Saskatoon Blades

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Saskatoon Blades
Saskatoon Blades logo.svg
City Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
League Western Hockey League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionEast
Founded1964
Home arena SaskTel Centre
ColoursRoyal blue, gold, white
   
Owner(s)Mike Priestner
General manager Colin Priestner
Head coachBrennan Sonne
Website chl.ca/whl-blades/
Franchise history
1964–1966 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
1966–presentWestern Hockey League
Championships
Regular season titles5 (1972–73, 1982–83, 1987–88, 2010–11, 2023–24)
Playoff championshipsDivision titles 2 (1991–92, 1993–94)
Ed Chynoweth Cup 0

The Saskatoon Blades are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1964, the Blades were a charter team of the then-Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966, and are the only club that has played every season in the league in its original location. Today, the team plays in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at the SaskTel Centre. Despite five regular season titles and five appearances in the championship series, the Blades have never won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league playoff champions.

Contents

History

WHL founding member

The Blades were established in 1964 as members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, evolving from the Saskatoon Junior Quakers, who had played in the league since 1956. [1] [2] Owner Jim Piggott saw the team as a junior affiliate for his minor professional Western Hockey League Los Angeles Blades. [3] However, Piggott became an instrumental figure in establishing a new major junior league for western Canada that could compete against teams across Canada for the Memorial Cup. [4] The Blades became one of seven founding members of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League in 1966, which became the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1967, the Western Canada Hockey League in 1968, and, finally, the Western Hockey League in 1978, after the admission of American-based clubs. [4] The Blades are the only team to have played every WHL season in its original location—the Regina Pats were also a founding team, but briefly left the WHL to re-join the SJHL at the end of the 1960s. [5]

The Blades, playing out of the 1930s-era Saskatoon Arena, were a middling team in the late 1960s, failing to win a playoff series in any of their first six seasons. [3] [6]

The Jackie McLeod era

The Blades hired Jackie McLeod, a former National Hockey League (NHL) player from Regina who had also managed the Canadian national team from 1967 to 1969, as its coach and general manager, roles he filled for most of the 1970s. [7] [8] McLeod also became part owner of the franchise from 1976 to 1980 after he partnered with two others, including Nate Brodsky, to buy the team from Piggott. [3] Under McLeod's guidance and with star players like Bernie Federko, Bob Bourne, Larry Sacharauk, Brent Ashton, Randy Ireland, and Blair Chapman, the Blades emerged as a contending team in the 1970s, missing the playoffs just once and making three finals appearances. [3] Saskatoon finished with the league's best record in 1972–73 and made their first ever appearance in the league final, which they lost to the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Blades topped the East Division in both the 1974–75 and 1975–76 seasons and made consecutive finals appearances; they lost both in seven games to a dynastic New Westminster Bruins team that made four straight Memorial Cup finals appearances from 1975 to 1978. [9] McLeod's last season behind the bench was 1978–79, when the Blades lost the Division final to the eventual champion and Memorial Cup-finalist Brandon Wheat Kings.

Under the Brodsky family

In 1980, the Brodsky family, which had become majority owners in 1976, took over sole ownership of the club, which they would retain until 2013. [10] Despite the presence of new star players and future NHL figures like Lane Lambert, Brian Skrudland, Wendel Clark, Trent Yawney, Marc Habscheid, Todd McLellan, Curtis Leschyshyn, and Tim Cheveldae, the Blades continued to fall short of the elusive league championship. The team topped the league standings in both the 1982–83 and 1987–88 seasons, but failed to advance to the finals either season. The highlights of the 1980s were the opening of the new Saskatchewan Place arena in 1988, and hosting the 1989 Memorial Cup there. The Blades' first game at the new rink took place on 9 February 1988, a 4–3 victory over the Wheat Kings, a game in which the Blades trailed 3–0, in front of a sell-out crowd of 9,343. [11] In the 1989 Memorial Cup tournament, the Blades, who lost in the third round of the WHL playoffs to the Swift Current Broncos, met the Broncos in the Final, losing in overtime by a score of 4–3. [12]

The Blades finally returned to the championship series twice in the first half of the 1990s, both times facing the Kamloops Blazers. Coached by Lorne Molleken and led on the ice by the likes of Glen Gulutzan, Richard Matvichuk, Rhett Warrener, Wade Belak, and Norm Maracle, the Blades lost both the 1992 and 1994 finals 4 games to 3 against Blazers teams that went on to win the Memorial Cup, part of a run of three Memorial Cups in four years for Kamloops, the only team to achieve such a feat. [13] The run to the 1994 finals would mark the last time the Blades would advance past the second round of the WHL playoffs for nearly three decades. Before 1997, the Blades had failed to qualify for the post-season only five times; between 1997 and 2008, they would miss the playoffs six times, despite boasting future NHL players including Martin Erat, Mike Green, Devin Setoguchi, Anton Khudobin, and Braden Holtby.

