Free Blast poster giveaway tonight

The first 300 children at tonight's celebration for the Brantford Blast, winners of this year's Allan Cup, will receive a free souvenir poster.

Blast players and the Allan Cup will be at the downtown Harmony Square, starting at 7:30 p.m. The team won the 100th edition of the national senior hockey championship last weekend.

Jet Print Shop is donating the posters.

Local fans will miss Muirsie's feistiness

Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Wed., April 23

Seldom do you see an ex-professional in senior hockey play the game with the same style that he used when he was playing for pay, for obvious reasons.

Why would he risk injury when he has to wake up the next morning and go to work?

Wayne Muir was an exception to the rule. Muirsie, as he's known to teammates and friends, was a super pest when he played professionally.

Brantford fans got to see his style when he patrolled right wing on a line centred by Paul Polillo for the Smoke in the Colonial League. Muir was never a goon but he always picked up more than 200 minutes in penalties.

And, whenever he was on the ice, the opponents were always on the lookout.

They kept one eye on the play and the other on Muir to make sure they weren't going to get clobbered by one of his open-ice hits.

Meanwhile, Muir scored from 38 to 52 goals a season for the Smokies. When Muir joined the Blast five years ago, he'd lost a step from his form of the mid-1990s, but he was still just as intense when the Blast played an important game and the playoffs rolled around.

Muir, now 39, wouldn't have played either of the last two seasons if the Blast hadn't been guaranteed a berth in the Allan Cup tournament here this season.

However, he wanted to end his playing career with a national championship notched on his belt and, although he wasn't Brantford's most valuable player Saturday when the Blast captured the Allan Cup, there wasn't a player in one of those gaudy, black NASCAR uniforms worn by the Blast in the tournament, who gave more of himself.

Muir sucked the Bentley Generals into their first penalty of the championship game and in the final minute, when the game was out of reach, former NHLer Darryl Laplante showed his frustration by drawing a five-minute major for slashing - guess who - Muir.

Muirsie announced his retirement during celebrations on the ice following the game.

It was great that his mother and father, son and daughter, sister and nephew made the trip from Cape Breton, N.S., to watch him play his final game.

He'll be missed by Brantford fans, who, like Blast opponents, generally kept an eye on the play and another on Muir just to see what he was going to do next.

"Oh, here comes Muir," one fan would whisper to another.

"He looks sour. Someone better keep his head up."

"He's going to catch someone with his head down," another fan would say.

"He's the only reason I come to a game. You never know what's he's going to do next."

A couple of years ago, during a Blast game in Tillsonburg, Muir caught Vipers' star Brad Wilkins with an open-ice hit.

Although Wilkins wasn't aware of his surroundings when he woke up, it could legitimately be argued that Muir made a clean hit.

Muir checked on Wilkins' condition with Vipers' officials after the game and he was assured that Wilkins was OK.

Unfortunately, the Ontario Hockey Association didn't view Muir's hit as in the best interests of the game and he was suspended for two games.

"I think the only reason he was suspended was because he's Wayne Muir," said Blast president and general manager Peter Ham.

Muir isn't the only Blast player to have played his last game.

Former NHLer Steve Rice also is hanging up his skates.

He's starting a new business in Raleigh, N.C., and the only ice you see there, if the Hurricanes don't skate on it, is in drinks.

The veteran right-winger wouldn't have played the last two seasons if the Blast hadn't had a free trip to the Allan Cup tournament.

How important was Rice to the Blast?

Head coach Larry Trader credits Rice and player/assistant coach Andrew Taylor for the Blast winning the Allan Cup.

Trader and assistant coach Dan Caco have been preaching certain team systems throughout the season.

Trader, who has been Mr. Team Oriented since coming to Brantford to coach the Smoke, claims it was Rice and Taylor who finally got the coaching staff's message through to the players.

It'll be interesting to see how many of the 25 players on the Blast roster return next season.

Another player expected to retire is Brent Gretzky, who couldn't make practices and commuted from Belleville for games.

Star centre Chad Spurr is the surprise player who has decided to retire.

"It's a good time to hang 'em up, when you're on top," Spurr said Tuesday.

The 29-year-old noted that he has other responsibilities, and, if he gets hurt playing hockey and has to miss time at work, he's not compensated.

"If I'm still in shape, I might come back in four or five years when the Allan Cup comes back to Ontario," he joked.

It was experience of a lifetime

As a very proud supporter and volunteer of the Brantford Blast, thank you for another great season of hockey.

As one of the members of the volunteer committee, we were putting in an average of 10 hours per day, many volunteers put more in than that.

