Canes' Drop Second Straight to Calgary

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!
It's been a busy Saturday so far getting some stuff done around the house. Now I finally have some down time to do a bit of blogging. Lethbridge lost it's 3rd game of the year and first on home ice last night, dropping a 3-1 decision to rival Calgary. It's funny, the Hitmen have done to the Hurricanes in two games this season what Lethrbidge did to Calgary pretty much all of last year. Last night, Calgary, I thought played a stifling kind of game. They didn't give Lethbridge much to work with at all and only allowed 8 Hurricane shots against through the first two periods. I'll tip my hat to Calgary. I thought they played a very good road game. The Hurricanes though had trouble generating shots. Don't get me wrong, the Canes had some good chances, but in the end Calgary came out on top. Lethbridge has lost only 3 games this season....two have been to the Hitmen.
Friday also saw the return of Cam Braes and Carter Bancks. Both players had been out with injury and I thought played not too bad. It will take a few games for these guys to get back up to par, given the fact they've been sidelined for so long. Mitch Fadden was expected to return late last night after being released from Norfolk of the AHL and could be in the line-up Monday afternoon vs. Regina. Let's face it. Fadden isn't going to be the offensive saviour here, but he will inject a lot into this team. He was last year's Hurricanes overall points leader and when Mitch wants to play his game, he can be one of the best players in the WHL as we witnessed many times last year. He's a talented forward. It's a nice surprise I think for Lethbridge. I don't think anyone expected he would be back. Norfolk's loss may be Lethbridge's gain!
Hopefully the guys won't have "Turkey Tummy" on Monday! Sometime these Thanksgiving weekend games can do that too a player! LOL! I'm sure they'll be just fine. Can't wait for Monday! The game against the Pats is a 2pm start Monday. The pre-game show with Dick and I at 1:30. No hockey talk show Monday night either. We'll resume "Hurricanes This Week" October 20th. Chilliwack pays a visit to Lethbridge Wednesday and then Thursday the Canes' are off to Calgary again. A busy start to the week with 3 games in 4 nights.
Also, a big thanks to all those who send e-mails and call in during the post-game shows! It really adds to the show, plus it's great to here what the fans have to say too!

Game Day vs. Calgary....Fadden on his way back!

Well, getting set for another weekend of Hurricanes hockey, mind you it's not a busy weekend for the team, only one game tonight and then they don't play again till next week where it's 3 games in 4 days, but for now Lethbridge will put it's focus tonight on the Calgary Hitmen. I think Lethbridge will want some redemption in this contest, given the fact Calgary beat them 4-2 last week at the Saddledome and it wasn't a very good effort by the Hurricanes in that game. Since then though, the Canes' have been on fire. They've scored 12 goals in their past 2 games and have responded well from that loss.
The Hurricanes will get Cam Braes back tonight. He's been out a few weeks with a concussion. Carter Bancks is only days away from returning. We might even see him back tonight. If not, he'll likely be back on Monday. He hasn't played yet this season and has been recovering from a broken foot suffered while attending pro-camp. Also, forward Mitch Fadden, last year's leading scorer is on his way back to Lethbridge! Here's a news release I pulled off the Norfolk Admirals website last night:

NORFOLK – Norfolk Admirals General Manager Mike Butters announced today that forward Mitch Fadden will return to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL for his fifth full season of junior hockey. Fadden, a fourth-round pick (107th overall) of the Tampa Bay Lightning from the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, had participated in Admirals training camp.

This is great news for Lethbridge! More scoring punch is on the way. When Fadden will be back in the line-up isn't known at this time. The Hurricanes haven't released any information on this yet from their side. All in all, it's been a good start to the season for a team that's been without a number of key players for the first 7 games.

Juha Metsola has been extremely good in net so far this season and is a big reason Lethbridge sits at 5 and 2 on the year. Back up goalie Michael Tadjdeh has yet to play a game. Tonight's game versus the Hitmen starts at 7pm with the pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30. If you have a question for Dick and I send us an e-mail at hurricanes@pttwireless.ca or call in on the post-game show at 403-388-4646.