After moving to the professional ranks in 1995, Molleken returned to coach the Blades in 2004, a role he would keep until 2013. He added general manager duties in 2011, and stayed in that role until 2014. [14] The Blades won another regular season title in this era, finishing with the best record of the 2010–11 season. Despite trading for star forward Brayden Schenn, the Blades lost in the second round to the eventual champions, the Kootenay Ice. [15] Saskatoon also hosted its second Memorial Cup tournament in 2013. The Blades appeared to be peaking towards the end of the WHL regular season, winning 18 straight games between late January and early March. [16] During that run, the Blades set a record attendance mark of 12,588 on 9 February against the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 25 years to the day since the opening of their arena. [17] However, the team lost its first round playoff series against the Medicine Hat Tigers, and won just one game at the Memorial Cup tournament. [18]

New ownership

After hosting the 2013 Memorial Cup, it became known that the Brodsky family was looking to sell the Blades after 37 years of ownership. [19] In August 2013, Brodsky sold the team to Edmonton businessman Mike Priestner, who had previously attempted to purchase the Kamloops Blazers in 2007. [20] Priestner had played as a goaltender in the league for the Kamloops Chiefs in 1974–75, while his son James tended goal for the Blazers and two other teams from 2007 to 2011. [21] The new ownership expressed a commitment to keeping the team in Saskatoon, and Mike's son Colin Priestner moved to the city and ultimately took over as general manager. [22]

The Blades and Regina Pats facing off in Game 7 of their 2023 first round playoff series. PatsVsBlades10Apr2023.jpg
The Blades and Regina Pats facing off in Game 7 of their 2023 first round playoff series.

This marked the beginning of a challenging on-ice period for the Blades, who had sacrificed draft picks and prospects for trades in anticipation of a longer 2013 Memorial Cup season. The team missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2018. Led by Kirby Dach, the Blades returned to the playoffs in 2019 and won their first playoff series since 2011, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 playoffs and a heavily modified 2021 campaign without playoffs. [23] The team finally found more on-ice consistency as the WHL returned to regular scheduling in the 2021–22 season. In 2022–23, the Blades posted their first 100-point season since 2011, and went on their deepest playoff run since 1994. The Blades met the Regina Pats—captained by top NHL prospect Connor Bedard—in the first round, the first playoff matchup between the teams since 2006; the Blades set new attendance records against the Pats, selling out multiple games to the capacity of 14,768 for the first time in team history. [24] Despite losing the first two games of the series on home ice, the Blades won the series 4 games to 3, winning the decisive game 7 at home by a score of 4–1. [25] In the second round, the Blades became just the third team in WHL history to win a series after falling behind 3 games to none, defeating the Red Deer Rebels at home in game 7 by a 5–2 score. [26] The Blades' run came to an end in their first third-round appearance in nearly 30 years, when they were swept by the top-seeded Winnipeg Ice. [27] [28] The Blades followed this up in 2023–24 with their fifth Scotty Munro Trophy for best regular season record, reaching the 50-win plateau for the third time. [29] In the playoffs, they defeated the Prince Albert Raiders in five games and swept the Rebels in the second round; they lost to the eventual-champion Moose Jaw Warriors in their second straight third round appearance in a 7-game series that featured a WHL-record six overtime games, including all four hosted in Saskatoon. [30] [31] The season also saw the Blades play their record 4,000th game in the WHL. [32]

Memorial Cup appearances

The Blades have never won a WHL championship for the chance to compete for the Memorial Cup. However, Saskatoon has hosted the Memorial Cup tournament twice, in 1989 and in 2013, enabling the Blades to participate. In 1989, a year after the team began playing at Saskatchewan Place, the Blades were joined by their provincial counterpart and WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos, the OHL Champion Peterborough Petes, and the QMJHL Champion Laval Titan. The Blades finished first in the round robin with a 2–1 record, including a 5–4 victory over the Broncos, who had a 14-game undefeated streak dating back to the start of the WHL playoffs, including a third-round sweep over the Blades. Their record gave the Blades a berth in the Memorial Cup final, where they lost a re-match to the Broncos, 4–3 in overtime. [12] It was the first Memorial Cup final contested between two Saskatchewan teams. [12]

