Behind The Mic

HERE WE GO AGAIN

2011-03-16T01:05:00.005-05:00

Well what a playoff series that was hey! The six games that was the Addison Division semi-final between the Winkler Flyers and Waywayseecappo Wolverines was probably everything you could have asked for as a hockey fan, no matter who you were cheering for. Six very exciting and hard fought games. Five of the six were decided by a single goal (game 6 had an empty netter so let’s count that one too). Four of the first five games went to overtime, one of them to double overtime and one more to triple overtime. You weren’t sure who was going to win the game until the final goal was scored or the buzzer went at the end of the third period. Now that is playoff hockey and it was only the first round!!!!

I remember when the Flyers clinched the regular season division title in their final game of the season, and a date with the Wolverines was on the agenda I was a little scared and very happy all at the same time. Scared, because the Wolverines were a team down the stretch that were beating everybody and that success could very well keep going in the playoffs. On the other side of the coin, I was happy because I knew that the Flyers would have to battle extremely hard and work as a complete team in order to get past them.

Now for my sake and for the sake of all you Flyer fans out there I am very glad that the second part came true. The Flyers playoff theme of “Fight for the Inch” was exactly how that series went. How many funny goals were scored that turned the tide in the game. How many posts were hit with the game on the line. How many big saves were made at exactly the right time. All of those things go in very different directions if the puck or the player are an inch or two in a different spot.

I think the series the Flyers had to go through will be very good for them when you look at what they have in store next. The Wolverines had such a tenacious and hard working style that it makes you realize how much you need to be on the ball all the time. You need to make every shot and pass count. You need to always pay attention around your own net because chances are there is a Wolverine or two right there. All six games were so tight that each and every goal had huge implications. In my opinion, the Wolverines were the perfect team to play in the first round (providing you get the win haha).

The term “Battle Tested” has been used by a few people around the dressing room and I think that is what the Flyers are now. Now I know the Steelers are a very tough team to beat. The Flyers were only able to do it three times in nine tries this season. But, the Flyers two wins in Selkirk in the final month of the regular season weren’t necessarily the most intense games ever. By all accounts the series between the Steelers and Saints wasn’t nearly as vigorous as the Flyers/Wolverines series was, so can Selkirk turn it on just like that and get to the level where the Flyers have been since game one of the playoffs. My answer to that is probably yes.

The Flyers/Steelers rivalry is where its at in the Addison Division. This series will be the fifth year in a row that these two teams have met in the playoffs. However, the previous four years it was the Addison Division semi-final with both teams winning twice. These two clubs like each other as much as Saskatchewan Roughrider fans like Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans (*note to my American readers, just switch the teams to the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers), as much as the Hatfield’s like the McCoys, as much as cats like water, as much as....ok you get my point.

What I am trying to say is, I don’t think the Steelers or the Flyers will have any trouble getting up to play a series in the playoffs. Not only that but this time the series has a division championship banner with your name on it at the end and a trip into the MJHL final being awarded to the winner. So this isn’t the regular Flyers vs Steelers “here we go again” playoff match-up.

Now let’s just take a little look and what some keys will be to this series. Number one is stay out of the flippin penalty box. The Steelers had by far the best power-play in the league all season long and was their bread and butter against the Flyers and every other team. The Flyers penalty-kill against the Steelers this year wasn’t really that good. Although that part of the Flyers game improved by leaps and bounds after Christmas, it was only 67.57% successful against Selkirk during the nine games they played this season.

Number two is the Flyers big guns have to be their big guns. The self titled “Platinum Line” of Jordan Neduzak, Jake Rombach and Michael Wilgosh are 1-2-3 in team scoring in the playoffs so far (they have accounted for 22 points in six games). They were involved in nearly every big goal that was scored in round one. If you needed something to happen, it was usually one of those three who was getting it done.

During the regular season it was the usual suspects of Seth Ronsberg (11 pts in 8 gp), Michael Wilgosh (10 pts in 9 gp), Chapen Leblond (9 pts in 9 gp), Jordan Neduzak (8 pts in 9 gp), and Matt Loopkey (8 pts in 9 gp) who were producing the bulk of the Flyers offensive production against Selkirk. When you throw in Brad Haber and Justin Minoletti at the trading deadline, you have five Flyers averaging over a point per game against Selkirk (*note* the Steelers only had one player average a point per game against Winkler). The struggle for Winkler this season wasn’t scoring goals per say, it was keeping them out of their own net.

That is where number three comes in. The Flyers d-corps has been the foundation on which their late season run to first place was built upon. The improvement shown from the beginning until now has been quite amazing. The additions of Haber and Minoletti added to an already good set of defenseman in the middle of January. Led by Captain Troy Kliever, the Flyers have taken a lot of pride in the play in their own end the season half of the season and especially in round one against the Wolverines.

However, the blue-line is not entirely healthy at the moment which does worry me slightly. Steve Sorensen and Justin Minoletti didn’t play a whole lot in round one and their status for round two is still up in the air. Having a healthy back end would make me a lot more at ease but what are you gonna do right? But they always say that misery for some is an opportunity for others and the injuries to the previously mentions duo has allowed players like Mick Bruce, Nate Jose, and Brett Cote to shine. Those three rookies are playing like anything but. It crucial moments, double or even triple overtime, there they are getting a regular shift and making the play when it needs to be made. But they are going to be pressed a little bit more this time around as the Steelers have a lot more fire power than the Wolverines did and you will need to be on your toes when a Steeler has the puck in your zone.

And finally, number four....goaltending. It has been a lot of fun this season to watch the tandem of Peter Alexander and Reed Peters. Despite a little blip on the screen during some parts of this past season by both guys, the duo of Pete and Peters has been rock steady. No matter who John Marks decides to put in the goal that day, the Flyers know they are going to get a good performance from their netminder. In the four games that Alexander played against Wayway he had a 3-1 record, a 1.62 GAA and a .955 save percentage. Now how nuts are those numbers. And the two games that Reed played he was 1-1 with a 2.40 GAA and a .928 save percentage. So that isn’t shabby either.

However, during the regular season Reed had the better numbers against Selkrik, by quite a bit actually. Reed went 3-3 against Selirk with a 2.93 GAA and a .929 save percentage. Alexander was 0-3 with a 5.51 GAA and a .860 save percentage. But, to Alexander’s defense he had all the starts at the beginning of the year when the Steelers were on fire and the Flyers weren’t playing very well. But that was then and this is now. Both Pete and Peters are hot so I am sure that whoever Coach Marks decides to tap on the shoulder on Friday night when do just fine.

So to sum up. The key to beating Selkirk is stay out of the penalty box, score lots of goals, take care of your own zone, and don’t let them score. Simple enough eh? Well I wish it was. But this series i figure will be another beauty.

Winkler vs Selkirk in the Addison Division Final...you couldn’t ask for much more.

AND THEY COME DOWN THE STRETCH.....

2011-02-09T21:29:00.002-06:00

As the old horse racing saying goes, the Winkler Flyers and the rest of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League are without a doubt coming down the home stretch. At least for me, this season has gone by really fast. Fifty four games are in the books with only eight to go. However, what separates this season from others in recent memory is that the Winkler Flyers....yes, you heard that right...the Winkler Flyers are fighting for first place in the Addison Division.

If you look back at the last few seasons anyway we would be talking about the Flyers sitting comfortably in third or fourth place at this time of year and which away arena they would be starting the playoffs in. But now we are talking about our Orange and Black having a real shot at top spot and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Now to get to their first place goal, the Flyers need to fight off their arch enemies from Selkirk. For the past four seasons they have met in round one of the playoffs. This time they will be battling for first place overall. It’s a little different situation with a bit less intensity and not so much on the line. Both teams are guaranteed to make the playoffs but they are still fighting for the right to go through a 62 game regular season schedule and end up with the best record.

Well let us go a little deeper into who has the best shot at finishing the 2010-11 regular season on top.

First let us look at the Selkirk Steelers.

They have nine games remaining in the regular season (7-Home, 2-Road). They will play the MJHL leading Portage Terriers three times, the Winnipeg Saints twice, and Winkler, Wayway, Steinbach and Neepawa all once. Two of their nine remaining games are against teams that are not playoff bound (Steinbach and Neepawa). The combined record of the Steelers opponents is (160-140-25) for a combined winning percentage of .530. The Steelers only have a winning record against three of those six teams (Saints, Flyers, Natives). They will also be in tough against the Terriers and Wolverines who are hot right now and have a combined record of 17-2-1 in their last 10 games. The Steelers are also stumbling towards the finish line. Heading into the Christmas break, the first place Steelers led the third place Flyers by 12 points for top spot at the time. Winkler has since caught fire and has shrunk that lead to zero. The Steelers are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and 6-7-2 since Christmas. They are also missing some key people from their line-up. Joel Ridgeway and Kyle Mulder are big loses for them.

Now let’s look at Winkler......

The Winkler Flyers have eight games left in their regular season (5-Home, 3-Road). They play the Winnipeg Saints three times, the Winnipeg Blues twice, Steinbach twice and the Steelers once. Four of their eight remaining games are against teams that are not playoff bound (Blues and Pistons). The combined record of their opponents is (90-105-23) which is a combined winning percentage of .465. The Flyers are 7-0 against the Blues, 4-1-2 against Steinbach, 3-3 against the Saints and 2-4-2 against Selkirk. The Flyers are playing red hot hockey and will only play Addison Division opponents the rest of the way. The confidence is sky high right now which what you want heading into the play-offs. The Orange and Black are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and are 11-3-2 since coming back from the Christmas break. The Flyers are also healthy (knock on wood) which helps a tonne. Of the Flyers remaining opponents, only the Blues have a winning record in their last 10 games. Winkler seems to me to be the much for focused group right now and it looks like John Marks has his fella's pointed in the right direction.

So to sum up....who do you think has the better chance of winning the Addison Division regular season title? If you ask me, the Flyers have the easier schedule and let’s face it, they are just playing better hockey right now.

It sure makes it a lot more exciting and hopefully will put a lot more butts in the seats now that the good old Winkler Flyers will more than likely be playing meaningful games right to the end.

Let me know what you think (even if you are a Selkirk fan, my feelings won’t be hurt).

But let me leave you with these words of advice. "Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak."

LET'S SEE HOW FAR WE'VE COME

2011-02-01T01:21:00.002-06:00

Good day Flyer fans and welcome to another riveting blog update. As you may know the situation in Flyerland has been pretty good as of late. There are some of you out there that remember the days gone by when long winning streaks and being in first place (or close to it) where just all part of being a fan of the Winkler Flyers. Well in recent years those two things have not necessarily gone hand in hand with Flyer hockey.

Now as the Flyers get ready to host the Dauphin Kings on Tuesday the team is enjoying their best success not only this season but in the last number of years. The last time the Flyers played the Kings was back on December 11th. The game didn’t go so well for Winkler as they were shut-out 3-0. However, what has happened since then has been truly remarkable. In the 14 games since that day, Winkler has a record of 11-2-1. They have raced up the Addison Division standings and sit just one point back of the division leading Selkirk Steelers. They are also just five points behind Portage for the best overall record in the entire MJHL.

Now the record speaks for itself and everyone is very happy with how things are going but you may be wondering WHY this is all happening. Well let me share with you some interesting points that may help us answer that question. Now before I rattle off the information I need to give some credit. There is a lot of math and detail work involved in the explanation and seeing that I went to school in Saskatchewan I was not qualified to do this alone haha. My good friend Eric Braun will get all the credit for figuring all this stuff out and my only job is to try and spell it out for you without confusion. So here it goes.

The following information should help illustrate why the Flyers went 8-2-1 in January, 6-1-1 since the trading deadline, and why they have won six in a row. Now the following stats are broken into three categories. 1) The six game winning streak. 2) Since the January 10th trading deadline. 3) The month of January.

Power Play
Streak) 24.00%
Deadline) 19.35%
January) 15.91%

Penalty Kill
Streak) 83.87%
Deadline) 85.00%
January) 83.67%

*note* - Throughout most of the season the Flyers PK has been the worst in the MJHL hovering below the 70% mark. These stats prove how much having sound special teams can be the difference between winning and losing. The ability to score one or two more goals per game or allow one or two less goals per game can make a huge difference when you look at a 62 game regular season schedule. Also most NHL teams strive to have a special teams percentage of 110% (PP- 20% and PK 90%). During the Flyers winning streak their percentage is nearly 108%.

