NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds/DUBNetwork MJ Warriors Beat Writer

• Always a tough week: This is always a tough week in the Saskatchewan hockey community as the memory of those in the crash is always with us. Go out and read Kaleb Dahlgren’s book “Crossroads” if you have not already, and remember to be kind, to forgive, and to tell those you love that you do this week. It’s right that nobody in the SJ should ever play on Apr. 6 again. I don’t think it’s a matter of holding on in an unhealthy way, it’s just a collected memory that will never and should never leave us. I keep seeing the survivors moving on in great ways, and that’s so great, really proud of them!
• Humboldt, do we have a problem?: So to the current Humboldt Broncos, and while they are down 2-0 after two home losses to the Flin Flon Bombers, I refuse to believe it’s panic time. After some thought, I believe this pause to allow the space to remember the crash, plus the time for the travel to Manitoba is good for Scott Barney’s Broncs – time to calm down, to remember how good and talented they are as a collective, and to refocus. On the flip side, Flin Flon coach Mike Reagan has to be thrilled with the way his team, and his superstar goaltender Cal Schell, have played so far, ringing off six wins in a row ranging back to Round 1 vs. Battlefords. I said in all the previews that the Bombers were not playing badly at all on the road down the stretch, just needed a bounce or two, and they are finally getting them. Probably the long pause is better for Humboldt, and the Bombers would have wanted to keep the momentum going, but at least the Bombers will get some great gates from some great crowds Friday and Saturday at the Whitney! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW, BOY IS THAT GOING TO BE FUN!
• Back and forth I go…: In the other series it’s also 2-0, but this time it’s the big-time favourites, the Estevan Bruins, in the driver seat. The scariest thing about the mighty Bruins is that they can win, and thrive, in any sort of game – a track meet like Game 1, or a slugfest like Game 2. Certainly, the heavy, cycling, ‘wait for your mistakes’ type of game the Yorkton Terriers like would give them a much better chance than trying to go up and down the ice vs. the loaded Bruins, and we’ve all seen how wonderful the Yorkton fan base can be in big moments, so there is no need to panic just yet in Terrier-land either. Olivier Pouliot, Estevan superstar, and bar-none the most individually skilled player in the SJHL missed Game 2, and when I asked Bruins’ bench boss Jason Tatarnic what the deal is, he gave me the fair response “Don’t know, not a doctor!” haha! I appreciate dealing with Tarts, to be honest; I know I can ask him anything, and he’ll either answer (maybe) or give me an entertaining answer (definitely). He gave Bruins’ broadcaster Nolan Kowal a pretty funny faux-Tortarella pre-game interview before Game 2 of Round 1.
• A bit frustrated but not surprised: The divisional awards around the SJ were announced and I was pretty frustrated with what came up for the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division. Every award to Humboldt Broncos, and in two cases, doubled up on single players. I understand how it was reached – by coach’s vote – and I understand that the Broncos had a great year and that both Rayce Ramsay and Connor McGrath have had remarkable, outstanding seasons, but do they both need two awards? Ok, Ramsay broke some pretty serious records, but does McGrath need forward AND rookie? Noah Barlage is an outstanding defenceman and had an excellent year, but he meant nothing close to the Broncos what Jaryd Sych meant to the Hounds, and maybe even Tynan Ewart to the Battlefords North Stars. I buy in to the notion that in the case of a player being head-and-shoulders above the competition, like Ramsay was in net, give them their due no matter what team they’re on, but given the opportunity to showcase a wider range of players who had relatively similar seasons, why not do that? I also get that the Broncos were certainly the best team in the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division, and individual awards reflect team success, but at least the Viterra isn’t all Estevan Bruins…ok, rant over.
• Matthews: Is it a known fact that Auston Matthews is the greatest goalscorer on earth right now? His hat-trick in Tampa Bay Monday night confirmed it to me, he can do it any way you want. Greasy in front? No problem. Dirty dangle? Sure. Snipe? A lot of that. The puck follows him around the offensive zone in that creepy way it followed Gretzky back in the day, and in terms of individual offensive skills, there are no holes. Call me a Leafs homer if you want, I don’t care, but the proof is in the pudding if you watch him.
• Those Hounds: Back to Sask and how about those U18 boys and girls Notre Dame Hounds? Both in their respective finals, both with hopes and a real shot at a national championship if they can get past some really good competition in this province. The U18 boys Hounds will face the winner of Warman and Saskatoon, the girls are in a right fight with the star-studded Regina Rebels, so it’s all far from a guarantee. Still, Del Pedrick with the boys and Craig Perrett with the girls have done excellent jobs, and with the elite goaltending of Joey Rocha, and Eva Filippova, respectively, it’s all possible. I’d love to call as much of it as they’ll let me!
• The Frozen Four we wanted to see: Let’s be real, we all wanted to see the most talented NCAA team we’ve seen maybe ever, the University of Michigan, in the Frozen Four at least. Their matchup on Apr. 7 is a dream one with the University of Denver, while two workmanlike teams and rivals from THE State of hockey, Minnesota v Minnesota State, is the other one. Oh, it’s going to be good. By the way, in the quarters vs. Quinnipiac, NHL #1 overall pick Owen Power had a cool four points, so I’d say the moment is not getting to him.
• Centennial update: Still a long way to go before the field at the Centennial Cup in Estevan in late May is set, but outside of Brooks in Alberta (let’s be real, it’s going to be Brooks), and of course the hosts, I thought I’d look around to see who might else be there. Obviously, in Sask it could be either Flin Flon, Humboldt, or Yorkton, while Dauphin and Steinbach are the big favourites in the MJ. My beloved old Ontario Junior Hockey League isn’t even in the playoffs yet, but everyone is big on the Pickering Panthers and Toronto Jr. Canadiens! I’m cheering for my old chums at the North York Rangers, an incredibly coached club by Geoff Schomogyi, and in Collingwood with the young Blues were one of my closest pals in the game Mike Tarantino is the GM. The Soo Thunderbirds and Timmins Rock are favoured in the Northern Ontario league, while Kam River (with plenty of Sask connections…more on that next week), and Red Lake enter the Superior League playoffs on absolute tares. The Ottawa Jr. Senators dominated the Central Canadian league again, as they often have done lately, as did perennial superpowers Longueuil College Francais in the Quebec league. Estevan coach Tatarnic’s old nemesis in the Maritime league, the P.E.I.-based Summerside Capitals really smoked that league too, but of course, all of this could be undone pretty easily. All I’ve done is given a little snapshot of what might be, nothing more!
• Bravo UQTR: One of the best stories you may have missed Sunday was the shock 5-4 double-overtime victory of the UQTR Patriotes over the mighty University of Alberta in the USports Men’s hockey championship game in Wolfville, NS. Former Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Alexis Gravel, who had his heartbroken for the Halifax Mooseheads in the Memorial Cup in 2019, made a remarkable 66 saves to allow Simon Lafrance to pot the winner. It’s a good story because UQTR was a big underdog, but as someone who cut his journalistic teeth covering the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, I saw UQTR beat the Hawks in the OUA finals in 2007, so I feel only muted joy for them. Yeah, it’s cool, but I wish Alberta had crushed them, to be honest…heh heh…
• OK…BLUE JAYS…LET’S…PLAY…BALL: BLUE JAYS START ON FRIDAY AND THEY’RE DEFINITELY GOING TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES! LETS GOOOOOO! Ok, yes, I’m a little excited. Most excited I’ve been for a Jays season since ’93.

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)