Friday, June 18, 2010

SWAC schedule released


Conference 2: South West Athletic Conf. Fall 2010 Schedule

Week 1
Friday, September 3, 2010
Assiniboia Rockets @ Shaunavon Shadows 4:30 PM

Week 2
Thursday, September 9, 2010

Maple Creek Redmen @ Assiniboia Rockets 4:30 PM

Week 3
Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Shaunavon Shadows @ Maple Creek Redmen 4:30 PM

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Shaunavon Shadows @ Assiniboia Rockets 4:30 PM

Week 4
Friday, September 24, 2010
Assiniboia Rockets @ Maple Creek Redmen 4:30 PM

Week 5
Maple Creek Redmen @ Shaunavon Shadows 4:30 PM

Week 6
Monday, October 4, 2010

Assiniboia Rockets @ Shaunavon Shadows 4:30 PM

Friday, October 8, 2010

Maple Creek Redmen @ Assiniboia Rockets 4:30 PM

Week 7
Friday, October 15, 2010

Shaunavon Shadows @ Maple Creek Redmen 4:30 PM

New member on Warriors' staff

The Moose Jaw Warriors announced Thursday the hiring of Trevor Weisgerber as the WHL team's assistant coach.

Weisgerber, a product of Vibank, played his midget AAA hockey with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

"I really enjoyed my time in Moose Jaw," Weisgerber told the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. "It's close to home and everything about it was ideal. I loved playing here and just being back is great. It's a great hockey community."

After a junior A career with the SJHL's Beardy's Rage and Yorkton Terriers, Weisgerber played at Lake Superior State University before embarking on a seven-year career in the Central Hockey League with the Oklahoma City Blazers, San Angelo Saints, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, Lubbock Cotton Kings and Rocky Mountain Rage.

Weisgerber, who worked as an assistant coach with the SJHL's Kindersley Klippers last season, replaces Kevin Higo as the assistant to Warriors head coach Dave Hunchak.

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post


Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/member+Warriors+staff/3170102/story.html#ixzz0rDfqIEN3

Got your ticket?

If you answered yes to the above question then I ask you "how many?"

I'm not one who normally plays the lottery but I've got a couple tickets with my name on em today. The Lotto Max jackpot is an estimated $50 million with 45 additional draws for $1 million.

What would you do with $50 million dollar? How about with a cool million?

Dare to dream.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Another wet afternoon...



It's been a while since there has been a post of any substance and truthfully it has been a slow June but things are beginning to heat up.

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We'll start first with a few SaskGridiron.com notes:

- you'll notice on the website that the conferences have been updated for 2010. Yes, the SWAC will play with three teams. At this point we have schedules posted for all conferences except the SWAC who are still working theirs out. Hopefully we will have something posted soon.

Those teams are going to be sick of each other by the end of the season!

- I have begun work on the 2010 football season and there are a few things planned that you can get excited about. For the first time ever, individual player statistics will be tracked for 9-man football. This is very exciting. Right now I am working on nailing down statisticians in each community. Feel free to throw your name in the hat if you are interested. Send an e-mail to SaskGridiron@yahoo.ca.

- There is also some work being done on a fundraiser or two to help support 9-man football in the province. Look for something on that in the coming weeks as well.

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We're less than a month away from the 2010 SasKota Bowl in Lumsden, SK. The game will be played at 1:00pm on Friday, July 16th. Ticket information will be posted in the days prior to the event but lemme tell you it won't be expensive and it's great entertainmnet. These kids play some good football and I suggest, if you're in the area, to go and check it out.

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Great move by the Montreal Canadiens today. The Habs traded goaltender Halak to the St. Louis Blues for prospectes Lars Eller and Ian Schultz.

Here is why it's a great deal:

1. Halak's value will never be higher than it is right now while Cary Price will continue to grow.

2. Lars Eller is a player.

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I'm super excited for the NHL entry draft. My Leafs will be movin and shakin.

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How much cheaper would it be to buy a wakeboard and just ride that to work everyday? I think there is enough water to make it work.

I feel sorry for the farmers. There isn't much you can do when it's like this. The forecast on my Blackberry Storm said "Tons of rain". No joke.

If we do happen to get some sunshine in July and August the football fields should be in FANTASTIC shape come September.

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Mike Weir is -1 after the opening round at the US Open. He was -3 but boggied the final two holes. At the time he did have a piece of first place. Let's hope that he does well.

I don't know about you but I'll be pulling for Tiger when he tees off. I'd like to see him crush the field by 6 or 7 strokes.

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The forecast is calling for sunshine on Sunday so you should be able to get a round of golf in with dad. Remember this is Thursday though and the forecast changes about once every 2 hours.