Goals For/Goals Against
Streak) 29-15
Deadline) 33-19
January) 43-27

Shots For/Shots Against
Streak) 181-205
Deadline) 251-282
January) 350-364

*note* - An interesting thing about the shots/goals for and shots/goals against is that if you break it down even further, Winkler gives up more shots as the game rolls along but they allow less goals as the game rolls along as well. For example, during their six game winning streak they have given up 21 more shots in the third period as opposed to the first but have allowed 33% less goals in the third period than in the first.

Line Combos

Looking back at the season there have been many line combinations and many of them have worked really well. Over the last month, John Marks and Ernie Sutherland seemed to have found some pretty good chemistry with their line-up. Here is the break down of the top producing lines both forwards and defense.

Streak)
Michael Wilgosh (9)/Jordan Neduzak (9)/Jake Rombach (7) = 25 pts
Matt Loopkey (8)/Seth Ronsberg (8)/Kyle Wells (4) = 20 pts
Richard Little (0)/Jory Mullin (7)/Chapen Leblond (3) = 10 pts
Taylor Wells (1)/Daniel Fainman (3)/Brock Vanderveen (1)/James Buttermore (1) =6 pts

Brad Haber (6)/Blair Osiowy (3) = 9 pts
Justin Minoletti (3)/Troy Kliever (1) = 4 pts

Deadline)
Michael Wilgosh (10)/Jordan Neduzak (11)/Jake Rombach (7) = 28 pts
Matt Loopkey (10)/Seth Ronsberg (8)/Kyle Wells (4) = 22 pts

Brad Haber (6)/Blair Osiowy (4) = 10 pts
Justin Minoletti (4)/Troy Kliever (1) = 5 pts

January)
Michael Wilgosh (12)/Jordan Neduzak (13)/Jake Rombach (10) = 35 pts
Matt Loopkey (11)/Seth Ronsberg (11)/Kyle Wells (6) = 28 pts
Richard Little (2)/Jory Mullin (9)/Chapen Leblond (7) = 18 pts
Taylor Wells (2)/Daniel Fainman (5)/Brock Vanderveen (3)/James Buttermore (4) = 14 pts

Brad Haber (6)/Blair Osiowy (4) = 10 pts
Justin Minoletti (4)/Troy Kliever (2) = 6 pts

GOALTENDING

Ok now let’s look at goaltending. During the streak Reed Peters has played four games and Peter Alexander has played two. In that time Peters has been outplaying his senior by a little bit. But that is no slight on Alexander because his stats are pretty good to. But, in Peters’ last four starts he’s 4-0, he has an even 2.00 GAA and an astounding .943 save percentage. In the entire month of January Reed Peters is 5-1, his GAA is 2.50 and his save % is .928. If you look at the save percentage’s per period throughout the entire month the two Flyer goaltenders buckle down from the opening face-off to the final buzzer as both of their percentage’s improve as the game moves along.

John Marks seems to be getting the most out of his players. They used the January 10th trading deadline to address a need and their decision and analysis of what that need was appears to be correct. Any team can win games but not everyone can do it on a consistent basis. And the Flyers seem to have found a way to do that. For the most part they are playing a solid 60 minute hockey game day in and day out. They are scoring more goals than they are allowing. The special teams are good and the goaltending is great.

If they keep this train going down the track that it is currently on then we will be in for a fun ride. Three out of their next four games are against Dauphin, Portage and Selkirk so we should really find out how good these Flyers are in about a week.

There is still a lot of hockey to be played and I am sure the team is aware of what it will take to keep their solid play going. And as the old saying goes "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary".

PUTTING IN THE FINAL PIECES

2011-01-11T21:30:00.002-06:00

By now you should know that the January 10th MJHL trading deadline has come and gone. And by now you should know the two moves that Head Coach John Marks and his team were able to make. If not, then go take a quick read of the story on winklerflyers.com and then come back.

OK...Welcome back.

Every team at the deadline has a job to do and the goal is not a hard one. Although the process of succeeding at that job is not easy. The bottom line goal is to improve your hockey club either for the present or for the future.

The business of trading players is a tough one and for the most part you have to give up something good in order to get something good. The men inside the Flyers office have been mulling over a lot of things the past number of weeks leading up to the deadline. They tried to identify the areas that needed to be addressed and what was the best way to do that.

When you think of the Flyers team this season what comes to mind? They are a fast, skilled team that has the ability to be an explosive bunch. They have two of the best goaltenders in the league and in my opinion they have a lot of the right pieces in place. However, things aren’t perfect. Since the beginning of the season the Flyers haven’t had much trouble scoring goals. But when you are looking to address a need via a trade you look at the bad and not the good.

By picking up two skilled and experienced defensemen at the deadline it is obvious what the team thought was an area that needed help. The Flyers are a mix of youth and experience and because of that they have a tendency to be a little inconsistent at times. For the players on the blue-line specifically there was more youth than experience on the ice before January 10th. Only captain Troy Kliever and Blair Osiowy had ever played for the Flyers before and the rest of them are completely new to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. I don’t want you to take this as me saying that the defensemen on this team are all crappy, I am just saying that improvement was needed. There is a lot of potential in the Flyers blue-liners. Steve Sorensen, Mick Bruce, Blair Osiowy and Nate Jose all have a bright future with the team. Kliever, James Buttermore, Brad Haber and Justin Minoletti will only be with the team through the rest of this season and will all be gone next year. The four non-20 year olds will have plenty of time to be the leaders back there.

The addition of Haber and Minoletti will make the Flyers a much more well rounded team. If you watch as many Flyer games as I do you can see the game plan that other teams try to implement. Dump it in and pressure the defense. If you want to combat that game plan you need defensemen that are willing to be physical and can make quick (and hopefully the right) decisions. And it can’t be all bad cause the team is currently within striking distance of first but you get my point.

Now look at the two pieces of the puzzle that are now on board. Haber has 130 games of Western Hockey League experience. By all accounts he is a big, physical player who can make a good first pass out of the zone and make smart decisions in his own end. The WHL is widely known as a rough and tough league so he should be able to provide a spark in that department. As soon as I heard about the trade I fired a text to a guy I know in the WHL who would have played many games against Haber and asked him what he thought. He sent a text back saying “He is a big defenseman who can skate really well....good player”. And usually for me the people who would have the best impression of a certain player are the guys he either plays with or against.

Minoletti is well known in the MJHL from his days with the Portage Terriers. As a rookie in 2008/09 he helped the Portage Terriers win the Turnbull Trophy (MJHL Championship). And if any of you have followed the league the last number of years you know exactly what it takes to be a Portage Terrier. They are rough, they are tough, and they make you pay with skill and physical play. Minoletti fits right in with that mould and can also improve the offense from the back end. He also reminds me of the defenseman the Flyers picked up right before the deadline last season. TJ Ahvenniemi came to Winkler and found a little niche as a great skating offensive guy who provides annoying grit. From what I have seen of Minoletti over the past three seasons I have always found them to be similar players and seeing as they are both from Thunder Bay it should make sense right?

Now I am not dumb enough to believe that all the Flyers struggles in their own end are the fault of the defense. A crew of forwards that consistently back checks can go a long way in helping to prevent scoring chances.

Now some of you may see the fact that the Flyers left a card open as a waste. John Marks said many times during the process that he wasn’t going to make a move just for the sake of making a move. Now using that last card to pick up a top end forward wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world. But what are you willing to give up in order to get that forward and will your team be any better when the dust has settled. A few paragraphs ago I said that you have to give up something good to get something good. And you really have to ask yourself how much of the future you are willing to give up for the present.

There were a few “impact” forwards out there but from what I hear the asking price was very high. The Winnipeg Blues had a few of them (Adam Stoykewich, Even Gravenor, Jason Gardiner) and all three would have looked really nice in an Orange and Black uniform. BUT....would you be comfortable with giving up guys like Jordan Neduzak, Jory Mullin, Seth Ronsberg, Chapen Leblond or a combination of those guys in order to get players that would play here this season and that's it in exchange for players with many years left to give. And would you really be trading two dimes and a nickel for a quarter and end up exactly where you were before?

Although making such a move might give you a lift for the next three months would the trade still make sense in the next year or two. You also have to be mindful of the fact that these boys are like a family and you have to be very careful when moving guys in and out so you don’t wreck the chemistry inside the locker room.

Coach Marks was able to add two pretty nice pieces while losing only defenseman Matt Hannibal who had only been with the team since the end of November. So that is a pretty nice thing.

I for one am pretty excited to see what happens in the next few months and see how this team will perform now that the roster moves are done and this is what we are left with. I think we are left with something that is exciting and should provide some good times ahead in Flyerland.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Thanks

HOME OF THE FIGHTING SIOUX

2010-12-07T22:29:00.008-06:00

(The Ralph Engelstad Arena "The Ralph" is the home of the UND Fighting Sioux)

At the end of November, the Winkler Flyers had the great opportunity to take a break from their hectic schedule and visit the home of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. The Sioux are highly regarded as one of the best NCAA Div I hockey programs in the nation and has been the home of many current NHL players including Jonathon Toews, Mike Commadore and TJ Oshie. It is also the alma mater of former Winkler Flyer goaltender and future NHL Hall of Famer Ed Belfour. Kevin McKinnon and Dane Litke are also some former Flyers that have made their way to UND.

For the majority of Junior A hockey players, getting the call from UND would be a dream come true. The program is excellant, the facilities are even better, and the level of education that is available to you is great. The Flyers and many other MJHL teams annually make the trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota to let their players see one of the things they are competing for on a nightly basis. Talking to Head Coach John Marks (who is a former Sioux himself....more on that later) he said that not only are these kids playing for wins or for MJHL championships but they are, in a lot of cases, playing for an education and a better life for themselves down the road.

As you will see in the following pictures, the facilities that the Fighting Sioux have are quite amazing. If walking through the dressing room, gym, meeting room, and underwater treadmill isn't incentive enough to put in the extra work or time needed to increase your game to the next level then I don't know what is. These trips are a great way to give the players a little bit of a carrot to follow or a look ahead as to what their life could be like if they are the fortunate ones to get a chance to go to the University of North Dakota or any other Division I school.

I was able to tag along with the guys and snapped a few photo's....enjoy!

(Pretty cool experiece. The team got to practice at "The Ralph")

(In the halls beneath the stands sits the dressing room, gym, offices, and a lot of memorabelia. The above and below pictures are of all the NHL draft picks that played at UND. In the above picture, look at the player who was the first every College player ever drafted in the first round of the NHL entry draft.....pretty cool)

(NHL Award winners....mostly Ed Belfour)

(The above and below pictures are of the plaques of all the former Sioux players that have played in the NHL and which team they played for)

(Stanley Cup Champions)

(Stick Room)

(Fighting Sioux Dressing Room)

(above...this is the first thing the players see when they step out of their dressing room and head for the ice. "Expect To Win")

(Players lounge)

(video meeting room)

(This is the gym for the Men's and Women's hockey teams)

(dry land training area in the gym)

(great motto)

(above....who is this handsome devil.....psst, it's John Marks)

(here are a few shots of the game we got to go to...UND vs Notre Dame)

(Fighting Sioux logo designed right into the marble floor)

That's it folks. If you are ever in Grand Forks I strongly encourage you to check out the Ralph Engelstad Arena. You won't be disappointed.

Until next time.....

BILLETS, PARENTS, AND THE DEADLINE

2010-11-25T00:11:00.003-06:00

Well the dreaded month of November is almost over. The stretch of 14 games in 29 days with 10 of those games being on the road has taken its toll on a lot of people. The injury bug has finally started to go away. And the schedule has started to slow down a bit which is nice.

As you may or may not know, the first MJHL roster cut down deadline is coming up on December 1st. Each Junior “A” team in Canada needs to get their cards down to 25. But that doesn’t mean that teams will have 25 players. This deadline is the first of two that Junior “A” leagues have during a season. The big one is on January 10th. The December 1st deadline is used to set yourself up in a positive position to make the moves that will give your team the edge before the rosters are set following the January deadline. Most teams will only keep around 21 or 22 playing on the roster after December 1st which gives you three or four extra cards in which to add those impact players in January.

The Flyers are not the only team in the world that is looking to upgrade what they have which means there are many teams looking to find the same kind of player. So making the right move or even taking a pass on a certain player can have huge implications as to how your season will enfold.

However, as much as I would like to see some moves that bring excitement and legitimately upgrade the talent on the ice, I think the most important upgrade that can be made is with the players that are already here. No one can say that the Flyers of 10/11 don’t have talent. But what you can say is that the consistent effort that is required to win on a nightly basis isn’t there. We have seen a lot of games this year where the effort matches the talent and that is really exciting to see and makes you think that this team can really do something special. If the 23 players currently on the roster can all play to their potential and the men in the Flyers office can find the right pieces that fit the puzzle, I think the sky is the limit this season.