In 2013, which marked the 25-year anniversary of their home arena, the tournament included the WHL Champion Portland Winterhawks, the OHL Champion London Knights, and the QMJHL Champion Halifax Mooseheads. The Blades finished the round robin with a 1–2 record, their lone win coming over the Mooseheads, and they lost to the Knights in a tiebreaker, failing to advance to the semi-final. The Mooseheads won the Memorial Cup with a 6–4 victory over the Winterhawks. [33] The tournament boasted the fourth-highest attendance to date in tournament history. [34]

Rivalries

The Blades have longstanding rivalries with the Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders, the two teams closest to the Blades' home in Saskatoon—all three cities are connected via Highway 11. [24] [35] The Blades have faced the Pats in the playoffs seven times and the Raiders eight times. The only other teams they have met in the post-season eight times are the Broncos—including five meetings since the franchise returned to Swift Current from Lethbridge in 1986—and the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Blades also faced the Broncos in the 1989 Memorial Cup final. [36]

Brayden Schenn playing for the Blades in 2011, wearing a non-Pac Man era jersey. BraydenSchennBlades.jpg
Brayden Schenn playing for the Blades in 2011, wearing a non-Pac Man era jersey.

Logo and jerseys

For most of the team's history, the Blades have sported royal blue, gold, and white jerseys featuring a variation of a skate blade logo that has become known as the "Pac-Man." They dropped that logo from primary status in 1993, and dropped yellow from the colour palette in 2004, opting for navy blue and white on a new skate logo, with the skate blade emerging from stylized "SB" initials. [37] In 2017, the Blades re-adopted their classic colour scheme and logo. [38]

Like many major junior teams, the Blades frequently don special event jerseys, such as Star Wars-themed jerseys they wore in a 2015 game. [39] In September 2018, the Blades wore a special jersey to honour the Humboldt Broncos after the Broncos bus crash earlier that year. [40] In 2022, the Blades unveiled their first Pride-themed jerseys, which they wore on a Pride night on 22 January. [41] [42] During the 2012–13 season, the Blades held a fan jersey design contest; the team wore the winning jersey, designed by Fabio Burà, during a game on 2 February 2013. [43]

The Blades' mascot is a yeti named Poke Check. [44]

Players and staff

Current roster

Updated March 29, 2024. [45]

# Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplaceDrafted
53 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Nicholas Andrusiak D L20 2023 Tisdale, Saskatchewan Undrafted
27 Flag of the United States.svg Easton Armstrong RW R21 2023 Redondo Beach, California Undrafted
55 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg John Babcock D L20 2024 North Vancouver, British Columbia Undrafted
30 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ryley Budd G L16 2023 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2026
23 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rowan Calvert LW L18 2020 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Undrafted
31 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Austin Elliott G L20 2019 Strathmore, Alberta Undrafted
35 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Evan Gardner G L17 2021 Fort St. John, British Columbia Eligible 2024
28 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lukas Hansen C L19 2020 Winnipeg, Manitoba Undrafted
6 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Carter Herman D L19 2023 Swift Current, Saskatchewan Undrafted
72 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg William James RW R17 2023 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2025
11 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Hudson Kibblewhite RW R17 2022 Vernon, British Columbia Eligible 2025
4 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brayden Klimpke D L16 2022 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2026
8 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brandon Lisowsky LW L20 2019 Port Coquitlam, British Columbia 2022, 218th Overall, TOR
9 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rhett Melnyk RW R20 2023 Edmonton, Alberta Undrafted
16 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Fraser Minten  ( A ) C L19 2023 Vancouver, British Columbia 2022, 38th Overall, TOR
24 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tanner Molendyk  ( A ) D L19 2020 Kamloops, British Columbia 2023, 24th Overall, NSH
45 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Zach Olsen C R16 2023 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2026
20 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tyler Parr C R19 2020 La Salle, Manitoba Undrafted
2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ben Saunderson D L19 2019 Carberry, Manitoba Undrafted
19 Flag of Belarus.svg Egor Sidorov LW L19 2021 Vitebsk, Belarus 2023, 85th Overall, ANA
21 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Grayden Siepmann D R19 2023 Windsor, Ontario Undrafted
91 Flag of Sweden.svg Alexander Suzdalev LW L20 2023 Khabarovsk, Russia 2022, 70th Overall, WSH
52 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Morgan Tastad D L18 2021 Loreburn, Saskatchewan Eligible 2024
17 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Misha Volotovskii LW L18 2020 Calgary, Alberta Undrafted
18 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Vaughn Watterodt C L20 2021 Rosetown, Saskatchewan Undrafted
38 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Trevor Wong  ( C ) C L21 2021 Vancouver, British Columbia Undrafted
47 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Charlie Wright  ( A ) D L20 2018 Olds, Alberta Undrafted

