Canes' Get First Win.

Can you hear that?

It's the sound of relief, jubilation, and excitement on the part of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Canes' played an excellent game last night beating the Prince George Cougars 5-2 and ending a long drought to start this season.

This was a big win for this team in more ways than one. The post-game meal Friday night was all smiles from a group of young men and coaches who've been' trying to find ways to win. This is the organizations first win: regular season, pre-season, or playoffs since late March last season.

The Canes', I thought played a real good game. They dominated the Cougars for the most part. Prince George really didn't start to come on until late in the 3rd period, but Linden Rowat shut the door and helped this team to it's first win of the year. Carter Ashton was great, scoring twice last night including a highlight real goal late in the first. The Hurricanes power play was deadly, going 4 for 10 against a Cougars team that currently sits with the worst penalty kill in the WHL. The Hurricanes were able to take advantage of that all night long. Lethbridge's penalty kill was good too. All in all, it was a strong 60 minute effort and the Hurricanes are full value for the victory. Carter Bancks, Austin Fyten, and Brent Henke scored the Canes's other goals. It was also a Lethbridge sweep in the 3 star selections. 1. Ashton 2. Yadlowski 3. Bancks That`s the first time that has happened all season!

It was nice to get that winning feeling again. Rich Preston now has his first win as coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. It took a lot longer than everyone had hoped, but I suppose it's better late than never.

These two teams will do it again here tonight (8pm). The Canes' would like nothing more than a repeat performance to end what has been 8 games on the road to start the season. This Lethbridge team has slowly gotten better each game and finally last night the bubble burst! Use whatever cliche you want: The ice is broken, the monkey is off the back. It's a great feeling for everyone involved.

Season Ticket Pick-up Day
Hurricanes season ticket holders can pick-up their packages today from 11-4 at the Enmax Centre. A barbeque is being held today just outside the Enmax Centre for the ticket pick-up event. After tonight's game, the Canes' will head back to Lethbridge and get set for their home opener Friday night versus the much improved Edmonton Oil Kings. The team will play it's next 3 games at home after tonight before heading on the road again for a short three game swing into Brandon, Regina, and Moose Jaw in mid-October. After that, the Hurricanes will be pretty much staying around Lethbridge until after the Christmas Break.

Thanks,
Pat

Hurricanes @ Prince George Tonight

Hi from Prince George!

Well this is the last leg of what has been three weeks of hockey on the road to start the season for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Canes’ lost 5-3 in Kamloops Wednesday and are now 0-6 on the season. This team is hungry for a win and wants to come home to Lethbridge with at least one, hopefully two ticks in the win column.

We arrived here late yesterday afternoon, settled in to our hotel, and went for a nice team meal. Now it’s time to get down to business. This is the first time back to Prince George for the Hurricanes since 2007. The Canes’ will play back-to-back here tonight and tomorrow before heading back home to Lethbridge and finally the team’s home opener one week from tonight against Edmonton.

Hopefully this team can take the positives from the game against the Blazers the other night and put that into a full 60 minutes here in P.G. Things can only get better I think. Some of these younger players on this Hurricanes team have learned and have seen a lot in the past 3 weeks. Many have never played at this level before. Whether this sounds like an excuse or not, it does take some time for all things to come together. If history says anything though, the Hurricanes have a good shot at winning one or both of these games. Lethbridge has pretty much owned the Cougars the past few seasons. I'm sure P.G. would like to change that trend.

Are the players and coaches frustrated? Yeah, I’d have to say so. Anyone would be, given the start to the season, but the approach they’re all taking is the right one. No one is down, no one is panicking. In fact, the mood on the bus up here yesterday was quite good. The players seemed fairly relaxed. Mind you it was quiet for the first hour or so as it was like a classroom on the bus. All the players, rookies and veterans had a study hall for the first part of the trip. The noses were in the books and the calculators were busy. That’s a testament to the team’s commitment to education first. The Hurricanes Educational Advisor Jim Stewart is on the trip with us. The players have a strong respect for him. He's the man that helps keep these players focused on their school work outside of hockey. Not to mention, Associate Coach Matt Kabayama constantly nails home the importance of doing homework, walking from the front to the back of the bus making sure everyone is done what they have to do.

Tonight's game at the C.N. Centre in Prince George is an 8pm start. The pre-game show on CJOC at 7:30.

Canes's Drop 6th Straight...Next Up P.G.

Well, a much better effor,t but for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, unfortunately a similar result.

The Canes' fell 5-3 in Kamloops Wednesday night dropping their record on the season to 0-6. This team did play better than in Vancouver the other night, but couldn't put a full 60 minutes together. Lethbridge played maybe it's best period of hockey this season in the first out shooting the Blazers 14-7 and making goaltender Justin LeClerc work his tail off. Things changed though in the second. I think the turning point was the penalty shot goal scored by Tyler Shattock late in the second which gave Kamloops a 4-3 lead. That was the first time either team had opened up a two goal lead.