(2010/11 Winkler Flyers Billets Families and Parents)

Another thing that happened this past weekend was the annual Flyers billet and parent weekend. It was a time to give thanks and recognize a group of volunteers that has such a huge impact on any Junior hockey franchise. Every season numerous families open up their homes and lives to these players and take them in and treat them as one of their own. I have heard many times how important it is to have a good home like atmosphere for these guys to live in for seven or eight months of the year.

This past weekend a good number of the players parents and other family members were in town to watch a couple games. If you go to as many games as I do you get to see a core group of parents that make the trip to nearly every game. But, for some of them it was the first chance they have had to see their boy in action. It was great to see the excitement in the eyes and just to see how proud they are of their kid who spends most of the year hundreds of miles away from home. I can only imagine what these parents have to go through when they put their trust in someone else to put the best interests of their child first. It was really nice for them to be able to come and watch a couple games and for the team to recognize them for the things they do.

I hope that through this blog, the stories that I write for the Flyers website, and through the Flyer Folder and play-by-play broadcasts on the radio and internet it lets you be a little closer to the team even though geography doesn’t allow you to be sitting in the stands cheering them on. The things that we all do to promote the team are for you as parents and family and for the fans. It was great to be able to meet you all this weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

If you have any questions or comments you can leave a comment on this blog post or you can email me at matt@winklerflyers.com

Until next time....

NORTHERN ROAD TRIP DIARY

2010-11-10T22:43:00.011-06:00

Hello Flyer Fans, This past weekend, the Winkler Flyers boarded the bus and made the trip up north for the first time this season. It was a 1,500 km journey that began Friday morning in Winkler and ended in the early morning hours of Monday when the team arrived back home.

For those of you that listened to the games you will know that Eric and I made the trip along with the team. It was a busy and tiring trip and a lot of fun at the same time. I kept a bit of a diary of our travels complete with pictures. For most of you the only time you get to see the team play is at home. I hope this post gives you an inside look at life on the road....enjoy!

(stretch time in Dauphin)

Friday, November 5th
- 10:30am - Board the bus (the pride of '83) and began the 530km journey to Swan River, home town of the Swan Valley Stampeders.

-1pm- Make a stop at the convenience story in Neepawa for drinks, snacks, and a potty break.

-2:30pm- Stop for lunch in Dauphin and back on the road in a hour.

(pre-game walk before the Swan Valley game)

-5:30pm- Arrive at the Swan River Centennial Arena.

-10:30pm- Following a tough 3-2 loss to the Stampeders we are back on the road and drive 230km to The Pas (the home of the OCN Blizzard)

-12:30pm- We get to the WescanaInn in The Pas, get our room assignments, bring in our stuff, and head off to bed.

(Unloading the bus in Swan)

Saturday, November 6th

-9:30am- Wake up call!!!!

-10am- Bacon, eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, and LOTS of coffee is on the menu for breakfast at the hotel.

-2:30pm- After some down time in the room it's time for a pre-game stretch and walk.

-5:30pm- Pack up the bus and make the five minute drive to the Gordan Lathlin Memorial Centre to take on the OCN Blizzard.

(Ernie Sutherland is wide awake....I think)

-10:30pm- After a 5-3 loss to the Blizzard the boys are back in the hotel for a post game meal. After that it is off to bed to get ready for another day on the bus.

(Troy Kliever and John Marks)

Sunday, November 7th

-9am- Wake up call!!!

-9:30am- After packing the bus and getting ready to leave its time for a quick breakfast buffet at the hotel.

-10am- All aboard the bus and we embark on the 405km stretch to the Waywayseecappo First Nation.

(Ernie showing the guys his fancy stick work)

-12:15pm- Stop at the Swan River Tim Horton's for some of the worlds best coffee and "healthy" donuts and back on the road within 15 minutes.

(There is good fishing up north and Peter Alexander is letting you know just how big they are)

-3pm- Arrive at the Waywayseecappo Community Complex.

(What hotel isn't complete without a snow mobile in the lobby)

-7:15pm- Finally the Flyer were able to pick up two points with a 5-3 win over the Wolverines. The customary two honks of the horn and we are off with the sweet sounds of Travis Tritt's "It's a Great Day To Be Alive" ringing in our ears.

(WescanaInn....we didn't try the soup)

-8:30pm- It's time for some Dairy Queen in Neepawa after a big win.

-9am- Back on the road and headed for home.

(shot of the hotel)

With full stomachs and positive vibes after a win you would think that the remaining two hours of the trip would go smoothly right?........WRONG!

(Dining room at the hotel)

-9:12pm- The faint hum of the road is back in our ears and we are all settling in for the final leg of this long journey...but....something breaks the silence.....POP...flapflapflapflapflap. Yup it's a tire.

(GLMC in OCN)

After a 30 minute effort to try and remove the back outside tire in order to get to the busted inside one we gave up and called for some help. A nice guy with a shop in Gladstone (about 15 minutes away from the tire event) tried to help us out but didn't have the tools to do the job.

So the next option was calling the after hours phone number for Fountain Tire in Portage. Success!

-11pm- We were able to limp our way to Portage and thanks to Justin at Fountain Tire we were in and out in half and hour and back on the road full steam ahead.

Monday, November 8th

-12:50am- The bright lights of Winkler show up on the horizon and we pull into the Winkler Recreation Complex. The trip is over and a good nights sleep in the comfort of our own beds is just minutes away.

Well that is your look inside a road trip of the Winkler Flyers. I hope you enjoyed it.

Scroll down for some more photos.....

(Me doing some work)

(The endless highway)

(Me and Kevin Klassen, the best bus driver in the game)

(Looks pretty comfortable to me)

(Inside the Wayway Arena....biggest ice service in the league)

(Steve Hancock doing a pre-game tape job)

(Here is a shot of the surroundings)

(John Marks doing some pre-game reading)

(The Tickle Truck)

(The broadcast booth in Wayway)

(Wayway crowd)

(Eric Braun on the left and myself on the right)

(Nice way to end a busy road trip)

(Checking out the damage)

(David Goerz holding a road flair making sure we don't get run over)

(You can see the hole in the inside tire)

(You can see the big gash in the top of the tire)

(Justin the Hero)

(THE END)

NOVEMBER IS HERE

2010-10-31T23:40:00.002-05:00

November is upon us and what a month it is shaping up to be. During any given season there is always a chunk of games that seems to make or break a hockey teams year. I remember looking at this month back when the MJHL schedule came out and thinking that this is definitely one of the key times in the season.

14 games in 29 days with 10 of them being played on the road. Yikes! Well it’s a good thing that the Flyers are a better team on the road (5-2-1) then they are at home (5-4-1). And why not begin the craziness right away as they will play five games in six days beginning Tuesday when they host the Winnipeg Blues. They then travel to Steinbach on Wednesday to play the last place Pistons and then head up north for the first time this season for three games in three nights against Swan Valley, OCN, and Wayway.

Whenever there are a lot of games in a short period of time there are a lot of things that need to happen for a team to come out of it ahead. Health is a major one. The Flyers are already a bit banged up. Jory Mullin and James Buttermore are on the shelf and Michael Wilgosh left Saturday’s game after the first period with an injury. That problem leads me to my second key and that is depth.

Saturday’s game was a good example. The top six forwards got their points but three of the six goals were also scored by the guys that you would call depth players. The players that round out the bottom two lines can quite often be the deciding factor between a win and a loss especially in the playoffs. The opposition will always try and key on the top players but let’s face it, if you can get consistent production out of more than just your top six players then life gets a lot easier.

Momentum is also big factor in a month like this. So much of this game is mental and if you can get things going in the right direction you can really make some hay in a short period of time.

I am personally looking forward to this month. It’s exciting for me to think of where the Flyers would sit if they could have a good run here in November. Plus when the World Series comes to an end this week we can finally start broadcasting some games on 1570 CKMW. (Click on the CKMW tile on the Flyers website for the broadcast schedule)

This coming weekend we head up north for the Flyers first big road trip of the season. And for my next blog entry I will put together a road trip time line complete with pictures so that you fans can see life on the road.

ARE YOU A CHICKEN OR A PIG?

2010-10-17T22:00:00.003-05:00

If I have learned one thing about Head Coach John Marks, it’s this. He makes for some great interviews. Many of you have probably heard a number of his funny quotes and analogies. Anything from winning the RBC in one period and then going to KFC the next. Saying that players work harder in the offensive zone then they do in the defensive zone because chicks dig the guys who score goals. Comparing good goal scorers to Jesse James. He has also talked about how it wouldn’t be the best thing to see him in a short skirt and pom poms (I would agree).

But as funny and entertaining and he can be, there is profound and thought provoking detail behind it. By now you have probably heard his analogy about bacon and eggs. If you haven’t here it is. Following the Flyers 3-1 loss in Neepawa last Tuesday, John and I were talking about commitment to winning and that is when he told me this story.

“You look at bacon and eggs. The chicken makes a contribution to the bacon and eggs and the pig makes a commitment and a sacrifice. We need more pigs.”

Now as funny as that quote can be it does hold real truth. When it comes to your commitment and desire to win are you a chicken or a pig? Are you a player that just chips in from time to time when the going is good (chicken) or are you the type of player that is willing to give everything he has for the betterment of the team (pig). The chicken can give eggs and still be perfectly fine and uncommitted and unattached to what is going on. The pig on the other hand gives his heart and soul to the cause and is emotionally and physically invested in the end result.

At the start of the season things were going along really well and I think we are just in a time right now where the team is trying to learn how to be a winning team. You can be a team that wins some games but that doesn’t make you a winning team. Learning how to win and do that on a consistent basis is hard. In a league with parity you can’t afford to only show up in the third period and expect to win. I think this team has the makings of a winning team on the ice but they have to become a winning team in their heads.

Some players (not just on this team but on any team) think that they can do it on their own. They think that success or future opportunities will be based on nothing more than how many points you had at the end of the night. Well that my friends doesn’t always work.

You look at the old saying that one finger is not nearly as strong as your whole hand. Well its the same in hockey. You need all five players on the ice to work as one. The Flyers 6-1-1 start was both good and bad. It’s great to be in first place (at the time) but it can also lead you to believe that you are better then you are.

One of the reasons they were so good at the beginning is because they worked as a team and used each other and didn’t take anything for granted. And one of the reasons that they are 1-4 since is because they thought it would keep on going without being prepared to put in the work to do it.

If you look in the mirror and see a pig, then good for you. But if you see some feathers, then that better change.

It's Wide Open!

2010-10-03T23:42:00.003-05:00

The 2010/2011 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season has been underway for about two weeks now and things so far have been pretty exciting. The Flyers are in first place in the Addison Division right now for a number of reasons, none of which I want to get into right now for no other reason than because I don’t want to jinx them.

You look at the standings as of right now and there are some teams in some places that nobody really expected. On any given night anybody can beat anybody and I think that is a really good thing.

Last season the Dauphin Kings hosted the RBC Cup and therefore had a guaranteed ticket into the national championship. Because of that they had absolutely no trouble recruiting top level talent to their hockey club. As a result they were head and shoulders above the rest of the league and made for a bit of an unlevel playing field. I am not saying that is anyone’s fault but if your team was playing against the Kings of 2009/2010 you were pretty sure a win wasn’t in the cards. They are now 4-4-1 to start the year and the OCN Blizzard, who didn’t even make the playoffs last season are 6-0. Who would have thought that hey!

Anyway, to get to my point I want to talk about the shuffle in the league this year and about the exciting parody that there seems to be. Like I said before, any team this season is capable of winning any game. From the top to the bottom there is a lot of talent in this league. Even the teams that are in the bottom of their respective divisions are good, young teams.

I think this does wonders for the league in terms of growing the support in certain towns that may not be used to having competitive teams. It goes a long way to attracting and retaining quality player from both Manitoba and other places. It also makes a much more desirable brand of hockey to spend you more to go and watch.

Having an overall competitive league makes for a more excitement and a higher level of hockey. It sure beats the heck out of a league where you can basically print out a league schedule before the season even starts and be able to pencil in who is going to win and by how many. That is no fun and drops the caring level for a lot of people.

I love going to the league site after the games are over and being able to say “Oh man, so and so beat so and so. That is cool!”.

I think we will see this become more and more evident as we move along here during the season. There will always been those teams (Winkler I hope) that separate themselves but if the younger teams are able to keep improving and becoming more competitive that will be a good thing.

