Wolves 3 Canucks 2

DAWSON CREEK, BC -- It was a sight all too familiar Saturday night as the Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks gave up another multi-goal lead in the final half of the game.

Slave Lake drove into Dawson Creek with just 11 players on the roster, much the same as the Canucks did last weekend.

The Canucks came out hard in the first and on an early power play Lorne Weaver (5) opened the scoring. The goal 57 seconds in was set up by Jason Higson and John Howes. Another power play just past the midway point from Lucas MacKenzie (5) would give the home side a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

The Wolves cut into the lead midway through the second period on the power play. Tylor Couch deflected a Colter Tkach point shot past Canucks' goaltender Cody Garnett to make the game 2-1. Less than five minutes later Alexander MacIsaac tied the game at 2 after capitalizing on a defensive zone turnover by the Canucks.

It just wasn't the Canucks' night as they had plenty of scoring chances in the third but at the 9:16 mark we had our Safeway turning point. Tyson Price found Chad Paulsen in the slot and the Wolves' defenceman put a quick shot upstairs to give the visitors the lead.

Down 3-2 with 2:23 to play, Canucks' forward John Howes put a shot from the slot off the cross-bar and out of play. It was a close as the Canucks would come as Slave Lake would hold on for the 3-2 win.

Defenceman Tyson Stefanyk left the game after the 1st period and did not return.

Dawson Creek went 2 for 6 on the power play and the penalty kill was successful 10 of 11 times.

Brass Scissors three stars: 1) Alexander MacIsaac 2) Lucas MacKenzie 3) Travis Chartier. Hardest working Canuck: Justin McLeod.

With the loss the Canucks fail to gain any ground on the 2nd place Fort St John Huskies who lost 3-1 Saturday night in Whitecourt.

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I won't be checking in anytime tomorrow, it's Super Bowl Sunday. I'm pulling for the Cards.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

dd

Game Day Blogging

DAWSON CREEK -- I woke up this morning at the George Dawson to beautiful sunny skies over Dawson Creek. That was the view from my hotel room anyway. When I went out for a walk I was greeted with winds gusting over 70 km/h. Brutal.
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Big news for the Canucks and Canuck fans. Charles Radke has temporarily left the club to attend school in the lower mainland. Chuck left early this morning and will not be in the line-up tonight against Slave Lake.

The fact is that this is a working mans league and the boys need their education. The good news is that school will last three weeks and Radke will be joining the team in the post season. Good luck Charles and hurry back.

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I'm getting a little choked up watching Hockey Night in Canada's coverage of the Leaf's game. They're honouring one of the greats, Doug Gilmour, tonight. 'Killer,' as he was called, was truly a treat to watch and I'm glad, if only for a short time, that I watched him play on TV.

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Tonight's game should be a dandy; you can expect a battle.

Head down to the memorial tonight or tune in to the broadcast. Puck drops at 8:00pm MST on Peace FM (DGS Astro Paving pre-game show at 7:45pm MST).

dd

Canucks' Game Day

DAWSON CREEK, BC -- The Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks (18-10-2) will look to keep pace in the battle for 2nd place in the NWJHL when they entertain the Slave Lake Wolves (7-21-1) at the Memorial tonight (8:00pm MST on Peace FM 94.5/104.1FM).

The Canucks trail Fort St John by 5 points after the Huskies defeated Grande Prairie last night 3-1. Dawson Creek also needs to keep an eye on Peace River who are still in the picture after a victory over Beaverlodge Friday night.

Last action:
The Jr. Canucks were on the road for a pair of games last weekend and managed a split with a very short bench.

Friday night with 11 skaters the team drove into Whitecourt and played a very defensive game but still ended up on the wrong side of a 5-0 game. The following night the Canucks rebounded in a big way. With only 10 skaters, Charles Radke put the team on his back with his 4 goal night paving the way for a 6-1 Canucks' victory. Colter MacLean and Carl Dahlen each picked up a goal and 3 assists in the victory.

Head to head:
The Canucks are a perfect 3-0 against the Wolves thus far with two meetings left before the regular season is through. Last Saturday night we saw things heat up with some rough and even dirty play at times. There are two meetings left in the season and a possible first round playoff series ahead so I don't see things settling down anytime soon.

Oct 4 @ Dawson Creek: Canucks W5-4
Oct 25 @ Slave Lake: Canucks W7-1
Jan 24 @ Slave Lake: Canucks W6-1
Tonight @ Dawson Creek
Feb 7 @ Dawson Creek

Leaders:
Goals: Radke 28
Assists: Radke 27
Points: Radke 55
PPG: Radke 9
SHG: MacLean 3
GWG: Smith/Radke 3
GAA: York 3.53
Wins: Garnett 13
Min: Garnet 1206

Who's hot:
*Charles Radke has been on fire in January. In seven games the sniper had 16 points (10g 6a).
*Colter MacLean and Carl Dahlen are each coming off 4 point nights.
*Goaltender Cody Garnett has been tough to beat lately only allowing 2 goals in his past 2 games.

Milesones:
*With his four goal night, Charles Radke is now 2 away from 30 on the season.
*Colter MacLean has reached the 20 goal plateau and is 5 points away from 50 on the season.
*Sniper Jason Higson sits at 19 goals on the season looking to join the 20 goal group.
*Carl Dahlen and Ryan Walker are each 2 goals away from 10 on the season.

NWJHL Playoff Race Heats Up

With all 8 teams in the NWJHL making the playoffs the real race is for positioning and home ice advantage. If the playoffs were to start today here would be the match-ups:



(1) Whitecourt vs (8) Sexsmith

(2) Fort St John vs (7) Slave Lake

(3) Dawson Creek vs (6) Beaverlodge

(4) Peace River vs (5) Grande Prairie



The series that most teams want to avoid is the 4 vs 5 series. The top 5 teams have pretty much been set (unless Beaverlodge runs the table and wins all remaining games) and that 4 vs 5 series looks to be the toughest one thus, making the top 3 positions very valuable.



