Humboldt roars into 2008 with another win!

The only game on New Years Eve saw Humboldt take on the Nipawin Hawks.As expected the Broncos defeated the Hawks by a score of 4-1. The Broncos have now won an impressive 10* games in a row and don't look to stop winning any time soon.

The Broncos scored two goals in the first and two in the second to take a commanding 4-0 lead heading into the third period. Nipawin broke the goose egg at 4:56 of the third period to end the shutout for Andrew Bodnarchuk. It was also a big night for Tanner Vandesype as he grabbed three assists on the evening.

The SJHL will be a little busier tomorrow as Yorkton takes on Melville and the Red Wings take on the Estevan Bruins in Estevan.

Hopefully Brad McNeil will be in game condition to do some top notch color commentary for the fans tomorrow after his New Years Eve shenanigans.

Tonight's Three Stars

* Tanner Vandesype - Humboldt Broncos (3 assists)
** Brayden Kilmosko - Humboldt Broncos (1 goal and 1 assist)
*** Laurent Benjamin - Humboldt Broncos (opening goal of the game)


- Troy K

Mils, Bombers Win on Sunday Night!

The Melville Millionaires drew first blood in the home and home series with the Yorkton Terriers as they defeated the Terriers 6-3 on home ice. Brad Johnston paced the Millionaires with a goal and two assists. Jordan Wilson picked up his first goal as a Millionaires since coming over from Port Hope and also added an assist. Bryant Dyke, Aaron Decorby, Kale Dolinski and Dion Campbell also scored for Melville. Daniel Hope also had two assists for Melville. Derek Serdachny and Kirk Byczynski each had a goal and an assist for the Terriers. Kyle Block also scored for the Terriers. Kyle Cantlon got the win as he made 20 saves while Lynden Sammartino took the loss.

In Flin Flon, the Bombers were too much for the Melfort Mustangs on this night as they dumped the Stangs 5-1. Cole Wilson scored twice for the Bombers while Reid MacLeod added a goal and an assist. Pierre-Luc Boucher and Dustyn Clegg also scored for Flin Flon. David Linsley added three assists in the victory. John Payne had the lone Melfort goal assisted by Nick Kalnicki. Carsen Chubak got the start for the Bombers stopping 24 of 25 shots. Ilia Ejov was busy as he faced 42 shots, stopping 37 of them.

Tonight's Three Stars:

* Cole Wilson - Flin Flon Bombers (2 goals for rookie Bomber)
** Brad Johnston - Melville Millionaires (3 point night)
*** David Linsley - Flin Flon Bombers (3 assists for 20 year old Bomber)

- Brad M.

Power Rankings (for the period from December 10-30)

Sorry guys, with Christmas and some other things I was busy with I did not get a chance to post an updated power rankings before the Christmas break so I will therefore try and bring things back to date now.

1. Humboldt Broncos (29-8-0-1) LR: 3

All the Broncos have done since the last rankings was rattle off a 5-0 record with wins over Estevan, Notre Dame, Weyburn, Melville and Nipawin. The Broncos are a well balanced team that rolls four lines and the statistics prove that. Laurent Benjamin and Jordan Schindel continue to lead the way offensively. Tanner Vandesype appears to have fit in well with the Broncos and is part of a veteran defense crew that includes the likes of Russ Nielsen, Matt Rintoul and Brady Wacker. If I was picking the all-star teams I would have trouble keeping any one those four defenseman off the roster. Taylor Nelson continues to lead or be in the top three in all goaltending categories. I do not expect the Broncos to make any moves on the 10th of January because how much more could this team possibly improve? This week the Broncos will play a New Year's Eve game at home against the Hawks before embarking on a road trip to Flin Flon and La Ronge on the weekend.

2. Weyburn Red Wings (22-11-2-4) LR: 6

The Wings played four games during this period with wins over Melville, La Ronge and Estevan and a lopsided loss to the Broncos. The Red Wings continue to be a team that uses all four lines to produce offense. The trio of Preston Shupe, Torrey Lindsay and Rhett Bly has been hot as of late. To show the balance the Wings possess, three players share the scoring lead with 36 points each - Josh Bray, Lindsay and Shupe. Shawn Courtney is becoming a favorite on the back end with his physical presence and fighting ability. After seeing some of the actions late in Saturday's game, I expect Courtney will have a score to settle with one of the Bruins on Tuesday afternoon, perhaps Bruins captain Kyle Garagan who seemed anxious to drop the gloves late in Saturday's game. In addition to the New Year's Day Game, the Wings will also have a battle on their hands at home on Friday night when the Kindersley Klippers are in town. This is the first of three battles over the next 2 weeks between the Wings and Klippers and these games could go a long way's in determining the final Sherwood standings.

3. Kindersley Klippers(23-14-0-2) LR: 8

The Klippers are currently one of the hottest teams in the league as they went 4-0 during the period which the rankings cover. The Klippers posted a pair of wins over Notre Dame while also defeating Flin Flon and Melville. Ryan Sawka, Brett Leedahl and Jonathan Redlick all now find themselves amongst the top 10 scorers in the SJHL. The Klippers also have a young but steady group of defenseman led by veterans Scott Linnell and Milo Miller. Ryan Nieszner gets most of the work in goal but Matt Weninger has been phenomenal when called upon. The Klippers will have the aforementioned battle with the Red Wings on Friday and then head to Estevan on Saturday to battle the Bruins.

4. Flin Flon Bombers (23-13-1-1) LW: 2

The Bombers do drop in the rankings this period but continue to play pretty good hockey. Granted two of there three wins during this period were against the woeful Stars, they did play two pretty good games against the Mustangs this past weekend picking up three out of four possible points. The issue still seems to be that this team struggles on the road which is something they will have to look to rectify if they hope to be among the contenders come playoff time. Although the " Big Three " have cooled off a little after their torrid start, they continue to be amongst the top five in league scoring. The Bombers get to play a pair of games at the Whitney Forum this weekend as they host Humboldt on Friday night and Notre Dame on Saturday.

5. La Ronge Ice Wolves (23-15-2-2) LR: 3

When Bob Beatty attended the scheduling meeting this past summer he got his wish as he got all his southern road trips out of the way before Christmas. The Ice Wolves played a league high 32 games before the break and came out with a pretty good record so it will be interesting to see how well they play with the lighter schedule after the break. Jordie Johnston, Jarrid Dowhay and Bruno-Pier Gosselin have formed one of the most explosive lines I have seen in awhile and Johnston moved into the league lead in scoring prior to the break. If the Ice Wolves defense can hold up and goaltender Jonathan Jobin is on his game, the Wolves could be a legitimate contender down the stretch. The Wolves have a home matchup with the Humboldt Broncos on Saturday night and then host Notre Dame on Sunday night.

6. Melfort Mustangs(19-10-2-4) LR: 7

Maybe the Mustangs should be ranked higher but I had a tough time ranking them any higher than the teams I have above them - for now. Ilia Ejov has proven that he is among the league elite in the goaltending department. If the likes of Taylor Watt and Clint Olson can remain healthy down the stretch and newcomer Jason Walker can pick up his game a bit, I believe the Mustangs have a chance to make some noise this year. Melfort travels to North Battleford on Friday and then hosts Melville on Saturday.

7. Melville Millionaires (21-14-2-0) LR: 4

Does anyone even remember that the Millionaires were 11-0 to start the season? Things have not been all that rosy since but the quick start has allowed Melville a chance to rebound as they are still only six points out of first despite their struggles. On paper, this team is as good as any in the league. For whatever reason, that has not always transpired in the ice. Jamie Fiesel will be encouraged by the big win over Yorkton tonight. Jordan Wilson appears to have found his scoring touch as he scored his first goal as a Millionaire. Rookie Jordan Reeve is starting to play more minutes and is playing well. The Mils biggest problem as of late may be inconsistent goaltending as Kyle Cantlon and Travis Bosch have both struggled somewhat lately and will have to improve if the Mils are going to challenge for the division. The Millionaires have games against Yorkton, Nipawin and Melfort this week.

8. Estevan Bruins (19-18-2-1) LW: 5

The Bruins struggled during this period going only 1-4. The Bruins have been relying on a lot of their younger players to score. Rookies Brennan Wrigley and Brody Haygarth played on the number one line in Weyburn on Saturday night with Kyle Stroh. The defense situation appears to be settled for now although GM/Head Coach Karry Biette would like to add more depth before the deadline. Colton MacPherson is back with the Bruins after starting this season with the Saskatoon Blades. However, as MacPherson was returning to Estevan, Gabriel Carle was packing his bags and leaving town to return to Quebec. The Bruins look to rebound this week but it won't be easy as they host Weyburn and Kindersley.

9. Nipawin Hawks (12-15-1-4) LW: 9

The Hawks were .500 in their four games played during this period. The line of Torrie Dyck, Brent Ottmann and Steve Mason continues to provide a majority of the offense. The Hawks will also need offensive help from the likes of Dean Prpick, Keldon Sanderson, and Jordon Miller, to name a few, down the stretch in order to be any kind of challenge come playoff time. The goaltending situation is a bit changed as of late as the Hawks brought in Daniel Di Camillo. Di Camillo has started three consecutive games with Derek Kleinsteuber riding the pine. It will be interesting to see who gets a majority of the starts down the stretch. The Hawks do not have an easy week as they have games against Humboldt, Melville and Yorkton.

