Blast News
Blast 'solid' against Gens; Host squad to face off with Whitby tonight
Brian Smiley, Brantford Expositor - Thursday April 17
The Brantford Blast didn't make many changes to their game plan on Wednesday night in their Allan Cup hockey game against the Bentley Generals.
The only major difference between Monday - when they lost to 3-2 to the Shawinigan Xtreme - and Wednesday was a standout goalie.
"We played a good game on Monday ... they just had a hot goalie," Brantford head coach Larry Trader said moments after his team skated off the civic centre ice with a 5-3 victory against the Generals on Wednesday.
"(Wednesday) we played a solid game from start to finish. Our power play was good and our penalty kill was good. Bentley attacked hard but our offside forward did well to crash down."
Wednesday night's game was the final contest of the round-robin portion of the tournament, which is for the Canadian senior AAA hockey championship.
Brantford wound up second in Division 2 with a record of one win and one loss. Shawinigan was first at 2-0 and Bentley was third at 0-2. In Division 1, the Lloydminster Border Kings edged the Whitby Dunlops 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Dundas Real McCoys secured first place in that division with a win and a tie. Lloydminster ends up second at 1-1, while Whitby was third with a loss and a tie.
The quarter-finals of the tournament are scheduled for today, with the semifinals on Friday. The championship game, which will be broadcast by TSN, is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. All games will be at the civic centre.
Because the Xtreme and Real McCoys finished first in their divisions, both receive byes into Friday's semifinals, which will take place at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Their opponents will be determined following the quarter-final games.
The first quarter-final today will have the third-place team from Division 1 - Bentley - versus the second-place team from Division 2 - Lloydminster. That game starts at 3 p.m.
The other quarter-final will pit the third-place team from Division 2 - Whitby - against the second-place team from Division 1- Brantford. That game will take place at 7:30 p.m.
The Blast didn't waste any time finding the back of the net against Bentley goaltender Scott Galenza, scoring at the 54-second mark of the first period.
Bobby Stewart took the puck to the sideboards and then tossed it out front to a streaking Chris Grenville.
The winger touched the puck and tipped it past Galenza just as he was crossing in front of the net.
Brantford then struck for back-to-back power-play markers.
At 10:01, Stewart made a beautiful pass from behind the net to defenceman Jim Baxter, who was skating in from the blue-line. Baxter took the pass and beat Galenza up high for a 2-0 lead.
A little more than two minutes later, Stewart continued to shine as he tipped in a Grenville point shot. Brent Gretzky also drew an assist on the goal.
Bentley got one back in the second period when Don Morrison beat Anthony Marshall on a short-handed breakaway but the Blast restored their three-goal advantage after Andrew Taylor scored at 16:03.
Tyler Pelton and Ian Jacobs picked up helpers.
Bentley then made things interesting in the third period with goals from former NHLers Darryl Laplante and Terry Ryan.
But Brantford secured the win when Ryan Healy scored, with an assist to Steve Rice.
Trader wasn't sure the Generals played their best.
"I don't think so," he said. "I think they played a better game (on Tuesday). But I think we did a good job of shutting them down."
Trader doesn't know much about the Dunlops. He'll be relying on assistant coach Dan Caco's scouting report.
"Obviously, they beat Dundas (in the Robertson Cup), so they're a talented team," Trader said. "I haven't seen them so I'm not sure what kind of team they have.
"Dan is more familiar with them."
There are those who believe a host team shouldn't automatically get a berth.
Now that the Blast have a win, it validates them as legitimate contender.
But Trader said the team has always believed it belonged.
"Maybe it validates if for everyone else but my staff and I always felt we belonged," he said.
"We feel we're as good or better than any team here.
"We definitely feel we belong here."
border kings 4, dunlops 3
In the afternoon game, even though they were short-handed a whopping 26 times, according to statistics taken at the game, Lloydminster allowed just three power-play goals.
At one point in the first period, Lloydminster got six straight minor penalties.
Things got even worse when the Border Kings were given five straight minors in the second and then were handed a five-minute major for checking from behind.
Lloydminster's eventual game-winning goal was courtesy of a power-play midway through the third period when Ryan Rivett scored. In fact, special teams were quite good for Lloydminster.
Aside from killing 23 penalties, the Border Kings' Aaron Foster scored on a power play and Dallas Fallsheer tallied while his team was short-handed.
