The Western Bantam Hockey Championships set for Winnipeg in a couple weeks now has its final entry. The BWC Bruins exacted some revenge tonight with a 6-3 win over Abbotsford. Abbotsford had won the previous two games between the two clubs.
Western Bantam Hockey Championships
Winnipeg Hawks (MB)
Winnipeg Sharks (host)
SSAC Southgate (AB)
Prince Albert Pirates (SK)
BWC Bruins (BC)
I'll have a full preview leading up to the championships.
66 comments:
SSAC will win westerns. That is my prediction.
What do you think was wrong with kamloops in provincials?
Nothing was wrong with Kamloops.Cloverdale was the spoiler.That was a must win game.The right team won provincials.There is no disputing this.Good luck BWC.,Make B.C proud!
The Ab final was the wwesterns SSAC will win going away not even close. The Kamloops team did do alot of talking and dont have much to say it seems good luck to all
Not sure what the heck the last post meant but as to the first post, BWC has already squared off against SSAC in St Albert and won --and held them to just one goal.
does that matter? nope. SSAC is heating up by beating the bisons
Ssac starting to sound like bisons were earlier and where are they now?
as a kamloops parent I am very disappointed in the lack of leadership by our so called big game players.they seemed more dividers on themselves than our team
I agree what happened earlier doesn't matter now and just as much as ssac is heating up so is Bwc .should be hell of a battle with all teams involved at westerns.
the Western's are SSAC's to lose.
And lose they shall... to BWC.
Should be a good game between bwc and ssac if both of bwc's goalies come out ready, bwc could have two of the better goalies but from the few games i watched they aren't consistent. SSAC's goalie is however, anyone know how the bwc goalies did in provincials, did they paly well or did there team carry them?
To 12:09 - You are questioning goalies that let in 25 goals in 28 games during tiering and league play? That seems pretty consistent to me. Is there a lower GAA in all of Western Canada? I don't think goaltending is a big question mark. The AMBHL website shows SSAC let in 78 in 33 games. That is a very good mark but still over twice as many goals per game against.
In BC, we all want to beat BWC but now that they are going to Westerns, we want them to win. Good luck to all but especially to the BC rep.
I am not a SSAC parent, Ssac has a huge advantage in goal, you cant compare, Papirny is the top goalie in Westerns period. You cant compare GAA either as AMBHL league is far superior at all levels.
And the last time ssac played bwc papirny was not in net
BWC's goalie's are at disadvantage. in big games, like ND vs. BWC, look who lets in 7 goals? against kamloops, who lets in 4 goals. SSAC in papirny has been consistent throughout the year. weather it is a 2-1 or 2-1 win. he always lets in few goals. BWC faced way less skilled shooters and averaged maybe 10 shots against per game.
buddy kamloops was three goals and vs nd ,first goalie let in 4 and was pulled and second goalie let in 3.you don't think papirny let in 3 or 4 goals in a game this year?give your head a shake.papirny let in 4 in loss to bisons,6 to leduc in loss,both playoff games and under 25 shots,so do your homework and read the scoresheets before spouting off .you are either a parent of a rival bc goalie or the actually goalie himself .we'll see at u16's who the better goalies are right.till then
top goalies at st albert were bwc goalies
somebody has a hate on for bwc goalies here.must be a parent or a kid.watched both kids at provincials. both goalie are big and mobile with great skill sets.i think they were facing a lot more then 10 shots agame.i think goals against were 10 in 6 games.i think that's pretty darn good .
Hey just a comment about all the venom here My son was lucky to have been at westerns in Burnaby last year it was agreat experience
for the PLAYERS dont make it a pissing contest between Parents after all your team is Provincial Champs you dont need to prove anything. Enjoy the ride have fun with it and be a fan of your kid not a hater of others. "If all you do is compare your son with others you will never see him shine for the player he is" Let them enjoy
i think those bwc goalies were facing the same shooters at st albert
Not sure why no one has brought up the chances of the PA Pirates. This may be one of the stronger teams Saskatchewan has sent to Westerns in some time. Plus, they may have 3-4 players who might go in the first-round of the upcoming 2011 Bantam draft.
I've only seen 3 of the 5 teams attending westerns, I have no valid opinion on Manitoba teams. The other provinces will play out like this-SSAC has a very slight edge over BWC and should finish #1 with BWC a very close 2nd. The Sask team from Prince Albert whom I've seen 4 times this year is strong with some very good top end talent, however overall team depth, goaltending and a serious lack of toughness and physical play will leave them fighting for 3rd at best.
