Youngest Gretzky to suit up for Blast;
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Wed. Jan 9, 2007
Brent Gretzky, the youngest son of Canada's most famous hockey dad, is returning home to play for the Blast.
Gretzky, who will celebrate his 36th birthday Feb. 20, signed with the Major League Hockey team on Wednesday.
Blast lose in Dundas. Story on B1
A resident of Belleville, Gretzky plans to make his Blast debut Jan. 18 when Brantford plays the Windsor Saint Clair Saints at the civic centre at 7:30 p.m.
"I can't wait. It's definitely exciting," said Gretzky. "It's a big event for me coming to Brantford. I wanted to play again in Brantford with my dad (Walter) still being there."
Walter Gretzky was recently awarded the Order of Canada for his community service. Hockey great Wayne Gretzky, now coach of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, is the oldest of five children born to Walter and Phyllis Gretzky. Wayne is followed in order by sister Kim and brothers Keith, Glen and Brent
Brent Gretzky works "on the line" for Decoma Autosystems, a general warehousing and storage company in Belleville. He also coaches a peewee representative hockey team, that includes son Luke.
Although he has "priorities and responsibilities" in Belleville, Brent said he'll be able to play most of the Blast's remaining regular-season games as they prepare for the playoffs and the upcoming Allan Cup tournament, which will be in Brantford on April 14 to 19.
"That's my plan," Gretzky said. "I don't think I've played in Brantford since I was with the Classics (junior B team). I have a lot of family and friends in Brantford. I don't think they've seen me play in about 15 years. These are all things that I took into consideration (in signing with the Blast).
"My dad has told me that he goes to Blast games, that he wears his (Blast) jacket and he drops the puck. I hope he'll still go if I play bad."
Peter Ham, president and general manager of the Blast, was thrilled with Gretzky's signing.
"I've always wanted capable Brantford hockey players to be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity," said Ham, who is looking forward to the Blast participating in the Allan Cup tournament as the host team.
"I've been working on him for a long time. What excites me about this is that it enhances our chances of winning the Allan Cup and it gives the people of Brantford a chance to see Brent Gretzky play right in Brantford.
"The guy can flat out play and he's also known as a wonderful guy to have in the dressing room.
"His signing gives us one of these tremendous offensive players, one of those complete hockey players we need for the Allan Cup and he's a Brantford boy."
Gretzky left Brantford to begin his Ontario Hockey League career in the 1989-90 season. He starred with the Belleville Bulls for three seasons and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round, 49th overall, of the NHL's 1992 entry draft.
Gretzky enjoyed an outstanding professional career in the minor leagues but played only 13 games in the NHL, all with the Lightning. He scored one goal and three assists in his NHL games, one of which he played against brother, Wayne, in Tampa Bay.
Gretzky started playing professionally in the 1992-93 and he retired as a pro after the 2005-06 season.
He recorded 190 points in 280 games in the International League, 45 points in 74 games in the American League and 615 points in 467 games in the United League.
Gretzky played for the Marmora Lakers in the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League last season but he didn't join a team this season.
The Blast are in first place in Major League Hockey. They had a record of 16 wins and four losses for 32 points heading into Dundas on Wednesday night to play the Dundas Real McCoys, who are in second place with a record of 12 wins, six losses, one overtime loss and one shootout loss for 26 points.
The Blast face the Tillsonburg Vipers at the civic centre Friday at 7:30 p.m. and they play the Vipers in Tillsonburg on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Newest Blast player should be in lineup tonight
Brantford Expostor - Wed. Jan 10, 2008
Brantford Blast expect to have their most recent addition, 29-year-old winger Scott Barnes, in the lineup when they face the Dundas Real McCoys tonight at 7:30 in Dundas in a Major League Hockey game.
The first-place Blast announced the signing of the Dunnville native Tuesday.
Barnes, a five-foot-10, 180-pounder, played 18 games with the Muskegon Fury in the United Hockey League last season and notched eight goals and two assists in only 18 games.
He spent the 2005-06 season in the Central League.
He scored 20 goals and 23 assists in 59 games.
Barnes played the 2004-05 season in the British National League with the Dundee Stars, where he scored 18 goals and 19 assists in 33 games.
All teams in MLH must cut down to 25 players and/or cards on Thursday.
