Canada Falls to Sweden.

This game took an extra period and the final score was 6-5 for Sweden. Curtis Hamilton scored 2 goals,but that was not enough.

Blades Shut Down Raiders.

The Saskatoon Blades completed the 2 game sweep of the northern highway rivals with a 4-3 victory last night and a 5-1 effort tonight.

The Blades had a 4-0 lead in the 1st period. Brent Benson had a 3 point game as well as Jake Trask.

Adam Morrison earned the win. The Blades continue their dominant play and continue to lead the WHL. Now when was the last time someone could say that about the Blades.

The Blades record is now 28-8-0-1. 57 points

I was surprised that there was no fights but oh well.

5-1 was the final score.

Again it is quite ridiculous for a city of Saskatoon's size and the only time they draw a big crowd is when the American teams and have special promotion nights. So what are they supposed to do? Make every game have a special promotion or event? Oh I know lets make all of the Blades opponents American teams...

Just wait until later in the season and playoffs then the "cough cough" bandwagon jumpers will come.

Here is my take on the trade situation: If the Blades are not willing to trade for a Brayden Schenn or Cody Eakin then maybe they should go after Brenden Ranford from Kamloops,he is co leading the league in points. Or maybe a guy like Linden Vey. He is a Saskatchewan kid and plays centre as well.

Ryan Nuegent Hopkins,Matt Dumba and the Red Deer Rebels visit the CUC on new years day.

Canada Destroys Norway. Blades Barely Beat PA.

Team Canada cruised to a 10-1 stomping of the Norwegians.

Canada will play Sweden on New Years Eve.

The Blades gained a 3-0 lead only to loose that lead BUT they managed to hold off the Raiders and get the 4-3 victory.

The rematch goes tomorrow night at the CUC. I hope that Tim McGauley and Hudson Morrison will play.

Canada Beats Czech Republic. Huge West Coast WHL Trade.

Brayden Schenn scored 4 of Canada's 7 goals. Canada won 7-2.

Team Canada is 2-0 and will play Norway tomorrow night.

The Blades have called up 15 year old Tim McGauley and Hudson Morrison,to fill roster spots left by Curtis Hamilton,Ryan Olsen and Levi Bews. The Blades will play the Raiders Wednesday and Thursday night.

Portland and Vancouver have completed a BIG trade. Portland sends Spencer Bennett, Teal Burns A 2011 1st round pick and a 2012 2nd round draft pick for Craig Cunningham and a 2011 6th round pick.

Clearly Portland is going for it all this season.

Canada Beats Russia.

Today was the opening game Vs Russia in the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo,New York this year.

The Russians scored first and it was a back and forth battle all game long. It is a cool feeling to watch Curtis Hamilton play for Canada as well. He scored Canada's 6th and final goal and was (as we all know) a huge penalty killer when called upon. The Canadians did not take too many penalties in this game.

The Canadians were hitting all game long and that does wonders when it is a 60 minute battle.

The Americans face Finland later tonight. Canada will face the Czech Republic on Tuesday night.

Blades De-Thrown Oil Kings.

I was forced to work tonight so I missed the game. Stefan Elliott had a 2 point night, Darian Dziurzynski had 2 assists. Josh Nicholls and Duncan Siemens each had 1 assist. Jake Trask had 1 goal and Brent Benson scored 2 goals.

Steven Stanford recorded the win. The Blades now are 26-8-0-1.

Saskatoon's next game after the Christmas break is on Wednesday December 29th in Prince Albert.

I would like to wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season!!!

Blades Defeat Broncos.

Saskatoon started slow again this game but they found their legs later in the period. Swift Current was pressuring the Blades for a good amount of time in the 1st period.

Josh Nicholls scored the Blades 1st goal which unleashed the toques,mitts and scarves.

The Broncos played pretty well considering who they were forced to put on the ice.

Saskatoon went up 2-0 and both of those goals were on the powerplay. In the 2nd period. Lukas Sutter and Kyle Verdino dropped the gloves. Verdino landed some nice small jabs and Sutter landed maybe one big shot but it was not much of a fight. Decision Verdino (only because he connected with many more smaller shots and took landed on top of Sutter.)

For the Broncos 15 year old Zac MacKay played well. He is not afraid to get into the higher traffic areas.

Matty Stransky scored the 3rd goal for the Blades.

The kid line of Bews,Olsen and Alex Elliott played well. They drew a penalty in the 1st period I believe. They also generated some scoring chances too.

With 10 seconds to go Jordan Peddle spoiled the shut-out for Adam Morrison.

The Blades are still only 9 points up on Moose Jaw because they beat the Wheat Kings 4-3.

Saskatoon will host Edmonton tomorrow night in their last game before the break.

Blades VS Broncos Tonight.

It is the 2nd last game before the Christmas break. The Broncos are hit VERY HARD with injuries. They only have I think 7 forwards. No doubt they will try and all some guys up.

Saskatoon sits in 1st place in the East Division and Swift Current sits in 3rd place.

It is also toque toss tonight. Curtis Hamilton leads the Blades with 42 points and that puts him 12 among league leaders as well as in plus minus. Stefan Elliott sits 2nd in the +/- category and Marek Viedensky sits in 4th place.

Matt Stransky is 25th in rookie scoring and Lukas Sutter is 39th in that same category.

Is this the Blades Year?

I know that many Blades fans (myself included) think that with a trade or 2 this team could become a contender to win the WHL and possibly have a good crack at winning the Memorial Cup.

The Blades only lose 3 players (Hamilton,Bews and Olsen) and for 5 games at the most with the Under 17's and World Juniors.

Speaking of Curtis Hamilton here is an Interview that the Edmonton Oilers did with him: http://www.coppernblue.com/2010/12/10/1867478/curtis-hamilton-discusses-the-world-juniors-saskatoon-and-collarbones

Everyone also has their mindset on possibly Saskatoon having another chance at hosting the Memorial Cup in 2013. In order for the Blades to get some needed star power they WILL have to trade away a decent prospect,and that could kind of mix things up (If the Blades do host it in 2013) because when you are hosting the Memorial Cup most teams load up.

This is a tough decision for Lorne Molleken. Or maybe he already has a plan? The WHL is in a roster freeze right now until after Christmas.

I am just echoing what other people have said. Should the Blades go after a Schenn or Eakin? Or should they get a player that will help them out over the next year as well?

Curtis Hamilton Makes Team Canada!!!

http://www.saskatoonblades.com/article/curtis-hamilton-makes-canada-s-world-junior-team

It is too bad that Stefan Elliott could not be their with him but at least the Blades will be well represented. Congrats to all who made the team and Go Canada Go!!!!

Team Canada will play their 1st game against the Russians on boxing day.

Blades Streak Is Stopped.

Well tonight the Blades did not play that well,not only did they lose but their special teams is struggling. 4-1 was the score.

The Blades are still 9 points up on the 2nd place Warriors. 24-8-0-1 is their record.

A double header at home this weekend.

Curtis Hamilton Survives A Round Of Cuts. Blades Travel To Moose Jaw

Here is the list of players who were released from WJR Camp: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php?ci_id=139138&la_id=1&season_id=151418&team_id=82853&profile_id=151420&ss_id=57000&view_squad=1&squad=Released

The final cuts are being made tomorrow morning.

The Blades take on Cody Beach and the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight and it also marks Connor Cox's return to face his old team.

Blades Break Ice

Tonight was a battle of the two top teams in their respective divisions. The score was tied after one period 1-1. Just something that I noticed: with Curtis Hamilton gone to the World Junior Selection camp,it forces the lines to be juggled and that it did affect the 1st line tonight.

In the 2nd Alex Elliott put the biscuit in the basket and it was his 1st WHL goal. Good for him. He was set up by Ryan Olsen and Teigan Zahn.

The score was 3-1 after 2 periods. After 2 periods the The Blades out shot the ice 31-15. Saskatoon added one more goal and won the game 4-2. Their record now is 24-7-0-1.