But to top the tournament off was when Assistant General Manager Steve Cheeseman called a brief volunteer meeting two hours prior to game time and notified that the volunteers would have a major role in the final game opening ceremonies.

Many of us stood there amazed and some of us in shock, especially me, when informed that we, the volunteers, were dropping the puck live on TV.

I must admit that it was a long walk from the penalty box to centre ice. The volunteers, with assistance from public address announcer Norm Tolhurst, sprang into action when he said "everyone, sing." The sound system failed and we all began an a capella version of O Canada which was to be sung by Jessica Townson (Jessica, you are a wonderful singer).

So, Peter and Judy Ham and family, thank you for you generosity and compassion during the season. It was an experience of a life time that will never be forgotten.

Lori Feeney - Volunteer Committee Organizer

 

Thank you for a job well done

I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you to the Brantford Blast hockey team for a job well done! They made us proud. They not only won the Allan Cup but also they did so with class and dignity.

To the players, I say thank you so much for giving us the excitement your game brings to us. To the Ham family, for giving us the team to cheer for and for all your hard work and dedication. You all are very much appreciated.

Thanks to all the fans who come out and cheer on our boys. To all the fans who have yet to get out to the games, next season you may want to check out the action; it will be worth your time.

We are a hockey town. Let's show the support! To the guys who have just played their last year, we will be sorry to see them go, they will be very much missed.

To Tyler, "the rubber band man," thanks for your hard work and dedication. You are a great leader. Once again, thank you to the whole Blast organization for a classy job well done.

Patti Russell - Brantford

Congratulations from the OHF

I had the pleasure of attending the 100th playing of the Allan Cup in Brantford during the past week.

I want to extend my personal congratulations to the Brantford Blast for winning the Allan Cup. It was a well-deserved win and certainly was played with a tremendous amount of skill and emotion.

The organizing committee and the community deserve a hearty thanks for a job well done. The enthusiasm and hospitality shown by everyone was very much appreciated.

I was quite impressed with the way the citizens welcomed visitors in such a friendly and proud fashion. They showed tremendous support for their team and their community. It is so nice to feel such a positive atmosphere when you are a stranger in town.

I really want to extend my most sincere congratulations to Peter Ham. He is, and has been, the central focus of hockey in Brantford for so many years. Without his leadership and enthusiasm, this event would never have taken place.

Peter has worked diligently for our game at all levels and it is fitting that he receives the 100th Allan Cup. I know his entire organization and his family put in countless hours to make the Cup the success that it was.

They made the OHA and the OHF very proud and helped add another feather to our caps.

I also thank The Expositor for the fine coverage and the super job done with the Vibrant program. It is a souvenir that will help keep the memories alive.

Again, congratulations to all and enjoy the Cup.

Joe Drago - President OHF

City is proud of champions

Isn't it great for once that we here in Brantford do not have to be known as the land of work stoppages due to land-claim issues only.

Now we can be named and be proud of our Allan Cup champions.

Way to go, guys. You did it in a fashion that left no doubt that you earned it.

I just hope a few months down the road from now that we do not forget what the Brantford Blast has done, and to think these fine men played for the love of the game, not the money, not to mention the time that they sacrificed from their families.

It would be great if someone planned a barbecue for them this summer as a small way of saying thank you one more time for a job well done. Thanks, Blast.

Andre Lafond - Brantford

Blast hockey is a No. 1 act

This year is a bar- none winner. The team was a bunch of guys put together by a No. 1 person with the name of Peter Ham.

He is by far a class act. With his wife, Judy, behind him, they are fighting a bigger obstacle than the Allan Cup.

Pete, you have accomplished what you wanted to do for yourself and Judy and the city of Brantford.

When I say you are No. 1, I mean it from my heart. You have always been a gentleman and will continue to be one.

It would be fitting to rename the civic centre as The Peter Ham Centre!

David Downham - Brantford

National champions

Brantford Expositor - Tuesday, April 22

 

Congratulations to the Brantford Blast, winners of the 100th Allan Cup championship. The entire city thanks Peter Ham and the rest of the folks who organized and conducted a six-day tournament that long will be a highlight of Brantford sports history.

The Allan Cup stands out as a national championship for senior AAA hockey. The Blast reached the final by winning one of the most exciting games they have ever played. On Friday, they edged the Dundas Real McCoys 3-2 by tying the score at 19:21 of the third period, then claiming victory at 6:39 of the first overtime period. Eliminating the arch-rival Real McCoys from Allan Cup play was sweet. The Dundas team captured this season's Major League Hockey championship by defeating the Blast in a six-game series, including one game that had to be replayed.