If teams reduce their rosters, for example to 20 players, and keep five cards open for incoming players, they have until Feb. 10 to sign players.
The Blast face the Tillsonburg Vipers at the civic centre Friday at 7:30 p.m. and they'll be in Tillsonburg for a rematch with the Vipers on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Last-place Petrolia Squires shock MLH-leading Blast
Brantford Expositor - Mon. Jan 8, 2008
The Brantford Blast will look to end a mini Major League Hockey slump this weekend when they play the Tillsonburg Vipers in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.
Brantford travelled to Petrolia on Sunday night to face the Squires and met a motivated last-place team.
"They jumped on us right away," Blast executive director and assistant general manager Steve Cheeseman said following his team's 6-3 loss.
"We had no jump whatsoever.
"It was not one of our better performances."
After starting the season with 15 wins and two losses, Brantford has lost two of its past three games, including a 5-3 decision to the Dundas Real McCoys on Dec. 28.
The Blast beat Dundas 5-4 on Friday night.
Despite Sunday's loss, Brantford is still comfortably atop the MLH standings with 16 wins and four losses for 32 points.
Dundas (12-6-1-1) is second with 26 points.
The Windsor St. Clair Saints (10-8-0-1) - 12-3 winners against the Vipers (6-13-1-0) on Sunday - are third with 21 points, while Tillsonburg (6-13-1-0) is fourth with 13 points.
Petrolia (5-12-2-0) is last with 12 points.
The Squires opened up a 1-0 lead 8:10 into the first when Jason Hawes beat Blast goalie Bryan Worosz.
Brantford then took a 2-1 lead on goals from Chad Spurr and Brett Barnett before Craig Laframboise tied things up with 46 seconds to play in the opening stanza.
Jason Simon, Tyler Pelton and Andrew Taylor drew assists on the Blast goals.
Petrolia then scored twice more in the second - with Hawes and Mike Perry tallying - before Barnett, from Adriano Fiacconi and Wayne Muir, got one back on a power play midway through the third.
Jason Polera put the Squires ahead 5-3 with a power-play goal before sealing the game with an empty-netter at 18:03.
Although Worosz took the loss, Cheeseman said he wasn't to blame.
"He played well. He kept us in the game, we just couldn't find the back of the net."
Brantford will host the Vipers at the civic centre on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before heading to Tillsonburg on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Blast hang on for win; Dundas rally falls short
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Sat. Jan 6, 2008
Who says you have to play the full 60 minutes to win a hockey game?
The Brantford Blast are proving otherwise.
The Blast played like world-beaters in the first period at the civic centre Friday night to build a 4-0 lead against arch-rival Dundas Real McCoys.
They managed to get through the second period leading 5-1 but the McCoys dominated the third period, scoring three unanswered goals only to suffer a 5-4 defeat.
Brantford's victory left the Blast in first place in Major League Hockey with an incredible record of 16 wins and only three losses for 32 points.
What's truly remarkable is that many of the Blast's victories have followed the identical pattern of Friday night's win - play great in the first period to construct a solid lead and then sit back and watch the opposition mount a comeback that falls short.
"The way we came at them in the first period, that game shouldn't even have been close," said Blast head coach Larry Trader.
"We were OK in the second period but we were godawful in the third period."
No trap
Trader denied that the Blast were attempting to play some type of trap at their own blueline in the third period.
"We lost our focus," he said. "We still wanted to be aggressive but some guys stopped skating. When you stop skating your thought process goes because you're reacting too late."
Ryan Healy gave the Blast a 1-0 lead at 7:08 of the first period. Chad Spurr won a faceoff draw back to Healy while Steve Rice tied up the Dundas player attempting to get to Healy off the faceoff. Healy beat Dundas goaltender Sean Hall with a 35-foot wrist shot to the glove side.
Spurr gave the Blast a 2-0 lead 61 seconds later on a power play when he banged home a rebound off Rice's point shot.
Adriano Fiacconi scored on a power play at 11:23 with Jeremy Bloomfield earning an assist.
The slickest goal of the game came on another Brantford power play when defenceman Jim Baxter found Wayne Muir alone at the Dundas blueline with an 80-foot pass and the veteran winger went in on a breakaway to beat Hall with a wrist shot to the stick side.