Saskatoon will visit Moose Jaw on Tuesday December 14th,then return home for a back to back weekend Friday Dec17th Toque Toss night against the Swift Current Broncos and a date with the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday the 18th.

Tyler Kizuik Dealt To Hurricanes

http://www.lethbridgehurricanes.com/article/hurricanes-acquire-kizuik

The Blades receive a 6th round pick in 2011. When the Blades acquired Connor Cox and when Kizuik was scratched for a number of games I knew something was up.

This move leaves the Blades with 6 defencemen and Tommy Stipancik is going to make his debut probably in the new year but one can still question: Are the Blades done yet?

Hopefully he can find some success in Lethbridge.

The Blades take on a team that they are battling with in the standings:the Kootenay Ice. On Sunday at 6:05 at the CUC.

Blades Slide Past Silvertips

Tonight was a different night with the members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the building as well as numerous figure skaters including former Blades tough guy Kelly Chase. It felt weird watching a couple intermissions of figure skating but it was for a great cause.

As per usual the Blades started slow giving up the first 2 goals of the game. The Blades went down 3-1 in the 3rd period. The Blades seem to have a never say die attitude. The game in Kamloops and this game were VERY similar for the Blades,being down 3-1 and winning in O.T

In the 2nd period Teigan Zahn and Cameron Elynuik had a battle going on and had a little scrap so they sit for 5 minutes and and as soon as they returned to the ice they went at it again.

The Blades tied the game with 10 seconds left in the 3rd with Stanford on the bench. Wow what a rush that was!!!

In overtime Jake Trask was the hero!!! He played a great game scoring 2 goals and getting 1st star as well.

The Blades peppered the Silvertips with 47 shots and Steven Stanford only faced 20 shots.

The Blades will be without Curtis Hamilton as he leaves for Toronto tomorrow.. I am not sure about Marek Viedensky and Matt Stransky though. The Blades will also be without Ryan Olsen and Levi Bews when the U17's start.

The Blades are 23-7-0-1 which gives them 47 points.

The Regina Pats traded Carter Ashton to the Tri City Americans for 18 year old Tanner Olstad,17 year old Nils Moser and a bunch of The Americans receive Ashton and a 3rd round draft pick

More bus trips in the new year. Possibly one to Swift Current at the end of January and Moose Jaw at the end of February. Hopefully they can have full buses for those 2 day trips.

Former Blade Davis Vandane Headed To Spokane.

He was released from the Blades 50 man PPL and then in November the Spokane Chiefs picked him up.

Here is their press release: http://www.spokanechiefs.com/article/chiefs-add-defenseman

4-1 Record On B.C Trip

Tonight was the final game of the B.C trip. The Blades led 2-0 after 40 minutes,and won the game 3-0 The Blades now have 45 points and a record of 22-7-1.

The Blades next game is back in Saskatoon on Friday against Landon Ferraro and the Everett Silvertips. There should be a decent crowd their because Kelly Chase will be doing a figure skating routine.

Blades Play Well On B.C Trek.

The Blades have played really well winning 3 out of 5 games so far. I had an awesome trip!! Met Ryan Olsen's parents and Dalton Thrower's mom because of this blog (yes they follow this blog and it was such a pleasure to meet them). Overall bar none the best road trip that I have taken. I can not complain at all when I go to a great province and watch my favorite team on the road and stay in great hotels. The rinks I visited are great rinks and the fans were good as well.

I have been to games in Saskatoon Regina,Prince Albert,Swift Current,Calgary,Brandon,Lethbridge,Red Deer,Medicine Hat. As well as most of the B.C division just recently. Vancouver,Chilliwack,Kamloops,and Kelowna. Only 9 more rinks to go!!!!

It was a nice homecoming for the B.C guys who I am sure all registered points on this trip. Especially the first shift of the game in Vancouver a nice touch to a great game.

I know I promised pictures and still do but I am having some issues transferring them from my phone to my computer. I hope to figure it out soon.

The Blades have a 21-7-0-1 record which gives them 43 points.

The Blades will face former teammates Charles Inglis and Sena Acolatse and the rest of the P.G Cougars tomorrow night.

Blogging From B.C

For my first time travelling through British Columbia I am having a blast,the Booster club feels like a second family to me.

The Blades played a tough game in Vancouver and had a little easier time with the Bruins. Gogol was very tame in that game.

The Blades play Kamloops tonight and Kelowna on saturday. Too bad the Booster club goes home saturday, I would have loved to see Inglis and Acolatse in Priince George.

I will have pictures when I return home sunday afternoon.

Go Blades Go!!!!!!!

Blades Earn A Split VS Raiders

The start of tonight's game was the opposite of last nights game. 2-0 Blades after twenty minutes.

Darian Dziurzynski fought Tyler Yaworski,I would call that one a draw.

The score was 4-1 after 40 minutes.

Darren Dietz fought Harrison Ruopp and Ruopp probably did not know where he was 100% after that fight. Dietz landed some good shots.

Things started getting chippy and nasty in the last portion of the game with the Blades winning 6-2. Duncan Siemens fought Austin Connor and he had Siemens in a bad spot but somehow Siemens turned the fight in his favor.

The Blades have 18 wins now. They will probably very shortly be leaving for B.C. I have one more day of work before I get on the bus and travel to BC with the rest of the Booster Club.

Blades Dumped By Raiders.

It was nice to watch a WHL game on tv tonight. The Blades struggled in this game and that could have been because of the lack of pucks that did not hit the net. The Raiders were the better team tonight. The score was 3-1.

Hopefully the Blades can come back with a better effort tomorrow night at home.

The Blades will drive out to B.C right after tomorrow nights game. The fan bus will leave bright and early monday morning. Seeing games in Vancouver,Chilliwack, Kamloops and Kelowna. I am excited for this trip!!!

Blades Blast Broncos

Tonight was a night I think when the Blades biggest task to to stop Cody Eakin. The Blades did that Eakin was pointless and a -5.

The Blades got goals from Ellott,Siemens,Hamilton,Collins,Johnson and Trask.

The Broncos were outshot 40-27. Killian Hutt of the Broncos stands 5'8, it was interesting seeing him out there. He has to be the smallest player in the league.

The final score was 6-2 for the Blades. The Blades were without Ryan Olsen and Marek Viedensky. Viedensky may miss 3 more games.

The Blades record is now 17-5-1. Good for 35 points. They are currently 2nd in the WHL right now.

Blades Sweep Mini Roadtrip.

The Blades took on two better good teams this weekend. They defeated the Kootenay Ice 2-1, In a game which their top Centre Marek Viedensky. If his concussion is serious enough and forces him to miss more games the Blades will need to step it up,which I think they are fully capable of doing.

The Blades played without their top centre tonight in Lethbridge. The Hurricanes got themselves into penalty trouble and the Blades walked away with a 5-3 win. This was after trailing 2-0.

Levi Bews & Ryan Olsen Make U 17 Team Pacific. Stovin Makes Team West.

Today the rosters were announced for the upcoming tournament from Dec 28th-Jan 5th.

You can see Team Pacific's roster here: http://www.hockeyalberta.ca/UserFiles/File/2011%20Team%20Pacific%20Roster.pdf

Brett Stovin has made Team West.

The Blades will be without these players and also Curtis Hamilton and Stefan Elliott if they make the World Juniors. It may give some other guys a chance to get called up and play a couple of games.

A fair amount of Blades prospects have made the U 16 team for team Manitoba as well.

3 Blades In NHL Draft Rankings

Duncan Siemens is ranked #8,Brent Benson is ranked #16,Matt Stransky is ranked 21st,and Darren Dietz is eligible as well.

Here is the link to the full list:http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=65880

Blades Punnish Portland.

On a night where Gene Simmons,Shannon Tweed,and Aaron Roy all made an appearance at the CUC,and where numerous tv cameras were focused. The Blades put on a good show in front of 8,800 fans.

