Canada 3 USA 2 OT

VANCOUVER - Canada has capped the Golden Games with the medal that matters, beating the United States 3-2 in an Olympic hockey overtime thriller at Canada Hockey Place.

Sidney Crosby scored on a low shot through Ryan Miller's legs
seven minutes 40 seconds into overtime to decide the last medal of the Vancouver Olympics.

It's Canada's 14th gold of the Vancouver Games, breaking the
record for most gold medals at a Winter Olympics. The Soviet Union, in 1976, and Norway, in 2002, each won 13.

Zach Parise sent the game into overtime, stuffing in a rebound
from in close off a Patrick Kane shot with 24.4 seconds left and
Miller on the bench.

That forced a 20-minute sudden-death overtime, played
four-on-four.

Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry scored for Canada in the first and second period, respectively. Miller stood tall the rest of the game in the U.S. net.

(The Canadian Press)

Sunday Sports

It's Canada's best Olympic team. Ever. Canada will finish atop the gold medal standings at the Vancouver Olympics. Canada has 13 golds followed by Germany with ten. There are just two events left, including the battle for hockey supremacy between Canada and the United States (2:15 Sask time today, CTV). Both the 4 Seasons Sports Palace and Press Box Sports Bar in Regina will have Molson Canadian Puck Parties for the game. Finland won the bronze medal in hockey, coming from behind to beat Slovakia 5-3. Canada has also won seven silver and five bronze for a Canadian-best 25 medals at a Winter Olympics.

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Canadians won three gold medals on the second-last day of the Vancouver Olympics. Number-Eleven came from long-track speedskaters Denny Morrison, Lucas Makowsky (Regina) and Mathieu Giroux in the team pursuit. Canada's 12th gold medal was won by snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson in the men's parallel giant slalom. Kevin Martin took the 13th Canadian gold by capturing won the men's curling title, 6-3 over Norway.

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Canada also won a bronze medal on the second-last day of the Olympics, with Lyndon Rush (of Humboldt) guiding Canada-One to a bronze medal in the four-man bobsled. Canada finished one-one-hundredth of a second back of Germany. The U-S won the gold.

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Joannie Rochette skated a tribute to her mother Therese as part of an exhibition gala in Vancouver. The Canadian figure champion captured an Olympic bronze medal less than a week after the death of her mother. Rochette was earlier presented with the Terry Fox Award, which recognizes courage amidst adversity.

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The New York Rangers will have new backup goaltender for Henrik Lundqvist when they start the home stretch of the season. The Rangers have claimed veteran Alex Auld off re-entry waivers from Dallas. New York has been alternating with minor leaguers Chad Johnson and Matt Zaba as the backup.

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The NFL is considering changing its overtime format for playoff games. The plan would see both teams getting the ball at least once, unless the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown. A league spokesman the plan will be discussed, and possibly voted on, at the league meetings next month.

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The Terrell Owens era is over Buffalo. The Bills have informed the veteran Pro Bowl receiver they won't be offering him a new contract. He becomes a free agent at midnight Friday. Owens caught 55 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns in his only season in Buffalo. He also ran for a touchdown.

(The Canadian Press)

Pats 3 Blades 0

SASKATOON -- Rookie Pats goalie Dawson Guhle made 19 saves for his first career shutout and Regina upset the number-one team in the WHL 3-0 Saturday night in Saskatoon. As usual, Jordan Eberle stole the show with a pair of goals - his 44th and 45th of the season - as the Pats snapped a three-game slide.

After a scoreless opening period, Eberle opened the scoring on a highlight-reel goal which beat Blades goalie Adam Morrison at 2:08 of the second period. Matt Strueby upped the Pats lead to 2-0 just 4:12 into the third with his 34th of the year. Blades coach Lorne Molleken pulled Morrison with 2:25 to go but with 1:57 left, Eberle buried a pass from Strueby into the empty net for his 45th of the campaign.

Game over: Regina 3 Saskatoon 0

It was a huge upset, but Pats fans will be left to wonder if it's too little too late. With the win the Pats remained nine points behind Swift Current for the final playoff spot with seven games to go. The Broncos beat Vancouver 4-3 Saturday night. It was nice to see Eberle deliver again as I know several people bought tickets to see the Canadian world junior star. He did not disappoint, nor did his teammates, 1 through 20.

STATS: Regina outshot Saskatoon 29-19 while going 0/3 on the powerplay and 4/4 killing penalties ... Regina is 3-4 against the Blades on the year ... Regina improved to 27-32-3-4 while the Blades fell to 43-15-3-4 and their streak of four straight games with at least a point was snapped.

MOLSON 3-STARS: 1) Eberle 2) Guhle 3) Morrison. Taylor Toyota Hardest Working Pat: Mulder, Favreau, Reider, Guhle.

UP NEXT: The Pats visit the Swift Current Broncos Tuesday night at 7:30 on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show at 7:05pm).

Dome Talk Gaining Steam

The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
Byline: James Wood
Column: Legislature Notebook

The political story that just might interest the most people in the province isn't a "political" story at all, says Ken Cheveldayoff.

On Monday, the Saskatchewan Party government will release a long-awaited feasibility study into a potential domed stadium in downtown Regina that would be the new home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The hefty price tag -- at least $350 million -- is just one potential hot button around the idea, especially with the government preparing a belt-tightening budget.

But Cheveldayoff, minister of enterprise and shepherd of the stadium file, said he doesn't think there will be a partisan political debate around the project.

"I don't see it as an election issue at all. I see support for this from all political persuasions on the provincial level . . . so I think this is something well beyond the day-to-day politics here. I know in conversations I've had with Opposition members, they want what's best for Regina, they want what's best for Saskatchewan, and so do we," he told reporters this week.

Well, not so fast.

"We're in principle in favour. But on the details, where the devil always lies and lies in particular with these guys, we want to see the costing out, we want to see who's coming to the table," said the NDP's Warren McCall, whose Regina Elphinstone Centre constituency encompasses both the current Mosaic Stadium and the potential site of a new facility.

It is the role of Opposition's to take a hard look at issues -- even when they involve the Roughriders -- said McCall, adding at the risk of sounding "overly partisan," he did not have a lot of faith in the Sask. Party government.

"They've been very good about hyping up various projects but when it comes time for the numbers to actually add up, it's a different story."

Narrating Canada’s Quest for Gold in Men’s Hockey

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Like platooning goaltenders, the Canadian hockey announcers Chris Cuthbert and Gord Miller are taking turns behind the microphone, their voices providing the English soundtrack for Canada’s Xanadu production.

Their profiles are rising along with a buoyant host nation’s fevered pitch. Cuthbert was stopped by fans while jogging Thursday morning, the day after he provided the play-by-play of Canada’s 7-3 victory against Russia in the quarterfinals.

“You get stopped on the street because you’re a part, a small part, of the moment, and those moments are so indelible for Canadians,” Cuthbert said.

Canada’s 5-3 loss to the United States last Sunday, which Miller worked, attracted 10.6 million viewers, the largest Canadian audience for a sporting event. Cognizant that viewers now include Canadians with perhaps only a rudimentary knowledge of hockey, Miller does not dwell on the audience size.

“People ask me if I’m feeling pressure,” he said, then laughed. “Pressure is calling the Quebec Junior League All-Star hockey game and you don’t get the rosters until a half-hour before the game.”

In both delivery and demeanor, Cuthbert and Miller are pleasantly unpretentious, each cut from a much plainer cloth than the colorful Don Cherry. Speaking separately, each said his first reaction to an interview request was that it must be a practical joke.

The press tribune at Canada Hockey Place is in the stands and closer to the ice than the usual restricted access press boxes, which makes it harder to hear yourself think, but easier to weave color into the broadcast.

Miller worked Canada’s 8-2 victory against Germany on Tuesday, and in the third period the crowd began chanting, “We want Russia!” Miller remained silent, surfing the noise of the crowd and carrying his audience along for the ride, just as he remembered Al Michaels doing in the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team’s Miracle on Ice victory against the Soviet Union.

“All we’re doing is what we always do,” Miller said, adding: “What I’ve learned from great athletes performing in key moments is it’s about preparation. You prepare the best you can, then you just clear your mind and hope you’re ready to perform.”

Among those Miller has charmed here is Donald Sutherland, the Canadian-born actor who lent his voice to a promotional campaign for the Olympics called “Believe” for CTV, the parent company of TSN. Sutherland is staying at the same downtown hotel as Miller, and has been picking Miller’s brain about sports over breakfast.

Miller, 44, said he mentioned these meals in passing the other day in a telephone conversation with his mother, Florence, who was impressed. She became even more enthusiastic after Miller called her and handed his cellphone to Sutherland so he could say hello.

“My mom may still be lying on the floor,” Miller said, laughing, “and that was five days ago.” He added, “I’ve been to the Super Bowl, the World Cup, the Olympics, but to my mother, the absolute apex of my career is I’ve had breakfast with Donald Sutherland.”

Miller was 18 and a year removed from high school when he got his first big break. He was asked to fill in for a radio reporter at an Edmonton Oilers home game. All he had to do was stick his microphone in the scrum of reporters interviewing Wayne Gretzky and record a few sound bites.

What could be simpler? Miller’s elation turned into horror when he found a quiet place to play back what he had recorded and realized he had forgotten to turn off the pause button on the microphone.

In a panic, Miller raced back into the arena, approached Gretzky, who was alone, and breathlessly explained that he needed to interview him again and why.