Hall was pulled in favour of Jason Radbourne after Muir's tally.
Knocked in rebound
League scoring leader Mike Kennedy put the McCoys on the scoreboard with a power-play goal at 9:59 of the second period but Rice replied with a power-play goal at 12:55 as he knocked in a rebound off David Russell's shot. Spurr also drew an assist.
Kennedy started the McCoys' third-period rally at 9:32 when he scored off a 3-on-1 break when Russell got caught up the ice.
Ryan Christie cut across the front of the Brantford crease to convert a pass for a power-play goal at 13:44 and Dundas cut the Blast lead to 5-4 when defenceman Mike Lankshear pounced on a loose puck in the slot and whacked it home.
The second-place McCoys, who have a 12-6-1-1 record for 26 points, outshot the Blast 10-2 in the third period and 33-22 in the game.
The Blast play in Petrolia against the Squires on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. They face the Real McCoys in Dundas on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. before meeting the Tillsonburg Vipers at the at the civic centre Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Brantford travels to Tillsonburg to play the Vipers next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Timely addition of Rice key piece of Allan Cup puzzle for Blast, Ham says
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Mon. Jan. 2, 2008
When Steve Rice returned to the Brantford Blast lineup last Friday in Dundas, the happiest person in the arena was Blast president and general manager Peter Ham.
The Dundas Real McCoys defeated the Blast 5-3 to set the stage for an enthusiastic rematch at the civic centre Friday at 7:30 p.m.
However, Ham looks at the addition of Rice as a key piece of the puzzle as he puts the finishing touches on the Brantford lineup over the next six weeks for the upcoming Allan Cup tournament, which the Blast will host April 14 to 19.
"It's a great and timely addition to our hockey team," Ham said Tuesday of Rice, who joined the Blast late last season and helped them win the Major League Hockey championship.
"He brings tremendous leadership and ability to the team. His presence compliments our other proven leaders."
Rice, who scored 64 goals and 61 assists in 329 NHL games, resides in Kitchener.
"His actual return was scheduled for this Friday but we were short-handed last Friday due to injuries and travel so he dropped everything and jumped in," Ham noted.
"That's Steve Rice, and he got a goal and an assist.
"He said at the end of last season that he'd be back around Christmastime to try to help the Blast win an Allan Cup. He's right on time."
The Blast will be without defenceman Steve Hurst and winger Bobby Stewart when they face the Real McCoys.
Hurst will be serving the first game of a four-game suspension he received for a head-butt major penalty he was assessed midway through the third period against Real McCoys' Mike Aglor.
Stewart is in China on business for two weeks.
However, defencemen Jim Baxter, Brad Jones and Ian Jacobs are expected to return to the lineup, along with winger Jason Simon.
The Blast are in first place with a 15-3 record for 30 points.
The Real McCoys, bolstered by the recent signing of centre Nick Smith, have a 12-5-1-1 record for 26 points.
Smith has five goals and seven assists for 12 points in five games. Real McCoys' Mike Kennedy leads MLH in scoring with 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 18 games.
Blast's Chad Spurr (13 goals, 13 assists) and Ryan Christie (16 goals, 10 assists) of the Real McCoys are tied for second with 26 points each.
Spurr has played 16 games and Christie has played 19.
The Blast have a busy schedule starting Friday when they face Dundas at the civic centre.
They travel to Petrolia to meet the Squires on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and they play the Real McCoys in Dundas next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., before coming home to meet the Tillsonburg Vipers Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Blast suffer rare loss
Brantford Expositor - December 29, 2007
Dundas Real McCoys took advantage of a depleted Brantford Blast lineup to score a 5-3 victory at J. L. Grightmire Memorial Arena on Friday night.
Although it was the fifth consecutive victory for Dundas in Major League Hockey, according the Blast head coach Larry Trader, the Blast's weakened lineup had nothing to do with Brantford snapping its six-game winning streak.
"We were shorthanded but we had enough bodies to win," said Trader. "We didn't show up mentally in the first 20 to 30 minutes.
"Although we got behind 4-0, it wasn't from a lack of effort. It was the mental aspect of the game that was really lagging."
It was only the third loss of the season for the Blast, who are in first place with a 15-3 record for 30 points.
The Real McCoys have surged to within four points of the Blast and now have a record of 12-5-1-1.
