able to sneak in behind the Bruins defence and unleashed a lazer of a shot past Martinu to give the Terriers the lead early in the period. Martens would add his 4th goal of the series halfway thru the period when he picked up a turnover in the neutral zone and proceeded to move in on a breakaway and beat Martinu to make it 2-0.

The Bruins didn't go down without a fight as Tanner Froese got the Bruins on the scoreboard with 56 seconds remaining after deflecting Connor Milligan's shot to make it 2-1. But the Bruins were unable to get the equalizer as they fell 2-1.

Game 4 of the series is now set for tomorrow night in Estevan and the game can be heard on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15.

Bruins and Terriers 1-1 After Bruins Win 5-2

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins evened up their series with the Yorkton Terriers after a 5-2 victory at Spectra Place.

The Bruins wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Hudson Morrison's shot was knocked in by Calder Neufeld 15 seconds into the game as the Bruins lead 1-0. The Bruins had other opportunities to extend their lead in the period but were unable to capitalize. With 1:01 left in the period, the Terriers tied the game up as Kalium Gervais knocked in a loose rebound to even up the score after 20 minutes.

The second period was all Bruins, it started with Dylan Smith forcing a turnover at the Terrier's blueline, Smith would drop a pass for Alex Cote who scored on the low blocker side to give the Bruins. The Bruins didn't get a powerplay until late in the second period but it quickly turn into a 5 on 3. The Bruins would take full advantage as Neufeld found Smith in front of the net and Smith scored to make 3-1. 13 seconds later, Terriers goalie Dawson Macauley attempted to clear the puck from his zone and the puck right to Tanner Froese who fired it into the Terriers net to make it 4-1 after two periods.

The Terriers made things interesting as Devon McMullen scored in the opening minute of the third period to make it 4-2 but the Bruins would get a 5 minute powerplay as Dylan Baer was called for a 5 minute major for boarding penalty on Hudson Morrison. Estevan would put the game away in the third period as Smith scored on a great feed from Cole Olson to end the scoring at 5-2. The bad blood started to boil in the final minutes between as the series is shaping up to be a very heated one.

Curtis Martinu made 25 saves in the win while the Bruins powerplay went 3 for 5 and Yorkton was 0 for 4.

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Yorkton and you can catch it on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15.

After the game Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy comments on the win.

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                                                Smith also comments on  the win.

Bruins Drop Game 1 against Yorkton

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins got off to a rough start in their series with the Yorkton Terriers as the Bruins lost 6-1.

The Terriers scored a pair of quick goals early in the game to gain a 2-0 lead before the Bruins Dylan Smith the lead to 2-1 late in the first. But late in the first period Yorkton scored to make it 3-1 after one period.

In the second period the Bruins had a couple of good chances to score including Dylan Smith hitting the crossbar but it remained 3-1 until late in the second period when Yorkton would score two goals in a 1:04 span to make it 5-1.

The third period was filled with penalties for the Bruins and they almost survived except late in the third the Terriers added one final goal to make it 6-1.

The Bruins Curtis Martinu made 32 saves in the loss for the Bruins.

Game 2 will go tonight in Estevan at Spectra Place, a game you can catch on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15

Bruins Meet Terriers in Game 1 Tonight

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins will open their Sherwood Conference Semi-Finals with the Yorkton Terriers tonight in Yorkton.

The Bruins and Terriers haven't seen a lot of each other in the second half of the season. There only matchup against each other was on February 5 in Estevan. A lot has changed for the Bruins since Christmas with the additions of Dylan Smith, Alex Cote and a healthy Calder Neufeld so the stats during the Bruins and Terriers should be taken for a grain of salt.

The Terriers have only lost once at home in regulation this season, but that one loss came at the hands of the Estevan Bruins back on October 30. Even though that win came back at the beginning of the season, the Bruins have a lot of confidence that can win inside of Yorkton.

The last two years the Bruins have experienced heartbreak in Game 1 of the Conference Semi-Finals. Two years ago, the Bruins lost in Yorkton after giving up a lead in third period to the Terriers. While last season the Bruins had a one goal against Weyburn, before the Red Wings scored with 27 seconds left to tie the game to send it to overtime before the Bruins lost the game on a bad bounce.

You can catch tonight's game on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15.