Saturday's final against the Bentley Generals from Alberta was a tamer affair. The Blast took control with two goals in the first period and went on to win 3-1.

It's Brantford's third national hockey title. The Alexanders won the Allan Cup in 1977 and the Mott's Clamatos were victors in 1987.

This year's Allan Cup focused national attention on Brantford. TSN broadcast the championship game coast to coast.

The credit for bringing the tournament to Brantford belongs to Ham. He and his helpers did an outstanding job of organizing the tournament and looking after the out-of-town teams.

Players and fans have praised the friendliness of their hosts.

For a week, the tournament boosted the city economy's and drew national attention to Brantford. Memories of the games and pride in the Blast will last a lifetime.

Ham's Allan Cup runneth over

Brian Smiley, Brantford Expositor - Tuesday, April 22

By winning the 100th Allan Cup on the weekend, the Brantford Blast proved to be the top senior AAA hockey team in Canada.

But beneath that visible result, which was highlighted with a 3-1 win against the Bentley Generals in Saturday's championship game at the civic centre, there are other valuable vindications.

The first is that Blast president and general manager Peter Ham is a winner - both on and off the ice.

On the ice, Ham has previous Allan Cup experience as the general manager of the 1977 Brantford Alexanders, a team that captured this city's first Allan Cup title.

Ham built this Blast team from the bottom-up. Since launching the franchise, Ham has seen his shares of ups and downs but nothing can compare to this. This really was mission accomplished.

Ham, a master promoter, also was victorious off the ice. When he found out Brantford had been awarded the Allan Cup tournament, he took off and ran with it.

The Brantford resident used all of his contacts and built the week-long championship into something this city can be proud of: a national level tournament with a first-class touch. Getting the game on TSN was a coup.

And he did all of this without being at full strength, battling melanoma for more than a year.

Ham, along with right-hand man Steve Cheeseman and the rest of the organization, deserve a tremendous amount of thanks for what they pulled off. His players also were able to do something extraordinary.

The Blast were 2006-07 Major League Hockey champions but last season they didn't make it to the Allan Cup, losing to the Whitby Dunlops in four straight games in the best-of-seven Robertson Cup series.

This year, the Dundas Real McCoys took away the Blast's MLH title, winning the best-of-seven championship series 4-2.

When Brantford lost that series - in mid-March - it meant the Blast would be idle until the Allan Cup got underway on April 14.

Despite that inactivity, somehow the players were able to get back together and play their best hockey of the season, including a 3-2 overtime win in the semifinals on Friday against Dundas that provided more than enough redemption for losing the MLH title.

For their outstanding play last week, the players were rewarded with the championship they all wanted.

On the bench, coach Larry Trader came as advertised. He, along with assistant coach Dan Caco, helped lead the Blast to a terrific start to the 2007-08 season.

But both coaches then watched as their team took a bit of a dive after Christmas. Despite the fact Brantford relinquished first place to Dundas late in the season, Trader remained calm and continued to talk about the leadership in the dressing room.

Maybe it was that calm, and his confidence in the players combined with some great hockey knowledge, but whatever it was, Trader, Caco and player/assistant coach Andrew Taylor were able to steer the ship in the right direction.

And without those three at the helm, it's quite possible the Blast don't wake up Sunday after dancing around the civic centre ice with the Allan Cup.

They may not have won it without the hometown support, either.

Although the crowds weren't what many expected - a lot of people were expecting sellouts for each game - the fans supported the tournament well enough, despite a ticket price that was a little out of range for a lot of fans.

Ham stated that almost 15,000 spectators attended games throughout the week. There aren't many events in Brantford that draw that many people. It's almost a guarantee that there isn't another sporting event in this city that could draw that many people.

And the final vindication in all of this. How about the city?

Thanks to Ham and his group of volunteers, as well as the hospitable citizens of the Telephone City, Brantford put on a first-class event that drew rave reviews. For one week, we weren't the Crime Capital of Canada or anything else. We were the city with the best senior hockey team in the country.

And while the Blast got the last word on the ice - and what a word it was, champions - the last word off the ice goes to Ontario Hockey Federation president, Joe Drago.

"The enthusiasm and hospitality shown by everyone was very much appreciated," Drago stated in an e-mail sent to The Expositor.

"I was quite impressed with the way the citizens welcomed visitors in such a friendly and proud fashion. They showed tremendous support for their team and their community. It is so nice to feel such a positive atmosphere when you are a stranger in town.

