Thursday . . .

The Swift Current Broncos are not at all happy with their city, which has landed the 2010 Ford World women’s curling championship. The curling is scheduled for March 20-29, 2010, right smack-dab in the middle of the start of the WHL playoffs. Becky Anderson of the Prairie Post has done a bang-up job of laying this one out for all to read.
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“Right now we are a team without a home,” Joe Arling, the chairman of the Broncos’ board, told Anderson. “I understand the impact it has for the community, but the timing of it is not good,” he said. “You couldn’t pick a worse 10 days.”
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Dean Chynoweth, the Broncos’ GM and head coach, added: “The problem for me is the process that took place and that we weren’t included in it. The feelings are obviously mixed (because) we thought we weren’t included in the process. We’re the main tenant of this building and it will be an unprecedented situation of a team being out of their building the entire playoffs.”
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And even WHL commissioner Ron Robison has expressed disappointment.
“We raised the concern,” said Robison, referring to his dealing with City council in October, “because we have the ability to accommodate other events during the regular season, but not during playoffs and this obviously creates a major challenge for us. We’re very disappointed to learn that the event will be held, as it will represent a conflict for the Broncos and their fans.”
Of course, the City of Swift Current spent big money upgrading its arena to meet WHL-imposed standards, something for which all involved are thankful. But, Robison pointed out to the Prairie Post: “Quite frankly, it was for the long-term viability of the franchise and now to schedule an event during the playoffs seems somewhat contradictory to the original intent of the facility, from our standpoint.”
Robison also gave the first hint as to what the WHL might do for the Broncos’ first-round series.
“It might mean for instance that the games are going to be played in Winnipeg or Victoria or markets that are most appealing to the league,” Robison explained, adding that the league never has been in this predicament before.
“At this point in time, it is too early to speculate, but most of these smaller facilities outside a Western Hockey League centre are facilities that would not be of standard for broadcast requirements.”
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Meanwhile, Mayor Sandy Larson offered Anderson this explanation:
“We knew that we would inconvenience our Broncos, but they are a long-time partner of ours, and in turn there is a vast interest in our community to host all sporting events, but we definitely knew that we would be inconveniencing our Broncos at a very difficult time, because they will be going to the playoffs.
“We have a long-established working relationship, a fantastic partnership, with the Broncos and I am a little surprised with their comments.”
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City council is represented on the Broncos’ board of directors by Jarrod Shafer.
“It’s been our hope that as partners working together — the Broncos, the Western Hockey League and the City — and with basically a little better than (a year) to sort of be prepared and get ready for it, that we can come to a mutual resolution that might be an inconvenience for the Broncos, but would still make the best of the situation,” Shafer told the Prairie Post. “The City thinks we have been a pretty good partner with the Broncos. Anytime we (have) been asked to enhance the facility or give them extra opportunities to earn revenue, we’ve done that.
“We didn’t want this to hurt them financially, we just hoped as three partners working together -- the WHL, the Broncos and the City -- they would be able to come to an agreement where there would be some compensation.”
Shafer also said: “The Broncos should be upset, the Broncos’ main concern is the Broncos, and there is no question about that. . . . We just thought . . . (hosting the Worlds) would be one of those things that the Broncos would grudgingly support, (because it’s) an event that means so much to the organization and to the businesses that support their club.”
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Grudgingly support? You kick your main tenant out into the street at the most important time of its business year and you expect support of any kind? Are you nuts, or what? . . . The mayor is surprised by the Broncos' reaction? Surely, you jest, Your Honour. . . . The bottom line is this . . . The City is saying to the Broncos, you’re long-term tenants, you’re not going anywhere and it’s time you learned just who sets the agenda in these parts. So suck it up, Princess, and take one for the City. . . . Of course, the City believes that the Broncos will never, ever leave. Which only means that some folks have short memories. Or maybe they enjoyed the seasons of 1974-75 through 1985-86 when the Broncos played out of Lethbridge? This time, they may be playing out of Victoria and someone best hope they don't fall in love with the ocean air.
All of this begs two questions: 1. Have the Broncos stroked the City off their Christmas card list; and, 2. What kind of welcome will Shafer get at the next Broncos’ board meeting?
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The WHL has made three roster changes for Thursday’s ADT Challenge game in Prince Albert against the touring Russian side. . . . D Eric Doyle of the Broncos didn’t get to face the Russians in Swift Current, but he got the call prior to Thursday’s game. Doyle will replace Kootenay Ice D John Negrin (flu) for the final game of the Canada-Russia series. The WHL beat the Russians 5-0 in Swift Current on Wednesday night. . . . F Dustin Cameron of the Prince Albert Raiders also has been added to the WHL roster. He replaces RW Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants, who has been sidelined by a bruised heel. . . . As well, F Derek Hulak of the Saskatoon Blades gets onto the roster, replacing Calgary Hitmen F Brandon Kozun, who was injured in Wednesday’s game.
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JUST NOTES: The Saskatoon Blades have assigned F Cody Chikie, 17, to the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. A native of St. Alberta, Alta., he had four assists in 13 games with the Blades, who now are carrying 23 players. . . . Saskatoon C Milan Kytnar has been named to the Slovakian national junior team that will play at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa. Slovakia opens Dec. 27 against Latvia. Kytnar, 19, has 19 points in 26 games with the Blades, who acquired him from the Kelowna Rockets. Kytnar was a fifth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft. . . . Big news out of Kelowna today where the Rockets have announced that they have signed C Shane McColgan, the 13th overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft. McColgan, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., was in the Rockets’ training camp and left a rather favourable impression. In fact, some observers felt the 15-year-old would have made the Rockets were it not for the WHL’s age restriction. Now that he is signed, the Rockets plan on playing McColgan for the first time on Dec. 16 in Red Deer against the Rebels. He also will play against the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Dec. 17. McColgan, the only American player selected in the first round of the 2008 draft, has 31 points in 24 games with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings where he plays for head coach Jack Bowkus, who is a product of the Saskatoon Blades. Once the Kings’ season is over, McColgan will join the Rockets on a full-time basis.