Survivor Series Recap

It was a tough to the postseason for the Estevan Bruins as they needed four games to eliminate the Kindersley Klippers from the Survivor Series.

Before we look ahead to the next round against Yorkton, here's one final look at the series with Kindersley. Set to the tune of "The Kids Aren't Alright" here's a recap of the Bruins goals from the series.
 

Bruins Eliminate Klippers with 4-1 Win

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins eliminated the Kindersley Klippers and advanced to the Sherwood Conference Semi-finals after a 4-1 victory last night at Spectra Place. The Bruins will now face the Yorkton Terriers.

The Bruins wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Alex Cote scored on the first shot of the game 15 seconds into the opening frame to make it 1-0. The Bruins had several chances to extend their lead in the first but the Klippers Warren Shymko kept the score close. The Bruins outshot the Klippers 13-2 in the opening period but the Klippers took advantage of one of their shots as a turnover in behind the Bruins yet allowed the Klippers Giovanni Bombini found Ryan Doner in front of the net and Doner buried a shot past the Bruins Curtis Martinu on the low blocker side to tie the game at 1-1.

In the second period it appeared the Klippers were about to take the lead as Bombini had an open net but rang a shot off the crossbar. Moments later the Bruins Tyler Paslawski found Darcy DeRoose in front of the Klippers net and DeRoose's rebound would go past Shymko to take it 2-1 after two periods.

In the final period, the Bruins got an early powerplay and the Bruins Hudson Morrison took a loose puck from the side of the net and banked a shot past Shymko to give the Bruins a much needed insurance goal as the Bruins lead 3-1. The Bruins continue with their strong defensive efforts as the Bruins only allowed 18 shots from the Klippers. After a couple of close calls, with 7 seconds left Cole Olson scored on an open net to give the Bruins the win.

Curtis Martinu made 17 saves for the victory and the Bruins powerplay went 1 for 3 on the night.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Bruins as they will open up their series with Yorkton on Friday night and then Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday night here in Estevan.

Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy comments on the win

The Bruins Cole Olson and Dylan Smith comment on the win and look ahead to their matchup with Yorkton

Bruins Unble to Finish off Klippers

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins were unable to complete the sweep in their Survivor Series with the Kindersley Klippers after the Klippers beat the Bruins 3-1.

The Klippers got on the scoreboard 56 seconds into the game as the Bruins got a on a Klippers 3 on 2 rush. The Klippers Ryan Doner was the trailer and snuck a shot past the glove side of the Bruins Curtis Martinu.

The Bruins responded shortly afterwards on their first powerplay opportunity as Martinu found Tanner Froese in the neutral zone, Froese found Morrison inside the blue line and Morrison let go a lazer of a shot on the high blocker side as the Bruins tied the game 1-1.

The Bruins had several opportunities to grab the lead in the first period but were unable to get a shot in the back of the net and had to settle for the tie after 20 minutes.\

The 2nd period has caused problems for the Bruins in the Survivor Series and that was the case once again as the Bruins fell into penalty trouble as they took three straight penalties in the period. The first penalty saw Froese sit for 12 minutes with a hit to the head penalty. While the Klippers didn't score on the powerplay, shortly afterwards Stefan Seel deflected a shot from the point that got past Martinu to give Kindersley the lead. The score remained 2-1.

The Bruins couldn't get the equalizer with ta late powerplay instead Martinu's pass was knocked down in the neutral zone which allowed Brandon Lauder to seal the win for Kindersley.

Game 4 will go tonight in Estevan and you can catch it on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15.

Bruins Looking For Sweep Tonight

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins will look to complete the sweep in the Survivor Series against the Kinderlsey Klippers.

The Bruins took a 2-0 series lead in the postseason with the Bruins beating the Klippers twice in their own rink.  The Bruins took game 1 on Saturday with a 2-1 victory and then defeated the Klippers 5-4 on Sunday night in Kindersley.

Calder Neufeld has been on a tear for the Bruins in the postseason already registering 7 points (2 goals and 5 assists) in the two playoff games. Neufeld's linemate Tanner Froese had a huge game in Game 2 with a pair of goals including the game winner and an assist.

The Bruins powerplay has been effective as well going 3 for 6 in the first two games of the series. Dylan Smith scored both Bruin powerplay goals on Sunday in Game 2.