Linden Rowat got his first start for the Canes' on the season in goal. He didn't play all that bad, but I'm sure he would like to have a few of those back including the penalty shot. All that will come as this team keeps plugging along looking for it's first win.

Lethbridge out shot Kamloops 40-26 and had numerous good chances. It was a much better performance than the night before, but as Associate Coach Matt Kabayama said on out post game show, " We're not looking for excuses, we're looking for answers". Good point.

There's no doubt a 6 game losing streak to start the year can be a frustrating thing for a team. They'll just have to regroup and get ready for Prince George tomorrow and then again Saturday. The Canes' did a lot of things better last night than the previous game in Vancouver. They were more disciplined and they were also more determined around the net. Now, it's just a matter of tightening things up defensively.

I thought Cam Braes was the best Hurricane in Kamloops. Craig Orfino played well too and we're seeing a steady improvement in Mitch Maxwell. The Magrath boy is playing well and adapting nicely to the WHL. Head Coach/G.M Rich Preston speaks highly of him. He plays well positionally and plays a smart game. I think he'll be an asset to this team as the season moves along.

The Canes' may have to get some greasy wins this year, maybe 2-1 or 3-2. They are having trouble scoring goals at the moment, so winning a few low scoring games here and there this season might be how this team is going to have to get things done. The Hurricanes are getting chances, but the puck right now just isn't getting into the back of the net.

Now it's back on the bus today and up to Prince George to get set for back-to-back game with the Cougars tomorrow and Saturday. This team wants a win and needs a win. I can sense it talking to the players. One thing is pretty clear though. Nothing is going to come easy for the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season. They will have to work for everything they get. This team must not doubt itself. Those things can happen when things aren't going well. Staying positive, as tough as it may be is the best approach in my opinion.

Today is a travel day for the team. A chance to relax and get ready for two more road games before actually getting to play at home for a change. I think the players will welcome that for sure!

Thanks,
Pat

Hurricanes Struggles Continue...5-1 Loss in Vancouver

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are now 0-5 to start the season after a 5-1 loss in Vancouver last night.

The Canes' found themselves in a lot of penalty trouble which kept the PK units on the ice an awful lot in the last half of the game. It was a tough loss for a team still trying to find it's way this season. They've surrendered 31 goals against and have scored a total of just 9. This team had trouble staying out the box against the Giants. Vancouver had 12 power plays Tuesday and scored three times. The Canes' went 0 for 5 with the man advantage.

The penalty trouble aside, the Canes' continued to misfire on some scoring chances I thought. At least three times during the game, players had good opportunities in the slot and simply missed the net. I talked about this on the broadcast many times last night that this team has to put the puck on the net when they get chances like that in close.

Last night's game was also one of the chippiest games I've seen in a long time. There was something taking place after almost every whistle and it was a steady stream of players heading to the penalty boxes on both sides. I think for both teams, it was tough to get any flow going with the amount of stoppages in the play.

The Hurricanes must play a more disciplined game tonight in Kamloops. This will be game 2 of this B.C. road trip and game 6 of 8 starting this season on the road. One good for this struggling team is that they seem to be upbeat and positive. That's a good thing. When things aren't going your way, teams can tend to get down and question themselves. Not this group. Not right now anyway.

With all the tinkering that's been done over the past week, it is going to take some time before it all comes together. I know for some people it's taking longer than some fans want, but I truly believe Rich Preston has made the right moves to make this a better club and from the emails I've received from fans in the last week or so, it appears a lot of people feel the same. Most Hurricanes fans I think are willing to let things play out and give Preston a chance to turn things around.

There no doubt though that the Canes' need to get a win and soon. This team doesn't want to let this losing skid continue for much longer. Winning can change a lot. Tonight, new goaltender Linden Rowat is expected to get the start. He watched from bench last night in Vancouver as Ville Kolppanen got the call instead. Now it's Rowat's turn to take the ball and run with it. The rest of the team needs to help out too. Rowat will need a solid defence in front and staying out of the box as much as possible will go a long way to stopping the slide for Lethbridge. This will take a team effort and not just one player is going to change things by himself.

Tonight game from Kamloops is an 8 o'clock start (MT). The pregame show on CJOC at 7:30.

Thanks,
Pat

Kolppanen to Start vs. Giants

A little update for you on the Hurricanes goaltending siutation.

I chatted a bit with Head Coach/GM Rich Preston early this afternoon and he told me he's decided Ville Kolppanen will start in goal tonight for Lethbridge in Vancouver. He wants to give newly acquired netminder Linden Rowat a bit more practice time before throwing him into game action. Rowat practiced a fair bit today and will likely start tomorrow night when the Canes' play the Blazers in Vancouver.