Here is what we know:

• Whitecourt will finish in 1st place.


• Barring some sort of miracle the bottom three positions will not change.

Spots 2 through 5 are wide open. We could possibly see the Wheelers in 2nd place by the time the regular season is over and the schedule works in their favour. The teams with the easiest schedules are probably Dawson Creek and Peace River. The toughest schedule falls on Fort St John.

Here is a look at each team's remaining games:

Fort St John - 41 points and in 2nd place.

A narrow 4-3 victory over Beaverlodge is HUGE at this point in the season, especially with the schedule that the Huskies have. Here is there remaining games:

Friday @ Grande Prairie

Saturday @ Whitecourt

Feb. 7 @ Grande Prairie

Feb. 13 @ Peace River

Feb 14 vs Whitecourt
Feb 15 vs Whitecourt

The schedule makers were rough on Fort St John that's for sure. Three of their last 6 are against the Wolverines and that will no doubt bring up some bad blood. The games with Grande Prairie are make or break. The Huskies need 8 points to clinch 2nd place and are on a roll winning 5 straight.

Dawson Creek - 38 points and in 3rd place

Saturday vs Slave Lake

Feb 7 vs Slave Lake

Feb 8 @ Peace River

Feb 13 vs Grande Prairie

Feb 14 vs Peace River

The Schedule for the Canucks will start off pretty easy with a pair against Slave Lake before the final three games which should be interesting. The advantage for Dawson Creek is 4 of their last 5 are at home.

Peace River - 35 points and in 4th place

Friday @ Beaverlodge

Feb 6 @ Sexsmith

Feb 7 vs Beaverlodge

Feb 8 vs Dawson Creek

Feb 13 vs Fort St John

Feb 14 @ Dawson Creek

Again the final three games for Peace River will be the deciding ones. The playoff race is indeed going to be very close but the Navs will need to turn things around in a hurry.

Grande Prairie - 33 points and in 5th place

Friday vs Fort St John

Feb 5 vs Whitecourt

Feb 7 vs Fort St John

Feb 8 vs Slave Lake

Feb 13 @ Dawson Creek

Feb 14 @ Beaverlodge

At most 2 games can be called slam dunks but for the most part this is a tough schedule for the Wheelers. The good news is they have a good opportunity to control their own fate. If the Wheelers can beat the Huskies twice they'll have a shot at 2nd.

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Here's what I'm thinking:

• The Huskies have it tough.
• The most important games down the stretch are a pair between Fort St John and Grande Prairie.
• The Wheelers won't pick up more than 8 points but won't catch FSJ.
• Peace River will pick up at least 6 points, after that it's wide open.
• Dawson Creek will pick up at 6 points and no more than 8.
• The Huskies may pick up 4 points. I think if they do they will hang onto 2nd place.

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This weekend will answer a lot of questions and we'll check in on Monday and see what direction things are going.

Head to the rink and enjoy some great NWJHL hockey this weekend!

dd

Rise and Shine!

So for the longest time I was actually thinking about staying up for the Roddick/Federer semi-final match at the Australian Open. That was when I couldn't get to sleep but before long I was out. The match started at 1:30am MST and that just wasn't going to work for me. Federer ended up winning the match as he has done many times in the past over Andy Roddick. Federer has a 16-2 lifetime record against Roddick. Ouch!

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The forecast for Tampa Bay on Sunday is calling for sunshine and temperatures around 67 degrees Fahrenheit. That's roughly 20 degrees Celsius. I'd say that's pretty ideal for a football game. I'm not complaining though, it was +10 not that long ago.

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The Peace River Navigators dropped another game last night but not for lack of effort. A 4-3 loss to Whitecourt was their fifth in six games. Things are really tightening up down the stretch.

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I'm really looking forward to this weekend. The Canucks' are hosting their 5th Annual Players Auction and Dinner on Friday and then they host the Slave Lake Wolves on Saturday.

I've been asked to emcee the night which should be a lot of fun. I'm never sure what to say when I do these types of things but somehow in the end something always comes to mind.

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I'm watching the Roddick/Federer match as I type this and there was a controversial call in the first set that went the way of Federer. Roddick was not pleased and told the judge to (viewer discretion is advised) quote: "have some sack."

Roddick just doesn't have it against Federer. There have been some bright spots in his game but that's about it.

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Stay tuned as I breakdown the playoff race in the NWJHL.

Have a great day!

Power Rankings

They're back! Here is the power rankings heading into tonight's game between Peace River and Whitecourt.

1. Whitecourt Wolverines (26-3-0)
2. Fort St John Huskies (20-8-1)
3. Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks (18-10-2)
4. Grande Prairie Wheelers (15-11-3)
5. Beaverlodge Blades (11-17-2)
6. Peace River Navigators (16-10-1)
7. Slave Lake Wolves (7-21-1)
8. Sexsmith Vipers (3-26-0)

Some observations:

• The Huskies are hot with 5 straight W's. I really wish I could be in FSJ on Saturday night to watch them play the Wolverines. Should be a good game.
• You can't possibly argue with #1. The record speaks for itself and they have won 11 straight.
• Dawson Creek needs to ice a full line-up down the stretch if they want to stay in the top 3 and challenge the Huskies for 2nd place. This past weekend was tough.
• The Wheelers are even with the Nav's with 33 points and can even catch the Canucks with some solid play down the stretch. The game with FSJ this weekend is a big one.
• The Navigators are slipping, and at the wrong time. Just one win in their last 5 games has them below the Blades who are winners in 2 of 3.
• The bottom two are pretty self explanatory.