10. Yorkton Terriers (17-16-2-3) LW: 10

My opinion - the Terriers are going to have to deal from strength (defense) to address a deficiency (offense). I know that is easier said than done but it is clear this team is struggling to score and that has been the theme for most of the season. Things really went down hill when Bryan Hull went down to injury and Carter Smith left the team for the Red Deer Rebels. I still feel this team is capable of upsetting a few teams come playoff time if Lynden Sammartino is on his game. Inconsistency has plagued Sammartino at times this season. The Terriers will look for revenge against the Millionaires on New Year's Day and then host Nipawin on Saturday.

11. Notre Dame Hounds (10-22-1-0) LW: 11

It has been a long season for the young Hounds and I am interested to see how they come out after the break. Will the Hounds make any more deals? They continue to have the disgruntled Evan Bryksa who has not played a game and 20 year old forward Chris Bratina could be an attractive addition for contending teams. Mark Currie and Andre Guay have split most of the goaltending duties prior to the break. The Hounds on most nights use 2 or 3 players from their midget program so be sure to pick up a program if you head to a game in Notre Dame. The Hounds return from the break and hit the road with games in Flin Flon and La Ronge.

12. Battlefords North Stars (4-29-2-3) LW: 12

The Stars are already in next year country so the next six weeks of action will allow the current roster to show that they want to be back next season. One area that does appear to be a bright spot for the future is the goaltending. Despite playing on a young, struggling team, Ryan Kerpan and Adrien Lemay have been impressive in many of their starts. The Stars will host Melfort on Friday night.


- Brad M.

Wings Wear Off Turkey Versus Estevan!

The Weyburn Red Wings returned to the ice tonight for their first game since December 19 and did not disappoint the 928 fans in attendance as they skated to a 3-1 win over the Estevan Bruins.

The two teams were scoreless through two periods as Bruins goaltender Karsten Felske and Wings goaltender AJ Whiffen were both on fire making some huge saves. The Wings finally cracked the goose egg at 2:53 of the third period on a power play. Stephen Simms took a blistering slap shot from the point with the rebound coming out to Craig Cornelson who buried it for his fourth of the season. Josh Bray also assisted on the goal. Just a 1:07 later, Preston Shupe would make it 2-0 as he poked the puck past Felske. Felske tried arguing his case to referee Chad Marshall that the play should have been blown dead as he felt he had control of the puck. Marshall disagreed and the goal stood. Torrey Lindsay and Rhett Bly assisted on the goal. The Bruins would cut the lead in half at 12:24 as Chad Filteau picked up his eighth of the season from Payden Benning and Kyle Garagan. The Wings would respond however just 52 seconds later as Rhett Bly would pick up the goal. Lindsay and Shupe would assist as the Wings would go on to capture the inaugural Tommy Huston Classic. AJ Whiffen made 33 saves to pick up the win. Karsten Felske had 28 saves in the Estevan goal.

Game Notes: The Estevan Bruins had Colton MacPherson back on the blue line. MacPherson played with the Bruins last year before starting this season with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. ...... As MacPherson was coming in, another defenseman was leaving town. Gabriel Carle has elected to return home to play in the QMJHL after his rights were traded from Gatineau to Drummondville. However, Carle is in limbo right now as Bruins GM/Coach Karry Biette refuses to give Carle his release according to a story in last week's Estevan Mercury newspaper......... Biette unleashed a verbal tirade on referee Chad Marshall at the conclusion of the game. Biette was still steaming from a couple of incidents earlier in the third period including a cross checking penalty to Bruins defenseman Riley Hughes which he did not agree with........ It was one of the largest crowds of the season on hand tonight at the Colosseum..... It was great to see some of the family members of Tommy Huston in attendance tonight for the inaugural Tommy Huston Classic. It is just not the same having Tommy coming around selling squares on the Red Wing board or sitting in his special seat up in Section B............ The Red Wings were without Luke Johnson tonight who is banged up a bit after suffering an injury against La Ronge in the game before the Christmas break...... Eric Calibaba also continues to be out with his hand injury suffered earlier in the season in a game played in Yorkton.

In Melfort, the Mustangs jumped out to a 2-0 lead before holding on to win 3-2 in overtime over the Flin Flon Bombers. Matt Hill scored twice for the Mustangs while Jordan Morgan was the overtime hero. Tommy Brown added two assists for the Stangs with single helpers going to Cameron Larson and Riley Clark. Cole Wilson and Dennis Kubat replied for the Bombers. Scott Day added an assist. Ilia Ejov made 33 saves for the win. Calvin Bartel stopped 24 of 27 shots faced in the Flin Flon goal.

The Humboldt Broncos picked up where they left off before the break as they hammered the struggling Nipawin Hawks 6-1. Brady Wacker and Matthew Kirzinger scored twice each for the Broncos. Laurent Benjamin had a goal and an assist while Tanner Vandesype also scored for Humboldt. Torrie Dyck had the lone goal for the Hawks. Taylor Nelson made 30 saves for the win. Daniel DiCamillo stopped 35 shots in the Nipawin goal and was charged with the loss.

Tonight's Three Stars:
* Preston Shupe - Weyburn Red Wings (2 point night - I know I am biased towards Weyburn but I thought Shupe has a great game as did his linemates Lindsay and Bly)
** Matt Hill - Melfort Mustangs (2 goals)
*** Brady Wacker - Humboldt Broncos (2 goals, game winner versus Nipawin)

- Brad M.

We have a winner!

Congrats to Scott Sabados who knew the mystery Red Wing player last week was Mick Pawlyshyn.

For knowing that, he wins two tickets to any Red Wings home game.

Thanks for all the entries and keep an eye out next week for another player.

- Troy K

Hockey World Loses a Great Man!

At the 2005 Royal Bank Cup in Weyburn, I had the opportunity to meet Edmonton Oilers scout Lorne Davis. I had never met the man before yet we chatted about 15 minutes about the RBC and the Weyburn Red Wings. Just listening to this man's experiences were unbelievable and the fact that he took time out of his schedule to have a chat with me showed what kind of man he was. Everyone who walked into a rink knew who Lorne Davis was. I would like to share a story that appeared in yesterdays Leader Post which was written by his son Darrell, who is a Leader Post sports reporter.


By Darrell Davis)

My dad was made to be a hockey scout.

He smoked cigars, wore trench-coats and told wonderful, old hockey stories, which seemed to attract crowds of listeners inside every rink from Helsinki to Duluth to Chicoutimi to Swift Current, the places where Lorne Davis, my dad, was dispatched to find hockey players for the NHL's Edmonton Oilers.

One of those stories was about an ex-teammate dubbed Digger O'Dell, who reportedly worked very hard in the corners. Of course, we noted, that's why his nickname was "Digger.''

"No,'' said dad. "He was an undertaker in the offseason.''

During the 1950s and '60s my dad played for four of the NHL's original six teams. He was with the Montreal Canadiens in 1953 and the Detroit Red Wings in 1955 when those teams won Stanley Cups. He got a tie tack from the Canadiens and a clock from the Red Wings.

The clock hung in our Regina kitchen for decades; the tie tack was sent to a jeweller by my mom, and made into a ring, which Dad gave to me a few Christmases ago. I started bawling, like I did Thursday when my dad died at the age of 77. We're having a memorial service, hopefully this coming Friday, where we can share some stories.

My favourite is about one of the several times he was traded during his career. This came while riding the train, playing cards with fellow Saskatchewanian Gordie Howe, as the Red Wings travelled to Chicago for a game against the Blackhawks. While en route, Lorne was informed he had been dealt to the Blackhawks.

"We were going there anyway, so when we got to Chicago Stadium, everybody else went into our dressing room while I took my stuff around to Chicago's room,'' he said. "I was replacing Metro Prystai, who had just been voted as Chicago's favourite player. When the trade was announced before the game, all the fans started booing. I wasn't in Chicago for very long.''

My dad started scouting for the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1966. He also worked for the New York Rangers and World Hockey Association's Houston Aeros. In 1980 he joined the Oilers, proudly wearing the team-issued jackets and Stanley Cup rings earned by Wayne Gretzky, Glenn Anderson, Mark Messier and Grant Fuhr. Fuhr was one of his draft picks, so was long-time Oiler Ryan Smyth. According to Dad, those were the two players he told the Oilers brass they had better select, or he would no longer be working for the team. Pretty good choices to put your career on the line.

For the last decade or so, my dad vowed every winter would be his last as a scout.

The Oilers, with their wonderful, understanding bosses Kevin Prendergast and Kevin Lowe, told him he could scout as much as he wanted for as long as he wanted. They finally cut his salary this season, realizing that might be the only way to force him to slow down. Nice try.

He adored his family, but we knew hockey was first. Every family get-together contained lengthy discussions about draft choices and Dad's next trip, or his most-recent trip. His four grandsons and one granddaughter couldn't watch TV if an Oilers game were on, while he would fret that head coach Craig MacTavish wasn't playing the young guys enough.

His obsession must have rubbed off on us: My brother Brad scouts for the Oilers (we call it "nepotism'' and tell him the good thing about scouting is that you get a five-year window before anyone realizes your draft choices haven't panned out); my sister Liane is a power skating instructor who teaches Oilers draft choices in the offseason; and I get to write about sports. Our mother Shirley, often touted as the best scout in the family by the college coaches who called her for recommendations about local players, died 15 years ago. Peggy, his companion since then, has also grown to understand the importance of hockey in Lorne's life and, thank God for her, realized what a horrible bachelor he would have been.