Dundas plays Brantford at the civic centre next Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Blast welcomed former NHLer Steve Rice back into their lineup but they were without regulars Chad Spurr (vacation), Jim Baxter (injury), Ian Jacobs (work), Jason Simon (illness) and Brad Jones (vacation). Defenceman Bryan Hamm is still on the sidelines with a back injury that has kept him out of the lineup since early in the season.
Rice joined the Blast late last season and was instrumental in helping them capture the MLH championship.
The Real McCoys built a 3-0 lead in the first period.
Todd Harvey scored on a power play at 1:26 after Blast's Paul MacDonald took a delay of game penalty to start the game.
Ryan Christie scored at 15:48 with assists going to Nick Smith and Paul Lawson.
Smith, a coveted centre signed by the Real McCoys three weeks ago, scored at 16:29 with assists going to Chris Wismer and Christie.
The Real McCoys increased their lead to 4-0 during the first minute of the second period when Christie scored.
The Blast got some life when Rice scored off a pass from Wayne Muir at 7:23 and Adriano Fiacconi scored at the 15-minute mark to cut the Dundas lead to 4-2. Andrew Taylor and Ryan Healy drew assists on Fiacconi's goal.
Brantford's hopes of completing a comeback faded midway through the third period when Christie scored on a power play after Brantford defenceman Steve Hurst was charged with a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a head butt. Mike Lankshear and Smith drew assists on the goal.
The head butt major carries an indefinite suspension, the length of which will be determined by the Ontario Hockey Association.
The Blast completed the scoring in the final minute when defenceman Dan Pitre scored with Rice and Healy earning assists.
The Real McCoys outshot the Blast 41-32.
Perfect 10 at home; Blast chalk up another win to remain undefeated at civic centre
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Sat. Dec. 22, 2007
Blast 7 Squires 4
Fiacconi scores two for Brantford
When a team has a perfect record on home ice and an overall record of 15 wins and only two losses, it's difficult to tell the players that you're not happy how they're playing.
However, that's the dilemma facing the Brantford Blast coaching staff these days.
"It's nice to win all these games. It's nice to have an undefeated record at home but when you look at the game, we have to get better," assistant coach Dan Caco said after the Blast coasted to a 7-4 victory over the last-place Petrolia Squires at the civic centre Friday night.
"I know the little things will be better as we get closer to the playoffs but we have to start playing 60 minutes of hockey not 30 or 40."
The Blast, 10-0 at the civic centre, are in first place in Major League Hockey with 30 points.
Dundas Real McCoys, 6-3 victors over the Tillsonburg Vipers in Dundas on Friday night, are second with a 10-5-1-1 record for 22 points. The Real McCoys have a chance to close the gap as they play the Vipers in Tillsonburg tonight.
The Blast play the Real McCoys in Dundas next Friday at 7:30 p.m. Brantford's next home game is Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m. against the Real McCoys.
The Blast, as they did in a home win over the Vipers last Friday, dominated the first period against the Squires.
They built a 4-1 in the opening 20 minutes despite having to kill off seven minutes and 41 seconds of penalty minutes, including more than three minutes when they were playing two men short.
The Blast, without the services of defenceman Jim Baxter (injury) and Wayne Muir (illness), played just well enough through the final two minutes to keep the Squires from building confidence for a comeback.
Brantford goaltender Anthony Marshall was outstanding as the Squires outshot the Blast 53-47.
Adriano Fiacconi scored two first-period goals to lead the Blast attack.
Brett Barnett, Steve Hurst, Andrew Taylor, Ryan Healy and Chad Spurr also scored goals.
Bobby Stewart and Tyler Pelton each got two assists.
Bryan Gent made his debut on the Blast blueline and played well.
"Gent was solid," said Caco, who handled the bench as head coach Larry Trader is on vacation. "He keeps it simple."
Consistency will be the key word for the Blast.
"Our main focus is being consistent for three periods," Caco said. "In the second period, we lowered our level and the scoring chances were even.
"We're not disciplined enough to be consistent. Down the road we've got to play three periods."
Dear Santa: Bring Blast an Allan Cup
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Friday, Dec. 21, 2007
When Brantford Blast general manager and president Peter Ham wrote his letter to Santa Claus during the morning hours of Nov. 1, it really wasn't difficult to determine the gifts he asked to be placed under his Christmas tree.