The Hurricanes & Hitmen. Here's how the two rivals match-up tonight:

Head to Head Record 2008-09 Regular Season
Lethbridge 0-1-0-0
Calgary 1-0-0-0
Head to Head Record 2007-08 Regular Season
Lethbridge 5-1-0-0
Calgary 1-5-0-0
Last 5 Years record between teams
Lethbridge 14-13-2-3
Calgary 18-13-1-0
Lethbridge vs. Calgary Last 5 Years record at Lethbridge
Lethbridge 6-7-1-2
Calgary 10-5-1-0
Lethbridge vs. Calgary Last 5 Years record at Calgary
Lethbridge 8-6-1-1
Calgary 8-8-0-0
Previous Meetings This Season
Lethbridge 2 @ Calgary 4 (Oct 2 2008) Final

Dick's Personal Point of View

Does the WHL have something against selecting Lethbridge Hurricanes as players of the week? I am certainly beginning to think so. In back- to -back weeks two Lethbridge Hurricanes with outstanding performances have been completely ignored.
Two weeks ago goaltender Juha Metsola racked up back-to-back 1-0 shutouts and went 151 minutes and 58 seconds without allowing a goal. Considering the number of shots he faced, plus overtime and blanking three shooters in a shootout, one would think that this was more than enough for Juha to get the recognition he deserves. Add to the fact that the Hurricanes were playing without three key players lost to injury and key players still at pro camps, it seemed to me to be a slam dunk. But for Juha….no such luck. The WHL decided to look elsewhere.
The latest victim of the WHL brain trust was to completely ignore the 4 goals and 4 assists in two games this past weekend for Colton Scevoiur. The Lethbridge “Streak” had a hat trick in the Canes win over previously unbeaten Swift Current and was a combined plus 3 in those two games. I have yet to figure out the plus 3 figure). He was a plus 1 in the game against Kelowna yet had 5 points in a game where Kelowna had but 3 goals. A player with 7 points with a plus 7 rating took the honors.
Seems to me that the WHL has a great deal of difficulty considering anything good that comes out of Lethbridge. But that is my Personal Point of View.

Dick Gibson is the Colour Commentator on Lethbridge Hurricanes radio broadcasts.

Canes' Getting Some of Their Walking Wounded Back

Well, Lethbridge gets set to take on Calgary again, this time at the Enmax Centre on Friday. The two teams played last week at the Saddledome with the Hitmen winning 4-2. The Hurricanes will be looking for some redemption in that game. It'll be the second of three meetings between the Canes' and Hitmen this month. Lethbridge is back in Calgary again next Thursday, Oct. 16th. With that being said, the "Boys from the Bridge" are starting to get some of their injured players back in the line-up. Cam Braes who suffered a concussion a few weeks ago is expected back on Friday and Carter Bancks who broke his foot while blocking a shot at the Altlanta Thrashers camp could be back as early as Monday's Thanksgiving Day game versus Regina. That's great news for the 5 and 2 Canes'! Dan Iwnaski though will be out a while with his knee. GM Roy Stasiuk told Dick and I on our weekly Hurricanes talk show this week that Iwanski will have to have an arthroscopic procedure done. Garret Taylor will be out 4 to 6 weeks with a broken arm/wrist. As for the status of those players still away at pro-camps (Sbisa, Boychuk, Fadden) no change there from our last report. When and if they return is still any one's guess. For now though, the Hurricanes are getting healthier and getting set for the Hitmen on Friday! One note on Fadden though. The Norfolk Admirals of the AHL announced their opening night roster and neither Fadden nor former Hurricanes defenceman Jeff May are listed to be in the line-up when the team starts it's season this weekend. That being said, the Admirals website says both are remaining with the Admirals pending details on official contracts.

Here is the CHL Mosaik MasterCard Top-10 Rankings – Week 4 out today!


1. Windsor Spitfires (6-1-0-0)
2. Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (8-1-0-0)
3. Moncton Wildcats (7-0-1-0)
4. Swift Current Broncos (6-1-0-0)
5. Vancouver Giants (6-0-0-1)
6. Belleville Bulls (5-1-0-0)
7. Drummondville Voltigeurs (7-1-0-1)
8. Quebec Remparts (7-1-0-0)
9. Guelph Storm (5-2-0-0)
10. Spokane Chiefs (4-1-0-2)

Canes' win again ending unbeaten streak for Swifty

Well another very good team effort by the Hurricanes last night. Very solid game. Lethbridge was out shot again quite handily, but again it was Juha Metsola who shut the door in goal and Sunday's offensive star was Colton Sceviour. He scored a natural hatrick to lead the Hurricanes to a 5-2 win over Swift Current. Sceviour now has 10 points in his past 3 games. I thought he'd be given consideration for WHL player of the week, but I guess not. That nod went to Casey Pierro-Zabotel of the Vancouver Giants who had 7 points in two games this past weekend and had a +7 rating for his club. Too bad though, I thought Sceviour may have had that one locked up. Oh well, the Broncos had not lost a game this season before last night. The victory improved Lethbridge's record to 5 and 2 on the year.