An only child of gregarious parents Gertie and Cecil, Lorne's playing career started on the sloughs near Lumsden, led him to the Regina Pats as a player from 1947-50 and a coach from 1976-78, to the NHL with stops in the International, American, Quebec and Western hockey leagues, and back to play senior hockey with the Regina Caps. He didn't have a stellar NHL career, scoring only 11 goals -- "They were all big goals,'' he said with a grin -- but it got him into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame.

He was plucked from the Caps to join the Winnipeg Maroons, when they were the team chosen to represent Canada in the 1968 Olympics. Dad got bumped from the roster before the Games, but a dozen years later he joined the Canadian squad as one of its coaches, along with Tom Watt and Clare Drake, for the 1980 Olympics.

His hockey friends were numerous, from coaches like Scotty Bowman, Glen Sather and Herb Brooks to ex-players like Ed Chadwick, Johnny Bucyk and Harry Howell, to former teammates like Howe and Al King, to just about every scout in the business, starting with local compatriots Bryan Raymond, Stu MacGregor and Bob Brown, to golfing buddy Tony Repushka and the ushers at the Montreal Forum and the Brandt Centre. Among his close friends were Hall of Fame goaltenders Terry Sawchuk, Glenn Hall and Gump Worsley.

"Goalies liked me,'' he said, "because I would always backcheck.''

Of course he did. Isn't that what loyal employees do? Through 40 years of scouting he never opened a hotel mini-bar and never missed a game until last month, when the pain from cancer and a lifetime of ignoring his health left him unable to move. We finally got him into a hospital last week and subtly took off his Olympic pendant, an Oilers ring and another Stanley Cup ring the Canadiens had sent him a few years ago. He asked for them back. Peggy obliged -- "That's who he is,'' she said -- and he was wearing them when a cardiac arrest stopped his pain.

Seventy-seven years and only one miserable month, right at the end, when he couldn't go to a hockey game.

Who am I? (Part 2)

Here we go again. Can you guess who this is?

If you can guess who this Weyburn Red Wing player is then you can win two tickets to any Weyburn Red Wings home game. All you have to do to win the tickets is send your answer to troy_kramm@yahoo.com

The first ten correct answers will get their names put into a draw to win the tickets.

Best of luck, and we appreciate everyone who enters.

- Troy K

Klippers Grab Share of First in Sherwood Going into Break!

The Kindersley Klippers were looking to go home for the holidays on top of the division and they did just that as they doubled up the Notre Dame Hounds 6-3 on Thursday night.

Jonathan Redlick (1 goal, 2 assists) and Brett Leedahl (3 assists) led the way for the Klippers. Ryan Sawka also continued his torrid pace as of late as he scored twice. Casey Rempel, Jerrett Bicknell and Scott Linnell also scored for Kindersley. Matt Sawa had two assists while picking up single assists were Jeremy Beller, Justin Perreaux, Kalib Thunderchief, Ben Ritchie and Kirk Pearce. Travis Janke, TJ Ahvenniemi and Andrew Bzdel replied for the Hounds. Chris Bratina, Rylan Schwartz, Blake Peake and Shane Gray added assists for the Hounds. Matt Weninger got the start for the Klippers and made 31 saves. Mark Currie started for the Hounds and was peppered with 32 shots in less than 30 minutes of action. He was pulled after allowing the fifth Kindersley goal. Andre - Michel Guay went the rest of the way and stopped 14 of 15 shots fired in his direction. Both the Hounds and Klippers now start there Christmas break.

There is only one game left before everyone is gone home for the holidays. That will occur on Saturday night in Prince Albert when the La Ronge Ice Wolves and Battlefords North Stars will meet in a neutral site affair.

I will have updated power rankings posted either Saturday night or Sunday morning after all games for this week are completed.

At this time I would like to wish all the readers, players, coaches, executive, fans, volunteers and everyone else a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2008. Hope to see you all at the rink on December 29 for the inaugral Tommy Huston Classic versus the Estevan Bruins.

- Brad M.

Wings send the Wolves home whimpering

The Weyburn Red Wings forced their way back into first place in the Sherwood last night with a win over the La Ronge Ice Wolves by a score of 3-2.

La Ronge grabbed the early lead at 4:38 into the first on a goal from Bruno-Pier Gosselin but then Riley Daulby scored his first as a Red Wing late in the period to tie the game at one heading into the second.

The offence for both teams weren’t getting too many shots at the net as Whiffen faced four shots and Jobin had nine directed his way in the first.

The second period was much like the first as La Ronge got an early goal by Chris Jungwirth. This time though the Wings couldn’t capitalize on some chances and headed to the dressing room down by one after the second period.

The Wings had to pick up their play in the third if they hoped to go into the break in first place. It looked as if they might have got some jump into their step after Dwight screamed at them to get things going. The Wings got an opportunity when they were shorthanded as a La Ronge player went down in the offensive end as he was hit by the puck. With the extra man taken out of the frame Rhett Bly flew up the ice with the puck one on one versus Jobin and was stopped on his first try but continued to work hard and scored after a few extra chances in front of the net to tie the game at two.

The final goal of the night was scored by Torrey Lindsay who planted himself right on the doorstep to bang the puck past Jobin for the win. I didn’t have a chance to see the goal as I was at the other end of the arena but the crowd was pumped and it was great too hear as the boys held on for the win.

AJ Whiffen picked up the win in net on a relatively slow night for him (compared to many other nights) as he faced 18 shots. Jonathan Jobin took the loss for the Ice Wolves as he made 21 saves on 24 shots.

Now let’s just cheer on Notre Dame tonight as the face Kindersley, so we can hold on to first place in the Sherwood during the Christmas Break.

- Troy K

More pics posted

Make sure to keep checking the newest pictures of the Weyburn Red Wings.

New pictures have been added of the Red Wings helping bag presents for kids at Souris School in Weyburn as well as a misc. section where plenty of other pictures are to be added throughout the rest of the season.

Click here to see the newest pics

If you forget where to go then just make sure you click on the black and white picture of AJ Whiffen.

SJHL Tuesday Night!

All eyes were on Kindersley tonight for the big Sherwood conference matchup between the host Klippers and the visiting Melville Millionaires. The Millionaires took an early 2-0 lead before giving up give goals in the second period as the Klippers win 6-4 and move into a share of first place in the Sherwood with Weyburn.

Ryan Sawka (2 goals, 3 assists), Jonathan Redlick (1 goal, 2 assists) and Brett Leedahl (1 goal, 2 assists) led the way offensively for the Klippers. Matt Sawa added a goal and an assist for the Klippers. Kirk Pearce had the other Kindersley goal. Casey Rempel, Justin Perreaux, Jayde Dunser and Scott Linnell each had one assist for the Klippers. Bryant Dyke scored twice for Melville with both of his goals being assisted on by Kale Dolinski. Jordan Reeve and Derek Edwards also scored for Melville. Jarret Fisher, Dion Campbell and Shane Stanicky each had an assist. Ryan Nieszner got the start for the Klippers and made 28 saves for the win. For the second consecutive game, Kyle Cantlon was pulled after allowing three goals in less than three minutes as he only made 9 saves on 12 shots. Travis Bosch went the rest of the way making 13 saves on 16 shots and Bosch will be charged with the loss. Cantlon was pulled against Weyburn on Saturday night after allowing three goals in less than two minutes. The Millionaires now trail both Weyburn and Kindersley by four points in the Sherwood conference standings.

In Estevan, the Bruins were looking to go into the Christmas break on a high but will have to settle for less as they were shutdown 4-2 by Jonathan Jobin and the La Ronge Ice Wolves. Jobin was outstanding in the La Ronge goal as he made 44 saves on the night. Calvin Fiddler had a pair of goals on the game. Joel Belair added a goal and an assist for the Wolves while Jarrid Dowhay had an empty netter. Jordie Johnston had a pair of assists for the Ice Wolves with single helpers going to Ryan Desjarlais and Bruno-Pier Gosselin. Brant Harris and Kyle Stroh scored for the Bruins with assists going to Kealin Wong, Chad Filteau, Colton MacPherson and Kyle Ermel. David Ritz made 28 saves for the Bruins. Gosselin was ejected late in the second period after receiving a checking from behind major and game misconduct which was called by one of the linsemen as referee Nathan Wieler did not see the hit. In speaking with Dallas Hicks of MBC radio after the game, Ice Wolves head coach Bob Beatty felt the hit should not have even warranted a minor penalty never mind a major. According to the comments on the radio, there were even Bruin fans surprised by the call. Although I was not at the game, I question a linseman making a major call on this play. Can anyone who was at the game elaborate on the play?

In Nipawin, the Hawks were hosting the Notre Dame Hounds and it was the Hawks hanging on for a 5-4 win after leading 5-2 with four minutes to play in the third period. Steve Mason had two goals and an assist to lead the way for the Hawks. Dean Prpick added a pair of goals for the Hawks while Brent Ottmann had a goal and two assists. Torrie Dyck and Jordan Bourgonje each had two assists for the Hawks while Mike Brodziak and Kyle Cowan each had an assist. Blake Peake, Cody Mapes, Travis Montgomery and Rylan Schwartz scored for the Hounds. Thomas Williams had two assists while single helpers went to Blayne Stevenson and Kyle Ireland. Daniel DiCamillo made his second start in a row for the Hawks and made 32 saves to improve to 2-0 in his SJHL career. Andre - Michel Guay got the start for the Hounds and was extremely busy as he was peppered with 48 shots, stopping 43 of them.