"Dear Santa," Ham wrote. "I realize Christmas is almost two months away and I know that over the next seven weeks your schedule is going to become increasingly busy.
"I also believe that it may take you quite some time to locate the gifts that I need to fill out the roster for the Blast hockey team. In case you haven't heard, our club plays in Major League Hockey and we've secured the right to host the Allan Cup tournament for the Canadian senior AAA championship at Brantford's civic centre next spring.
"Since we're the host team, we get an automatic entry into the six-team competition so we have to put a competitive team on the ice. So far, it looks as though we're the class of our league. If we could win the MLH crown like we did last season, it would be similar to being served a great appetizer before the entree arrives.
"However, Santa, you must remember our long-term goal is to win the Allan Cup, one of the most prestigious championships in Canadian sports, and we need help.
"If you could find it in your heart, please send us a centreman and two defencemen. They must have professional experience, hopefully, three to five years in the East Coast, Central or United leagues.
"I promise not to bother you with a letter next Christmas if you could find us players with experience in either the NHL or the AHL for an extended period of time. I'd also ask for a right-winger but former NHLer Steve Rice has promised to join us early in January, so he'll take care of that need.
"Thank you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, all the best, Peter. P.S.: milk and cookies are in the fridge; beer is $2 a bottle but you must have a designated driver."
Snowstorm plays havoc with MLH Sunday schedule
Brantford Expositor - Mon. Dec. 17, 2007
A Major League Hockey game scheduled to be played in Petrolia on Sunday night between the Brantford Blast and the Squires was postponed because of poor weather conditions.
A game scheduled for Windsor on Sunday afternoon between the Dundas Real McCoys and the Windsor Saint Clair Saints was also postponed.
The games will be rescheduled but dates haven't been set.
The Blast, who are in first place with a 14-2 record, are scheduled to play the Squires in Brantford on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The game is being billed as Skate With The Blast Night.
The Blast have a 9-0 record at the civic centre this season.
Home, sweet home;
Blast undefeated at civic centre
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Sat. Dec. 15, 2007
Brantford Blast are developing a bad habit of playing down to the level of their competition.
"They've got to stop playing to who they're playing with," assistant coach Dan Caco said after the Blast held on to defeat the Tillsonburg Vipers 5-4 in Major League Hockey action at the civic centre Friday night.
The Blast led 4-1 going into the third period in which they played sloppy and allowed the Vipers to stay within striking distance.
"It's consistency," said Caco, who handled the coaching duties while head coach Larry Trader is enjoying the first week of a two-week vacation.
"If you look back at our games, in 95 per cent of them we have the lead in the first period but instead of trying to build on it, we go into a shinny game. We get sloppy."
Friday's victory was the Blast's ninth in as many games this season at the civic centre.
Brantford is in first place with an outstanding 14-2 record for 28 points.
Dundas Real McCoys, 5-3 winners over the Windsor Saint Clair Saints in Dundas on Friday despite being outshot 36-25, hold second place with a 9-5-1-1 record for 20 points.
The Saints are in third place with a 9-7-0-1 record for 19 points.
The Blast travel to Petrolia to face the Squires on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and the Squires will be in Brantford to play the Blast next Friday night.
Newcomer Bobby Stewart made his second impressive start for the Blast. The veteran pro got Brantford off on the right foot when he made a pass deep into the Vipers territory to Andrew Taylor and then raced into the slot to score off Taylor's return pass at the 6:40 mark of the first period.
Ryan Healy gave the Blast a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal at 10:10 but the Vipers cut Brantford's lead in half when Deryk Whitehead took advantage of defensive confusion in front of the Blast net to score at 11:22.
Goals by Brett Barnett and Chad Spurr in the second period gave the Blast a 4-1 lead.
Rob Simpson scored a shorthanded goal at 6:26 of the third period for the Vipers but Tyler Pelton restored Brantford's three-goal lead at 11:18 when he tipped Taylor's shot from the slot.
Terry Lammens cut Brantford's lead to 5-3 at 12:17 and the Vipers got into several good scoring positions in the final seven minutes but couldn't beat Blast goaltender Bryan Worosz until Mike Findlater scored with six seconds remaining and the Tillsonburg goaltender on the bench in favour of an extra attacker.
