Riders Add Six At CFL Draft

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have selected six talented football players in the 2019 CFL Draft:

 Justin McInnis (WR - Arkansas State) – first round, sixth overall
Brayden Lenius (WR – New Mexico) – second round, 15th overall
Jacob Janke (LB – York) – fourth round, 35th overall
Charbel Dabire (DL – Warner College) – fifth round, 44th overall
Vincent Roy (OL – Sherbrooke) – sixth round, 53rd overall
Chris Judge (LB – California Polytechnic – eighth round, 71st overall

McInnis (6’6 – 210lbs) spent three seasons with the Arkansas State University hauling in 115 catches for 1,577 yards and 10 majors. In the 2018 season he was second on the team with 56 receptions for 694 yards and six touchdowns.

 The 23-year-old attended Lindsay Place High School in Pointe Claire, Quebec before going to junior college at Dodge City. In his freshman season he had 49 receptions for 964 yards and seven touchdowns.

Lenius (6’5 – 230lbs) graduated from the University of New Mexico after spending the previous three seasons at the University of Washington. Over four collegiate seasons the tight end recorded 581 career receiving yards and four touchdowns.

 Janke (6’2 – 200lbs) finished his third year of eligibility with York starting all eight games at defensive back. Janke led the team in 2018 with 5.9 tackles per game and 47.5 total tackles. He also notched three knockdowns.

 Dabire (6’1 – 300lbs) finished his senior season at Wagner College in 2018 having put up 73 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in 33 career games.

 Roy (6’5 – 285lbs) is a fourth year offensive lineman with Sherbrooke University Vert & Or and a native of Granby, Quebec.

 Judge (6’3 – 225lbs) was a gifted special teams player at California Polytechnic. The 28-year-old is the brother of the Roughriders second overall pick in 2017, Cameron Judge.

(Arielle Zerr/Riders PR)

Pats Are Active At WHL Bantam Draft

With the 17th overall pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft the Regina Pats have selected defenceman Layton Feist from Dawson Creek B.C.

“Layton has great offensive instincts from the back end,” said Pats Director of Scouting Dale McMullin. “He is a mobile defenceman with quick feet and he plays the game hard. We are happy to get him where we did in the first round.”

Layton (5’10, 150), played the 2018-19 season with the Omaha North Zone Bantam AA, scoring eight goals and 22 points in 20 games.

In all, the Pats selected 11 players in the draft, six forwards, four defencemen and one goaltender.

Round	Selection	Name	Position
1	17th	Layton Feist	D
2	41st	Samuel Huck	F
3	61st	Zane Rowan	F
3	63rd	Matthew Kieper	G
3	66th	Braxton Whitehead	F
5	90th	Kaiden Wiltsie	F
5	91st	Carter Cormier	F
7	135th	Riley Applegate	D
8	155th	Colby Woogk	D
9	179th	Brayden Barnett	F
9	186th	Jacob Dewitt	D

The Pats 2019 Draft class along with prospects from the 2018 draft will be in Regina for the club’s spring camp from May 24-26 at the Cooperators Centre.

May 2nd Stanley Cup Playoffs Morning Skate

THREE HARD LAPS: QUICK HITS FROM WEDNESDAY


* Carolina took a commanding 3-0 lead in its Second Round series with New York, while Dallas evened its matchup with St. Louis at 2-2.

 * Teams that take a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 188-4 (97.9%) – including a 2-0 mark in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Islanders are one of the four teams in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win a postseason series, doing so in the 1975 Quarterfinals against the Penguins.

* When a best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 owns an all-time series record of 207-57 (78.4%) – including a 2-2 mark in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.