"I really want to extend my most sincere congratulations to Peter Ham. He is and has been the central focus of hockey in Brantford for so many years. Without his leadership and enthusiasm this event would never have taken place. Peter has worked diligently for our game at all levels and it is fitting that he receives the 100th Allan Cup.

"I know his entire organization and his family put in countless hours to make the Cup the success that it was. You have made the (Ontario Hockey Association) and the OHF very proud and helped add another feather to our caps."

Well done Blast, from everyone.

We are champions;
Blast hoist 100th Allan Cup at civic centre

Richard Beales, Brantford Expositor - Monday, April 21

It's predictable and corny, this business of skating around the rink with a trophy, while Queen's We Are the Champions blares through loudspeakers.

But when it's your team that's doing the skating, there is no feeling more spine-tingling. And so it was Saturday at the civic centre for fans of the Brantford Blast, who stood, hooted and hollered as their Canadian senior hockey champions lifted the Allan Cup skyward for a victory lap.

"It was wonderful," Mary Lowes of Burford said from her seat in the east end of the rink, just after Brantford's 3-1 victory over the Bentley Generals of Alberta's Chinook Hockey League.

Teary-eyed, she continued: "I was so glad to see Brantford come back and do it. I knew they could do it."

Brantford lost its first game of the tournament to the Shawinigan Xtreme, then rebounded to beat Bentley, Whitby and Dundas to reach Saturday's final.

Lowes's husband, Clifford, whose earlier memories of watching hockey go back to Walter Gretzky's days as a Woodstock junior player in the mid-'50s, was also at the Brantford Alexanders' 1977 Allan Cup triumph. He wouldn't say Saturday's event was a bigger thrill, but he did allow that "the excitement was just the same in both of them."

Gretzky magic?

The elder Gretzky was at the rink, of course, wearing a Blast jersey numbered 99.9 and cheering on his youngest son, Brent, a Blast forward.

Had one of his boys ever won a national championship before?, he was asked.

"Never, for this, never ever. It's the first time," he said. Eldest son Wayne's four Stanley Cup championships came in the bi-national NHL.

Just before the game, Walter added, Wayne called him to chat.

"He said, 'Wish Brent well' and I said, 'You do it yourself.' Brent was with me so I put him on."

Maybe it was the Gretzky magic that spilled over into the Blast dressing room, but the team played with heart and desire and refused to allow Bentley to make a game of it.

The score was 2-0 after a period and spirits were high. A pair of 17-year-old Tollgate Tech students, Luke Lomas and Jesse Leeming, walked the corridors stirring up fans with their colourful face paint, whooping cheers - "Whooooo! Let's go, Brantford!" - and horn blasts.

"I was here when they won in overtime (Friday's semifinal against Dundas) and I'm here again," Lomas said. "I thought I'd go all out for TSN (which televised the game nationally) and the Brantford Blast, and watch them win the Allan Cup."

Political support

The last remark drew huge cheers and a smile from Brant MPP Dave Levac. Levac, Brant MP Lloyd St. Amand and city mayor Mike Hancock were all there, proudly wearing Blast jerseys.

"I've almost lost my voice from cheering," Levac said. He knew victory was coming at that point.

"I have not seen them playing with this kind of intensity all season," he said. "Absolutely, they're rising to the occasion."

It was 3-0 by the midway point of the second period, when Bentley took a two-man advantage. The Blast held the Generals off the board to rousing cheers but, within a minute of the double-kill, Bentley scored its first and only goal on a point shot.

That brought a reaction from the hitherto silent Alberta fans, who numbered about 60 for the game.

One of those was Jim Smyth, whose son Ryan plays for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. Like the Gretzkys, the Smyths are a hockey family. Jim's son Kevin, who also played in the NHL for the Hartford Whalers before the loss of an eye ended his career, is the Bentley coach. A third son, Jared, is a hard-nosed forward for the Generals. Despite the goal, the elder Smyth was concerned.

"We've got some momentum going," he said. "But we need a quick goal now."

That goal never came. With about five minutes left in the game and the score still 3-1, Bentley fans were still clinging to their hopes.

Brantford hospitality

"Hey, it's not over yet," said Kathleen Beagle, wearing a Bentley jersey with the No. 13 of her husband, Kent. In her arms she held their one-year-old son, Tavish, himself smartly decked out in a cotton top bearing the words "General in Training" on the back.

Despite the loss, Beagle said her entourage was impressed with the hospitality shown by their Brantford hosts.

"People have been really friendly and it's been really good," she said. "The arena's been great, but we're surprised there aren't more fans."

The civic centre, which holds 3,750 including standing room, was only about half full.