You can catch tonight's Game 3 on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15. If the Bruins would lose tonight, then Game 4 would go tomorrow night in Estevan at 7:30

Bruins Take Command of Survivor Series with 5-4 Win Over Kindersley

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins continue to prove that regular season stats mean nothing in the postseason as the Bruins defeated the Klippers 5-4. With the win the Bruins now lead the best of five series 2-0.

It was a big night for Tanner Froese as he scored a pair of goals (including the game winning goal) and an assist. The game winner started with Hudson Morrison delivering a big hit deep in the Klippers zone knocking the Klippers Justin Schoffer off the puck which allowed Calder Neufeld to pick up the puck and he gave Froese a perfect pass and Froese finished off the play with his second goal of the game.

It was a rollercoaster of a game with the Bruins jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period as Froese drove to the net after making a nice move past the Klippers Jonathan Coachman, Froese's initial shot was stopped by King, and then King stopped Alex Cote's attempt but Neufeld finished off the play burying his second of the postseason to make it 2-0.

The Bruins extended their lead when Neufeld made a perfect to Froese and he buried a shot past King's blocker to make it 2-0. The Bruins were successful on their first attempt on the powerplay as Cole Olson found Dylan Smith on the doorstep of the net and Smith deflected the puck with a backhand to make it 3-0. After the third goal King was pulled in favour of Warren Shymko.

The Klippers got back into the game early in the 2nd when DJ McGrath wrapped around the puck from behind the net and snuck it past Curtis Martinu to make it 3-1.

The Bruins regained their three goal as Smith scored his second powerplay goal of the night as he batted a puck out of midair and past Shymko to make it 4-1.

Like in Game 1, the Bruins fell into penalty trouble as the Klippers were able to capitalize as Kolby Daniels, Kyle Davies and Bradley Buckingham each scored to tie the game at 4-4 heading into the final frame.

Once Froese scored the go ahead goal the Bruins once again placed the defensive clamps on the Klippers but with 10 seconds remaining Giovanni Bombini appeared to have an open net to tie the game but Martinu stretched out the pad and made what Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy called a game winning save for the Bruins.

With the victory the Bruins will have two opportunities to win the series on home ice starting on Tuesday at Spectra Place. You can catch the game on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15.\

After the game Froese comments on the win for the Bruins.

Bruins Open Playoffs With 2-1 Win over Kindersley.

The CanElson Drilling played a solid road game and it earned them a 1-0 lead in the Survivor Series.

Calder Neufeld has experienced a frustrating 20 year old season but the frustration was quickly erased when is wrist shot went off the Klippers Tyrell King's glove and in the net. Neufeld said at that stage of the game he was trying to just get a puck on the net and felt fortunate that one went in.

The first period had a slow choppy start and the flow didn't really pick up until the Bruins went on the powerplay. Cole Olson scored the first goal of the game on the Bruins first powerplay as he followed up his own rebound to give the Bruins the first lead. Olson almost made it 2-0 as he split the Klippers defence as put the puck through his legs but as he went for the deke on King, he managed to get the stick on Olson's backhand attempt.

With a minute remaining in the period it appeared that the Bruins were going on to the powerplay after the Klippers Beau Stewart slashed the Bruins Curtis Martinu, but instead the refs called David Robertson with the slashing penalty giving the Klippers the powerplay. With 50 seconds left in the first the Klippers Giovanni Bombini got his backhand past Curtis Martinu to tie the game at 1-1.

There was no scoring in the second period but the story was the Bruins powerplay. The Bruins had to kill off four penalties and including essentially a six minute powerplay with Hudson Morrison taking a four minute penalty right after a Robertson penalty. The Bruins were able to limit the Klippers chances and Martinu came up with a big save when called upon.

In the third period, the Bruins dominated the Klippers with the majority of the play in the period inside of Kindersley's zone. The Bruins only allowed Kindersley two shots in the third period and did a great job of controlling the puck after Neufeld's goal.

With the win, the Bruins now have home ice advantage and a win tonight means the Bruins will have two chances to finish off the series at home ice.

You can catch tonight's game on CJ1280 beginning at 5:45.

After the game Neufeld comments on the win.