There are a number of other blog topics that I have in mind and if you have any then please let me know. Thanks for checking out “Behind the Mic” and please let me know what you think of the blog or this years team or whatever.....see you around!

AT FIRST GLANCE

2010-09-20T22:50:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wondered what the definition of “Old School” is. Websters Dictionary defines the term “Old School” as adhering to traditional policies and practices. In Hockey someone who is called “Old School” is someone who plays the game like they did in the past. Harding working, no nonsense, punch you in the mouth types of people. When Flyers Head Coach John Marks played in the NHL it was in a much different era then today. You didn’t play for the money, you didn’t play for a chance to be on prime time TV. You played for the crest on your jersey, your teammates and for pride.

The attitude that has come with the new man in charge in Flyerland is “No Excuses and No Regrets”. Never once has he said that the team will be more skilled then anyone else or that things will be easy. He has said that the team will work harder, hit harder, and the players that are lucky enough to earn their spot on the team will only receive what they earn. Right from the start of camp everyone has been on a level playing field. Whether you are a 20 year old veteran or a 18 year old rookie you will have to earn your stripes. I still remember one of the first conversations that I had with Coach Marks when he said that “Players must come here and ask me what can I earn, not what are you going to give me”.

Obviously with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and numerous championships along the way Coach Marks has learned a thing or two about deciding what kinds of players you need on a team to be successful.

At first glance the 2010/2011 edition of the Winkler Flyers seems to be pretty good. There is a lot of depth at forward with a good mix of speed, skill, size, and toughness. Goal scoring shouldn't be a problem.

With Peter Alexander and Reed Peters between the pipes I think that the tandem in Winkler will prove to be one of the best in the league. Alexander is a reigning All-Star and enjoyed a bit of comfort in goal last year with no one really pushing him.

Throughout most of last season it was almost a certainty that Alexander would get the start most nights. And that isn’t always a good thing. I think this year will be a lot different. Reed Peters is coming off a great year with the Pembina Valley Hawks. Leading them to the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League Championship and a finals appearance in the Western Regionals losing to the power house Notre Dame Hounds in that game.

According to many, Peters is one of the best goaltenders coming out of AAA Hockey. Coach Marks has assured him that he will get his minutes which will force Alexander to be at the top of his game. The blessing of having two great goaltenders is that the starter will have to be great to keep his job and the young guy will want to prove that he is capable of stealing it and both players will be better in the end. So that situation should be an exciting one to watch as the season moves along.

The defence on the other hand is the weak spot to start the season. Not necessarily because of a lack of talent but because of a lack of experience and a lack of birthdays. For the most part they are a very young bunch. It will take some time to get used to the speed of junior hockey and to the rigors of the schedule. Some of them are coming from High School hockey where their seasons are no more the 25-30 games long. Troy Kliever is entering his fourth and final year of junior hockey and will be the leader back there. Blair Osiowy and Devon Speiss are the only other vets on the blue line. So there are quite a few spots to fill back there and you can be guaranteed that just because the season has started that the search for that all important defensive talent is in high gear. Looking back at Sundays game though there were a few new guys that I thought did really well. A couple of Minnesota boys did really well in their Flyer debuts. Steve Sorensen and Nate Jose especially seemed to pick it up really well. It will be interesting to see how they develop as we move along.

There are a lot of things that make a team successful. The players on the ice is a big one. The coaching is also another big one. But the overall attitude of the team is also just as important as the people. The players are being held accountable for their actions. If you do something that you shouldn’t....you pay. If you are doing a drill in practice and one person isn’t giving it 100%, everyone does it again. They are being held accountable to not only themselves but their teammates as well. If everyone is working for the same common goal and its a goal that benefits the whole bunch then everyone will be more willing to do all they can to achieve it. Accountability and Honesty are two words that I have heard a lot in the first month and it is music to my ears.

Please let me know what you think and have your say by posting a comment. I know that Flyer fans are a passionate bunch and I want this to be a forum for all of us to share our opinions.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your feedback.

Thoughts After Camp

2010-08-30T20:56:00.002-05:00

(Head Coach John Marks)

The hockey season was dropped upon us over the weekend whether we wanted it to be or not. With temperatures hovering around 30 degrees on Friday 65 or so brave souls stood in line at the registration table and signed up for training camp. And when the two and a half exhausting days filled with 10 mini-games was over, I for one was pretty impressed.

(Mini-game coach Harry Mahesh smiling for the camera)

Trying to get a handle on how this season might go is a little hard to determine. In the past (especially last season) there was a boat load of optimism that didn’t really seem to pan out. And even though a great crop of 20 year olds are gone there is a new group at the core of this team the positive vibes surrounding camp this weekend are there, but in a little different way.

(a very tired referee....nice job Beattie)

The camp started off on Friday with a meeting with all the players, parents, and the coaching staff. And first year Flyers Head Coach John Marks took control of the situation right away. Although this was Coach Marks’ first Flyers training camp this is by no means the first time he has done this. When he began to speak you could get a sense right away that this is a man who knows what he is going to say, knows what he is talking about, and demands respect and attention when he is saying it.

(Ernie Sutherland, Ed Belfour, and John Marks)

The message was simple. You will work for what you get. Marks’ message right from the beginning of his career here in Winkler has been the same. You will have to earn everything that you get. There will be no freebies or undeserved ice time or any people just along for the ride. He relayed that message to the guys before they even hit the ice and almost immediately, it began to sink in.

Even though 13 of the 60 plus players had been here before, they were all brand new in the eyes of the Flyers new coach. There were some instances where some of the veterans seemed to take a few shifts off or didn’t chase down a puck the way they should but overall it was probably the best camp that I have seen. The vets played well, and some of the new recruits were very surprising.

I know its only been three days but for what its worth I think things are looking pretty darn good.

We should get a better look on Tuesday night during the inter-squad game and even more during the first few pre-season games this week as they cut some of the younger and weaker players on Sunday and we should get a better idea of what we have here when they start playing against players that are all on the same playing field.

Well that is a little of what I saw this weekend. Why don’t you let me know what you saw.

Post a comment and let me know what you think.

New Season Is Here

2010-08-27T13:21:00.003-05:00

Training camp for the Winkler Flyers begins tonight at the Winkler Recreation Complex.

I hope you enjoyed the four part Flyer training camp preivew on http://www.winklerflyers.com/ that has taken place over the past number of weeks. If you haven't had a chance to read it I encourage you to check it out.

The first blog of the season will be posted on Monday with a bit of a training camp re-cap and I will (time permitting) trying to have a weekly update throughout the season.

I will be writing about my thoughts and I encourage you to do the same.

Let me know what you think about the first three days of camp by posting a comment here.

Thanks and Go Flyers!

Welcome Back!

2010-05-29T16:42:00.005-05:00

Hello my friends and welcome back to the blog after a bit of a off-season hiatus. I had started to think about what to write after the season came to an end many times but always become distracted with stuff. Even at this moment I am sitting in my basement watching a movie with my wife (Valentines Day if you really want to know. It’s really good you should watch it).

Anyway!!! Before I get to the goings on since the season came to an end I just wanteed to talk about the playoffs for a brief moment if I could. The last time I wrote a blog the Flyers were in the midst of not doing so well in their Addison Division Final series against the Winnipeg Saints. Quickly without getting into too much detail I think the quick end that was that Saints series comes down to a few things. It is the same that I talked about a good number of posts ago. The culture of winning! The way that the Flyers beat the Steelers in the first round left the team and all their fans on such a high that it almost appeared good enough.

Now don’t get me wrong. Nobody wanted to lose in the division final. But changing the culture when things haven’t gone well in recent memory is a tough job. Now lets hope that with the changes that have been made in the last couple of months can turn things around. Not just for the next few seasons but for years to come. And honestly I think they can.

When Mark Thiessen decided to step away from the role of Head Coach and G.M. it allowed the organization to try and turn things in a bit of a different direction.

Hiring Henry Siemens as the new General Manager was the first move that was made. And I know there was a lot of people who came up to me and said “What does Henry know about hockey players?”. Well his job isn’t to know anything about hockey players. His first job was to find someone who does. And I think he did.

The next move that was made was the hiring of John Marks as the new Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations. If you haven’t seen Marks’ resume you can check it out on the Flyers website. And I know that we can’t really judge the man until he actually coaches a game but here are a couple of things I have picked up on in the few times I have talked to him.

He is a straight shooter. He says it like it is and likes it his way and if you are not on board with that philosophy then you better get out of the way. He is a players coach and has their best interests at heart. If they want to get better and eventually go to a school of there choice he we get them there, but only if they earn it. An interesting quote that he said to me the other day was that so many kids now a days come to an organization and say “what can you give me?” And He said the words that should be coming out of their mouths should be “What can I earn?”.

When the hiring process began I think there was a lot of pressure to hit this one out of the park. Many people felt that the talent was there but there was just something missing in terms of trying to get this storied franchise back to the glory that it once had. And any time you are able to land a coach that has a resume longer then most of ours put together there is absolutely no way you can pass up on that opportunity.

John Marks according to the people I have talked to (not just Flyer people but hockey people around the country), Marks has a lot of contacts. He is able to recruit well based on his history and name and on the other side of the coin, he will be able to get the kids (who deserve it) a scholarship at the end.

He will get the most out of his players and will not put up with those who don’t work hard and expect things they don’t deserve...bottom line.

I know he has only been here a few weeks and the first impression always seem to look good but I am really excited about this upcoming season. The players I have talked to are excited and so are the fans.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and check back every once in a while to see if anything is new....ALSO please click on the Facebook link either on this site or the Flyers homepage to become a Facebook fan of the Winkler Flyers and be instantly updated on whatever is happening.

Thanks and have a good one!

It's Coming!

2010-05-25T15:27:00.002-05:00

I know it has been a long time since I updated this thing. Apparently after a busy, busy hockey season my kids want to spend time with me and my wife has a "to-do" list longer then my arm. I am working on a post that will include some post season reaction, thoughts on the new coach, and general off-season stuff. If you have any suggestions please feel free to comment and let me know what you want to talk about.

Thanks for your patience.

-Matt-

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF PLAYOFF HOCKEY

2010-03-15T20:49:00.004-05:00

As all of you have seen through the first eight games of playoff hockey this season there are many ups and downs. And unfortunately right now things seem to be on the down slope of that scale. After the amazing ending to the Selkirk Steelers series where the Flyers won three straight games, all in overtime, with Lazorko scoring the winning goal each and every game, things appeared to be going in the right direction and the absolute right time.

But then came the division final. The Flyers effort in game one was far less then any game of the first series. It was shocking to see a team that had played so great against the Steelers come out absolutely flat to start a hugely important game. It almost seemed as though they were experiencing a bit of a first round hangover. And even though they had five days to get ready for the Saints the weekend with three straight overtime games seemed to drain them.

One night later, along came game two. And what a start it was. After scoring a minute in and making it 2-0 halfway through the first it made a lot of people (including myself) breathe a sigh of relief. But then the train seemed to fall off the tracks. The Saints adjusted to get better and the Flyers weren’t able to keep up.

Being down 2-0 in the series is not where the Flyers wanted to be but its where they are. And as they say in baseball they are just a bloop and a blast away from tying things up. I know that may be way easier said then done but its true. The first period in game two proved then it can be done. However, as good as that period was there is no way that the Flyers are good enough to think that they can play a 20 minute hockey game and still win. Especially in the division final!!!

They know they can still win and we need to have confidence in them too. If they are able to squeak out a win at the Dakota tomorrow night then tying up the series at home is a real possibility.

Some things need to happen. The Flyers need to start playing better as a team. They have as much, if not more talent then the Saints but at the moment the Saints are playing way more as a team then Winkler. They use each other and trust each other to be where they are supposed to be. They know that their goaltender will make the big save and that the defense will get the puck out of their zone. All things that the Flyers are sadly finding out rather late.

I hate being critical but thems the facts. If this thing comes to an end this weekend there will be a whole long list of things we can talk about as to why, after such an exciting start to the playoffs, did it go south in such a hurry.

But for now lets not think about that. There is still for sure two more games to go and lets give them all the support that we can and hope that the boys are able to give it all they have and are able to go home after the season with no regrets.

I know things are looking a bad right now but it only takes a couple more wins and it’s a different ball game.

BIG WEEKEND

2010-03-06T11:57:00.003-06:00

A playoff series is always full of a few key moments that when you look back on them after its all over you can pin point where the series was won or lost. This particular series between the Flyers and Steelers already has a number of these moments.