Blast president and general manager Peter Ham said that the geographic matchup may have played a role; on Friday, a much bigger crowd saw the Blast beat Dundas in the semifinal. Many spectators for that game came from just down Governor's Road.

Sales were brisk at the concession windows. "How's business?" Lillian Jenkins was asked at the french-fry booth.

"Oh, wonderful," she replied. "Have we had time to breathe? No. We're very busy."

As busy as they were, however, daughter Laura Willits added, "last night (Friday) was even busier, when Dundas was here."

But one record was set by the Saturday crowd - the 50-50 draw produced a new high payoff of $1,975.50. That delighted Sandy Lee, volunteer and fund development co-ordinator for the Lung Association, which collected the other half of the take.

"We're at the right place at the right time," she said.

And so were fans of the Brantford Blast.

Victory hasn't sunk in

Brantford Expositor - Monday, April 21

The happiest man in Brantford shared his thoughts Sunday on a week of Allan Cup activity that culminated Saturday with his Blast winning the trophy as Canada's senior AAA hockey champions.

"It'll really set in in a couple of days," team president and general manager Peter Ham said. "We're really riding on adrenalin now. It's been a week of emotional energy, everywhere we've turned." Ham was the general manager of the 1977 Allan Cup-winning Brantford Alexanders. And this year's championship by the Blast is every bit as sweet for him, especially since so much has gone into the planning of the event itself.

Team dream

After many years away from senior hockey, Ham started the Blast in 2002-03 and, soon afterwards, began to dream about hosting the Allan Cup tournament. This year's event - the 100th in Cup history - became his target. And when Brantford was finally granted the rights to host the event, he was ecstatic.

"We wanted to host this event ... because we knew it would be good for the city of Brantford," Ham said. "We were happy to; nobody asked us to."

Sponsorships and partnerships came rolling in, and civic pride carried the event to a high level. Ham dismissed suggestions that a half-full civic centre for the final game in any way diminished the event's magnitude.

"I look at it this way: close to 15,000 people attended that tournament, (watching) 11 games in six days," he said.

"It was never about 'Will we make a profit?' It was, 'Let's put on a show' and 'Let's all have fun.' And it was an absolute, roaring success."

Then he chuckled and added, "To put the cherry on top, we're the champions."

Ham watched the final from the auxiliary press box above the north-side stands and, as usual, was the picture of concentration as the action unfolded below him. Yet he said he enjoyed the game with a quiet confidence borne of spending time on Friday with another group of champions - the members of his 1977 Alexanders team.

The Alexanders, Brantford's first national senior championship team, was honoured at the civic centre prior to the Blast's thrilling 3-2 semifinal victory over the Dundas Real McCoys. Ham enjoyed the reunion and the perspective it gave him on his current team.

Team character

"A certain calmness came over me, and I knew that we had the same character - and the same type of characters - on the Blast that we had back in '77 when we won.

"I said to the old boys, 'This (2008 final) is going to go down the same way as when we beat the Barrie Flyers.' "

Ham stressed that the tournament would have been a success even if the Blast had not qualified for the final. Volunteers and civic centre manager Jane Curtis came in for special praise from the team president, and so did the people who helped promote the event.

He was particularly proud of the way Tim Hortons and Millard, Rouse Rosebrugh stepped to the plate and took care of school children who were invited in to see afternoon games free of charge.

"The school kids were an integral part of our effort; we wanted them to be part of history."

Another historic point of pride for Ham was the presence of TSN, making Saturday's game the first-ever televised Allan Cup game.

Everyone won, in Ham's view.

Mission accomplished;
Blast win Allan Cup on home ice

Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Monday, April 21

How good are the Brantford Blast? "Both as a player and as a coach, that's probably the best team that I've ever been on," head coach Larry Trader said after the team's 3-1 victory over the Bentley, Alta., Generals in the 100th edition of the Allan Cup championship.

The coach made the comment as Blast players doused each other with champagne to celebrate winning the Canadian senior AAA hockey title. Trader and assistant coach Dan Caco had just guided the Blast to the title in the six-team tournament, an exhausting event which started last Monday and concluded Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Trader's words of praise shouldn't be taken lightly. He played in the NHL in the 1980s with the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens.

When he was reminded of his NHL career, Trader didn't blink and stood firm on his statement.

"From a leadership standpoint and talent-wise, the last four games, they put it in their minds that they had a job to do and they did it," Trader said.

"It's hard to single guys out but (player/assistant coach) Andrew Taylor and (former NHLer) Steve Rice were a big factor as to why we won. A coaching staff needs help from the players and I believe those guys brought everybody together."

