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View Full Version : Fans have seen world class talent



CdnSailor
12-13-2011, 05:09 PM
By Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist December 13, 2011


With the likes of Victoria products Jamie Benn and Tyson Barrie, there has been no shortage of Island connections to recent world junior hockey tournaments.

But the return of the Western Hockey League this season to the capital promised wider live viewing access to potential Canadian team players, and that has been borne out.

Of the 16 WHL players skating in the selection camp, Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers, defencemen Matthew Dumba and Alex Petrovic of the Red Deer Rebels, defenceman Mark Pysyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings, forwards Max Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice, Brett Bulmer of the Kelowna Rockets and Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants have come through Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre so far this season.

Appearing on Blanshard Street later this season are forwards Ty Rattie, Brad Ross and defenceman Joe Morrow of the Portland Winterhawks, blue-liner Brenden Kichton of the Spokane Chiefs and forward Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips.

The players among the 16 we won't see - thanks to the WHL's perplexing scheduling which has omitted the entire East Division from the Memorial Centre this season - are Michael Ferland and Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Quinton Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors and Mark McNeill of the Prince Albert Raiders.

It is absolutely crazy that Island fans, many of whom hail from the prairies, won't see teams such as the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats this season.

ROSTER DANCE: No Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Tyler Seguin, Jeff Skinner, Ryan Johansen, Sean Couturier or Erik Gudbranson? No problem. The depth of Canadian junior hockey is almost scary. That said, Hockey Canada is probably relieved to have at least two of the eligible NHLers - Brett Connolly of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Devante Smith-Pelly of the Anaheim Ducks - released by their clubs for the world junior tournament.

Connolly, the 19-year-old former Prince George Cougars forward, has four goals and eight points with the Lightning. Although often erroneously referred to as a "hometown Cougar," Connolly moved to Prince George after being born on the Island and raised here for 12 years. He got his start in hockey in Port McNeill, as did fellow-NHLers Willie Mitchell and Clayton Stoner.

Cut-down day to 22 at the current 42-player Canadian junior camp is Wednesday.

Connolly, obviously, will have no problem surviving that. He was banged up in Sunday's scrimmage but the lower-body issue is not thought to be serious. And you wonder why NHL teams are hesitant to release their players.

ROYAL SUSPENDED: Victoria role forward Taylor Crunk has been slapped with a two-game suspension for a cross check in Saturday's 4-3 shootout loss in Seattle and will sit out Wednesday's game in Edmonton and Friday's in Lethbridge.

Meawhile, Royals thirdleading scorer Robin Soudek has sat out three games of his four-game suspension and returns Friday in Lethbridge.

WINTHER HOT IN WINTER: Mike Winther of the Prince Albert Raiders, another player you won't see at the Memorial Centre this season because of WHL scheduling, is the league's player of the week for his eight goals and 10 points in four games.

LEADERS OF THE PACK: Stone, of Brandon, leads the WHL in scoring with 65 points. Rattie of Portland and the flashy but sturdy American star Emerson Etem, the latter who memorably lit up the Memorial Centre during his visit to Victoria with the Medicine Hat Tigers, are tied for second with 59 points each, while Kevin Sundher of the Royals is sixth with 52 points.

CREASE MATTERS: Nathan Lieuwen of the Kootenay Ice, the native of Abbotsford who uses his six-foot-five frame to good advantage, leads the WHL in goaltending with a 1.97 goals-against average.

He's one of the reasons the Ice lead the league with only 74 goals allowed.

That's a stat the Royals - whose 166 goals against is the league worst by a whopping 21 goals - can only dream about.

ALUMNI TRAILS: Former Lethbridge Hurricane and 2009 late first-round Tampa Bay draft pick Carter Ashton of the Norfolk Admirals is, rather surprisingly, the lone WHL grad in the top 20 of American Hockey League scoring, sitting 19th with 22 points after 27 games. Keith Aucoin of the Hershey Bears leads the league with 43 points.

Judd Blackwater of the Las Vegas Wranglers, who won the Memorial Cup in 2008 with the Spokane Chiefs, is the leading WHL alumni scorer in the ECHL with 29 points. That's third overall



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