CANADA 3 USA 2

EDMONTON -- Canada finished the 2012 WJHC round robin a perfect 4-0 after a 3-2 victory over the USA on New Year's Eve in Rexall Place.

Early on it looked like it was going to be another rout as Canada had a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by Mark Stone, Jaden Schwartz and Brett Connolly. There was no scoring in the second period but the USA poured it on in the third outshooting Canada 12-7. They spoiled the Scott Wedgewood shutout bid with a pair of goals from Charlie Coyle and Jason Zucker to make it a one goal game.

USA coach Dean Blais pulled goalie Jack Campbell with 2:00 left but they couldn't get the equalizer.

MAKE the final 3-2 Canada.

Canada outshot the USA 35-32 while going 1/3 on the powerplay and 5/5 killing penalties. Here are some notes from Don Hay's postgame news conference:

- It was a real competitive game. We wanted a good start with the crowd behind us and we did that. It would have been nice to score to make it 4-0 but we couldn't make it happen. It was a fun game to play in.

- USA coach Dean Blais said his team wasn't as mentally prepared as they should have been for the tournament but they were for this game. They ran into two hot goalies against Finland and Czech Republic.

- Adversity isn't a bad thing Hay said. It's the first time Canada faced adversity in the tournament and they handled it well.

- Hay said he's trying to keep the media guessing with his goalies. Both Visentin and Wedgewood deserve to start the next game. They'll announce the starter on Tuesday.

- Jaden Schwartz was excellent and scored a big goal. In big games you want your captain to step up and he did that.

* They now wait to see who their opponent is in a Tuesday semifinal in Calgary. America will miss the medal round as they conclude a very disappointing tournament. I'll have some thoughts on them in the Monday Morning Goalie.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
RP

BLAZERS-RAIDERS TRADE

The Kamloops Blazers announced Saturday morning that they have acquired 20-year old RW Brandon Herrod from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for 17-year-old C Logan McVeigh and the Blazers' 2nd round draft pick in the 2012 Bantam Draft. 
 
"We are elated to add Brandon to our lineup.  He is an experienced leader – serving as captain of the Raiders - and was voted as their playoff MVP last season.  He is a proven scorer in our league and is known as a solid, character player.  He will be a welcome addition to our team, and with a career spanning 314 games in the WHL to date we expect to benefit greatly from his experience," said Blazers General Manager Craig Bonner.
 
Herrod, who hails from Meadow Lake, SK, has compiled 18 goals and 18 assists in 40 games so far this season.  During his WHL career, he has tallied 106 goals and 135 assists for a total of 241 points.  The Blazers expect to have Herrod in their lineup as they host the Prince George Cougars at Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops on New Years Day.
 
Bonner continued, "in order to acquire a valuable player we had to give up one in Logan, and the Blazers wish him every success with his career in the future."

PATS 4 BRONCOS 1

EDMONTON -- Dyson Stevenson's two third period goals were added insurance as the Regina Pats topped Swift Current 4-1 Friday in the Brandt Centre.

The Pats led 1-0 after the first period and 2-0 after two. The goals came from Jordan Weal and Jack Rodewald. Stevenson put the game away in the third.  Swift Current outshot the Pats 32-31 while going 1/1 on the powerplay.   Regina was 1/3 with the man advantage.  Matt Hewitt got the win in the Regina goal making 31 saves.   The attendance was 4051.

Regina hosts Edmonton Sunday at 2:00 Sask time on 620 CKRM.

WORLD JUNIOR OBSERVATIONS

EDMONTON -- I'm a little late with the usual Friday observations column but truthfully, I didn't have much to say.  However now that things have shaken down, here are some thoughts from the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships:

* Team USA's 5-2 loss to the Czech Republic Friday afternoon at Rexall Place was not only surprising, but downright disappointing.  The Americans have virtually been eliminated from the tournament with the loss and it's rendered the New Year's Eve clash between USA and Canada meaningless.  Canada has already clinched first-place in their pool and a bye into a Tuesday semifinal in Calgary.

* How did the USA win gold in Saskatoon with Jack Campbell between the pipes?

* The antics of Czech goalie Petr Mrazek Friday afternoon were amusing.  A fist-pumped lustily after another penalty shot stop and then after their fourth goal, he body-slammed the glass and skated way out of the crease to dive on a pile of players.   Later, he dove into their own bench.

* I wanted the USA to win Friday for two reasons: 1) to create over-the-top drama going into the contest and 2) to give Canada a push.  At 3-0, virtually everything has gone Canada's way and a little adversity would be nice ahead of the playoffs.  That's not the case now.

* It's shameful that the crowd is booing the USA each game.  TSN's Gord Miller called it embarrassing on Twitter this afternoon.  It's not a classy Canadian thing to do.

* This whole week has been a blur.  I mean, it's a hockey tournament, so you're at the rink all day everyday and it hasn't allowed for a lot of blogging.  Friday I was finally able to put my feet up for awhile and put this column together.

* Canada has averaged a little better than seven goals for per game and 1.5 goals against.  No one is wondering the goals will come from now.  I was one of them who did before the tourney.

* This is the most time I've ever spent around Canada coach Don Hay.  Wow am I impressed.  His mannerisms remind me a lot of Lorne Molleken.  Don is the ideal guy to coach this team and he's done a remarkable job with them.

* It didn't appear at the start of the week that Canada had a plan for their goalies but c'mon, it's Hockey Canada.  Of course they do.  Hayzer said on Friday afternoon's TSN telecast that they're sticking with their plan and won't announce their starter versus the USA until Saturday morning.  It's been a pleasure to get to know Team Canada goalie coach Ron Tugnutt too.

* It's not hard to see why Hay has Brendan Gallager on this squad.  The Vancouver Giants forward works so dang hard!   And he is always smiling.

* It's spine-tingling at the Canada games.  I've never been a part of anything like it.  The place goes nuts at Rexall when Canada comes onto the ice for warmups!  I'm interested to know what the breakdown of the crowd is.  Is it mostly Edmontonians?  Northern Albertans?  I'm sure there's no way to find out but I've met several people from across the country this week plus there are plenty here from Saskatchewan.

* There's a shot of the Sportsnet Radio Network crew during the Denmark game.  Nearest is host Andrew Walker, I'm in the middle and standing up is the great Sam Cosentino.  Our broadcasts have been well-received and on the anchor station, Fan 590 Toronto, we've been told it's NHL calibre and they're thrilled.  Whew what a relief!  I'm over the nerves now and it has become fun.  It's humbling to be on the air in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and points in between each game.

* We're trying to get Sam Cosentino on Twitter.  If he does, please follow him because it will be worth your while.  It's also fun to see him get recognized by fans on the street.

* Edmonton has been great as the host city but it continues to be a ghost town downtown.  There's not a whole lot of signage on the streets.  I saw a bunch of WJHC merchandise on sale in Winners in the mall but after a closer look, saw it was from Buffalo last year.

* It's an NHL town and folks are more focused on the Oilers than this tourney.   That won't change with tomorrow night's meaningless game.

* I've spent a lot of time with TSN's Farhan Lalji this week.  What a fantastic guy he is.  He also likes to break from the hockey talk to chat some CFL for awhile and I'm always game for that.

* For a play-by-play guy, it's remarkable to look up in the rafters and see a banner honouring Oilers radio legend Rod Phillips and his 3542 games.  His name hangs right beside Gretzky, Kurri, Coffee, Lowe et al.  What a great man.

* I guess that's about it for now.  Tune into Saturday night's game at 6:30 on 620 CKRM and we'll have the faceoff at 7:00 between Canada and the USA.

THANKS FOR READING!
RP

PATS WEEKEND LOOK AHEAD

Regina, Saskatchewan – A jam packed weekend at the Brandt Centre will begin tonight as the Pats will host the Swift Current Broncos in the final game of 2011. With the popularity of "Thirsty Thursday" the Pats will round out 2011 with "Thirsty Thirtieth!" Tonight only, a 32oz Molson product will be just $8.
 
Bring in 2012 on Sunday at 2:00pm as the Pats will host the Edmonton Oil Kings. The first 3000 people through the door will receive a Regina Pats team poster courtesy of Sherwood Co-op. Bring the kids and their skates, because for the first and only time this season, you can "Skate with the Pats." After the game is over you can skate with the players and grab autographs from your favourite Pats.