Missed penalty shots in overtime, blown 3-1 leads, short handed goals, injuries, suspensions, double OT winners, you name it and this series has it….and its not nearly done!!!

Game four of there series last night was, in my opinion, the make or break game of the series for the Flyers. Lets just say for a moment that the Flyers had lost that game. They would be down 3-1 in the series going back to Selkirk for game five. They would have to three straight games in the next four days in order to win the series and do it with their back firmly pressed against the wall.

We can all be happy that that isn’t the case. The Flyers double overtime win last night has given them the momentum heading into game five tonight in Selkirk. The Flyers knew all along that if they wanted to win the series the needed to take care of business at home and would need just one win in the House of Steel. And let me tell you, they would rather do it tonight then wait for game seven on Tuesday.

If you are one of those people that likes to watch sports you have seen the highs and lows of sport. Sidney Crosby’s OT winner in the Olympic gold medal game and Joe Carter’s home run to win the World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays would be some of the positives that you can think of. Then there are the lows. Bill Buckner anyone? A game like game four of this series can be one of those moments that you look at a couple days from now and think “That was the series right there”. For the Flyers it can propel them to a series win because all the momentum is with them coming into a tough weekend. IF the Flyers can come out with a strong start in game five there chances should be good this weekend. The Orange and Black would love to have the opportunity to win the series at home tomorrow night but they must take care of business this evening.

However, if the Steelers are able to rebound then Flyer Nation will have a lot of ammo to choose from when it comes to picking situations or moments that could have gone differently. Lets hope we don’t need to do that.

Remember the last time the Flyers won a playoff series on home ice? Neither do I. Lets hope we get to see it tomorrow. I absolutley love the emotion and the joy that comes with a big overtime goal or a game winner home run or any event that brings a sudden and perminant end to any sort of game. Don't forget you can tune into CKMW this weekend for all the action. Just click on the links to your right.

Thanks again and have a good one!

PLAYOFF TIME IS HERE

2010-02-25T22:26:00.004-06:00

Here we go folks!!! The Playoffs are finally here and I, for one, am very excited. By now you all know that this is the fourth meeting in the last four seasons between these clubs in the first round of the Addison Division playoffs. The past three seasons the Flyers have played game one in Selkirk and the last two years they have won game one.

That will have to happen again. The success of this particular Flyers team has rested on a few key areas all season long. Work harder then the guys in the other sweaters and have a good start. 99 times out of a 100 if the Flyers out work, out hit, and out play their opponents they will win. You have to go no further then the stats.

For example, if the Flyers score first they have a record of 20-8-6. If they are still leading after the first period they are 18-7-4-1. If they still have the lead after two periods they are almost unbeatable with a 22-2-5 record. They are also 22-6-2 when they have more shots. Those stats prove that when the Flyers are playing their game and come out of the gate on the right foot they give themselves a very good chance of winning.

However, the stats are equally as obvious when they don’t play well. When the other team scores first the record is 9-17-2. When they trail after the first it’s 3-16-2. And the real shocker is that they have won only one game ALL SEASON when trailing after the second period……only one third period comeback all year long!!!

Now the positive to all of these numbers is that the Steelers are almost in the exact same boat. To a certain extent they have been just as up and down as the Flyers have been this year. That is why it is so hard to give an educated assessment as to who should win this series. You can go through the numbers all you want and cross reference all the data and in the end it doesn’t mean squat.

The playoffs traditionally are a crap chute. The better team doesn’t always win. Sometimes things happen or players do things that they aren’t supposed to. There is always that one player who has not really done a whole lot during the season that comes out of nowhere and plays a huge role in a teams success.

But these few things I think will decide this series. Flyers goalie Peter Alexander and Selkirk goalie Joey Rewucki were the runner ups to OCN’s David Aime for the MJHL goalie of the year award so you know the goaltending in this series will be strong. The top end players are essentially even with a slight edge going to the Steelers maybe (they do have the leagues MVP in Taylor Dickin afterall).

But the two areas where I think the Flyers have the edge is defense and depth. The Steelers do have five players in the top 20 in league scoring while the Flyers have none. But after those five players there is a steady drop off. The Flyers have been able to spread the wealth a little this season and are able to get points from all four lines at times. The top one or two lines are always the guys that the other teams will key on, and if the secondary guys or third or fourth liners can chip in that will provide a huge advantage.

The Flyers D has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride this season but I feel they are playing some of their best hockey recently. They are at their best when they aren’t trying too hard. Take care of you own job. Make it simple and don’t screw up.

Its anyone’s guess what will happen in this series but I am sure of one thing…it will be a lot of fun. The rivalry of facing each other four years in a row, the Flyers dominance in the season series, and a wide range of other things have made this match-up an exciting and emotional battle all season long.

I can’t wait for the playoffs to finally begin cause it gives everyone a chance to forget about the regular season, get a fresh start, and maybe show everyone that this team is for real.

I will bet you a million bucks that if the Flyers are able to make a real run here in the postseason nobody will remember how the regular season went. I encourage you to come out and support your team. Cheer loud and be supportive. Lets all be on the same team through the good and bad and lets have a heck of a time in the process. I love playoff hockey so lets go!!!!!!!!

P.S. There is a complete Winkler vs. Selkirk Series preview on http://www.winklerflyers.com/. You may have also noticed that the pictures on this post are a mix of new and old. I was trying to bring you back down memory lane of these two bitter rivals. Enjoy.

MEET THE CAPTAINS - JORDAN PETERS

2010-02-19T23:42:00.004-06:00

There is only one week until the Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs begin and the Flyers, who still have a couple of games left in the regular season already know they will be playing the Selkirk Steelers in the first round for the fourth straight year. I will be doing a playoff preview next week so check back for that.

This week will be the fourth and final installment of the Meet The Captains series. Throughout the season you have gotten to know Captain Troy Kliever, assistant captains Cam Stevens, and Shael Hechter a little bit more then you did and now you will get to know Jordan Peters.

Over his three seasons in Winkler, Peters has proven to be one of the most versatile players in the league. He came into the league as an 18 year old defenseman before being moved up to forward after the Christmas break his first season. He excelled as a right winger and was the Flyers leading scorer in the playoffs that year when the Orange and Black lost out in the Addison Division final.

He then recorded 41 goals and 33 assists last season in his first full campaign as a forward. This season he started up front again, and was then moved back to defense when the Flyers blueline was struggling with injuries and proved to be a force back there again. With his third and final season drawing to a close, Peters has shown that he can be a physical player, a leader, and help out offensively as well as he has recorded nearly 150 points in three years.

Jordan Shea Peters was born in Winnipeg on August 10th, 1989. He grew up in Gnadenthal (about 10 minutes south of Winkler) with his dad Ray, his mom Corinne, his older brother Paul, and younger sister Shanley.

If you look up Farm Boy in the dictionary, you will find a picture of Jordan. He spent a lot of time during his younger years “helping” his dad on the farm (aka driving around on the 4-wheeler) and spent a lot of time at his grandparents house which is just two houses down from his. Jordan loves the lifestyle that the country brings.

Jordan says his dad would probably be his hockey inspiration as he taught him how to skate in the village when he was really young. He and his brother Paul, insisted on playing minor hockey and Jordan (and Paul too) has been playing ever since.

Jordan went on to play for the GVC Zodiacs high school hockey team and was a member of the team that won the AAAA Provincials in 2005/2006.

When Jordan’s junior hockey career comes to a close at the end of this season he plans on attending Bible School somewhere oversees and then come back to be involved with agriculture in some fashion.

Peters says the keys to success are to train hard, don’t lose sight of who you are as a person, and don’t tick off the wrong people (haha).

A few things that you may not know about Jordan is that he was born with deformed feet and ankles. His feet were turned inwards and up against his legs. He has also been skydiving and says it was the most terrifying and awesome thing ever.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know the captains better this season and don’t forget to check back next week for my playoffs preview as the Flyers get set to play the Selkirk Steelers in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season. I am pumped about playoff hockey and I hope you are too.

PLAYOFF TIME IS ALMOST HERE

2010-02-11T21:56:00.018-06:00

Hello again fans. I am glad that many of you have found this blog to be a great way to provide some constructive discussion and share your thoughts on the team. When I decided to do “Behind the Mic” at the beginning of this season I wanted to provide an inside look at the team and also provide the fans with a chance to voice their opinions as well. The passion for the team really comes across and for that I thank you. Even though we don’t always agree. And that is ok.

The team has been on a bit of a roller coaster in recent weeks. During the good games we can definitely see that the skill and systems are there, but being able to do that on a consistent basis has been the struggle. A lot of times at this time of year things tend to be that way. These players have been away from home since the last week of August, the season has been long, the pressure is mounting, and every thing is magnified come playoff time.

It is almost a forgone conclusion that the Orange and Black will, once again, finish in 3rd place in the Addison Division. They are currently six points behind the 2nd place Selkirk Steelers and six points ahead of the 4th place Winnipeg South Blues.

The Flyers will most likely stay in third unless they get red hot here at the end of the season or on the other side of the coin go right down hill.

The Steelers have three games in hand on Winkler and the Blues have one. The Flyers need five points in their last four games to secure at least third sport, however the Blues would need to run the table in their last five games in order for that number to come into play.

If Winkler wins each of their last four games the would finish with 70 points, Selkirk currently has 67 and needs only four points in their remaining seven games to clinch at least 2nd place. The Steelers are also six points behind the division leading Winnipeg Saints so we may just be in for a Winkler/Selkirk semi-final series for the fourth year in a row….that would be a lot of fun to watch.

There has been a lot of pressure on this team this season. They were pegged by many as the class of the Addison Division before one game was even played. However, injuries, inconsistent play, bad luck, and a big combination of other things have prevented that from becoming a reality.

In my humble, “from the sidelines” opinion they need to just start having a little fun while at the same time taking in seriously. And that my friends is always easier to do when you are winning.

A lot of the comments in recent posts have focused on staying positive and being their to cheer on the team in good times and bad. I honestly believe, IF, they can get things going here at the end of the season that we will be in for an exciting ride the rest of the way. I really hope I’m right and if the entire team pulls together, and we as fans of the Flyers are pulling with them then the possibilities are endless. So come out and cheer your boys on as they put and end to the 2009/2010 season these next four games.

Just for your viewing pleasure I have found some funny and thought provoking hockey quotes from some people who know more about the game and have played the game a heck of a lot more then we all have so check it out..

Conn Smythe
Maple Leafs coach
"If you can't beat `em in the alley, you can't beat `em on the ice."

Jacques Plante
"Goaltending is a normal job, sure. How would you like it in your job if every time you made a small mistake, a red light went on over your desk and 15,000 people stood up and yelled at you?"

Brett Hull
"I'm not dumb enough to be a goalie."

Harry Neale (Former Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach)
"I know my players don't like my practices, but that's okay because I don't like their games.""Last season we couldn't win at home and we were losing on the road. My failure was that I couldn't think of any place else to play."

Gil Perreault
"The three important elements of hockey are: forecheck, backcheck and paycheck."

Wayne Gretzky
"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take."

Harry Sinden
"The only way you can check Gretzky is to hit him when he is standing still singing the national anthem."

Mark Messier
"Biologically, I'm 10. Chronologically, I'm 33.In hockey years, I'm 66."

Pat Foley
Blackhawks broadcaster
"If you've only got one day to live, come see the Toronto Maple Leafs. It'll seem like forever."

THOUGHTS ABOUT STUFF

2010-02-01T19:51:00.010-06:00

Hello once again. This post will be more about pictures and less about words. My next post later in the week will be about the final few games of the season and where the Flyers have the ability to finish in terms of the standings but I have to do some mathematical calculations so I will save that for next time.

Eric Braun and Myself

(the best radio team in the biz..at least we think so)

Many of us got to see the MJHL All-Star game last weekend in Winkler. It was a pretty entertaining game. My favorite part about All-Star weekends in general is usually the Skills Competition. The games are decent, but if you are the type of person who enjoys a good old hockey game in its truest form then All-Star games are not for you….I would be in that category.

Jordan Peters - Puck Handling at the Skills Competition

Also this past Sunday the Flyers held their annual Skate with the Flyers event. This is always a great way for the fans to get to know the players on a more personal level. For the mast majority of people, they will probably never really get a chance to talk to the players or get to see them any closer then the front row of the stands. I really enjoy this event even though I get to see them on a daily basis, it gives my kids a chance to get to see the players that they have learned to love. My 4.5 year old daughter is a big fan of Nick Lazorko and my 2.5 year old son really likes Jordan Peters. We haven’t come up with the strength yet to tell them that they both won’t be playing here next season cause that will be a very sad day in the Friesen house.