O.K., shoot, Gretzky said, or words to that effect. A thoroughly flustered Miller blurted the first “question” that came to mind: “Nice game.”

After that inauspicious beginning, Miller’s career flourished. This is his fifth Olympics. He regularly covers the N.H.L. and world junior hockey, which is as popular in Canada as college football in the United States.

He and Gretzky have kept in touch over the years. After Miller worked Canada’s opener here against Norway, Gretzky sent him a two-word text message: “Nice game.”

Miller laughed and said, “I think it’s a great little reminder for me, don’t forget where you came from.”

Cuthbert, 52, was attending Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, when he was asked to fill in as an anchor one weekend night. He was sure his debut would also go down as his demise when he mentioned on air the day’s exploits of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Mike Schmidt and, in his adrenaline-fueled rush, failed to enunciate the “m” in Schmidt’s surname.

Thirty-one years later, the memory can make him blush again. Cuthbert overcame the on-air gaffe to become TSN’s authoritative voice for the Canadian Football League and the N.H.L.

In the lead-up to Canada’s quarterfinal game against Russia, Cuthbert took note of the country’s collective anxiety about its men’s hockey team and registered its maudlin mood. As the Canadians celebrated their victory, he said, “How do you feel about them now?”

The comment was not scripted. It came to him in a moment of inspiration that was decades in the making.

“You do know the whole country is listening,” Cuthbert said. “You want to be at your best. You’re providing the soundtrack and color of games that people will be talking about 25 years from now.”

(Courtesy www.nytimes.com)

Blades Bring Pats to Town

The Saskatoon Blades host the divisional rival Regina Pats for the final time this season at Credit Union Centre.  Game time is 7:05 pm (620 CKRM Regina, 92.9 FM The Bull Saskatoon)

Head-to-Head:
This marks the seventh meeting of the season between the Blades and Pats with one more remaining after tonight.  The Blades are 4-0-0-2 against Regina this season.  The Pats, meanwhile, come into the game with a 2-3-0-1 record in the head-to-head matchups.

Derek Hulak (Saskatoon, SK) and Stefan Elliott (North Vancouver, BC) share the lead for the Blades' attack with two goals and six assists for eight points.

In between the pipes, Adam Morrison (White Rock, BC) comes in with a 3-0-0-2 against the Pats with a 2.13 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.  Steven Stanford (Calgary, AB) is 1-0 after making 31 saves on 35 shots in his lone appearance against the Pats.

On the Regina side, overage forward Brett Leffler leads the way against the Blades with a goal and four assists for five points.  Jordan Eberle and Matt Strueby are second on the team scoring list versus the Blades this season with three goals and an assist for four points.

In goal, Damien Ketlo is 1-2-0-1 against the Blades with a 3.86 goals against average and a .890 save percentage.  Dawson Guhle, meanwhile, is 1-1-0-0 with a 3.36 goals against average and a .889 save percentage.

Saskatoon Blades:
The Blades (43-14-3-4, 1st in East Division, 1st in Eastern Conference) enter the game having gone four straight games earning at least a point.  Last night, the Bridge City Bunch continued the streak with a 5-0 win over the Prince Albert Raiders at home.

Regina Pats:
The Pats (26-32-3-4, 6th in East Division, 10th in Eastern Conference) enter the contest on a three-game losing streak.  The team was on the ice last night and dropped a 6-4 decision to the Swift Current Broncos.

The Pats bring in to tonight's two players who are atop the WHL scoring list. 

Eberle has 43 goals and 49 assists for 92 points.  Jordan Weal comes in with 31 goals and 61 assists for 92 points.  Strueby is in third on the team with 33 goals and 21 assists for 54 points. 

Colten Teubert leads the Pats' rearguards in scoring with 10 goals and 28 assists for 38 points this season.

Eberle leads the Pats and is second overall in the league with 43 goals this season.Leffler has 141 penalty minutes this season to lead the team in that category.

Rookie Brandon Davidson is tops on the team in plus/minus with a +17 rating.

In net, Ketlo has seen action in 46 games this season, putting together an 18-19-2-4 record to go along with a 3.45 goals against average and a .895 save percentage.  Guhle has a 6-11-1-0 record in 23 appearances this season with a 3.95 goals against average and a .876 save percentage.

The Pats' power play is ranked 4th in the WHL at 25.4% this season.  The penalty kill unit is ranked 15th in the WHL at 78.3%.

Tonight's game is the annual Acklands Grainger Children's Wish Foundation Night.  A special pre-game presentation will take place involving Blades captain Derek Hulak, who has now raised $11,000 for the Children's Wish Foundation as the Acklands Grainger Point Man. 

For every point Derek has made over the past three seasons, $50 is donated by Acklands Grainger to the Children's Wish Foundation.

Kids should be sure to stop by the Mac's Kid Zone and Michael's Craft Corner located on the concourse behind section D.

Canada 3 Slovakia 2

VANCOUVER - Team Canada is through to the men's hockey final at the Vancouver Olympics after edging Slovakia 3-2 Friday night.

Patrick Marleau, Brenden Morrow and Ryan Getzlaf scored for Canada, while Lubomir Visnovsky and Michal Handzus got the Slovak goals in a third-period rally.

Canada meets the United States in Sunday's final with the host country looking for revenge.

The Americans defeated Canada 5-3 in a round-robin game last Sunday.

The United States advanced earlier to the showdown with a 6-1 win over Finland.

This year's final is a repeat of the 2002 title game in Salt Lake
City, won 5-2 by Canada.

(The Canadian Press)

Broncos 6 Pats 4

SWIFT CURRENT -- The Regina Pats had a 4-3 lead with five minutes to go in the third period Friday night at the I-Plex but saw it evaporate and wound up on the wrong end of a 6-4 score to the rival Broncos. In the process, it all but snuffed out Regina's chances of making the 2010 WHL playoffs.

It was the third straight regulation time loss for Regina, but none were as cruel as this one. With the Pats leading late, it appeared the hockey gods turned their back on the Queen City Kids once again. Rookie Pats defenceman Myles Bell took a holding penalty with 4:42 to go, and on the ensuing powerplay Broncos leading scorer Cody Eakin tied the game with a top shelf point shot. The Pats were wild as they thought Swift Current forward Justin Dowling gloved the puck from the high slot back to Eakin. Replays later showed the puck touched a Pats stick in between. A minute and a half later, Travis Bobbee scored the eventual game-winner with 2:56 to go. Taylor Vause iced the game with an empty-netter with 28 seconds remaining.

Game over: Swift Current 6 Regina 4.

STATS: The Broncos led 2-1 after the first and it was 3-3 after two periods ... Matt Strueby scored in the first period for Regina while Jordan Weal and Hampus Gustaffsson buried in the second ... Eberle gave the Pats a 4-3 lead in the third with his 43rd goal of the season .... Regina outshot the Broncos 12-9 in the third but was outshot 37-29 in the game ... Regina was 1/6 on the powerplay and 4/7 killing penalties ... The victory puts the Broncos nine points up on Regina with seven games remaining .... Regina leads the season series 4-3 and the teams will meet again Tuesday in Swift Current for the eighth and final time ... The Pats will basically need to win their remaining games and have the Broncos lose all of theirs to make the playoffs possible. Ive never seen that happen.

MOLSON 3-STARS: 1) Bobbee (1-3-4), 2) Stickland (2-2-4), 3) Eberle (1-2-3). Taylor Toyota Hardest Working Pat: Cody Carlson.

UP NEXT: The Pats visit the Saskatoon Blades Saturday night at 7:00 on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show at 6:35pm).

Pats Game Night at S.C.

Regina (26-31-3-4) @ Swift Current (31-29-0-4)
Tonight 7:30pm Credit Union I-Plex
7:05 Pre-Game Show 620 CKRM
No Television Broadcast

The Lowdown:
This has been yet another great series between the Pats and Broncos with the Blue & White having 4-1-0-1 record over the first 6 meetings. The last battle between these two clubs was a part of a home and home series with the Pats winning both ends finishing off with a 5-2 victory at the Swift Current Credit Union I-Plex.

Bronco Bucks:
The Broncos are currently holding down the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by one point over the Prince Albert Raiders and have a 7 point edge on the Regina Pats.

Who's Who:
The Broncos are led by one of the most dynamic goal scorers in the WHL in Cody Eakin, he leads the Broncos with 41 goals and is tops in points with 78.

The Race:
The Pats are currently 7 points back of the Broncos for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 8 games left. After tonight, they play 3 more at home and 4 on the road, with all of them coming against Eastern Conference foes.On the ice tonight:There are 9 other games on tap tonight in the WHL with the Pats keeping an eye on the Prince Albert in Saskatoon and Vancouver in Moose Jaw.

Race for the Goal Title:
Jordan Eberle is currently 2nd in the WHL goal scoring with 42. Spokane Chief forward, Kyle Beach is tops in the league with 47 while the Broncos Cody Eakin is tied for 3rd with the Chilliwack Bruins' Ryan Howse with 41.

Race for the Assist Title:
17 year old forward, Jordan Weal is currently the WHL's assist leader with 60, he leads Calgary's Brandon Kozun by two and Spokane's Mitch Wahl by four assists.

Battle of Top Three WHL Scorers:
2 Regina Pats are in the hunt for the Bob Clarke Trophy, which goes to the league's top scorer. Both Eberle and Weal have a chance to be the first Pats to hit 100 points for the first time since Ronald Petrovicky did the trick in 1997-98 with 113 points.

