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Drive safe @victoriaroyals and best of luck on the road trip! #travellingwiththeteam pic.twitter.com/Ns8IPe7aym— Chris Baier (@Cbaier15) December 29, 2016
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The Coquihalla Highway between Kamloops and Hope B.C., was closed for part of Thursday, while the Trans-Canada Highway, which is the other route to and from Vancouver, also was shut down.
Yes, the weather was nasty, as it often is in the mountains at this time of year.
The Victoria Royals, however, were able to get through. After all, they’ve got a Friday night date with the Rockets in Kelowna. Later today (Friday), the Kamloops Blazers have to get to Langley, B.C., in order to play the Vancouver Giants. The Blazers, then, will be heading over the Coq sometime today.
Having lived in Winnipeg, Brandon and Regina from 1971 until the spring of 2000, and having written
extensively about the crash of the Swift Current Broncos’ bus on Dec. 30, 1986, I thought I knew something about what WHL teams and their bus drivers are sometimes faced with in terms of weather.
But that was before I knew anything about the Coquihalla, the Coquihalla Connector that runs from Merritt, B.C., to Kelowna, or what is referred to as the Canyon route, which is the Trans-Canada Highway through the Fraser Canyon. (The latter was shut down again late last night when a semi jack-knifed near Yale.)
I have sat alongside the Vancouver Giants’ bus driver, Derek Holloway, in the press box in Kamloops for years now and watched him, phone in hand, check regularly — like every 10 minutes — for highway conditions. He’s a regular on the DriveBC website where highway cameras keep him up to date.
Earlier this season, Holloway told me that road conditions on a trek from Prince George to Calgary were the worst that he had encountered. Ever.
On Thursday night, with the Giants scheduled to head for Calgary on Saturday, he already was watching forecasts and checking highway conditions.
“I think our trip to Calgary could be nasty,” he told me.
In this part of the world, there are all kinds of stories of trips delayed and close calls. A number of years ago, the Giants didn’t make it home, choosing to spend a night in Merritt. One night in February 2011, the Everett Silvertips’ bus ended up in a snowbank on the Coq after the driver took evasive action to avoid a multi-vehicle collision.
I mention all of this because today is the 30th anniversary of the crash involving the Broncos’ bus, an accident that took four young men from us.
Yes, as hard as it is to believe, it has been 30 years since the bus carrying the Swift Current Broncos to Regina for a game with the Pats crashed and took the lives of forwards Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff.
Those players will be remembered today with the unveiling of a permanent monument just east of Swift Current.
From a Broncos’ news release:
“Led by Bill Lee, a close friend of the Kruger family, a monument unveiling will take place Friday morning at the site of the crash. Families, survivors, alumni, team, staff and board members will be granted the first opportunity to view the monument privately, followed by viewing opportunities for the general public and media directly afterwards at noon.”
Nathan Wiebe, the Broncos’ chaplain, will lead observers in prayer, followed by a short program.
A reception for families and alumni is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., before the Broncos play host to the Saskatoon Blades. A special Four Bronco remembrance presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
It is wonderful to see that a monument finally is to be put in place. Hopefully, the area will end up being a road-side park where travellers will be able to stop and find a quiet moment or two.
In the meantime, a lot of folks will spend today thinking of the four young men who no longer are with us. There also will be thoughts for the survivors, men like Sheldon Kennedy, Peter Soberlak, Bob Wilkie, Kurt Lackten . . .
I also will be thinking about Gordie Hahn, the trainer who was so tortured because he wasn’t with his boys that day, Doug Leavins, who was filling in for Hahn, and Dave Archibald, the bus driver that fateful day.
Thirty years . . . it seems like only yesterday.
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Todd McLellan, the head coach of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, held his morning pre-game media availability, as usual, on Thursday. This one, however, was a bit different. A former general manager and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos, McLellan took time to remind the gathered media that Friday, Dec. 30, is an important day in the history of Swift Current, the Broncos and, in fact, all of hockey. Kurt Leavins, an Edmonton writer, was in attendance and took time to remember. If the last name sounds familiar, it should be. His brother, Doug, was filling in as the Broncos' trainer with Grod Hahn away with a midget team that was playing a touring Russian side. But that isn’t what Kurt’s piece is about; it’s about much more than that, and it’s right here.
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Innes Mackie has been around the WHL since, well, almost since Day 1. The league was born for the 1966-67 season; he played for the Edmonton Oil Kings from 1971-72. Today, he’s the Tri-City Americans’ trainer and equipment manager. On Wednesday, when the Americans met the Winterhawks in Portland, Mackie worked his 3,000th game. It was only fitting that it should happen in Portland, because Mackie was part of the Winterhawks organization for 33 years. . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has more right here.
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F Brett Howden’s contract with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning is valued at US$2,775,000 over three years, according to capfriendly.com. Howden, who has 17 goals in 22 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors this season, was the 27th overall selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . The contract calls for an NHL salary of $925,000 each season, with annual signing bonuses of $92,500. The AHL salary would be $70,000 each season.