***

Swift Current Broncos @ Regina Pats
Friday, December 30th, 2011          
Brandt Centre 7:00pm (Tickets at www.ticketmaster.ca or call 543-7800)
Radio: 620 CKRM (6:35 Press Box Sports Bar pregame show start)

This will be the third time this season that the Pats and Broncos have faced each other and the first time since opening weekend. The Pats and Broncos will Honor and Remember the Four Players who perished when the Broncos' team bus crashed on December 30, 1986

Who to look for:
C – Taylor Vause
The 20 year old centre is in his fourth season with the Broncos and is having a breakout year. He is leading Swift Current in goals and points. His 44 points is good for 15th in the Western Hockey League.

LW – Coda Gordon
The 17 year old rookie has made an impact in his first year in the WHL. He is averaging a point a game and his 33 points is 4th among WHL rookies.

*** 
 
Edmonton Oil Kings @ Regina Pats
Sunday, January 1st, 2012
Brandt Centre 2:00pm (Tickets at www.ticketmaster.ca or call 543-7800)
Radio: 620 CKRM (1:35 Press Box Sports Bar pregame show start)

This is the fourth and the final time that the Pats and the Eastern Conference's top team will meet this season. The Pats have won the first three meetings including a 6-5 victory on December 18th courtesy of a Jordan Weal goal with less than a second on the clock in the third period to seal the win.

Who to look for:
C – Michael St. Croix
The New York Rangers 4th round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft is tied for fifth in the Western Hockey League in scoring and has four assists in the three games against the Pats this season.

LW – Dylan Wruck
The 19 year old native of Saskatoon is 12th in the WHL in scoring. He scored his first career WHL goal against the Pats on February 6th, 2009 at the Brandt Centre in a 2-1 Oil Kings victory.
 
*** 
 
The Pats will play 22 games at home during the second half of the season and the best and most affordable way to catch all of the action is by purchasing a flex-pack. They come in packs of 8, 12 and 18 so you can build a Flex Pack around your schedule and budget! Call 522-5604 for more information or go on-line to www.reginapats.com.

(Courtesy Dan Plaster)

ARGOS SIGN A PAIR

Mississauga - The Toronto Argonauts Football Club is thrilled to have re-signed two of Toronto's finest! 10-year Argos veteran, and Toronto native, RB Jeff Johnson has signed a contract through the 2013 season, and 2008 Argos' draft pick, also a Toronto native, CB Matt Black has signed through 2014. Both players were eligible to become CFL free agents in February.
 
Johnson completed his twelfth CFL season in 2011, including the last ten seasons with his hometown Argonauts. He is among the most respected players in the league and is revered for his outstanding special teams play, gritty work on offence and leadership in the locker room. In 2011, the 34-year old carried 11 times for 23 yards and caught 12 passes for 82 yards; he also made 5 special teams tackles. Johnson played his college career at York University where he was named an All-Canadian and OUA all-star on multiple occasions.
 
Johnson remarked, "I'm thrilled to continue this amazing run with the Double Blue.  This is an exciting time for the Argonauts organization and the required components for a run at the 100th Grey Cup at home are diligently being put into place.  It is an honour to be considered a vital part of the Double Blue machine and I look forward to the start of the 2012 campaign."
 
Matt Black is coming off a career season, his third in the CFL and with the Argonauts. Originally drafted by Toronto in 2008, Black joined the Argos the next season and has grown into a strong special teams player and capable defensive back. In 2011, the 26-year old led the Double Blue with 15 special teams tackles and made the country take notice when he scored his first career touchdown on an 81-yard punt return on July 29 in Edmonton. Black grew up in Toronto and starred at Northern Secondary School before a standout college career at Saginaw Valley State.
 
Commented Black, "I'm very happy to be back in Double Blue.  Over the past three seasons, I have loved playing for my hometown team and look forward to the opportunities ahead of us.  2012 is going to be an exciting time to be an Argo and I'm proud to say I'll be one!"
 
Johnson and Black are two of nine GTA-born players the Argos had on the roster at the end of the 2011 season.

CANADA 10 DENMARK 2

EDMONTON -- Canada did not receive a scare Thursday night from Denmark but the plucky Danes certainly put up an impressive fight before eventually falling 10-2 to Canada before another sellout crowd at Rexall Place at the 2012 World Juniors.

Canada went into the game at 2-0 while Denmark was 0-2. Canada led 4-0 after the first period on goals by Quentin Howden, Brett Connolly, Mark Stone and Ryan Strome. Howden scored just 2:34 into the game while Connolly's was shorthanded. The shots were 19-3 Canada after one.

Canada pulled away in the second period, upping their lead to 7-0 with goals from Scott Harrington, Freddie Hamilton and Stone again. Canada outshot Denmark 18-12 in the second period but the Danes were coming on.

Canada afforded Denmark four third period powerplays (as part of eight in the game) and opened the door a smidge. Denmark scored the first two goals of the third, from Nicolai Mayer and Emil Kristensen (powerplay), to make it 7-2. Finally Canada said enough is enough and put three more past goaltender Sebastian Feuk (two from Brandon Gormley and one from Brendan Gallagher shorthanded) to put the game away.

MAKE the final 10-2.

Canada outshot Denmark 51-26 while going 1/2 on the powerplay and 7/8 on the kill.

Canada coach Don Hay postgame news conference notes:

• We got off to a great start. Brett Connolly's play in the first shift set the tone. It's hard to play at times when you're expected to win but we played well and are looking forward to our next game.

• We can't afford to take eight penalties. We don't want to get into that situation. We have to be better and not take so many penalties.

• There's always bad habits take place. It's hard to keep focus for 60 minutes. We gave up two early goals in the third but fought back. Scoring goals is not easy. We had to fight to score.

• The sense of urgency came back. We're a proud team. They wanted to play hard for Mark Visentin and give him a chance. The urgency is there and every game from here on in will be real intense.

• F Michael Bournival has been battling a flu bug and when we got to the rink, after warmup, he wasn't feeling real good at all so he went back to the hotel and is resting well.

• We'll work in practice on 4 on 4 play, overtime situations and specialty team situations. We don't have to have a high-tempo practice because we put a lot energy out in two games in two nights.

• D Nathan Beaulieu at forward wasn't our plan. We don't want to overplay anybody. We asked him to play forward and he said sure and did a real good job.

• G Mark Visentin played very well. He's done his job and Scott Wedgewood has done well. Mark has handled it well. He's been upbeat and positive and played well.

• I think back to '95 against the USA. It was very emotional. These teams (Canada and USA) know each other real well. That rivalry is there. It should be real intense and fun to play in.

*Canada looks to go to 4-0 on New Year's Eve against the USA at 7:00 pm Sask time on the Sportsnet Radio Network (620 CKRM).

Here's the Press Box Sports Bar Friday lunch buffet from Chef Trent since I likely won't be posting Friday Rodservations:

* Happy Holidays! Lemon Chicken and Rice. Sweet Thai meatballs, Honey garlic pork bites, stir fry vegetables, dry ribs, spring rolls and Asian salad with a sweet rice wine and sesame vinaigrette. All the best in the New Year!

PATS TO HONOUR THE FOUR BRONCOS

Regina, Saskatchewan – December 30, 2011 will mark the 25th Anniversary of one of the darkest and most significant dates in the history of the WHL. On December 30th, 1986, the Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed en route to a game in Regina against the Pats. That tragic event claimed the lives of four Bronco players: Trent Kresse, Chris Mantyka, Brent Ruff and Scott Kruger.
                                                On Friday, December 30th, 2011, the Regina Pats will be hosting the Swift Current Broncos. That night, the Pats and Broncos will honour and remember the 4 Broncos that perished 25 years ago with a pregame ceremony that will involve former players from both the 1986-87 Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos teams.

Regina Pats President, Brent Parker, "The events that occurred twenty five years ago are forever etched in the minds and memories of everyone involved in the WHL and with the Broncos playing in Regina on the 25th Anniversary we felt it was imperative that we remember the young men that were lost."

In attendance from the Broncos will be Tim Tisdale. Tim was in his rookie season with the Broncos during the 1986-87 season and was on the bus that fateful night. He went on to play two more seasons with Swift Current before embarking on a pro and coaching career that included a head coaching stint with the Pats in 1999-2000.

Representing the Regina Pats will be Darren McKechnie. Darren was 19 years old and in his first year with the Regina Pats during the 1986-87 season. He went on to play another season with the blue and white in 1987-88.

Please join us in honouring the memory of Trent Kresse, Chris Mantyka, Brent Ruff and Scott Kruger on Friday night as the Pats host the Broncos. The ceremony will begin at 7:00pm with the game to follow.

RIDERS MOURN THE LOSS OF GENE WLASIUK

The entire Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club extends their deepest sympathy to the family of Roughrider great Gene Wlasiuk, who passed away on Tuesday.
 
