Sunday 16 March 2014

Hurricanes Lose 14th Straight to End Season

LETHBRIDGE - The Medicine Hat Tigers dealt the Lethbridge Hurricanes their 14th consecutive loss to end this WHL season as they defeated the Canes 6-2 Sunday afternoon at the ENMAX Centre.

Not the start the Hurricanes were hoping for in their final game of this WHL season. The Tigers opened things up with three goals in the first 12 minutes of the first period. Chad Butcher got things going with a tip shot past Stuart Skinner to make it 1-0. Six minutes later Medicine Hat would go ahead 2-0 when Jacob Doty snapped home the puck, beating Skinner on the short side. A couple of minutes later the Tigers would add another, this time on a power play. Miles Koules was allowed to simply skate right in and lift a backhander over Skinner to make it 3-0 Medicine Hat through 20 minutes of play. The Tigers also had a goal called back in that period. The Hurricanes were out shot 12-10.

In the second, the Tigers would score again to go ahead 4-0. Cole Sanford, who's having a career season lifted a shot over Skinner to increase Medicine Hat's lead. The Hurricanes finally broke the shut out bid of Medicine Hat's goalie Nick Schneider when Brady Ramsay scored in his last-ever Western Hockey League game. That was his 15th of the year and cut the Tigers lead to 4-1 after 40 minutes of play. It was also a power play goal. The Tigers held a 23-19 edge in shots.

In the third, the Tigers would keep the offence going. They'd make it 5-1 when Curtis Valk notched his 47th goal of the season. That would pretty much seal the game for Medicine Hat. The Hurricanes did however get one more. Riley Sheen scored his team-leading 19th goal of the season to cut the Tigers lead to 5-2, but Medicine Hat added one more before it was all said and done. Connor Hobbs scored on the power play and the Tigers skated away with a 6-2 victory. The Tigers out shot Lethbridge 33-26. The Canes went 1/5 on the power play and the Tigers 2/4. The Hurricanes end the year on a 14 game losing skid. They end the year with a franchise-worst 12-55-2-3 record in 72 games

2013-2014 Hurricane Player Awards

Community Relations Award: Jamal Watson
Scholastic Players of the Yerar Award: Tyler Wong
Hardest Working Award: Brady Ramsay
Top Defenceman Award: Lenny Hackman
Top Scorer Award: Riley Sheen
CJOC Three Stars Award: Jamal Watson
Fan Favourite Award: Tyler Wong
Perseverance, Dedication, & Sportsmanship Award: Tyler Wong
Rookie of the Year Award: Giorgio Estephan
Most Valuable Player: Brady Ramsay

Final Hurricanes This Week Radio Show 

To wrap things up, we will bring back the Hurricanes Media Roundtable Monday night on CJOC. Dylan Purcell from the Lethbridge Herald and Paul Kingsmith from Global TV will join Fred and I in-studio to go over the season that was for Hurricanes. There will be plenty talk about given this season turned out nothing like anyone expected when the puck first dropped back in September.  The show starts at 7:00 pm MDT.

WHL Draft Lottery

The WHL's Draft Lottery will take place on Wednesday (Mar. 19) in Calgary. The Hurricanes, finishing last in the league overall will have the greatest chance at getting the first overall pick. The Canes can only move down one spot, so they can pick no worse than second overall. If the Hurricanes do get the first overall selection in the May 1st Bantam Draft it would be first time in franchise history.

That's All She Wrote!

As tough as this season been, it's been a pleasure to broadcast the games on 94.1 CJOC. On behalf of myself and Colour Analyst Fred Jack, thank you to all those who tuned into Hurricanes hockey. You are the reason we have kept doing what we do. And even in tough times we tried to do the best job and in the most professional manner possible. Thank you to all our listeners once again!

Thanks,
Pat

9 comments:

  1. Thank heavens this season is over and done with. This marks the worst season in the franchise (Winnipeg Jets and on) history.
    Wins 12-22nd in league, losses 55-22nd in league, Pts-29-22nd in league, GF 171-22nd in league, GA 358-22nd in league, PIMs 1372-highest in league, PK 69.8% and 103 PPGA-22nd in league, PP-18.4%-19th in league, Top scorer Riley Sheen 94th in league.

