Broncos eliminated by Warriors in second round
There was no Hollywood ending for the Swift Current Broncos this season. After winning their first five post-season games, the Broncos lost the next four games to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2024 Western Hockey League playoffs.
The Broncos and Warriors traded 7-2 blowouts to open the best-of-seven series before the Warriors rattled off another three wins that were closer than the final scores suggested.
The final dagger came on Friday in Moose Jaw when the Warriors edged the Broncos 4-2 to end the Broncos season.
“I just felt that they did a good job of changing the way that they defend and play a little bit,” said Interim Head Coach Taras Mcewen. “For a team in the regular season that they’d compete a little bit, they did a really good job of making it hard for us to come through the middle. It always felt that they had numbers back and kept us to the outside.”
“Honestly I don’t know. There’s not much difference between us,” added graduating forward Caleb Wyrostok. “We’ve both got two deep squads. We both have four lines that can play really good hockey. Obviously the first few games weren’t close, but I think every game after that was right down to the wire those last couple minutes. I don’t think there was any main factor why they beat us. I just wanted to say it was a hell of a series and it was just two good teams playing exciting hockey.”
The Broncos had plenty of opportunities to keep pace with the high-octane Warriors, but the goals just didn’t seem to come when it mattered most.
“I do feel that we generated
enough chances,” said Mcewen. “The scoring chances for the last couple games, we had a few more than they did. Our top players had the chances, were getting the chances, their top guys scored and we didn’t. In the playoffs it can be one bounce, one chance that’s the difference in the game. For us never being in that moment I thought we did a good job of sticking with it each game. Even in the last game, game five, I thought we were right there right until the end again had real good chances.”
The veteran Broncos
had added experienced players such as Conor Geekie and Tyson Galloway in hopes of making a long playoff run.
“It definitely stings that we fell short. Our end goal was making it to the finals and winning the finals and going to the Memorial Cup, but obviously that’s not the case. When you put in the work that you did this year and make all those trade acquisitions it definitely stings,” said Wyrostok.
“Obviously you feel for all the players,” added Mcewen. “You feel for the 20-year-olds, the 19-year-olds, Wyro, the
guys that have been here for a long time that have wanted to turn this thing around for the last number of years. Finally they put themselves in a real good position to do that and have a chance to win. They were obviously very disappointed at the end of the game and it’s a tough moment to go through to see how emotional they are. It all
comes to a grinding halt so fast.”
Mcewen was in his first season as an assistant coach with the Broncos when he was named Interim Head Coach after the Broncos and Head Coach Devan Praught mutually agreed to part ways on Nov. 29. The Broncos finished with a 28-11-3-2 record under Mcewen in the regular season as they chased down the Medicine Hat Tigers to claim the Central Division banner.
“It was a whirlwind of a year, but happy with the way we were able to come back and win the Central. I think people wouldn’t have thought that was something we could have done with a month and half left in the season. For our group to really push and accomplish that was really special for guys that missed the playoffs last year,” said Mcewen, who added that the plan all along was to finish the season before any potential discussions of a permanent head coach position.
“It’s always something I want to do. I have a special relationship with Swift Current I guess with my dad being here and coaching here. It’s always something that I’ve wanted to do and be a part of. It’s just a real special community that I still know a lot of people and reconnected with a lot of people this season. It’s place that I’d love to continue being the head coach of and we’ll work through that in the next month.”