From what I've seen so far in practice, Rowat looks pretty good.

Talk to you tonight on the broadcast. Again the pre-game show on CJOC at 7:30.

Thanks,
Pat

Hurricans at Vancouver 8pm Tonight

Right: Linden Rowat plays the puck during his first practice with the Canes' in Vancouver

The continued new-look Lethbridge Hurricanes will be hunting for their first win of the season tonight when they take on the Giants here in Vancouver.

This Lethbridge team looks a lot different from just two weeks ago and there have been many players coming and going over the past few days. Overage goaltender Linden Rowat will not get the start tonight. Head Coach and G.M. Rich Preston indicated to me early this afternoon that Ville Kolppanen will get the call tonight in goal giving Rowat some more practice time. Rowat should play tomorrow in Kamloops. He was picked up for a 5th round conditional draft pick from Regina after the Hurricanes lost 7-2 in Swift Current the other night.

The Canes' are in serious need of some stronger goaltending as they've allowed 26 goals against in their first 4 games this season. That's why Head Coach/G.M Rich Preston wasted no time in acquiring Rowat. He practiced with his new teammates here in Vancouver yesterday morning and again today.

Despite the o-4 start to the season, the good thing for Lethbridge is that there is lots of hockey to be played this season and if they can start finding the win column, there's no reason why they can't make up for some of those earlier defeats. A win here and a win there solves a lot for a struggling team. A win against an always tough Vancouver team would be a good way to start.

The Vancouver Giants come into this game tonight with a record of 3 wins, one regulation loss and one shootout loss. The Canes' haven't played at Pacific Coliseum since 2007 and will be back to play the Giants again in February, but because of the Winter Olympics, the Canes' and Giants will play at a new rink in Langley, home of the BCHL's Langley Chiefs.

Last Saturday's loss in Swift Current was a tough one for this team I think, given how well they played the night before in Red Deer. The Hurricanes tonight need to bare down on their chances around the net and capitalize on those scoring opportunities. Don Hay's Vancouver Giants don't give opposing teams many chances, so when the Canes' get a good opportunity this evening, they have to make the best of it.

Lethbridge has outshot it's opponents the past two games, which shows there is offence there, it's just a matter of putting the puck in the net and getting a timely save by either Rowat or Ville Kolppanan.

The Hurricanes had a good swift practice in Vancouver yesterday in preparation for tonight's game. This is a busy week for Lethbridge with 4 games in 5 days so eating right and sleeping right is key. It's all part of junior hockey. Every team goes through it.

Tonight's game from Vancouver is an 8pm start. The pre-game show on CJOC at 7:30.

Thanks,
Pat

Hurricanes This Week Tonight: Canes' Arrive in Vancouver

Hello from Vancouver!

After an all night, 13 hour bus ride, the Hurricanes arrived on the B.C. Lower Mainland around 8am Alberta time. First things first. Practice! We rolled in to Pacific Coliseum where the team will practice this morning, then it’s off to the hotel to settle in for a couple of nights. Tomorrow’s game will be the Hurricanes first visit Vancouver since 2007.

It was a busy week for this team off the ice with a number of players coming and going. After acquiring Radim Valchar, Mike Reddington, and Landon Oslanski in trades with U.S. teams as well as signing top prospect Mitch Maxwell, Head Coach/G.M. Rich Preston pulled the trigger on a deal yesterday sending a 5th round conditional draft pick to Regina for overage goaltender Linden Rowat. With the addition of Rowat in goal, Michael Tadjdeh’s time as a Hurricane appears to be over. He did not make the trip to Vancouver and was sent home to Calgary and from what I understand he is likely to be traded. Also on Sunday, the Canes’ parted ways with defenceman Cody Castro. Preston sent him to Tri-City is exchange for a 6th round bantam pick. So to say the least, this is a vastly different looking Lethbridge team compared with how things looked when the season started two weeks ago. Preston has already put his mark on things.

Reassigned in the past few days were Michael Sofillas, Garrett Taylor, and Bandyn Hulit. With this Lethbridge team still winless in 4 games on the season, Preston has done a lot of tinkering to make this team competitive now, not next year, right now. He said in the off season that there’s no reason why the Lethbridge Hurricanes can’t be one of the elite teams in the WHL every season. I like the fact that he’s not afraid to make a deal almost on the spot if he sees something he doesn’t like. Preston has shown that this week and we’ll see tomorrow here in Vancouver how all these new additions, including goaltender Linden Rowat play out.

"Hurricanes This Week" is back on the air tonight on CJOC at 6pm. Colour Analyst Fred Jack will host the show tonight with me on the road in Vancouver. Darrell Rumold from CTV Lethbridge will co-host. Our guests include Geoff Stewart, the Hurricanes new Business Manager and Ron St. Clair, the radio voice of the Prince George Cougars. I’ll like pop on the phone for a quick chat with the boys to tee up this week’s match-ups for the Hurricanes in B.C.