Brown named MVP

The Blast drew first blood when defenceman Jeff Brown, who was named the most valuable player of the tournament, took a pass from Aaron Brand and scored on a power play at 14:28 of the first period.

Brent Gretzky, who improved with every game of the tournament, also drew an assist on the play.

The Blast increased their lead 20 seconds later.

Chad Spurr chipped the puck out over the Blast blue-line to create a 3-on-1 with linemates Ryan Healy and Rice. The puck was dropped to Rice as the trio went over the Generals' blue-line and he beat Bentley goaltender Rod Branch with a drive to the glove- side.

Spurr gave the Blast a 3-0 lead at 9:25 of the second period on a power play after pouncing on a rebound off a Rice shot and lifted it over Branch.

Generals' defenceman Don Morrison cut Bentley's deficit to 3-1 at 16:19 of the second period when he scored on a screen shot from the blue-line.

The Generals swarmed the Brantford zone throughout the third period, outshooting Brantford 14-3, but the Blast withstood the onslaught as goaltender Anthony Marshall was brilliant.

The player-of-the-game awards went to Rice for Brantford and Morrison for Bentley.

The players selected as tournament all-stars were Branch, Brown, Morrison, Rice, Spurr and Dundas Real McCoys' Nick Smith.

"I've been wanting to win one of these (Allan Cup titles) since I started playing here (three years ago)," said Marshall.

The goalie said staying calm was the key to his success in the tournament.

"I just stayed relaxed and hoped that I made the saves. It made it easy for me when the players around me were playing well. We were sitting back but my defence was clearing my rebounds for me."

The Blast, idle since March 16, opened the tournament last Monday with a 3-2 loss to the Shawinigan Xtreme.

They had Tuesday off before bouncing back to close out the round robin with a 5-3 win over the Generals.

However, that victory tossed them into a quarter-final match Thursday night against the Whitby Dunlops, one of the pre-tournament favourites.

The Blast won 7-2 to set up a semifinal match against the rival Dundas Real McCoys.

The stars aligned in Brantford's favour as Rice, in the final minute of regulation time, tied the game 2-2 and Spurr scored in overtime for a 3-2 victory.

"All the stuff that we've been stressing all year is basically what we put into play," said Trader.

"Solid team defence and team effort. When it came down to crunch time, everybody made up their minds that's what they had to do."

Muir caps career with title

Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Monday, April 21

It was appropriate that Wayne Muir finished his competitive hockey career Saturday afternoon at the civic centre in the penalty box.

Of course, the 39-year-old winger was serving a minor penalty, while his opponent, former NHLer Darryl Laplante of the Bentley Generals, was assessed a five-minute major for slashing and a game misconduct. Muir was a thorn in the side of his opponents throughout his career and Saturday was no exception, helping the Brantford Blast defeat the Generals 3-1 and capture the Allan Cup.

The triumph was extra sweet for Muir, who first came to Brantford in 1994 to play for the Smoke in the Colonial Hockey League.

Muir's father, Wayne Sr., and mother, Bernadette, of Cape Breton, N.S., were on hand to cheer their son and the Blast.

The Cape Breton entourage also included Wayne's 16-year-old son, Devon, and nine-year-old daughter, Kaleigh; Wayne's sister, Sherry, and a nephew, Christopher Young.

"I'm excited and disappointed," said Muir.

"I'm disappointed because I know my hockey career is ending, and I'm excited because we won the 100th anniversary of the Allan Cup in our own building."

Muir had three great seasons with the Smoke scoring 38, 40 and 52 goals and registering more than 200 minutes in penalties each season.

He was traded to the Quad City Mallards during his fourth season with the Smoke and completed his pro career with the Port Huron Border Cats in 1998-99.

Muir joined the Blast for the 2003-04 season and has been with them ever since.

"(Winning the Allan Cup) was a great and good way to end," said Muir.

"I'm more happy for the Ham family than anything. Peter and Judy (Ham) deserve this."

Blast to play for championship after overtime win against Dundas; Bentley beats Shawinigan in other semifinal

Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Saturday, April 19th

 

Brantford Blast and Bentley, B. C., Generals will play for the Allan Cup championship today at 3 p.m. at the civic centre. TSN will broadcast coast-to-coast the game which will determine the Canadian senior AAA hockey champions for 2008.

The Blast, playing before their largest crowd of the season, edged the Dundas Real McCoys 3-2 when star centre Chad Spurr scored at 6:39 of the first overtime period.

The Blast sent the game into overtime when former NHLer Steve Rice scored at 19:21 of the third period with goaltender Anthony Marshall on the bench in favour of an extra attacker.