HURRICANES PUSH ISLANDERS TO BRINK OF ELIMINATION

With a red-clad crowd of 19,066 watching at PNC Arena, captain Justin Williams scored the go-ahead goal with 9:45 remaining in regulation to break a 2-2 deadlock and lift the Hurricanes to a 3-0 series lead against the Islanders. Carolina holds a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series for the second time in franchise history - they won the first three games in the second round against the Devils in 2006 (4-1 series win) en route to winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

 The Hurricanes, who hosted a second-round game for the first time in a decade, extended their overall win streak to five contests and improved to 4-0 at home in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina won each of its first four home games in a postseason for the second time in franchise history (also 4-0 in 2002). Their overall win streak is the second-longest in Hurricanes/Whalers playoff history behind only a seven-game run in 2006.

 * Carolina moved within one win of reaching the Conference Finals for the fourth time in as many postseason appearances (also 2002, 2006 and 2009). Only two teams have reached the Conference Finals in four consecutive postseason appearances (regardless of when those occurred) since the round was introduced in 1982: Detroit (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998) and Colorado (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) each did so in consecutive years.

 * The Hurricanes can become the second Wild Card team to clinch a berth in the Conference Finals since the division-focused playoff format was introduced in 2014; they would join the Predators (No. 2 Wild Card), who did so in 2017 en route to the franchise’s first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

* Williams scored his 38th career goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and moved within one of reaching 100 career postseason points (38-61—99 in 150 GP). Seventeen of his 38 career playoff goals have given his team the lead (44.7%), including four of his nine postseason tallies in a Hurricanes uniform.

 * Justin Faulk, the all-time Hurricanes/Whalers leader in regular-season goals by a defenseman, scored his first career goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (1-3—4 in 10 GP) – doing so in highlight-reel fashion after receiving an alley-oop pass from Warren Foegele. In 2018-19, Faulk (85-173—258 in 559 GP) became the all-time franchise leader in regular-season points by a defenseman, surpassing Dave Babych (44-196—240 in 349 GP).

* Foegele has collected eight points in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (5-3—8 in 10 GP), one shy of matching the franchise record for most in a postseason by a rookie (Erik Cole: 6-3—9 in 2002; 23 GP).

 * Teuvo Teravainen scored his fourth and fifth goals of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (5-2—7 in 10 GP). He established a career high for most in a postseason, besting the four he had in 2015 en route to capturing the Stanley Cup with Chicago (4-6—10 in 18 GP).



35-YEAR-OLD McELHINNEY EARNS WIN AFTER MAKING HISTORY

Hurricanes goaltender Curtis McElhinney became the oldest goaltender in NHL history to make his first career playoff start, eclipsing the mark set by Pittsburgh’s Les Binkley in Game 1 of the 1970 Quarterfinals - a 28-save victory against the Oakland Seals.

* McElhinney, who was claimed on waivers by Carolina two days before its 2018-19 season opener, became the third goaltender in franchise history to earn a win in his first career postseason start; he joined Kevin Weekes in Game 5 of the 2002 Conference Quarterfinals and Cam Ward in Game 3 of the 2006 Conference Quarterfinals.



STARS EVEN SERIES AFTER SHUFFLING FORWARD LINES

With a shuffled set of forward lines for Game 4, the Stars received two assists apiece from Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov and Mats Zuccarello during a string of four straight goals to tie their series with the Blues at 2-2. Defenseman John Klingberg and rookie forward Roope Hintz each scored in the second period as Dallas handed St. Louis its first road loss of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 * The Stars finds themselves tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series for the 24th time in franchise history. They own an all-time series record of 10-1 when winning Game 5 in those 2-2 scenarios (90.9%), including a series victory over the Predators last round. Their only series loss when winning Game 5 after splitting Games 1-4 was suffered against the Blues during the 1972 Quarterfinals.

* Klingberg scored his second game-winning goal of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (2-6—8 in 10 GP). The only other defenseman in Stars/North Stars history to score multiple winning goals in a postseason is Lou Nanne (1971 w/ MNS).

* Hintz scored his fifth goal of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (5-3—8 in 10 GP), tied for the League lead among rookies (w/ Carolina’s Warren Foegele). Hintz’s five goals are the most in a postseason by Stars/North Stars rookie since Minnesota’s Brian Bellows had an equal amount in 1983 (5-4—9 in 9 GP).