"In the third period, they know they're not going to lose," Caco explained. "They've won some ugly games. They're good enough to win ugly games."
Blast's Worosz to get first start against Vipers
Brantford Expositor - Mon. December 13, 2007
Brantford hockey fans will have their first opportunity to see Bryan Worosz play goal for the Blast when they face the Tillsonburg Vipers at the civic centre Friday at 7:30 p.m. The 27-year-old Brantford native joined the Major League Hockey squad last week.
Bryan will be following in the footsteps of his father, Stan, as a goaltender for a major hockey team in Brantford.
Stan came to Brantford from the Dixie Beehives to play junior for the Brantford Foresters before going on to star in the senior ranks for the Brantford Alexanders.
Bryan played for Canisius College in the National Collegiate Athletic Association for four years, 2001 through 2005. He still holds many of the school's goaltending records.
He was selected as the most valuable player for Canisius in two of his four seasons with the team and he was a first-team all-star in his senior year.
Worosz played for the Toledo Storm in the East Coast Hockey League in the 2005-06 season. The Storm finished in first place in the Northern Division before going on to win the division's playoff championship.
Blast in First Place
He played 39 games for the Flint Generals in the United Hockey League last season and posted an .881 save percentage.
The Blast head into the game against the Vipers with a record of 13 wins and only two losses.
Goaltender Anthony Marshall has been outstanding in leading the Blast to first place in MLH.
Marshall, who has played all 15 games for the Blast, leads the league with a .931 save percentage. He also has two shutouts and the Blast have allowed the fewest goals, 34, in the league.
Windsor Saint Clair Saints, who are in second place with a 9-6-0-1 record, have the second best goals-against record with 50.
The Blast have won all eight of their games at the civic centre and they're 5-2 on the road.
The Vipers are in fourth place with a 5-8-1-0 record but one of their victories came over the Blast in Tillsonburg.
The Blast-Vipers game will boost the fundraising efforts of the St. Joseph's Lifecare Foundation and its Angels for Hospice campaign.
Former NHLer Mike Kennedy of the Dundas Real McCoys leads the league in scoring with 25 points. Jason Dixon of the Saints is second with 23 points.
Blast star Chad Spurr is tied for third with Ryan Caico of the Saints at 21 points.
Blast captain Tyler Pelton has 18 points and is tied for sixth with Erik Stone of the Saints.
Blast beat Real McCoys 3-1
Posted By Ed O'Leary
According to star centre Chad Spurr, the Brantford Blast are fortunate they play the Dundas Real McCoys on ice and not on paper.
"If you look on paper before the game, you would think we'd get killed 10-1 by those guys," Spurr said after helping the Blast defeat the Real McCoys 3-1 at the civic centre Friday night.
"We don't have a team like Dundas. They have what, nine or 10 NHL guys? We've got a bunch of hard-working guys who play for the name on the front of their jersey rather than the name on the back of the jersey.
"Hats off to the guys in our room. We don't have one guy with one NHL game. For us to compete with that team (Real McCoys) is unbelievable."
Spurr is exaggerating when he estimates the Real McCoys have "nine or 10" players with NHL experience. However, they do have at least three - Todd Harvey, Mike Kennedy and Todd Hlushko. Bill McDougall has also played in the NHL but he's only played three games with Dundas this season.
The McCoys do have several other players with minor pro experience. The Blast will host the Allan Cup tournament for the national senior AAA championship in the spring and, as the host team, Brantford receives an entry to the tournament.
However, a second team from Major League Hockey could also win its way into the tournament and that team could be the Real McCoys.
"For us to win the Allan Cup, that's a team we may have to go through," Spurr said. "That's our long-term goal, the Allan Cup. We're just preparing for it now. It's nice that we've got a bunch of guys that just want to win."
Spurr, a star in the minor pro ranks before joining the Blast last season, admires his teammates because many never played professionally.
Some who fit into that category are goaltender Anthony Marshall, forwards Tyler Pelton, Ryan Healy, Cory Matchim, Paul MacDonald and Will Wellman, and defencemen Steve Hurst, Dan Pitre, Jeremy Bloomfield, Brad Jones and David Russell.
