nivek_wahs
03-20-2007, 12:19 AM
http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/
As promised, here are some playoff memories from my 12 seasons as Voice of the Pats..
1996 - The first year of the Parker regime, Rich Preston had returned to his hometown after three seasons as assistant coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. We swept Lethbridge in the opening round, but it wasn't without its share of drama. Game 2 was the longest game in the history of the WHL, televised nationally on TSN. Josh Holden scored the winner in the fourth overtime sending us back to Lethbridge up 2-0. In Game 3, the Pats prevailed with a late goal to take a 3-0 series lead. However after the game, Hurricanes' coach and GM Bryan Maxwell assaulted referee Brent Reiber after the game under the stands. Maxwell was found guilty in a hearing, and was suspended for a year. Reiber never reffed in the 'Dub again.
In Round 2, the Pats went up against a loaded P.A. Raider squad with the likes of Chris Philips, Shane Willis, Steve Kelly, Curtis Brown and Rod Branch. Regina took a 3-1 series lead but injuries started to take their toll. Defenceman Derek Morris was playing with a broken hand while forward Rhett Gordon had an inner ear infection which was causing him to see three pucks. 'Just shoot the one in the middle,' advised coach Preston. And goalie Chad Mercier was playing with a debilitating back/groin injury which had him coming to the rink on crutches. The Pats had a 2-0 lead in Game 5 in P.A. and were looking to close it out, but the Raiders' Garnet Jacobsen ran Mercier when he came out to play the puck. He was carried off the ice and back-up Aaron Mori came on in relief. The Raiders won 5-2. Brent Parker had to be restrained from attacking P.A. coach Chris Stewart on the concourse after the game. An obscenity-laced exchange ensued.
Approximately 7,000 fans packed the Agridome for Game 6 and it was iffy whether or not Merc could play. Mori told the coaches that 'if he's breathing, he's playing.' But Chad couldn't go and Mori started. The Raiders won to send it back to P.A. for game 7. Mercier started that game, but was a shadow of himself and P.A. won. We went home. It would be the furthest the Pats would ever get in the playoffs in my time here.
1997 - The Pats won 42 games in the regular season and boasted a lineup of stars like Josh Holden, Lars Pettersen and Chicago 1st-round pick Dmitri Nabokov. The blueline included Derek Morris and Brad Stuart. But in Round 1, the Red Deer Rebels won in five.
1998 - Hopes were high as the Pats had captured their first division pennant in over a decade with 46 wins for coach Parry Shockey. Regina swept Moose Jaw in four in the first round even through two of the games went to overtime. But injuries hit again. Holden had the top of his left wrist skated over in the last minute of Game 2, severing four tendons. He was done for the year. Forward Boyd Kane was playing with two separated shoulders and winger John Cirjak had a sternum injury. The Brandon Wheat Kings had a solid lineup including Brett McLean and Darren Van Oene. They won the Conference Semifinal in five, clinching on Agridome ice.
1999 - Missed the playoffs.
2000 - In his second full season on the bench, Tim Tisdale piloted the Pats to a third-place finish with 32 wins. The Pats faced Saskatoon in Round 1, their first playoff meeting since '93. The Blades' lineup featured rugged players like Garnet Exelby and Darcy Hordichuk. The series went to Game 7 in Saskatoon and the game was tied 1-1 in the 3rd period when the Pats' Filip Novak took a 5-minute major for checking from behind. The Blades scored, I believe, three times on that powerplay and won it going away.
2001 - Immense pressure was on the Pats as Memorial Cup hosts. Lorne Molleken came back from the Chicago Blackhawks and coached Regina to a 40-win season and second-place in the East. The Round 1 opponent was the Calgary Hitmen and their splendid sniper Pavel Brendl. Calgary won it in six, with a home-ice victory in the Saddledome. Brendl killed the Pats, but so did the suspect goaltending of Regina's Donald Choukalous. The Pats waited 43 days until the Memorial Cup tournament and lost, as you know, in overtime of the semifinal against the Val D'or Foreurs who would lose the championship final to Red Deer in the Agridome.
2002 - A surprising 40-win season under new coach Bob Lowes had the Pats feeling good about themselves going into Round 1 against Moose Jaw. Despite a heroic effort from rookie goalie Josh Harding, the Warriors took it in 6. Pats' star Matt Hubbauer was neutralized in the series, being concussed by an elbow from the Tribe's Shawn Limpright early in the series.
2003 - This was by far the most bitter series I've ever been a part of. Check that, 1996 against P.A. was, but this was close. With Harding playing all-world, Regina got into the playoffs as the fourth seed with 25 wins. Kyle Ladobruk scored in overtime of Game 2 to give us a split in Brandon in the opening two games. But superpest, and idiot, Jordin Tootoo was running around taking heads off the Pats left and right. In Game 2, he tried to blindside Hubbauer, but Hubby got his elbow up at the last minute and wiped him out. Hubbauer got suspended for two games after the Wheaties sent the tape into the league.