Tonight's SJHL Three Stars:
* Ryan Sawka - Kindersley Klippers (five point night for Klippers leading scorer)
** Jonathan Jobin - La Ronge Ice Wolves (44 saves performance to lead Ice Wolves to victory over the Bruins)
*** Steve Mason - Nipawin Hawks (3 point night, reaping the rewards of playing on a line with Ottmann and Dyck)

Tomorrow Night - Be sure to head down to the Colosseum as it will be the last chance for you to see the Wings before the Christmas break. The La Ronge Ice Wolves will be in town as the Wings look for there first win over La Ronge this season. The Wings should be fired up after a taking one on the chin on Sunday night so come out and cheer on the guys.

- Brad M.

The SJHL's Best Zamboni!

I am putting out a challenge to the rest of the SJHL teams to "Show off your Zamboni!" Send me a picture of your Zamboni or any brand of ice resurfacer to have it posted.

Right now I know we have the best Zamboni out there. This nice new 2007 Zamboni with a slick paint job courtesy of Case IH and Young's Equipment here in Weyburn is possibly the best thing on the ice, second only to our Weyburn Red Wings.

If you think you have a better Zamboni or just want to show off what your team drives then you can send me a picture at troy_kramm@yahoo.com. Once I have enough pics I will post them and let the fans vote even though we have this one in the bag!!! haha

- Troy K

Nargang and the boys prepare for La Ronge

Troy Kramm: Your line with Johnson and Bray showed a lot of jump versus Melville and combined for eight points last Saturday, What did you guys do right that game?

Nargang: We really pressured their defence into making mistakes and used our speed to our advantage. Their defencemen aren’t very mobile so we continued to pressure them all night with our speed which gave us some chances to score on.

TK: What was the turning point during the Melville game that you personally noticed?

Nargang: I think when we came out in the third period down by a goal we skated better and forced them to make mistakes. We really settled down and played our game rather than playing the game they wanted us to play.

TK: What happened versus Humboldt with the lack of offense during the night? Do you feel that the early goals may have put the whole team down?

Nargang: Yah it is tough to come back versus a team like that. I though that we had some chances in the first that we didn’t capitalize on and we were skating real well but we just didn’t play up to our potential that night which really made them look better than they actually are.

TK: Looking ahead versus La Ronge, what are you going to have to do, to get back in the winning column before the Christmas break?

Nargang: We are definitely going go have to stay focused and play hard. We are going to have to watch out for their top line and play our own game. They are a tough team but we will look to pressure their defence and work hard to make our plays.

- Troy K

Where are power rankings?

As there is a very light schedule this week, I have opted to do power rankings at the conclusion of this week's games going into the Christmas break.

Broncos Complete Southern Sweep!

The Humboldt Broncos showed no signs of slowing down after three games in three nights as they put the pedal to the metal in dumping the Red Wings 7-1 at the Colosseum. Steven Schroeder, Shawn Hunter and Jordan Schindel each had a goal and an assist for the Broncos. Russ Nielsen, Matthew Kirzinger, Dane Lindskog and Laurent Benjamin also scored for the Broncos. Matthew Rintoul added three assists for Humboldt while Brady Wacker had two assists. Brayden Nargang scored the Wings lone goal, his 16th of the season. Josh Bray and Luke Johnson assisted. Taylor Nelson improved his league leading goaltending statistics as he stopped 25 of 26 shots. It was a tough night for AJ Whiffen as he was pulled after allowing six goals on 35 shots in just over 47 minutes of play. In fairness to AJ there were a couple of unlucky bounces that made it impossible for him to be able to make the save. Tanner Erickson went the rest of the way allowing one goal on six shots. Shawn Courtney is starting to become a fan favorite in Weyburn as he dropped the gloves for the second consecutive night and both times as impressed in the fisticuffs department. It was fun to be sitting in the penalty box and listening to the friendly bantering back and forth between the combatants, Courtney and Voldy Dashko. These two guys are what makes the game so fun. They can kick the crap out of each other on the ice but carry on a good civil conversation just a couple of minutes after trying to beat the snot out of each other. To the Broncos fans reading this, you guys have a helluva team and so well - balanced. Although I do concede the Broncos won all four regular season matchups this year, I would love to see a Credential Cup final featuring these two clubs. I think it would be a dandy. I guess we will have to see how the chips play as it is only December now.

Three Stars:

This is the three stars we picked in the rink tonight.
* Laurent Benjamin - Humboldt Broncos
** Matthew Rintoul - Humboldt Broncos
*** Brayden Nargang - Weyburn Red Wings

Tomorrow is an off day in the league. There will be three games on Tuesday night:
La Ronge @ Estevan
Melville @ Kindersley
Notre Dame @ Nipawin

- Brad M.

Third Period Breakout as Wings beat Melville!

The Weyburn Red Wings made their final regular season visit to Melville Stadium tonight and finally defeated the Millionaires tonight as they used a four goal third period to win 5-2.

The Millionaires jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a period of play with goals going to Kale Dolinski and Matt Kinnunen. The score would remain that way until late in the third period when Brayden Nargang took a nice pass from Stephen Simms and buried one past Millionaires started Kyle Cantlon as the teams went to the dressing room after two with the Mils up 2-1. Nargang's goal seemed to spark the Wings as they came out flying in the third period. Just a 1:02 into the period, Mick Pawlyshyn picked up his second goal of the season from Nick Needham to tie things up. Before the announcer even had time to announce the goal, the Wings took the lead as Luke Johnson made it 3-2. Nargang and Josh Bray assisted on the goal. Just 45 seconds later, Bray would get a goal of his own on a beauty of a play. Johnson and Nargang assisted on that goal giving Nargang three points on the night. Torrey Lindsay would complete the scoring for the Wings at the 5:53 mark of the third from Preston Shupe and Connor Krukowski. AJ Whiffen had another fine start as he stopped 41 of 43 shots. Kyle Cantlon started for Melville but was pulled after Johnson made the score 3-2 Weyburn. Cantlon stopped 17 of the 20 shots he faced. Travis Bosch performed clean up activities and stopped 7 of 9 shots he faced. Rhett Bly left the game after being hit in the second period. My dad, myself, Ryan Williams and Curtis Stepp split the 50/50 tonight so all in all it was a great night. Should be another gooder tomorrow night as the Wings host the Itech leading Humboldt Broncos.
The Red Wings have played extremely well this season and deserve your support. Let's see a huge crowd tomorrow night at the Colosseum. Remember game time is 7:30. I will have recaps of the other games tomorrow but need sleep. Talk to you all soon.

** UPDATED TO INCLUDE OTHER GAMES ON SATURDAY NIGHT **
In Gravelbourg, the Notre Dame Hounds hosted the Humboldt Broncos in yet another neutral site game. This was a wild game that saw the Broncos take a 4-0 lead into the third period. The Hounds would actually come back and tie the game with 43 seconds to go. However, the Broncos proved why they are a first place club as they scored the winning goal with just five seconds left in regulation. Steven Schroeder had a huge night for the Broncos as he had two goals and two assists, including the game winner. His brother Scott also played well scoring once and adding an assist. Shawn Hunter and Laurent Benjamin had the other Bronco goals. Brady Wacker and Tanner Vandesype each added two assists for the Broncos. Kyle Ireland continued his hot play of late for the Hounds as he scored two goals and added an assist. Thomas Williams and Shane Gray also scored for the Hounds. Chris Bratina added two assists for Notre Dame. The game featured a scrap between former Hound Vandesype and Cody Mapes of the Hounds. This may be the first time I recall Vandesype fighting in his SJHL career. Andrew Bodnarchuk made 32 saves to pick up the win for the Broncos. Mark Currie stopped 39 shots in the Notre Dame goal.

In Kindersley, the Flin Flon Bombers continued to prove that they are not quite as good on the road as they are at home as they got hammered 6-1 by the Klippers. The Bombers may want to look at their penalty killing after the Klippers went an unbelievable 5 for 6 on the power play. Jayde Dunser led the way for the Klippers offensively as he had two goals and two assists. Johnathan Redlick added a goal and two assists while Brett Leedahl had a goal and one assist. Ben Ritchie and Mat Olson also scored for the Klippers while Ryan Sawka added three assists. Pierre - Luc Boucher spoiled the shutout bid for Ryan Nieszner with only 53 seconds left to play. Myles Masse and Michael Young assisted on the goal. Nieszner stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced while Calvin Bartel made 35 saves in the Flin Flon goal.

The Yorkton Terriers were kept off the scoresheet again, an all to common theme for them this year, as they were blanked 3-0 by the Nipawin Hawks. Brent Ottmann, Dean Prpick and Keldon Sanderson (empty netter) scored for the Hawks. Torrie Dyck, Blair Toms, Andrew Georgeson, Sanderson and Jordon Miller all added assists for Nipawin. Daniel DiCamillo was making his first SJHL start and not a bad way to start as he made 35 saves for the shutout. Lynden Sammartino stopped 35 of the 37 shots he faced in the Yorkton goal. I am not sure at this time how the Hawks acquired DiCamillo. We will get you more information on him when it comes available.