This is my son Jackson with his hero. Unfortunately it's not me!

And my daughter Hannah with Nick. She smiled for a LONG time after taking this picture!

Nick Lazorko signing some skates

I am looking forward to the rest of the season. I think the Flyers game against the Winnipeg Saints of Friday was a huge wake up call for the team. That was probably one of the worst games I have seen in a very long time. If you heard to broadcast on CKMW you would have heard Flyers assistant captain Shael Hechter on the post game show. Usually we are joined by Head Coach Mark Thiessen. However, in that instance it was Hechter that volunteered to do the show because it was the players that had to give some answers and give reasons for that loss and not the coach (in my opinion). He did a very good job and it was nice to hear some accountability when things like that happen.

Brett Harder meeting the fans

The game that we saw on Sunday was a complete opposite of Friday. It was probably the most exciting and entertaining game of the year. The first period alone was the best I’ve seen. It was also the first game that I can remember this season that the complete compliment of players (minus Matt Loopkey) was on the ice at the same time. If they can play like that and stay healthy, I think a long play off run should surely be in the cards.
Mac Williams making his mark

Well, we only have one more month to go before the playoffs and here’s hopin’ that things can stay on the right track just as they did on Sunday.

MEET THE CAPTAINS - SHAEL HECHTER

2010-01-21T15:51:00.004-06:00

Hello folks, with the Flyers off the ice until the 29th of January it give us some time to give you the next installment of the Meet The Captains series. This time we will look at 20 year old forward and Assistant Captain Shael Hechter.

Shael Te Nelson Hechter was born on November 17th, 1989 in Winnipeg. He is one of six kids born to parents Frank and Sue. He has three older brothers, Richard, Josh, and Chapin, as well as an older sister named Ilana. He also has a younger brother named Drake.

Shael grew up in Winnipeg with his family and says he grew up idolizing his brother Josh who is his hockey inspiration. Josh played in the BCHL for the Quesnel Millionaires and the Prince George Spruce Kings. He then went on to play college hockey where he averaged well over a point per game with St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH.

Shael would love to follow in his brothers footsteps and get a Division 1 scholarship and continue his hockey and academic career.

His advice to young hockey players would be to work hard, take in as much as you can, and most of all have no regrets.

There is one thing that most people don’t know about this Assistant Captain. He has two webbed toes on each foot.
In his first season with the Flyers this sniper has proven to be an effective goal scorer and energetic player. Here's hoping that it can continue down the stretch run.

We have one more installment to go in this series. Next time we will profile Assistant Captain Jordan Peters.

Don’t forget folks that MJHL All-Star weekend goes this Friday and Saturday in Winkler. Go to http://www.winklerflyers.com/ for all the information. The Flyers don’t play again until the 29th of January when they host the Winnipeg Saints.

Until then….have a good one!!!

DEADLINE THOUGHTS AND WORLD JUNIORS

2010-01-11T19:54:00.006-06:00

Thank you all for your participation on my last post. The intent of this blog it to give you the chance to discuss and talk about the team in a constructive manner. I know that not everyone will always agree and that is ok. No matter what side of the fence you are on, one thing is tremendously clear…we all care.

As we all know the MJHL trading deadline passed at midnight on Sunday night and in my opinion, the Flyers are a better team after the deadline then they were before. This year was very different when you compare it to other years. Usually the brain trust of the team is huddled in the office burning the midnight oil and drinking cold Tim Horton’s coffee right up until the stroke of midnight. That was not the case this year.

After the December 1st roster cut down deadline the Flyers had 21 players on the roster and 4 available cards in which to fill before yesterday’s trading deadline. They added Matt Loopkey right after the Christmas break. They traded Caleb Suderman to Neepawa for T.J. Ahvenniemi and Graham Fast last week and then added Erik Soderlund early yesterday evening. So the trading was spread around a little bit and a little less stressful then waiting for the 11th hour.

Losing a guy of Suderman’s caliber is tough, but we have already seen that the guys the Flyers got in return are no slouches either. In his first 2 games, Fast has 5 points, Ahvenniemi has proven to be a great skater, a good puck moving guy, and has the ability to stir it up a bit in the corners. Loopkey seems to be up to his old ways that made him co-rookie of the year last year with the Flyers. And all I know about Soderlund is that he is huge. He was playing on a very, very deep team in Vernon. The Vipers are arguably one of the best teams in the country and are obviously loaded for a run this year. That sometimes leaves good players without a place to play and I think that is one of the reasons that the Flyers were able to get him. If he is as advertized then the Flyers blue line will be a little scarey once Jordan Peters and Troy Kliever come back from injury.

After looking and what the rest of the teams in the Addison Division did at the deadline there is no reason to believe that the Flyers can’t come out of their division this season.

As promised before I had the opportunity to head back to the Promised Land (Saskatchewan) over the Christmas break and got to take in some of the World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon. Back in 1990 when the tourny was in Saskatoon my dad bought two tournament passes. He went to every game and me and my brother got to alternate. Just so happened that I got to go to the opening ceremonies and the final game where Canada beat Russia for the gold. It was interesting to sit there (this time) and wonder which of these players were going to go on and be superstars, cause last time I was at the tournament Trevor Kidd, Eric Lindros, and Pavel Bure were on the ice. I got to go behind the scenes thanks to my brother-in-law who was one of the in-house camera operators and needed an “assistant”. So I volunteered. Being an assistant camera operator if a very hard job. It involves many hours of….ah who am I kidding. I just got to sit there and watch the game haha. I worked one game and watched Canada beat Switzerland 6-0 on December 28th. Here are a few of my pics. And a big thank you to Josh. You are my favorite brother-in-law on the Friesen side of the family.
p.s. (he is the only one)

JAMES DUTHIE AND BOB MCKENZIE JUST WATCHING THE GAME

WHAT A NICE SMILE! (i think he is thinking of jennifer hedger)

BOB DEEP IN THOUGHT

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE TSN DESK

HAHA BOB IS HUNGRY

RIGHT BESIDE MY SEAT
(this is the reverse isolation shot camera, he has a list of players that he has to follow for isolation shots. he doesn't get to watch the game itself...just follows a single player around the whole time....kinda neat)

GIGANTIC CANADA FLAG BEFORE THE GAME STARTED

GORD MILLER AND "MONSTER" PIERRE MCGUIRE

ST. MALO NATIVE AND FORMER WINNIPEG SAINT TRAVIS HAMONIC (it was quit something seeing a guy who i used to see everyday doing flyers games play that the world juniors) READY FOR THE OPENING FACEOFF 6-0 WIN OVER THE SWISSJORDAN EBERLE WAS THE PLAYER OF THE GAME (i think the Flyers were in the running to get him at the trading deadline but just missed...i wish) AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST HERE IS JOSH...THANKS BUDDY

A FALLEN LEADER

2010-01-01T15:55:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year folks. So as some of you may have heard I had the opportunity to check out the World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon over the Christmas break. I got a behind the scenes look while working as an assistant camera operator thanks to a certain inside connection (my brother in law). I was going to talk about that and show you some pictures and video but I think I will wait until next week because I think there is a more pressing issue to talk about.

Those of you who came to the New Years Eve game against Steinbach will have noticed no Caleb Suderman on the Flyers blue line. Caleb is one of the most talented defenseman that I have ever seen. He can be chalked up as one of the best offensive d-men in the league and also one of the top defensive d-men, and to be in both categories is a very difficult task. He gets prime minutes, powerplay, penalty kill, 5 on 5, he’s an assistant captain, a leader on the team, a Winkler kid playing on his home town team, he’s close to family and friends, good access to scouts, and it is for all of those reasons and more that it boggles my mind that a guy who has just a few months left in his junior career would ask to be traded….anywhere!

I don’t know if it’s just me or what but the idea of leaving your team and sitting at home waiting for a trade is something that is a huge problem with junior hockey today and something that I just don’t understand. The exact reasons as to how and why he came to this decision I don’t know exactly, I would have to just piece certain facts together and guess…so I won’t. I will leave it up to him to answer that question if he wants to.

When talking with some of the players yesterday about this situation they seem to not fully understand it. Why would a person who is a leader on their team, an assistant captain, a person who should be there for the team in good and bad, decide that he doesn’t want to be on the team anymore. It seems that one of their leaders has turned his back to them.

This decision leaves everyone in a situation that they don’t want to be in. The Flyers now have to trade a local player that in a perfect world they would NEVER trade but now have no choice. They have to replace one of the top players in the league (which is dang hard to do). It never looks good when any team trades away a player that is from that community but let me assure you that this is not a choice that the Flyers made. It is a choice that Caleb Suderman made.

I just hope for his sake that he is sure that he is making the right decision. I just hope that he gets what he is looking for with this decision. It’s just weird that being a Flyer for the past two and a half seasons it is only now…with 3-4 months left in his junior hockey career that he can’t take it anymore.

Anyway, on a positive note forward Matt Loopkey (above and below) will be re-joining the team this weekend and that is great news. Loopkey is one of those bring your lunch pail and hard hat and get to work kind of players. He amassed 31 points in 45 games played as a rookie last season with the Flyers. He will be a welcome addition to the Flyers line-up. He was playing lacrosse in Kentucky this season on a scholarship and is very excited to be back with the Flyers organization.

So now the work of getting the roster set before the January 10th trading deadline gets a little harder as they now have to find a all-star caliber defenseman, and those as we all know don’t grow on trees.

Remember that this is my opinion and I would love to hear yours so please comment…

A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD

2009-12-23T22:39:00.005-06:00

The Christmas break is upon us and it gives me time to look back at the first half of the season for the Winkler Flyers. The first 42 games of the season have been a grind. It has been a tough year so far for a variety of reasons. And when I say tough I don’t been bad, it’s just been tough.

One of the reasons is that of the 42 games that the Flyers have played so far this season, 24 of them have been on the road. The longest trips of the year to OCN, Swan Valley, and Dauphin are all done. The other team’s rink hasn’t been the most friendly place to play this season. The Flyers are 9-13-1-1 on the road with the bulk of those loses coming in the first two months of the season.

The other reason for the tough start was the injuries, especially to All-Star defenseman Caleb Suderman. He was in and out of the line-up to start the season after getting injured in pre-season. His permanent return midway through the first half of the season is one of the big reasons for the turnout to start the month of November.

The coaching staff also decided to move Jordan Peters back to defense just before Suderman’s return and since then the local pairing has been one, of if not the best D pairing in the league. The more then solid play of Peter Alexander in goal has been a huge bonus this season. He sports some of the best numbers among MJHL netminders with a 17-12-2 record with one shutout. A 3.16 GAA and a .916 save percentage. He has been the difference in a number of games between winning and losing and the tandum of him and Carey Dyck should give us little reason to worry the rest of the way.

All of those things combined and also a few key additions along the way have made the Flyers a completely different team from Nov. 1st on, and it shows in their record. Winkler started the season 8-12-2 and since their Halloween road trip to Swan Valley are 13-5-2.

The Flyers have proven that IF and WHEN they give it their all and play a 60 minute hockey game (or close enough) they can beat anybody. However, if that doesn’t happen they can lose to anybody. The goal and the challenge for the team and the coaches is to figure out how to do that game in and game out.

A few things are on the side of the Flyers coming into the New Year. 13 of the remaining 20 games are at home where they have a remarkable 12-4-2 record. 8 of those games are against sub .500 teams and 7 of them are against Sherwood Division teams so they don’t matter so much in the standings.

Now the January 10th trading deadline is coming up soon after the players return from their Christmas break where teams will finalize their 23 player rosters that they will take into the remainder of the season and playoffs.

As well as things are going for Winkler at the moment there are still some areas of concern. They are not tremendously deep on the blue line. We have seen when the big guys go down there is a bit of a drop off. And I know that big, puck moving defensemen don’t grow on trees but I would say that is the first area to try and improve.

Second is to try and find a legit top 6 forward or maybe even top 3 that can score. Someone who strikes fear into their opponent. Having a player like that will also open up opportunities for others to flourish with being not so much in the spot light or on the other teams radar so much. And the other thing is some toughness. Not necessarily a big idiot fighter but someone who stirs it up and is mean and a little “grey area” once in a while.

If you take a look at the Flyers roster in terms of the quality of the 20 year olds and the way the division is set up this season THIS is the year to make a push. Remember, these suggestions are just my opinion but if you want to get a top notch player you need to be willing to give something in return. I know and realize that is the worst part of the job for the decision makers but winning here and now is the bottom line.