Wlasiuk spent nine seasons with the Roughriders from 1959-1967 after playing his first two CFL seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Wlasiuk played in the Riders defensive backfield while also returning punts. His 549 punt returns remain at the top of the Riders all-time list and his 3,296 punt return yards are good for second all-time. His return prowess was all achieved before blocking was allowed on punt returns.
 
Wlasiuk played a total of 132 games for the Green and White and finished with 27 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. He was also a key member of the Riders first Grey Cup championship in 1966.
 
To honor his outstanding accomplishments with the Football Club, Wlasiuk was enshrined in the Saskatchewan Roughrider Plaza of Honor in 1995.

COUGARS-REBELS TRADE

Prince George, BC – The Prince George Cougars have traded 1992-born forward Charles Inglis to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 1993-born forward Daulton Siwak and a third-round draft pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.

Siwak (Olds, AB) stands 6'0' and weighs 190 pounds and has registered five goals and two assists through 18 games this season.
 
Siwak has spent his entire WHL career with Red Deer and has recorded 20 goals and 39 points through 161 career games. Siwak has also managed five points in 12 career playoff games with the Rebels.

CANADA 5 CZECH REPUBLIC 0

EDMONTON -- Scott Wedgewood had a 26-save shutout and Mark Scheifele scored twice as Canada beat the Czech Republic 5-0 at Rexall Place to improve to 2-0 at the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Both teams went into the contest with 1-0 records. Mark Stone opened the scoring with his fourth of the tournament at 5:37 of the first period. He was later stoned by Czech goalie Petr Mrazek on a penalty shot later in the frame.

Canada extended its lead to 3-0 in the second period on goals by Ryan Strome and Brett Connolly. Scheifele added a pair in the third to put the contest away.

Canada outshot the opposition 38-26 while going 1/8 on the powerplay and 8/8 killing penalties.

Czech coach Miroslav Prerost said after the game it was "Canada against Petr Mrazek" in the game. Canadian coach Don Hay said it was an emotional, hard-fought game with too many penalties. He said each team was likely unhappy with their discipline.

"I thought we did a good job," Hay said. "We played, we blocked shots and our goalie played well but their are areas we need to be better in. It's all about habits, detail and repetition. I thought we got a little bit better. We had a great start and the fans were great."

Canada looks to go to 3-0 Thursday night against 0-2 Denmark at 7:00 Sask time on the Sportsnet Radio Network (620 CKRM).

WHEAT KINGS 3 PATS 2 OT

Ryley Miller's goal at 1:23 of overtime was the winner as the Wheat Kings topped the Regina Pats 3-2 Wednesday night in Brandon.

Brendan Walker staked Brandon to a 2-0 first period lead with a pair of goals. Regina's Lane Scheidl make it a 2-1 game with :33 left in the frame. It was 2-1 Brandon after 40 minutes as well, however tied the game with 4:09 remaining to send it to overtime. Miller's tally was the only shot on goal by either side in the extra session.

Regina was 0/3 on the powerplay and 2/4 killing penalties. Matt Hewitt took the loss making 28 saves. Regina (19-15-3-1) hosts Swift Current Friday night at 7:00 on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show at 6:35 pm).

TATE SIGNS EXTENSION

By Arash Madani
Sportsnet.ca
 
On October 14, Drew Tate took over for Henry Burris mid-way through a Stampeders game in Toronto and became Calgary's starting quarterback.
 
Now, he'll be paid like one.
 
The 28-year-old Tate has signed a three-year contract extension with the Stampeders, Sportsnet.ca has learned, a deal that all but extinguishes any hope of Burris returning to Calgary in 2012.
 
A spokesman with the Stampeders would not confirm the Sportsnet report.
 
Locking up Tate long-term comes as little surprise. John Hufnagel, Calgary's head coach and GM, openly told the media two weeks ago that the franchise was negotiating with Tate's representatives. The 28-year-old won each of his three regular season starts to end the year, but struggled in the playoffs.
 
Regardless, it became clear by early November that the organization had turned the page, ending the Burris era and going with Tate, who will go into his fourth season with Calgary next spring.
 
It is believed that Tate will be earning significantly less than the salary cap hit of approximately $400,000 Burris made last season. The timing of the extension is critical: Tate's signing bonus money will count toward the remaining dollars Calgary has available on the books in 2011, not next year's cap.
 
Meanwhile, Burris and his family are in Calgary, and, while at the moment uncertain about this future, fully aware he will have a job in 2012. Where that is, remains to be seen, although all signs point to Hamilton, despite the Tiger-Cats head coaching job still vacant.
 
On December 16, Hufnagel told Al Cameron of the Calgary Herald that "all signs indicate that it's likely" Burris would be moving on. Whether Burris is traded (likely) or released, it has to happen before Feb. 1 when he is due a considerable bonus.
 
"We're just sitting and waiting to see (what team) it's going to be," Burris said in a phone interview with Sportsnet.ca "We've talked to a couple of different teams, but more for me it's about being patient… If something happens this week, great. We will be somewhere else next year and wherever it will be, I'll be excited about it."
 
Burris's next stop will likely involve a contract extension, and re-structuring of its own. It is hard to believe his next team will absorb
 
"I'm just waiting for the trade to happen. When it happens, I'll be ready to move on and be excited. The future will be bright," said Burris.

K-J SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION

By Arash Madani
Sportsnet.ca

After franchise quarterback Ricky Ray was traded earlier this month, Kavis Reed said the Eskimos starting pivot job would be open for competition.

And Edmonton's head coach made sure there would be a veteran presence at training camp battling for the No. 1 spot with Steven Jyles and a pair of 24-year-olds looking to cut their teeth in the Canadian Football League.

Kerry Joseph inked a contract extension with the Eskimos Wednesday, Sportsnet.ca has learned. His contract is believed to be loaded with incentives on playing time and number of starts.

The 38-year-old from Louisiana was Ray's back-up last season, but his role could change dramatically with the departure of the long-time Edmonton starter. With Reed maintaining that Jyles will not be handed the keys to the offence, the most intriguing CFL training camp quarterback battle will undoubtedly be in Northern Alberta with Jyles, Joseph as well as prospects Matt Nichols and Eric Ward vying for the top job.

A fifth quarterback, off Edmonton's negotiation list, may find himself in training camp as well.

Joseph was the league's most outstanding player in 2007, the same season he led Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup championship. He broke into the league with Ottawa in 2003, where he played three years, most as starter. The McNeese State product, who was a defensive back in the NFL, also spent two seasons in Toronto in 2008 and 2009.

RAIDERS-CHIEFS TRADE

Prince Albert SK – The Prince Albert Raiders announced that have acquired 19-year-old centre Anthony Bardaro, 18-year-old goaltender Luke Lee-Knight and a 5th round draft pick in the 2012 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft from the Spokane Chiefs. In exchange, the Raiders have traded 18-year-old goaltender Eric Williams and 18-year-old forward Todd Fiddler to Spokane.

WLASIUK PASSES

Roughrider great Gene Wlasiuk passed away in Regina Tuesday evening.   He was 75.

The Winnipeg product played 11 seasons in the CFL from 1965-75, winning a Grey Cup with Saskatchewan in 1966.  He retired as the Riders' all-time punt return leader.   He was also a fine defensive back who finished his career with 27 interceptions.  Wlasiuk also spent three seasons with his hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

A BLOG FROM WORLD JUNIORS

EDMONTON -- Call it the Wednesday Morning Goalie.  Here are some thoughts from the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships:

- That photo is of a 20-story banner on a downtown Edmonton office building.  Scott Cole, son of Regina radio icon Willy Cole, snapped the pic and sent it to his Dad who in turn, forwarded it to me.  It gives you an idea of how excited this already hockey-mad city is about the World Juniors.

- Canada (1-0) takes on the Czech Republic (1-0) Wednesday night at 7:00 Sask time on the Sportsnet Radio Network.  Our pregame coverage begins at 6:30 pm with Andrew Walker.

- Canada opened the tourney with an 8-1 rout of Finland on Monday afternoon and it was great to be back in the booth calling hockey again.  I received a ton of messages from friends across the country who were tuned in but received perhaps the ultimate compliment Tuesday night.  I won't say who it was from, but suffice it to say the Oilers were listening.  It was nice to hear.

- One thing I wasn't prepared for is the speed of the game.   It's closer to an NHL pace than the WHL.  I suppose I should have known that.

- Perhaps the biggest task facing Canadian coach Don Hay is keeping his team from becoming over-confident.  Pretty much everything went their way against Finland although admittedly, Finland did not play well.  Canada scored on the majority of their scoring chances and Finnish goalie Christopher Gibson had an off-day.  It's true though, that there were no passengers for Team Canada in that game.  In our post-game meeting, we couldn't single out any player who was a liability.  We'll see what happens tonight.