The Blast, the host team entry in the six-team tournament, qualified for the semifinals by defeating the John Robertson Cup champion Whitby Dunlops 7-2 in a quarter-final Thursday.

The Renwick Cup champion Real McCoys reached the semifinals by finishing in first place in Division 1 of a round robin leading to the playoff format.

In the other semifinal, played Friday afternoon, the Generals trounced the Shawinigan Xtreme 6-1.

The Generals, representing the Pacific region, qualified for the semifinals by defeating the defending Allan Cup champion Lloydminster, Sask., Border Kings 5-3 in a quarter-final.

The Quebec champion Xtreme were in the semifinals by virtue of finishing in first place in Division 2 of the round robin.

The Blast and the Generals will each be playing their fifth game of the week when they faceoff this afternoon.

The Blast entered the tournament having been idle since March 16. Last night's game was their fourth in as many nights. They opened the tourney Monday and had an off day Tuesday.

The Generals will be playing their fifth game in as many days.

"Guys can't complain that they're tired," said Spurr. "This is for a national championship. The guys have got to play on emotion. You've got to play for the guy beside you."

Ryan Christie gave the Real McCoys a 1-0 lead at 11:03 of the second period when he fended off a defender with the right side of his body and picked the top corner of the Brantford net on Marshall's glove side thanks to his shot being deflected by the defender's stick.

Ryan Healy tied the score with a power-play goal at 2:11 of the third period but the Real McCoys regained the lead at 12:23 when Mike Kennedy, another former NHLer, redirected Chris Wismer's point shot while Dundas was enjoying a power play.

Rice got the tying goal on a 60-foot slapshot from close to the side boards.

"They gave me time to shoot and I got good wood on it," said Rice.

In the overtime period, Rice kept the puck inside the Dundas blue-line and Healy won possession of it along the boards before getting it to Spurr.

"Heal's chipped it over to me and I just put in on net," said Spurr. The Generals dominated Shawinigan. They led 2-0 at the end of the first period and 3-0 at the end of the second.

Mark Woolf scored two goals for Bentley. Dwayne Hay, Jim Lawrence, Jared Smyth and Ray Schultz each scored one goal. Sean Robertson earned three assists.

Jean-Philippe Leclerc scored a power-play goal for Shawinigan after the Generals had constructed a 4-0 lead.

ICE CHIPS: Blast players were happy for the victory for a reason that may have gone unnoticed to the fans. They were upset with Kennedy's actions during the ceremonial faceoff prior to the game.

Healy took the faceoff for the Blast and Kennedy did likewise for the Real McCoys. Ceremonial faceoffs aren't competitive and generally the home-team player draws the puck, picks it up and hands it to the person dropping it.

Kennedy not only won the faceoff but when Healy went to pick up the puck, Kennedy drew it towards himself again, picked it up and tossed it to Healy.

"I feel bad for everybody on Dundas except Mike Kennedy for what he did on the ceremonial faceoff," said Rice, who is a classy individual.

"I was actually embarrassed for him. That's classless. As far as I'm concerned that's karma for them."

The 1977 Allan Cup winning Brantford Alexanders were honoured prior to the game and many of the players from that squad were introduced. They received a well-deserved standing ovation.

Blast flatten Dunlops; Spurr leads scoring flurry with hat trick in quarter-final victory

Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Friday April 18

The Brantford Blast will face hated rivals Dundas Real McCoys here at the civic centre tonight at 7:30 in an Allan Cup tournament semifinal playoff game.

The Blast earned the right to face Dundas by scoring five unanswered goals in the third period Thursday night to defeat the Whitby Dunlops 7-2 in a quarter-final game.

Chad Spurr scored the hat trick for the Blast, while Chris Grenville scored two, Brent Gretzky added one goal and two assists, and Wayne Muir had a single.

The Real McCoys advanced to the semifinal by finishing first in Division 1 of a round robin played earlier this week in the six-team tournament for the Canadian senior AAA hockey champion.

In the other quarter-final game Thursday afternoon, Bentley, B.C., Generals eliminated the defending Allan Cup champion Lloydminster, Sask., Border Kings.

The Generals jumped into an early 3-0 lead and, although the Border Kings narrowed the deficit to 3-2 by the end of the first period, Bentley was never in trouble , securing a 5-3 victory.

Bentley will face the Shawinigan Xtreme in today's other semifinal at 3 p.m. Shawinigan earned its berth in the semifinals by finishing first in Division 2.

