Saskatoon Blades

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Saskatoon Blades
City Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
League Western Hockey League
Conference Eastern
Division East
Founded 1964
Home arena Credit Union Centre
Colours Navy blue, royal blue, silver and white
                   
Owner(s) Canada Mike Priestner
General manager Canada Lorne Molleken
Head coach Canada David Struch
Website
www.saskatoonblades.com

The Saskatoon Blades are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195 seat Credit Union Centre.

History

The Saskatoon Blades were originally founded in 1964 as a team in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and transferred leagues in 1966–67 with the foundation of the Western Hockey League. They are the only team remaining in the league from the WHL's foundation still in their original city (the Regina Pats are also still around, but they dropped out of the WHL to go back to the SJHL from 1968 to 1970). The Blades spent many seasons at the old Saskatoon Arena where they built up a strong fan base and developed many top players. In 1988, they moved to what was then known as Saskatchewan Place (now Credit Union Centre) and hosted the Memorial Cup tournament in May, 1989, where they finished the round robin with a 5–4 victory over the Swift Current Broncos who had a 14 game undefeated streak, which consisted of sweeping through the WHL playoffs and winning their 1st two round robin games. However, the Blades lost in overtime in the Memorial Cup Final to the Broncos. They also lost in the WHL league finals in 1992 and 1994 to the Kamloops Blazers in seven games. The Blades have never won the Ed Chynoweth Cup, and currently have the longest championship drought in the Canadian Hockey League.

The Blades are currently owned by the Brodsky Family. On August 27th 2013, the team was sold to Go Auto owner Mike Priestner for a reported $9 million, pending WHL approval. The Blades have been a huge success at the gate. Throughout their existence, the team has had a fierce rivalry with both the Regina Pats and the Prince Albert Raiders. As many of the players are still in their mid-teens, Marion M. Graham Collegiate plays host to many of the players, due to the short distance.

Before the start of the 2005-06 season, the Blades retired their long-time mascot Helmutt, an anthropomorphic dog whose name was a pun on the helmet, in favor of a mascot that would appeal to younger fans. The Blades introduced Poke Check, a yeti-like creature, at the Blades home opener that season. He has since remained the team's mascot, and also appears at community events throughout Saskatoon.

In the 2008–09 season, the Saskatoon Blades made history by tying a WHL record for most road wins in a single season (28) with the 1999–00 Calgary Hitmen. In that season, the Blades went on to win their first East Division Championship since 1994.

With a 5-3 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, the Blades clinched first place in the Western Hockey League and earned themselves the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the WHL's regular season champion.

Current roster

Updated October 10, 2011.[1]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Drafted
41 Canada Astles, JesseyJessey Astles LW L 20 2012 Coquitlam, British Columbia Undrafted
21 Canada Burns, NathanNathan Burns LW L 20 2012 Edmonton, Alberta Undrafted
30 Canada Timmons, MarkMark Timmons G L 51 1978 Minnedosa, Manitoba Undrafted
44 Canada Dietz, DarrenDarren Dietz (A) D R 20 2010 Medicine Hat, Alberta 2011, Montreal
39 Canada Graham, RyanRyan Graham LW L 17 2012 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2014
18 Canada Harland, LoganLogan Harland C L 18 2012 Frenchman Butte, Saskatchewan Eligbile 2013
11 Canada Kambeitz, AdamAdam Kambeitz LW L 21 2012 Coaldale, Alberta Undrafted
8 Canada Lernout, BrettBrett Lernout D R 18 2012 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2014
1 Russia Makarov, AndreyAndrey Makarov G L 20 2011 Kazan, Russia Undrafted
9 United States McColgan, ShaneShane McColgan C R 21 2012 Manhattan Beach, California 2011, NY Rangers
33 Canada Moodie, AlexAlex Moodie G L 18 2010 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2013
20 Canada Nicholls, JoshJosh Nicholls (A) RW R 21 2007 Tsawwassen, British Columbia 2010, Toronto
55 Canada Nogier, NelsonNelson Nogier D R 17 2012 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2014
2 Canada Pufahl, MatthewMatthew Pufahl D L 20 2012 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Undrafted
16 Canada Revel, MattMatt Revel C R 17 2012 Abbotsford, British Columbia Eligible 2014
4 Canada Schmidt, KyleKyle Schmidt D R 21 2011 Waldheim, Saskatchewan Undrafted
5 Canada Siemens, DuncanDuncan Siemens (A) D L 20 2008 Sherwood Park, Alberta 2011, Colorado
38 Canada Stovin, BrettBrett Stovin RW R 19 2009 Stony Mountain, Manitoba Eligible 2013
14 Czech Republic Stransky, MatejMatej Stransky RW R 20 2010 Ostrava, Czech Republic 2011, Dallas
23 Canada Sutter, LukasLukas Sutter (A) C L 20 2008 St. Louis, Missouri 2012, Winnipeg
47 Canada Thrower, DaltonDalton Thrower D R 20 2008 North Vancouver, British Columbia 2012, Montreal
19 Canada Walker, BrendenBrenden Walker (C) RW R 21 2012 Saint Anne, Manitoba Undrafted
17 Canada Zajac, NickNick Zajac LW L 18 2010 Headingley, Manitoba Eligible 2013

NHL alumni

Bernie Federko is the only former Blade in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Retired numbers