The Blades came out ready and firing on all gears. 2-0 lead,but the Winterhawks are not ranked #2 in the CHL for no reason. The play of Nino Niederrieter shocked some. No he did not score a highlight real goal. The Winterhawks tied the game up and eventually took the lead but Josh Nicholls scored a clutch goal on the powerplay to tie the game up and Curtis Hamilton scored the game winner with less than 2 minutes left to play. I am excited to see the highlights on the Blades website.

The 50/50 jackpot was around $13,000.

The Blades play in Kootenay and Lethbridge next weekend.

Blades Acquire Defencemen From Warriors.

http://www.whl.ca/article/blades-acquire-cox-from-warriors

The Blades gave up a 2nd round pick in 2011 for 18 year old Connor Cox.

I hope that he will be here in time for the Portland Winterhawks game tomorrow but we shall see.

Blades Suffer Shoot-out Loss.

Some people including myself will be very happy when and if Steven Stanford returns on friday.

Some people want to see Morrison traded,but that would potentially give the Blades a rookie starter in between the pipes next season.

I do not think Morrison will be traded though

The game was close through 20 minutes. Tied 1-1 after 1.

Seattle has a big team and they were always hitting the Blades.

The goals came more often in the 2nd period with the Blades scoring 3 times,Seattle scoring once.

Darian Dziurzynski and Brendan Dillion scrapped in the 2nd period,Both combatants landed some good shots but Dziurzynski landed a good shot at the start that popped Dillion's bucket off. Dillion was cut open a bit so you could give the decision to DD.

The Thunderbirds clawed their way back with 2 goals in the 3rd period. Their Powerplay was deadly tonight.

Overtime solved nothing. The Blades could not beat Calvin Pickard in the Shoot-out and Seattle Marcel Nobels scored for the T-Birds winning the game.

Friday the Blades host Nino Niederrieter Brad Ross(Leafs 2nd rounder2010) and the rest Portland Winterhawks.

Keep your eyes on Ty Rattie and Derrick Pouliot of the Winterhawks as well.

Blades Face Thunderbirds.

Tonight the Blades who are riding a 2 game winning streak take on the 6-4-2-3 Seattle Thunderbirds and this also marks the return of 2 former Blades: Burke Gallimore and Travis Toomey

it is also Veterans Night tonight at the CUC.

Chris Collins will make his home ice debut tonight. He has 3 points in 2 games since joining the Blades.

It should be a good game tonight,as always when the US teams visit the CUC.

Come Back: The Theme of the Week.

This is the 2nd game in a row that the Blades won when trailing.

The game on Wednesday was won in 60 minutes,but the Blades forced extra an time in tonight's game.

The Blades record is now 13-5 with this 4-3 OT victory.

The Maple Leafs are slumping,5 game loosing streak.

The Blades next game is against Seattle at the CUC on Tuesday night.

Blades Complete Comback & Burry Broncos

One day after the Blades lost a close game to the Spokane Cheifs. They tried their luck against their east division foe: Swift Current Broncos. The Blades scored 2 second period goals.(Dziurzynski,Collins)

The Blades were down 4-2 going into the final frame. Marek Viedensky scored 1:17 into the 3rd period making it a one goal game. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Josh Nicholls tied the game 3 minutes shy of the halfway mark of the 3rd. He also secured the Blades win with about 2 minutes to go in regulation.

The Blades beat the Broncos 5-4. Which improves their record to 11-5.

The recent swap of Gogol for Collins looks to be pretty good. Chris Collins had a multiple point night. 1 goal,1 assist.

Marek Viedensky had 2 points, Stefan Elliott had 2 points, while Duncan Siemens chipped in 3 assists.

The Blades will travel to Medicine Hat for a date with the Tigers on Saturday night.

Blades Streak Snapped By Cheifs. Gogol Is Gone.

The Blades home unbeaten streak is now gone. The Chiefs scored two quick goals all within the 1st 11 minutes of the game. Jake Trask for the Blades on a nice breakaway backhand deke move.

Josh Nicholls scored on a broken play,the puck came loose and he gained control and scored.

The score was 3-2 for Spokane after two periods and they were forchecking hard.

Teigan Zahn fought Dominik Uher and I would call this a draw. Alex Elliott fought Darren Krammer and this was a good fight both landed decent shots and at the end Krammer landed on top of Elliott and I think the way Elliott landed his visor came up and cut him under his nose or either a punch did that damage.

The Blades were a goal post away from tying the game late in the game. That says it all. The Blades picked up their play late in the game but Spokane was the better team and Jared Cowan was a force tonight.

Curt Gogol was traded earlier today to the Chilliwack Bruins along with an 8th round pick in 2011 for 18 year old winger/centre Chris Collins.

I like this trade because Collins is a year younger and hopefully brings offence.

3-2 was the final.

The Blades will hit the road again and play Cody Eakin and the Broncos tomorrow.

Blades Earn Road Victory.

One night after the Blades fell apart in Red Deer,they tried to pick up the pieces and did well by scoring the opening goal.

The Blades took a 2-0 lead into the 3rd period. The Hitmen tried to battle their way back into this game by cutting the Blades lead in half.

A goal a piece by Stefan Elliott and Curtis Hamilton in the final minute of the game guaranteed their 11th win of the season.

The line of Hamilton-Viedensky-Nicholls has combined for 54 points.

The Blades take on the Spokane Cheifs on Tuesday on home ice.

Blades Lose,Road Woes Continue.

I listened to bits and pieces of the game tonight and it was one sided. Red Deer outshot the Blades 40-26 and did all of their damage (score 7 goals) in the last 40 minutes, Now there are hopes that Steven Stanford will come back real quick,because some think that without him the Blades will go down-hill.

If you look at the stats Red Deer is a good team. This was a learn from your mistakes game (in fact every game is). It is still early in the season and with a young team the Blades are bound to go through slumps.

The Blades got into penalty trouble 13 penalties for the Blades compared to 6 for the Rebels.

What is it going to take for the Blades to be able to start winning on the road? A minor trade? A day in the classroom to teach discipline/composure?

Hopefully the Blades can rebound tomorrow afternoon against the struggling Hitmen who are 4-9.

Steven Stanford Injured,Blades Call Up Adam Todd.

http://www.saskatoonblades.com/article/adam-todd-is-recalled

Steven Stanford is dealing with what Adam Morrison dealt with in the playoffs last year: a concussion,so the Blades have called up 16 year old Adam Todd for these two games in Alberta. It will be interesting to see if Adam Todd starts a game this weekend.

Steven Stanford will not be able to play until Nov 6th. So I think that Adam Todd will start at least one game because I can not see Morrison being forced to start 5 straight games but we will see.

Blades Fall To Pats. Road Struggles Continue.

This is Junior hockey after all. Anything can happen on any given night. The Blades started the scoring in the 1st period but the Pats basically took the game over from that point,in terms of scoring. The final score was 5-2 for the Pats.

On a positive note Darian Dziurzynski scored another goal which gives him 10 on the season. At this pace he will pass his point total from last season 29 pts. He already has 14 pts only 13 games into the season.

The Blades are playing .500 hockey on the road which is decent but I would think everyone wants to have an even balance.

The Blades are 2-0 so far when playing in Alberta so hopefully that can help them this weekend when they play the Rebels on Saturday and Calgary on Sunday.

NHL news now. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers by a score of 3-1, which gives them a 5-2-1 record. They will play the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Blades Keep It Going..Still Unbeaten At Credit Union Centre.

Steven Stanford was given the start tonight. The game was scoreless until the 2nd period. Curtis Hamilton got the Blades on the board.

The 1st line of Hamilton-Viedensky-Nicholls is playing really well,but the Blades MUST get secondary scoring from the other 3 lines in order to be a memorial cup contender. Darian Dzuirzynski's line has played well together because he has the most goals on the team with 10. Do not let the 10-2 record fool you.