SJHL Hall of Fame Dinner/Bruins Awards Banquet

The SJHL welcomed six new members to the SJHL Hall of Fame last night. Ron Dunville, Bruce Firth, Ray Frehlick, Alan May, Terry Simpson and Bill Shinske were all welcomed to the Hall of Fame last night.
    
After the ceremony May answered questions from the media and below is the speeches from Firth, Simpson and Dunville.

                                                                              Alan May

 

 Terry Simpson

 

Bruce Firth

Ron Dunville

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The Bruins also handed out their awards last night and here are the winners.

Bruins Awards Winners


Rookie of the Year Zach Douglas and Darcy DeRoose

Defenceman of the Year- Tyler Kauk

Most Popular Player- Connor Milligan

Hustle- Cole Olson

Most Sportsmanlike- Connor Milligan

Scholastic Award- Zach Douglas

Most Improved- Zach Douglas

Rocky Award- Hudson Morrison

Community Involvement- Taylor Reich

Bill Shinske Ethics Award- Cole Olson and Connor Milligan

MVP- Cole Olson

Training Staff Heart Award- Curtis Martinu

Volunteer Award Gail Chilman

Underrated- Brett Dumaine

Ironman Award- Tanner Froese, Tyler Paslawski, Cole Olson, Connor Milligan

Scholarship Award- Cole Olson

Looking Ahead to Survivor Series With Cole Olson

For the third straight year the Estevan Bruins will be in the Survivor Series as they meet the Kindersley Klippers. This will also mark the third straight time that Dylan Smith, Calder Neufeld and Cole Olson.will be involved in the series.

I had the chance to talk with Olson about being in the Survivor Series for the third straight year.

Look Ahead to Tonight's SJHL Induction Ceremony

The Estevan Bruins will hold their annual Awards Banquet tonight along with the SJHL Hall of Fame Dinner ceremony. Here's the list of people who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight.


Ron Dunville: Ron was one of the most dynamic players in Bruins history. He is the all-time Bruins leading scorer and is 12th in SJHL history and third in SJHL for goals scored.



Bruce Firth: Bruce is 18th all-time in SJHL scoring history and is regarded as one of the SJHL Bruins top players of all-time. Bruce was also a longstanding member of the executive and as the team’s accountant played a crucial role in helping to guide the team to financial stability.



Ray Frehlick:   Ray was part of the group that kept the franchise alive when the WHL Bruins moved to New Westminster. Ray was a huge part of the first management team of the SJHL Bruins and has long been an incredible financial supporter.



Alan May:  Alan spent four years with Bruins. In ‘85 Alan had 51 goals and over 400 PIM’s on the team that won the SJHL championship. Alan then went on to an 8 year NHL career. With respect to the SJHL Bruins, Al has had one of the best post-Bruin careers. Alan remains involved in hockey as announcer for the Washington Capitals.



Bill Shinske: Bill had a huge influence on the SJHL and the Estevan Bruins. This long time general manager’s name was synonymous with the Bruins franchise for years. The league’s builder of the year award was named in his honour.



Terry Simpson: Terry played with the Bruins prior to their move to the WHL. He then went on to coach Prince Albert to a number of dominant seasons before the team moved to WHL and is regarded as one of the best coaches in SJHL history. Terry also had a successful coaching career in the NHL with a number of teams. 

Here's the interview that aired during last Friday's broadcast with Frehlick.


                                                                                      Part 1

                                                                      Part 2

Q and A with Hard Knocks Felix Jimenez

Hard Knocks Fighting returns to Estevan tomorrow night with Hard Knocks 31.

There's 17 fights scheduled on the card and 10 of them will feature local fighters. The main event will be a light heavyweight (205 lb) bout between Devon Smith and Kevin LeGasse. The co-main event will feature a lightweight (155) bout between Chris Chapman and David Swanson.


One of the local fighters on the card is Felix Jimenez who's won his last two fights in Estevan and will be competing in a heavyweight bout against Leeroy Johnson from Toronto.

I had the chance to talk Jimenez earlier this week about the fight.

Bruins End Reg. Seson With OT Win

Some dramatics in the final regular season game for the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins as they defeated the Notre Dame Hounds 4-3 in overtime.

Dylan Smith took the puck from behind the net and walked out front and outwaited Hounds Goalie Ty Reichenbach and buried a backhand shot to give the Bruins the walkoff victory.