 * The 22-year-old Hintz (Tampere, Finland) also became the fourth Finnish-born rookie in NHL history to score five or more goals in a postseason.

 * Ben Bishop (27 saves), who suffered a 4-3 loss in Game 3, improved to 12-3 (one no decision) following a loss within a postseason. A third-round pick by the Blues in the 2005 NHL Draft (85th overall), Bishop also improved to 11-2 in 13 career playoff appearances after allowing three or more goals.

* Jason Spezza, another 35-year-old who excelled Wednesday, scored his second goal this postseason (2-2—4 in 8 GP). Spezza (1,065 GP) is among a group of 12 active NHL players with 1,000 or more career regular-season games in search of his first Stanley Cup; three others are still competing in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Joe Thornton (1,556 GP), Jay Bouwmeester (1,184 GP) and Brent Burns (1,043 GP).

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

Pivotal Game 4s go tonight in Columbus and Denver as the Bruins and Avalanche look to even their series with the Blue Jackets and Sharks, respectively.

 * Teams that hold a 3-1 advantage in a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 277-29 (90.5%), including a 1-1 mark in 2019. Columbus has never held a 3-1 series lead; San Jose is 10-1 all-time in that scenario (6-1 as the higher seed).

* Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has stopped 208 of 222 shots faced this postseason – including 99 of 105 against the Bruins – to push his club to within two victories of the Eastern Conference Final. A two-time Vezina Trophy winner as the League’s top goaltender, Bobrovsky is one of two undrafted netminders to claim the award since it was first awarded under its current guidelines in 1981-82 (also Ed Belfour). Only one undrafted player in the last 43 years has claimed the lone individual postseason award, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP: Wayne Gretzky.

* Boston trailed three times in its First Round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs, pulling even at 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3 before winning Game 7. Overall, the Bruins have overcome a 2-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series to win on nine occasions (9-25) - including twice in 2011 when they won the Stanley Cup (CQF vs. MTL and SCF vs. VAN) - but have never advanced after losing three of the first four games (0-24).

* San Jose targets a second straight win in Colorado and a 3-1 series lead. The Sharks are 10-4 all-time when leading 2-1 in a playoff series (4-1 when starting at home) and 10-1 when holding a 3-1 series advantage. Meanwhile, the Avalanche are 6-7 in best-of-seven series when facing a 2-1 deficit - including a rally against San Jose in the 2002 Conference Semifinals (4-3 W) - but have never overcome a 3-1 series deficit to advance (0-4).

* Avalanche scoring leader Nathan MacKinnon (5-7—12) will put his seven-game playoff point streak on the line as he aims to help Colorado even the series. There have been 12 postseason point streaks of eight or more games in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history, including nine since the club relocated to Denver in 1995-96 – the last such streak occurred in 2002 (Peter Forsberg: 6-7—13 in 8 GP) and the franchise record of 10 has been achieved twice (Marian Stastny: 3-10—13 in 1982 w/ QUE and Joe Sakic: 12-5—17 in 1996 w/ COL).

O'Day Speaks On Eve Of CFL Draft

--Riders GM Jeremy O'Day spoke Wednesday about the CFL draft and what you can possibly expect from the green and white.

Here are some highlights of what was said

• The first thing you need to do is establishing your draft board and evaluating your own draft board to see what areas you want to improve on and what areas you want to add depth in.  There's a lot of players to track down and the staff have done a tremendous job
• It will be different with him making the final decision unless the past couple of years.  You just have to trust the process when the decisions are made
• Whether or not a player has NFL aspirations won't change their attitude.  It can be a guessing game, but they have dealt with this in the past.
• Dakoda Shepley and Elie Bouka add to what is good Canadian content going into the draft
• We will take the best player at 6 regardless of position
• With many receivers eligible to be taken, the team doesn't have to take one right away as there will be good ones available in the middle and late rounds. 
• We have done a lot of mock drafts so we can get an idea as to what may be there for us. Mocks are always different, but it gives you an indication as to where you are.  