- The Czechs routed Denmark 8-0 Tuesday night but they weren't overly impressive.  Nobody really jumped off the page for them with the exception of forward Jakub Culek (in my opinion).  Denmark didn't put up much of a fight however, as they only had two shots in each of the first two periods.

- The Czech Republic hasn't won gold at the World Juniors since 2001, when they completed back-to-back gold medal championships.

- My colour man Sam Cosentino remarked during the game "Do you think Denmark's even having fun right now?"  It's a good question.  They're going into the games with no expectation to win, and surely are hoping just not to get embarrassed.  Their goalie Sebastian Feuk though, is a treat to watch.   You've got to feel sorry for the guy.  You will see him Thursday night when Canada takes on Denmark.

- How about the workload facing TSN's Dave Randorf and Craig Button?  They broadcast two games on Monday in Calgary, DROVE to Edmonton Monday night and called the CZR-DEN game.  Then, they hopped in the car and drove back to Calgary to call more games on Wednesday.  As Button told us in between periods, you do what you have to do.  He was my Dad's boss for many years with the Dallas Stars.

- Canada's goal song is "Chelsea Dagger", the same goal song of the Chicago Blackhawks.  There's been a ton of talk about that, and even a story about it in the Edmonton Journal today.  The Blackhawks says they are thrilled and honoured that Team Canada would choose the song, as is the band who recorded it.  The Vancouver Canucks meanwhile, hate the song.

- The city has been a terrific host although it's quiet as a church on Monday downtown.  I expect that will change by the weekend and everybody's buzzing about the New Year's Eve clash between Canada and the USA.  However in the lounges and restaurants, the TVs are tuned to NHL games or football.  It is after all, an NHL town.

- The fans are into it though.  The crowds at Rexall Place have been 12,000 or more for the non-Canadian games and they have been enthusiastic.

- I must say TSN's Gord Miller has been terrific in helping out a rookie like me.  I didn't know where to begin looking for the officials for the games, or their countries, and he helped me out big-time with things like that.  He also knew what the actual puck drop times were (1:38 pm rather than the scheduled 1:30) and what all the pregame festivities would include.

- The Molson Canadian Hockey House is apparently a hot spot, located across the street from Rexall Place but haven't been able to stop by just yet.   So far it's been hockey, hockey, hockey and it will be for the rest of the week before we head down to Calgary for the medal round.

- I was fortunate to get a little one-on-time with Don Hay on Tuesday after Canada's practice.  He revealed that although forward Devonte Smith-Pelly is sidelined for the rest of the tournament with a fractured foot, he will remain with Canada throughout the tournament.  He was presented with the option of heading back to Anaheim, but elected to stay here for moral support.

- Smith-Pelly has been replaced by Brett Connolly on the line with Quentin Howden and Freddie Hamilton.  Tanner Pearson, the OHL's leading scorer who was the 13th forward, now gets bumped up to 12th and will see plenty of more ice time.

- Before I go, I have to mention some thoughts on former Regina Pat Tyson Sievert who was called tragically Monday night.  I was informed about it Tuesday morning by a friend of Tyson's from Strasbourg.  I know Rider PR man Ryan Whippler is first cousins with Tyson and I sent him a note.  He replied that the family is devasted, obviously.

Tyson played 58 games with the 2005-2006 Regina Pats and also played for the Warriors and Blades.  His time in Regina may have been short but he made a huge impact.  Tyson played on that very special team alongside Denis Tolpeko, Petr Kalus and David Reekie.  I remember in that first round series with Saskatoon that year that Tyson got sliced in the face with a visor, but got stitched up and came back to finish the game and play in the overtime period.  We became great friends that season and I bumped into him occasionally in the years afterward.  There's a photo of Tyson in the post below and that twinkle in his eye is very evident.

We will miss you Tyson.

PATS FAMILY LOSES ANOTHER

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats Hockey Club would like to extend our sincere condolences to the friends and family of former Regina Pats player Tyson Sievert who tragically passed away late last night.

After starting his Western Hockey League career with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Saskatoon Blades, Tyson played with the Pats for the 2005-06 season.

Regina Pats President, Brent Parker “This is another tragedy to add to a long list over the past few months. We enjoyed the time that Tyson spent in our organization, he was just a good honest hard working Saskatchewan kid. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his parents, Dale and Jackie and their family during this difficult time.”

Regina Pats General Manager, Chad Lang “We are very saddened to hear of the passing of Tyson. He was a great kid and a tremendous teammate. He competed hard and was willing to do whatever it took to help the team achieve its goals both on and off the ice. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents, Dale and Jackie and their entire family. We all will deeply miss Tyson.”

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

DSP DONE

EDMONTON, Alta. – Hockey Canada updated the status of forward Devante Smith-Pelly (Scarborough, Ont./ Anaheim, NHL) Monday night, after he was injured Monday afternoon blocking a shot in an 8-1 Canada win over Finland at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta.
 
Smith-Pelly has suffered a broken bone in his left foot and will miss the remainder of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.  Smith-Pelly will remain with the team.
 
Canada's National Junior Team cannot replace Smith-Pelly on its IIHF World Junior Championship roster, since teams only have a total of 22 roster positions. The only situation in which a team could add another player in addition to the 22 player roster, would be in the case of a goaltender injury.

CANADA 8 FINLAND 1

EDMONTON -- The 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships started off with a bang for Team Canada on Boxing Day. Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings scored three times as Canada routed Finland 8-1 in the first game of the tournament for both teams.

Canada led 2-0 after one period and 5-1 after 40 minutes. Johnathan Huberdeau, Brendan Gallagher, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Connolly and Ryan Strome also scored for the Red & White while Mark Visentin stopped 24 shots and looked good in goal.

"What am I gonna say? It was 8-1," said Finland coach Raimo Helminen after the game. "They were ready to play us. We were not physical enough and mentally ready. The tournament is not over. It was just one game."

Team Canada coach Don Hay was pleased with his team's effort as they put any offensive concerns to rest.

"We got off to a great start," Hay said. "The fans were outstanding and we really fed off the crowd. To get a 2-0 lead early was a really important start for us. Visentin made some solid saves for us and allowed us to extend the lead."

There were anxious moments for Canadian fans as physical forward Devante Smith-Pelly left the game in the second period with a lower body injury.

"Smith-Pelly blocked a shot and is gone for x-rays," Hay told reporters. "We'll know more tonight or tomorrow."

Canada's next time is Wednesday at 9 pm MT against the Czeck Republic on the Sportsnet Radio Network (620 CKRM).

THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

EDMONTON -- Well here we go.

The most famous yearly hockey tournament in the world begins today for Canada here in the Alberta capital and here are some observations as we get ready to bring you the radio description from coast-to-coast on the Sportsnet Radio Network:

- The nation will be gripped by this tournament over the Christmas holidays.  Alberta has been buzzing for the past several weeks with Team Canada's training camp in Calgary and several pre-tournament games all over the province.  It's been slowly building outside of Alberta up until now but once the puck drops Monday (at 2:30 pm Sask time), Canada will be engulfed.

- In Saskatchewan you can listen to the games on CKRM Regina, CJWW Saskatoon, Country 100 Moose Jaw, CFSL Weyburn and The Eagle 94.1 Swift Current.  The pregame show is 30 minutes prior to puck drop.  Fan 960 Calgary's Andrew Walker will host the broadcasts, Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino has the colour commentary and I'll have the play-by-play.

- There hasn't been a ton of talk about today's Canada-Finland match other than the secrecy over Canada's starting goaltender.  Canada coach Don Day said Sunday he knows who will start in goal, but will keep it a secret up until game time.  Friday night's 5-3 loss to Sweden threw a monkey wrench into plans when veteran Mark Visentin allowed four goals on 17 shots and back-up Scott Wedgewood never allowed a goal over the final 30 minutes.

- The incumbent starter is Visentin and you can follow him on Twitter at @vizzer29 however he hasn't tweeted since last weekend.  My bet is that he'll get the start against Finland.  There will be plenty of time to make a goaltending change if need-be (see the 2001 Memorial Cup), but Visentin has earned the opportunity to start in this game.  He just needs to mentally toughen up.

- Finland will give Canada some problems but they aren't the biggest challenge in Group B.  They lost out in a quarterfinal last year, but have six returning players.  Canada has four.  Finland hasn't won gold since 1998 and haven't medalled in five years.

- The other teams will tell you Canada is the favourite and why wouldn't they be since they've appeared in 10 straight gold medal games?  However their gold medal drought stretches back to Ottawa in 2009 and to me, the USA is the favourite.  As TSN's Bob McKenzie said on the weekend "Canada is one of four teams who have a chance to win the gold medal".