Paige Wards wins Battle of the Border’s X-Treme Queen for a Day Contest in Dawson Creek!

CALGARY, ALBERTA – Dawson Creek resident, Paige Wards has won the EnCana-sponsored Battle of the Border’s X-Treme Queen for a Day contest. Paige will spend the day with top Olympic players from Calgary’s Oval X-Treme team when they pull into Dawson Creek to play hockey against the US Selects on Monday, February 9, 2009. Runner-up, Becky Chute will spend the day with the US Selects team.

Both the X-Treme and Selects Queen are in for an action-packed day. Each of the two lucky young women will have the opportunity to attend a ‘Meet Your Heroes’ lunch with the players, including two-time Olympic Gold medalist Colleen Sostorics. She will also have the chance to travel to the game on the team bus; visit the player’s dressing room prior to the game; and participate in the ceremonial face-off. At the game, the winners will receive VIP seating for herself and three of her friends. In addition, she will be presented with a souvenir package. Our Dawson Creek queens were randomly selected from online entries to the X-Treme and US Select Queen for a Day contest at www.battleoftheborder.com.

The Battle of the Border annual hockey tournament raises money for local organizations while bringing Olympic-calibre hockey to communities in EnCana’s operating areas.

EnCana matches monies raised through the tournament’s ticket, program, 50/50 and merchandise sales. In the first four years of the tournament, more than $350,000 has been raised to benefit minor hockey and family-related organizations in 18 communities in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
February 9 – Dawson Creek, BC
February 11 – Wabasca, AB
February 13 – Stettler, AB
February 14 – Shaunavon, SK

Proceeds from this event will go to Dawson Creek Minor Hockey and the Ark Christian Youth Centre. The Battle of the Border also provides opportunities to involve local youth in the event. Players will be available for an autograph session and will visit students at: Centre Middle School and South Peace Senior Secondary School.

For more information visit www.battleoftheborder.ca.

Tuesday morning blogging

I'm workin on three hours of sleep today but I'm not complaining, Tuesday's are always this way. My Monday evenings usually consist of Sportsline followed by an episode of 24 which doesn't always mean a lot of sleep. Who cares? All the adrenaline pumping action is worth it.

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Sportsline went off without a hitch last night so thanks to Max and Jacob once again. Next week we're giving away a Battle of the Boarder prize pack.

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I've been watching bits and pieces of the Australian Open and last night stayed up to watch the Andy Roddick - Novak Djokovic match (another reason for the lack of sleep).

I'm pulling for Roddick as he is long overdue.

Djokovic was just drained from the heat, as it was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and ended up retiring in the fourth set.

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If you check out the video player on TSN.ca, look up the Super Bowl. They were running a video yesterday in which animals predicted the outcome of the game. They had bears and apes picking jerseys and eating out of food dishes with team logos. It was definitely entertaining and I think it was unanimous towards the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Your social life is going to get a lot hotter a lot sooner than you anticipated!

That's my horoscope this morning.

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That's all my brain can come up with this morning.

Have a great day!

dd

Canucks 6 Wolves 1

SLAVE LAKE, AB -- With just 10 skaters on the bench the Dawson Creek Jr Canucks put in a solid performance on Saturday night en route to a 6-1 romp over the Slave Lake Wolves.

Slave Lake had the lead briefly in the opening period but it was Charles Radke who answered back just 46 seconds later with a blast from the high slot. It marked the start for a big night for the Canuck sniper who was sporting a full facemask after taking a high stick in the mouth the night before which resulted in two stitches. The Canucks never looked back after that and scored five straight en route to a 6-1 win.

Following his first of the night, Radke proceeded to score the next two of the game to complete the natural hat trick. The Canucks' leading scorer wasn't finished and added his fourth goal and a helper before the game was through. Colter McLean and Carl Dahlen each added singles and picked up three assists a piece.

Cody Garnett was in goal for the Canucks and stopped 18 of 19 shots. Dawson Creek went 3 for 6 with the extra man while the penalty kill was perfect on the night.

Brass Scissors three stars: 1) Radke 2) Dahlen 3) McLean. Hardest working Canuck: Lorne Weaver.

"We're happy with the weekend," exclaimed Canucks' coach Duncan Redfearn. "(We were) short players for both games actually and we managed to pull two points out of the four so we're happy with that. (We're) a little rough and a little tired but in the end two points is nice."

The Canucks will see the Wolves twice more before the season is finished.

SLAVE LAKE AB -- The Dawson Creek Jr Canucks are on the road in Slave Lake today and will play the Wolves tonight. We're hoping to see a few more bodies in the line up tonight but we won't know until close to game time. Of course that means you'll have to listen to the broadcast to find out.

Here are some observations today:

I'm watching some kind of European race and these guys are cutting corners across the grass and taking short cuts. It's ridiculous but pretty good to watch.

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The issue on fighting in hockey has a little more fuel today after Philadelphia Phantoms forward Garrett Klotz left the ice on a stretcher Friday after a viscous fight with Kevin Westgarth of Manchester. The fight ended with Klotz suffering from a seizure.

Klotz was immediately taken to a hospital, where it was revealed he suffered lacerations but no fractures to his face. He was fully responsive and alert while being treated.

This comes not long after Phoenix Coyotes forward Daniel Carcillo hit his head during a fight in a game against Edmonton.

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Charles Radke took a high stick from Wolverines captain Ryan Hore early in last night's game. The Canucks' leading scorer left the game and didn't return. There was a lot of blood on the ice and when Radke returned to the arena with about 5 minutes to play he was sporting 2 stitches and a real fat lip.