The Riders have the 6th pick overall and have six picks in total.  The draft starts at 6 with Toronto holding the first pick barring a trade.

In non-related draft news,  O'Day indicated

• the team would like to have a 5th quarterback at camp
• Talks with Regina-born punter Jon Ryan continue
• There is not a lot of interest in linebacker Jeff Knox

WHL Award Winners Announced

The Western Hockey League held its annual WHL Awards ceremony today at the Cambridge Hotel & Conference Centre in Red Deer, Alta., to honour the top performances from the WHL’s 2018-19 season.

WHL Player of the Year – Four Broncos Memorial Trophy 
WINNER: Joachim Blichfeld – Portland Winterhawks

The import forward from Frederikshavn, Denmark, returned to the WHL for his overage season in 2018-19 and had a season to remember. A prospect of the San Jose Sharks, Blichfeld registered career highs in all major offensive categories, including goals (53), assists (61) and points (114). The 6-foot-1, 188-pound forward claimed the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s Top Scorer with 114 points and his 53 goals were tied for first in the WHL as well. Blichfeld is the second Danish-born Winterhawk to win the WHL scoring title, following in the footsteps of Oliver Bjorkstrand (118 points, 2014-15).

RUNNER UP: Trey Fix-Wolansky – Edmonton Oil Kings

WHL Goaltender of the Year – Del Wilson Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Ian Scott – Prince Albert Raiders

In his fourth season with the Raiders, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect enjoyed a season of career bests in 2018-19. His 38 wins, 1.83 goals-against average, .932 save percentage, and eight shutouts were all personal bests for the Calgary, Alta. product. The 6-foot-3, 183-pound goaltender finished first in the WHL for shutouts while placing second in wins, GAA, and save percentage.

RUNNER UP: Dustin Wolf – Everett Silvertips

WHL Defenceman of the Year – Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Ty Smith – Spokane Chiefs

After the New Jersey Devils made Smith the highest WHL player selected at the 2018 NHL Draft, the Lloydminster, Alta. product put forth a strong effort in his third full season with the Chiefs. Smith amassed 69 points (7G-62A) in 57 games, nearly matching his career-best total from the 2017-18 WHL Regular Season in 12 fewer games. At the 2018 WHL Awards, Smith was the recipient of the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Award as the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year.

RUNNER UP: Josh Brook – Moose Jaw Warriors

WHL Scholastic Player of the Year – Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Dustin Wolf – Everett Silvertips

The product of Tustin, Calif., put forth a strong season academically, maintaining a 100 percent average for the current academic year, as well as an overall average of 98.8 percent for his high school years. In Grade 12 courses, Wolf achieved perfect grades in English 12, Statistics, Economics, and American Government. In his second season in the WHL, Wolf enjoyed a career year, registering a record of 41-15-2-2 with a 1.69 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and seven shutouts in a career-high 61 appearances.

RUNNER UP: Jakob Brook – Prince Albert Raiders

WHL Rookie of the Year – Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Brayden Tracey – Moose Jaw Warriors

The 17-year-old Calgary, Alta. product made a strong impact in his first full season with the Warriors. In 66 games, Tracey recorded 81 points (36G-45A), leading all rookies and finished tied for 13th in WHL scoring. Selected in the first round, 21st overall, of the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, the 6-foot-0, 174-pound Tracey has quickly caught the attention of NHL Central Scouting, ranked 21st among North American skaters in their final rankings ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft.

RUNNER UP: Lassi Thomson – Kelowna Rockets

WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year – Brad Hornung Trophy
WINNER: Justin Almeida – Moose Jaw Warriors

The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect put together a near-immaculate season with the Warriors. Almeida’s 111 points (33G-78A) ranked third in the league while his 14 penalty minutes were the fewest incurred of any player in the top-15 scorers from the 2018-19 WHL Regular Season. The Kitimat, B.C. product recorded a career-high 78 assists, leading all players throughout the regular season. The Penguins selected Almeida in the fifth round, 129th overall, of the 2018 NHL Draft.