The Blades have 8 players who have not completed 1 season in the WHL. Are the top 2 lines, defence and goaltending carrying this team right now? The Blades have played 7 games within the East division, and 5 games against Central division and US division teams. They are 7-0 on home ice. It is still early in the season and once the Blades get on the road in November and December things should become interesting.

The Blades controlled the pace of the game after they scored the 1st goal. They took a 3-0 lead into the 3rd period. You knew there were going to be some fights with a frustrated Medicine Hat team. In the 3rd period Kale Kessy of the Tigers took on Lukas Sutter and Kessy got the better of Sutter,but Sutter picked up an instigator penalty.

Steven Stanford was very much a factor in this game,he helped keep Emerson Etem,Linden Vey from scoring. The Blades as a team played well.

One scary moment in the 2nd period (if I remember correctly) A puck was deflected and it hit Stefan Elliott in the face, he was ok. It is never a good thing a puck or stick gets near the face and makes contact.

The Tigers scored their only goal in the 3rd period. They looked tired and probably used up their offence,the previous night in Prince Albert. Being without Tyler Pitlick and some other players probably did not help things for the Tigers.

2 Edmonton Oiler prospects (Curtis Hamilton and Tyler Bunz) were playing in the game tonight so you can bet your money that there were Oiler's brass at the game tonight.

The addition of Jake Trask has been a good one,sure he is not a goal or point scoring machine yet,but he is another veteran body,and hopefully he will be able to get a streak going.

There was one more fight that was unable to develop and it all started when the play was in the Tigers zone and a Blades player (it might have been Brent Benson) was in puck pursuit and a Tiger player had clipped him and right away Darren Dietz came in and wanted to drop the gloves but the referees did not let it happen.

the final score was 4-1 for the Blades who now continue to play well sporting a 10-2 record.

The Blades will travel to the Queen City on Tuesday to take on the Regina Pats.

Blades Shine In Shoot-Out (300th Post)

This is the 300th post on this blog & many more to come. I hope you enjoy reading it as I do writing recaps and such.

Adam Morrison was the starter for the Blades tonight. The Hurricanes scored first and managed to take a 3-1 lead into the 3rd period. I thought that the Blades were very strong when they had possession of the puck and this is a good sign.

Some penalties allowed each team to score goals changing the game, in fact the Blades scored 2 power play goals so their special teams was clicking tonight.

Ryan Olsen had a great game,scoring his 1st WHL goal in the 1st period on a spin-o-rama type shot.

The Blades battled back from being down 3-1 to tie the game. Duncan Siemens did so on a wrist shot.

Overtime would solve nothing but with 4 on 4 you have to be so careful: No room for mistakes.

In the Shoot out, Both teams took 2 shots: No goals so far so.... Lethbridge's 3rd shooter misses. It is all up to 16 year old Ryan Olsen and he scores!!!! The Blades are 9-2 now and No other Blades team in their history has started the season 9-2. They also maintain a perfect 6-0 record at home.

Hard fought game and tomorrow the Riders play but there was a good article in the Saskatoon paper today,so if you have not read it please do.

one thing that I noticed was in the score sheet insert in the program. Almost everything was right the Hurricanes goalies and defence but the forwards were not correct. They still had the Tri City Americans forwards instead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes forwards.

I hope they fix this by the next game which is tomorrow. It is a minor mistake. Speaking of improvements!! The Blades game day presentation is very much improved. They have the names and numbers of the players on the jumbo-tron when they get a penalty. They have someone with a Blades flag skating around the Blades zone which is cool. Maybe they could take some lessons from Medicine Hat? I was there for 2 playoff games when the Blades were swept in 4 straight (If my memory is correct) and they do an AWESOME pre game show with Rrory the Tiger.

Quite a difference from the last time these two teams met (the Blades winning 4-0 in Lethbridge)

The Blades will face a hot Medicine Hat Tigers team who exploded with offence defeating the Prince Albert Raiders by a score of 9-2 tonight.

Will the Blades be up to the task of taming Emerson Etem and the Tigers?

Go to the game tomorrow night and cheer on the Blades. Why not? After all they are off to a great start and deserve the support!!!

Blades Beat By Warriors.

Steven Stanford played 1 period plus a few minutes allowing 1 goal,and Adam Morrison played the rest of the game allowing 4 goals.

Jake Trask made his debut and had 2 minutes in penalties. Darian Dzuirzynski scored the lone goal for the Blades and Matej Stransky added the assist.

By looking at the stats sheet Curt Gogol fought Joel Edmundson of the Warriors. The Blades were outshot 27-23.

The final score was 5-1. The Blades record now stands at 8-2. Next up is a pair of home games this weekend. Lethbridge on Friday and Medicine Hat on Saturday night.

Roster Move & A Trade.

Today the team reassigned Brett Stovin to the Interlake Lightning of the Manitoba AAA Midget hockey League,the Blades made a trade with the Kamloops Blazers to acquire a hometown Right Wing/Centre: 19 year old Jake Trask. In exchange for a 6th round pick in 2012.

Blades Weekend Fights In Red Deer.

I found videos of the 2 fights that the Blades, Dalton Thrower and Lukas Sutter were involved in.

Sutter VS Robinson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiAhCBoirfE

Thrower VS Elson (It starts at the 2:35 mark in the video)

http://www.reddeerrebels.com/video/index/id/7670ae888a7575e7165e14af043d6151

There is also highlights of the Hurricanes/Blades game on the Hurricanes website.

Blades Succeed in Alberta

The Blades had a good two road games in Alberta. Barely getting past the Rebels last night 2-1 and making easy work of the Hurricanes tonight shutting them out 4-0.

With this win the Blades have won 6 straight games and are 8-1 overall. Elliott,Bews,Viedensky and Benson provided the goals and Adam Morrison provided good goaltending. Dietz,Siemens had 2 assists each. Hamilton,Dzuirzynski and Nicholls all added assists.

The Blades were against outshot by the home team but what matters is when the pucks go in the net and the Blades are doing that.

The Blades will rest and practice until a game Tuesday night in Moose Jaw.

Blades Sneak Past Rebels. Leafs Still Undefeated.

After a 7 day break from action the Blades faced off against Red Deer. The Blades scored in the first period. The Rebels managed to tie up the game. Marek Viedensky and Dalton Thrower scored for the Blades. Brent Benson added a helper in the winning cause.

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Lukas Sutter dropped the gloves with Turner Elson. Look for a video on you tube of the fight in the coming days.

Steven Stanford was in net for the Blades. He now has 6 wins on the season. Red Deer our shot the Blades 41-23. Ryan Nugent Hopkins was a minus 1 and had zero points in this game. 2-1 was the final score.

The Blades travel to Lethbridge to play the Hurricanes tomorrow night. The recored improves 7 -1.

Some NHL news to pass along. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers 4-3. Giving them a 4-0 record. It was a good night in the hockey world for me.

Blades Visit Red Deer and Lethbridge this weekend.

They will play the Rebels later tonight and it will be the 1st time since their 1st round playoff series last spring (which the Blades took in 4 games)

On Saturday they will take on the Hurricanes,Josh Nicholls has been cleared for contact and will most likely be inserted back into the line-up on friday. This weekend will be a good test for the team but reuniting the top line will help.

Josh Nicholls 2nd goal against the Tri City Americans made the top 5 plays of the week this week in the WHL plays of the week. His goal was ranked #4.

http://www.whl.ca/video/index/id/9336b7dddad96a2615c7379e386702b5

Maple Leafs are 3-0

The Leafs have found a way to win once again. Luke Schenn chipped in with 2 assists.

You can read the rest of the game summary here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2010020039&navid=sb:recap

Blades Ranked #4 in the CHL.

Here is the press release: http://www.saskatoonblades.com/article/bmo-chl-mastercard-top-10-week-4

WHL gives Brendan Shinnimin 12 Games.