The Canes don't play again until Friday when they host Calgary at the Enmax, then they have the weekend off and don't play again until Thanksgiving Monday in the afternoon versus Regina. That's only two games in the next week. It'll give the club some time to rest up any injuries they might have and give those players that've been nursing ailments (Bancks, Braes, Iwanski) some more time to get healthy and maybe we'll see them back sooner rather than later. Lethbridge lost another player to injury last night. Forward Garrett Taylor left Sunday's game with what is believed to be a broken arm. He fell awkwardly into the boards and skated off clutching his left arm. He'll likely be out around 6 weeks.

Overall it's been a good start to year for Lethbridge with so many big names still not playing. Many people continue to ask when Sbisa, Fadden, and Boychuk are coming back or if they're coming back. That all remains to be seen. If they do return, I wouldn't expect them back until late this month at the earliest.... maybe later.

Tonight, Hurricanes This Week is back on CJOC. at 7 o'clock Our guests include Rod Pedersen, Voice of the Regina Pats and my beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hurricanes Captain Ben Wright. We'll take your calls at 403-388-4646 or send Dick and I an email at hurricanes@pttwireless.ca

Here's an update on some of those players still away at pro-camps or injured:

-Mitch Fadden and Jeff May both remain in Norfolk (AHL) camp as the Norfolk roster was cut down to 25 this past weekend.
- Injury report: Cam Braes (Concussion - Day to Day), Carter Bancks (Foot - 1-2 weeks), Garrett Taylor (Wrist - 4-6 Weeks), Dan Iwanski (placed on 45 day Injury Reserve - retroactive to Sept.12/08)

(Thanks to Ryan Ohashi at the Canes' office for that info)

Game Day vs. Swift Current

Well up and at em' early on this Sunday. People who have young kids can probably sympathize with me! Oh, well. What a performance by the Canes' last night. If the coaching staff was trying to send a message to the leaders on this team after a sub par game in Calgary the other night, I'd have to say message sent and received! The Canes' wanted more out the veterans and they got it. Lethbridge opened up the offence in a 7-3 victory over Kelowna. The Hurricanes had an answer for everything the Rockets brought and more. The star of the game though was Cody Smuk, who some fans have nicknamed Smukteral for his Mike Wuchteral type of play. Smuk scored his first every Hatrick to lead the way. Colton Sceviour notched a 4 point night and Juha Metsola had another very strong game in goal. Put all that together and you get yourself a solid team win. That's what it's about about....TEAM! Everyone pitching in. It was the Canes' biggest offensive output of the season.
Tonight should be a good test! The unbeaten Swift Current Broncos are here, 6:00 at the Enmax Centre. They've started the season a perfect 6 and 0 and the Hurricanes would love to end that streak this evening. Another solid effort like last night and that would be a good possibility. This should be a good battle too. Two conference teams expected to do well this year. Lethbridge brings a 4 and 2 record into this match up. Our pregame show starts at 5:30 on CJOC. You can send us an e-mail at hurricanes@pttwireless.ca or call us in the post game show at 403-388-4646! After tonight, the Canes only have one game next week, that's Friday night when Calgary comes to town. The next game after that will by the Thansgiving Monday afternoon contest versus Regina.

Here's how the Hurricanes and Broncos match-up:

Head to Head Record 2008-09 Regular Season
Lethbridge 0-0-0-0
Swift Current 0-0-0-0
Head to Head Record 2007-08 Regular Season
Lethbridge 1-3-0-0
Swift Current 3-1-0-0
Last 5 Years record between teams
Lethbridge 16-11-0-1
Swift Current 12-16-0-0
Lethbridge vs. Swift Current Last 5 Years record at Lethbridge
Lethbridge 8-6-0-0
Swift Current 6-8-0-0
Lethbridge vs. Swift Current Last 5 Years record at Swift Current
Lethbridge 8-5-0-1
Swift Current 6-8-0-0