RUNNER UP: Cody Glass – Portland Winterhawks

WHL Humanitarian of the Year – Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Will Warm – Edmonton Oil Kings

In his third WHL campaign, Will Warm dressed in just 33 regular season games as he dealt with a knee injury. With a burning desire to continue contributing as a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings, Warm decided to make his impact off the ice while recovering from his knee injury, spending time giving back to countless others through an initiative that was eventually coined Will Warms the Community.

The biggest benefactor of Warm’s efforts has been the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). After visiting Ronald McDonald House as part of a team appearance in October, Warm developed an affinity for it and arranged to have six tickets donated to RMHC children and their families for each Oil Kings home game. Regardless of the outcome of the game, he hosted a post-game meet-and-greet with the families and provided autographed items as a token of his appreciation.

Approaching the holiday season, Warm requested the Oil Kings visit Ronald McDonald House as a part of full team hospital visits. He led the players and was excited to introduce his RMHC friends to his teammates. Just prior to Christmas, Warm was invited to hit the switch with Santa, illuminating Ronald McDonald House in lights. That same night, he played games and ate cookies with children at Ronald McDonald House, missing out on part of a team dinner. Additionally, RMHC hosts weekly craft nights for two hours every Thursday – Warm attended eight times.

At a team visit to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital prior to Christmas, Warm met a young boy named Carter who had spent a number of months in the hospital. After enduring three spinal surgeries, Carter was being discharged two weeks before Christmas. While the Oil Kings were on the road, Warm surprised Carter at his discharge party where they had treats and built Lego together. A few weeks later, Carter and his family attended an Oil Kings home game using Warm’s seats.

During another hospital visit, Warm met a young man named Peyton who has survived three brain surgeries and spent significant time at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Peyton introduced Warm to an initiative called Peyton’s Project, which builds chairs using broken hockey sticks and donates all proceeds to the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Warm immediately went about collecting broken sticks from the Oil Kings and hand delivered them to Peyton’s workshop. Since then, Peyton has celebrated one year of being cancer free and attended an Oil Kings game with Warm’s help.

Following the Oil Kings’ annual Teddy Bear Toss game, Warm spent a morning packaging bears for delivery to local families and on another occasion, he spent personal time with an international Oil Kings fan from Scotland who was smitten by mascot Louie the Lion. In the wake of hearing that a family member of an Oil Kings staff was involved in a life-threatening accident, Warm organized a team trip to Canadian Blood Services.

Warm’s generosity knows no bounds. After recovering from his knee injury, he continued delivering Will Warms the Community

RUNNER UP: Jared Dmytriw – Vancouver Giants

WHL Coach of the Year – Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Marc Habscheid – Prince Albert Raiders

In his 15th season as a WHL Head Coach, Habscheid guided the Prince Albert Raiders to a WHL-best record of 54-10-2-2, capturing the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL Regular Season Champions for 2018-19. Throughout the campaign, the 56-year-old native of Swift Current, Sask., registered his 500th career WHL Regular Season coaching victory. Finishing the season with 509 career WHL Regular Season victories, Habscheid ranks eighth all-time among WHL coaches. Habscheid previously earned WHL Coach of the Year honours at the 2003 WHL Awards while behind the bench with the Kelowna Rockets.

RUNNER UP: Michael Dyck – Vancouver Giants

WHL Executive of the Year – Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Curtis Hunt – Prince Albert Raiders

In his fourth season as a WHL General Manager, Curtis Hunt built a Prince Albert Raiders squad that cruised to a WHL-best record of 54-10-2-2, capturing the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL Regular Season Champions for 2018-19. Over the course of the campaign, the 52-year-old native of North Battleford, Sask., executed a number of key transactions to bolster his roster, including the acquisition of impact forwards Dante Hannoun and Noah Gregor. Prior to 2018-19, Hunt built the Raiders through trade and the WHL Bantam Draft, acquiring the likes of Brett Leason, Brayden Pachal, Max Martin and Sergei Sapego, as well as drafting impact players such as Jakob Brook, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Aliaksei Protas, and Kaiden Guhle.