I think that is a reasonable number of games for the 1st time offender.

What is everyone else's opinion?

Maple Leafs Win Again!!!

The Leafs gave started the season off with 2 wins in a row and against arch rivals too. I only saw the last part of the 2nd and entire 3rd but the Leafs won 5-1. The Tri City Americans defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings 3-1 The Rebels also beat the Warriors too 3-0 ,so that does help out the Blades.

Blades Outlast Warriors. Blades Remain Unbeaten At Home.

I decided to listen to this game on the radio so I could enjoy thanksgiving supper with my relatives and I am glad that I have that as a plan B because Les Lazaruk and Cody Nickolet do a good job calling and describing the games.

The Blades led the game for well over 40 minutes and the Warriors attempted a 3rd period comeback,but it failed. As a result the Blades scored 2 empty net goals. Darian Dzuirzynski netted a hat trick. Curtis Hamilton had 3 points tonight. Josh Nicholls was indeed a scratch for tonights game. Brendan Shinnimin recieved a 2 game suspension until the WHL makes a final descision .

Marek Viedensky and Curtis Hamilton are 9th and 11th respectively in WHL scoring, while Ryan Nugent Hopkins and Andrej Kudrna lead the WHL in points and the Blades will take on the Rebels in Red Deer on October 15th.

The attendance was in the 3,500 range tonight.

The final score was 6-4 and this win gives the Blades a 5-0 record on home ice and 6-1 overall which is the best record in the WHL for the time being.

The Blades will hit the road for 2 games in Alberta Red Deer and Lethbridge next weekend and will not have home games until the 22nd and 23rd, another back to back weekend of hockey!!!!

Hampus Gustafsson was traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings from the Pats tonight. The Pats are sure making deals as of late. Some fans are wondering if it is the coach and not the players? The Regina Pats have traded 3 players in the past couple of days.

Leafs Win Home Opener. Video of last nights hit.

The Leafs beat the Canadeins 3-2 was the score. I was only able to watch the end of the 2nd and final period. Clarke MacArthur was 2nd star scoring one goal,Phil Kessel and J-S Giguere was the other stars of the game. The Leafs will take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

Ok now onto the video replay of the Josh Nicholls hit at the end of the 3rd period.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Rncb-t8mc%E2%80%8C

He did not have the puck and it was not a very smart move on Shinnimin's part.

He is lucky that Nicholls is not severely hurt maybe a concussion and a bruised back. Still I do not like to see anyone on either team get hurt in any game.

One more piece of news: Adam Iwan has been sent back home. The Blades will probably go with a strong duo of Stanford and Morrison. Adam Morrison looks very much improved from last season.

The Blades will face the Moose Jaw Warriors tomorrow night. I think we may see Josh Nicholls sit this one out.

Blades Shut Down Americans,Extend Streak To 3.

Adam Morrison was given the start tonight for the Blades and he played well. I wonder if the Blades are going to go with Stanford and Morrison as their 2 goalies?? Something to think about.

The Blades jumped out to a 2-0 lead with Josh Nicholls scoring 1 minute into the game and Darian Dzuirzynski scoring the Blades 2nd goal

The way this game was played with intensity and everything else you would think that it was arch rivals playing one another. Tri City put together a good effort. if these two teams met in the playoffs it would be a very good series.

I do not know how to put this without getting jumped on and either way I might, but there were some questionable hits that Tri City put on some Blades players. One in particular was Brendan Shinnimin hitting Josh Nicholls who stayed down for a while. It will be interesting to see if anything else results from that hit. I do not know if it was just Tri City hitting dangerously or someone letting the game get out of control?

This was a good hockey game to watch. Fast paced action with hits and good saves.

I think Les Lazaruk mentioned in the pre game video that if the Blades won this game it would be the best start that the Blades have had since also going 5-1 in 1985 if I remember correctly?

The hit of the game was thrown by Darian Dzuizynski and the hardest working player for the Blades was Marek Viedensky.

There was a lot of Tri City Americans fans there tonight,I do not think that their team has a booster club so either die hard fans are following the AMS or either family that live out in Saskatchewan?

The final score was Blades 5 Americans 3. The Americans are now 0-2 on their East Divison Road Trip. The Blades meanwhile are 3-0 in their last 3.

The attendance was only 3,026 or around there. You would think that their would have been more people at the game considering it was a team that only comes here every other year or 2 years. Sure it would be great to see decent crowds every game but whatever. The Blades are winning and the team looks great. It is only the start of the season but early success is crucial.

Andrej Stastny now listed By the Vancouver Giants....

Read this blog http://communities.canada.com/theprovince/blogs/dubhub/default.aspx and you will see what I am talking about or I will just spill the beans now. The Blades had given up on him and no doubt he is a talented player. This will not go over well if he does play for the Vancouver Giants. It makes one wonder if the Slovakian team will release Stastny now. That sure would be a kick in the ass for Saskatoon. Interesting situation we have here.

Former Captain Hulak Earns Pro Contract.

As many of you know earned an invite to the Phoenix Coyotes rookie camp and he did well enough that he has secured a pro contract with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. I saw the news on the Blades color commentators blog: http://whl-from-above.blogspot.com/ So I did not report it first.

It says that the Royals are affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. So does that mean he could play for both the Bruins and Leafs? Haha probably not. Congrats to him. His hard work has paid off. Always nice to see a player get rewarded for their efforts.

The Blades (4-1) will face the Tri City Americans 4-0-1 on Wednesday night and their will be AMS fans in attendance. So I ask this of you: Please be nice to them. I know sometimes visiting teams fans are not treated well (I have experienced this) some of that was my own fault but show them them how great the hockey fans in Saskatoon can be.

Blades Take 2 out of 3 & Get Revenge.

Steven Stanford started the game for the Blades and he allowed 2 goals in the 1st period but the Blades did not panic but rather tie the game up.

In the third period the Wheaties tied up the game with about 9 minutes left but the Blades took the lead again,so that forced the Wheat Kings to pull Ty Rimmer but that did not work.
The Blades won the game by a 1 goal margin 4-3.

The Blades record improves to 4-1.

Playing 3 games in 3 nights is a tough grind but winning 2 out of 3 is an AWESOME accomplishment. The guys deserve some rest on Monday for sure.

Matej Stransky looks like the real deal. The Blades have a good European combo.

Darian Dzuirzynski was awarded the hit of the game and Teigan Zahn was the hardest working player.

The Blades traded with the Prince George Cougars. The Blades received a 3rd round draft pick in 2011 for 20 year old forward Sena Acolatse. This is a good trade!!!

Blades Deafeat Pats

After a disastrous game is Brandon last night the Blades got on track quickly by jumping out to a 2-0 lead. The Pats made it a close game scoring 1 goal soon after. The Blades kept on rolling as they scored 3 more goals and made the score 4-1. The Pats scored again and that would be all that they could get past Steven Stanford. The final score was 6-2 for the Blades. The hardest hit of the the game was awarded to Darian Dzuirzynski and the hardest working player was Brent Benson.

The Blades get set for a rematch against those same Wheat Kings tomorrow night. Things could get really interesting between Adam Morrison,Steven Stanford and Sena Acolatse because both Stanford and Acolatse can not stay.

Blades Blanked By Wheat Kings,Suffer 1st loss.

It was probably a good thing that I did not listen to this game because the Blades were totally dominated by the Wheat Kings. Some people blame Adam Morrison. It was the Blades as a team that did not come through and do the things needed to win a hockey game. Brandon crushed the Blades 7-0

The Blades have given up on Andrej Stastny so their two imports will be Matej Stransky and Marek Viedensky.

Hopefully the Blades show up for the next 2 of their remaining games this weekend.

Blades Make Roster Moves.