We'll see if he plays tonight. Maybe he'll just chuck on the cage but I don't see it. Chuck's tough and I think he'll play with the visor as normal.

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The boys from Slave Lake looked pretty good in the NWJHL all star game last weekend and found the score sheet. They were playing with some very good talent around them but we'll see how they play tonight.

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Most of the guys are spending the afternoon sleeping. Me? I turned a few more pages in Martin Brodeur's book. He really doesn't like Patrick Roy. I'm hooked and it's a great read.

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The long ride up to Whitecourt provided a chance to knock off two movies from my 'to see' list.

I had previously seen 'My best friends girl' so I can't count that. We also watched 'the express' and 'Max Payne'. Two movies that I have wanted to see for a while. I was in and out of Max Payne and will have to watch it over to give it a good review but the express was awesome.

Some of the guys rented Lakeview Terrace with Samuel L. Jackson. I have been wanting to watch it but joined them halfway though and that just doesn't work for me.

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I should really get a little motivated and finished some last minute prep. We'll give you the full updates tonight during the broadcast. Remember the pre-game show at 7:45pm MST and the pxp at 8:00pm MST on Peace FM.

Have a great day

Wolverines 5 Canucks 0

WHITECOURT, AB -- 13 players boarded the bus Friday afternoon for Whitecourt and two of them were goalies. As a result of the short bench, the Dawson Creek Jr Canucks had a tough time against the power house Wolverines.

A defensive style game was the plan as the Canucks were trying to compensate for the lack of man power. It worked pretty well too but at 7:04 of the opening period Mitch Rose broke down the right wing side and fired a writs shot that beat Canucks' goaltender Tyson York on the far side.

Dawson Creek was minus Reid Smith, Lucas MacKenzie, Justin McLeod, Evan Weaver, Tyson Keen, Tyson Stefanyk, Jordy Weatherill, Alex Hornland and Gerritt Lacey.

Dawson Creek kept things close and the score remained 1-0 until just past the midway point of the hockey game. Tyler Stubbs provided our Safeway Turning point making the game 2-0 and Whitecourt never looked back. Three goals from TJ Short finished the scoring making the final 5-0 in favour of the home team.

The Canucks went 0 for 2 with the power play while the penalty kill was a perfect 6 for 6.

Brass Scissors three stars: 1) Short 2) Stubbs 3) Bomben.
Hardest working Canuck: Colter McLean.

Local Hockey

The NE BC & Yukon Tracker-Flyers midget hockey team have a home and home with Grande Prairie this weekend. Tomorrow the two teams will play in Fort St John and on Sunday they will be in Grande Prairie.

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The Chetwynd Spectra Energy Pee Wee Rep Hockey Tournament is taking place this weekend. Games start tomorrow morning with Chetwynd taking on Fort Nelson at 9:30. The championship game goes Sunday at 2pm.

Chetwynd Game times:
Saturday
Chetwynd vs Fort Nelson 9:30am
puck toss - 1:30pm
Prince George 4:45pm

Sunday
Grande Prairie - 9:30am
Semi Final - 11:45am
Championship 2:00pm

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A couple of games this weekend for the Dawson Creek Pee Wee Recreational team. They will be on the road tomorrow taking on Mega and on Sunday taking on Pembina.

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The Dawson Creek Pee Wee rep team is at home tomorrow afternoon at the Kin arena. They will host the Grande Prairie AA team at 2:30pm.

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The Dawson Co-op Petroleum atom Canucks are at home tomorrow against Peace River at noon in the Kin arena and on the road in Grande Prairie on Sunday.

5 Tracker-Flyers Selected to All Star Game

The teams have been announced for the RAMHL (Tier-one Midget) all-star game, taking place in Bonnyville, Alberta, on January 31st.

Representing the NEBC and Yukon Tracker-Flyers, for team North, will be:

-defensemen Jordan Walters and Cody Poggenpohl
-forwards Jordie Cool and Robbie Sidue-Goaltender Kris Drott.

For complete rosters or more info on the weekend, visit http://www.ramhl.com.

All Star Photos

It was warm and everything was melting on Saturday in Whitecourt.

Jr. Canuck All Stars (fr. L to R) Charles Radke, Gody Garnett, Jason Higson, Nathan Bomben, Colter McLean and Reid Smith.

Bomben and McLean during the All Star banquet.

Team West.

Team's East and West following the 2009 NWJHL All Star game.

Monday morning

What a weekend! It was great to be able to take in the NWJHL all star game in Whitecourt on Saturday. The entire day was a ton of fun and there is so much to talk about. I've also got a few pictures that I'll post sometime soon.

Working on the broadcast was a ton of fun. I was down behind the glass providing the color commentary and the inside look into the game. I also got to hop onto each bench at times during the game which was a blast and provided some really good incite and comments.

If you check out Dave Dawson's blog (you can find it on my blog list) he has a game summary and results from the skills competition.

The skills competition was so much fun. I worked along side Landon Kelly (former voice of the Wolverines) and that was a treat. I think we did a pretty good job working alongside one another.

What was my highlight of the all star day? Definitely during the game when Team West started the blades of steel celebrations. For those of you who remember, in the video game on the original Nintendo system when a goal was scored the players would turn and put there sticks in both hands and raise them over their heads. It was so funny and the entire bench was having a blast with it.

I don't understand the gift to the president. Wolverines coach Joey Bouchard was presenting the president of the league a little something and described it as being from all of the teams in the north west jr hockey league. It was a Whitecourt Wolverines jacket and hat. I doubt that was from any other teams in the NWJHL.