Spurr also appreciates the way the coaching staff handles the players. Assistant coach Dan Caco, a former assistant with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL, handles the forwards, while head coach Larry Trader works with the defencemen
"Dan's been running the forwards," Spurr noted. "He brings AHL coaching to the forwards. Larry deals with the defence but they both deal with everyone."
The Real McCoys took a 1-0 lead at 6:57 of the first period when defenceman Chris Wismer jumped into an offensive rush to create a four-on-two break.
Wismer eventually took a pass from Kennedy to score the Dundas goal. Spurr tied the score at 11:58 when he smashed in a rebound that allowed Blast fans to toss on the ice new teddy bears, which the Salvation Army retrieved to hand out to needy children during the Christmas season.
Blast newcomer Bobby Stewart shot Brantford into the lead while killing a penalty at 11:27 of the third period when he accepted a great passout from Jason Simon and quickly whipped it behind Dundas goalie Sean Hall.
Spurr, who was in the penalty box when Stewart scored, scored at 13:20 when he beat Hall with a low shot to the stick side.
Brantford outshot the Real McCoys 36-31.
The victory improved the Blast's record to 13-2. Brantford is in first place with 26 points, nine more than the Windsor Saint Clair Saints, who moved into second place with a 5-2 win over the Petrolia Squires.
The Saints have 17 points. The McCoys, now in third place, stand at 7-5-1-1 for 16 points.
The McCoys face the Tillsonburg Vipers in Dundas on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. They expect to have highly regarded centre Nick Smith in their lineup for that game.
The Blast face the Vipers at the civic centre next Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Homegrown talent adds depth to Blast Goaltending
Brantford Expositor - Tues. Dec. 4th 2007
The Brantford Blast have bolstered their goaltending.
On Monday, the Major League Hockey team announced the signing of Brantford native Bryan Worosz.
The 27-year-old played four years of NCAA Division I hockey for Canisius College from 2001 to 2005.
While playing for the Golden Griffins, he set many school records and was also a first-team conference all-star in his senior season.
During the 2005-06 season, Worosz played for the East Coast Hockey League's Toledo Storm.
That year, the Storm finished first in the Northern Division.
Worosz spent last year with the Flint Generals of the United Hockey League, playing in 39 games.
"Bryan Worosz is a quality goaltender with very impressive credentials," Blast general manager Peter Ham stated in a release.
"He joins Major League Hockey's best tandem as he teams up with Anthony Marshall and Ryan Dickie.
"His addition gives us the extra depth we need between the pipes. It's an added bonus for Brantford hockey fans when we are able to mine talent of this calibre out of our own backyard."
The Blast currently lead the five-team MLH standings with 12 wins and two losses.
Brantford, which is back in action on Friday when they host the Dundas Real McCoys (7-4-1-1, second place) at the civic centre at 7:30 p.m., has a 2.36 goals-against average, which is the best in the league.
Friday's game will feature the annual Teddy Bear Toss for the Salvation Army.
Fans are invited to bring a new teddy bear to toss on to the ice after Brantford's first goal.
The bears will then be collected and given to children as Christmas gifts from the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army Band and Choir will be at the game, entertaining fans with Christmas carols.
Blast widen lead on
second-place Dundas Real McCoys
Brantford Expositor - Mon. Dec. 3rd 2007
If the Brantford Blast's four opponents in Major League Hockey aren't careful, the race for first place is going to be over about the same time they wake up with hangovers from New Year's Eve.
The Blast thumped the Petrolia Squires 5-2 at the Greenwood Recreation Centre on Sunday night.
It was Brantford's 12th win against only two losses. The Blast's 24 points are eight more than the 16 for the second-place Dundas Real McCoys.
Windsor St. Clair Saints are in third place with a 7-6-0-1 record for 15 points. Tillsonburg Vipers defeated the Saints 5-4 Sunday and 2-0 Saturday to improve their record to 5-7-1-0 for 11 points.
The Squires are in last place with a 3-10-1-0 record for seven points.
The Real McCoys face the Blast in Brantford on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on the Salvation Army's Teddy Bear Night.
"Everybody contributed," said Blast head coach Larry Trader.
"We played much better defensively (than in a 5-4 shootout win over the Real McCoys in Dundas on Friday)."
The Blast are 7-0 on home ice and they also have an impressive 5-2 record in road games.
Trader believes team character shows on the road.
