THE WEDNESDAY THRILLER … WITH PHIL ANDREWS

Some musings on this Wednesday:

• This WHL schedule is a weird one. The Pats have played just 1 game in the last 9 days, but prior to that they went on a stretch of 7 games in 11 nights. They are in action tonight in Prince Albert against the Raiders under a new head coach in Marc Habscheid. The Raiders likely wont have Josh Morrissey in the lineup and I would be surprised if Morgan Klimchuk played as well after both took part in the Subway Super Series the last two days. Though it is a possibility. I do know that Dryden Hunt and Sam Steel will be back for the Pats for tonight’s game which is a huge boost.

• The Super Series for Team WHL was a tough one. WHL outshot and outchanced the Russians in both games but lost in a shootout in game 1 and 3-2 in game 2. Morgan Klimchuk had a good showing, they played him with Sam Reinhart and Greg Chase both games and they were dangerous. Klimchuk finished with an assist in the two games.

• Former Pat Dyson Stevenson is off to a good start in his first season as pro in the ECHL. The Shaunovan product has 2 assists in 8 games with the Gwinnett Gladiators. He has three fights and is playing top three forward minutes, not to mention wore the A the other night. Good to see.

Here is a bit of a Regina Pats prospect update and how their seasons are going so far thanks to Scott Shiek:

SASKATCHEWAN PROSPECTS
Carson Welke (Yorkton Harvest)
14gp 2g4a 22pim
Brady Third (Notre Damn Hounds)
10gp 2g2a 4pim
Riley Woods (Regina Pat Canadians)
14gp 6g11a 0pim
Erik Gardiner (Prince Albert Mintos)
13gp 6g9a 12pim
ALBERTA PROSPECTS
Jacob Elmer (edge prep hockey school)
17gp 9g6a 12pim
Gary Haden (UFA Bisons)
Zachary Cox (UFS Bisons)
Brendan Kallis (St. Albert Raiders)
Ryan Krushen (Sherwood Park Kings)
^really bad site to find players stats for the AMHL, unless they are in the top 30 you don’t get stats on them
Curtis Chapman (UFA Bisons)
5-2-0 .886SV% 3.47GAA
Adam Sandstrom (AMMHL Red Deer Chiefs)
8gp 1g3a 10pim
Robert Holmes (AMMHL Sherwood Park NIC Squires)
9gp 7g3a 10pim
Sean Richards (Olds Grizzley`s AJHL)
22gp 2g4a 20pim
Jared Freadrich (Whitecourt Wolverines AJHL)
16gp 2g3a 10pim
Andrew McCann (Fort McMurray Oil Barons AJHL)
17gp 0g1a 10pim
Adam Berg (Calgary Mustangs AJHL)
20gp 4g4a 27pim
Nikolas Koberstein (Sioux Falls Stampede USHL)
14gp 0g0a 42pim
Nathyn Mortlock (Melville Millionaires SJHL)
7gp 0g0a 6pim
**also played 1 game for Grand Prairie Storm in the AJHL stats are all combined**
MANITOBA PROSPECTS
William Lovell (Pembina Valley Hawks)
12gp 1g6a 4pim
Brady Pouteau (Pembina Valley Hawks)
2gp 1g0a 4pim
Riley Bruce (Winnipeg Thrashers)
7gp 0g1a 16pim
Liam Schioler (Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep Team)
19gp 1g7a 24pim
Dane Schioler (Portage Terriers MJHL)
18gp 8g6a 59pim
BRITISH COLUMBIA PROSPECTS
Jordan Hollett (OHA Midget Prep White)
5-0-0 1.80GAA .897SV%
*his goaltending partner is MJ Warriors prospect Brody Willms 5-1-0 1.48GAA .936SV%
Garrett Ewert (Thompson Blazers)
13gp 0g4a 12pim
Liam Finlay (Vernon Vipers BCHL)
14gp 3g6a 2pim
*played 10 games for Penticton Vees before being traded stats are combined

SLAP SHOTS:

• The Winnipeg Jets are playing some pretty good hockey and much like the Flames have been fun to watch. The Jets took on the Penguins last week at home in what was the best NHL game of the season that I have seen. It had everything, goals, saves, hits and fights. Felt like a playoff game. Would be so cool to see a playoff team in Winnipeg, that city would go nuts.

• In WHL news Matthew Barzal, star forward with the Seattle Thunderbirds, has suffered  broken knee cap. I’m told he hurt himself while wrestling in the dressing room and will be out for a while. Tough luck for the 17 year old who is in his draft year and already has 7 goals and 11 assists in 16 games.

• The Riders are headed to Edmonton. I did not think they would be staying in the west two weeks ago. At the end of the day they are in the dance and that’s all that matters. I am very interested to see who lays at quarterback this weekend. Will Darian Durant be healthy enough and have the rust knocked off to give the team a better chance to win than Kerry Joseph? Tough call. I wonder if both might ply in the game. SHould be an interesting week.

• The Rider defense is going to have to be good for the RIders to advance to Calgary and I expect they will. The Eskimos will be better offensively than they were on the weekend with Jon White and Adarius Bowman getting back. Mike Reilly is a question at quarterback, much like Durant the question is whether he is healthy enough to lead the team to victory. Lots of rumours out there about a broken foot or ankle.

• I am surprised the Chicago Bears have yet to fire head coach Marc Trestman. I didn’t think he would last through Monday after that embarrassing showing on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers. The defense was deplorable while the offense couldn’t get anything going. I’m not saying this is all a coaching issue, Jay Cutler bears some as well as do the rest of the players. As a team, coming off their bye week and putting up a showing like that… WOW. Cutler is high risk like Brett Favre without the ability to win games consistently.

• How about Mark Sanchez on Monday night?? I did not see that performance coming from the former 5th overall pick. Sanchez led the Eagles to a big win over the Carolina Panthers and had the best game of his career. I thought his time as a starter in the NFL was over after what happened in New York with the Jets. Good to see the start of a comeback, those don’t happen very often.

• The Toronto Blue Jays look like they will not retain Melky Cabrera for next season. Melky rejected the Jays qualifying offer on Monday. Tough news for Jays fans. No one to play in left, center, first base or second base. That’s the way I see it. Pitching isn’t going to be lights out either, could be an even longer year in Toronto next year.

• On Pats TV this week, Wednesday at 7 on Access 7, my guests  include Sam Steel recapping his tournament with Team Canada Black at the World Under 17 Hockey CHallenge, Brady Reagan and Equipment Manager Gord Cochrane.

That’s it from me today, have a great week.

Phil
@PhilTheThrill18