Hockey staff

General Manager: Colin Priestner

Head Coach: Brennan Sonne Associate Coach: Dan DaSilva Assistant Coach: Wacey Rabbit Assistant Coach: Jerome Engele [46]

NHL alumni

Bernie Federko is the only former Blades' player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. [32]

List of Blades' players who also played in the National Hockey League (NHL):[ citation needed ]

Retired numbers

Saskatoon Blades Logo 1983/84 - 1992/93 Saskbladesold.png
Saskatoon Blades Logo 1983/84 – 1992/93
#Player
7 Gerry Pinder / Brent Ashton
10 Brian Skrudland
12 Bob Bourne
15 Bernie Federko
22 Wendel Clark
39 Frank Banham
44Chase Wouters

In addition to the seven retired numbers, the Blades unveiled a banner honouring former captain Bruce Gordon in 2017. Gordon went on to a long career in policing and later attended law school, before he was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2017. [47]

Past coaches

#CoachYears
1Burns McDonald1964–65
2George Agar1964–69
† George Senick 1969–70
3 Jackie McLeod 1970–79
4 Jerry Engele 1979–80
5Lorne Frey1980–81
6Daryl Lubiniecki1981–84
7 Marcel Comeau 1984–89
8 Terry Ruskowski 1989–91
† Bob Hoffmeyer 1991
9 Lorne Molleken 1991–95
10Donn Clark1995–98
† Willie Desjardins 1998
11 Brad McCrimmon 1998–2000
12Kevin Dickie2000–03
†Jamie Reeve2003–04
13Lorne Molleken2004–13
14Dave Struch2013–14
15 Bob Woods 2014–16
16Dean Brockman2016–18
17 Mitch Love 2018–2021
18Brennan Sonne2021–Present
† Interim coach

Season-by-season record

The Blades face-off against the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. Blades vs Wariors 7 May 2024.jpg
The Blades face-off against the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

SeasonGP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
1966–67 5625247–288271575th OverallLost quarter-final
1967–68 6020319–260362497th OverallLost quarter-final
1968–69 6024351–195271493rd WestLost quarter-final
1969–70 6018411–202282374th WestLost quarter-final
1970–71 6629361–295299593rd WestLost quarter-final
1971–72 6837283–312258772nd EastLost quarter-final
1972–73 68461111–3231841031st EastLost final
1973–74 6830299–283272694th EastLost quarter-final
1974–75 70382210–344244861st EastLost final
1975–76 72431910–390269961st EastLost final
1976–77 72303012–317290722nd EastLost preliminary round
1977–78 7220502–340460424th EastOut of playoffs
1978–79 72263214–385398662nd EastLost East Division final
1979–80 7227405–331382597th EastOut of playoffs
1980–81 7222473–297427478th EastOut of playoffs
1981–82 7244262–450343903rd EastLost East Division quarter-final
1982–83 7252191–4673031051st EastLost East Division semi-final
1983–84 7236360–347350727th EastOut of playoffs
1984–85 7229412–309378606th EastLost East Division quarter-final
1985–86 7238286–381360824th EastLost East Division semi-final
1986–87 7244262–369282902nd EastLost East Division final
1987–88 7247223–381294971st EastLost East Division final
1988–89 7242282–366335862nd EastLost East Division final; Lost Memorial Cup final
1989–90 7233345–325354714th EastLost East Division semi-final
1990–91 7229412–309363607th EastOut of playoffs
1991–92 7238295–315260813rd EastLost final
1992–93 7242273–311236873rd EastLost East Division semi-final
1993–94 7249221–326229991st EastLost final
1994–95 7241238–324254903rd EastLost East Division semi-final
1995–96 7229421–314351594th EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1996–97 7218486–227344426th EastOut of playoffs
1997–98 7225398–263327584th EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1998–99 7216497–184291396th EastOut of playoffs
1999–00 72342783216223792nd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2000–01 72194355193265485th EastOut of playoffs
2001–02 72273753216257624th EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2002–03 72402750234205853rd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2003–04 72752112140279275th EastOut of playoffs
2004–05 72372366234215862nd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
SeasonGP W L OTL SOLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
2005–06 72412524232217882nd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2006–07 72274122174231586th EastOut of playoffs
2007–08 72293436182229675th EastOut of playoffs
2008–09 724918322831951031st EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2009–10 72461934258227992nd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2010–11 725613123102131151st EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2011–12 72402912268250832nd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2012–13 72442224280221941st EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final; Lost Memorial Cup tie-breaker
2013–14 72165123207317376th EastOut of playoffs
2014–15 72194922195308426th EastOut of playoffs
2015–16 72264240219318566th EastOut of playoffs
2016–17 72283572190248655th EastOut of playoffs
2017–18 72353331237276746th EastOut of playoffs
2018–19 68451580259190982nd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2019–20 63342423211197734th EastCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 24165218062353rd EastNo playoffs held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 68382631219217803rd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2022–23 684815412571711012nd EastLost Eastern Conference final
2023-24 685013232551631051st EastLost Eastern Conference final