RUNNER UP: Garry Davidson – Everett Silvertips

WHL Business Award
WINNER: Everett Silvertips

Enjoying notable growth in all major business categories in 2018-19, the Everett Silvertips Hockey Club is the Western Conference recipient of the WHL Business Award.

Strong communication and engagement has helped to spark further interest in the Silvertips and the WHL in the Everett area. With a robust data collection program, email has become an effective means of communication for the Silvertips to engage with fans and share news such as statistics, ticket promotions, and more.

The Club takes pride in being an innovator when it comes to game-night promotions and community involvement. Silvertips players visited 32 local schools to speak on anti-bullying, health and fitness, and the importance of staying in school. Players also made two trips to the Providence Regional Medical Centre – one to visit cancer patients and providers ahead of the Club’s “Pink the Rink Night,” and a second visit to deliver teddy bears to the Pavilion for Women & Children after the Silvertips successful teddy bear toss night.

In 2018-19, the Silvertips have helped to contribute nearly $130,000 towards local fundraisers and charitable organizations, including the Snohomish County Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and the Medic One Foundation. The Silvertips’ “Pink the Rink Night” raised $94,000 to help fund free mammograms and cancer care for women in Snohomish County.

RUNNER UP: Lethbridge Hurricanes

WHL Scholastic Team of the Year
WINNER: Portland Winterhawks

The Portland Winterhawks education program excelled once again during the 2018-19 season. The Winterhawks organization fully complies with, supports and champions the WHL mandate that all players be encouraged and engaged with academic opportunities and success. Every Winterhawks player attends school. Following high school graduation, players take at least two post-secondary courses each season, and are encouraged to complete additional courses online. The overall grade-point average for all eight Winterhawks players in high school was 90 per cent, while another 16 Winterhawks completed a minimum of six post-secondary credits during the 2018-19 season. A key contributor to the Winterhawks’ academic success is Education Sue Johnson, who was a recipient of the WHL Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding contributions in 2018. Johnson has established a philosophy of nurturing, supporting and encouraging each player to reach their full potential, be it on the ice or in the classroom.


WHL Official of the Year – Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Brett Iverson

For the third consecutive season, Brett Iverson is the WHL’s Top Official. The product of Richmond, B.C., was recently named to the officiating team for the 2019 IIHF Men’s World Championship for the fourth consecutive season. Iverson has enjoyed a remarkable set of assignments, including skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, the gold medal game at the 2016 World Junior Championship, multiple CHL Top Prospects and CIBC Canada-Russia Series games, as well as multiple Memorial Cup games, including the final in 2015. In addition to his work in the WHL and on the international stage, Iverson is an active official in the American Hockey League.

WHL Regular Season Champion – Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy
WINNER: Prince Albert Raiders

For only the second time in franchise history, the Prince Albert Raiders claimed the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL Regular Season Champions for the 2018-19 season. Their record of 54-10-2-2 (112 points) represents the second-highest point totals in franchise history and the fourth time the Club has surpassed the 50-win plateau. The Raiders’ 54 wins also represented the most wins by a WHL team in a 68-game season. The Raiders were guided by talent at all positions with forwards Brett Leason, Noah Gregor, Dante Hannoun, Parker Kelly, defencemen Brayden Pachal, and goaltender Ian Scott.