Stay dry!

dd

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Thorimbert picks Tigers over Blazers

BY GREGG DRINNAN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS EDITOR

Josh Thorimbert came to the fork in the road and chose not to take the one leading to Kamloops.
Thorimbert, a 6-foot-0, 180-pound goaltender from Saskatoon who was selected by the Blazers in the third round of the 2007 WHL bantam draft, has decided to take the NCAA option as the next step in his career. He committed Tuesday to attend Colorado College in the fall and play for the Tigers, who are based in Colorado Springs.

“It was hard on me to decide what to do,” Thorimbert said Tuesday from his home in Saskatoon. “Once I made my decision . . . I’m feeling really good about it.”

Thorimbert, who will turn 18 on Oct. 9, said his decision isn’t a reflection on the WHL or the Blazers, but was more a case of ensuring his education.

“The one thing that really stood out,” he explained, “was that I would be guaranteed a full four years of schooling. To me, that was very important. I have nothing against the WHL, but I was trying to get in a little later as an 18-year-old . . . the four years was going to be tough, especially if I didn’t stay as a 20-year-old.

“I get a full four years of schooling if hockey doesn’t work out. . . . I can do my schooling while playing hockey and get a degree by 21, and play professionally.

“That’s what I was looking at.”

Craig Bonner, the Blazers’ general manager, said he offered Thorimbert “everything we can according to our rules.”

Bonner said he wasn’t surprised by Thorimbert’s decision.

“He’s an 18-year-old who . . . it’s a tough decision,” Bonner said.

With Colorado College, Thorimbert will back up sophomore Joe Howe, who won all kinds of accolades and awards for his play as a freshman this season. Howe started 36 of the Tigers’ 39 games, including all 28 conference games. Overall, he was 17-15-3 with a 2.80 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

Thorimbert spent two days on the Colorado College campus in mid-May and described that experience as “awesome.”

Thorimbert attended the Blazers’ 2009 training camp, but suffered a concussion and left early. He joined the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers and eventually took over the starter’s job, going 26-14-2-2 with a 2.66 GAA and a .917 save percentage. He was named the SJHL’s rookie of the year.

Now all signs point to the Blazers going into training camp in late August with Jon Groenheyde as their starting goaltender. Groenheyde, a 19-year-old from South Surrey, is preparing for his third season with the Blazers. He backed up Justin Leclerc in 2008-09 and was the backup again this season, first to Leclerc and then to Kurtis Mucha, both of whom have graduated.

But there are concerns among Blazers management that the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Groenheyde has under-achieved, especially in 2009-10, when he finished 10-14-1-1 with a 3.79 GAA and a .896 save percentage.

Management had hoped that Thorimbert would commit to the Blazers, then come to camp and push Groenheyde hard for the No. 1 role.

“Our thought process all along is . . . Jonny is going to be given the opportunity to be the guy and we’ll see how that goes,” Bonner said. “He has shown some real positive signs over the last couple of years and also has had some struggles at times with his consistency. We feel he deserves the opportunity. He’s going to be given that and hopefully he takes the ball and runs with it. If he doesn’t, we’ll have to look elsewhere.”

The Blazers have three other goaltenders on their protected list.

John Keeney, a 17-year-old list player from Lake Arrowhead, Calif., finished last season backing up with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. He was 8-1-1 in 13 appearances, posting a 1.98 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Keeney, however, hasn’t signed with the Blazers.

Troy Trombley was a third-round pick in the 2008 draft. The second goaltender taken in that draft, he attended an IIHF development camp in Finland last summer, then joined the Blazers for training camp and signed a WHL contract before camp ended. From Sherwood Park, Alta., the 6-foot-5, 165-pounder played this season for his hometown midget AAA team, the Squires, going 11-3 with three ties. He had a 2.21 GAA and a .914 save percentage.

Taran Kozun, meanwhile, is a list player from Nipawin, Sask., who was in camp with the Regina Pats last fall. The 6-foot-1, 167-pound Kozun, who turns 16 on Aug. 29, played for the North East entry in the Centre Four midget league, going 9-1-1 with a 1.93 GAA.

“We still have Keeney and Trombley who can come in and battle for that job,” said Bonner, adding that Keeney is “still undecided which way he wants to go.”

Kozun, meanwhile, is ticketed for a team in the Saskatchewan midget AAA league.

JUST NOTES: Former Blazers head coach Troy Mick has left the KIJHL’s Revelstoke Grizzlies to become the director of hockey operations and player development for the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence Academy. Mick signed a five-year contract with PoE. Mick, who guided Revelstoke to the KIJHL, B.C., and Western Canadian championships in his only season as GM/head coach, will remain one of the Grizzlies’ owners. . . . The BCHL’s Merritt Centennials have traded F Colton Sobchak, 20, to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for future considerations. Sobchak, who is from Kelowna, had 42 points in 55 games in 2009-10.

Press release

The Kindersley Junior Klippers are proud to announce that Josh Thorimbert has accepted a D1 scholarship for the upcoming 2010-2011-hockey season.

