Willis on the Welfare
09-25-2005, 10:51 PM
There was a post on the white board about Lukacevic having the greatest night in Civic Center Bronco history. While I won't debate, I thought I'd rattle off some CCC highlights over the last 20 years. I'm not doing top ten this is no particular order. Feel free to add any I miss.
1. Regular season hockey returns to Swift Current: 1986. The Swift Current Broncos returned in 86 and won thier first regular season home game 5-2 over Moose Jaw.
2. Three intermissions in a regular season game? 1987. The Spokane Cheifs make their first visit to the Civic Center. The Broncos run up the score early and a frustated Troy Gamble has had enough in the Spokane net. Gamble goes after Dan Lambert causing a line brawl. With tempers flaring and the benches threatening to clear the referee sends the teams back to the dressing rooms for a fifteen minute intermission in the middle of the second period.
3. Sakic and Fleury go head to head: 1988. Joe Sakic and Theoren Fleury Battled through the 87-88 season for the league scoring title. One night in Swift, Sakic had 5 goals and 2 assists, I believe, Fleury had 1 goal and 7 assists. Swift won the game.
4. Weasel appreciation night: 1988. Local disc jockey Merv Caven proclamied a Bronco home game vs. Moose Jaw "weasel appreciation night". The night would include the crowd chanting Pop goes the weasel eveytime Fleury had a shift without a point. The crowd went crazy when Bronco d-man Dan Lambert(5'6) punched Fleury (5'5). The Broncos won the game but Fleury had four points.
5. Sakic ties Fleury: 1988 It was the final game of the 87-88 season and Joe Sakic was four points behind Fleury for the WHL scoring title. With 16 seconds left in the game Joe Sakic assisted on a goal to make the score 7-4 for Swift Current and give him his fourth point of the night. Needless to say the crowd went nuts. This would mark the last time a Bronco crowd would unite to chant something other than "we wanna ref" and "go Broncos go". "Joe, Joe, Joe" was shouted out loud by every man, woman and child including an 11 year old Willis. Joe would later win CHL player of the year.
6. Broncos make playoffs...barely: 1990. Fresh of winning a memorial cup the Broncos enter a season of rebuilding. A 73rd game is needed to break a tie for the final eastern conference playoff spot. The Broncos won in overtime. This was the closest the Broncos would come to not making the playoffs before the 04-05 season.
7. Todd Holt explodes in season opener: 1991. It was almost surreal to have Holt in the building for Lukacevic's big night. In the 91 season opener, Holt scored four goals. Despite Central Scouting listing Holt at 5'4 137 he would get drafted by San Jose in the 8th round that year. Holt would later become Swift's all time leading scorer. Holt is a first cousin of Theoren Fleury.
8. Biggest trade in teams history/debut of Dean McCammond: 1993. With the Broncos arming themselves for a postseason run in 93, the team pulls off a huge blockbuster acquiring Dean McCammond and Darren Perkins at the 93 deadline. McCammond would arrive in town with just minutes to before opening faceoff, miss warmup and arrive on the bench midway through the first. With the crowd buzzing as he walked out of the dressing room, he took to the ice minutes later and suffered a near season ending knee injury. McCammond would lead the team in scoring through the playoffs.
9. Broncos win WHL Championship in game in 7: 1993. After fighting off elimination in Portland, a game seven was forced with Swift Current capturing the WHL title on home ice.
10. Sheldon Kennedy returns: 1997. In the wake of the Graham James scandal, former Bronco Sheldon Kennedy set the goal to roller blade across Canada. His arrival in Swift Current marked the last time the Civic Center had 3,000+ fans.
11. Two small market teams battle in marathon: 1999. The Swift Current Broncos and the Kootenay Ice battling in a playoff matchup that went into several overtime periods. I was not a resident of Swift Current at the time, and don't know much about the team from this year or this game.
12. Third jersey night/Redenbach explodes: 2003. With the Swift Current Broncos introducing their first ever third jerseys, it was an emotional night as the jersey focused on the four Broncos killed in the 86 bus crash. The game began with a standing ovation for Fanner Kruger, the mother of Scott Kruger who was one of the deceased players. Tyler Redenbach would have his first of many huge nights for the Broncos scoring four times in a Bronco victory.