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Carl Thoma is a hockey player who, by his best guess, plays about 350 games in a good season. Darren Zary of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix writes that Thoma, who is 64 years of age, “never leaves home without his skateguards and his mouth guard.” . . . Thoma also is the father of Saskatoon Blades assistant coach Bryce Thoma. . . . Zary’s story is right here.
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Very honoured to be recipient of the Prestigious Mac's scholarship award! I want to thank everybody who has helped me achieve this goal— Myles Mattila (@myles_mattila12) December 30, 2016
If you don’t know anything about Myles Mattila, do yourself a favour and Google him. He’s a young man who plays for the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. But he’s more than that. He has taken it upon himself to help raise mental health awareness and with the support of the Cougars is doing tremendous work.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Saskatoon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Kamloops vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
the U of Alberta Golden Bears, as an assistant coach.
the Rockets’ head coach. Lambert, who had been on staff as an assistant coach for five seasons before that, now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
The Vancouver Giants made it official on Monday morning -- they have hired Tyler Kuntz to work as an assistant coach under new head coach Lorne Molleken. . . . Kuntz, 36, is from Lumsden, Sask. He spent the last five seasons with the UBC Thunderbirds, serving as head coach last season. . . . The Giants also said that Matt Erhart, who came on board as an assistant coach two years ago, “will remain on staff.”
It isn’t often that WHL team officials get involved in civic politics, at least not in a fashion that would be visible to the public.
Bill Muckalt was introduced Monday as the new general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, which plays out of Kearney, Neb. Muckalt, who played two seasons with the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials before going on to Michigan and then to a pro career, has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech. . . . With the Storm, he replaces Jim Hulton, now the head coach of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders.
2. It was great to see head coach Todd McLellan guide Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF World championship in Czech Republic over the past few weeks. Hockey can be a cruel business but, even by those standards, he really got stiffed by the San Jose Sharks. He’ll get over it as the head coach of Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers (aka Young Guns).
4. How do you feel if you’re a season-ticket holder with the Prince Albert Raiders? First, a couple of the WHL’s premier players moved from the Raiders to the Kelowna Rockets, with thanks to the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. The Rockets then went on to win the WHL championship, with one of those players named the playoff MVP. The Raiders, of course, didn’t make the playoffs and, on top of all that, the WHL commissioner has told the world that “in order for the Prince Albert Raiders to be viable long term, a new facility is required.” . . . Other than that, Raiders fans, how has your month been?
8. In Tyler Johnson’s last two seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, he was the best faceoff man and best penalty killer I had seen in a long while. But who knew the Tampa Bay Lightning star would be able to score like this at the NHL level? . . . If you missed it, he had the first playoff hat trick in Lightning history last night in a 6-2 victory over the Rangers in New York. He leads all playoff scorers in goals (11) and points (16). His 11 goals are four more than anyone else.
Matthews. Matthews, who turns 18 on Sept. 17, is from Scottsdale, Ariz., and he is a game-changer. . . . His WHL rights belong to the Everett Silvertips, who selected him in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Matthews is said to be deciding between Everett, the ZSC Lions, a Swiss pro team based in Zurich, and an NCAA school. I’m thinking the NCAA is out, so it’s between Everett and Lions. . . . One thing is for certain: Everett GM Garry Davidson says that, regardless of what you may have heard, the Matthews camp hasn’t asked the Silvertips to trade his WHL rights. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has more 
The second-round AHL series between the Utica Comets and Oklahoma City Barons will be decided in Game 7 on Wednesday. The Barons won 2-1 at home last night, so Game 7 will be in Utica. . . . F Jake Virtanen of the Calgary Hitmen made his pro debut with the Comets in that game. The Vancouver Canucks selected him with the sixth overall pick in the NHL’s 2014 draft.
The host Rimouski Oceanic won the QMJHL championship on Monday, beating the Quebec Remparts 2-1 in double OT. . . . F Michael Joly’s 12th goal of the playoffs, via a PP, won the game, at 2:13 of the second OT period before 5,062 fans. . . . Rimouski G Philippe Desrosiers stopped 47 shots. . . . The Oceanic also won Game 6 in OT, that one by a 5-4 count. . . . With the Remparts as the host team for the Memorial Cup, both teams knew prior to the start of the series that both teams would play in the tournament.
The NHL’s Colorado Avalanche lost two assistant coaches on Monday with the resignations of Mario Duhamel and André Tourigny. . . . Duhamel, the video coach, completed two seasons under head coach Patrick Roy with the Avalanche. Prior to that, Duhamel was the head coach of the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs for four seasons. . . . Tourigny, who handled the defence, also spent two seasons with Colorado. Before that, he spent 10 seasons as head coach of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
The NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes cleaned house in Portland, Me., on Monday, as they dumped a whole lot of people from hockey operations with their AHL affiliate, the Pirates. . . . Chris Roy of Maine Hockey Journal reported that Ray Edwards, the GM and head coach, has been fired, along with assistant coaches John Slaney and Trent Whitfield. . . . The Pirates, who lost out in the first round of the playoffs, also dumped athletic therapist Bike Booi, equipment manager John Krouse, video coach Alex Loh and assistant equipment manager Joe Morse. . . . The Pirates are to move to Springfield, Mass., before the start of next season.
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