Championship history

WHL Championship

Memorial Cup Championship

Team records

Team records for a single season [48]
StatisticTotalSeason
Most points115 2010–11
Most wins562010–11
Most road wins28 2008–09
Most home wins32 2010–11
Most goals for4611982–83
Fewest goals for140 2003–04
Fewest goals against163 2023–24
Most goals against460 1977–78
Individual player records for a single season [48]
StatisticPlayerTotalSeason
Most goals Frank Banham 83 1995–96
Most assists Bruce Eakin 125 1981–82
Most points Bernie Federko 187 1975–76
Most points, rookie Lane Lambert 1141981–82
Most points, defenceman Pat Price 95 1973–74
Best GAA (goalie) Ed Humphreys 2.571972–73
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played
Career records [48]
StatisticPlayerTotalCareer
Most goalsFrank Banham1901992–1996
Most assistsPaul Buczkowski2241990–1996
Most pointsFrank Banham3701992–1996
Most points, defenceman Stefan Elliott 2412007–2011
Most games playedPaul Buczkowski3371990–1996
Most wins (goalie)Nolan Maier1222017–2022
Most shutouts (goalie)Nolan Maier122017–2022

Awards

Bob Clarke Trophy (WHL top scorer)

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year)

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year)

Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman)

Del Wilson Trophy (WHL top goaltender)

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (WHL coach of the year)

Doc Seaman Trophy (WHL scholastic player of the year)

Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (Memorial Cup top goaltender)

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 Memorial Cup</span> Canadian junior mens ice hockey championship

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 Memorial Cup</span> Canadian junior mens ice hockey championship

The 1986 Memorial Cup occurred May 10–17 at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. It was the 68th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Hosting rights were originally awarded to the Queen's Park Arena and the New Westminster Bruins, but staging the tournament alongside Expo '86 in Vancouver proved logistically impossible and so the tournament was moved to Portland for the second time in three years. Participating teams were the host team Portland Winter Hawks, as well as the winners of the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League which were the Kamloops Blazers, Guelph Platers and Hull Olympiques. The Platers won their first Memorial Cup, and the city's second Memorial Cup, defeating Hull in the final game.

The 2009–10 WHL season is the 44th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 17, 2009, and ended on March 14, 2010. The 2009 Subway Super Series, featuring Team WHL versus Team Russia, took place from November 25–26, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Memorial Cup</span> Canadian junior mens ice hockey championship

The 2018 Memorial Cup was a four-team, round-robin format tournament that was held at Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan from May 18–27, 2018. It was the 100th Memorial Cup championship of junior ice hockey, and determined the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The CHL chose to allow all three of its constituent leagues to bid for hosting the 100th Memorial Cup, instead of the usual rotation between its leagues. The Regina Pats won the right to host the tournament, over bids from the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Oshawa Generals.

Marcel Comeau is a Canadian ice hockey scout, and former player, coach, and National Hockey League team executive. He played eleven seasons in the International Hockey League (IHL), where he was the league's top scorer and won the IHL Most Valuable Player Award in 1981. He later coached in the Western Hockey League (WHL), winning two WHL Coach of the Year Awards, and a Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year Award. He also led Team Canada to a gold medal at the 1996 World Juniors, and later served as a team executive for the Atlanta Thrashers, and the Winnipeg Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connor Bedard</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 2005)

Connor Bedard is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered one of the greatest ice hockey prospects of his generation, he was selected first overall by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Stankoven</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 2003)

Logan Stankoven is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL)). He was drafted in the second round, 47th overall, by the Stars in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

References

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  24. 1 2 "Battle of Highway 11: Saskatoon Blades expect sellout crowd in series final against Regina Pats". CBC News. April 10, 2023. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
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