Finally, in La Ronge, the Ice Wolves were no match for the Melfort Mustangs on this night as Melfort rolled to a 5-1 win. Riley Clark and Jason Walker each had a goal and an assist for the Mustangs. Nick Kalnicki, Matt Hill and Brady Gordon had the other Melfort goals. Tommy Brown added two assists for the Mustangs. Jarrid Dowhay scored the lone goal for the Ice Wolves from Jordie Johnston and Tyler Karst. Ilia Ejov made 32 saves for the win. It was a tough night for Jonathan Jobin as he allowed five goals on 27 shots.

Tonight's SJHL Three Stars:

* Scott Schroeder - Humboldt Broncos (four points including game winner against Notre Dame)
** Jayde Dunser - Kindersley Klippers (often overlooked amongst the Klippers offensive talent, Dunser picked up 4 power play points in the Klippers rout of the Bombers)
*** Brayden Nargang, Luke Johnson, Josh Bray - Weyburn Red Wings (I know that is three guys but this line was instrumental in the Wings comback win over the Millionaires. The three combined for eight points)

- Brad M.

Friday Wrap!

The Humboldt Broncos started there three game southern road trip in Estevan tonight as they tangled with the Bruins at the Civic Auditorium. The Broncos proved to me to much for the Bruins on this night as they thumped Estevan 7-3. Eddie Gale had a big night for the Broncos as the former Notre Dame Hound notched his first hat trick in a Humboldt uniforum. Laurent Benjamin added a goal and an assist while singles also went to Steven Schroeder, Josh Garneau and Jordan Schindel. Matthew Kirzinger, Dane Lindskog, Taylor Pillar amd Brayden Klimosko all added a pair of assists for Humboldt. Defenseman Riley Hughes of the Bruins had a big night offensively as he picked up a goal and two assists despite the loss. Kyle Stroh and Liam Brennan also scored for the Bruins. Chad Filteau added two assists. Meanwhile, Colton MacPherson also picked up an assist for the Bruins. This was MacPherson's first game back with the Bruins as he was assigned to Estevan this week by the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. MacPherson spent last season with the Bruins before making the Blades team out of camp this season. Taylor Nelson got the win for the Broncos as he made 28 saves. Karsten Felske started for the Bruins and allowed 5 goals in just over 46 minutes of play. David Ritz went the rest of the way but could only manage to make 4 stops on 6 shots. The game got rough at times as Payden Benning (Bruins) and Brady Wacker (Humboldt) fought not once but twice and both were ejected after the second fight.



It was a Sherwood Conference battle in Kyle tonight as the Notre Dame Hounds played one of there many neutral site home games. Unfortunately for the Hounds, they ran into a high flying energetic Kindersley Klippers team that has been flying under the radar somewhat throughout the season. The Klippers outscored the Hounds 6-3 on the night. Brett Leedahl scored twice with singles going to Kirk Pearce, Kendall Holmes, Ryan Sawka and Matthew York. Matt Sawa, Justin Perreaux, Jayde Dunser and Jonathan Redlick each had two assists for Kindersley. Kyle Ireland scored twice for the Hounds while Thomas Williams had the other Notre Dame goal. Matt Weninger made 24 saves while Mark Currie was forced to stop 39 of 45 shots in the Hounds goal.



The Yorkton Terriers were looking for there third win in a row as they headed to Melfort to face the suddenly slumping Mustangs. However, the mini slump would end tonight as the Mustangs rolled to a 6-0 shutout victory over the Terriers. The Terriers rewarded Joel Danyluk with his second consecutive start after his fine play of late earned the start. However, Danyluk would have a rough one tonight as he allowed 6 goals on only 18 shots. He was replaced after two periods by Lynden Sammartino who made 15 saves in the thid period. Kyle Fraser and Nick Kalnicki each scored twice and added an assist each. Riley Clark (goal and an assist) and John Payne also scored for Melfort. Tommy Brown added two assists for the Mustangs. Ilia Ejov made 24 saves for the shutout. Terriers forward Chris Cook was ejected in the second period as he received a boarding major and game misconduct.

We will finish the night in North Battleford where the North Stars were hoping to carry some momentum from there big win over Melfort but to no avail as Flin Flon won 5-1 tonight. Barrett Penner and Dustin Clegg each scored twice for Flin Flon while Myles Masse had the other Flin Flon goal. Dennis Kubat added three assists for the Bombers while Pierre-Luc Boucher and David Linsley each had two assists.Joel Budd had the lone goal from the Stars. Calvin Bartel made 26 saves for the win. Ryan Kerpan took the loss after stopping 31 shots.

Tonight's SJHL Three Stars:
* Edward Gale - Humboldt Broncos (hat trick to lead Broncos to victory)
** Nick Kalnicki - Melfort Mustagns (three point night)
*** Brett Leedahl - Kindersley Klipppers (2 goal night)

Hartigan scores for Detroit in Loss to Oilers!

(courtesy of NHL.com)

DETROIT – The Red Wings seven-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers in a 4-3 shootout loss Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Right wing Ales Hemsky scored the lone goal in the shootout, for the Oilers, who improved to 15-16-2 on the season. Goalie Dwayne Roloson stopped all three Detroit attempts in the shootout. He made 39 saves in regulation and overtime.

Last season, Edmonton beat Detroit in three of four meetings, and this season, the Oilers not only snapped a lengthy win streak, but the loss is also the Red Wings' first setback to a Northwest Division opponent this season.


The game started well for Detroit when in only his second game as a Red Wing, veteran center Mark Hartigan make the most out of his opportunity. After taking a pass from Matt Ellis, he burned defenseman Denis Grebeshkov behind the Oilers' net, stepped out in front and shot the puck over the glove of goalie Dwayne Roloson to give Detroit an early 1-0 edge.

“Ellis took a big hit to get it deep there, and I knew I had time,” Hartigan said. “I just wanted to get up and it went off his shoulder”

The early lead was a good sign for the Wings, who prior to Thursday were 17-3-1 when scoring the game's first goal.

In the Red Wings' seven-game streak, they had scored first in every game..

An Aaron Downey penalty led to a rare power play goal for Edmonton who has the worst power play percentage in the league at 11.9 percent. Sheldon Souray, in only his second game back from injury, put the puck at the net, and Ales Hemsky was there to put it in over Wings goalie Dominik Hasek for his 10th goal of the season.

Hasek stopped 22 shots.

Joni Pitkanen then put the Oilers ahead, 2-1, when a fortunate bounce came back to him as he drove into the Wing's zone, and lifted the puck to the corner over Hasek with under three minutes left in the first.

Hasek, winner of his last three starts, made a great save on Hemsky eight-minutes into the second period denying his low shot, and keeping the Wings' deficit to one.

Henrik Zetterberg's first of two goals knotted the score, 2-2, at 13:24 of the second. While on the power play, Zetterberg tipped Brian Rafalski point shot past Roloson’s blocker.

Zetterberg has now scored in 28 of 31games.

Edmonton answered right back though as a pass from rookie center Sam Gagner to Fernando Pisani led to goal that gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead at 15:33. Edmonton is now 7-1-1 when leading after two periods.

“We’re doing a pretty good job of getting pucks to the net, and we’re putting out chances in and that’s the main thing,” said Oilers center Andrew Cogliano after two periods. “When you get chances against a defense and a goalie like this you got to make them count, and we’ve done a pretty good job through two.”

Hasek was momentarily injured when he was struck by a skate. Even though backup Chris Osgood got ready, he continued to watch the game from the bench, as Hasek felt good enough to continue.

Roloson stopped a short-handed breakaway by Dallas Drake just over five minutes into the third period to keep the Oilers on top. But in a move similar to Hartigan's first period tally, Zetterberg went around the back of the net to wrap-around and shoot right through Roloson to force overtime.

The score carried over into the shootout. Hemsky slipped one in off the post to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. It was all Edmonton needed, as Roloson stopped Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Jiri Hudler.

Pictures updated

I have added pics of Red Wings who have won weekly and monthly awards in our Red Wing photobucket. I will also add some pictures that really don't fall into any other category when I get them.

As well, following the Sunday home game I will have some new game action pics to post. I hope to get some good one for some parents and fans out there.

All is quiet tonight in the SJHL so stay warm and enjoy the evening. If you kind find the pictures, just click on Whiffen in the bottom right corner of the blog.

- Troy K

Response to fanfanatic post on SJHL fan forum

As many of you know, A Battlefords North Stars fan named Stars 123 and myself have done some ranting back and forth over the years on the SJHL forum. As I anticipated he would be excited for his teams win tonight, I made a post mocking the way that Stars 123 normally posts. Apparently I drew the ire of a Red Wing fan. To this fan - It was certainly not an attack on the North Stars or Adrien Lemay but rather a friendly jab at Stars 123. If you happened to take the time to read my summary from tonight's game - I even named Lemay my number one star of the night.

At least I am man enough to put my name on my posts which is more what I can say for you. Tell me to grow up all you want - but tell me to my face next time. Be a grown up and talk it out with me face to face.
Here is what I said:

"Wow. It took you five minutes to get hear after the game to post. There's a shocker. Although I was not at the game I can assure you that the current Battlefords team with this win has solidified themselves as the best group of 20 players the SJHL has ever seen. Adrien Lemay will no doubt win goaltender of the year as nobody else can compare to the great Frenchy. I assure you this is all the truth. "


For the record here is what he said:

The following is a quote from the Weyburn blog written by Brad M.: "Good Lord. I hope you are kids posting anonymously and not grown adults. Grow up and if you want to bash a 19 year old junior player with this kind of garbage...."