I wasn't sure how players from different teams would interact with each other. Dawson Creek played Beaverlodge the night before in a game that had a few fights and then rode the bus to Whitecourt with them. It went pretty well I think. Then players from DC and FSJ on the same team. That actually worked well and they had a ton of fun. Great to see.

What I found out from being on the benches was that Team East was 'intense' and down to business while Team West was all about having fun and smiling. I think one team had more fun while one team played better hockey. I think you can figure out which was which.

All in all it was a great time and I'll try to post a little more as the week progresses.

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Sportsline tonight on Peace FM: 6:05pm MST. I'm working on lining up some guests. Hoping to get Jason Higson and Duncan Redfearn on the program. Tune in for some all-star talk along with Jacob Zehr's look into the UFC and UFC 93 from the weekend.

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I'll talk to you on sportsline tonight. Have a great day.

dd

On the Road

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DAWSON CREEK AND WHITECOUT -- Well it's on the bus and on the road for the long ride to Whitecourt, AB today for th NWJHL all star game. The skills competition will start around 1:30pm MST and the game will be tonight at 8:30pm MST. Peace FM will pick up the coverage of the game on 94/5/104.5 and www.peacefm.ca.

This should be a alot of fun tonight and I'm really looking forward to it. The broadcast is going to be great. I'll be on the ice level giving fans the inside into the game while Dave Dawson provides the play-by-play. Exciting.

Well it's early and time to catch a few winks. See ya tonight!

dd

Canucks 5 Blades 1

DAWSON CREEK -- Five different Canucks scored on Friday night as the team snapped a mini two game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Beaverlodge Blades.

Dawson Creek was looking to rebound after giving up 5 straight goals in a 5-3 loss to Whitecourt two nights earlier. The Canucks were also looking to avenge a 6-5 loss to Beaverlodge last Saturday night.

Tyson York was in goal as Cody Garnett was given a rare night off. Dawson Creek was also without Reid Smith who was serving a one game suspension and Carl Dahlen who was out of town.

John Howes opened the scoring at 7:14 of the first period when he pulled the puck from behind the net and put a backhand shot past Sheldon Longsdon. Dawson Creek continued to pressure and made it 2-0 when Justin McLeod scored on a great shorthanded effort. McLeod blew past the defender wide and pulled the puck right across the crease before scoring the goal. A power play goal from Aaron Dumas cut the lead to one before the period was out.

Goals from Jason Higson (Safeway turning point) and Charles Radke in the second had the Canucks up 4-1 after two and in the third they finished off the scoring. A Lewis Weaver shot went off the visor of Evan Weaver and into the back of the net to make the final score 5-1.

A few fights in the game with the most entertaining being Tyson Keen and Bobby Horseman. Give Keener the decision hands down. I was waiting to see if anyone would fight Jamie Robinson and it was John Howes who answered the call. Not much of a fight however.

Dawson Creek went 0 for 3 on the power play while the penalty kill was 9 for 10.

Brass Scissors three stars: 1) Justin McLeod 2) Tyson York 3) Jason Higson. Hardest working Canuck: Blaine Rodgers.

Thursday blogging

It was +2 this morning when I woke up at the George Dawson Inn and this afternoon it has climbed to +7 on the thermometer. I'm really enjoying this and it seems like it will last for the rest of the week/weekend.

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The game last night was a tough pill to swallow. On one hand the Canucks came out very hard and really took it to the Wolverines for roughly 31 minutes. After that, well I think you know the rest. Five straight goals from the visitors really sunk the boys and they couldn't recover.

I think that Whitecourt is a beatable team but it will definitely take 60 minutes. Last night proved that teams in this league can play with the Wolverines and Dawson Creek can be successful. That is a really good sign.

Reid Smith and Charles Radke played phenomenal last night. Smith set up the goal from Canuck captain Tyson Keen on a beautiful pass from the side boards. Radke was tough to contain all night and I can't wait to see these two play in this Saturday's all star game.

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The quote of the night goes to a gentleman I met in the lobby.

I was in line with Megan as she was purchasing her hot chocolate and this gentleman says to me "you must be from the Yukon making her pay for it. That's how they do it up there in the Yukon."

Apparently they make the women pay in the Yukon. I wouldn't know but doesn't that sound like a good idea? All joking aside there was another candidate for quote of the night.

Another great quote from Wednesday night:

"There isn't enough money in this town to pay for one of my sticks." -Wolverines' Rod Lavoie to the Dawson Creek fans after losing his stick in a scrum late in the third period.

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I'm a little disappointed in Brandon Anderson of the Wolverines although I don't blame him. Late in the game Reid Smith was looking to drop the mitts and Anderson politely declined the invitation after Smith had dropped the mitts.

Anderson wasn't looking to fight or to get involved with anything late in the game and that's fine. I was just hoping to see two big boys go at it. Purely for an entertainment purpose.

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More information on the all star game in a bit and a little more to add. For now, enjoy this wonderful weather!

dd

Wolverines 5 Canucks 3

DAWSON CREEK -- Five unanswered goals from the Whitecourt Wolverines sunk the Dawson Creek Jr Canucks on Wednesday night.

In the fourth meeting between the two clubs this season, Dawson Creek came out hard and got on the board first. Charles Radke (23) tipped a Tyson Stefanyk pass into the back of the Whitecourt net just 1:32 into the game to give Dawson Creek a 1-0 lead.

The lead was extended early in the second. Reid Smith made an absolutely beautiful pass across the ice to a pinching Tyson Keen (5) who fired the puck behind Wolverines' goaltender Ryan Demharter at the 1:58 mark. Dawson Creek continued their dominance and took a three goal lead with a power play goal at 11:02 of the second. A miscue from the Wolverines defence resulted in John Howes' 6th of the season.