The last Regina Pat to lead the league in scoring was Dale Derkatch in 1982-83 with 179 points.

Next Action:
The Blue & White are back on the ice tomorrow night at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon. It's a 7:05 puck drop with the action getting started with the pre-game show on 620 CKRM at 6:40.

RIDERS LOSE RECEIVER

Announced on Twitter:

From: @CFLDaily
The Toronto Argonauts have signed WR Gerran Walker.

SORRY

Hockey Canada is apologizing after the Canadian women's hockey team left the locker room after their gold medal victory last night and returned to the ice. Fourteen players toasted each other with bottles of champagne and cans of beer. Some were smoking cigars. One player, Marie-Philip Poulin, was photographed with a beer in her hand. She's 18, too young to legally drink in BC.

(The Canadian Press)

BLUE BOMBERS COMPLETE TRADE WITH MONTREAL

WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have completed a trade with the Montreal Alouettes today and have acquired non-import defensive end Stan van Sichem (Regina Rams) in exchange for import defensive end Gavin Walls.

Friday Rodservations

These are trying times right now. The Pats fanbase is frustrated and upset as the club enters the weekend seven points out of a playoff spot with eight games to go. We're ALL getting it these days; the Parkers, the coaches, the players, the broadcasters (Dan and me) and sometimes even the office staff too.

Fortunately I've seen it before, with the Riders years ago. When the team struggles for a prolonged period of time, the fit hits the shan from angry fans and we all get sprayed. All you can do is grit your teeth and bare it.

It would be a disservice to count the Pats out yet. Eight games is a lot of hockey and there are sixteen points out there to collect. They are chasing the Broncos and they play them twice in the next five days. It will make for interesting radio and hopefully good hockey. Faceoff tonight is 7:00 on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show at 6:35pm) and tomorrow night we'll be in Saskatoon for a 7:00 date, also on the mighty 620.

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The past week has been nothing short of a blur. Four Pats games, the talkshow, morning sports on CKRM and everything in between has come at a dizzying pace. So without getting into detail, here's a collection of observations from the past week from my corner of the web:

- Canada plays Slovakia tonight at 8:30 in an Olympics Mens Hockey semifinal in Vancouver. It's pretty hard to comment/blog about Canada's games because the Pats have been playing at the same time as Canada, including tonight. The Press Box Sports Bar will have a Molson Canadian Puck Party tonight and also for Sunday's gold medal final at 2:15pm. If you've never seen one, you had best check it out!

- This week on both ESPN Radio and Fox Sports, they've been abuzz with hockey talk at the Olympics. It's funny because they don't have a sniff of what they're talking about but it's GREAT! Hopefully this will spur them to talk more about hockey once the Stanley Cup Playoffs start.

- Mathew Barnaby is an ESPN hockey analyst and said the USA awoke "The Sleeping Giant" (Canada) on Sunday night. Question: Why was Canada sleeping at all? Was Babcock unable to motivate them sufficiently and they needed a wakeup call from the Americans?? It's a pity if that's the case.

- Don Cherry was on the Jim Rome Show this week and told Americans that Canada's going to "kick their ass" in the gold medal game for gloating about beating us 5-3 Sunday night.

- Got into an argument with an NHL scout the other day because I said we've become arrogant as a hockey nation. We say "It's Our Game", yet lots of other countries play it too. Every other country relishes beating us because of this arrogance and it's actually the USA who currently holds the World Under-20 and Under-18 titles. An Olympics gold medal for the USA will send this country into a massive tailspin. That scout says we've earned the right to say "It's Our Game". I disagree.

- But it's no more arrogant than us calling the Riders "Canada's Team". I just kinda like it, that's all.

- One American talkshow host compared Canada's Mens Olympic hockey team to the Yankees. There's so much enormous pressure on them to win that when they do, they can't even celebrate. It's just a relief because they're expected to do it.

- Like him or not, I've been very impressed wit the commentary of CTV's Pierre McGuire on the hockey games. I rewatched the USA-Canada game and JUST before faceoff, Pierre said "games like this come down to goaltending." McGuire hit that one dead-on and Marty Brodeur hasn't played since.

- The topic of who's broadcasting the Olympics gold medal game across Canada on CTV is a sore one amongst those involved.

- Back to the Pats -- former Rider Football Operations Coordinator Tony Playter's been listening to all the recent Pats broadcasts and reading the blog comments. He summed up his findings of Regina sports fans by saying "If jumping off the bangwagon were an Olympic sport, we'd own the podium."

- It's nice to see the rest of the WHL is getting a kick out of the comments section of this blog over the past week. Said one coach to me, "Too bad you don't get $1 per click on you blog! You'd be a millionaire!" Hopefully one day that'll be the case.

- There's talk of the Swift Current Broncos playing their first round playoff games in Lethbridge because the 2010 World Womens Curling Championships are invading their building.

- Morley Scott is in his first year as voice of the Vancouver Giants after sixteen seasons as the colour commentator of Edmonton Oiler radio broadcasts alongside hall of famer Rod Phillips. I asked Morley why the Giants and Hitmen have been such a success in NHL cities while the Oil Kings have struggled to make a footprint in Edmonton. His response was "Edmonton's not a hockey town, it's an Oiler town." Morley feels the Giants and Hitmen benefited from good playoff runs during the lockout, grabbing hockey fans' attention.

- Some football notes: I've been informed the Riders have decided on a new offensive line coach to replace Bob Wylie. And it's NOT Larry Zeirlein.

- Eddie Davis retired yesterday after a stellar CFL career. Don't expect him to jump into coaching with the Riders. He says if he coaches anywhere, it'll be in Calgary where he makes his home in the off-season and his family lives year-round. But he also says he plans to take the summer off.

- Eddie made a curious comment in an interview with CKRM's Craig Walleback on Thursday. It went like this: "The negotiation process with Saskatchewan was something that, honestly, enlightened me. It took so long that it made me sit back and realize that it was time for me to walk away. Had we gotten everything nailed down a month, or a month and a half ago, yah, I probably would still be a Roughrider. It gave me time to think how my life was going and how I'd like it to go, and I realized it was time to step away."

- The Riders are negotiating a contract extension with quarterback Darian Durant.

- It now sounds like Joe Womack WILL be back with the Riders. That's good news. I expect to hear something concrete next week.

- Gotta love the line by Rider guard Marc Parenteau when he opened his speech at a sports dinner in Estevan this week. "I played hockey until I suffered a debilitating condition that wouldn't allow me to play anymore," he said as the crowd fell silent with sympathy. "I GOT FAT!"

- YOU can enroll in Kenton Keith's four day football camp in Omaha, Nebraska for the low price of $22! His website's been shutdown but you can hit K-K on Facebook for the detes! I can't imagine the techniques he'll be teaching. Got any thoughts on what they might be?

- Gotta love CKRM newsman Craig Wallabeck when announcing the Rodriguez-Nicholson trade by the Riders this week on 620. "WE'RE getting import wideout Prechae Rodriguez from Hamilton!" Wallabang announced on the 5:00pm sportscast! It's good to be the rightsholder.

- I like that Geroy Simon greets his 800-plus Twitter followers each morning with the message "Be Great People!" What a positive pick-me-up for his fans.

- I also liked the message yesterday from Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald who wrote "Shoutout to all the Dads who are doing everything possible to better their kids lives and who are being the role models they need."

- There are plenty of new auction items up for grabs including Eddie Davis autographed memorabilia at http://www.jeremyoday.com/. All proceeds go to Jeremy's favourite charities, Jesse's Journey and his personal scholarship fund at Edinboro University.

- My best man Chris Winkler won't be pleased with this:

Canadian womens curling skip Cheryl Bernard shot down rumours she'll be posing nude or topless for the annual Women of Curling Calendar.

"I just did (find out) because I don't read anything when I'm playing," Bernard told Globe and Mail curling reporter Bob Weeks. "It's ridiculous. There's no truth to it. It's rumour and I can't control rumours.

Danish curler Madeleine Dupont however, will be disrobing for the calendar.

- I FOUND HER! After years of searching, I found talkshow goddess Dr. Laura Schlessinger on Sirius Stars Channel 155. I used to listen to her by the hour over a decade ago! And people think I'M hard on callers! Haha. She's the best. She can be heard live each afternoon.

- Don't you HATE when you see people get out of cars parked in handicapped spots and the drivers AREN'T handicapped? C'mon people, it's not even cold out! And even if it was, that's still no excuse.

- I heard the other day that BlackBerry President Jim Balsillie get $250 from each BlackBerry sold. So just THINK about that every time you see one -- that's another 250 bucks in Balsillie's jeans. I asked Prairie Mobile Communications marketing guru Shae Paisley if this is the case and he couldn't confirm.

- Are you ever concerned about the crazy people who walk among us? The other day I left that luncheon at the Casino and some guy was drawing two X's on the back of my dirty Titan Auto SUV on Saskatchewan Drive. I said "what are you doing?" and he replied "you work for Paul Hill?". I said that in fact I do and then he started screaming obscenities and ran away.

- Today's Press Box Sports Bar Lunch Buffett (11am - 2pm)

Montreal spiced shaved roast beef
Oven roasted ham
Southwest chicken strips
Popcorn shrimp
Scalloped potatoes
Perogies & sausage
Mixed veggies
Caesar salad
Pizza buffet
Cranberry/marmalade squares

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NOW GO TAKE ON THE DAY!
RP

Lions part ways with Glover, Smart and McKay-Loescher; Armour retires

(Vancouver) The BC Lions Football Club announced today that defensive back LaVar Glover, running backIan Smart and defensive lineman Nautyn McKay-Loescher have been released. 