"We've got a lot of guys with strong leadership," said Trader. "We've also got a lot of offence so whether it's in our arena or someone else's barn, we can throw a lot of heat at the opposing team's defence.
"Obviously, the more time you spend with the puck, the less time the other team has it in your zone."
The line of Adriano Fiacconi, Chad Spurr and Wayne Muir gave Brantford a 2-0 lead in the first period.
Fiacconi scored at 3:50, with assists going to Spurr and Muir. Then Muir scored at 5:57 on a power play, with assists going to Fiacconi and Spurr.
The teams exchanged goals in the second period. Tyler Pelton got Brantford's goal at 15:49. Defenceman Steve Hurst and winger Jason Simon got assists.
Andrew Taylor gave Brantford a 4-1 lead at 5:18 of the third period. Pelton and Simon were awarded assists.
Jason Hawes gave the Squires a little bit of hope with a shorthanded goal at 15:39 but Pelton scored a shorthanded goal into an empty net in the final minute to clinch the victory.
Petrolia outshot Brantford 39-34.
"It was a good weekend for us. It was nice to see us play a more consistent game today."
Trader refused to point out an individual player for special attention.
"A lot of guys had strong games. It wouldn't be fair to pick one individual out because so many guys played well."
Blast win shootout
Brantford Expositor - Sat. Dec. 1st 2007
Brantford Blast sneaked out of the J. L. Grightmire Memorial Arena Friday night grateful that they managed a 5-4 win over the Dundas Real McCoys in a shootout.
The Blast blew a 3-0 lead they constructed on three power-play goals in the first period of the Major League Hockey game.
"We probably had our best period of the year in the first. We were just great," said Blast head coach Larry Trader.
"In the second period, we were just awful."
Playing a good period followed by a bad one has become a habit for the Blast this season.
"The biggest thing is the defensive zone," Trader explained. "We get running around, not doing our own job but trying to do everyone else's job.
"It's just a lack of focus, watching the puck, not watching the man."
Ryan Healy gave the Blast a 1-0 lead with an unassisted power-play goal at 7:39 of the first period.
Defenceman Steve Hurst got a power-play goal at 16:02 with assists going to Andrew Taylor and Tyler Pelton.
Taylor scored an unassisted power-play goal at 18:29.
Ryan Christie got the McCoys rolling with a power-play goal at 2:03 of the second period.
Pelton replied at 7:22 when scored off a pass from 7:22.
The McCoys then got two goals from Paul Lawson and one from Todd Hlushko to tie the score before the end of the second period.
Anthony Marshall was outstanding in goal for the Blast as Dundas outshot Brantford 44-28.
Marshall stopped Mike Kennedy, Todd Harvey and Christie in the shootout.
Hurst scored for Brantford in the shootout.
The Blast travel to Petrolia to face the Squires on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The Real McCoys play the Blast in Brantford next Friday at 7:30 p.m. on the Salvation Army's Teddy Bear Night.
CNIB, Blast, firefighters join fundraising forces
Brantford Expositor - Wed. Nov. 28, 2007
The Brantford Blast, host of this year's Allan Cup, has teamed up with the Candian National Institute for the Blind to promote community fundraising initiatives.
During a recent home game versus the Tillsonburg Vipers, Brantford firefighters were in attendance to sign their 2008 calendar.
The Brantford Firefighter Calendar sells for $15 and features pictures of city firefighters. It's available all over the city.
"It was fun for the spectators to have the firefighters at the Blast game selling and signing the calendars," said Katie MacPherson, special events co-coordinator of the Blast.
Funds raised by the calendar will enable the CNIB to continue providing essential services to blind and visually impaired individuals in Brantford and area.
The strength and support of the Blast and the local non-profit organization will continue on Friday, Dec. 7, when the Dundas Real McCoys visit.
During the game, spectators will be able to purchase a stuffed puppy toy. When the Blast scores its first goal, fans will be able to throw the toy on the ice. All proceeds from the sale of the puppies go towards the Walter and Wayne Gretzky Scholarship Foundation.
This permanent foundation presents scholarships each year to eligible blind and visually impaired students planning to study at the post-secondary level.
Through this foundation, Walter, Wayne, and the Gretzky family continue a tradition of assisting the blind youth of Canada to pursue their academic and lifelong dreams.