It was a strong game for Tyler Ross who made 32 saves and it appeared he had the game locked up in regulation. With 11 seconds remaining in the third period it looked like Ross had the puck covered up but the Referees let the play continue and the Hounds Brandon Millin hammered the puck in the net. Ross went 1-1 in his two starts before the postseason and should provide the Bruins a quality backup behind Curtis Martinu.

Wyatt Garagan scored his second goal in the last three games while Leighton McLachlan scored in the second straight game as he once again played forward.

Hudson Morrison was the only Bruin to record 20 goals on the season as he finished off his first year campaign with the Bruins with 21 goals.

The Bruins will now move on to the Survivor Series with the Kindersley Klippers. Game 1 is Saturday night and can be heard on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:15.

Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy comments on last night's victory

Sherwood Conference Survivor Series Dates

Bruin Fans can start marking some playoff dates dates on the calender.

The dates has been announced for the Sherwood Conference with the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins and Kindersley Klippers.

The series will open on Saturday (Mar.2) in Kindersley at 7:30 followed by Game 2 on Sunday (Mar.3) in Kindersley at 6:00.

The series will move back to Estevan next Tuesday (Mar 5) for Game 3 at 7:30 and then if necessary Game 4 is Wednesday (Mar.6)  at Estevan at 7:30. Then the series will move to Kindersley for Game 5 if necesscary on Thursday (Mar.7) at 7:30.

CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com will have all the games on air proceeded by a 15 minute pregame show.

The Bruins wrap up the regular season on home ice tomorrow against Notre Dame at Spectra Place  you can catch the game on CJ1280 beginning at 7:20.

Bruin Alumni Update: Ryan Ostertag

I had a chance to speak with former Estevan Bruin, Ryan Ostertag before last night's game. Ostertag played his final game in Junior  last night and scored his 25th goal on the season as he ripped a shot top shelf past the Bruins Tyler Ross in the first period.

Ostertag spent his rookie season with the Bruins in 2010-11 and was with the team for a couple of months last season before being dealt to Nipawin. Early this season Ostertag was dealt to Weyburn and thrived his role as a leader for the Red Wings.

Best of luck to Oscar and I'm sure sometime this summer we'll have an interview with him as we find out where he's playing hockey next season.

Bruins Finish 5th After Loss to Weyburn

It was a tough night for the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins as they were defeated by the Weyburn Red Wings 4-3. The combination of the Bruins loss and Kindersley win means the Bruins will open the Survivor Series on the road in Kindersley.

The Bruins gave the start to Tyler Ross who returned the team after spending some time in the USHL and QMJHL this year. The Red Wings opened up the scoring with Josh Lees scoring for the Red Wings to make it 1-0. The Bruins would tie it up shortly afterwards as Leighton McLachlan finished off a 2 on 1 with Tyler Paslawski to even up the score at 1-1. But the Red Wings would regain the lead as former Ryan Ostertag buried his 25th goal of the season as he ripped a shot top shelf past Ross to give the Red Wings the lead in the first intermission.

In the second period the Bruins were unable to get one past Nate Ferris as the Bruins had several chances but Ferris shut the doors at every opportunity. Ferris was able to deny Dylan Smith on a breakaway along with the other Bruins shooters. McLachlan has the best opportunity in the period but rang a shot off the post. Adam Rosselin scored the only goal for the Red Wings in the period to make it 3-1.

Weyburn opened the scoring in the final period as Thomas Carelton early in the period to make it 4-1. The Bruins generated more chances but were still struggling against Ferris.Tanner Froese would score his 13th goal of the season and that was followed by Cole Olson deflecting Zach Douglas shot to make it 4-3 Weyburn. Smith had a great chance to tie it at 4-4 but Smith's shot was deflected and missed by inches. The Red Wings would hang for a win in their final game of the season.

The Bruins will wrap up the season on Tuesday against Notre Dame before they begin the Survivor Series sometime next weekend, likely on Saturday.

You can catch the Bruins game against the Hounds on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:20.

Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy comments on the game.

Bruins vs Red Wings Preview

The Estevan Bruins won the first half of the home and home set with the Red Wings last night with a come from behind 3-2 win.