- Team Canada Numbers:
Average Height: 6’1”
Average Weight: 196
Captains: 7
Alternate captains: 6
U18 Alumni: 13
WU17 Alumni: 18
1992 born: 15
1993 born: 7

- All-time Team Canada captains from the Prairies:
Alberta – (7) - Thomas Hickey (2009), Kyle Chipchura (2006), Scottie Upshall (2003), Nolan Baumgartner (1996), Dave Chyzowski (1990), Dan Hodgson (1985), Troy Murray (1982)
British Columbia – (4) - Karl Alzner (2008), Steve McCarthy (2001), Brad Larsen (1997), Russ Courtnall (1984)
Saskatchewan – (5) – Jaden Schwartz (2012), Jarret Stoll (2002), *Cory Sarich (1998), *Jesse Wallin (1998), Theoren Fleury (1988)

- Top five CHL teams who've had the most players suit up for Team Canada:
Regina (WHL) 20
Ottawa (OHL) 16
Medicine Hat (WHL) 16
Kamloops (WHL) 14
Oshawa (OHL) 15

- Reading the Globe & Mail's "5 Games To Watch" preview Sunday night, it would be GREAT if the major daily newspapers promoted the fact the games are on the Sportsnet Radio Network as well as on TSN.

- It's too bad there isn't a Regina Pat on this year's squad.  Speaking of ... did Logan Pyett ever get his gold medal back?  It was stolen from his Balgonie, SK home a few years ago.  If it hasn't, it's amazing it hasn't turned up somewhere by now.

- Great stat:  The smallest town represented by a Team Canada member is Bladworth, SK (pop 67), the hometown of Cory Sarich (97/98 WJHC).  Milestone, SK (pop 562) is the 19th smallest town to be represented by a Team Canada player and that was my cousin Logan Pyett.

- Does Hockey Canada retire numbers?  If so, Jordan Eberle's #14 should get consideration.  Many have called him Canada's greatest World Junior hero.   Canada's Brett Connolly is wearing it this year.

- The seven hour drive up here, alone, was torture on a guy like my who suffers from A.D.D.

- ESPN Radio kept me company in the Titan Auto CKRM Sports Cruiser and it was a treat to listen to the Knicks/Celtics, Mavericks/Heat and Bulls/Lakers.  It's so awesome to have the NBA back.  But when did Mike Bibby go to the Knicks and Vince Carter to the Mavs?  I missed those announcements.

- There was zero coverage of the World Juniors on XM Radio's NHL Home Ice channel.  What a pity.

- Was 2011 the year of "Grumpy Old Men"?  I'm talking about Joe Kapp and Angelo Mosca and the 73-year old drunk Santa in Regina who got arrested at the Cornwall Centre and spent Friday night in the drunk tank.  What a story!

- Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson got a contract extension on Christmas Day.  What are they going to do for him if the Leafs actually make the playoffs?  A statue?

- Got nabbed for speeding on Idlywyld in Saskatoon but the officer let me go.  Hey, it's Christmas!

- Got to my downtown Edmonton hotel and went immediately to the gym.  Fat Month is over for me.  Shortly into my run, Canada goalie coach Ron Tugnutt came in with a guy who looked a lot like Marty Turco.

- The waitress in the hotel restaurant said Christmas Day is a bad time to start the Derek Meyers Diet (nothing white: sugars, breads, pastas).  What the heck -- I've got a headstart on my New Year's resolutions and feel great this morning.

- But it hurts to see skinny people eating pizza and fries for supper.  #howdotheydothat

- Two things I will NOT sacrifice in this diet however: coffee cream and salad dressings.

- The first major difference I noticed between the World Juniors and the Grey Cup is the hotel lobby.  In my hotel here, surprisingly you could have heard a pin drop Sunday night.  That is, except for the piano player in the lounge.  At Grey Cup, the lobby is BURSTING with bodies, bands, booze, and bedlam.

- TSN's Darren Dreger reported on the weekend Anaheim Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf of Regina could become available prior to the NHL's trade deadline.

- It's hard to believe Tim Tebow only has 750,000 Twitter followers.  Don't get me wrong, that's a lot, but he's the most popular thing going right now.  Even more popular than Kim Kardashian, who has over 12-million.

- What's with these Year In Review shows on TSN and Sportsnet this morning???  Where da highlights?  NFL and NBA.

- How about some Rider news?  Well it's not really news but the rumour mill suggests Khari Jones is poised to become the team's offensive coordinator and somebody told me Kris Sweet will be the offensive line coach.  Sweet has been with the Stamps the past few years.  I have NOT spoken to anybody with the Riders about this however.

- We learned from the Winnipeg Sun's Paul Friesen on the weekend that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had the youngest team in the CFL in 2011.  The most amazing thing to me with the Bombers last season was that Buck Pierce made it all the way through the Grey Cup.  Good on him.

- This will likely tick you off.  The Ottawa Sun, in an interview with Ottawa CFL franchise part-owner Jeff Hunt, reported Ottawa is on track for the CFL to return for the 2014 season.  However they won't be called the Rough Riders or anything ike it.  Hunt, who many call the Brent Parker of the OHL, had these quotes in the story regarding the Saskatchewan Roughriders:

* “The only way Saskatchewan would vote for us was they had the right to veto our name. I thought in fullness of time, we would prevail on Saskatchewan to allow a community to have its own history. The Rough Riders name even pre-dates history. I thought they could be convinced. But I thought wrong. As time passed, their adamance from us using the name only grew.  With that being said, it wasn’t automatic we were going to use the name. But three of my (owners) are Ottawa guys and they wanted to use Rough Riders.”
* “I feel it’s slightly arrogant.  I even said to them: ‘You can’t stop me from calling us the Riders.’ They actually feel of their team as Rider Pride and Riderville. And they were actually more distraught at the idea we might call it Riders. I still haven’t ruled out Red Riders or Black Riders. I don’t know how far they can take it, can we not pick any name that starts with R?”

* “I’m virtually certain we’ll retain our colours, the red, white and black.  They can’t take our colours away. And we’ll have the same colours for our soccer team. We’ll still be giving that look to the past.”

* “I think this will create more of a rivalry with Saskatchewan when we’re in the league because I’ll be promoting the hatred.”
- Catch the Falcons at the Saints on Monday Night Football at the Press Box Sports Bar Monday night (along with Canada-Finland earlier in the day) and enjoy a full rib dinner for just $5.99!

- That's all I've got for today but there will be plenty of blogging from the World Juniors over the next two weeks.

HAVE A GREAT BOXING DAY AND GO CANADA!
RP
@sportscage

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM RODPEDERSEN.COM

SWEDEN 5 CANADA 3

It was a wake-up call for Team Canada. The alarm bells aren't necessarily ringing, but the wake-up call certainly was Friday night at Rexall Place in Edmonton. Sweden beat Canada 5-3 in each team's final pre-tournament game before the 2012 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.

After Canada's Mark Stone opened the scoring midway through the first period, the Swedes erupted for three goals in 1:48 late in the first and they held a 3-1 advantage after twenty minutes. All goals were against starting Canada goalie Mark Visentin (on four shots) and so was Sweden's John Larsson goal at 2:58 of the second making it 4-1.

In a pre-planned move, Visentin was lifted halfway through the game in favour of Scott Wedgewood who never allowed a goal the rest of the way. Subsequent Canadian goals from Brendan Gallagher and Jaden Schwartz brought the game to 4-3 but an empty-netter by Sweden's Mika Zibanejad with :23 to go put the game away. Gallagher and Schwartz ended the night with a goal and an assist each.

It was Canada's greatest fear, that Visentin wouldn't be able to hold the fort, but it's not catastrophic. Sweden seems to always play well in these exhibition games but they haven't won World Junior gold since 1981. More important games lie ahead and everyone knows it.

Is it time for a goaltending change? Absolutely not. Canada coach Don Hay tabbed Visentin as his starter on day one of camp for a reason and it's not time to abandon the plan now. Canada will also need more scoring than Stone, Schwartz and Gallagher if they hope to contend for a medal.

Canada finished the pre-tournament schedule at 2-1 while Sweden went 1-1. Canada's next game is the World Junior opener against Finland on Boxing Day at 2:00 pm on 620 CKRM.

STAMPS PROMOTE WALKOSKY

The Calgary Stampeders promoted Dave Walkosky to defensive co-ordinator Friday.
Walkosky served as Calgary's linebackers coach last season, his first with the CFL club. He replaces Chris Jones, who left the Stampeders this off-season to become the Toronto Argonauts defensive co-ordinator.