13. Ned Lukacevic gives Broncos 5. After the most un-productive goal scoring season in CHL history, newly acquired Ned Lukacevic scores five goals and gives Swift Current it's hockey passion back. Todd Holt (see #5) is in attendance.
1. Regular season hockey returns to Swift Current: 1986. The Swift Current Broncos returned in 86 and won thier first regular season home game 5-2 over Moose Jaw.
2. Three intermissions in a regular season game? 1987. The Spokane Cheifs make their first visit to the Civic Center. The Broncos run up the score early and a frustated Troy Gamble has had enough in the Spokane net. Gamble goes after Dan Lambert causing a line brawl. With tempers flaring and the benches threatening to clear the referee sends the teams back to the dressing rooms for a fifteen minute intermission in the middle of the second period.
3. Sakic and Fleury go head to head: 1988. Joe Sakic and Theoren Fleury Battled through the 87-88 season for the league scoring title. One night in Swift, Sakic had 5 goals and 2 assists, I believe, Fleury had 1 goal and 7 assists. Swift won the game.
4. Weasel appreciation night: 1988. Local disc jockey Merv Caven proclamied a Bronco home game vs. Moose Jaw "weasel appreciation night". The night would include the crowd chanting Pop goes the weasel eveytime Fleury had a shift without a point. The crowd went crazy when Bronco d-man Dan Lambert(5'6) punched Fleury (5'5). The Broncos won the game but Fleury had four points.
5. Sakic ties Fleury: 1988 It was the final game of the 87-88 season and Joe Sakic was four points behind Fleury for the WHL scoring title. With 16 seconds left in the game Joe Sakic assisted on a goal to make the score 7-4 for Swift Current and give him his fourth point of the night. Needless to say the crowd went nuts. This would mark the last time a Bronco crowd would unite to chant something other than "we wanna ref" and "go Broncos go". "Joe, Joe, Joe" was shouted out loud by every man, woman and child including an 11 year old Willis. Joe would later win CHL player of the year.
6. Broncos make playoffs...barely: 1990. Fresh of winning a memorial cup the Broncos enter a season of rebuilding. A 73rd game is needed to break a tie for the final eastern conference playoff spot. The Broncos won in overtime. This was the closest the Broncos would come to not making the playoffs before the 04-05 season.
7. Todd Holt explodes in season opener: 1991. It was almost surreal to have Holt in the building for Lukacevic's big night. In the 91 season opener, Holt scored four goals. Despite Central Scouting listing Holt at 5'4 137 he would get drafted by San Jose in the 8th round that year. Holt would later become Swift's all time leading scorer. Holt is a first cousin of Theoren Fleury.
8. Biggest trade in teams history/debut of Dean McCammond: 1993. With the Broncos arming themselves for a postseason run in 93, the team pulls off a huge blockbuster acquiring Dean McCammond and Darren Perkins at the 93 deadline. McCammond would arrive in town with just minutes to before opening faceoff, miss warmup and arrive on the bench midway through the first. With the crowd buzzing as he walked out of the dressing room, he took to the ice minutes later and suffered a near season ending knee injury. McCammond would lead the team in scoring through the playoffs.
9. Broncos win WHL Championship in game in 7: 1993. After fighting off elimination in Portland, a game seven was forced with Swift Current capturing the WHL title on home ice.
10. Sheldon Kennedy returns: 1997. In the wake of the Graham James scandal, former Bronco Sheldon Kennedy set the goal to roller blade across Canada. His arrival in Swift Current marked the last time the Civic Center had 3,000+ fans.
11. Two small market teams battle in marathon: 1999. The Swift Current Broncos and the Kootenay Ice battling in a playoff matchup that went into several overtime periods. I was not a resident of Swift Current at the time, and don't know much about the team from this year or this game.
12. Third jersey night/Redenbach explodes: 2003. With the Swift Current Broncos introducing their first ever third jerseys, it was an emotional night as the jersey focused on the four Broncos killed in the 86 bus crash. The game began with a standing ovation for Fanner Kruger, the mother of Scott Kruger who was one of the deceased players. Tyler Redenbach would have his first of many huge nights for the Broncos scoring four times in a Bronco victory.
13. Ned Lukacevic gives Broncos 5. After the most un-productive goal scoring season in CHL history, newly acquired Ned Lukacevic scores five goals and gives Swift Current it's hockey passion back. Todd Holt (see #5) is in attendance.