Today the Saskatoon Blades narrowed the gap for their 20 year olds. Jeremy Boyer was placed on waivers . They have 4 left: Steven Stanford,Sena Acolatse,Teigan Zahn and Marek Viedensky. The last two are locks, so the last spot will be between Sena Acolatse and Steven Stanford.

It is too bad that Jeremy Boyer could not finish his junior career in the WHL but given the number of OA's in the league it can be a tough spot.

The Blades have re-assigned 18 year old defencemen Jesse Williamson to the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL.

This weekend the real test begins for the 2-0 Blades as they play 3 games in 3 nights. Friday in Brandon,Saturday at the CUC against the Pats and Sunday the Wheat make a visit to the CUC.

I am also planning on seeing a Midget AAA game between the Saskatoon Blazers and Moose Jaw Generals on Friday night.

The Blades have two players in their system that may be playing in this game Connor Kortko for the Blazers and Dayton Picard for the Generals.

A busy hockey filled weekend for me!!!!

Adam Morrison Returning Tomorrow?

I am hearing rumblings from people that he could be on his way back to Saskatoon. his name is not listed as one of the players being sent back, we shall see. Just a little heads up for you. I am sure we will see him play this weekend I hope.

Blades Sneak Past Raiders

The Blades came out on fire scoring 3 goals to start the game. The Raiders slowly found there way back into the game. It is hard to give a recap when you hear a game on the radio. So visit the Blades website for their recap of the game. Stefan Elliott is back and did indeed play tonight, Leafs 7th rounder in 2010 Josh Nicholls scored 2 goals as well as Marek Viedensky.

6-5 was the score.

The Blades start the season 2-0 and will face the Brandon Wheat Kings next Friday in Brandon.

Another question here. Why are the Flyers keeping Adam Morrison in camp? Maybe to help him work on his game? He can not play in the AHL yet. The Blades are just fine right now with Steven Stanford and Adam Iwan.

Blades Win Home Opener!!! Blades Trade McNaught To Vancouver.

This year instead of the Canadian Tire Chuck-A-Puck they have Pick A Puck. You pay $10 and you select a puck and if it has a number on it then you win a prize matched with the number. I picked a Curt Gogol autographed puck seen here:

On to the hockey game.

The Blades came out controlling the play in the 1st part of the opening period. Dalton Thrower opened the scoring for the Blades.

The Blades outshot the Raiders in the 1st period. In the 2nd period the Raiders picked up their game.

The Raiders took the lead in the 3rd period and honestly had me scared haha. The Blades capitalized in the third period and won the game 3-2. Darian Dzuirzynski was the hardest working player and Lukas Sutter delivered the hit of the game.

I really liked the play of the young guys (Olsen,Stovin and Stransky)

The Blades played a team game tonight,hopefully that continues.

The Blades are now 1-0 and will travel North to Prince Albert to finish a home and home series with the Raiders.

The Blades have traded Randy McNaught out west again to the Giants for a 5th round pick in the 2011 draft. The Blades now have 6 twenty year olds left. The number is getting smaller and the Blades are gaining draft picks.

Josh Nicholls Returns.

With that move it still leaves Stefan Elliott,Adam Morrison,Randy McNaught still in NHL camps. I hope to see Elliott and Morrison come back. I think we may see Steven Stanford start in the home opener.

An article in the paper today said there is still a possibility of Jyri Niemi coming back. First they say he is not coming back and now he might be? I think they are just trying to play mind games.

I am not too sure if they are trying to get Andrej Stastny over here but it would most likely send Matej Stransky packing if Stastny did come over.

Blades hockey is BACK!!!!!!!!!!

Teigan Zahn Unanimously Named Captain.

The players voted that Zahn be named captain this season. I think this is a good choice,with him being one of the assistants last season it showed that he can step into the role of captain.

The Blades have named 3 assistant captains this season: Marek Viedensky,Curtis Hamilton and Duncan Siemens. This also may put some clarity to the overage situation,since both Zahn and Viedensky have letters so one would have to think that they are locks to be Overagers on the team. I think that Steven Stanford is on the outside looking in.

I was reading Kevin Shaw's blog: http://www.theblueliner.com/ The Flyers have sent back Ricard Blidstrand to the Regina Pats. So that must mean that Adam Morrison is on his way back as well. (I do not see Morrison making the Flyers right now.) Morrison's return is not official just yet.

This would be cool. Regular season is ALMOST HERE!!!

Watch this video of 2 players from a WHL team personally delivering Season Tickets.

http://www.whl.ca/video/index/id/1285086194

This is the first time that I have seen/heard of WHL team(s) delivering some season tickets to fans personally.

I think it would be cool if the Blades did this. Hint Hint.

I do not know about other fans but I am going to miss seeing Charles Inglis on the ice. I liked the intensity that he played with. It was too bad that he was traded on a sour note. He did not really see it that way which was good. He should be a good fit in Prince George with Brett Connolly. I also hope Travis Toomey does well in Seattle.

The Blades are giving one lucky fan a trip for 2 to Las Vegas and all you have to do is show up at the game.

There are 3 players still at NHL Camps: Josh Nicholls,Adam Morrison and Stefan Elliott. They may miss the home opener and they may be back in time for friday. Only time will tell.

Curt Gogol Signs with San Jose.

He was a free agent invite to their camp and has obviously impressed them enough to get a contract out of it.

He will be back in Saskatoon playing for the Blades again this year though.

Hamilton Returned to the Blades. Shaw TV's WHL Broadcast Schedule is out!!!

Here is the link to prove the truth: http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=538134&navid=DL|EDM|home

The next news I am waiting to hear is about Curt Gogol and the rest of the guys still at NHL camps. If the Blades do not get those guys back they will be obviously short players.

Shaw is going to broadcast 5 Blades games this season. 4 home games and 1 road game. The bad thing about games being on tv is that it means that less people will be at the games.

Here is the link to the full broadcast schedule: http://www.whl.ca/article/whl-on-shaw-braodcast-schedule-announced

Blades End Pre Season On A Good Note.

Steven Stanford,Jeremy Boyer and Teigan Zahn were the 20 year olds dressed for the Blades tonight. Something that I noticed tonight: Tyler Kizuik was playing forward because the Blades only had 10 forwards listed on the line-up sheet.

You would hope the Blades would win because they dressed 3 OA's and the Pats dressed one(only because that is how many I think they have?)

Anyways,I thought Pats goalie Matt Hewitt looked great. The Pats created some chances but could not beat Stanford.

Some people might ask: Why would you dress a 20 year old goalie in pre season? My answer is this: There is still an abundance of OA's on the roster these guys are competing for jobs and need playing time to prove their worth,and now with Viedensky being sent back I think he will stick. There is no need for Andrej Stastny now. So I think the Blades will let him stay in Europe.

The Pats got into penalty trouble and that is what hurt them.

Lukas Sutter,Darren Dietz, Braeden Johnson,Brett Stovin and Matej Stransky all potted goals for the Blades.

The Blades peppered the Pats with shots. Outshooting them 54-16 if my totals are correct.

17 year old Tyler Oswald has been returned to the Dauphin Kings of the MJHL. So Adam Iwan joins Steven Stanford and Adam Morrison in the goaltending battle of 3.

The Blades have until sometime in October(I think it may be the 20th) to get down to the limit of 3 Overage players.

We may see another trade or two. The Blades Home Opener is on Friday Sept 24th.

Travis Toomey Dealt.

Considering the circumstances this trade was going to happen and Travis Toomey was just a victim of the numbers game.

The Blades receive a 4th round draft pick in 2011. Blades fans will be able to see Toomey in game action when the Thunderbirds visit the CUC on Tuesday November 9th which will also mark the return of another former Blade in Burke Gallimore.

The Blades have 7 OA's listed on thier roster now. Still some more moves to be made.

The Blades take on the Regina Pats Saturday night at the CUC. It should be a good game.

2 WHL Trades,Another Overager Possibly Returning.

The Moose Jaw Warriors have acquired Thomas Heemskerk from Everett in exchange for Warriors Defencemen Chad Suer.