"LaVar, Ian and Nautyn have been very good players for our club and we thank them for their services," said Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono. 

The club has also been informed by linebacker JoJuan Armour that he has decided to retire after six seasons in the CFL, three as a Lion. 

"JoJuan was a leader on the field and in our dressing room and we wish him the very best," said Buono. 

WHL's Best Of The East Poll

At long last here is the annual "Best of the WHL East Confernence Poll" as compiled and tabulated by Brandon Wheat Kings broadcaster Bruce Luebke. The poll was voted on by WHL East Conference GMs, coaches and players. The comments attached belong to Luber. Nice work Bruce!:

Best Player

1. Jordan Eberle – Regina
2. Brandon Kozun – Calgary
3. Brayden Schenn – Brandon

Note: I didn’t think there would be any doubt about who would be #1 in this category and, as it turned out, there wasn’t.

Most Valuable Player to his Team

1. Jordan Eberle - Regina
2. Dustin Sylvester – Kootenay
3. Jason Bast – Moose Jaw

Note: A new question this year, simply to see if there’s a difference between MVP and Top Player. There wasn’t at #1, but down the ranks the results were different.

Best Goaltender

1. Martin Jones – Calgary
2. Garrett Zemlak – Prince Albert
3. Todd Mathews – Kootenay

Note: Isn’t it interesting that two of the top three were castoffs not that long ago.


Top Rookie

1. Emerson Etem – Medicine Hat
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Red Deer
3. Toni Rajala – Brandon

Note: Top three rookie scorers in the Eastern Conference.

Top 16-year old Player

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Red Deer
2. Duncan Siemens – Saskatoon
3. Michael St. Croix – Edmonton

Note: Nugent-Hopkins was #1 pick in 2008 WHL Draft and is living up to the billing.

Best Stay-at-Home Defenceman

1. Sam Klassen – Saskatoon
2. Brayden McNabb – Kootenay
3. Travis Hamonic – Brandon

Note: Two of the top three, McNabb and Hamonic, are also among the top-scoring defencemen in the WHL.

Best Offensive Defenceman

1. Travis Hamonic – Brandon
2. Stefan Elliott – Saskatoon
3. Michael Stone – Calgary

Note: Among blue liners, Hamonic had a league-best 1.26 points per game average in 39 games before being injury.

Best 20-year old Player

1. Matt Calvert – Brandon
2. Dustin Sylvester – Kootenay
3. Jason Bast – Moose Jaw

Note: Calvert and Sylvester are both in the Top 10 in scoring and Bast would likely be close to that area if he hadn’t missed some significant time in the first half with a facial fracture.


Best Pro Prospect (NHL Drafted)

1. Jordan Eberle – Regina
2. Brayden Schenn – Brandon
3. Travis Hamonic – Brandon

Note: Last year, Schenn was the Top Pro Prospect, drafted or undrafted, but Eberle passes him this year.

Best Pro Prospect (Undrafted)

1. Emerson Etem – Medicine Hat
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Red Deer
3. Quinton Howden – Moose Jaw

Note: There was some thinking outside the box here with several undrafted 20-year olds garnering votes but, in the end, the young guys won out.

Best Prospects/List

1. Brandon
2. Saskatoon
3. Moose Jaw

Note: Some consolation for Wheat Kings’ fans worried about the future. It was a close three-team race but, in the end, it appears Brandon prospects for future seasons are solid.

Best Coach

1. Mark Holick – Kootenay
2. Willie Desjardins – Medicine Hat
3. Lorne Molleken – Saskatoon

Note: Interesting that Holick out legs the Canadian Junior Team coach for the honour. Brandon’s Kelly McCrimmon ended up #4 in the voting.

Top Executive

1. Kelly McCrimmon – Brandon
2. Kelly Kisio – Calgary
3. Jeff Chynoweth – Kootenay

Note: His peers obviously like what McCrimmon has done with his Memorial Cup Hosts this year. He unseats Kisio, who was #1 the past two years.


Top Defensive Forward

1. Carter Bancks – Lethbridge
2. Wacey Hamilton – Medicine Hat
3. Brent Raedeke – Brandon

Note: Bancks is also captain of the Hurricanes so he brings a lot to the table.

Top Face-off Man

1. Carter Bancks – Lethbridge
2. Brayden Schenn – Brandon
3. Cody Eakin – Swift Current

Note: Being good in the face-off circle goes hand-in-hand with being a top defensive player.

Best Skater

1. Cody Eakin – Swift Current
2. Brandon Kozun – Calgary
3. Matt Calvert – Brandon

Note: I thought Scott Glennie or Colby Robak might be the Brandon players to watch in this category but Calvert outpolls them both.

Hardest Shot

1. Michael Stone – Calgary
2. Jyri Niemi – Saskatoon
3. Joel Broda – Calgary

Note: Stone and Niemi reverse spots as compared to last year while Broda is #3 for the second straight year.

Most Accurate Shot

1. Jordan Eberle – Regina
2. Cody Eakin – Swift Current
3. Joel Broda – Calgary

Note: A fourth category win for Eberle and second straight year in this category. But hold on, there’s more to come…


Toughest Player

1. Randy McNaught – Saskatoon
2. Dustin Donaghy – Lethbridge
3. Dylan McIlrath – Moose Jaw

Note: Acquired from Chilliwack early in the season, McNaught has taken on all comers this season including a trio of memorable dustups with Brandon’s Jordan Hale.

Most Irritating Player

1. Curt Gogol – Saskatoon
2. Charles Inglis – Saskatoon
3. Darian Dziurzynski – Saskatoon

Note: Think the Blades are tough to play against?

Opposing Player You Respect the Most

1. Jordan Eberle – Regina
2. Dustin Sylvester – Kootenay
3. Jason Bast – Moose Jaw

Note: The fifth and final category victory on this list for Eberle. Brayden Schenn and Matt Calvert were 4-5 on this list.

Best Referee

1. Andy Thiessen
2. Derek Herman
3. Chris Savage

Note: Best comment: “No Such Thing”

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the overall officiating in the WHL?

Ranking ranged from a low of 3 to a high of 7 and, when all was said and done, the final average score was 5.5. It looks like the WHL has a little work to do, still.


What is the toughest Building to play in on the road?

1. Medicine Hat
2. Brandon
3. Moose Jaw

Note: There were no specifics given so reasons could range from travel required, the crowd, the building or, simply, the quality of the opponent.

Which arena has the best ice?

1. Swift Current
2. Medicine Hat
3. Edmonton

Note: Apparently there’s some work to do at Westman Communications Group Place. Brandon nearly shut out in this category, garnering only a pair of third-place votes.

Eskimos Swing Axe

(Edmonton)  The Edmonton Eskimos announce today that they have released import defensive backs Kelly Malveaux, Lamar Herron and Bradley Robinson, import defensive tackle Jerome Haywood and import offensive lineman Garrick Jones.

EDDIE DAVIS RETIRES A RIDER

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club announced today that defensive back Eddie Davis has announced his retirement from the CFL.

"I want to thank everyone that's ever been involved in my football career but football is over for me," stated Davis. "Having time to think, think, and think some more, I'm happy to say that football needs me more than I need football, but nobody needs me more than my family."

"I want to thank the Province of Saskatchewan, the fans and Rider nation as a whole," he continued. "Thanks to Roy Shivers for giving me the opportunity to play this game I love. Thanks to Wally Buono, Richie Hall and every coach and player I've ever been associated with. You guys made me what I am today."

Clermont Confirms Paycut

Sportsnet's Perry Lefko reports Rider slotback Jason Clermont has agreed to a paycut in order to save the Roughriders some salary cap space.

Clermont commented on the story on Twitter this morning:

"From: @JasonClermont

Thanks a lot Perry Lefko, I hadn't told the wife about the paycut yet!"

Lefko reports Clermont was making $110,000 with the Riders in 2009. Please comment...

Bombers Hire O-Line Coach

WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Football Club is pleased to announce its hired Pat Del Monaco as their offensive line coach today.

Del Monaco joins the Blue and Gold after a successful tenure at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York.  Pat has spent the past six seasons at Rensselaer, joining their staff in 2003 as the club's offensive line coach. In 2005, he became their offensive coordinator as well, a position he held for the next five seasons.

In 2008, he helped guide Rensselaer's offence to lead the Liberty League in scoring (29.8 points per game), passing offence (265.5 yards per game) and second in total offence (372.7). 

Giants 4 Pats 3

REGINA -- The Vancouver Giants showed why they're the top team in the WHL's B.C. Division as they posted a 4-3 comeback victory in Regina Wednesday night and for the Pats, again, they played just well enough to lose.

Regina came out blazing in the contest, jumping out to a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Myles Bell and Jordan Weal. However the resilient Giants battled back to tie it before the period was out on goals by Brendan Gallagher and Brett Lyon. Weal potted his second of the game - and 3oth of the season - just 46 seconds into the second period to give the Pats a 3-2 lead, however Brett Breitkeuz tied it at 3-3 at 11:02 of the second.

The only goal of the third period stood up as the game winner as Gallagher beat Regina goalie Damien Ketlo at 6:47 to give Vancouver their first lead of the night. They never relinquished it.