The semifinal winners advance to Saturday's championship game at 3 p.m. It will be televised on TSN.

The Real McCoys captured the Major League Hockey championship this season by defeating the Blast 4-2 in a best-of-seven series.

The McCoys went on to lose the John Robertson Cup best-of-seven series 4-0 to the Dunlops.

Dundas qualified for the Allan Cup by defeating the Thunder Bay Hawks 2-0 in a best-of-three series played in Dundas for the Renwick Cup.

The Real McCoys are a different team here this week than the squad that faced the Blast in the MLH championship series.

They've picked up former Blast goaltender Brett Leggat from the Tillsonburg Vipers to solve the weak, inconsistent netminding they were receiving from Scott Dickie and Sean Hall, the goalies that helped them win the MLH crown. The McCoys also have brought in defencemen Joel Dezainde and Ken Sutton to shore up their blue-line. Sutton has 388 games of NHL experience and Dezainde has played in the American and East Coast Leagues.

The McCoys will face the same Blast lineup they met in the MLH final but not the same Brantford team.

"We were off for a month but now everything feels good," said Spurr. "The guys are getting their legs back."

Spurr noted that the Blast won't look past Dundas.

"We're just worried about (tonight)," he said.

"Then we'll see what happens. We've got to get a lot of shots on net and play good D."

Blast defenceman Steve Hurst was one of five players not dressed for Brantford's first game of the tournament.

However, head coach Larry Trader inserted him into the lineup against Bentley and Hurst came through with a solid effort.

Hurst turned in another strong game against Whitby.

"He didn't try to do too much," said assistant coach Dan Caco.

"The last two games, he's played great," said Spurr.

"There are a lot of guys like him that don't get the big recognition but they're contributing just as much as anyone on the team, guys like Muir, (Jason) Simon, (Brett) Barnett, (Dan) Petrie, (Jeremy) Bloomfield and a few others. They've been great."

Grenville opened the scoring for the Blast but power-play goals by Jay McAuley and Kyle Musselman gave Whitby a 2-1 lead by the end of the first period.

Spurr tied the score in the second period and he got the Blast rolling at the 19-second mark of the third period when Whitby goaltender Dave Digironimo let Spurr's weak shot from a bad angle get through his legs for a 3-2 Brantford lead.

Muir scored at 2:14 and the Dunlops lost all hopes for a victory when Spurr scored a shorthanded goal at 12:24.

Goals by Gretzky and Grenville were icing on the cake.

The Dunlops were hampered by the fact that Digironimo was substituting for first-string goaltender Chad Ford, who was injured in a 4-3 loss to Lloydminster in a round -robin game Wednesday.

Whitby was also without scoring stars Peter MacKellar and Ron Baker, who were serving suspensions they received in the game against Lloydminster.

The Border Kings simply didn't have the manpower to handle the Generals. Lloydminster's 4-3 victory over the Dunlops to complete round-robin action in Division 1 on Wednesday was considered a major upset by most observers.

Former NHLers Dwayne Hay and Darryl LaPlante each scored two goals for the Generals. Kent Beagle also scored for Bentley.

Ryan Rivett and Greg Brown scored for Lloydminster late in the first period. Craig Hartman scored a power-play goal with 10 seconds remaining in the third period and goaltender Cory McEachran on the bench in favour of an extra attacker.

The Border Kings should be commended for their effort at the senior AAA level.

Most of their players reside in "Lloyd" although a few do commute from Saskatoon.

McEachran works in northern Saskatchewan and flies in for weekend games. He was actually competing in his fourth consecutive Allan Cup tournament.

Aside from winning with Lloydminster last year, he previously held the prestigious trophy championship with Thunder Bay.

More Blast News

Click links to view more Blast news stories.

April 2008 - Allan Cup Pt. 1
February 2008 - March 2008
December 2007 - January 2008
October - November 2007
Blast's Next Foe Features Several ex-NHLer's - Oct 25, 2007
Blast Suffer First Loss of Season - Oct. 22, 2007
Blast remain undefeated - Mon. Oct. 22, 2007
Blast committed to defence - Wed, Oct 10th 2007
Blast 2-0 on 5-0 shut outs - Tuesday, Oct. 9th 2007
Blast Open Season on Winning note - Oct 6th, 2007
Blast Embark on Allan Cup Quest - Oct 4th, 2007
Born to fight - Hamilton's Jeff Joslin will be kickin' Ice with the Blast
Scott Sheppard is a Blast
Blast Add Coaches - July, 14, 2007
Blast hire Trader as Coach - July 7, 2007
Inside Track: Blast Season a Success - March 28, 2007

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