"Although I am not a Battleford fan I would like to know why it is okay for Brad M to bash a whole team full of young junior players but it is not okay for someone to state their opinion on a red wing player????

All stars123 stated was that the goalie should be praised, and he should if the shots were as he stated and they still won the game. And if stars123 was here 5 minutes after the game (9:42) then you were here 5 minutes later (9:47) to bash him. Grow up is right! "

Thanks to the other regular posters like canislupus on SJHL forum that understood where I came from and knew I was having some fun.

Your comments on Simms were clearly bashing the player - so you sir or madam - whoever you are "Anonymous" - can GROW UP!

- Brad M.

Huge Upset in Melfort! Terriers get by Ice Wolves for Second Straight Win!

I would have to think that after Darrell Mann made the big trade with the Battlefords North Stars on December 1 which brought Jason Walker and Nick Kalnicki to Melfort, he did not envision losing the first matchup between the two teams, particularly on home ice. However, hockey can be a strange game sometimes and that is what happened tonight as the North Stars skated to a 3-2 win over the Mustangs. Shawn McNulty put the Stars up early just 3:27 into the game with former Mustang Colton Graf picking up the lone assist. John Payne would tie things up with a power play goal later in the first to make it 1-1 going into the first intermission. Kalnicki would then give the Mustangs the lead at 3:33 of the second period from Kyle Fraser and Cam Oliphant. McNulty would answer that goal just over six minutes later with Graf and Jesse Lebreton getting the assists and the teams would again go to intermission all tied up. The Stars would take the lead at 2:35 as Nickolaus Dvorak picked up an unassisted marker. This goal would be it for the scoring as the North Stars come away with a stunning 3-2 victory. Adrien Lemay was phenomenal in goal for the Stars has he was forced to make 40 saves. Jesse Trach got a rare start for the Mustangs and stopped 16 of the 19 shots he faced. The Stars finally pick up there fourth win of the season as I am sure the former Mustangs were excited to beat there former team tonight. Should note that Jason Walker has yet to register a point in a Mustangs uniform, this being his third game. This was the first win for the North Stars since a 3-0 decision over Flin Flon on November 13.

In Yorkton, the Terriers were looking for a win on consecutive nights for the first time in awhile. Kyle Block would put the Terriers up 1-0 just 59 seconds into the game from Derek Serdachny. Jarrid Dowhay would tie things up at the 11:48 mark of the first with an unassisted marker. Travis Coghill regained the lead for the Terriers exactly seven minutes later from Evan Neibrandt and Kirk Byczynski. The teams would play a scoreless second period before Jordie Johnston scored his 28th of the season with 7:14 to go in regulation from Dowhay. Overtime would solve nothing and Serdachny was the hero in the seventh round of the shootout as the Terriers pick up the shootout victory. Joel Danyluk got the start for the Terriers after coming in for relief early in last night's game for Lynden Sammartino and made a respectable 18 saves and stood tall in the shootout. Jonathan Jobin made the start for the Ice Wolves and made 28 saves. The Terriers have really tightened things up in the Sherwood Conference with the win as the fifth place Terriers are now only five points back of first place Weyburn in the division. The Ice Wolves move into a second place tie with the Melfort Mustangs in the Itech conference with the single point.

Tonight's Three Stars:

* Adrien Lemay - Battlefords North Stars (40 saves performance for Stars rookie goaltender)
** Shaun McNulty - Battlefords North Stars(2 goal performance in huge upset win by Stars)
*** Kyle Block - Yorkton Terriers (only had one goal tonight but Block has been consistently the Terriers best forward throughout the season)

Tomorrow night:

No games scheduled. The league will return with four games on Friday night. The Weyburn Red Wings are next in action in Melville on Saturday night before hosting Humboldt on Sunday evening.

- Brad M.

Who am I contest winner!

Kelly Pawlyshyn was the winner of a pair of Weyburn Red Wings tickets to any home game. Kelly knew who our mystery Weyburn Red Wing was.

Everyone who entered had the correct name, I know he didn't want the picture up there, he actually didn't know his parents sent the picture in.

Parents if you could get the players permission before sending the pictures for posting that would be much appreciated.

Thanks again to those who entered, hopefully we get another one soon.

- Troy K

Wild and Wacky Tuesday Across the SJHL!

Third period rallies, lots of offense, pulled goaltenders, and excitement are all descriptions of the games around the league on Tuesday nigth.

We will start in Melville where the Millionaires were looking to grab a share of first in the Sherwood. However, the La Ronge Ice Wolves had other ideas as they led 4-0 after two periods before having to hold on for a 5-4 win. Everette Lerner scored twice, including the game winner to lead the way for the Ice Wolves. Jordie Johnston and Jarrid Dowhay each added a goal and an assist. Calvin Fiddler had the other La Ronge goal. Shane Stanicky had a big third period as he scored his first career SJHL hat trick for the Millionaires. Dion Campbell also added a goal with 37 seconds to play to make for an exciting finish. Derek Edwards and Matt Kinnunen each had two assists for the Millionaires. Jonathan Jobin went the distance for the Ice Wolves and stopped 29 of 33 shots. Travis Bosch got the start for the Mils and allowed 4 goals on 27 shots before making way for Kyle Cantlon in the third period. Cantlon stopped 12 of 13 shots in the third. The win moves the Ice Wolves within one point of second place Melfort in the Itech Conference. The Millionaires loss keeps them two games behind Weyburn with there next game against on Saturday night against the Red Wings in Melville.

Game Notes: I had a chance to listen to some of the third period on-line with Dallas Hicks of MBC radio. Great job as always Dallas who had Mike Stackhouse riding shotgun. Hicks had an interesting comment in the third period about the Ice Wolves bench having to keep an eye on the clock due to some hometown influence on the clock. The referee actually had to step in once while I was listening and have the clock operator run some time down. If there are actual clock issues I apologize but this kind of stuff should not be happening in our league. I run the clock here in Weyburn on occasion and as tempting as it is sometimes to have a slow or fast trigger finger depending on the circumstances, you have to do your job properly........ Cantlon's third period appearance was his first in 8 games as he was out with a closely guarded injury...... The Ice Wolves played without David Lawrence who is at the CJAHL prospects game in Manitoba.

Down in Estevan, the Bruins outshot the Hounds 29-9 in the first period enroute to an 8-3 thrashing of the Hounds. To put that in perspective, the Hounds only had 21 shots in the entire game. Kyle Ermel (2 goals, 1 assist), Kealin Wong (1 goal, 2 assists), Kyle Stroh (1 goal, 2 assists) and Niko Grose (1 goal, 2 assists) all had three point nights for the Bruins. Liam Brennan had a goal and an assist as well. Davis Brown and Chad Filteau also scored for the Bruins. Riley Hughes also had a multi-point night for the Bruins with two assists. Kyle Ireland scored twice for the Hounds while Grayson Brown added a goal and an assist. Travis Montgomery chipped in with two assists. Karsten Felske picked up the win for the Bruins making 18 saves. Andre-Michel Guay was peppered with 54 shots, stopping 46 of them. The Bruins leap frog the Kindersley Klippers into third in the Sherwood as now only four points separate first place Weyburn from fourth place Kindersley.

Game Notes: The Bruins avenged a 6-3 loss on Monday night in Wilcox.... The Hounds played without Rylan Schwartz who was participating with Team West at the CJAHL Prospects game....... Evan Bryksa has yet to dress in a game for the Notre Dame Hounds as his status remains a mystery. As you may recall, Bryksa was acquired by the Hounds on December 1 in the Tanner Vandesype - Eddie Gale trade.......... The week gets no easier for the Hounds as they will play neutral site games against Kindersley (in Kyle) and Humboldt (in Gravelbourg).

In Yorkton, the Nipawin Hawks had a quick start as they chased Lynden Sammartino from the game before it was even 5 minutes old. Sammartino allowed 2 goals on 3 shots as Steve Mason sniped two by him in the early part of the first. Sammartino was replaced by Joel Danyluk who went on to play flawless the rest of the night in turning aside all 19 Nipawin shots he faced. Derek Serdachny scored twice for the Terriers while Corey Silverson added a goal and an assist. Bryan Hull also scored for the Terriers. Kyle Block added two assists. Brent Ottmann and Torrie Dyck assisted on both of Mason's goals. Hawks goaltender Derek Kleinsteuber stopped 27 shots in the Nipawin goal. The Terriers move within three points of fourth place Kindersley with the win.

Game Notes: The four goals scored by the Terriers would have to be considered an outburst by their standards as the Terriers have struggled to score as of late........ The Hawks played two bodies short tonight. No word on whether this is injury, discipline or some other reason......... The Terriers are right back at it tomorrow as they host La Ronge.

In Flin Flon, the Battlefords North Stars put up a valiant fight but in the end could only pick up one point in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Bombers. The Stars I think wish they could play the Bombers more often as they are the only team that the Stars seem to have success against. Dennis Kubat had two goals and an assist for the Bombers while Dustyn Clegg added a goal and two assists. Pierre - Luc Boucher also scored while Brennan Cox was the shootout hero as the Whitney faithful went home happy. Mitch Wall and Joel Budd each had a goal and two assists for the Stars. Kirk Moore and Tony Oak also scored for the North Stars. Brody Malek added two assists for the North Stars. Carsen Chubak had a tough start for the Bombers as he allowed 4 goals on only 12 shots before making way for Calvin Bartel in the second period. Bartel made all 9 saves he was required to make the rest of the way. Ryan Kerpan made 28 saves in the Stars goal. Flin Flon continues to sit two points back of La Ronge in the Itech.