Latest News

Estevan Bruins- A win by the Bruins would assure them that they won't be eliminated from 4th spot in the Sherwood Conference. A Bruins win and a Kindersley would allow the Bruins to be in the drivers seat on Tuesday. But a Bruins loss and Kindersley win means the Klippers will host Game 1 of the Survivor Series next week.

Weyburn Red Wings- Tonight is the final game of the season for the Red Wings and they will try and spoil the Bruins plans on getting home ice advantage in the Survivor Series. A win by the Red Wings would also mean a split in the season series between the two teams.

Keep An Eye Out For

Estevan Bruins- Tyler Paslawski-Darcy DeRoose- Brett Dumaine. This line had a heck of a game last night. First with Paslawski scoring the game winner and then in the final minute of the game they were able to keep the puck away from the Red Wings as they attempted for the tie. If this is the Bruins "4th" line then teams will struggle with the Bruins depth in the postseason.

Weyburn Red Wings- Ryan Ostertag-Miguel Pereria. The two 20 year olds were the two best Red Wings last night and will be playing their last game in Junior Hockey. If there's any Red Wing that's going to leave it on the line tonight for Weyburn, it will be these two.

Special Stats

Estevan Bruins-

PP-13% (12th)
PK-82.7 (7th)

Weyburn Red Wings
PP- 15.1% (9th)
PK- 78.3 (10th)

Intermission Guests-

In the 2nd intermission we will hear from former Estevan Bruin and now current Weyburn Red Wing Ryan Ostertag who is playing in his final Junior A game tonight.

Bruins Move Within 1 Point of 4th With 3-2 Win Over Weyburn

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins moved within one point of 4th spot in the Sherwood Conference after a 3-2 victory over the Weyburn Red Wings.

The Bruins applied plenty of pressure in the first period but it was the Red Wings scoring on the powerplay as Ty McLean notched his 9th goal of the season and left the Bruins were trailing 1-0 after the first period.

In the second the Red Wings opened the scoring as Miguel Pereria and Ryan Ostertag emerged on a 2 on 1 and it ended with with Ostertag scoring his 24th goal of the season to make it 2-0. The Bruins would respond as Nick Egan found Wyatt Garagan in behind the defence as Garagan buried his 6th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Bruins tied the game on the powerplay as Dylan Smith deflected Tyler Kauk's pass and made it 2-2 after two periods.

The third period saw the line of Tyler Paslawski- Brett Dumaine- Darcy DeRoose. Early in the third period Paslawski carried the puck from the corner and buried a back hand shot to give the Bruins their first lead of the night. Then with 1:10 remaining in the third period with a faceoff inside the Red Wings zone, the line was able to control the play inside of the Red Wing zone for the next minute and only allowing the Red Wings about 10 seconds with an extra attacker on the ice. Weyburn was unable to score giving the Bruins the victory.

Curtis Martinu made 22 saves for the win. With the win the Bruins are one point behind Kindersley for home ice in the Survivor Series. If the Bruins win tonight and Kindersley loses the Bruins move into fourth spot, if the Bruins lose and the Klippers win then Kindersley clinches 4th place. If the Bruins and Klippers both win, Kindersley is still in 4th place but won't clinch.

The Bruins are back in action tonight when they meet the Red Wings in Weyburn. You can catch the game on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:20.

Estevan Bruins vs Weyburn Red Wings

The Estevan Bruins and Weyburn Red Wings will meet for the final two times this season with a weekend  home and home set. The Bruins and Red Wings have each swept a home and home set this season with the Bruins taking the first two games of the season series on the Thanksgiving Weekend while the Red Wings took both games during the home and home set on Dec.30 and Jan.1.

Latest News 

Estevan Bruins- In their last game on Sunday, the Bruins clinched a playoff spot with a convincing 6-3 win over Kindersley. The Bruins will look to secure home ice during the Survivor Series against the Klippers. The Bruins are down by three points with a game in hand. Kindersley has the night off before returning to action tomorrow night against Nipawin.

Weyburn Red Wings- It's been a tough season for Weyburn and their playoff hopes officially came to an end on Sunday with the Bruins victory over Kindersley. This is the first time the Red Wings have missed the playoffs since 1999.

Keep An Eye Out For

Estevan Bruins- Alex Cote. A lot of the attention in the second half for the Bruins has gone to Dylan Smith, but Alex Cote has been a valuable pick up from the Summerside Capitals. Cote has provided much needed scoring on the second line but being a playmaker. He's playing on a line with Calder Neufeld and Hudson Morrison right now and the trio have the potential to be very explosive on any given night.