11:29. That is one of the best comments I have read on here and your right. These teams have nothing to prove.
exactly ....you can give credit to someone without ripping somebody else at their expense.these are all good teams consisting of good players AND goalies and they must be doing something right to get this far and representing their respective provinces is a big honor.be proud of your acheivements thus far and enjoy the westerns cause then the season is over.good luck to everybody at the Westerns.
All the teams are very deserving of being there as they are their respective provincial champions. Should be some great hockey and quality games. It's interesting how each province conducts it's provincial playdowns. The teams there are no surprise
FYI....Kelowna tied Surrey 1-1 in PoCo last night, great game.
I am cheering for any team that is NOT from a winter club. Let's Keep Winter Clubs out of Provincal play and stick with Minor hockey - That is my only beef -
Stay healthy to all players reading this.
Good luck in u16 - that will be the real truth in the best players..
Gee,thanks for that update.We were all wondering.
How will Kamloops do at KIBIHT?
At this point in the season,if POE meets Kamloops in final.It will be a landslide for POE.No question.7 to 1.
NSWC has picked up Dawdiyak, Dosanjh, and Sandhu for Kibihts.
A dark horse if they find chemistry fast. POE ,Spruce Grove and Kamloops would be the 4 favorites.
Kibiht tourney is a "spring hockey" tourney. teams can pay money to the tournament and bring in outside players. NSWC isnt breaking any rules, BUT... have SOME pride?!?! As for some winter clubs (BWC)ebeing allowd to compete in Minor hockey provincials and not others (POE), this is confusing. It proves that the "good old Boys" club runs hockey.In alberta it isnt a problem as the winter clubs are competing against reginal teams. In BC, they are playing off against local (not reginal) minor hockey teams. There are exceptions in Minor Hockey (Kamloops winning St Albert AND Medicine Hat) but this is rare.
In true winterclub fashion, pay to play! tough to cheer for these winter club teams as it is without them being allowed to do this?
Its interesting that KIBIHTs is now the first officially BC Hockey sanctioned Spring tournament and winter rosters are not required to be adhered to.
Just wondering insurance wise, if NSCW is required to register their team as a spring team (includng getting insurance) if they add players to their BCAHA winter roster?
NSWC had a pretty good finish to the season and with the addition of four Seafair players (Whitwham also listed), the NSWC team will be an immediate contender along with POE, Kamloops and Sruce Grove
Hollyburn has picked up Ben Blake and Spencer Meyyer as well, i believe.
Be careful you don't fall victim to the same Karma that caught up with Kamloops, POE. Bold assertions taste terrible on the rebound. As for teams picking up players for Kibiht, I hear Vernon's recruitment guy wanted Hayden Chase.
Heard the BC cup in Kamloops U16's is being held at 2 different arena's with games being scheduled at the same time. Making it difficult for scouts to watch everyone. Has anyone heard the same.
Few comments;
The Burnaby goalies at St.Albert were average at best. Yes I would love to discuss this with anyone.
SSAC will win Westerns, I think they will run the table, not sure if any of the games will be very close.
I'am not jumping on the hate the BWC deal, it is what it is.
SSAC is a deep team, strong in all positions, very well coached. They are the team to beat.
average at best?with the two best averages?you obviously don't khnow anything about the position.even at med hat the burnaby goalies had better averages than ssac.discuss
actually the 97 is probably the best in his age in bc and the 96 is top 3 in bc.
we will see at westerns.think of some excuses cause you'll be needing them
So if ssac lost 3-1 to average goaltending ,that doesn't bode well for them
7 51, you are right for the most part, but there is also a very good 97 goalie in Semi and NSWC as well. I'd have to say rana is not top through, although still very good. Michael Herringer from the island is #1, Nic Bruyere from BWC AA is #2, still don't know why BWC AAA cut him and yes he is better than mcbride and rana, and then their is russell, crronier, bogas, wheeler. But none the less, BWC has two very solid, reliable tendies that get the job done.
in med hat ssac top goalie played 1 game. he also didn't play in st. albert when ssac and bwc met.
U-16 Provincials I understand to be held in MosseJaw or Swift Current. Cant confirm though? Rumour mill.
Herringer really .we're talking real 96's.everybody knows the story there.as far as cronier,bogas,Russell and wheeler,your too funny .brutere had a great year in TIER 2 .you going to tell me the shooters there are as good as tier 1?maybe he didn't make it cause he nothing on his resume of past accomplishments and no history of winning games they weren't supposed to win
I woul say in no particular order top 5 goalies in bc ,Peyton lee ,herringer,rana,profieit,bruyere
What's 7:57 basis that bruyere is better than bwc goalies?what has he done at the elite level including spring?