"Dave has gained a tremendous amount of coaching experience through his travels," Stampeders head coach/GM John Hufnagel said in a statement. "When I first hired Dave as linebackers coach prior to last season, I felt he would grow into the co-ordinator role and I like the continuity this decision brings to our team."

Prior to joining the Stampeders, Walkosky spent three seasons as the head coach at Tiffin University.

(Courtesy globesports.com)

FRIDAY RODSERVATIONS

My body is on vacation but my mind isn't.  So here are some random hockey and football thoughts as we head into Christmas weekend:

- I am NOT in Alberta.  Yet.  So many people I bump into on the streets of Regina this past week seemed surprised I'm not at the World Juniors in Calgary.  The fact is I was there for four days of training camp but the Sportsnet Radio Network isn't carrying any pre-tournament games so I came home.  I'll be heading out on Christmas Day for Edmonton, driving.

- Last night's 7-1 Canada rout of Switzerland in an exhibition game in Red Deer was quite the snoozefest.  Although it's satisfying to see Canada coming together as a team as each game goes by.  They've got a shot to win it all but to me, the favourites might be the Americans.

- My predictions for who will become household names in Canada during the World Juniors: Jaden Schwartz and Mark Stone.  Based on last night, they are well on their way.

- I have a few New Year's resolutions which have to do with this blog.  Here they are:

1) At Grey Cup I fielded lots of complaints about the comments section of this blog.  For sure, it can get wild at times.  Coincidentally a good friend of mine forwarded me a program whereby you can log in through your Facebook account in order to leave comments on this website.  That may be the way we go next year...

2) I will shun stadium talk.  As a mover-and-shaker told me, public debate on this thing is not a good thing.  And quite frankly, like you, I'm tired of the talk.  You won't hear anything more about it here until a concrete plan is laid forth and we're on our way.  Still, it was neat to hear TSN's Jay Onrait yell "WAY TO GO MAYOR FIACCO!" on Sportscentre this week, when discussing Monday night's City Council vote.

3) Finally I may can the insider information I've been tossing out on Fridays and Mondays.  I've reported things I know to be true (like Austin talking to Hamilton and Fantuz's contract status) but been jumped on mercilessly only to be vindicated later.  Sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it.  With respect to Fantuz, I know what the Riders offered and I know what his agent is asking for.  They're not the same, so I don't know what Andy's video blog was all about.  Is he not aware of the numbers? A lot of CFL people are wondering if, if Fantuz leaves, will he be subjected to the ridicule which has been heaped on former Rider Henry Burris?

- The Wolf 104.9's Michael Ball (and Rider Radio pre- and post-game host) called me the Harvey Levin of the CFL regarding these Friday columns.  I like it.

- Speaking of the Austin and Fantuz stories, it would be a pretty quiet off-season without that stuff flying around wouldn't it??  The Riders hired Corey Chamblin as head coach last week but the buzz lasted only one or two days.  It's because so many people don't know him.   I don't.   However many say they're warming up to him because of his news conference comments.  That's great to hear.

- A little more TMZ stuff.  Remember former Rider Curtis Marsh?  The former NFLer came to Saskatchewan in 2000 with the goal of leading the league in catches and yards as a rookie.  He did, and then he retired.  He's a strange one.  Anyways here's Marsh with Rider equipment guy Mike "Lefty" McNeil.  Mikey ran into Marsh in the Philadelphia Eagles team store.  Marsh's son plays for the Eagles.

- Interesting to note former Rider kicker Dave Ridgway emailed former Rider kicker Luca Congi this week after Luca was released by the club.  On Wednesday, Congi appeared on the Sports Cage on 620 CKRM but got choked up and they had to cut the interview short.

- The NHL needs to call more penalty shots.  The crowd went ape in Florida this week when the Panthers got a penalty shot against Phoenix.  What can it hurt?

- Is there a greater contrast in sports right now than cow/calf rancher Darryl Sutter coaching the L.A. Kings at Staples Centre, just a three-minute cabride from the glitz of Hollywood?

- Former Pats tough guy Colton Orr did the Tebow pose this week after scoring in the Maple Leafs' free-to-the-public skills competition the other night.  It's too bad because the Colorado Avalanche's Brandon Yip was waiting to do it after scoring in a shootout.  That may have a had a little more effect, but good for Orrsie.

- One of the greatest days of my life was when Orr flatted Jordin Tootoo with one gloved punch in the 2003 WHL Playoffs in the Agridome.

- Enough about the concussions.  It's being caused by the equipment!!  Until that changes, don't expect concussions to go down.  Equipment, and the boards which have no 'give' in them like the old days.   Just take a look at the hits on Sidney Crosby in the past 12 months and then tell me if I'm wrong.

- It's a shame that nowhere on the CHL's official website can you sign up to follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

- What a shame TSN's Top 10 stadium malfunctions on Tuesday night didn't include the blackoff in August of 2007 at Mosaic Stadium between the Riders and Eskimos.  I guess if TSN didn't air it or report it, it didn't happen!

- Having said that, how long has TSN2 been airing ESPN's Sports Nation in the afternoons?  What a great show!  I discovered it on my holidays and now don't ever want to miss it.

- It was great to see the Marshall Thundering Herd win the NCAA's Beef O'Brady Bowl over Florida International Tuesday Night.  Watch We Are Marshall over the holidays just for old time's sake.   Meeting Red Dawson was a highlight of my life.  He was in Regina for his brother Rhett's Plaza of Honour induction.

- When people start a sentence off with "No offense but...." they usually wind up offending you.

- BC Lions lineman Jovan Olafioye has had workouts the past two weeks with the Vikings, Dolphins, Browns, Steelers and Jets.

- No word on any NFL workouts scheduled for Rider linebacker Jerrell Freeman.

- We learned this week in a great Toronto Star column from Chris Zelkovich that NHL players are wearing numbers on the front of their helmets in order to help TV camera operators to indentify players on the bench.  In the same article we learn that TSN's Chris Cuthbert says the hardest numbers to read on any jerseys are the red numbers on the Stampeders' black jerseys.   I agree.

- Gotta thank Regina eye doctor, Dr. Bob Neuman, with fixing me up with new glasses for the World Junior radio broadcasts this week.  Bob put some extra kick in the prescriptions because the press boxes at the Saddledome and Rexall Place are a loooooong ways up there.  Fortunately the numbers on the jerseys really pop.

- You know what I miss?  A downtown Regina movie theatre.   If you're going to have a date night downtown, what is there to do?  We did Applause and Globe Theatre already.

- I also miss Buddy's Steak Ranch.  What do you miss about 80s/90s Regina?

- Today's Press Box Sports Bar buffet menu from Chef Trent:
Glazed ham
Perogies
Mixed vegetables
Sausage and sauerkraut
Pasta with shrimp, lemon and herb cream
Apple butter mesquite chicken wings
Fish and chips
Pizza

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
RP

CANADA 7 SWITZERLAND 1

RED DEER, ALTA. - The Swiss might have had Tim Wolf, but Team Canada was hungry like one.

The Canadians threw 51 shots the opposing goalie’s way in a 7-1 win at the Enmax Centrium on Thursday, in pre-competition action for the 2012 world junior championship in Edmonton and Calgary beginning Boxing Day.

Devante Smith-Pelly put the host nation on the board first with a wrist shot into the toppest of left corners halfway through the opening period on the power play, with assists going to Mark Scheifele and Brandon Gormley.

The Swiss, on the other hand, suffered their second straight loss in which they gave up seven points, coming off a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the U.S. in Camrose on Wednesday.

Their lone goal on their 25 shots at Scott Wedgewood came from Samuel Walser, who tipped a point shot from Dario Trutman to tie it up 1-1 in the first period.

Canada outshot Switzerland 24-7 heading into the second with a 3-1 lead on goals by Boone Jenner and Mark Stone, who finished with a goal and three points.

Stone then offered up a short pass to a streaking Freddie Hamilton for the only goal of the second period, two and a half minutes in.

Canada took its payback out on the scoreboard, as Smith-Pelly scored his game-leading second goal 37 seconds in before Tanner Pearson and Ryan Strome rounded off the scoring.

Thursday’s game wrapped up Switzerland’s exhibition schedule, as they head into the tournament looking to reach the podium for just the second time in 33 appearances. In 1998, they earned the bronze medal.
Canada closes out its pre-competition schedule against Sweden Friday at Rexall Place in Edmonton.