Weyburn Red Wings- Ryan Ostertag.  While the Red Wings have struggled this season, Ostertag has thrived in a situation where's he has been counted on to be one of the leaders for Weyburn. There's no doubt the 20 year old will try and finish his Junior Career but causing some problems for his first junior team.

Special Stats

Estevan Bruins-
PP 12.7% (12th)
PK 83% (6th)

Weyburn Red Wings
PP 14.8% (8th)
PK 78.5% (10th)

Intermission Guests

When it comes to player interviews I have only two players left to interview and that is Nick Egan and Travis Pelletier so we will hear those two players this weekend.

In the 2nd intermission we will hear from one of the men who's going into the SJHL Hall of Fame next week in former Estevan Bruins Executive Ray Frehlick.

Locker Talk Preview with Bruins Tanner Froese and Matt Brykaliuk

This week the Bruins Tanner Froese and Matt Brykaliuk join me on this week's edition of Locker Talk as we look ahead to the final week of the regular season and the upcoming Survivor Series against the Kindersley Klippers.

Here's a bonus segment as we talk about some of the latest happenings in the NHL.

Bruins Back In Playoffs With 6-3 over Kindersley

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins are heading back to the postseason after a 6-3 victory over the Kindersley Klippers last night at Spectra Place.

The Bruins had an explosive start as they controlled the play in the first period. The Bruins opened up the scoring 1:22 into the first period as the Bruins scored on their first shot of the powerplay as Tyler Kauk's shot was deflected and went into the net to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. The Bruins would continue to add to their lead as Matt Brykaliuk was left all alone and buried a backhand through the five hole of the Klippers Tyrell King to make it 2-0. On the Bruins second powerplay opportunity Connor Milligan ripped a lazer shot from the point and found the back of the net for his first of the season which made it 3-0 and also meant the end of the evening for King and Warren Shymko went in net.

The Bruins would cap off the first period as Wyatt Garagan scored his 5th goal of the season to make it 4-0.

The Bruins had a strong start to the 2nd period as Alex Cote scored on a loose rebound in front of the net in the opening minutes of the 2nd period. The Klippers would finally get on the scoreboard late in the 2nd period as Kyle Davies was awarded a penalty shot and he scored on the backhand to make the score 5-1 after two periods.

In the third period, Cote would score his 2nd goal of the game as he created a turnover deep inside of the Klippers end and made it 6-1. Kindersley would add a couple of late goals as the game got a little bit ugly at the end with the Bruins falling into penalty trouble but they still hung on for the victory.

The Bruins will meet the Klippers in the Survivor Series with home ice still to be determined. The Bruins trail the Klippers by three points with a game in hand.

Next action for the Bruins is Friday when they host the Weyburn Red Wings in a home and home set. You can catch the game on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:20.

Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy comments after the win.

Bruins vs Klippers Preview

Unless the Estevan Bruins lose their remaining four games and the Weyburn Red Wings win their remaining four games, this will be the Sherwood Conference Survivor Series that will start on the first weekend of March. With playoff implications on the line tonight, there's no doubt tonight will have a playoff atmosphere to it.

Latest News

Estevan Bruins- The Bruins were unable to clinch a playoff spot on Friday night against the Humboldt Broncos. The Bruins played the Broncos tough, but a couple of defensive mistakes inside of their own zone lead to the Bruins undoing. The Bruins still have a chance to catch the Klippers for 4th spot, but a loss tonight and the best they can do is 5th.

Kindersley Klippers- The Klippers wrap up their three game road swing in Estevan today. They started off with a shootout win in Notre Dame followed by a loss to Weyburn last night. The Klippers lead the Bruins by 5 points for 4th spot. After tonight the Klippers host Nipawin and then visit Humboldt on the last day of the season.

Keep an Eye Out For

Estevan Bruins- Dylan Smith. I think there's a valid argument that Smith has been the top player in the SJHL since his return at the Jan. 10 deadline. He's been Player of the Week twice and on Friday he took control with a pair of goals against Humboldt. The Bruins powerplay was looking sharp with Smith playing with Olson and Neufeld up front and this is just pure speculation on my part, I have a feeling we will be seeing the three together on 5 on 5 sometime in the near future.