Back in Regina for Game 3, one of the best 20-year leaders we've ever had, Colton Orr, flattened Tootoo with a cold-cock in the corner. He got five and a game, and the Wheaties went on to win that one, and took Game 5 on home-ice. Pats' owner Russ Parker and Wheat Kings' coach and GM Kelly McCrimmon got into an 'alleged' dust-up after Game 3 outside the dressing rooms, but I won't get into the details because I wasn't there.
I can't begin to explain how bitter and cheated I felt after that series. I never knew why the league protected Tootoo so much, and did so at our expense. It left me wondering why you go through a draft, training camp, and all the blood sweat and tears when in the end, politics is what can decide a series. Over several pops at the 11th Avenue Keg in Calgary after the bantam draft that spring I was still going on about it, but coach Lowes said, 'Geez man, you've gotta let it go.'
Eventually I did.
2004 - The Warriors had won their first-ever division pennant, and did so under coach Curtis Hunt. The Pats had scraped their way into the playoffs with 24 wins after dealing Harding to Brandon for the poster boy for bad behaviour Dustin Slade. We knew he was a powder keg, but steps were taken to try and control Slade's temper going into the game. I can't remember if it was Game 1 or 2, but Slade eventually went berserk after being bumped one too many times in the crease. He charged out of the crease, attacked a Warrior, blockered him, then got kicked out of the game. Slade speared a fan in the face on his way of the ice -- I saw it with my own eyes. Back-up rookie goalie Nick Olynyck played the rest of the series, but the Warriors won it in a sweep.
2005 - Missed.
2006 - The Pats won 40 games under Curtis Hunt, but wound up third just three points behind Saskatoon, their first round opponent. Molleken's Men won the first two in Saskatoon (Game 1 went to OT), and the Pats got a split in Games 3 and 4 at home. Regina even prevailed in Game 5 in Saskatoon thanks to the stellar play of goalie David Reekie in his hometown. But Devin Setoguchi, Wacey Rabbitt and the boys turned it up in Game 6 in Regina jumping out to a 4-0 lead and hanging on for the series win.
2007 - The Pats failed to improve on their 40-win season this year, finishing with 36 but we feel have a more-balanced and mature team. The Swift Current Broncos will be their opponents, for the first time since 1993 when the Broncos won the East Conference Finals in a sweep. The Pats won the season series 6-2, and are hoping to go deep in the playoffs but have to get by a stiff Dean Chynoweth crew. We have plenty, plenty of coverage to get to on the series in the five days ahead before Game 1 in Regina's Brandt Centre this Friday night.
As promised, here are some playoff memories from my 12 seasons as Voice of the Pats..
1996 - The first year of the Parker regime, Rich Preston had returned to his hometown after three seasons as assistant coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. We swept Lethbridge in the opening round, but it wasn't without its share of drama. Game 2 was the longest game in the history of the WHL, televised nationally on TSN. Josh Holden scored the winner in the fourth overtime sending us back to Lethbridge up 2-0. In Game 3, the Pats prevailed with a late goal to take a 3-0 series lead. However after the game, Hurricanes' coach and GM Bryan Maxwell assaulted referee Brent Reiber after the game under the stands. Maxwell was found guilty in a hearing, and was suspended for a year. Reiber never reffed in the 'Dub again.
In Round 2, the Pats went up against a loaded P.A. Raider squad with the likes of Chris Philips, Shane Willis, Steve Kelly, Curtis Brown and Rod Branch. Regina took a 3-1 series lead but injuries started to take their toll. Defenceman Derek Morris was playing with a broken hand while forward Rhett Gordon had an inner ear infection which was causing him to see three pucks. 'Just shoot the one in the middle,' advised coach Preston. And goalie Chad Mercier was playing with a debilitating back/groin injury which had him coming to the rink on crutches. The Pats had a 2-0 lead in Game 5 in P.A. and were looking to close it out, but the Raiders' Garnet Jacobsen ran Mercier when he came out to play the puck. He was carried off the ice and back-up Aaron Mori came on in relief. The Raiders won 5-2. Brent Parker had to be restrained from attacking P.A. coach Chris Stewart on the concourse after the game. An obscenity-laced exchange ensued.
Approximately 7,000 fans packed the Agridome for Game 6 and it was iffy whether or not Merc could play. Mori told the coaches that 'if he's breathing, he's playing.' But Chad couldn't go and Mori started. The Raiders won to send it back to P.A. for game 7. Mercier started that game, but was a shadow of himself and P.A. won. We went home. It would be the furthest the Pats would ever get in the playoffs in my time here.
1997 - The Pats won 42 games in the regular season and boasted a lineup of stars like Josh Holden, Lars Pettersen and Chicago 1st-round pick Dmitri Nabokov. The blueline included Derek Morris and Brad Stuart. But in Round 1, the Red Deer Rebels won in five.
1998 - Hopes were high as the Pats had captured their first division pennant in over a decade with 46 wins for coach Parry Shockey. Regina swept Moose Jaw in four in the first round even through two of the games went to overtime. But injuries hit again. Holden had the top of his left wrist skated over in the last minute of Game 2, severing four tendons. He was done for the year. Forward Boyd Kane was playing with two separated shoulders and winger John Cirjak had a sternum injury. The Brandon Wheat Kings had a solid lineup including Brett McLean and Darren Van Oene. They won the Conference Semifinal in five, clinching on Agridome ice.
1999 - Missed the playoffs.
2000 - In his second full season on the bench, Tim Tisdale piloted the Pats to a third-place finish with 32 wins. The Pats faced Saskatoon in Round 1, their first playoff meeting since '93. The Blades' lineup featured rugged players like Garnet Exelby and Darcy Hordichuk. The series went to Game 7 in Saskatoon and the game was tied 1-1 in the 3rd period when the Pats' Filip Novak took a 5-minute major for checking from behind. The Blades scored, I believe, three times on that powerplay and won it going away.
2001 - Immense pressure was on the Pats as Memorial Cup hosts. Lorne Molleken came back from the Chicago Blackhawks and coached Regina to a 40-win season and second-place in the East. The Round 1 opponent was the Calgary Hitmen and their splendid sniper Pavel Brendl. Calgary won it in six, with a home-ice victory in the Saddledome. Brendl killed the Pats, but so did the suspect goaltending of Regina's Donald Choukalous. The Pats waited 43 days until the Memorial Cup tournament and lost, as you know, in overtime of the semifinal against the Val D'or Foreurs who would lose the championship final to Red Deer in the Agridome.
2002 - A surprising 40-win season under new coach Bob Lowes had the Pats feeling good about themselves going into Round 1 against Moose Jaw. Despite a heroic effort from rookie goalie Josh Harding, the Warriors took it in 6. Pats' star Matt Hubbauer was neutralized in the series, being concussed by an elbow from the Tribe's Shawn Limpright early in the series.
2003 - This was by far the most bitter series I've ever been a part of. Check that, 1996 against P.A. was, but this was close. With Harding playing all-world, Regina got into the playoffs as the fourth seed with 25 wins. Kyle Ladobruk scored in overtime of Game 2 to give us a split in Brandon in the opening two games. But superpest, and idiot, Jordin Tootoo was running around taking heads off the Pats left and right. In Game 2, he tried to blindside Hubbauer, but Hubby got his elbow up at the last minute and wiped him out. Hubbauer got suspended for two games after the Wheaties sent the tape into the league.
Back in Regina for Game 3, one of the best 20-year leaders we've ever had, Colton Orr, flattened Tootoo with a cold-cock in the corner. He got five and a game, and the Wheaties went on to win that one, and took Game 5 on home-ice. Pats' owner Russ Parker and Wheat Kings' coach and GM Kelly McCrimmon got into an 'alleged' dust-up after Game 3 outside the dressing rooms, but I won't get into the details because I wasn't there.
I can't begin to explain how bitter and cheated I felt after that series. I never knew why the league protected Tootoo so much, and did so at our expense. It left me wondering why you go through a draft, training camp, and all the blood sweat and tears when in the end, politics is what can decide a series. Over several pops at the 11th Avenue Keg in Calgary after the bantam draft that spring I was still going on about it, but coach Lowes said, 'Geez man, you've gotta let it go.'
Eventually I did.
2004 - The Warriors had won their first-ever division pennant, and did so under coach Curtis Hunt. The Pats had scraped their way into the playoffs with 24 wins after dealing Harding to Brandon for the poster boy for bad behaviour Dustin Slade. We knew he was a powder keg, but steps were taken to try and control Slade's temper going into the game. I can't remember if it was Game 1 or 2, but Slade eventually went berserk after being bumped one too many times in the crease. He charged out of the crease, attacked a Warrior, blockered him, then got kicked out of the game. Slade speared a fan in the face on his way of the ice -- I saw it with my own eyes. Back-up rookie goalie Nick Olynyck played the rest of the series, but the Warriors won it in a sweep.
2005 - Missed.
2006 - The Pats won 40 games under Curtis Hunt, but wound up third just three points behind Saskatoon, their first round opponent. Molleken's Men won the first two in Saskatoon (Game 1 went to OT), and the Pats got a split in Games 3 and 4 at home. Regina even prevailed in Game 5 in Saskatoon thanks to the stellar play of goalie David Reekie in his hometown. But Devin Setoguchi, Wacey Rabbitt and the boys turned it up in Game 6 in Regina jumping out to a 4-0 lead and hanging on for the series win.
2007 - The Pats failed to improve on their 40-win season this year, finishing with 36 but we feel have a more-balanced and mature team. The Swift Current Broncos will be their opponents, for the first time since 1993 when the Broncos won the East Conference Finals in a sweep. The Pats won the season series 6-2, and are hoping to go deep in the playoffs but have to get by a stiff Dean Chynoweth crew. We have plenty, plenty of coverage to get to on the series in the five days ahead before Game 1 in Regina's Brandt Centre this Friday night.