Coaches

Saskatoon Blades Logo 1983/84 - 1992/93
  • Burns McDonald 1964–65
  • George Agar 1964–65 to 1969–70
  • George Senick 1969–70*
  • Jackie McLeod 1970–71 to 1978–79
  • Jerry Engele 1979–80
  • Lorne Frey 1980–81
  • Daryl Lubiniecki 1981–82 to 1983–84
  • Marcel Comeau 1984–85 to 1988–89
  • Terry Ruskowski 1989–90 to 1990–91
  • Lorne Molleken – 1991–92 to 1994–95
  • Donn Clark – 1995–96 to 1997–98
  • Willie Desjardins – 1998*
  • Brad McCrimmon – 1998–99 to 1999–2000
  • Kevin Dickie – 2000–01 to 2003–04
  • Jamie Reeve – 2003–04*
  • Lorne Molleken – 2004–05 to 2012-13
  • Dave Struch – 2013-14 to present

*interim (regular head coach fired, sick or suspended)

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1966–67 56 25 24 7 – 288 271 57 5th Overall Lost quarter-final
1967–68 60 20 31 9 – 260 362 49 7th Overall Lost quarter-final
1968–69 60 24 35 1 – 195 271 49 3rd West Lost quarter-final
1969–70 60 18 41 1 – 202 282 37 4th West Lost quarter-final
1970–71 66 29 36 1 – 295 299 59 3rd West Lost quarter-final
1971–72 68 37 28 3 – 312 258 77 2nd East Lost quarter-final
1972–73 68 46 11 11 – 323 184 103 1st East Lost final
1973–74 68 30 29 9 – 283 272 69 4th East Lost quarter-final
1974–75 70 38 22 10 – 344 244 86 1st East Lost final
1975–76 72 43 19 10 – 390 269 96 1st East Lost final
1976–77 72 30 30 12 – 317 290 72 2nd East Lost preliminary round
1977–78 72 20 50 2 – 340 460 42 4th East Out of playoffs
1978–79 72 26 32 14 – 385 398 66 2nd East Lost East Division final
1979–80 72 27 40 5 – 331 382 59 7th East Out of playoffs
1980–81 72 22 47 3 – 297 427 47 8th East Out of playoffs
1981–82 72 44 26 2 – 450 343 90 3rd East Lost East Division quarter-final
1982–83 72 52 19 1 – 467 303 105 1st East Lost East Division semi-final
1983–84 72 36 36 0 – 347 350 72 7th East Out of playoffs
1984–85 72 29 41 2 – 309 378 60 6th East Lost East Division quarter-final
1985–86 72 38 28 6 – 381 360 82 4th East Lost East Division semi-final
1986–87 72 44 26 2 – 369 282 90 2nd East Lost East Division final
1987–88 72 47 22 3 – 381 294 97 1st East Lost East Division final
1988–89 72 42 28 2 – 366 335 86 2nd East Lost East Division final; Lost Memorial Cup final
1989–90 72 33 34 5 – 325 354 71 4th East Lost East Division semi-final
1990–91 72 29 41 2 – 309 363 60 7th East Out of playoffs
1991–92 72 38 29 5 – 315 260 81 3rd East Lost final
1992–93 72 42 27 3 – 311 236 87 3rd East Lost East Division semi-final
1993–94 72 49 22 1 – 326 229 99 1st East Lost final
1994–95 72 41 23 8 – 324 254 90 3rd East Lost East Division semi-final
1995–96 72 29 42 1 – 314 351 59 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1996–97 72 18 48 6 – 227 344 42 6th East Out of playoffs
1997–98 72 25 39 8 – 263 327 58 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1998–99 72 16 49 7 – 184 291 39 6th East Out of playoffs
1999–00 72 34 27 8 3 216 223 79 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2000–01 72 19 43 5 5 193 265 48 5th East Out of playoffs
2001–02 72 27 37 5 3 216 257 62 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2002–03 72 40 27 5 0 234 205 85 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2003–04 72 7 52 11 2 140 279 27 5th East Out of playoffs
2004–05 72 37 23 6 6 234 215 86 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 41 25 2 4 232 217 88 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2006–07 72 27 41 2 2 174 231 58 6th East Out of playoffs
2007–08 72 29 34 3 6 182 229 67 5th East Out of playoffs
2008–09 72 49 18 3 2 283 195 103 1st East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2009–10 72 46 19 3 4 258 227 99 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2010–11 72 56 13 1 2 310 213 115 1st East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2011–12 72 40 29 1 2 268 250 83 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2012–13 72 44 22 2 4 280 221 94 1st East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final; Lost Memorial Cup tie-break game

WHL Championship history

Team records

Team records for a single season
StatisticTotalSeason
Most points1152010-11
Most wins562010-11
Most road wins (Tied WHL record)282008–09
Most home wins 32 2010-11
Most goals for4611982–83
Least goals for1402003–04
Least goals against1841972–73
Most goals against4601977–78
Individual player records for a single season
StatisticPlayerTotalSeason
Most goalsFrank Banham831995–96
Most assistsBruce Eakin1251981–82
Most pointsBernie Federko1871975–76
Most points, rookieLane Lambert1141981–82
Most points, defencemanPat Price951973–74
Best GAA (goalie)Ed Humphreys2.571972–73
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Blades Roster". Retrieved 2011-10-12. 

External links

The Franchise
  • History
  • Records
  • Players
  • Staff
Arenas
Conference Championships
Division Championships
East
1972–73
1974–75
1975–76
1982–83
1987–88
1993–94
2008–09
2010–11
2012–13
Retired numbers
  • Category
  • Portal
  • Project
Sports teams based in Saskatchewan
Baseball
Football
Hockey
Lacrosse
Rugby union
NWL:
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  • Saskatoon Wild
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