(Courtesy canoe.ca)

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE DUB

CHL WEEK 14 TOP 10

1 London Knights (25-7-0-1)
2 Tri-City Americans (27-7-0-0)
3 Quebec Remparts (28-6-2-1)
4 Saint John Sea Dogs (28-10-0-1)
5 Shawinigan Cataractes (25-9-2-2)
6 Plymouth Whalers (22-9-2-1)
7 Kamloops Blazers (24-9-1-1)
8 Edmonton Oil Kings (23-9-1-2)
9 Kitchener Rangers (22-10-1-0)
10 Moose Jaw Warriors (22-9-3-1)

Honourable Mention:
Ottawa 67's (20-9-4-1)
Halifax Mooseheads (22-11-1-2)
Vancouver Giants (22-12-1-1)

MORE /=S=/ MOVES

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today that they have signed non-import kicker/punter Chris Bodnar to the roster. Financial details of the signing were not released.
 
Bodnar (5'11 – 190 lbs) played for the University of Regina Rams the last two seasons. In January 2011, he signed with the Edmonton Eskimos but was released in June at which time he returned to the Rams for a stellar season. In seven games he had 66 punts for 2,944 yards and a CIS leading 44.6 yard average. He was also named a CIS first team All-Canadian.
 
In 2010, he was named a Canada West all-star after leading Canada West with an average of 41.0 yards per punt. The 23 year old hit 12 of his 18 field goal attempts, was named the Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week twice.
 
Prior to joining the Rams Bodnar played for the Saskatoon Hilltops where he was named a CJFL All-Canadian in both 2009 and 2008. In the two years previous to that Bodnar played both football and basketball for the University of Saskatchewan.
 
*The Riders also announced they have released non-import offensive lineman George Hudson

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE COMMISSIONER

Dear CFL Fans:

On behalf of our Board of Governors, our teams and all of us at the Canadian Football League, I want to wish you best of the holidays.

I hope you spend this special time of year with those who mean the most to you -- and that it is full of friendship, warmth and peace.

All of us who love the CFL have so much to look forward to in 2012.

The BC Lions has barely started to celebrate their home field Grey Cup win when we launched what is already one of the most remarkable off-seasons in memory.

Next year's CFL season promises to be incredibly exciting, with some compelling new story lines.

And the 100th Grey Cup presents us with a tremendous opportunity to celebrate our history, strengthen our future, and pay tribute to you, our fans, who make everything possible.

But first, I trust that, once the hustle and bustle of the holidays subside, we'll all take a few moments to rest and reflect.

I know when that time comes for me, I will consider how fortunate and grateful I am to contribute to something that means so much to so many Canadians -- and how grateful I am to work on behalf of people as caring, passionate and proud as our fans.

Looking forward to seeing you in our stadiums in the new year, and on the road to the 100th Grey Cup in 2012,

Mark.

PAT CHAT

THIS PAST WEEK
Wednesday Kelowna 3 at Pats 2 OT
The Pats were down a goal with less than two minutes left in the game. Then, with the goalie pulled, and on a power play, Morgan Klimchuk was able to slide in the game tying goal to send it to overtime. From there, a Colten Martin (his 1st WHL Goal) point shot eluded Adam Beukeboom as the Kelowna Rockets came away with the 3-2 overtime win.

Friday Pats 3 at Calgary 2
The Pats played their final game of the season against the Calgary Hitmen and it was all Matt Hewitt. He stopped 32 of 34 Calgary Hitmen shots, helping the Pats to a 3-2 victory. Jordan Weal and Matt Marantz each picked up a goal and an assist while Lane Scheidl scored once The Pats and the Hitmen split the season series with the away team winning every time.

Saturday Red Deer 2 at Pats 1
The Pats were stymied again by a Red Deer Rebels defence that held the Pats to just 22 shots and one goal in a 2-1 loss on Saturday night at the Enmax Centrium. Matt Hewitt was solid, yet again, for the blue and white with a 29 save performance while Jack Rodewald picked up the Pats lone goal.

Sunday Pats 6 at Edmonton 5
The final game before the Christmas break was one of the more exciting games of the first half of the season. The Pats had one goal leads on three separate occasions, just to see the Oil Kings tie it each time and then take a one goal lead in the third. Lyndon Martell tied it with a great tip out of mid-air, and then with under a second to play in the third period, Jordan Weal scored on a breakaway for the 6-5 victory. Weal (2g, 1a), Brandon Davidson (3a) and Morgan Klimchuk (3a) all had three point nights, while Colton Jobke scored twice in the victory.

Quote of the Week
"We play a very hard style to play and I demand a lot of the players on and off the ice and they've come to the table. When you work hard, you get rewarded." - Regina Pats head coach, Pat Conacher after the Pats 6-5 win in Edmonton on Sunday.  Regina Leader Post on-line December 19th

Looking Ahead
Christmas Break from December 19th to December 26th

Many of the Pats players and staff used Edmonton as their departure point back to their respective homes. It was a light bus ride home with just 8 players and 4 staff member heading back to Regina. The players will begin to return all day on December 26th with a late practice schedule for the Brandt Centre.

Schedule
Monday December 26th
Players return to Regina. Practice 6:00pm Brandt Centre

Neutral Zone Hours for the Christmas Season
Monday, December 19th – 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Tuesday, December 20th - 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Wednesday, December 21st - 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Thursday, December 22nd - 2:00pm to 6:00pm

Community Appearances:
With the first half of the season in the books, the Regina Pats players have made a tremendous impact on the community with the work that they have done with so many organizations across Regina.

Just some of the places the Pats have visited:
- Food for Learning (Al Ritchie Community Centre, Coronation Park School)
- Regina and Area Food Bank
- Regina Public and Catholic schools for “Read to Succeed” and the “Brady Brady” reading programs
- Wascana Rehabilitation Centre
- The Pasqua and General Hospitals

In The Locker Room
- Jordan Weal had 5 points (3g, 2a) this weekend and is now 6th in the WHL in scoring and is in the top 20 in the WHL in goals, assists, points, power play assists, +/-, shorthanded goals, shorthanded points, game winning goals and is a perfect 3 for 3 in shootouts.

- Colton Jobke’s 7 power play goals is tops on the Pats and in the Top 20 in the WHL. He has also doubled his career points already this season with 18.

- Matt Hewitt is 10th in the WHL in Goals Against Average and is also in the top 10 in wins (t5th), minutes (2nd) and saves (7th)

Through the Looking Glass
The Pats will be sending nine players from their 50 man protected list to the upcoming Mac’s Midget Tournament over the Christmas season in Calgary:

D - Kenny Nordstrom – Cariboo Cougars (BCMML) 2011 Draft
F - Brett Harris – Cariboo Cougars (BCMML) 2011 Draft
D - Griffin Mumby – Calgary Flames (AMHL) 2011 Draft
F - Bryar Ortynski – Edmonton SSAC Boston Pizza Athletics (AMHL) 2011 Draft
F - Tristan Reimer – Edmonton SSAC Boston Pizza Athletics (AMHL) 2011 List
G - Tanner Burgardt – Prince Albert Mintos (SMAAAHL) 2010 Draft
F - Connor Gay – Saskatoon Blazers (SMAAAHL) 2011 List
F - Ty McLean – Tisdale Trojans (SMAAAHL) 2011 Draft
F - JJ Coleshaw – Tisdale Trojans (SMAAAHL) 2011 List

(Courtesy Dan Plaster)

RIDER TRANSACTIONS

The Riders announced today that they have released non-import kicker/punter Luca Congi.

 
"We would like to thank Luca for his contributions and leadership both on and off the field," stated General Manager Brendan Taman. "Unfortunately in this business sometimes tough decisions have to be made but we do wish Luca the best in his future career."
 
The Riders have also released non-import defensive back Tamon George.

BOMBER TRANSACTIONS

WINNIPEG, MB– The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have re-signed non-import safety Ian Logan to a contract today.  As per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 
Logan (5-9, 196, Wilfrid Laurier, DOB: August 19, 1982 in Waterloo, Ontario) was named to the CFL All-Star team last season for the first time in his career after recording 34 defensive tackles, four interceptions and one fumble recovery.  Logan originally signed with the Blue Bombers as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and has been the team's starting safety since the mid-way point of the 2008 season.  Since then, he has been a key member of the secondary and has totaled 178 tackles, three sacks, 11 interceptions and one fumble recovery in his six-year career.
 
The Blue Bombers have also announced that they have signed non-import offensive lineman Brendan Dunn.
 
Dunn (6-7, 280, Western Ontario, DOB: August 21, 1988 in Burlington, Ontario) was drafted by the Blue Bombers in the third round (17th overall) last year and attended training camp with the team before returning to school.  He began his collegiate career as a defensive lineman before shifting to the offensive line where he's played the last two years.  This past season, Dunn was named a First Team CIS All-Canadian at the tackle position after helping Western lead the CIS in numerous rushing categories including rushing yards per game (291.6).