The 17-year-old goaltender has committed with the Colorado College Tigers of WCHA. The Saskatoon native has accomplished a great deal for his age; only playing one year Junior hockey for the Kindersley Klippers, being named both SJHL Rookie of the Year and Kindersley Junior Klippers Rookie of the Year.

“He took hold of an opportunity last season, and made the best out of it. We feel he is a special player that is very mature for his age. Josh is a calm and focused individual who has an outstanding work ethic and compete level. It’s going to be a long road, but with his attributes, I believe he could play pro someday”, commented head coach Larry Wintoneak.

On behalf of the Kindersley Junior Klippers, we wish Josh all the best in his new endeavor.

Any further question or concerns regarding Josh please contact Larry at the Junior Klipper office.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

NCAA interest heating up for Klipper goalie

Thorimbert tours Colorado College; drafted into USHL

JOSH LEWIS
The Clarion

It’s a decision he was able to put off during hockey season, but for Josh Thorimbert, crunch time is getting close.

The 17-year-old Kindersley Klippers goalie continues to draw strong interest from high-profile NCAA colleges in the United States and he plans to make a final decision this month.

The hottest pursuit is coming from the Colorado College Tigers, who are based in Colorado Springs and play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Thorimbert flew to Colorado May 18 for a two-day tour of the campus, including the arena and gym facilities. The quick trip also included some wining and dining with the coaching staff along with a hiking expedition for Thorimbert and his mother, Elaine.

The Saskatoon native was thoroughly impressed by what Colorado College had to offer.

“It’s unbelievable. The climate there and the view of the mountains, it’s almost perfect. You can’t get much better than that,” he said. “The facilities are top notch, the best I’ve seen. It rivals or betters any WHL arena and the dressing room is top of the line.”

The goaltender has also been contacted by the WCHA’s Minnesota Golden Gophers, who may fly Thorimbert down for a similar tour later this month, as well as the Cornell Big Red and Yale Bulldogs of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

But contact with the two Ivy League schools has been limited - an email exchange with Yale and a brief phone call from Cornell three weeks ago.

Thorimbert said Colorado and Minnesota are the most appealing schools, due to the WCHA’s high level of play and the higher costs to attend an Ivy League college.

“I want to play at the best level I can, the best school, and get the best deal I can out of it,” he commented, referring to the WCHA as a big seller. “I don’t want to pay $50,000 to go to school.”
Complicating matters is the fact that Colorado College has asked Thorimbert to take the fast track and play for them next season, rather than in 2011-12 as a 19-year-old.

He said he’s considering that option, but he also wants to stick around for another year in Kindersley.

“I’m definitely not overlooking it. It’s still on my mind and not something I’ve taken lightly,” he said of playing college next year.

Klippers head coach Larry Wintoneak, whose plans in goal next season are riding on Thorimbert’s decision, said going to college early isn’t always the best thing for a player’s development.

“It’s all about fast-tracking sometimes and I don’t know if that’s the right thing for him or not. I’d like to see him play another year (here), I really would. I think it would help his development curve,” said Wintoneak.

“But for him to go to school and do something he wants to do in his career is a bonus, so we’re supporting him 100 per cent, whatever the decision is.”

Aside from the NCAA, Thorimbert has two other options on the back burner.

The Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League selected him in the 18th round of that league’s draft on May 19. The USHL functions primarily as a place for players committed to the NCAA to spend one season in America before beginning their college career.

But Thorimbert called that “the last option.” The Stars had never seen him play before, only hearing about him.

“Lincoln had called me the day before and said they’d take me in one of their later rounds. That’s not really an option I want to take. I’ve said that from day one,” he explained.

“If I do come back to Kindersley, I’m not going to run off to the USHL.”

Those words would come as a relief to Wintoneak, who said Canadian Junior A coaches are not happy about the USHL taking some of their top players a year early.

“It’s a lot of politicking that goes on behind your back,” he said. “You work hard to develop your team and you don’t want to get stiffed. That’s why we have to protect ourselves more.”

Former Notre Dame Hounds forward Jaden Schwartz, who is committed to Colorado for next year, played in the USHL this season and is expected to be a first round pick in this year’s NHL draft.

Meanwhile, the Kamloops Blazers still hold Thorimbert’s WHL rights, but they have faded out of the picture with the goalie deciding to take the college route.

Thorimbert plans to make his decision by mid-to-late June. He is waiting to see if Minnesota offers him a tour so as not to close any doors.

“For a school like that to even be looking at me is a great honour, so I don’t want to just pass them up and not give them a chance,” he said.

Given the fact that he entered last year’s training camp as a Junior A back-up, Thorimbert can be forgiven for thinking it might be a dream every now and then.

“I have to pinch myself. I never would have thought this would happen to me, this much interest and how well last year went with Kindersley,” he said. “It’s been moving so fast these last couple months. It’s surreal.”