Sounds like somebody is bitter about the bwc goalie situation
I remember when I was at challenge cup and watched bruyere and rana and both goalies were good .bruyere smaller and athletic and relies on reflexes whereas rana is bigger and more technically sound .
can we talk about something other than bc goalies.we all know alberta goalies are better.
I do agree that rana did more with less talented team in spring than bruyere when both were playing at the same level.
Who will make the Okanagan U 16 team?
Go to the goalie guild website and look at the NHL depth chart and yoo'll see 98 percent if goalies in each teams system including junior are 6 feet tall or over and nobody less than 5'10.
Bruyere played for Vancouver Selects. Against Junior Flames one time, he held them to a 2-2 tie while his team was outplayed, yes point duke mccmaster wong martin were all playing, that is just one game though
7:49 pm - put the BWC goalies in Nanaimo then come talk to me. Yes the goalies are average at best...
Slow feet, not googd at adjusting depth relative to play, sloppy movements ie - knee drops, sealing posts, lots of holes during movements. Hands are not good, additional size does compensate a little bit for average skill set.
These goalies will potentially go in the late rounds at best, lets talk about May 5th 2011.
No matter how few shots BWC gives up, I think some credit has to be given to the goalies. On the websites with any stats (PCAHA,Med Hat, St Albert), these goalies seem to let in a goal or less per game. That isn't easy unless you are getting no shots. I don't know if these kids will make it in the WHL or if they even want to end up there but they seem to be getting it done in Bantam hockey.
Vancouver selects goaltending was terrible last spring.overheated scouts mentioning just that at challengecup.
bruyere actually got called up to bwc a1 bs Langley and let in two softies and looked shaky
Seem to remember a 10-9 SPI vs Flames game last year. Lets face it these are young players and goalies that all have great games and not so great games. the fact is that they all have lots of potential and a love for the game. Maybe keep that in mind before generalizing unfounded or harsh comments here gang.These kids are 15 and the game is a journey that will have lots of ups and downs. Scouts will look at several factors including athletism, size, positional play, and compete factor. Probably a good 6 BC goalies that may be drafted.
exactly.why the need to cut certain kids just to try to make another kid look better.we all know goalies are a different animal as far as developement goes.all the aforementioned are good goalies with alot of upside and they will all admit they need to work on certian aspects of their respective games and i'm sure being a goalie parent myself they work tirelessly on their craft and for people to post on here and rip them is mean-spirited
Interesting, somewhere I heard someone say, I don't care who the stars are when they are 7, 11 or 15. It is where they are at 22 or 23. The nice thing is all really derogatory comments can be tracked by the message, then the ip address and the ISP. We may be anonymous in the comments, but you are never anonymous.
Jr flames never tied vancouver selects so your memories are clouded.the closest I can find was 4-2 JR flames Cronier played a game with the Flames and played very well Lee played 3 seasons with the Flames and was very good the best Goalie I saw play the JR flames was Henniger from the Island stars who stoped 68 shots in a 10-1 loss. All these goalies you speak of are good its tough only Two can play on BC u16 Side note one team has Asked 3 alberta players to play in Kihbits
Kelowna defeated Surrey 6-0 to win the POCO tourney.
to 11:30 & 12:29 - I know this is becoming beating a dead horse but...could not agree more with you both about your comments regarding club teams. Why is BWC and NSWC still allowed to compete in Provincials and Westerns yet others like POE in Kelowna are not. The time has come for local minor associations, BC Hockey and Hockey Canada to give their heads a shake, re-evaluate and revamp this sad-sack-piece-of-policy and address this whole mess around residency and eligibility to play on club teams and compete against other weaker associations. A club team is what it is...an elite squad of the best players money can buy and produce. They have been granted leaniency by the powers that be and all that are involved are guilty of promoting it. ALL club teams should be in a league of their own. It is time to knock the old school hockey elitists off their pedestals and give back the opportunity to "true" grass roots minor hockey associations, teams and players. How much fun is it for a player when he knows his team will always be beat by club teams and that they know a club team will most likely always be in the final four for Provincials and tourneys. As for others who sidestep and interpret policy, how many parents in BC have fake separated from their spouses in the last few years and moved so their children can play for Kamloops or Abbotsford. It must be stopped somewhere...do I have the answers...no I do not, but someone needs to do something. Remember when fair play and same opportunities actually meant something in team sports. Provincial Championships and Minor Hockey tournaments should be played, determined and won based on sportsmanship and by true minor hockey associations, not by those who know how to side step policy and have huge bank accounts.
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