MOOSE JAW MUSCLE
Nobody doubts Warriors these days
So much for the Moose Jaw Worriers.
Gone are the days when the future of Moose Jaw’s WHL franchise was imperilled. The Warriors’ years of mediocrity or downright misery are but a memory.
The same can be said of the Moose Jaw Civic Centre — a.k.a. The Crushed Can — where The Friendly City welcomed majorjunior hockey in 1984.
A barely adequate arena in a small market hardly seemed like a recipe for longevity.
As it turned out, there were more big names than big games for the longest time.
Luminaries such as Mark MacKay, Theoren Fleury, Ryan Smyth and Curtis Brown thrilled the crowds, but their teams were conventionally unexceptional.
Fast forward to 2018. The Warriors’ roster is loaded with stars who have helped the communityowned team ascend to previously unapproachable heights.
On Tuesday, Moose Jaw fattened its franchise-record victory total to 52 by defeating the Prince Albert Raiders 2-1 in a shootout at Mosaic Place.
In addition to savouring a victory, the Warriors celebrated their first regular-season title.
This season’s success, while unprecedented in Warriors history, is hardly surprising.
Even last year, when the
Regina Pats finished first overall and claimed the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy, Moose Jaw was widely touted as a 2017-18 league champion in the making.
Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock frequently articulated his expectation this season’s Warriors would dominate and sure enough …
Moose Jaw has just captured its fourth East Division regularseason championship in addition to nailing down home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Conveniently, the 2018 Memorial Cup will be held in the Brandt Centre, leading a seasoned observer to ponder what would be the ultimate PatsWarriors rivalry game — a headto-head showdown in the CHL’s marquee event.
Everywhere you look, there are firsts.
Brody Willms established a Warriors single-season standard for victories by a goaltender (37) and squelched any speculation about whether he could succeed Zach Sawchenko, who spent his 20-year-old season with the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Jayden Halbgewachs could soon emulate Willms by rewriting the Warriors’ record book as well. With 68 goals, the speedy winger is two shy of the franchise record set by Blair Atcheynum in 1988-89.
Halbgewachs has already equalled Fleury’s peak goal total with two regular-season games remaining.
Best of all, the 20-year-old Emerald Park product has become the league’s most prolific scorer without being selfish.
On Sunday, for example, he had a chance for an empty-net goal in a home game against the Brandon Wheat Kings. As noted by Marc Smith of DiscoverMooseJaw.com, Halbgewachs waved off a possible pass from Tanner Jeannot and urged his teammate to shoot. Jeannot promptly tallied in a 5-3 Moose Jaw victory.
“That’s his goal. He’s got to take that,” Halbgewachs told Smith. “Breaking the record is something that I’m shooting for, but that’s not the right time to contribute to that.”
Halbgewachs and the Warriors are now preparing for a homeand-home set against the Wheat Kings. The teams are to meet Friday in Moose Jaw and Saturday in Brandon.
Most eyes will be on Halbgewachs. The league’s runaway leader in goals also has a chance to win the scoring title. Entering Wednesday’s action, Halbgewachs had 125 points, one more than Swift Current’s Glenn Gawdin.
Once again, it appears that a Warrior and Bronco will go down to the wire to determine the scoring champion. Back in 1987-88, when Fleury enjoyed his 68-goal season, he finished with 160 points, tying him for the lead with Swift Current’s Joe Sakic.
Here we are 30 years later as a comparable scenario unfolds.
The difference: goals are not as plentiful as they were in 1987-88, when Sakic’s 78 tallies led the loop. That season, 18 WHLers scored at least 50 goals and seven players had more than 60.
After Tuesday’s games, Halbgewachs and Gawdin were two of only four players who had reached 50 goals entering the final weekend of regular-season play. And all of this is a prelude to what should be a riveting playoff run.
The Warriors’ season-ending banquet will have to wait.