Then the Warriors traded 20 year old goaltender Jeff Bosch to Kamloops for a 6th round pick in 2011.

Edit: TSN published a list of which players were returned to their Junior teams and Viedensky was returned to the Blades. Curt Gogol made San Jose Sharks main camp I think?

Teigan Zahn Is Coming Back!!!

The Tampa Bay Lighting have sent him back,which likely means that he will be the Captain of the Blades this season.

The Blades also have an updated roster seen here:http://www.saskatoonblades.com/article/teigan-zahn-returns-to-the-blades

Blades Stop Comeback,Defeat Pats

The Blades had a 4-0 lead. They scored all of those goals in the first 2 periods and the Pats scored all of their goals in the final period.

4-3 was the score for the Blades.

A back-up goalie is most likely going to be picked. I think the Blades are going with a young back-up this season. It will most likely depend on who comes back from NHL camps,that will determine who the 20 year olds are and starting goalie is.

Saturdays game should have a line-up that is almost regular season ready.

one other tid bit of news. Both Stefan Elliott and Josh Nicholls have made the main camps with their NHL teams. Nicholls with the Maple Leafs and Elliott with the Avalanche.

Blades Reassign Goaltender.

16 year old Adam Todd has been returned to his hometown club.

The Blades take on the Pats later this week, and the rematch goes Saturday at the CUC. Tickets are only $10. I hope we see a better turn out for this next game because last game was pathetic.

Thankfully It Is Only Pre Season.

With that being said a lot of rookies dressed and only a handful of veterans dressed like Sena Acolatse,Travis Toomey,Steven Stanford. The Blades played a very sloppy game and gave Moose Jaw ample opportunities to put the biscuit in the basket. (which the Warriors did 4 times)

Steven Stanford played the first period and Adam Todd played the remaining two.

The Blades fell again but this time in regulation 4-2. The Blades next action is against Regina Pats on Wednesday in Regina and Saturday in Saskatoon.

Meanwhile the team is still trying to get Andrej Stastny from his team in Europe. It may not be successful but you can not fault them for trying. If Marek Viedensky comes back to the Blades,no need to worry about Stastny then.

Blades Fall To Warriors

I did not listen to the game. It was said that the Blades played from behind the entire game.

The Warriors won this game in a shoot-out.

The rematch goes tonight at the Credit Union Centre.

Charles Inglis Traded To Prince George.

The Blades recieve a 2nd round draft pick in 2011. Pretty good but I think the trade value went down because of why he was traded. This move may hurt the Blades if he even reports to Prince George.

That is all for now. I must go play as the Blades in NHL 11!!!!

Blades Beat Up on Raiders.

Wow was it ever nice to see a hockey game again even if it was in that deep freeze of a rink in Martensville.

I was impressed at how well the Blades rookies played. Some serious indications as to which rookies could make the team. Ryan Olsen and Levi Bews have very good chances. Who will earn that 7th defencemen spot?

Who will be the back-up goalie? (Assuming they choose to go with a younger back up.)

The Blades organization must be very happy with who is on their 50 player protected list. Even with some of these walk on players that might get protected.

Here is a summary of the game tonight from the Blades website: http://www.saskatoonblades.com/News/Blades_News/1043/

Blades Defeat Raiders.

The game went into overtime,but that settled nothing. So a shootout happened. Tim MaGauley scored on the 1st shot. Another 1st rounder Ryan Olsen scored and won the game for the Blades.

The rematch goes Friday night in Martensville.

Pre-Season Game #1 Blades @ Raiders.

HOCKEY IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!

Expect to hear a young line-up tonight. Unless you drove up to PA and are going to watch the game.

Tune into CKBI 900 for the call of the game. I do not think 92.9 is calling any pre season games.

Game On!!!!!

Final Cuts Are Made.

I think Braden Johnson has made the cut this time as well as some other players too.

There are some good stories in the Saskatoon newspaper about some of the Blades up and comers.

Little did I know until I read it of course,Teigan Zahn and Gaelan Patterson coach one team in the intersquad game. Marek Viedensky and Stefan Elliott coached the other team. The Elliott and Viedensky guided team was victorious. 7-4 was the score.

The Blades will have 9 practices in Martensville,1 practice at Credit Union Centre.

Here is the link with the specific info:

http://www.saskatoonblades.com/News/Blades_News/1037/

The Blades new slogan appears to be: Let's Do This. I think this is a good one. One of the better ones in fact.

Intersquad Game Complete.

Here is the link to all the info on the game. http://www.saskatoonblades.com/News/Blades_News/1036/

Intersquad Roster Released

On the Blades website there is the list. A handful of 16 year olds are still around. Some 18 year olds are kicking. One name that will sound familiar is Braden Johnson. Will he make the team?

More tomorrow.

Training Camp Day 3.

There is once again a write-up and a video of the games between the 4 teams on the Blades website.,As well as Les Lazaruk interviewing Ryan Olsen a 16 year old 1st rounder in 09 hoping to crack the roster this year.

He also talks with Teigan Zahn and Gaelan Patterson about what the future may look like for them. The intersquad game is set for tomorrow at 1pm. The rosters for the game are supposed to be released later today hopefully.

Slovakian Team Is Not Releasing Stastny.

I read this information in "The Verb' A small paper that can be had for free here in Saskatoon.

Andrej Stastny suffered an injury. It will require him to have surgery,he will be out 4-6 weeks.

I myself do not know if Stastny himself wants to come to Canada and play in the WHL? Or is it his team in Slovakia holding him back?

The Blades would still have two imports if Marek Viedensky came back to play in Saskatoon as a two spotter.

Time will only tell. The Blades will probably have two imports no matter what happens because it usually only costs a draft pick to acquire an import.

Day 3 of training camp resumes today in Martensville.

Training Camp Underway!!!

The Blades website has all your info about this years training camp,even a video(s) interviewing some players. Also the roster is split up into 4 teams. Go and have a look.

Blades Scout Leaves: Becomes Head/Travelling Scout for Pats

This information is courtesy of Kevin Shaw over at: http://www.theblueliner.com

Russ Kutzak is now scouting for the Regina Pats.

The Blades will have to replace him. It is a big jump going from just a Scout to Travelling Scout/Head Scout.

I am sure that the Blades organization will miss him but a spot has opened and another opportunity has been created.

15 Blades Players Going To NHL Camps

The 3 graduated players from last season did get camp invites although Sam Klassen was already signed by the Rangers. Derek Hulak earned a tryout with the Phoenix Coyotes,Walker Wintoneak earned a tryout with the Boston Bruins.

Jyri Niemi and Marek Viedensky go to camp with the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks (They could be back but sort of unlikely)

So really 9 current Blade players are heading to NHL camps. Randy McNaught (Rangers) Teigan Zahn (Lightning),Adam Morrison (Flyers),Curtis Hamilton (Oilers) Stefan Elliott (Avalanche) Darian Dzuirzynski,Charles Inglis (Coyotes),Gogol (Sharks), Nicholls (Maple Leafs)

There is going to be 85 players in the years training camp.

All of the above information was found in the SP sports section.

3rd Jersey????

The Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders have unveiled a new 3rd jersey. The Pats' one looks nice,very vintage looking. I am now anxious to see if the Blades will make another 3rd jersey???

Here is what the last one looked like:

Canada Wins!!!

Canada defeated the US by one goal and that goal was scored by Ryan Nugent Hopkins.

I guess Duncan Siemens will have bragging rights with Canada shutting out Lukas Sutter and the Americans. They will probably have fun with it for a while but I am sure it will be all business at Blades' Training Camp from August 25th-August 29th..

Sutter VS Siemens In Ivan Hilinka U 18 Final.

Team USA will face off against Team Canada in the Gold medal game. The game should be a good one. May the best team win!!! Congratulations to both Duncan and Lukas.

Lukas Sutter Interview.