At that moment the road team turned it on. Rod Lavoie scored his first of the game 25 seconds later which provided the game's Safeway turning point. Goals from Wayne Quaife (PP) and Jeff Chalifoux had the game tied 3-3 after 40 minutes.

Giving up a three goal lead in the final 8:33 of the second seemed to take the wind out of the Canucks' sails. Lavoie blasted the eventual game winning goal past Cody Garnett at the 4:32 mark of the third and Brandon Anderson provided some insurance at 17:13 to make the final score 5-3 in favour of the Whitecourt Wolverines.

The Canucks power play went 1 for 5 on the night while the penalty kill was 4 for 6.

Brass Scissors three stars: 1) Lavoie 2) Radke 3) Reid Smith.
Hardest working Canuck: John Howes.

Next up for the Canucks will be a Friday night match-up with the Beaverlodge Blades. The Blades beat the Canucks 6-5 on Saturday January 10th and Dawson Creek will be looking to redeem themselves. Catch the game live on Peace FM 94.5/104.1 and www.peacefm.ca starting with the pregame show at 7:45pm MST.

Apologies

I have to apologize for the lack of updating over the past few days. I won't even try to explain myself so on we move with the blogging.

Today is absolutely HUGE for the Canucks. Tonight the Dawson Creek Jr Canucks (16-8-2) will play host to the first place Whitecourt Wolverines (21-3-0) 8:00pm MST at the Memorial arena and on Peace FM 94.5/104.1 and www.peacefm.ca.

The Canucks hope to have a full roster for tonight's game and it would be the first time they would be able to have a full roster since probably the last time Whitecourt was in town. If you remember back to that game, the Canucks held a 4-2 lead heading into the third but the Wolverines came back to get the win.

The boys should be fire up tonight after the way the game ended Saturday in Beaverlodge. Here's hoping that Gerrett Lacey has a full and speedy recovery. With permission, I'll post the photo in days ahead.

There has been so much going on and so much to blog about and hopefully I will get to that tomorrow for ya but right now there is work to be done.

See you at the rink!

dd

Game Day

The Dawson Creek Jr Canucks are on the road looking for win number 3 of the new year. The destination tonight is Beaverlodge where the Blades are coming off a loss to the Whitecourt Wolverines a night ago.

It's been a pretty uneventful day as most of it was spent watching the Titan's game which I now have to leave in the second half.

Should be a good one tonight. I will appoligize in advance as we are running off the cell phone system again tonight so the quality will suffer. The game will still be good I'm sure though.

Game time 8:00pm.

Canucks 9 Vipers 4

SEXSMITH, AB -- A four point night from Colter McLean and a Jason Higson hat trick help the Canucks earn their second straight win to start 2009.

Colter McLean had a goal and three helpers as the Canucks beat the hometown Sexsmith Vipers 9-4 Friday night. In the 5th and final meeting between the two teams this season, Dawson Creek got on the board first. It was the first time in the season series in which the Vipers hadn't got the games first goal.

Charles Radke also had a strong night with a pair of goals and an assist and Jason Higson continued his hot play with a three goal night.

The Canucks will look to win their third straight game Saturday night when they travel to Beaverlodge.

Friday ramblings

The ramblings are a little short today as it is a very busy Friday.

The Dawson Creek Jr Canucks (15-7-2) are on the road tonight to take on the Sexsmith Vipers (3-20-0) for the second straight game (7:45pm PST Peace FM 94.5/104.1).

The two teams met on January 3rd for the first game in 2009 with the Canucks winning 8-5. At one point in that game Dawson Creek held a 7-2 lead before three straight Viper goals. I'm eager to see how the Vipers come out this time around. They have scored first in all four meetings but only have one win.

Catch the game tonight live on Peace FM starting at 7:45pm PST with the pre-game show.

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We'll have the names of the seven Jr Canucks who will be taking part in this years all star game in Whitecourt, AB on January 17th. The Canucks' coaching staff will be behind the bench for the west team and Dawson Creek will be well represented. I hope to have some interviews surrounding that information.

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Did you hear this story:

The head coach of Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, Wayne Fleming, was fired on Thursday from the team during the second intermission of a game in which the team was losing 1-0.

Fleming found out he was fired by the club during the intermission and assistant Igor Nikitin took over. The team came back and won 2-1 in overtime.

I've never seen, or heard, of anything even close to this before. I think Fleming should be happy to be finished with an organization that would pull that kind of stunt. Brutal.

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The Encana Events Centre is host to a Sr AAA hockey series this weekend. The Fort St John Flyers will take on the Stony Plain Eagles for a pair of games as teams get set for the run to the Allan Cup later in the year.

Games will be Saturday night at 8:00pm and Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm.

Fort St John is the only Sr AAA hockey team in BC and thus, have an automatic berth in the Mackenzie Cup against the winner of Alberta. That winner could very well be Stony Plain, which makes this series that much more interesting. The Bentley Generals are also a heavyweight when it comes to Sr hockey in Alberta.

I'll be able to check out the game on Sunday afternoon and I'm looking forward to it.
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Here's the local hockey schedule for the weekend:

Friday:
DC Jr Canucks @ Sexsmith 8:00pm

Saturday:
DC Jr Canucks @ Beaverlodge 8:00pm
Dawson Co-op Petroleum atom canucks @ Peace River 10:45am
Dawson Creek PeeWee Rep vs Grande Prairie A 12:45pm (Memorial arena)
DC PeeWee Recreational vs AON 11:00am
Sr AAA Series: Fort St John Flyers vs Stony Plain Eagles 8:00pm (Encana Events Centre)
NEBC & Yukon Flyers vs Peace River 8:00pm (Memorial arena)

Sunday:
Dawson Co-op Petroleum atom canucks @ Peace River 1:00pm
Dawson Creek PeeWee Rep @ Grande Prairie (A) 1:00pm
Sr AAA Series: Fort St John Flyers vs Stony Plain Eagles 2:00pm (Encana Events Centre)

If you have anything to add just fire me an e-mail: news@peacefm.ca.