Game Notes: Reid MacLeod was participating at the CJAHL prospects game and was unavailable for the Bombers........ Colton Graf had his first point as a North Star as he assisted on Kirk Moore's goal in the first period........ The two teams meet again later in the week in North Battleford.

Tonight's Three Stars:

* Derek Serdachny - Yorkton Terriers (2 big goals should help his confidence as Terriers down Hawks)
** Dennis Kubat - Flin Flon Bombers ( 2 goals 1 assist)
*** Shane Stanicky - Melville Millionaires (3 goal night and had a chance at 4 in loss to La Ronge)

- Brad M.

Hounds Double Up Bruins!

The Notre Dame Hounds led 4-0 after one and never looked back as they dumped the Estevan Bruins 6-3 on Monday night in Wilcox. Chris Bratina led the way for the Hounds as he scored a goal and added two assists. Marc - Andre Nadeau, Blake Peake, TJ Ahvenniemi, Cody Mapes and Dieter Gillanders also scored for the Hounds. Kyle Ireland and Richard Hubesier (playing his first game of the season) each had two assists for the Hounds. Chad Filteau had a goal and an assist for the Bruins. Brennan Wrigley and Brant Harris had the other Bruins' markers. Mark Currie was strong in the Notre Dame goal as he made 34 saves. It was a tough night for David Ritz in the Estevan goal as he allowed six goals in 25 shots. The Bruins missed out on a chance to move ahead of Kindersley for third in the Sherwood with the loss. The two teams will face each other again tomorrow, this time in Estevan.

Tonight's Three Stars:

* Chris Bratina - Notre Dame Hounds (3 points)
** Mark Currie - Notre Dame Hounds (34 saves for win)
*** Chad Filteau - Estevan Bruins (goal and an assist)

Tuesday in the SJHL:

La Ronge @ Melville
Notre Dame @ Estevan
Nipawin @ Yorkton
Battlefords @ Flin Flon

- Brad M.

Who's on Your All Star Team So Far?

Just for fun, this would be my all star teams for the annual allstar game being played in January in Yorkton. Let me know whether you agree or would tweak things. I have picked two goaltenders, six defenseman, and twelve forwards for each conference. One of the rules is that each team has to be represented by a minimum of one player so that did play a bit into some of my decisions. Here it goes:

Sherwood Conference (bold indicates starters)

Goaltenders (2) - AJ Whiffen (Weyburn) , Lynden Sammartino (Yorkton)

Defenseman (6) - Derek Edwards (Melville), Kyle Haines (Weyburn), Scott Linnell (Kindersley), Kealin Wong (Estevan), Stephen Simms (Weyburn), Michael Trebish (Yorkton)

Forwards (12) - Ryan Sawka (Kindersley), Dion Campbell (Melville), Rylan Schwartz (Notre Dame), Kyle Stroh (Estevan), Payden Benning (Estevan), Brett Leedahl (Kindersley), Jonathan Redlick (Kindersley), Brad Johnston (Melville), Josh Bray (Weyburn), Brayden Nargang (Weyburn), Bryan Hull (Yorkton), Kyle Block (Yorkton)

Itech Conference (starters in bold):

Goaltenders (2) - Taylor Nelson (Humboldt), Ilia Ejov (Melfort)

Defenseman (6) - Tommy Brown (Melfort), Tanner Vandesype (Humboldt), Jesse Lebreton (Battlefords), Tyler Karst (La Ronge), Russ Nielsen (Humboldt), Riley Clark (Melfort)

Forwards (12) - Jordie Johnston (La Ronge), Reid MacLeod (Flin Flon), Pierre - Luc Boucher (Flin Flon), Dennis Kubat (Flin Flon), Laurent Benjamin (Humboldt), Jordan Schindel (Humboldt), Jarrid Dowhay (La Ronge), Bruno - Pier Gosselin (La Ronge), Taylor Watt (Melfort), Clint Olson (Melfort), Torrie Dyck (Nipawin), Brent Ottmann (Nipawin)

Injury replacements:

Sherwood:

Goaltender: Kyle Cantlon (Melville)
Defense: Greg Coburn (Yorkton), Connor Krukowski (Weyburn)
Forwards: Matt Sawa (Kindersley), Levi Lind (Melville), Preston Shupe (Weyburn)

Itech:

Goaltender: Jonathan Jobin (La Ronge)
Defensemen: Blair Toms (Nipawin), Brady Wacker (Humboldt)
Forwards: Steven Schroeder (Humboldt), Matt Hill (Melfort), Dustyn Clegg (Flin Flon)

The only player who I would not have picked for the team but had to by default was Lebreton. That being said I think he is a good young defenseman and has a bright future. I think Toms will miss out on the team because of the rule that every team must have representation.
Of course this is all my own opinion and counts for nothing other than something to compare to once the actual all stars are named.

SJHL Players of the Week

(courtesy of sjhl.ca)

DECEMBER 9/07

SJHL FORWARD OF THE WEEK

Winner: Brent Ottmann, Nipawin Hawks

Highlights: Ottmann helped the Hawks to a 2-0-and-1 record in the last seven days as he potted the overtime winner on Sunday night against the Battlefords North Stars. He also had two assists in that game. Ottmann picked up a hat trick in a win over Estevan last Tuesday. For the season, Ottmann has 14-goals and 20-assists in 28-games.

Runners-up: Pierre-Luc Boucher, Reid MacLeod, Dustyn Clegg, David Linsley, Flin Flon Bombers; Torrie Dyck, Nipawin; Scott Schroeder, Humboldt.

SJHL DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK

Winner: Myles Masse, Flin Flon Bombers

Highlights: Masse had six assists in three games played last week. He now has 3-goals and 19-assists in 31-games on the season. Last week, Masse had three assists against La Ronge on Friday and three more helpers one night later as the Bombers blew out Weyburn.

Runners-up: Justin Perreaux, Kindersley; Voldy Dashko, Humboldt; Derek Edwards, Melville; Tyler Karst, La Ronge.

SJHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Winner: Travis Bosch, Melville Millionaires

Highlights: Bosch led the Mils to a pair of wins over the weekend as he made 22-saves in a 3-1 win over Kindersley on Friday. Bosch then turned away 37-shots on Sunday in a 3-2 decision over the Klippers. Bosch has picked up the slack in the absence of Kyle Cantlon. Bosch has played in eight straight games (seven starts) and has compiled a 4-2-and-1 record with a 2.19-GAA and .931-SPCT over that time period. For the season, Bosch has a 2.54-GAA and .924-SPCT.

Runners-up: Calvin Bartel, Flin Flon; Derek Kleinsteuber, Nipawin; Taylor Nelson, Humboldt; Karsten Felske, Estevan.

CJAHL Ranking for week ended Dec. 8/07

The Canadian Junior A Hockey League announced today its Top 15 rankings for the week of December 2nd to December 8th. Last week’s rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.

The CJAHL Top 15 as of Saturday, December 8th

1.(1) Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)

2.(5) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)

3.(2) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)

4.(3) Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL)

5.(4) Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)

6.(7) St. Michael’s Buzzers (OPJHL)

7.(6) Portage Terriers (MJHL)

8.(8) Yarmouth Mariners (MJAHL)

9.(9) Selkirk Steelers (MJHL)

10.(12) Humboldt Broncos (SJHL)

11.(11) Newmarket Hurricanes (OPJHL)

12.(10) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)

13.(15) L’Action de Joliette (LHJAAAQ)

14.(13) Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL)

15.(14) North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL)

Honorable mention goes to the Penticton Vees (BCHL), Okotoks Oilers (AJHL), Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL), Winnipeg Saints (MJHL), Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL),Thunder Bay Bearcats (SIJHL), Sudbury Jr. Wolves (NOJHL), Vaughan Vipers (OPJHL), Huntsville Otters (OPJHL), Cumberland Grads (CJHL), Brockville Braves (CJHL), and the Truro Bearcats (MJAHL).

The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.

Back home again!

Troy Kramm: The team picked up two of six possible points during the weekend, it could have been worse but it could have been better. What happened this weekend?

Dwight McMillan: On Friday I think we played our typical road game versus the Hawks. We were just really sound defensively. Doody and Johnson were our best players out there and Whiffen was incredible in the shoot-out as well as the entire night. We really controlled the game.

Then versus Flin Flon we were a little on the flat side. Their first three goals were on the flukey side of things which really put us down and out of the game. We did have the opportunity to make it 4-3 with some open nets but we missed our chances and you just can’t do that versus a team like that. They have a super team and can really hurt you if you let them, and we let them.

Finally in La Ronge we played really sound five on five hockey but they killed us on the powerplay. They were outstanding on the powerplay and our penalty kill wasn’t up to par. We created some good scoring chances and did some good things but in the end it was our special teams that hurt us.

TK: Now you have a week to get ready for Melville, what are you going to work on in hopes of beating the Millionaires for the first time this season?

McMillan: I don’t know, but we have to work on our penalty kill and our powerplay if we want to be effective against any team. We are just going to get some guys out there and see who can create some chances.