Game over: Vancouver 4 Pats 3

STATS: Vancouver outshot Regina 47-38 although the Pats outshot them 11-10 in the third ... Weal's two goals moved him into the team's scoring lead, one point ahead of Jordan Eberle with 90 ... Pats were 1/3 on the powerplay and 4/5 killing penalties ... Former Pat Derek Tendler got the start in Vancouver's goal and backtopped them to the win. Pats fall to 26-31-3-4 while the Giants improve to 39-20-2-3 ... The Pats remain seven points out of a playoff spot with eight games remaining ... Attendance was 2900.

MOLSON 3-STARS: 1) Gallagher 2) Weal 3) Toigo. Taylor Toyota Hardest Working Pat: Weal.

UP NEXT: The Pats visit the Swift Current Broncos Friday night at 7:30 on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show at 7:05pm).

THUNDER FOOTBALL SPORTS DINNER

Dear Football Fans,

On behalf of the Regina Thunder Junior Football Club, we are pleased to invite you to the 11th Annual Thunder Sports Dinner. This year's dinner will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Turvey Centre, beginning with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m. Jim Hopson CEO of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, will be the master of ceremonies for a very interesting evening.

Join your fellow community leaders as we recognize five current Canadian Football League and former Regina Thunder players - STU FOORD, CHRIS GETZLAF and DAN CLARK of the Roughriders with PAUL WOLDU and IVAN BROWN of the Montreal Alouettes. These five Regina - born athletes met in the 2009 Grey Cup in Calgary, representing our community and the high calibre of players being generated by Saskatchewan football programs, including the Thunder.

In addition, the Sports Dinner honours contributors to minor football in Saskatchewan and includes the presentation of:

* The Regina Minor Football Unsung Hero Award, recognizing an individual's contributions to minor football in Regina over the past years;
* The Murray Sawa Award, celebrating a lifetime contribution to minor football;
* The Cronin Award, honouring members of the Saskatchewan football community

The evening will also feature a silent auction, with many exciting items for attendees to bid on. If your organization/business is interested in supplying merchandise for the auction , please email Rosanne McCall at shawnmccall@sasktel.net or contact Larry Livingstone at 537-7978 by March 1, 2010 Thank you.

Tickets for the Sports Dinner are $85.00 each or $600.00 for a table of eight. All proceeds from the evening will be used to fund the operations of the Regina Thunder, which provides the opportunity for young men between the ages of 18 and 22 to play a high-calibre of football that prepares players for the highest level of competition including the Canadian Football League. The Sports Dinner is one of two core fundraisers and your participation is key to the success of the club.

This Week In Cougar Athletics

Women’s Basketball (CIS Ranking: No. 4) – The Cougars will host a best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal series this weekend against the Lethbridge Pronghorns. The winner will advance to the Canada West Final Four. Regina and Lethbridge will play the first two games of the series on Thursday and Friday night at the CKHS, with a third game (if necessary) on Saturday night. Tip-off will go at 7 p.m. on all three
nights.

Women’s Volleyball (CIS Ranking: No. 5) – The Cougars completed a series sweep of Brandon over the weekend, defeating the Bobcats 3-1 on Friday and in straight sets on Saturday. Regina now advances to the Canada West Final Four, which will be hosted by the University of Manitoba this weekend. The Cougars will face No. 1-ranked and unbeaten UBC in the semifinals on Friday, then either Manitoba or Trinity Western
on Saturday. Regina needs a win on either Friday or Saturday to advance to the national tournament for the first time since 2000.

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field (Men’s CIS Ranking: No. 7 / Women’s CIS Ranking: No. 9) – The Cougars are expected to challenge for top-two finishes on the men’s and women’s sides at the Canada West Championships this weekend in Edmonton. Jeremy Eckert (long jump), Connor MacDonald (high jump), and the 4x200-metre and 4x400-metre relay teams all enter the meet ranked No. 1 in the conference for the men’s
team, while the women’s team will look to Nicole Breker – the top-ranked athlete in the long jump and No. 2 in the triple – to score big points at the meet.

Men’s Basketball – Regina will travel to the West Coast to square off with Simon Fraser in the first round of the postseason. The Cougars and the Clan will meet in a best-of-three conference quarterfinal series which will begin on Thursday. Simon Fraser will provide live video and statistics for the entire series, with links available at reginacougars.com. The winner of the series will move on to the Canada
West Final Four.

Women’s Hockey – The Cougars (7-11-6) were swept by the Saskatchewan Huskies in a home-and-home over the weekend, losing by scores of 5-3 and 7-4 to finish off the Canada West regular season. Regina finishes in fourth place in the conference with 20 points and will meet No. 3-ranked Alberta in the first round of the playoffs this
weekend. The Cougars and the Pandas will face off in a best-of-three conference semifinal series in Edmonton starting on Friday night.

Men’s Hockey – The Cougars (9-15-2) took on No. 2 Alberta last weekend at home, losing 5-4 in regulation on Friday and 5-4 in overtime on Saturday. Regina will close off its 2009-10 season this weekend with a pair of road games against Manitoba. The Cougars will be attempting to play the role of spoilers this weekend, as the Bisons could finish anywhere from second to fifth in the Canada West standings.

Men’s Wrestling (CIS Ranking: No. 5) – The Cougars finished in second place at the Canada West meet in Calgary on Saturday. Steven Schneider (54 kg) and Gilbert Musonza (57 kg) both won conference gold medals for the Cougars, while Kirk Ackerman, Jarret Coels, Connor Malloy, and Gaelan Malloy all won silver. Brian Lunde became the seventh U of R grappler to earn a berth at the CIS Championships after winning a Canada West bronze. The national meet will be held on March 5 and 6 in
Calgary.

Women’s Wrestling (CIS Ranking: No. 4) – Led by four silver medalists, the Cougars placed third on Friday at the Canada West meet in Calgary. Hajar Ashtiani, Meghan King, Lisa McKibben, and Jasmine Slinn all finished in second in their weight classes, while Jillian Durant placed third at 63 kilograms to push the number of U of R qualifiers for the national meet to five. The CIS Championships will be hosted by the University of Calgary on March 5 and 6.

Swimming – Linda Duarte was the U of R’s lone representative at the national championships over the weekend. Competing in her final event as a Cougar, the fifth-year swimmer finished first in the 200-metre butterfly ‘B’ final (2:18.29) and placed 13th overall in the 100-metre butterfly (1:02.72).

Canada 7 Russia 3

VANCOUVER - Eliminated by Russia four years ago at the Olympics, Team Canada has returned the favour.

The Canadian men's hockey team thumped Russia 7-3 in the quarter-finals of the Vancouver Games Wednesday night.

Canada will play the winner of Sweden-Slovakia in Friday's semifinal to see who moves into Sunday's final.

Corey Perry scored twice for Canada. Ryan Getzlaf, Dan Boyle, Rick Nash, Brenden Morrow and Shea Weber added singles.

Dmitri Kalinin, Maxim Afinogenov and Sergei Gonchar replied for the Russians, who were soundly outplayed.

Russia eliminated Canada 2-0 in the quarter-finals four years ago in Turin.

(The Canadian Press)

RIDERS AND TI-CATS TRADE RECEIVERS

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club announced they have acquired import wide receiver Prechae Rodriguez (pictured) from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

In exchange the Ti-Cats will receive non-import receiver Adam Nicolson and a third round pick in the 2011 CFL Canadian Draft.

Rodriguez (6'5 – 208 lbs) spent the last two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after originally signing with the team as a free agent in May, 2008. In 26 games, the Auburn product had 115 receptions for 1,594 yards and ten touchdowns.

The 25-year old had a stand out season in his rookie year in 2008 when he had 70 receptions for 1,099 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games which earned him the acknowledgement as the East Division's Most Outstanding Rookie.

RIDERS RE-SIGN MARCUS ADAMS

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club announced they have signed import defensive lineman Marcus Adams to a contract. Financial details of the signing were not released.

Adams is heading into his eighth season in Saskatchewan after signing with the Green and White as a free agent in March of 2003.

The Eastern Kentucky product has played a total of 68 regular season CFL games and tallied 103 defensive tackles, ten quarterback sacks, five tackles for a loss, and two fumble recoveries.

In 2009, the 30-year old started at defensive tackle in all 18 regular season games and finished with 33 defensive tackles, one quarterback sack, one pass knockdown and one tackle for a loss.

Watch Canada and Russia While the Pats Fight for a Playoff Spot

Vancouver (38-20-2-3) @ Regina (26-30-3-4)
Tonight 7:00pm Brandt Centre
6:35 Pre-Game Show 620 CKRM
No Television Broadcast

Watch the Canada Game:
The Regina Pats Hockey Club wants to welcome everyone to the Brandt Centre for a thrilling night of hockey. Fans can watch the Pats take on one of the top teams in the WHL in the Vancouver Giants, and fight for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. All the while, during the pre-game and intermissions, fans will be treated to the Canada/Russia quarterfinal game on the big screen.

The Lowdown:
This is the one, and only time that the Pats and Giants will face each other, and the first time at the Brandt Centre since the 2007-08 season.  

On that game on January 11th, 2008, the Pats got a goal and 2 assists from Tim Kraus for the 5-2 win the only one in 6 games over the history of these two clubs.

This will also feature a battle between the top 3 scorers in the WHL. The Giants Craig Cunningham is the league leader with 90 points, while Jordan Eberle and Jordan Weal are just 2 points behind for second with 88 points.