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Mix all that hockey in with some NFL this weekend and it's perfect for the couch potato. I had said that I wanted to start doing NFL picks for the remainder of the post season so here they are:

Saturday
Baltimore @ Tennessee
Pick: TITANS

Arizona @ Carolina
Pick: PANTHERS

Sunday
San Diego @ Pittsburgh
Pick: STEELERS

Philadelphia @ New York
Pick: EAGLES

I would have gone a little deeper as to why but time is pretty tight.

I'll see if I can find time to update this afternoon but it's looking pretty slim. One thing you can expect is the power rankings.

Until then, enjoy the day.

dd

Canucks' bench boss to coach all star game

DAWSON CREEK -- The Dawson Creek Jr Canucks will be well represented at this year's NWJHL all star game in Whitecourt, AB.

The team has been awarded for their play in the first half of the season and will send seven players and the coaching staff to represent team west in the game on January 17th.

"(I'm) really excited about this honour," commented Redfearn. "We didn't expect, earlier in the season, that we'd be (in this position) but we're very excited about it and it's a chance to represent our division. It's pretty exciting and we're looking forward to it."

Information on the seven players the Canucks' will send will be released in the next day or so. I think there will be some tough decisions to make.

Duncan Redfearn to coach West All Stars

The 'West' team is made up of players from Dawson Creek, Fort St John, Sexsmith and Beaverlodge while the 'East' is from Whitecourt, Slave Lake, Grande Prairie and Peace River.

The game will be played on January 17th in Whitecourt, AB. I will be in attendance and providing color commentary for XM105's Dave Dawson. We hope to get the feed on Peace FM.

I'll dig a little deeper into this tomorrow to find out who will represent the Canucks. For now, it's time to check out the Vancouver Canucks and Mats Sundin's first game.

Game On! Tickets on sale for Battle of the Border in Dawson Creek

DAWSON CREEK, BC - Game on! Tickets will go on sale Friday, January 9th for the 2009 Battle of the Border women's hockey game in Dawson Creek. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the Tiger Box Office Plus in the EnCana Events Centre, Dawson Co-op High Performance Ticket Outlet, as well as online at www.dawsonco-optickets.com or by phone at 1-877-339-8499 (TIXX).

Calgary's Oval X-Treme women's hockey team will play the US Selects in the opening game of the tournament on Monday, February 9, 2009 at the EnCana Events Centre. While residents experience Olympic-calibre women's hockey, proceeds from the event will benefit two local organizations - Dawson Creek Minor Hockey and Dawson Creek Ark Youth Society.

Team members in the Battle of the Border tournament include Colleen Sostorics, Carla MacLeod and Gina Kingsbury of Canada, and Molly Engstrom and Chanda Gunn of the U.S. All have represented their home countries at Winter Olympic Games.

EnCana matches monies raised through ticket, program, 50/50 and merchandise sales to a maximum of $30,000. In the first four years of the tournament, more than $350,000 has been raised to benefit minor hockey and family-based organizations in 18 communities in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan, where EnCana has operations.

Other elements of the Battle of the Border tournament include an autograph session, school visits, and the "X-Treme Queen for a Day" contest.

For more information visit www.battleoftheborder.ca <http://www.battleoftheborder.ca/>

Sportsline tonight

As most are watching Canada and Sweden (yes I'll be watching from the studio) Peace FM will have Sportsline back on the air for the first time in 2009.

Lots on the table tonight. I'll have Jon Zacks from Moose FM join me for a few minutes at 6:30pm PST to chat about the AAA hockey series this weekend at the Encana. More on that and a ton more as well tonight on Sportsline. Tune in at 6:05pm PST.

Monday Morning

Back at the grind this morning and it was nice to wake up to a little bit of a warmer morning than we have seen recently. It was -14 as I walked to work at 5am.

It has been 17 days since I have been in the building and actually that feels about right. You know the old cliche: the holidays always seems to fly by way too fast. This year it didn't. I think I made the most of the time away and am pretty satisfied. That being said I always wish I could have more time off. Nonetheless it's back at it today.

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The gold medal game of the World Jr Hockey Championship goes tonight in Ottawa. Team Canada will take on team Sweden. Is this team good enough to complete the drive for five? They sure made things interesting in the semi final match up with Russia.

James Duthie on TSN is calling this group the cardiac kids. Sorry James, that term's already taken. Last year's edition of the Kindersley Jr Klippers in the SJHL were named the cardiac kids after several overtime games and late comebacks. Some avid blog readers know what I'm talking about.

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We're talking about new year's resolutions on the show this morning. There are the usual ones that we hear like hitting the gym, dieting, quitting smoking or kicking other bad habits. I'd like to be a little more organized. I have so much on the go that it becomes tough to juggle everything so that is a goal of mine in '09.

What's yours?

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Sportsline resumes tonight after a bit of a break. We're on the air live at 6:05pm PST with lots to talk about. It will be a lot of fun. I'm working on lining up my guests and will let ya know who's coming on later on today.

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The NEBC & Yukon Flyers hosted a game at the Encana on Saturday morning. The Flyers lost 7-3. The Flyers are now 11-13-0 and in sixth place in the RAMHL.

The league has announced it's December Player of the Month and the award goes to the Flyers #16 Robbie Sidhu. Congrats Robbie!