Again, if you happen to miss on our Monday night talk shows, you can listen to all Hurricanes This Week editions by visiting http://www.cjocfm.com/ and clicking on podcasts. The shows are usually ready to download the following day by noon. If you have a question for Fred and Darrell on tnight’s show send them to hurricanes@pttwireless.ca.

Thanks,
Pat

Hurricanes Pick Up Goaltender Linden Rowat

Lethbridge Hurricanes General Manager/Head Coach, Rich Preston, announced after last night's game against the Swift Current Broncos that the Canes have acquired 20 year old goaltender Linden Rowat from the Regina Pats in exchange for a conditional fifth round pick 2010.

Rowat, a native of Cochrane, AB is a veteran WHL goaltender with 183 WHL regular season games under his belt and an amazing 85-66-7-10 record with 10 shutouts. Rowat had a breakout season in his draft year of 06-07 finishing with a 25-18-1-6 record and four shutouts. That summer he was selected by the L.A. Kings in the fifth round (124th overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In 07-08 he had a career season posting breaking the 30 win mark for the first time with a 33-15-4-2 record and a 2.68 GAA with a .904 sv % over 3244 minutes. This was good enough to earn the goaltender a spot on the Eastern Conference first all star team in 2008.

Last year, Rowat finished his season with 48 games played, a 19-24-1-3 record and a 3.07 GAA with a solid .901 sv %. To put these numbers into perspective, if he had played in Lethbridge his entire career, Rowat would, coming into this season; hold the Hurricanes career goaltending records for shutouts, saves and games played.

This latest move caps off a busy week which saw the Canes acquire four other new players - 19 year old defenseman Mike Reddington and 17 year old defenseman Landon Oslanski from the Spokane Chiefs along with 20 year old Czech forward Radim Valchar from the Portland Winter Hawks and 90-born forward and highly touted AJHL prospect Mitch Maxwell. Forward Garrett Taylor has been released by the team to Canmore of the AJHL, while forward Michael Sofillas has been reassigned back to his midget team in Manitoba.

My Thoughts

Well I guess my gut was right. Preston isn't wasting any time trying to get this team into the win column and I give him tonnes of credit for that. I think the move for Rowat was great. Once again, Preston is able to get the guy he wants and not have to give away a high draft pick to do it. Rowat should add instant credibility in goal. His numbers speak for themselves. Now the Hurricanes have 4 goaltenders in the fold. Rowat, Tadjdeh, Kolppanen, and Anderson. One doesn't have to read too far into this to realize two won't be with this team for much longer. No team carries 4 goalies. Great pick up for the Canes' in my eyes. Hopefully this team can taste victory in B.C. in the days ahead.

Thanks,

Pat

Canes' Lose 4th Straight..Next Up B.C. Road Trip

Another rough game for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The team lost 7-2 in Swift Current last night, dropping their early season record to 0-4. The Canes’ troubles started mid-way through the first period when the Broncos scored three times in a span of 2:10. Things kind of unravelled for Lethbridge at that point. Ville Kolppanen who started the game was replaced by Michael Tadjdeh after the first period, but he didn’t fair any better. The Hurricanes have now given up 26 goals against in just four games.

There is no doubt in my mind that in order for this team to be competitive this season, the Canes’ need more reliable goaltending, plain and simple. They addressed their defensive issues a few days ago and that has made a difference. No team in this league, the Hurricanes included can be competitive on a game-by-game basis and give up an average of nearly 7 goals a game. It simply can’t happen.

Don’t be surprised if Head Coach and G.M. Rich Preston makes a move for goalie very soon. He said before the season started that he didn’t want to make any decisions in that department until he saw a few games. Preston’s philosophy as I’ve said before is building a strong team from the back out. He’s happy with the defence I think for the most part, especially the toughness and grit that Mike Reddington brings to table. Forward wise, I think the Canes’ are fine for now. If they can address the defence, which they have and beef up the goaltending things can and will turn around.

On a positive note, the Hurricanes outshot their opponent for the second straight game. The offence I think is there, it’s just a confidence thing when trying to bury those chances around the net. At least 4 times last night the Hurricanes had chances close range in front of the Swift Current goal, but simply missed the net. They must get those pucks on goal.

Later tonight the Hurricanes will hop the bus for their first big roadie of the season with 4 games next week all in B.C. Tuesday were in Vancouver, Wednesday at Kamloops, and Friday and Saturday back-to-back in Prince George. All start times from B.C. are 8pm Alberta time.
So let’s not push the panic button just yet. It’s only 4 games in. Rich Preston is a pretty smart guy and he knows where he needs to make changes, he’s done that already and my gut tells me there's more to come.