    This kind of record has to come to a screeching halt. It is not fair to the players, the fans and the sponsors.

    Nothing short of a complete overhaul will do. That means that McNaughton must admit failure, (despite his comment of being so optimistic as to the future of the club) and resign. The WHL needs to step in and force the sale of the club immediately. The shareholder process will take too long in order to have the right ownership in place.

    Apparently the players have been told they.......they will be back here next season. But that is all.

    According to FJ there is some big announcement coming before May 1st.

    Bills are still not fully paid. Has the club had to borrow more money in order to cover bills and pay staff/players?

    Too many unknowns, too many unanswered questions, too much misinformation from the "owner".

    Time to sell!

    Dump'N Chase.

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  2. I'm with you D'N C

    The Board of Disasters, GM, & Head Coach - All selling, "CONVINCED we are on the right track."

    The only guy that seemed to recognise the train wreck for WHAT it was WHEN it was (Brad Lukowich), was "terminated with cause." .... Which, to me, should be paraphrased to say, "terminated, 'cause he wanted to be better, thought we could be better, and challenged his boss and leadership to rethink their course."

    "We were going to play .500 hockey for the remainder of the season" - It was just always going to start next game. Next game. Next game.

    "Accountability" was the pre-season buzz word.

    We finished the season 0-14. (Despite whatever useless sixth dimension metrics DB is using, the team NEVER get better, things are clearly NOT improving. 0-14 tells a pretty clear story).

    What could POSSIBLY change next year? (Maybe) the same players will return. Drake has never once suggested he was willing to adjust his asinine systems, and he has not once taken even partial responsibility for the ultimate failure and franchise worst season that he now owns.

    We finished in the STANDINGS as the worst team in the 22 team league. Nobody normally gets to keep their job, yet we can't afford to get rid of them.

    In 2013-14, we learned how Drake Berehowsky defines "Exciting, competitive, hockey every game."All that remains is how he defines, "ACCOUNTABLE."

    Not that you asked, but here is my definition.

    ACCOUNTABLE = BOARD RESIGNATION (For hiring 2 unproven leaders in a critical season for the organization)

    ACCOUNTABLE = ROBSON RESIGNATION (For hiring a losing Head Coach, and for unacceptable season-long player/coach conflict management)

    ACCOUNTABLE = DRAKE RESIGNATION (12-60) - Be realistic, Drake. If you want to coach at all at this level, you should have learned these past TWO seasons that you are not ready (Consider some additional assistant coaching under a strong and competent leader to develop your extremely weak system and motivational skills?)

    ACCOUNTABLE = Heckler's Row didn't heckle enough

    It CANNOT get any worse than this year.
    IF the team is not sold, then the ONLY CHANCE is to CLEAN HOUSE.
    RESET.

    BOARD MUST RESIGN.
    DRAKE MUST RESIGN.

    Otherwise, its Disaster 2014-15, Year from Hell, II

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  3. As I have mentioned before I feel strongly that the executive on the board of directors need to immediately admit they are not capable of getting the job done and resign. I thank you for volunteering your time and efforts but it didn't work. It has been an epic failure. Admitting your failed is not a sign of weakness. In resigning you actually show strength. For heaven's sake please resign today.

    Brad Robson I have minimal faith in you but more than the board and the head coach. However maybe you are not ready for this step.

    There is nothing to say to the business manager. We all know you are the face of the front office but don't truly run the business. You are simply a front for Bryan McNaughton and that became painfully evident at the shareholders meeting when you could not answer the simplest of questions.

    And then there is Drake. I literally copied this from Pat's blog home page on the right side of the page.