Kindersley Klippers- Austin Yano. Today is the first time Yano will be playing as a visitor in Spectra Place. The former Bruin was the best player on the ice in the Klippers win on Feb. 9 which lead him to winning SJHL Defenceman of the Week and I'm sure he has plenty of motivation to repeat that performance in front of the Bruins faithful.

Special Stats

Estevan Bruins
PP- 11.9% (12th overall)
PK- 82.9% (7th overall)

Kindersley Klippers

PP 13.9% (10th overall)
PK 77.0% (11th overall)


You can tune into tonight's game on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 5:50. Tonight's Bruins Alumni Update will be former Bruins player and coach and now Assistant Coach and Director of Player Personal with the Virden Oil Capitals Chad Leslie.

Bruins Unable to Clinch Playoff Spot With Loss to Broncos

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins were unable to clinch a playoff spot as they were defeated by the Humboldt Broncos 3-2.

The Broncos scored first on the powerplay to gain the early lead but then the Bruins would storm back as Dylan Smith blocked and took the puck and buried a shot pass the glove of Matt Hrinkiw to tie the game at 1-1.

A few minutes later the Bruins would go on to the powerplay and the familiar trio of Smith, Cole Olson and Smith connected on the powerplay as Olson found Smith in front and he scored his 13th goal of the season to get the Bruins the lead after the first period.

In the second period the goal came from the Broncos as scramble left Brandon Tidy alone in front with a tap in goal to tie the game at 2-2.

In the final period the game was decided 3:43 into the period as a bad turnover inside of the Bruins zone left Tidy a short breakaway as he beats Bruins Goalie Curtis Martinu on the glove side as the Broncos would go on to hang to the victory.

Martinu made 25 saves in the loss while the Bruins powerplay was 1 for 3.

The Bruins are back in action tomorrow night when they host the Kindersley Klippers on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 5:50.

Bruins Alumni Audio Ben Findlay & Chris Stubel and Audio From Morrison Cote and Neufeld

A little behind with posting the audio but during last weekend games I had interview with former Bruins Ben Findlay and Chris Stubel. Here's the full interview with Findlay which lasted about 16 minutes, it was pretty much a couple of guys sitting reliving the old days.


                                                                    Ben Findlay



Here's the interview with my birthday brother Chris Stubel





   

And after the Bruins win on Monday I had a chat with the line of Hudson Morrison Alex Cote and Calder Neufeld
                    

Bruins End Trip With Huge Win over Northstars

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins saved their best effort for last as they defeated the Battlefords Northstars 5-2.

The Bruins made plenty of changes to their lines before the game and the changes seem to spark the Bruins. One change was Brett Lewchuk being called up from the Saskatoon AAA Midget Blazers getting the start in net for the Bruins. The Bruins and Northstars were scoreless until 26 seconds remaining in the period when Matt Brykaliuk and Dylan Smith emerged with a 2 on 1 and Brykaliuk's shot left Smith a big rebound as the Bruins took a 1-0 lead.

In the second period, the Northstars came back to tie it up at 1-1 35 seconds into the period, but the Bruins would respond a couple of minutes later as Brykaliul scored from a tough angle and the Bruins grabbed a 2-1 lead. The Bruins would add to their lead as Calder Neufeld scored his first goal since the third game of the season on the powerplay to extend their lead to 3-1. Shortly afterwards Hudson Morrison would outhustle the Northstar defenders and would score on the breakaway to give the Bruins the 4-1 lead. The Northstars would pull Goalie Casey Parker and Connor Creech would go in net. The move seemed to spark the Northstars as they scored at the end of the period to make it 4-2.

But the Bruins would win the third period as Morrison finished  off a 2 on 1 rush to score his second of the game and his 20th of the season to make the final 5-2.

It was a big night for the Morrison-Neufeld-Alex Cote line. Neufeld had a goal and a pair of assists, Cote had a pair of assists. Brett Blatz had a pair of assists and played solid inside of his own end. Lewchuk made 38 saves to pick up the win in his SJHL debut.

The Bruins are now off until Friday when they meet the Humboldt Broncos. You can catch the game on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:20.

*Audio to come later with Keith Cassidy and the Neufeld-Morrison-Cote line later today