TK: Do you feel that the Wings will be able to compete with Humboldt, as they have continually gotten better this year especially over the past couple of weeks with the trade of Vandesype and Gale.

McMillan: I think we really upgraded as well last week so our team should be able to play with Humboldt. If we get our PK or PP units going than we should be able to beat them here on Sunday.

Power Rankings (for the period from Nov.26 - Dec 9)

I apologize again for no rankings last week and would now like to present my power ranking for the two weeks ended December 9/07.

1. Humboldt Broncos (24-8-0-1) LR: 3

After a bit of a bump in the road, the Humboldt Broncos are back on top and in my opinion are the best team in the SJHL as the Christmas break approaches. The Broncos went 5-2 over the the last two weeks for 10 points which was better than any other team during that period. They also played some of these games without the likes of Eddie Gale, Matthew Kirzinger and Brayden Klimosko to name a few. Taylor Nelson has rebounded from a few tough starts to return to his early season form in goal. Tanner Vandesype becomes the power play anchor since his arrival from Notre Dame and has not disappointed since his arrival. The Schroeder brothers, Scott and Steven, have been amongst the Broncos best players as of late. Shawn Hunter has been adding a point per game since arriving from Drayton Valley of the AJHL. The Broncos will see what they are made of this coming weekend as they go on a southern road trip that takes them to Estevan, Notre Dame and Weyburn.

2. Flin Flon Bombers (20-12-0-1) LR: 6

The Bombers went 4-2 over the last two weeks but what impressed me was the margin that they defeated Weyburn and La Ronge by, two of the hottest teams in the league before going into the Whitney Forum on consecutive nights and getting blown out. Reid MacLeod and Pierre-Luc Boucher racked up big points over the weekend but maybe more impressive is that the secondary scoring from the likes of David Linsley, Dustyn Clegg and Barrett Penner to name a few has really improved as of late. Defensman Myles Masse makes up for some defensive miscues with his offensive ability. Calvin Bartel and Carsen Chubak continue to provide the Bombers with a solid 1-2 punch. It will be interesting to see how far this Bomber team can go with their young rookie head coach Mike Reagan. The challenge I would offer up to the Bombers now would be to see if they can win on the road as impressively as they have at home. The Bombers have a somewhat easy schedule this week as they play a home and home with the Battlefords North Stars and then head to Kindersley.

3. La Ronge Ice Wolves(20-13-2-1) LR: 7

If not for there lopsided loss to the Bombers I would have ranked the Ice Wolves a spot higher. The Wolves went 4-1-1-0 in their last six games and included in those wins were impressive victories over Melville and Weyburn. The line of Jordie Johnston, Bruno-Pier Gosselin and Jarrid Dowhay is currently the hottest line in the league as they have shredded up the ice every night as of late. The Ice Wolves of also got solid play out of their young defense which is anchored by veteran Tyler Karst. Jonathan Jobin has played much better as of late which has also helped the Ice Wolves up their climb in the standings. The Wolves have a tough schedule this week as they have a mid-week road trip to Melville and Yorkton before hosting Melfort on Saturday night.

4. Melville Millionaires (20-10-2-0) LW: 4

The Millionaires had a respectable 3-2 record over the last two weeks as they posted two wins over Kindersley as well as a shutout win over Humboldt. However they dropped games to La Ronge and Flin Flon. The Millionaires continue to be led offensively by veteran Dion Campbell while former Regina Pat Levi Lind has also been a good pickup. The Millionaires quite often use five forwards on the power play which makes sense when you look at their statistics as Derek Edwards is the only Mils defenseman with more than five points. Travis Bosch has made seven consecutive starts since starter Kyle Cantlon went down earlier in mid-November. With Cantlon almost set to return, it will be interesting to see how Jamie Fiesel splits the playing time between his two goaltenders. Melville has a couple of challenging home games this week as they welcome La Ronge and Weyburn to the Vault.

5. Estevan Bruins (18-14-2-1) LR: 8

Before people in Melfort, Weyburn and Kindersley give me too much flak, one cannot dispute that the Bruins were one of the best teams in the league over the past two weeks. They started to get more consistent play throughout the lineup and Karsten Felske has played as well as any goaltender as of late. The Bruins won games over Nipawin, Melfort, Flin Flon and La Ronge over the last two weeks while also picking up one points in a shootout loss to Nipawin. The only loss was a 2-1 decision in Yorkton where if not for a red hot Lynden Sammartino, the Bruins likely would have won.

6. Weyburn Red Wings(19-10-2-4) LR: 2

Yes I am giving the Wings a downgrade down the rankings due to lopsided losses in Flin Flon and La Ronge. That being said, they did stop the 16 game streak of the Melfort Mustangs last weekend and had a couple of wins over the Nipawin Hawks who have been playing better hockey as of late. The Wings continue to score by committee with no real bona fide superstars but rather a balanced attack. I believe the defense has been solidified with the addition of veterans Adam Feniak and Shawn Courtney. I think has the team approaches the break you will begin to see improvements all around. AJ Whiffen is maybe facing some adversity for the first time in his SJHL career but I don't think for a minute that he will let a couple of tough losses bug him that much. I boldly predict the Wings will pick up four points next weekend and Whiffen will be brilliant in Melville and steal a win against the Broncos on Sunday. I know I may eat some crow for saying that but I think the guys will be ready to play next weekend.

7. Melfort Mustangs(22-10-0-1) LR: 1

If these rankings were only based on a one week period I probably would have not dropped the Mustangs this far. However the facts are this - two wins were both over Notre Dame, lost twice to Humboldt and once to Weyburn. The trade to acquire Jason Walker and Nick Kalnicki has not paid dividends yet but it has only been two games. I think the Mustangs are a better team this year with the move but overall if Colton Graf stays in the SJHL, this trade will make Gary Clark look like a genius two years from now. Ilia Ejov has maybe faced his first bit of adversity since arriving in the league, but I think in the long run the Mustangs will be amongst the contenders come late March, early April. Ejov still has impressive numbers despite a few losses this past week. This week poses a good chance for the Mustangs to rebound as they play the Battlefords, Yorkton and La Ronge.

8. Kindersley Klippers (19-14-0-2) LW: 5

This drop in the rankings may be a bit harsh but with the way other teams played I saw no choice but to drop the Klippers. If they would have won one of the two games in Melville this past weekend I may have re-considered. If fairness to Kindersley, they did play three games without captain Matt Sawa and star defenseman Scott Linnell. Ryan Niesnzer has re-affirmed his grasp on the starting role in Kindersley. Matt Weninger rode the pine in all three games this past weekend. Weninger had his SJHL record shutout streak stopped by Notre Dame earlier in the week. Brett Leedahl, Jonathan Redlick and Ryan Sawka continue to fly under the radar but put up impressive numbers offensively. The Klippers play Notre Dame in Kyle this week and then host Flin Flon on Saturday.

9. Nipawin Hawks (12-15-1-4) LW: 9

I decided to keep the Hawks ahead of the Terriers for now partly because the Terriers only played two games over the past 14 days which did not give me a chance to really critique them that much. As for the Hawks, thank goodness for Brent Ottmann and Torrie Dyck. Without those two forwards this team would be in big trouble. The Hawks defense is solid with veterans Blair Toms and Taylor Thiessen leading the way. Derek Kleinsteuber has been consistently inconsistent and needs to be the Hawks best player most nights if they are going to be in hockey games. The Hawks have a home and home set with the Yorkton Terriers this week.

10. Yorkton Terriers (15-13-2-3) LW: 10

The Terriers have had a lot of time off as of late which has allowed forward Bryan Hull to heal and he is now back in the lineup. Hull will be asked to help bolster the anemic offense. This team will have to win a lot of 2-1 type games in order to have success. They have a solid veteran defense crew and the experienced Lynden Sammartino in goal which helps in this regard. The Terriers will have a busier week this week as they host Nipawin and La Ronge on consecutive nights before weekend games in Melfort and Nipawin.

11. Notre Dame Hounds (10-22-1-0) LW: 11

Although the Hounds overall have played better as of late, the horrid start to the season may have put them in to big of a hole to dig out of for this season. No doubt Mike Vandenberghe thought the same when he dealt Gale and Vandesype to Humboldt. Blayne Stevenson has brought depth to the defense as has another recent acquisition from Nipawin, Andrew Bzdel. I doubt it would ever happen due to academic reasons and such but would it make sense for a team to inquire about Rylan Schwartz since this is going to be his only season in an SJHL uniform? The Hounds host Estevan tonight (Monday) before heading down to Estevan for the return engagement on Tuesday. The Hounds will also play a pair of neutral site home games in Kyle (vs. Kindersley) and Gravelbourg (vs. Humboldt).

12. Battlefords North Stars (3-26-2-2) LW: 12

I hope the Stars have invested in name tags because with all the comings and goings as of late their will be a lot of new introductions. As I said earlier, I think Clark made a great trade with Melfort, particularly if Graf stays in the SJHL and does not try another shot at the WHL. The deals with Flin Flon earlier in the year also seem to have worked out alright for the Stars as both Shawn McNulty and Kirk Moore have fit in well with the Stars from all reports. The Stars will not make the playoffs this year but I am sure there fans would be happy with continued improvement by the young team and maybe the odd win along the way. This week gets no easier as they face the Bombers twice and Melfort once.

Okay there you have it. I promise we will be back to weekly rankings as of next week. I expect some critics this week so let me have it.

- Brad M.