The Orange and Black have 21 players on the roster right now which gives them 4 open cards. So if they use all 4 cards they will need to get rid of 2 players somewhere is the shuffle. Let me know in the comment section what you think should happen.

Recently, the Flyers have not been known as the team that pulls off the big deals, where people around the league and not just within the organization say “WOW, look at what Winkler just did”.

I hope that is the case this year.

Merry Christmas folks and we will talk again soon…

p.s.

just for fun here are some pics that Ray Peters (one of the team photographers) took of me while the Flyers were playing in Neepawa this month and the Flyers took 3 penalties in a row which would explain some of my facial expressions. It is also VERY cold in that arena which would explain the hat....enjoy!!

MEET THE CAPTAINS - CAM STEVENS

2009-12-12T19:02:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the 2nd installment of Meet The Captains. A number of weeks ago you got to know Captain Troy Kliever just a little bit better. This time I will focus on assistant captain Cam Stevens.

Cameron Lloyd Stevens (aka Cat) was born May 23rd, 1989 in the City of Brandon. Cam has three sisters, Amanda, Jacquie, and Melody. Cam just became an uncle for the first time recently as Amanda and her husband Tristin celebrated the birth of the daughter Ellie.

Cam has lived in the same house in Brandon his whole life with his mom and dad (Debbie and Kevin). Cam’s inspiration in hockey is his dad. He says that his dad has always been there for him and is his biggest fan and critic.

Cam played his minor hockey in Brandon and left home when he was 17 years old to play for the Chilliwack Bruins (WHL). Cam also played for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Tri-City Americans before returning to Winkler full time this season.

When Cam’s junior hockey career comes to an end after this season he wants to go to school. He has three years of schooling saved up from his three seasons in the WHL. His favorite subjects in high school were History and Social Studies.

Cam’s advice to other young hockey players is that if you want to succeed you have to give it your all every chance that you get. Do all the thing that will help you get better. Get in the gym!

There is also one thing about Cam that you may not know. He is a huge fan of the movie Ratatouille. He even has a figure of Remy (the main mouse in the movie) as his key chain.

ROSTER DEADLINE THOUGHTS

2009-12-05T16:26:00.004-06:00

The December 1st roster cut down deadline has come and gone for all Junior A teams in Canada. The deadline forces all teams to get their rosters down to 25 while at the same time leaving as many cards as they can open in order to make some moves down the road before the January trading deadline.

If you haven’t heard already the Flyers lost four players and got two. Gone are Forwards Brett Suderman and Joe Becker, Defenseman Mitch Lutz, and Goaltender Michael Deslauriers. The additions are Forward Anthony Collins and Goaltender Carey Dyck. The trade for Dyck has made the most immediate impact with the injury to Peter Alexander and Dyck has proven to be a great addition to the Flyers crease.

Deslauriers, Becker, and Lutz were all considered import players. An import player is one that did not play the previous year in the province of Manitoba. Each team is only allowed to have eight imports on their roster at any given time so the three gentlemen I mentioned before are just victims of the numbers game.

Suderman on the other hand is a different story. Flyer nation sure does love their local talent and anytime one of them leaves the team it comes with mixed emotions. Brett was also a victim of the numbers game but in a different way. The Flyers now have 21 players on the roster and have four cards open in which to add some impact players before the January deadline, so in that regard they are right where they want to be.

As the December 1st roster cut down deadline approached Brett was asked about the possibility of being assigned to the Pembina Valley Twisters of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League. Doing this would allow the Flyers to keep his rights while keeping an extra card open and still have the ability to AP him up to 10 times throughout the rest of the season. He would still practice with the Flyers and would be able to get the ice time that he was wanting with the Twisters.

After considering that plan Suderman decided that he would rather play for a different team in the MJHL. The Flyers then granted him that request by sending him to Neepawa for the MJHL rights to Anthony Collins.

There are some who will be put off by the fact that the Flyers traded a local kid but at the end of the day what are we trying to do here? Are we providing a place for each and every local kid to play hockey or are we trying to win. By saying that I don’t mean that we can’t win by having local players I am just saying that sometimes you need to do things like this in order to improve your hockey club.

As of 12:01am on December the 2nd are the Flyers a better team and in a great position to get even better? Yes. Is Brett Suderman getting the chance to play more and produce more with Neepawa? Yes.

The window for opportunity for the Flyers is small. The crop of 20 year olds is better then it has been in many years. This is the year to go for it and sacrificing some of the future for the present is what they have to do. Making decisions like this are not made on a whim. There are a number of things that they take into consideration like how it affects the team on the ice and in the room. They also think of how it will affect their fans and the community.

Flyer fans have been screaming for a winner for many, many years and the people in charge are trying to make that happen. Sometimes in hockey you need to take feelings and personal things out of the equation and do what’s best for the whole.

I am glad truly glad for Brett that he will now get the opportunity to play more. He added that spark every once in a while that will hopefully be filled by someone else (see above picture). I wish him all the best in Neepawa. It is hard to say goodbye sometimes but its part of the business or sport.

Remember this is just my opinion. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think...

HAVING FUN

2009-11-28T00:55:00.002-06:00

Hockey is a game!

I think all too often the word “fun” is the most forgotten word in most hockey people’s vocabulary. So much emphasis is put on winning, stats, revenue, systems, match-ups, line combinations, and all kinds of other things that exist in the game of hockey. But what really is the bottom line at the end of the day or at the end of our lives for that matter is how are we going to judge ourselves on how successful things have been for us.

When this season comes to an end some time in spring are we going to look back at all the pressure that the Flyers are under to win and be successful and some of the missed chances or roster moves that could have or should have been made. We will look on them either in a positive or negative light, depending on how the season turns out.

Something that I think has become lost in this game is the question of “did we have fun”. This isn’t just talking about the Flyers but with any team in any sport. For the people who are lucky enough to make hockey a career it can be a little tough with all the business side of thinks tending to be a little consuming at times.

Use Winkler’s own Dustin Penner as an example. A number of years ago he signed with the Edmonton Oilers for over $4.25 million dollars a year after just winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks where he made somewhere in the neighbourhood of $400,000 per season. His first couple seasons as an Oiler were not that great and I’m sure if you asked him if he was having fun he wouldn’t say yes.

Watching the Flyers play the Waywayseecappo Wolverines tonight it was evident for the first time in a long time that they were having fun. For at least 60 minutes all the pressure from the coaches, executive, the community, the scouts, and all the other people weighing down on the 23 players on the Flyers roster seemed to be gone. For whatever reason it looked like a bunch of friends getting together on the backyard rink and just having a good time. Now that tends to happen when you are winning which the Flyers have been doing lately but I think winning and fun go hand in hand.

There is so much riding on these people to perform. Not just the players, but the coaches too. The players have scholarship opportunities on the line, the coaches have their jobs are on the line. Everyone is just one wrong move or one back stretch from being gone. So with that being said the only thing that each individual can control is how they handle themselves and how much fun they have. Cause at the end of the day hockey is a game…..and games are supposed to be fun.

please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

IF IT WORKS....IT WINS

2009-11-19T23:26:00.001-06:00

Hello once again and welcome back to another exciting post here on Behind the Mic. The month of November has been a pretty good one. Pretty much everyone is FINALLY healthy and we are starting to see the team that I think we should be seeing.

Four straight wins and one little bump in the road this past Tuesday has turned the Flyers season in the right direction. The goaltending of Peter Alexander has been awesome. The defense has been much improved thanks in large part to the return of Caleb Suderman and the switch from forward to defense for Jordan Peters. And also the offense is clipping along.

The thing though about the Flyers streak ending loss on Tuesday against the Blues is that it became apparent as to why things have turned around. It comes down to two simple words……work ethic.

In the game of hockey, work ethic has the ability to make an average player a good player, and a good player a great player. In November, this has been one of the Flyers strengths. However, during the second period against the Blues that wasn’t there and it cost them the game.

If the Flyers work harder then the other team then they can be one of the best teams in the league, but if they don’t then they are beatable. So the success of this season for the Flyers comes down to one simple yet very complex thing………work ethic.

Happy Movember!!

2009-11-12T23:38:00.006-06:00

So since the last time we talked things have been going fairly well. The boys are on a three game winning streak and are poised to keep it going. However, the last time I talked about how things were going great I jinxed it so I will not talk about it. What I will talk about though is my mustache. What?!?!

Across the world the month of November is known as Movember. During Movember we as men are growing mustaches to support the fight against Prostate Cancer. Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer to inflict Canadian men.

Stats show that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and 4,400 men will die this year from the disease.

The point of Movember is to raise awareness for the fight against Prostate Cancer and to raise funds for Prostate Cancer Canada. The money raised will go to education, support, as well as research into prevention, detection, treatment, and a cure for Prostate Cancer.

Remember, every mustache makes a difference...

So just for your amusement I have found some pretty sweet pictures of some guys with some awesome staches……so here they are.

ME!!!!!

Rollie Fingers Lanny McDonald Mike Ditka Hulk Hogan Ron Burgandy Joe Namath I don't know this guys name but WOW!!!!!!! and WOW!!!

SWAN VALLEY ROAD TRIP DIARY

2009-11-05T22:45:00.009-06:00

Hello folks…So this past weekend the Flyers made their second northern trip of the season. And unlike the Flyers trip up to OCN at the beginning of October I was able to tag along this time.

There are many things that happen on a road trip and to let you know what those things are I decided to keep a little diary of the weekend events so here it is…..(complete with pictures)

Friday, October 30th
9:35am – The Flyers bus filled with 21 players, 2 coaches, 1 trainer, 1 bus driver, and myself leave the Winkler Recreation Complex and start the 326 mile trip to Swan River

9:55am – Stop in Carman for coffee and to pick up Ernie Sutherland

10:13am – I am already bored (haha) I Am Legend is the first movie on the Ipod.

2:00pm – Stop in Dauphin for a break. Grab some McDonalds goodness and we are on our way.

3:22pm – We arrive in Swan River and pull up to the Westwood Inn

3:30pm – Pre-game meal is spaghetti and meat balls

3:50pm – Everyone gets their room assignments and relaxes and prepares for game #1 in Swan.

5:40pm – Meet in the lobby and board the bus for the Swan River Centennial Arena.

10:18pm – Back on the bus after a big 5-2 win which means a loud rendition of “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive” by Travis Tritt (which is the Flyers victory song by the way)

10:23pm – Back at the Hotel for another meal. Breaded chicken, potatoes, veggies, and various other things (yummy).

11:30pm – In your rooms and lights out by midnight. (that doesn’t apply to radio announcers though)

Saturday, October 31st
9:30am – Breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast, COFFEE)

10:00am – Team takes part in a 40 minute walk just to get the blood flowing. (I did not take part in the walk, I was watching a movie haha)

10:40am – Back in their rooms and settle in for an afternoon of napping, tv watching, music listening, and more napping. (I watched my Saskatchewan Roughriders vs Hamilton game and wasted 3 hours of my life)
3:30pm – Pre-game meal, Fettuccini Alfredo

3:50pm – Player meetings, first the defensemen, and then line by line. (breaking down video from the night before with Ernie)

5:30pm – Meet in the lobby and head to the rink for game #2

10:18pm – Pull away from the arena after a 6-1 loss and head to Subway for some food.

10:30pm – Leave Swan River and begin the journey back home.

12:20am – Stop in Dauphin to fuel up the bus and stop at Tim Horton’s

4:15am – Pull into the parking lot of the Winkler Recreation Complex, boy am I sleepy….GOOD NIGHT!!!!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2009-10-30T00:17:00.005-05:00

Friday morning the Flyers and myself will be making the 326 mile trek to Swan River for the first of two games in two nights against the Swan Valley Stampeders. This will be my fourth time on the Swan River trip and let me tell you it is the most fun and most boring trip ever. So I want to let you know what’s going on throughout the weekend. I will be keeping a Swan River road trip diary to let you know minute by minute what happens on these types of events. I will be posting my diary (complete with pictures) in my next post.

Another thing the Flyers started recently is making an effort to connect with their fans. After their game against OCN on Sunday Jordan Peters and Seth Ronsberg came to the lobby immediately following the game to hand out their hockey cards, sign some autographs and just chat. Each and every home game, two different players will be doing the same thing. So if you want to collect the whole set then you better make sure that you are at each and every Flyer home game.

Alright, that is it for now. Don’t forget you can listen to Friday nights game in Swan River on 1570 CKMW with our pregame show beginning at 7:25pm. You can also listen to the game online by clicking on the CKMW tile on winklerflyers.com.

WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM

2009-10-23T00:50:00.000-05:00

Well hello once again. First off I would just like to thank all of you for reading my blog and also for letting me know what you think by leaving comments. This is the purpose of this blog and my intent was to give Flyer fans a voice. So thanks for making Behind the Mic as popular as it is.

This post isn’t going to be very long but I hope and I think that it’s important.

As we all know by now things on the ice have not being going well for the good old Orange and Black. And I am not here today to talk about what I think they should do or give suggestions on how to improve the situation. I am here to talk to you.

As fans of the Winkler Flyers we have had to learn patience the last few years and this year is no exception. The skill and talent is there, and unfortunately some key injuries and inconsistent play have also been there.

The team is fragile, they are trying so hard to be the team that they want to be and that we want them to be and it just isn’t happening at the moment.

The last two games against the Kings and Terriers have been very encouraging. The thing they need from us I believe is support. You walk into any store, coffee shop, church, or even bathroom in the area and the conversation always seems to turn into “What the heck is happening?”

What they need from us (Flyer Nation) is support, encouragement, patience, and trust. They need fans that come to the game a cheer their faces off and help anyway they can. And if coming to the game and cheering for the Flyers is the only way you can help then please do it. We need to stand behind them and all be on the same team.

And if you are the type of person to find everything wrong and pick apart the game, the players, the coaches, and everything else then I encourage you to stay home.

I THINK THEY ARE MAD

2009-10-16T09:48:00.005-05:00

Are you frustrated with how things are going so far? I know I am. But I also know that there are a few more people that are way more frustrated and upset then we are and it’s the people on the ice and behind the bench.

Watching last nights 6-1 loss to the Saints it was pretty evident in the 3rd period that everyone is kind of ticked at the way things are going these days. The ref didn't help things at all though and was clearly not able to handle a game that was in danger of getting out of control.

Thiess (Head Coach Mark Thiessen as he is known in the hockey circles) made some nice in-game adjustments yesterday. The offence was no where to be seen really in the first and he re-united Ronsberg, Peters, and Lazorko to start the 2nd and they were awesome. They know where each other is going to be and they just have such good chemistry together that it makes you wonder why he broke them up in the first place.

Let’s go back just a few games ago. The Flyers are on a three game winning streak with wins over the Saints, Terriers, and Blues. It was then that they decided to mix up all the lines and bring in a bunch of more guys. And what has happened since then? They are 1-3-1. So why the tinkering? Just leave it alone for a while until these guys get used to each other. Unless there is a deal that is out there that is so unbelievably awesome that you have to make.

And seeing the boys in the locker room and hearing the coaches after the game I sure wouldn’t want to be the Pistons tomorrow night. The Flyers are MAD!!!!!!

****note**** There are some other things that I would like you all to be aware of. Washington Capitals forward and Winkler native Eric Fehr has been awesome enough to do a weekly show on 1570 CKMW each and every Thursday afternoon at 4:15 cst called “From Capital Hill with Eric Fehr”. He talks about himself, how the Caps are doing and takes us inside the life on an NHL player. The reports will be available online very shortly. He also welcomes questions and comments which you can do by emailing him at capitalhillreport@gmail.com. If there is anything that you have ever wanted to know about an NHL player then here is your chance.

THINGS ARE BETTER THEN YOU THINK

2009-10-08T22:28:00.002-05:00

When you read the title of this one you may, or may not agree with me. The Flyers have been very consistent this season. They are either consistently bad or consistently good. How do you go from a team that loses four in a row to a team that wins 3 in a row. It is at least good to know that the team that is supposed to be winning the division this year is in there somewhere.

Mark Thiessen (Head Coach and GM) has said all along that the players who start the season are probably not going to be the ones that end the season. In every season and with every team there is tweeking along the way. The thing is that some teams and some tweeks are better then others.

To me, the things the Flyers have done so far have been positive. Bringing in David Lawrence this week will be huge I think. I remember him at the CJHL Prospects Game that took place in Winkler in 2007. He played for La Ronge of the SJHL then and seeing him play for the OCN Blizzard last season he just seems like a player that anyone would want on their team. The skill level is great but now just fitting him into to where he fits best will need to happen.

During the three game winning streak the team chemistry was one of the reasons, I think, for the success and with the showcase weekend upon us that aspect of the team better be back.

So lets just assume that everyone is healthy, which they might be this weekend. These are the lines that I would make if I were the coach (which I would never want to be by the way).

Forwards -
LINE 1
Nick Lazorko Seth Ronsberg Jordan Peters
LINE 2
Shael Hechter David Lawrence Jordan Neduzak
LINE 3
Michael Wilgosh Brock Genyk Kendrew Friesen
LINE 4
Kyle Wells Brett Harder Brett Suderman (or Tim Rollins)

Defense –
PAIR 1
Blair Osiowy Troy Kliever
PAIR 2
Caleb Suderman Josh Martin
PAIR 3
Mac Williams Cam Stevens
PAIR 4
Eric Smith (I will make Kliever double shift…sorry buddy)

Here is the thing that I think when I see these lines. They are a very front loaded team. If a deep run is in the cards this year the balance will need to be shifted a little more toward the defensive side. And if some of the rumours or possibilities happen with the WHL deadline coming up in a few days this problem could either get worse or better. We will have to wait and see.

Let me know what you think and if you have any better ideas or other things you want me to write about in the future please leave a comment.

WHO ARE YOU PLAYING FOR?

2009-10-01T22:06:00.003-05:00

As time moved on from when we last talked, a number of things have happened. The Flyers lost 4 in a row including a bad OCN road trip where they showed terrible discipline and lost those two games mostly because they where in the box for over half of the time. Now I know that when things are not going well and the pressure is on like it is this season, every little thing seems like the biggest deal ever. I mean do you think anybody wanted to start the season 3-5.

Lets just assume for a second that the Flyers lost their most recent game against the Saints (which they won 5-1 by the way). What would the questions have been? Cause there does come a time when you stop saying that it’s early in the season so let’s just let them figure it out. When I was watching that game against the Saints I saw a much different team then I did during that four game skid. They seemed to dominate the game from start to finish and they were able to take advantage of the opportunities that they needed to. And most of all the stayed disciplined. I am not just talking about staying out of the penalty box but also doing what they have been taught from day one and throughout everyday in practice.

As I am writing this entry I am stumped about what to talk about. I am watching the Toronto vs Montreal game and all of a sudden an idea popped into my head. The Toronto Maple Leafs are like the Winkler Flyers. Now before you start to think that I am crazy just listen for a second. Why do teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Portage Terriers, New England Patriots, and The L.A. Lakers compete for championships year after year? Is it because they always have the best players or spend the most money or have the best coaches…No! Its about culture. The second you walk into to one of those stadiums or arenas you see the trophies sitting in the trophy case and you see those banners hanging in the rafters and before the team even comes on the playing surface you know you are about to watch a good team.

Now if you are a Toronto Maple Leafs fan or not you have to admit that the culture of the team has changed for the better. And it will take a few years to get to the end goal but it is getting better. The Flyers have won a championship more recently then the Leafs so it should be easier to change the culture of the Flyers.

So to wrap up this rambling mess of an entry you have to figure out a few things if you want to be a member of a team that needs a culture change.

Do you want to do whatever it takes to win? Will you sacrifice your individual goals or stats for the greater good of the team? Just remember what you are playing for……the crest on the front and not the name on the back.

MEET THE CAPTAINS – TROY KLIEVER

2009-09-24T23:35:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the first installment of a four part series that I like to call “Meet The Captains”. This season as you already know the coaching staff has selected Troy Kliever as the captain with Caleb Suderman, Cam Stevens, and Shael Hechter as the assistant captains. You know who these guys are on the ice but do you really know them.

For most of you your paths will probably never really cross and I want to let you know who these guys are.

First off we are going to start with this years team captain Troy Kliever. Troy Michael Kliever is entering his third year with the team. He is probably one of the most reliable defenseman that you can ask for in the MJHL. He basically does whatever it is that you ask of him as a hockey player and in my opinion, a great pick to wear the “C”.

Troy was born in Brandon, Manitoba on March 1st, 1990. He grew up in Elkhorn with his older brother Mark and other sister Kristen along with their parents Rod and Laurie. The Kliever family moved to Deloraine when Troy was finished grade one and that is where they still live today.

Troy played the majority of his minor hockey and baseball in Deloraine, which is a very sports minded community. The rink is the hotbed of activity in the winter with plenty of free ice time and the rink is always open for anyone to use at any time.

Troy credits his parents for his successes in hockey as they would always provide rides to practice or games and still to this day will travel from their home in southwestern Manitoba to watch Troy play.

After his junior hockey career is over Troy would like to earn a scholarship for either a NCAA school or CIS. He would also like to have the opportunity to play professionally overseas.

During his school years Kliever enjoyed History and World Issues and enjoys camping and spending time at the lake and on the water during the summer.

And for any of you looking to succeed in the game of hockey Troy offers this advice, “Work hard but have fun playing the game.”

There you have it folks. I hope you enjoyed the first installment of “Meet The Captains”. Stay tuned throughout the season for parts two through four and thank you so much for checking out my blog and feel free to leave a comment about anything and I will be happy to talk about it.

First Impressions

2009-09-17T23:03:00.002-05:00

Well another Flyers season is underway and already there is a lot to talk about. As I talked about in my first post there were many questions coming into the season and some already have been answered and some are just different than I thought.

The first one was in goal. When Dayn Belfour decided to leave the club during the summer and try his hand at the U.S.H.L. it automatically left the number one spot open. So the first thought is that Scott Hellyer (last years backup) will just slide into that spot and it would be a situation where it would be his spot to lose.

There were a few guys that played well during camp but no one really took the bull by the horns and showed that they were for sure the number one goalie. But throughout the first two games of the season both Peter Alexander who got the start in game one, and Hellyer who got the start in game two have made it very difficult for the man in charge to pick his man. Or maybe he already has….I don’t know. For the time being anyway that part of the roster will be just fine.

Scoring goals shouldn’t be a problem either. With plenty of experienced fire power on this years team things are looking promising and when they actually find who plays best with each other the Flyers offense will be lethal from top to bottom.

Now here is where I get just a little bit nervous. At the end of last season the entire blue line was eligible to return which made me think that was going to be the best part of their game. And so far it hasn’t. Now I’m not saying that it’s terrible and I know that when you start the season without one of the best d-men in the league it puts you in the hole right off the bat.

Last season when Caleb Suderman missed three months with an ankle injury, it created a big hole and also put additional stress on the guys who have to fill in which in turn can take production away from them. Bad giveaways have been the story early in this season. In game one all four goals were a direct result and a Flyer mistake and the Pistons took a 2-1 lead in the first period in that game thanks to another bad play but the Flyers in their own zone.

You have to wonder if people are trying to do too much in Suderman’s absence or are trying to make an impression early in the year to earn more ice time or are just nervous or excited or both about a new season. But I’ve heard it said and seen it many times that when you are stuck in your own zone with the puck on your stick the most attractive thing in the world is to fire that sucker off the glass and out. You don’t have to make it pretty to make it a good play. There are no style points in victory. You can score 5 highlight reel goals and still lose the game but it might be that hard working second and third and fourth effort around the net that gets you the big win.

I encourage you to make a comment and let me know what you think…

2009-09-12T16:23:00.000-05:00

As another Manitoba Junior Hockey League season begins for the Winkler Flyers the questions heading into this, and any other season for that matter are the same. Do the boys have what is takes this year? How do we get back to the way things were back in the early 90’s? I was still living in the great province of Saskatchewan when the glory days of Flyer hockey were taking place so I don’t know how that feels.

I don’t remember when the scariest players in the league were wearing orange and black uniforms, or when championship trophies were being hoisted at center ice of the Winkler Recreation Complex. But what I do know is that look in the players eyes, the talk out of the coach’s mouths, and the general feeling is that the plan is to get there again this season.

The players on the team this year don’t remember Winkler as a winning franchise. Some of the guys on this year’s Flyers roster were still in diapers when they last won a league championship. I’m sorry for making this first entry sound depressing but those are the facts.

Now every so often the right things happen at the right time to make you think, “Oh man, this could be the year.” The Flyers have a better crop of 20 year olds than they’ve had in years, the young guys are good. The rest of the division is re-building. And right now anyway, all the signs are pointing in the right direction and things are looking good.

In the end, will everything work out according to plan? I hope so.

The fans want it so bad. Every person I talk to tells me how awesome it would be if things were the same as the old days. When the team was great, the arena was full, and Flyer Pride was running through everyone that you met.

Please join me on this adventure this season and remember, we’re all on the same team. Lets all get our hands on that trophy.