Giant Steps:
The Vancouver Giants have all but wrapped up the number one spot in the B.C. Division. The currently lead the second place Kelowna Rockets by 18 points, but trail the Tri-City Americans by 4 points for the top seed in the Western Conference.

On the ice tonight:
There are 7 other games on tap tonight in the WHL with the Pats keeping an eye on Saskatoon in Moose Jaw and Chilliwack taking on Prince Albert

Race for the Goal Title:
Jordan Eberle is currently 2nd in the WHL goal scoring with 42. Spokane Chief forward, Kyle Beach is tops in the league with 46 while the Broncos Cody Eakin is 3rd with 41.

Warriors 4 Pats 3

MOOSE JAW -- One single bad break in the third period Tuesday night could well sum up the way this 2009-2010 season has gone for the Regina Pats. With the game tied 2-2 just 4:39 into the third, the Pats had six skaters on the ice due to a delayed penalty to the Warriors. In the Moose Jaw zone, a pass to the point went over Colten Teubert's stick and slithered all the way down into Regina's empty net. Dylan McIlrath of the Warriors got credit for the goal and although it wasn't the game winner, it was symbolic.

In what was likely a must-win game for the Pats, the teams were tied 1-1 after the opening 20 minutes on goals by Moose Jaw's Dylan Hood and Regina's Brett Leffler. It was 2-2 after two on goals by Hood and Regina's Myles Bell. The McIlrath goal gave the Warriors a 3-2 third period lead although less than a minute later, Pats captain Colten Teubert tied the game 3-3 with a powerplay goal at 5:12 of the third period. But the Warriors' Quinton Howden got the eventual game-winner on a goal mouth scramble, beating Regina's Damien Ketlo at 12:51 to give the Warriors the one goal lead. They never gave it up.

Game over: Moose Jaw 4 Pats 3.

Pats assistant coach Shaun Sutter called the McIlrath goal "a horrible break" on the postgame show and commented "in the end, that goal was the difference". The Pats now are seven points back of the Warriors for the final playoff spot with nine games left.

STATS: Regina outshot the Warriors 33-32 including 18-6 in the third period ... Regina was 1/4 on the powerplay and 2/4 killing penalties ... Pats fall to 26-30-3-4 and the Warriors improve to 29-24-4-4 ... Moose Jaw wins the Mayor's Cup season series 7-1 and Warriors' goalie Jeff Bosch was in net for all the wins including Tuesday night. Pats coach Curtis Hunt reportedly told reporters after the game that trading Bosch to Moose Jaw was "a mistake".

MOLSON 3-STARS: 1) Bosch 2) Hood 3) Weal. Taylor Toyota Hardest Working Pat: Jordan Eberle.

UP NEXT: The Pats host the Vancouver Giants Wednesday night at 7:00 on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show at 6:35pm).

Canada 8 Germany 2

VANCOUVER - Team Canada is back on track at the Olympics after thumping Germany 8-2 in a playoff to see who advances to the quarter-finals.

Next up for Canada is the Russians.

Jarome Iginla scored twice for Canada. Joe Thornton, Sidney Crosby, Mike Richards, Scott Niedermayer, Rick Nash and Shea Weber added singles.

Weber's goal needed to be confirmed by video review in the second period after the puck went directly through the mesh at the back of the net.

Eric Staal, playing on the top line with Crosby and Iginla, had three assists.

Marcel Goc and Manuel Klinge replied for Germany.

(The Canadian Press)

I Love It

Riders At Today's Luncheon

From left: Abou-Mechrek, Cates, Dressler, Parenteau.

For details on the event, see the posts below!

JAMES PATRICK BACK WITH RIDERS

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club announced they have signed import defensive back James Patrick to a contract. Financial details of the signing were not released. 

Patrick is heading into his third year with the Green and White. The Stillman product started all 18 regular season games, the West Final and the Grey Cup game at safety in 2009.

He finished the season with 59 defensive tackles, 17 special teams tackles, six pass knockdowns, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Bombers Sign Jyles, Gas Bishop

WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announce today they have agreed to terms with free agent quarterback Steven Jyles. As per team policy, details of the agreement are not disclosed. 

Jyles (6-0, 195, Louisiana at Monroe '05, DOB: Sept. 25, 1982 in Independence, LA) is entering his fifth season in the CFL and has spent the past two years in Saskatchewan with the Roughriders.

Jyles dressed in all 18 regular season games last season, completing 25 of 40 passes 290 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 24 times for 102 yards and four touchdowns. 

"We're very pleased to add depth to the quarterback position," said head coach Paul LaPolice.

The Blue Bombers have also released quarterback Michael Bishop.

Ticats Sign Jimenez

Hamilton, Ontario- The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced today that the team has signed import offensive lineman Jason Jimenez.  

"Jason is a veteran player who brings size, toughness and experience to our offensive line," said General Manager Bob O'Billovich. 

Jimenez, a 6-7, 320-pound native of Queens, New York spent the last four seasons with the B.C. Lions, earning a nod as the Lions Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman as well as West Division and CFL All-Star honours in 2008. 

The Southern Mississippi product played in 71 regular season games and seven playoff games with the Lions before being released on January 29, 2010.  Jimenez earned a Grey Cup ring with the Lions in 2006.

The G-Unit On Stage

George Reed in a Q & A with Shellie Pociuk of Family Service Regina today at a noon luncheon at Casino Regina.

All funds raised went to FSR's "When Love Hurts" program for girls aged 13-22 who've been in abusive dating relationships.

George and I were honoured to be asked to speak! George's autographed jersey went for $750.

Reed & Me

Parker Defends Decision

Regina Pats GM Brent Parker was on 620 CKRM's Sportsline last night and in an interview with Chad "Hedgehog" Jeremy, Parker defended his decision not to trade stars Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert at the WHL trade deadline. Hindsight is 20/20, but with Parker's Pats languishing six points out of a playoff spot with 10 games to go, WHL observers feel the Pats would have been better served to unload their top stars and stock up for the future. However Parker says he has had no second thoughts about keeping the pair:

"None whatsoever," Parker maintained. "We made a decision at the time as an organization and as a staff and we took everything into account at that time. That includes two real quality young mens' desires to stay here.

"I've never quite understood the negativity towards it. I guess people have a problem with two people who wanted to be loyal to an organization and wanted to stay here. That's instead of embracing the fact of them wanting to stay in our city, our organization, and wanting to help us get into the playoffs. But most people have chosen to be negative towards that and that's their prerogative.

"I don't think it woulda mattered what we'd done. If we'd traded them, people would've complained about that. The fact is we kept them, and people want to complain about that. They're the same people that complain that the music at the games is too loud or it's too low. I guess that's how they get their kicks.

"We've got a real good group of hardcore fans who've been supportive and we appreciate that. We're trying to repay them by playing hard and getting ourselves in. I continue to be positive and believe in these kids. Hopefully we'll have a real good run these last ten games, get into the playoffs, and then who knows?"

The Pats visit the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight in a massive East Conference showdown at 7:00 in the Crushed Can. The Warriors stand a point out of the playoff picture with 12 games left.

"If the fans can't get up for this one they never will," Warriors coach Dave Hunchak said on CKRM's Sportsline last night. "I have no problem in saying this place will be electric. It'll be sold out once again. It's a great place to play when things are on the line like they are and with the added pressure on both teams, it'll be crazy in here."

Dan Plaster and I will have the broadcast from Moose Jaw tonight on 620 CKRM. The Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show is on the air at 6:35pm.

(Parker photo courtesy Regina Leader Post)

Riders Lukewarm On Joseph

Here's an email reply I received Monday from Rider coach Ken Miller regarding the team's interest in signing free agent quarterback Kerry Joseph as a back-up:

"We always have interest in good players. Kerry called me this morning and we had a good friendly talk, but we made no plans for future talks. When discussing the possibility of getting veteran players (Kerry and Zeke) we have to evaluate contract costs and how they impact salary cap management. Brendan and I have ongoing discussions regarding the costs and benefits of signing veteran free agents, whomever they may be."

Excellent Rider Pride Shots

Blog mailbag:

Hi Rod

Here's our Rider Pride pics from our vacation Mayan Riviera - Grand Bahai Principe Resort.

- our view from the beach at Tuluum resort
- Flying the Rider Pride flag from the Castle at Xcaret
- Me kicking back with a great read

thanks for the excellent blog buddy!

Ted

Sask Female Midget AAA Playoffs

The Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats and Regina Rebels begin their SFMAAAHL quarter-final series Tueday night at 7:45pm in Swift Current at the Fairview West Arena.

The third place Swift Current Wildcats and the sixth place Rebels have had a tight season series with the Wildcats holding a slight edge with a record of 2 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties against the Rebels this season.

The second game of the series goes on Thursday, February 25th in Regina at 7:45pm at the Al Ritchie Arena. The teams will play game three in Swift Current on Saturday, February 27 with an aftrernoon tilt (3:15pm) at the Fairview West Arena.

If necessary game four will be in Regina on Monday, March 1st at 7:30pm at the Al Ritchie Arena. The fifth and deciding game is scheduled for Swift Current on Wednesday, March 3rd at 8:00pm at the Fairview West Arena.

This series is expected to be a hard-fought, entertaining series between two excellent hockey teams. Hockey fans in both communities are encouraged to come out and watch these talented female hockey players begin their quest for a provincial championship.