WHL Top Scorer – Bob Clarke Trophy
WINNER: Joachim Blichfeld – Portland Winterhawks

For the second time in five years, the Bob Clarke Trophy for the WHL’s Top Scorer belongs to a member of the Portland Winterhawks. The 20-year-old Blichfeld recorded a league-leading 53 goals and 114 points, becoming the first player in the WHL to reach the 50-goal and 100-point mark in the 2018-19 season. A product of Frederikshavn, Denmark, Blichfeld followed in the footsteps of Danish product Oliver Bjorkstrand, who won the award in the 2014-15 WHL Regular Season. Blichfeld was one of five WHL skaters to score record triple-digit points in 2018-19.


(WHL)

May 1st Stanley Cup Playoffs Morning Skate

THREE HARD LAPS: QUICK HITS FROM TUESDAY


* The Blue Jackets and Sharks both took 2-1 series leads. When a best-of-seven series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 owns an all-time series record of 213-103 (67.4%) – including a 1-3 mark in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 * Logan Couture netted his first career playoff hat trick and leads all players with nine goals this postseason.

* Matt Duchene’s fifth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs stood as the game-winner as the Blue Jackets improved to 3-0 on home ice in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

BLUE JACKETS THRILL HOME CROWD, TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD

With the cannon firing off and the fans on their feet in the franchise’s first-ever home game beyond the opening round of the playoffs, it was first-year Blue Jackets forward Matt Duchene who netted the game-winning goal to help Columbus take a 2-1 advantage in its Second Round series with Boston.

* The Blue Jackets improved to 3-0 at Nationwide Arena during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and have now won eight of their last nine home games dating back to March 9. Their only loss over that span came at the hands of the Bruins in their regular-season home finale on April 2 (6-2 L).

 * Duchene’s five goals in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most ever recorded by a Blue Jackets player in a single postseason (5-4—9 in 7 GP). In fact, his five tallies are more than he recorded in 23 regular-season games with Columbus (4-8—12).

 * After spending his first eight full NHL seasons with the Avalanche (2009-10 to 2016-17), Duchene is skating for his third team since the start of the 2017-18 season (also COL and OTT). He is one of four skaters in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs who weren’t with their current team last season and have contributed five or more goals. The others: Vegas forwards Mark Stone (6) and Max Pacioretty (5) as well as Boston forward Charlie Coyle (5).


COUTURE NETS FIRST PLAYOFF HAT TRICK AS SHARKS TAKE SERIES LEAD

After former Shark Matt Nieto tied the game in the third period, Logan Couture (3-0—3) replied 65 seconds later and added an empty netter for his first career playoff hat trick to help San Jose snap Colorado’s run of eight consecutive wins at Pepsi Center and take a 2-1 advantage in their Second Round series.

* Couture leads all skaters in goals and is tied for the most points this postseason with 9-3–12 in 10 GP. Only two other players in Sharks franchise history have scored nine goals through the team’s first 10 postseason contests: Patrick Marleau (9-5–14 in 2006) and Joe Pavelski (9-6–15 in 2010).

* Additionally, Couture has collected 43-50–93 in 106 GP since making his playoff debut in 2010, including 10-20–30 (24 GP) in San Jose’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. Since the 2010 postseason, only five players have collected more playoff points than Couture, all of whom have won a Stanley Cup. Alex Ovechkin (50) is the only player to score more playoff goals than Couture in that same span.

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

The Hurricanes and Blues enter Wednesday’s contests with their sights set on taking commanding series leads against the Islanders and Stars, respectively. It will mark the first time in 10 years that Carolina has hosted a second-round game.

* The Hurricanes, who return to PNC Arena after winning Games 1 and 2 on the road, look to take a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series for the second time in franchise history (also 2006 CSF vs. NJD). With a win in Game 3, Carolina would become the 16th team in NHL history to take a 3-0 lead in the series immediately following a seven-game victory - all 15 of the teams who have previously done so went on to win the series.

* The Islanders find themselves in a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series for the 12th time in franchise history and hold an all-time record of 3-8 in those circumstances. The last time New York rallied from a 2-0 hole to win a series was during the 1984 Conference Finals, when they defeated the Guy Lafleur-led Canadiens in six games.