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What's with the ballot box stuffing that has been going on in the NHL? Four starters for the eastern conference will be from Montreal. Cummon NHL, find a way to fix this problem. Sure it's great that the fans are showing their support but you have to limit the number of starters that can be voted in or something.

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I can't wait to see Mats Sundin in a Canucks' jersey. He's hoping to lace 'em up soon and I think it will be a great fit. Time will tell I suppose.

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The drive back to Chetwynd was a cold one. Roads, at times, were icy and that was evident in Edmonton. Several vehicles were on the side of the road, in the ditch or up against the guard rail. We were stuck in traffic when a SUV, traveling the opposite direction, came around a curve and slid into the meridian right beside us. Don't ya love winter driving?

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Time to get back to work. I'll check in with you later on.

Have a great day!

dd

Smith leads Canucks past Vipers for first win in '09

DAWSON CREEK -- A three goal night from Reid Smith paved the way for the Dawson Creek Jr Canucks' first victory of 2009. The sniper also added an assist as the hometown Canucks beat the visiting Sexsmith Vipers 8-3 Saturday night.

For the fourth straight game between the two teams Sexsmith got on the board first. This time it was 2:48 in when Ryan Gow beat Canucks' goaltender Cody Garnett on a one timer from behind the net. Dawson Creek would answer just under 2 minutes later. Charles Radke and Reid Smith broken in on a 2 on 1 and Radke hit Smith with a beautiful pass to tie the game at one. Before the period was up Dawson Creek would take the lead. With the Canucks' on a power play John Howes shoveld a rebound past Vipers' goaltender Steven Siebert to make it 2-1 after the first.

In the second, Dawson Creek continued to pour it on. Goals from Justin McLeod and Reid Smith would give the Canucks a 4-1 lead just past the midway point. Just over two minutes later, however, Sexsmith would stop the bleeding. Lucas Heiken would do a great job in the corner finding Kolby Collins all alone in front to cut the lead to two. But before the period was out we had the game's Safeway turning point. Jason Higson walked off the wall and pushed the puck into the back of the net to regain the three goal lead. That spelt the end for Steven Siebert's night, he was replaced by Brent Trarback. The score was 5-2 Canucks after fourty minutes.

Dawson Creek continued to pour it on in the third with a power play goal from Reid Smith followed by a one-timer from Jason Higson to make the score 7-2.

This is when things got interesting.

Ryley Roy scored his first of the game at 8:04 on a breakaway, beating Garnett high with a great shot. 7-3. The Vipers' weren't done there. Goals from Gow and Roy 22 seconds appart cut the lead to 7-5 but that was as close as the visitors would come. Colter McLean would round off the scoring on a beautiful passing play from Reid Smith and Charles Radke to make the final score 8-5.

Special teams was solid for the Canucks as the power play finished 2 for 5 while the penalty kill was a perfect 8 for 8.

Brass Scissors three stars: 1) Smith 2) Higson 3) Gow

With the win the Canucks improve to 15-7-2 on the season while the Vipers fall to 3-20-0.

The two clubs finish up the season series on Friday January 9th in Sexsmith. Dawson Creek will then move on to face Beaverlodge the following night. Both games can be heard on Peace FM (94.5/104.1 FM and www.peacefm.ca) starting with the pre-game show at 7:45pm PST and play-by-play at 8:00pm PST.

Canucks vs Vipers Tonight!

The Dawson Creek Junior Canucks (14-7-2) kick off the 2009 portion of the NWJHL schedule tonight when they entertain the Sexsmith Vipers (3-19-0) at the Memorial Arena. Game time is 8:00pm PST and can be heard live on Peace FM 94.5/104.1FM.

Last action:
The Dawson Creek Junior Canucks closed out 2008 in Whitecourt on December 20th. It was the second of a two game weekend which saw them beat Beaverlodge 5-1 the night before.

The game didn't start out the way the visitors had hoped as Jeff Chalifoux found the back of the net just 47 seconds into the game and Whitecourt led 3-0 after the first. In the second the Canucks came to life dominating the home side but only finding the back of the net once. At the 1:25 mark Charles Radke made a beautiful move to walk right around Wolverines Captain Ryan Hore before scoring to make it 3-1. A pair of Wolverine goals in the third would round off the scoring making the final 5-1.

Head to head:
The Canucks and Vipers will meet for the fourth time this season tonight and Dawson Creek holds the edge thus far. The season series, to date, has the Canucks up 2-1 with the last meeting a 7-2 Dawson Creek victory. Here is a breakdown of the season series games:

Oct. 31 @ Sexwmith: Dawson Creek 7 Sexsmith 2
Nov. 29 @ Dawson Creek: Sexsmith 5 Dawson Creek 4
Dec. 5 @ Dawson Creek: Dawson Creek 6 Sexsmith 2
Jan. 3 @ Dawson Creek
Jan 9 @ Sexsmith

Dawson Creek only has a 2-1 edge in wins but holds a 17-9 edge in the goal department. If this game comes down to special teams the Vipers may have a chance. Five on five so far this season has been played mostly in the Vipers' zone.

Who's Hot:
Charles Radke has 7 points (2g 5a) in his last 4 games since coming off of injury.
Jason Higson also has 7 points (3g 4a) in the past 4 games and continues to produce chances.
Carl Dahlen had a goal and two helpers in Beaverlodge (the last time he stepped on the ice).

What to expect:
The Canucks hope to avoid starting 2009 the way that 2008 ended. Having a healthy Charles Radke will sure help as lately we haven't seen much of the Radke, Colter McLean, Reid Smith trio. When they have been together they have been dominant at times.

The Canucks are a much more skilled team than are the Vipers but both teams have seen a lengthy break over the holidays. Tonight's game, in my opinion, will come down to who can put away the turkey and get the legs going.

See you at the rink!