    Paul Kingsmith @paulkingsmith
    #WHLCanes Berehowsky on if he wants to be back "Of course. It's a dream to coach in the WHL. We're moving in the right direction." #WHL #YQL

    Paul Kingsmith @paulkingsmith
    #WHLCanes Coach Drake Berehowsky on his future: "If they have me back, they have me back. If not that's their decision." #YQL #WHL

    Really Drake? You want to be here and do this again? You also said in your interview last night that you saw progress. To be honest my mother could have coached this team and seen some progress in the likes of Wong and Watson for example. Every team has players that improve every year. For many it comes naturally as they get older and their bodies mature. For others they spend their off season working out and take time with instructors to improve their skating, shot, etc. But how can you honestly say that with this record and the 14 game losing streak that will be carried into next year that there was any improvement. I have heard it said that Lukowich was the problem but obviously not because I don't think you have won more than one or two games since he left. I don't know what went wrong and where but you walked into this team full of skill (admittedly lacking in size), decided that you underestimated how much these players needed to be "re-taught" and took a team that was 6 points out of the playoffs last season to a team which finished with the organizations worst ever record as well as the franchises worst record in 40-some years.

    I guess you shouldn't have re-taught them anything. To be honest maybe some of these players could have taught you a thing or two about WHL hockey. They went from being a team with an improved record each of the last four years and on the cusp of making the playoffs to a team that has had to deal with the stigma of being the worst team in the league in virtually EVERY category.

    Are you being honest with yourself? Do you think your dream of coaching in the WHL might be better started as an assistant coach to a leader who has some experience and you can learn from? Maybe you just need to be re-taught a little. As is the case with the board there is no shame in admitting you are in over your head. The shame comes in knowing that and choosing not to do anything about it.

    -cc

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    Replies
    1. @ -cc

      Its like its straight out of my head.... only much less psychotic, with fewer expletives, and vastly more intelligent! - Thanks cc, and thanks to Mrs cc, as I expect this is her mindset also!

      Please copy, paste, and "cc" this well written (and factual) piece to the board of disasters, to the GM, to the Head Coach, to the Head Coach's less egotistical and more reasonalble conscience, to the WHL office, and to the Lethbridge Herald Editor!

      @ Pat S & Fred J - Thanks to you both for hanging in there this season. Thanks for the research and for drawing attention to the positive player accomplishments. Congratulations on your professionalism as you treated with respect and courtesy those individuals so undeserving of it. I promise this is my last post of this memorable season. I am going to work on my Lynch Mobbing now.

      Delete
    2. Well yes Mrs. cc was throwing a little of "say this" and "don't forget to say that" my way as I was typing.

      She also brought to my attention that I forgot to mention to very important things.

      We offer our condolences to the family of Stan Harley-Chervinski. He was a very good man.

      And to Pat thank you. You do a great job and we hope you are back next year.

      Delete
  4. No matter how badly I have performed my job last year and in anticipation of the mistakes that I will make in the next year, there are several truths in which I find peace:

    I KNOW that I will not inhibit or squelch the dreams of 25 young men this next year.

    I will earn the value of my pay and not accept pay that was not earned.

    I will admit to then take full responsibility for my actions and my miscalculations, and of equal importance, I will ensure reparation EVERY time.

    If this year or next year, I am responsible for the worst year of my employer's 46 year existence, then I will immediately and respectfully OFFER MY RESIGNATION.

    I will not further shame my parents, my family, or myself. I will not give up, however I MUST OFFER to release my employer from its obligation to me, and IF AGREED by them, I will then pursue gainful employment in a field in which I am more appropriately suited.

    What would you do, DB?

    Money for Nothing

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  5. The almost universal hallmark of incompetent people is the failure to recognize that they are incompetent or accept accountability for failure. Don't expect any accountability or recognition from the BofD, the GM or the Coach.

    Red Line

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  6. "It's been a process and we're moving in the right direction" said Drake Berehowsky on this evening's news. That explains a lot.

    Will someone please let Drake know that we'd have preferred he moved them in the OTHER "right" direction?
    David

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    Replies
    1. What process, what system, what direction????? This team had exactly 3 wins out of the 27 games following the trade deadline with many of them embarrassing, lopsided blow outs! Mr. Berehowski or the BOD or the GM have yet to accept any responsibility for any of this and now we are already moving into next season? Since Brad Lukowich was released, what little defensive posture this team had, walked right out the door with him! Make no mistake, there are some very good players on this roster that are now going to need to make some very difficult career decisions...I hate quitters by looks like the players that bailed this season are geniuses!!! At least for their own careers, thats for sure!

      Delete