* The Blues look to continue their road success when they visit the Stars at American Airlines Center for Game 4. St. Louis, which has won each of its first four road contests to begin the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, can establish a franchise record for the longest road win streak in a single postseason. The last team to open the playoffs with more than four consecutive road wins was the 2012 Kings, who captured victories in their first 10 road contests en route to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.


* The Stars enter Game 4 in a familiar predicament. The club also dropped Game 3 in the First Round against the Predators to fall behind in the series (1-2), before stringing together three consecutive victories and winning the matchup in six contests. Dallas is led in points by its captain, Jamie Benn (2-6—8 in 9 GP), who has spent his entire 10-season career with the Stars and is the only player in franchise history to win the Art Ross Trophy (2014-15).

(NHL Media)

Talks Said To Be Progressing In CFL/CFLPA Labour Negotiations

TORONTO — The CFL and its players have started talking money.

The league and CFL Players’ Association concluded two days of talks Tuesday. The meetings were the first between the two sides since April 9.


Since talks formally began March 11-12, the league and union have spent a lot of time discussing non-monetary items. While some remain unresolved, union executive director Brian Ramsay said the issue of money is now on the table.

"There’s urgency in the sense that all items are being discussed now and we do have training camps opening up," Ramsay said. "The urgency comes because the goal of the players hasn’t changed.

"The goal is to find a solution and address the needs and concerns we’ve talked about for a long time now and be playing football when camps open."

The current agreement is set to expire May 18 with training camps scheduled to open the following day.

The league and its players last met April 9 in Vancouver to conclude two days of talks. The following day, Ramsay told reporters the CFL had unilaterally decided to delay negotiations until last Monday because it had "other priorities" to take care of before it could return to the bargaining table.

Following that delay, the union recommended players forego reporting to training camp if a new collective bargaining agreement hasn’t been reached by then. The union also said it didn’t intend to work past May 18 unless a new deal was agreed upon.

And last week, over 97 per cent of players gave the union their support in a strike vote. However, that’s traditionally normal protocol in collective bargaining.

Such moves are usually done to show solidarity and provide the bargaining committee with a strong strike mandate as a sign the membership is serious about its demands in contract talks. In this instance, it was also a step in ensuring the various provincial laws were satisfied in the event a work stoppage is necessary.

The CFLPA has continually said its goal remains reaching a fair deal that works for both parties.

Veteran CFL player John Bowman, a member of the union’s bargaining committee, said it was crucial for meetings to resume.

"It was very important to get the ball rolling again and to keep the momentum we’d built," said the 36-year-old Montreal Alouettes defensive lineman. "Nobody appreciated the two-week negotiation stoppage so we were eager, to say the least, as the bargaining committee to go back with the [league] get this thing going."

Negotiations will resume Monday in Toronto with three days of talks scheduled for next week.

"Steps forward," Ramsay said. "Being face-to-face this time bargaining, it’s important to have as many meetings to try and get closer together and find an agreement.

"We’ve said all along we’re going to continue to meet as much as possible. We’ve made ourselves available."

The six-foot-three, 255-pound Bowman is entering his 14th CFL season with Montreal. But being involved in collective bargaining talks has been a unique experience for the two-time Grey Cup champion and native of Brooklyn, N.Y.

"It’s very eye-opening," he said. "You hear a lot of things that you can’t repeat and wouldn’t want to repeat because it wouldn’t look good.

"As a membership we’re trying to get through it together and get a great deal for everybody. That’s our main goal here, it’s not as Americans and Canadians … we want to stick together and get the best deal we can for everybody."

And with the clock ticking, time certainly remains of the essence for the CFL and CFLPA.

"I’m in a position to say I’m very hopeful," Bowman said. "The only thing we’re working on is to get a deal done and not just for us.

"For the owners and great fans across the provinces of Canada. I’m not the best negotiator in the world. I’m a pretty decent player so I want to get back to doing what I do best and that’s it."

(CP)