Busy Sportsline Tonight

We've got plenty to discuss on Sportsline tonight at 6:05pm CT on 620 CKRM. We'll open it up with hockey talk and we'll visit with Warriors coach Dave Hunchak and hopefully Pats GM Brent Parker. The Hedgehog's been trying to get ahold of him this afternoon.

Then we'll hear from Kerry Joseph and open the phones to see if the Rider Nation feels Saskatchewan should sign the 37-year old quarterback. I've spoken with the Riders about Joseph this afternoon and I'll reveal that info tonight as well.

The numbers to call: 936-6262 and 1-866-767-0620.

Pats Weekly

Week in Review

Friday, February 19th Brandon Wheat Kings 10 Regina Pats 2

It was a long Friday night in Brandon, and the Wheat Kings rolled to a 10-2 route of the Regina Pats. Toni Rajala had a hat trick and 2 assists for a 5 point night in the win. Jordan Eberle and Jordan Weal were the lone Pat bright spots with a goal and an assist. This was the first time the Pats gave up 10 goals in a game since a 10-0 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on October 26th, 2002.

Saturday, February 20th Regina Pats 5 Chilliwack Bruins 3

The Pats bounced back 24 hours later in a 5-3 win over the Chilliwack Bruins. Jordan Weal lead the way with 2 goals and 2 assists, while Jordan Eberle picked up a goal and two helpers. Damien Ketlo stopped 22 shots for his 18th win of the season. The Pats have won all four of their games against the Chilliwack Bruins since they entered the league four seasons ago.

Injury Report:
Garrett Mitchell (Broken Nose) – Day to Day
Games lost due to injury – 76

Just the Facts:

Kets great at home:
Pats goaltender, Damien Ketlo has had his ups and downs this season, battling back from both a sprained hip flexor and a partially separated shoulder. The one thing the Pats can count on is how good he has been at home. After Saturday’s win, Ketlo is 13-3-0-4 at the Brandt Centre

Defensive Scoring:
The Pats have three defencemen in the team’s top ten scorers. Colten Teubert leads with 35 points; Brandon Davidson has 31 and Cody Carlson has 30.

Top Scorers in Canada:
Jordan Eberle is tied for third in the WHL with 87 points, 2 points back of Craig Cunningham for the league lead.

Race for the Goal Title:
Jordan Eberle is currently 2nd in the WHL goal scoring with 42. Spokane Chief forward, Kyle Beach is tops in the league with 46 while the Broncos Cody Eakin is 3rd with 41.

Race for the Assist Title:
17 year old forward, Jordan Weal is currently the WHL’s assist leader with 58, he leads Calgary’s Brandon Kozun by one and Spokane’s Mitch Wahl by 2 assists.

What's Left?
It’s getting down to the wire in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pats are six points out of the final spot and are battling Moose Jaw, Prince Albert and Swift Current for the last two spots. Here’s what the four teams have remaining.

Rookie Scoring Race:
18 year old rookie defenceman, Brandon Davidson is the team leader in rookie points with 31. Hampus Gustafsson is right behind him right now with 25, and is the top rookie goal getter with 11.

Streaking:
*Jordan Weal is on a 7 game point streak (5g, 9a) and has set career highs in goals (29), assists (57) and points (86)
*Jordan Eberle is on a 3 game point and 3 game goal streak (3g 5a)

Milestones
*Matt Strueby is 4 games away from 200 in his WHL career
*Jordan Eberle is 6 games away from 250 and 9 points from 300 in his WHL career
*Brett Leffler is 3 points away from 150 and with 14 PIM Friday night; Leffler now has 503 penalty minutes in his WHL career.

Around the office:

Sportsman’s Dinner is set for March:
The annual Regina Pats Sportsman’s Dinner is set for March 8th at the Delta Inn. The doors open at 6pm with cocktails, the dinner and ceremonies begin at 7pm. Kevin Lowe will be the guest speaker. Get your tickets by dropping by the Regina Pats office, or call 522-PATS for more information.

Goals for Kids:
With the Pats scoring 7 times this week gives them a season total of 214; the Prairie Mobile Communications “goals for kids” fund is now up to $3210. $15 from every goal scored will be donated to the Ranch Ehrlo Outdoor Hockey League, courtesy of Prairie Mobile Communications.

Schedule:
Monday: Practice 2:30 Brandt Centre
Tuesday: Pats @ Moose Jaw 7pm Moose Jaw Civic Centre
Wednesday: Giants @ Pats 7pm Brandt Centre
Thursday: Practice 2-4 Brandt Centre
Friday: Pats @ Broncos 7:30 Credit Union I-Plex
Saturday: Pats @ Blades 7:05 Credit Union Centre
Sunday: Day off

Ticats Sign Deangelis

Hamilton, Ontario- The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced today that the team has signed the most accurate kicker in Canadian Football League history, Sandro DeAngelis. 

"We are pleased to improve our kicking game with the addition of the most accurate kicker in the history of this league," said General Manager Bob O'Billovich.  "Throughout his career, Sandro has proven to be very consistent and has shown the ability to handle pressure.  We're looking forward to seeing him perform at a high level in Hamilton." 

DeAngelis, a 5-8, 195-pound native of Niagara Falls, Ontario connected on 83.8% of his field goal attempts and averaged 59.4 yards per kickoff over the past five years with the Calgary Stampeders.  DeAngelis has been named a CFL All-Star three times, a West Division All-Star five times and a CFLPA All-Star twice. 

He was Calgary's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in each of his five seasons and was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2006.

Kerry Joseph Interview

In the interview Kerry "thanks" Bart Andrus for not playing him and says he'd be open to a return to Saskatchewan. Give it a listen!!

The Monday Morning Goalie

What a fantastic weekend that was! It was truly, genuinely, fabulous. Except of course, for last night's DEVASTATING 5-3 U.S.A. win over Canada in mens hockey at the Olympics. That's a loss Canada quite likely won't bounce back from. But when you get a chance to travel back in time like we did Friday night - if your past was good - it's a moment you should stop and relish.

And Friday night's Pats-Wheat Kings game in Brandon was exactly that, circa 1995, or even 2000. It won't soon be forgotten.

There were players thrown out, drunk fans climbing the glass at the Pats bench, scratched Brandon players threatening ours outside the dressing room and Brandon fans losing their marbles on me after the game.

It was just ... plain ... priceless. :)

For a full recap, go back a few posts and read the 100+ comment story because if you didn't, you're getting into this a little late.

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For a grasp of how great it was, consider this; Saturday morning I bumped into former Pats animal David Kaczowka in Starbucks. His eyes twinkled and he grinned as I told him what occurred the night before the building I'll always call The Keystone Centre.

"Their guy jumped Mitchell and broke his nose...." I gushed.

"And?....." Dave said.

"Then Eberle tried to fight their Euro and our 20 year-old beat that guy up....."

"And?....." he said.

"Teubert mopped the floor with one of their guys, then Schenn came after him and their players were waiting for Teubert outside our room...."

"And?...." he continued.

"And what?" I said.

"Line brawls? Benches cleared? What happened next?" he questioned.

"That's all, but it was still pretty good," I said.

Kazz is right. 10 years ago that game was another day at the office. Hmmmm, funny how attendance was WAYYYY up back then.

But Friday night got the blood pumpin', the heart racing and the adrenaline flowing just like the old days. No wonder the old WHL was so addicting! Too bad it couldn't be that way all the time.

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We're going to spend very little time on this next thought because long-time blog readers know the score.

Wheat Kings fans railed on me long and hard over the weekend here and on the white board about my defending of the Pats and my lack of journalistic integrity.

Well, where have you been the past 17 years? Any journalistic integrity was whipped and beaten out of me by a collection of WHL and CFL coaches and GMs hundreds of thousands of bus miles ago.

You want news? Go to CNN. You want entertainment? Come here or listen to a Pats or Riders broadcast on CKRM.

And listen very closely you people of Brandon: I never argued the 10 powerplays given the Wheat Kings nor did I condone the actions of Colten Teubert.

I wrote the Pats' frustration boiled over after not getting a powerplay for over 122 minutes in that building. I never said the refs cost the Pats the game but I DID say they were responsible for what went on late in the game (the goonery).

If 85% of hockey penalties are discretionary calls then it's unthinkable that one team could go the span of two full games without a powerplay against the same opponent.

I realize Friday night's game in Brandon was #1 versus #10, but it wasn't exactly Canada versus Latvia either.

You will not convince me otherwise.

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Aside from that, it was a thrill to rile up Wheat Kings fans. Truthfully they are the IDEAL people to feud with because I feel a pang of guilt when we get it going with Swift Current, Moose Jaw or Saskatoon fans.

Why? Because those fine people are all great Saskatchewanians and likely Rider fans too. It's not a great idea for me to tick them off, but you've got to get SOMETHING going with with your rivals!!

But Brandon? Ha ha! They're from Manitoba, likely Bomber fans and really, who cares what they think? I sure don't.

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A guy wrote in the other night and ordered me to clean up the profanity that the commenters were allowed to get away with Friday. He says his 12-year old son is a regular reader.

The man is 100% correct. Although my studies show that 1% of readers are under-18, that doesn't mean kids that DO read should be subjected to that stuff.

Emotions were high Friday and my judgment wasn't perhaps the best. Again the man is right; the profanity undermines this blog's integrity.

So if you want your comments posted, don't swear.

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Here's what I love; two WHL broadcasters have come to me the past couple weeks wanting instructions on how to start a blog. They say their teams want them to start blogs like this one to drum up excitement.