DUB LAUNCHES APP FOR APPLE AND ANDROID

CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today the launch of an official mobile application for Apple and Android devices.  The free mobile app is available by searching 'WHL' or 'Western Hockey League' in either the Android Market or the iTunes Store.

"We are very excited to offer WHL fans more ways to stay up to date on their favourite WHL team and players," commented WHL Director, Communications Cory Flett.  "With the new WHL App fans will have instant access to all the core stats and content followers of the Western Hockey League have to come to rely on, through their Apple or Android devices ."
 
The official mobile app of the Western Hockey League features real-time scoring data direct from each of the WHL's 22 Club venues.  Follow each and every game in real-time with complete boxscores, game summaries and up-to-the minute player stats.  The WHL app also features past Scores, current Schedules, Standings and both player and goaltender Statistics.  As the 2011-12 season progresses more great features will be incorporated into the WHL App including game and scoring notifications, player tracking and much more.

The WHL mobile app features:
-         Real-time news RSS feed
-         Real-Time WHL scores
-         Real-Time WHL standings and statistics
-         Full WHL game schedule with detailed game summaries
-         Archived WHL rosters and scoring data for the past 16 seasons

The WHL mobile app was developed by sports team app developer and longtime stat software provider of the WHL, NewSport Media.

ARGOS HIRE MAAS

Mississauga – The month of December continues to infuse excitement into the Toronto Argonauts Football Club. Head Coach Scott Milanovich has added former CFL quarterback Jason Maas to the team's coaching ranks as Receivers Coach. Maas played 11 CFL seasons and was a two-time Grey Cup champion as a member of the Edmonton Eskimos.
 
Commented Head Coach Scott Milanovich, "On behalf on the Toronto Argonauts, I would like to welcome Jason Maas to our coaching staff.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to coach Jason in Montreal in 2007. It became immediately apparent to me that he had tremendous future as a coach.  His leadership qualities are off the charts.  He understands football, is extremely competitive and has a love for the game that will be felt by everyone in our organization."
 
Jason Maas became a household name during parts of nine seasons in Edmonton. He was the team's outstanding player in 2001 and 2004 and was named a West All-Star in 2001. He worked closely with new Argos quarterback Ricky Ray to bring two CFL titles (2003 & 2005) to the City of Champions. 2004 was considered to be Maas' finest CFL season statistically. That year, he became just the second Eskimos quarterback to pass for 5,000+ yards in a season, threw 31 touchdowns and also ran for eight more. He still holds the league record for most consecutive pass completions in a game with 22, also set as a member of the Esks.
 
Maas remarked, "I am truly excited to begin my coaching career with the Toronto Argonauts.  It allows me to once again work with Scott Milanovich who is not only a great person but one of the best offensive coaches I have had a chance to work with.  I hope my experiences of playing and dealing with players will help enhance the overall production of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club. The move also brings me closer to Indiana where my family resides." 
 
Maas joined the Eskimos in 2000 where he remained until 2005. Edmonton dealt him to Hamilton where he played just over one season (2006-07), was then traded to Montreal for part of one season (2007) and returned to Edmonton in 2008 until his retirement just before 2011 training camp.

CANADA 3 FINLAND 1

Canada's World Junior team overcame a shaky start to post a 3-1 victory over Finland in their first pre-tournament game of the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship in Calgary.

Teemu Pulkkinen opened the scoring for the Fins with a powerplay goal at 14:21 of the opening period in the Saddledome. It was a one-timer from the left faceoff circle which Canadian goalie Mark Visentin got a piece of with his trapper, but not enough.

Canada's Boone Jenner tied the game at 6:16 of the second frame (from Brett Connolly and Ryan Murray) and teammate Mark Stone got the go-ahead goal at 12:35 (from Jaden Schwartz and Freddie Hamilton). It was 2-1 Canada after two.

Canada's Brendan Gallagher got the insurance marker on a goal mouth scramble with 1:39 remaining in the third. The assist went to Michael Bournival. Make the final 3-1.

Johnathan Huberdeau (ankle) and Quinten Howden (upper body) missed the game with injury. Canada plays its second pre-tournament game against Switzerland Thursday in Red Deer.

FANTUZ ADDRESSES "RUMOURS"

Roughrider receiver Andy Fantuz, who's slated to become a free agent February 15, took to the internet Monday to address his contract situation.

On Friday I reported the Riders long ago made Fantuz a multi-year contract offer which would make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, but it's gone unsigned.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what's going on with me for next year," Fantuz said in a video blog at http://www.andyfantuz.com/. "I've been hearing some rumours, lots of different rumours, coming out of Saskatchewan and I just want to clear it up. None of them are true. I have not .... I don't know what the latest ones are ... but I haven't turned down any crazy offers or asked to be paid this much or that much or anything.

"Right now I'm just taking time to go through the Christmas break with my family and hang out and let things sort themselves out. I want to see what's going on with all the coaches and make sure that's all settled first.

"Re-signing is just a process. Don't look too far into it. It's just a process. My agent and the front office are in contact and they're working things out. Like I said, I'm not thinking about it too much. I'm spending time with my family over the holidays and we'll see what happens. Hopefully things will be more set in stone and we'll go from there and see what happens."

I asked Rider GM Brendan Taman for a reaction to Fantuz's comments and he responded via text.

"We have made offers to Hadley (his old agent out of Atlanta), who he dropped as you know and now to Tim Fleiszer," Taman wrote. "His representation has never countered our latest offers as they wanted to see who the coach was."

Stay tuned.

HOLLAND NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Tri-City Americans forward Patrick Holland is the WHL Player of the Week.

Holland collected six points, scoring three goals and three assists to go with a +4 rating, in two games over the past week helping the Americans to a 2-0-0-0 record.

NEW DEAL FOR SCHIAVONE

(Edmonton)  The Edmonton Eskimos have signed kicker Derek Schiavone to a new contract, the club announced today.

In 2011, Schiavone handled field goal duties in five regular season games and both of Edmonton's playoff games.  

The former University of Western Ontario University standout signed as a free agent with the Esks in 2008. Schiavone spent the bulk of his first two CFL seasons on the club's practice roster.

Eskimo General Manager Eric Tillman  says, "We're pleased to extend our relationship with Derek.  At 26, he's got a bright future ahead of him."

In 2010,  Schiavone appeared in five regular season games and was named CFL Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 16.

SPORTSNET HAS WJ'S COVERED

TORONTO (December 19, 2011) – With a week to go until the start of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Calgary, Sportsnet will cover every step of Team Canada's quest for gold supremacy.  With comprehensive coverage across all Sportsnet platforms – television, radio, digital, mobile and print – Canadians will not miss a beat as Team Canada strives to return to the top of the podium.

Sportsnet 590 The FAN  
Sportsnet 590 The FAN is the official radio station of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship with live broadcasts of all Team Canada games. Sportsnet 590's coverage will be available on 23 stations across the Sportsnet Radio Network throughout the country (full list of stations available at sportsnet590.ca), with all games streamed live online at sportsnet590.ca.  Rod Pedersen will handle the play-by-play with Sam Cosentino as analyst, while Andrew Walker will host a 30-minute pre-game show prior to every Team Canada game.  Walker will also host the intermission and post-game shows highlighted by interviews with Team Canada coaches, players and all of the biggest names in hockey in attendance at the tournament.  Sportsnet 590's coverage also includes the semifinals and gold medal game, plus the quarterfinal and bronze medal game, if Team Canada is participating. 
 
Sportsnet Connected
Sportsnet Connected will have in-depth reports from throughout the tournament including reporter Ryan Leslie covering the round robin and joined by RJ Broadhead during the medal round.  Cosentino will also be on hand to offer his expert analysis.  Connected will provide post-game analysis and reaction following each game.  
 
Sportsnet.ca
In addition to live streaming coverage of all Team Canada games, sportsnet.ca  keeps fans up-to-date on all the action with columnist Patrick King posting previews and hosting live game chats for every Team Canada game.  King will also deliver game recaps and off-day features including player profiles and live chats.  Cosentino will contribute blogs during the round robin and medal round.
 
Sportsnet Magazine
In the current issue of Sportsnet magazine, on newsstands now, senior writer Ryan Dixon delves into the hardest call in hockey, the one coaches hate to make and hopeful players dread, the call that comes on cut day.  Sportsnet also takes readers on a road trip to Edmonton to explore all the sights, restaurants and accommodations to consider while attending the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship games in the "heart of Canadian hockey".
 
Sportsnet Mobile
Sportsnet Mobile will keep fans plugged into all the latest news, scores and stats from the World Juniors including the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook.