Scout
04-14-2008, 12:11 PM
Broncos comment on playoff elimination
SOUTHWEST BOOSTER SPORTS
The Southwest Booster
The Swift Current Broncos were eliminated from the Western Hockey League playoffs with an 8-4 loss to the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night to fall 4-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final.
The Broncos fought back from a 5-2 deficit to trail by one goal but allowed a Ryan White powerplay marker and two empty net goals to see their comeback attempt thwarted by the regular season Eastern Conference champion Hitmen.
Overage defenseman Michael Wilson explained the loss.
“I just thought it was a good effort by all the guys. They picked up here in the third period and gave it their all and we just fell a little bit short.”
Wilson suited up for 188 regular season and playoff games with the Broncos over three seasons.
“I got the great opportunity to play for the Broncos when I was 18 and learned so much from the billets, the fans, the coaches, and everyone. It has been just a great honour.”
The talented blueliner had a final message for the fans.
“I just want to say thank-you for everything for the last three years and the great support this year through our playoff run and hope you guys keep it the same.”
20-year-old forward Erik Felde also played his final WHL hockey game.
“The mood of the team is tough. The end of the year when everyone leaves is always tough because you create such a bond with each other throughout the season. You have to get over it, the 20’s have to move on, the young players will be back next year, it is just the way it is.”
Felde explained that his future is up in the air.
“I don’t know what my future is, hopefully I will play up in the A (American Hockey League) next year but I don’t know who is interested. It is a tough decision and is kind of up in the air right now.”
Defenseman Bretton Stamnler had mixed emotions on his farewell to the WHL after five seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Edmonton Oil Kings, and the Broncos.
“It is tough but I have matured a lot as a person and I am ready to move on to wherever that is, pro hockey or university. This was a great group of guys and I thought we could have gone a lot further then this. That is a disappointment for me. It is disappointing it ended but it is going to come to an end eventually. I have got a lot of friends in the league that have gone through this. I have been in the league for five years and seen this five times and I see how everyone else lands on their feet in various situations and I will be fine and I have a plan either way. It sucks but life goes on right.”
Stamler felt the Broncos did everything they could to try and advance past the Hitmen.
“We did a great job throughout the series of competing and that is the number one thing. I think when any pro team is looking for players a lot of coaches will say skill aside the number one thing they are looking for is guys that compete and there are 24 or 25 guys in that room that are willing to compete every night.”
Broncos head coach / general manager Dean Chynoweth explained that the Hitmen were as advertised.
“They were what we expected, they skate well, a lot of skill, and get a lot of mileage out of their top guys. We thought that we could probably get to their goaltender and I think that we did that and they ended up having to play the other guy but we came up short at the end.”
Asked to explain why the Hitmen came out on top of the series Chynoweth explained that two factors separated the two teams.
“I would say the double overtime game the way we had the lead in that and then lost it. Tonight in the second period I thought we just got totally outworked.”
As for next year, Chynoweth is excited.
“I like our group. I have said it all along. When you have guys like Eakin, Dowling, and Wudrick, we saw what they can do playing against veteran guys in both series. There are young guys on the back end with a nucleus that comes back as well, and potential of both goaltenders back as well. I like what we have coming back, we have made some strides and we also have some good young kids that are still coming up.”
Netminder Travis Yonkman’s playoff performance was one of the main factors in the Broncos success. Yonkman was quick to deflect any personal accolades.
“Some people could say that. To me it is a team game and we needed a whole team to play as well as they could to try and get us some wins.”
Yonkman also praised his defenseman.
“You can’t say enough about our defense. They have been great all year and in the playoffs. There is no doubt in my mind that we have the best group of D-men in the league. I would want no other pairings in front of me and they did a great job.”
Yonkman explained that it was a close series.
“A couple of bounces, a couple of plays went the other way, that is the playoffs for you. Any team can win any given night. We knew they were going to get a lot of shots so I knew I was going to have to come up with a big save now and then. They worked hard and they deserved it.”
16-year-old forward Cody Eakin registered three goals and four assists in his first taste of the WHL playoffs. Eakin explained that he learned a lot in the post-season.
“Just the experience alone, how hard it is to compete in every battle and every game it is a grind and you have to find it in each and every guy and play as a team to win. It is a long process and it’s at the end of the year, everyone is tired but everyone is in the same boat and you are battling for one cup here.”
For Eakin it was the first time he was forced to say goodbye to teammates that he suited up with for a full WHL season.
“It is emotional you don’t want to see those guys leave. You play a year or half a year with them and it feels like forever, you are with them every day. They are a huge part of the team and bring a lot of maturity, a lot of skill, and to see them leave it is emotional.”
SOUTHWEST BOOSTER SPORTS
The Southwest Booster
The Swift Current Broncos were eliminated from the Western Hockey League playoffs with an 8-4 loss to the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night to fall 4-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final.
The Broncos fought back from a 5-2 deficit to trail by one goal but allowed a Ryan White powerplay marker and two empty net goals to see their comeback attempt thwarted by the regular season Eastern Conference champion Hitmen.
Overage defenseman Michael Wilson explained the loss.
“I just thought it was a good effort by all the guys. They picked up here in the third period and gave it their all and we just fell a little bit short.”
Wilson suited up for 188 regular season and playoff games with the Broncos over three seasons.
“I got the great opportunity to play for the Broncos when I was 18 and learned so much from the billets, the fans, the coaches, and everyone. It has been just a great honour.”
The talented blueliner had a final message for the fans.
“I just want to say thank-you for everything for the last three years and the great support this year through our playoff run and hope you guys keep it the same.”
20-year-old forward Erik Felde also played his final WHL hockey game.
“The mood of the team is tough. The end of the year when everyone leaves is always tough because you create such a bond with each other throughout the season. You have to get over it, the 20’s have to move on, the young players will be back next year, it is just the way it is.”
Felde explained that his future is up in the air.
“I don’t know what my future is, hopefully I will play up in the A (American Hockey League) next year but I don’t know who is interested. It is a tough decision and is kind of up in the air right now.”
Defenseman Bretton Stamnler had mixed emotions on his farewell to the WHL after five seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Edmonton Oil Kings, and the Broncos.
“It is tough but I have matured a lot as a person and I am ready to move on to wherever that is, pro hockey or university. This was a great group of guys and I thought we could have gone a lot further then this. That is a disappointment for me. It is disappointing it ended but it is going to come to an end eventually. I have got a lot of friends in the league that have gone through this. I have been in the league for five years and seen this five times and I see how everyone else lands on their feet in various situations and I will be fine and I have a plan either way. It sucks but life goes on right.”
Stamler felt the Broncos did everything they could to try and advance past the Hitmen.
“We did a great job throughout the series of competing and that is the number one thing. I think when any pro team is looking for players a lot of coaches will say skill aside the number one thing they are looking for is guys that compete and there are 24 or 25 guys in that room that are willing to compete every night.”
Broncos head coach / general manager Dean Chynoweth explained that the Hitmen were as advertised.
“They were what we expected, they skate well, a lot of skill, and get a lot of mileage out of their top guys. We thought that we could probably get to their goaltender and I think that we did that and they ended up having to play the other guy but we came up short at the end.”
Asked to explain why the Hitmen came out on top of the series Chynoweth explained that two factors separated the two teams.
“I would say the double overtime game the way we had the lead in that and then lost it. Tonight in the second period I thought we just got totally outworked.”
As for next year, Chynoweth is excited.
“I like our group. I have said it all along. When you have guys like Eakin, Dowling, and Wudrick, we saw what they can do playing against veteran guys in both series. There are young guys on the back end with a nucleus that comes back as well, and potential of both goaltenders back as well. I like what we have coming back, we have made some strides and we also have some good young kids that are still coming up.”
Netminder Travis Yonkman’s playoff performance was one of the main factors in the Broncos success. Yonkman was quick to deflect any personal accolades.
“Some people could say that. To me it is a team game and we needed a whole team to play as well as they could to try and get us some wins.”
Yonkman also praised his defenseman.
“You can’t say enough about our defense. They have been great all year and in the playoffs. There is no doubt in my mind that we have the best group of D-men in the league. I would want no other pairings in front of me and they did a great job.”
Yonkman explained that it was a close series.
“A couple of bounces, a couple of plays went the other way, that is the playoffs for you. Any team can win any given night. We knew they were going to get a lot of shots so I knew I was going to have to come up with a big save now and then. They worked hard and they deserved it.”
16-year-old forward Cody Eakin registered three goals and four assists in his first taste of the WHL playoffs. Eakin explained that he learned a lot in the post-season.
“Just the experience alone, how hard it is to compete in every battle and every game it is a grind and you have to find it in each and every guy and play as a team to win. It is a long process and it’s at the end of the year, everyone is tired but everyone is in the same boat and you are battling for one cup here.”
For Eakin it was the first time he was forced to say goodbye to teammates that he suited up with for a full WHL season.
“It is emotional you don’t want to see those guys leave. You play a year or half a year with them and it feels like forever, you are with them every day. They are a huge part of the team and bring a lot of maturity, a lot of skill, and to see them leave it is emotional.”