One of them asked when he could expect to start making money from his blog. Unfortunately that's the wrong focus. I started this blog on March 19, 2006 to establish an avenue to get things off my chest that I didn't have the opportunity to do on the radio. Making money wasn't even a consideration. However before too long, the advertisers came.
That was just a lucky bonus.

And on a side note, anyone who's interested in the world of blogging should read the splendid article entitled "NEWSPAPERS ADAPTING TO A NEW MEDIA WORLD" on page G3 of Saturday's Leader Post.

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More Pats notes:

- An NHL scout said on the weekend that Jordan Weal will be a "high pick".

- Eberle was +2 in Friday's 10-2 loss at Brandon. You'd think that would be darn near impossible.

- We're as proud to have Colten Teubert on this team as Jordan Eberle.

- Some crazy things are happening in the WHL playoff race down the homestretch. P.A. beat Swift Current 3-2 last night so now the Broncos AND the Raiders are into the playoff picture while the Warriors and Pats sit 9th and 10th. Regina is six points back of P.A. with 10 games left.

The Pats visit the Warriors tomorrow in what looked like a monumental struggle for the last playoff spot but now both teams are on the outside looking in. Crazy! And there's nothing saying the Pats can't get in.

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Pretty much everyone has written off the Pats' playoff hopes. Except, that is, for Curtis Hunt.

"As long as we have a chance, we have a chance," Hunt told CKRM this weekend. "There's
two new millionaires in Saskatchewan over the past month in the lottery and what are the odds? One in a trillion? You have a chance. If there's no chance, why do people buy lottery tickets? We come here and compete every night. The players have to play.

"The easiest thing to do Roddy is to beat it down. I can come back and beat the kids but that accomplishes absolutely nothing. It's not good for the cause. We need to keep in mind 1 - they're kids and 2- they're learning. They're kids, we need to show them their errors then let them go back out and execute."

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The 2010 Brandon Wheat Kings display none of the fragility of the 2001 Memorial Cup host Regina Pats who lost a six game first round series to Shaun Sutter's Calgary Hitmen. The Pats' assistant coach reflected on that season on CKRM this weekend.

"Both teams were making serious runs at the end of the regular season," Sutter recalled. "The Pats made a second-half run after re-making half their team through a series of trades which made them better. They went on a real run. We were a different type of team who had a real good three-quarters of the season.

"But the last quarter of the season, I'll never forget our GM (Kelly Kisio) brought five or six of our guys players into his office and gave us heck because he thought we were resting on our laurels. We hadn't lost in eight or nine games at that point, but we kind of went
in the tube for the rest of the season.

"But we got our act together in that first series against Regina. It's funny you ask that Roddy because I was looking at the stats of old today and those were two teams that had the exact same amount of losses and identical goals for and against with a lot of skill on both sides.

"In the end, our best player was better than theirs in the most crucial time. Pavel Brendl scored two goals in Game 6 in the Saddledome on the exact same type of play to win the game in overtime for us, and the series. I won't name the Pats defenceman who gave up the puck to Brendl both times, but he went on be an NHL defenceman.

"Once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen. I firmly believe we're a team that will be a better playoff team than a regular season team but we can't get ahead of ourselves. We're in a place that we're fighting tooth and nail to get in.

"We feel we just need to get in. Brandon is different than the Pats in 2001 because in the second half of the season, they've had no clinks in the armour and have beaten anyone and everyone at will. If someone were to beat Brandon in the playoffs, it would be an upset. But I feel the 2010 Regina Pats would be the team to do that."

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Congratulations Vancouver and Canada on a splendid 2010 Olympic Winter Games. It's looks on TV like you folks are having a ton of fun! It would be great to be there.

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Glad to see CTV agrees with me that Nick Kypreos is the best analyst Sportsnet has to offer and that's why they've put him with the big boys in Duthie, Pang and McKenzie on the Olympics panel. Kypper is solid on there.

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A cheap shot from media blogger William Houston at CTV for their coverage of John Montgomery's triumphant gold medal walk to the CTV set in Whistler Friday night:

"At the CTV outdoor set, Jennifer Hedger interviewed Montgomery and his parents. (Montgomery's attractive
girlfriend was also there, but Hedger ignored her.)"

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I've heard from multiple sources that the Riders' next offensive line coach will be Larry Zeirlein. This is a snippet of an email I received about him:

"He has been with Pittsburgh the last three years but was let go after the 2009 season because Mike Tomlin (Steeler Head Coach) thought Ben Rothlesberger was sacked too many times. Zeirlein is 64."

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The word in the CFL is that Rider GM Brendan Taman's first priority was to re-sign his Canadian free agents but is playing hardball with the Americans.

With all the free agent and coaching news, WR Gerran Walker hasn't been talked about much. From what I'm told, the Riders called Walker's agent again Friday. The receiver has offers from the Riders, Bombers, Argos and Lions.

Walker came to the Riders in mid season 2008 after being cut by Pittsburgh. He had also gone to training camp with the Colts and the Chargers.

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Rider fans in Calgary, we need your help! Access Communications has offered our TV program In The Huddle to Shaw Calgary free of charge!
If you're interested in having them pick up the show, flood the Shaw Calgary office with requests!

First though, we need to get onto the Shaw network in Saskatoon, P.A., Swift Current and Moose Jaw but I'm confident that will happen.

In 2010, In The Huddle's going to be bigger and better than ever!

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Kerry Joseph was cut by the Toronto Argonauts on Sunday and is looking for work. I heard through K-J's friends on Sunday that Kerry will play for less than his scheduled $350,000 in 2010 if need be.

I also heard he's not interested in going to Winnipeg if Michael Bishop is there (and becoming embroiled in another QB controversy) but Bomber voice Bob Irving is reporting Bishop will be cut this week.

Meanwhile Bomber coach Paul LaPolice told the Winnipeg Sun on Sunday that they have no interest in signing Kerry.

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The Calgary Sun's Ian Busby says kicker Sandro Deangelis will sign with the Hamilton Tigercats as early as today...

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Okay that's enough for today. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
RP

Argos Swing Axe

Mississauga - The Toronto Argonauts Football Club announced today that it has released two quarterbacks that were under contract to the team. Kerry Joseph and Cody Pickett were informed by the club that they are free agents and can pursue a position elsewhere.

Commented Argos Head Coach Jim Barker, "After assessing what we required to run our offence in 2010, we felt we needed to go in a different direction at the quarterback position. Kerry and Cody have contributed a lot to this team and we thank them for their past efforts. We understand that it seems bold to release these quarterbacks before announcing the additions of new quarterbacks to the roster but we wanted to make this move immediately so these players could try to catch on with other teams. We have a plan in place and will be making those announcements over the course of the next month."

The club also announced that it has released LB Zeke Moreno.

Sunday Sports

There's no Sunday Sports today as the wire service is down. Enjoy your day of rest, and the Canada-USA hockey game tonight!

Pats 5 Bruins 3

REGINA -- 24 hours after absorbing their worst loss in eight years the Regina Pats responded with a critical 5-3 home victory Saturday night over the Chilliwack Bruins to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Pats arrived home from Friday's 10-2 loss in Brandon at 3:00am Saturday and found themselves back on the ice Saturday night against Matt Delahey's Chilliwack Bruins. The Pats were flying from the get-go as Jordan Weal and Brett Leffler scored a pair of goals 23 seconds apart early in the game to give the Pats a 2-0 lead and that advantage stood up into the second.

Jordan Eberle potted his 42nd goal of the season at 5:09 of the second period to give Regina 3-0 lead but the Bruins' Jamie Crooks got Chilliwack into the game with a powerplay goal at 16:12 to make it 3-1 and the Pats carried the lead into the third frame.

Hard-nosed Chilliwack forward Shane Neigum made things interesting in the final period, beating Regina goalie Damien Ketlo to make it 3-2. The Pats were a bad bounce away from a tie game and a potential devastating loss however they sucked it up and Hampus Gustafsson and Jordan Weal potted back-to-back even strength goals to make it 5-2. The Bruins' Ryan Howse beat Ketlo for his 39th of the year with just 2:46 remaining but it was too little too late.

Game over: Regina 5 Chilliwack 3.

It was a key victory for the Pats and then they had to sit back and scoreboard-watch to see how Moose Jaw made out in Medicine Hat. With the win the Pats are temporarily five points back of the Warriors for the final playoff spot. Texts from Pats fans into the broadcast booth pointed out that if the Pats had this effort each and every game all year, they wouldn't be battling to keep their head above water. True, but we might as well look ahead rather than behind.

STATS: Regina outshot Chilliwack 28-25 while going 0/2 on the powerplay and 3/4 killing penalties ... The Pats win the one-game season series against the Bruins ... Regina improved to 26-29-3-4 while Chilliwack fell to 27-29-1-5 ... The Pats were without 18-year old forward Garrett Mitchell who was injured Friday night in Brandon. Assistant coach Shaun Sutter said on the postgame show Mitchell is questionable for this week's upcoming games. I've got reports ranging from a broken nose to a fractured orbital bone. He'll see a specialist on Monday.

MOLSON 3-STARS: 1) Weal 2) Eberle 3) Horak. Taylor Toyota Hardest Working Pat: Myles Bell.

UP NEXT: The Pats visit the Moose Jaw Warriors Tuesday night at 7:00 on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pats Pregame Show at 6:35pm).