Here is the link to the interview that the Blades did with him.http://www.saskatoonblades.com/News/Blades_News/1025/

It talks about how he feels about being an assistant captain and being a part of USA hockey (thanks to his dual citizenship) It also talks about the potential meeting of Canada VS USA in the finals.

Duncan Siemens Makes The Cut!!

He will now be one of 4 WHL players to play for Canada at the U-18 Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The other 3 Dub representatives include Everett defenceman Ryan Murray,Regina defencemen Myles Bell and stand-out forward playing for Red Deer: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Congratulations to those four players mentioned above.

Just a note of interest here, Duncan Siemen's birthday Sept 7th is the same day that NHL 11 is released into stores. I am so excited to get my hands on this game!!!

Lukas Sutter Will Play With Team USA @ Ivan Hlinka Tournament.

This is good news for him. This was news to me...when it said USA. Shows what I know. The Tournament goes from August 9th-14th in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

If his team mate Duncan Seimens makes team Canada then they will be facing each other,that would be fun to see.

Gaelan Patterson Signs with the Flames.

The story can be read here: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/sports/Patterson+inks+deal+with+Flames/3285123/story.html

He is eligible to return to the Blades but if he stays with Abbotsford that will narrow down the candidates for the 3 spots.

Other Sports News Today.

Since there is no hockey news to share. Let's talk about some news in basketball and football. Firstly the big 3 end up in Miami. Dewayne Wade was already a member of the Miami Heat but Chris Bosch left Toronto and Le Bron James left Cleveland to join D-Wade in Miami. Now fans in Cleveland are upset because James said some things that were upsetting. Some Cavs fas are so upset that they are setting fire to their Le Bron James jerseys!!!! There is an article in todays sports section of the SP.

Now onto the Saskatchewan Rough riders. I am not really much of a football fan myself but I still read the articles in the local newspaper here. Apparently there are people in Regina going around trying to act as if they are a member(s) of the team. If they think this will work they are sadly mistaken. I think that it is a disgrace to do this. I hope these guys doing that are doing this get caught.

I might just have to make a trip down to Regina to watch a few games this year.

I have been watching some World Cup Soccer games as of late. I was cheering for Germany until they were ousted by Spain. Why was I cheering for Germany? Well because my mom's side of the family is German. I am going to Cheer for the Netherlands now for that exact reason.

Blades Select 2 At CHL Import Draft.

Today the Saskatoon Blades picked Right Winger Andrej Stastny with their 1st pick,57th Overall. Stastny was a team mate of Marek Viedensky at the past World Junior Championships here in Saskatoon. He is 19 years old and stands 6'3, and weighs in at 212 lbs.

in the 2nd round the Blades traded picks with Prince George,sending an 8th round selection in the 2012 Bantam Draft to Prince George, in exchange for the Cougars 2nd round pick in this years Import Draft (61st Overall.)

They selected Matej Stransky: a 17 year old Centre from the Czech Republic. He stands 6'2 and weighs 190lbs. I believe his agent is also the same agent that Jyri Niemi has.

A good move today moving up in the 2nd round,and only giving up an 8th rounder in 2012.

They expect both players to be here when training camp starts on August 25th.

I am getting excited already. It is my birthday tomorrow,and Canada day the next day. So everyone enjoy Canada day and the long weekend.

4 Blades Selected in the NHL Draft.

3 of them were in the rankings: Josh Nicholls,Curtis Hamilton,and Charles Inglis. Only 2 of those guys were picked. Curtis Hamilton went in the 2nd round to the Edmonton Oilers. Josh Nicholls was selected in the 7th round by my favorite team!!!!! The Toronto Maple Leafs. Charles Inglis went undrafted,and unranked Randy McNaught went in the 7th round to the New York Rangers (there are now 3 players who played for the Blades in the Rangers system) Sam Klassen,Jyri Niemi and now Randy McNaught. Teigan Zahn re-entered the draft and Steve Yzerman's Tampa Bay Lightning picked him in the 7th round.

Congratulations to Curtis,Randy,Teigan and Josh on being selected by NHL teams.

This could possibly narrow down the Blades 20 year old situation too. Zahn and McNaught could end up in the AHL.

Blades Release Tenative 2010-2011 Season Schedule. Sign 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick.

The Blades have signed Aryton Nikkel to a WHL Contract. They have also released their schedule for this coming season. The Blades will open the season on September 24th with a home and home against the Prince Albert Raiders.

The Blades B.C Division Road trip is from Nov.30th-Dec 7th.

For the full schedule go to the Blades website.

Former Blade Wins Calder Cup. Blades Sign Goaltender.

The Hershey Bears and Braden Holtby defeated the Texas Stars to be the Calder Cup Champions this season. Cody Eakin of the Broncos and Former WHL'ers Dylan Yeo from Prince Albert and Karl Alzner were also part of that team.

Congratulations to the Hershey Bears.

The Blades have signed Adam Todd (2009 4th Round) to a standard WHL contract.

That is all for now.

Duncan Siemens Invited to U-18 Development Camp

He along with 9 other WHL rookies last season and Brandon Wheat Kings prospect Liam Liston also received an invite to Team Canada's camp in Calgary in July and August.

Good luck to all the players at this camp.

The Blades have 3 players (Curtis Hamilton,Stefan Elliott and Duncan Siemens) that could possibly represent Canada at tournaments and that is exciting if you are a Blades fan.

Hamilton & Elliott Recieve Invite.

The duo has been invited to Team Canada's Summer selection camp. There are alot of other WHL invites... Cody Eakin,Brayden Schenn to name a few.

It will be a busy summer for Curtis Hamilton because he is eligible for this summer's NHL Entry Draft,and he also attended the NHL Combine in Toronto.

Blackhawks and Brent Sopel win the Stanley Cup.

I was out of the loop, I did not even know that Brent Sopel played for the Blades but thanks to the WHL facebook page I was re educated again. haha. I was at work so I was not able to watch the game. The Blackhawks won in overtime. They also ended a 49 year drought.

Congratulations to both teams on a great series. This year 10 WHL alumni will have their names on the cup. Marian Hossa is one of those players.

The next order of business is the NHL awards and NHL draft this month,as well as the WHL Import draft.

Will the Blades take 2 players or just one?

Blades Sign Tim McGauley & Extend Contracts Of Hockey Ops Staff.

The Blades signed their 1st round pick in 2010 Tim McGauley to an education contract and they also gave new contracts to/extended the contracts of Head Scout Doug Molleken, Assistant GM Jarrod Brodsky,Trainer Steve Hildebrand,and Assistant coach Dave Struch. These deals will go until the end of the 2013 season.

That is also the same season that the WHL next hosts the Memorial Cup. Say what you will about the Western Conference having an edge in being picked but there are facts that argue why a team in the same divison/conference can not host back to back. A good example of that is Kelowna in 2004 and Vancouver in 2007. As well as London and Kitchener. Same division/conference.


I think the Blades and Saskatoon have an equally fair chance at hosting this major event again.

I of course would like to see the Blades enter into the Memorial cup in true fashion of winning the WHL and Ed Chynoweth Cup.

Hosting it and being WHL champs would be just as sweet.

The CHL Import Draft is on June 29th, the Blades have the 57th pick in the 1st round and pick 117th in the 2nd round. They may use both selections because as far as I know you can have 3 Imports but only dress two of them in a game,and must be down to the limit of 2 by a specific date. I think we will see one new import for sure because both Niemi and Viedensky are 20. We shall see what happens on June 29th .

Jyri Niemi Traded to the Rangers.

His NHL rights have been traded from the New York Islanders to the New York Rangers, for a 6th round pick.

I do not think that we will see him back here in a Blades uniform but you never know. The chances are very slim since he could play in Hartford of the AHL along side Blade teammate Sam Klassen or he could make the jump right into the NHL or he could play in the KHL BUT since he has signed a contract with the Rangers that option is far fetched.