Scott Hood scored his team's only even-strength goal.
Justin Cardwell scored two power-play goals for Whitby, with Jay McAuley getting the other marker while his team enjoyed the man-advantage.
Size matters' in Allan Cup win; McCoys power past Border Kings on Day 2 of senior AAA championship
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Wed. April 16th
The physical strength of the Dundas Real McCoys paid dividends for them on Day 2 of the 100th edition of the Allan Cup tournament for the Canadian senior AAA hockey championship.
The Real McCoys overpowered the defending champion Lloydminster, Sask., Border Kings 5-2 at the civic centre Tuesday afternoon.
It was the final game of the round-robin portion of the tournament for the Renwick Cup champion Real McCoys, who also won the Major League Hockey championship this season.
Dundas opened the tournament Monday playing to a 4-4 tie with Whitby Dunlops, the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League champions and winners of the John Robertson Cup.
Dundas, Whitby and Lloydminster, which is representing the West region, are entered in Division 1 of the six-team tournament, which concludes round-robin play today.
In other action Tuesday, the Shawinigan Xtreme clinched first place in Division 2 by nipping Pacific champion Bentley, B.C., Generals 2-1.
Bentley, Shawinigan and the host Brantford Blast are in Division 2. The Quebec champion Xtreme completed their round-round play with a 2-0 record after edging the Blast 3-2 Monday night.
In round-robin games today, Lloydminster plays Whitby at 1 p.m. and Bentley faces Brantford at 7:30 p.m.
Shawinigan and the team that finishes in first place in Division 1 at the conclusion of the round robin, receive byes into Friday's semifinal games.
Meanwhile, the teams finishing in second and third place in each division will play quarter-final games Thursday.
The quarter-finals will have the second-place team in Division 1 playing the third-place team in Division 2 at 3 p.m., followed by the second-place team in Division 2 meeting the third-place team in Division 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Dundas and Lloydminster were tied 2-2 in the third period when the Real McCoys found themselves with a two-man advantage.
Nick Smith, a powerful six-foot-two forward, held off a Border Kings defender with the left side of his body as he skated with the puck over the Lloydminster blue-line.
Smith waited for six-foot-two teammate Ryan Christie to drive through the slot area before feeding him with a pass which he converted for a 3-2 lead.
Less than three minutes later, the Border Kings were enjoying a two-man advantage when their point man fanned on the puck and Smith seized the opportunity to break into the clear.
Smith was tripped as he went in on goal and was awarded a penalty shot.
The veteran of many seasons in the minor professional ranks beat Border Kings' goaltender Cory McEachran with a shot low on the stick-side to give Dundas a 4-2 lead.
Dundas defenceman Mike Lankshear completed the scoring with a shot into the empty net with 1:12 remaining in regulation time.
Goals by Mark Jooris and Smith gave Dundas a 2-0 lead in the first period.
The Border Kings tied the score in the second period on power-play goals by Aaron Foster and Scott Hood.
"Smitty took over the third period," said Dundas head coach Ken (Spud) Mann.
"I thought he was the best player on the ice."
Mann agreed that the physical strength of the Dundas forwards, particularly that of Smith and Christie, played a dominant role in the outcome of the game.
"Size matters in the end when teams get tired," Mann said.
"Big men can force their way through."
Mann noted that size played a major role in the go-ahead goal in the third period.
"It was just a case of two big men going to the net," he said.
The Real McCoys picked up goaltender Brett Leggat from the Tillsonburg Vipers for the Renwick Cup and they've continued to use Leggat in the Allan Cup.
Leggat was the star of the game against Whitby on Monday and he turned in another strong performance against Lloydminster.
"The guys have got confidence in him," Mann said.
"He's providing us with solid goaltending."
Once again, goaltending proved to be the difference in Shawinigan's victory.
On Monday, Guillaume Lavallee was outstanding in a victory over Brantford as the Blast outshot the Xtreme 40-30.
Ghyslain Rousseau replaced Lavallee in goal for the Xtreme against Bentley, and he frustrated the Generals, who outshot Shawinigan 43-23.
Jonathan Gagnon opened the scoring at 11:56 of the first period, when he completed a three-way passing while Shawinigan was enjoying a two-man advantage.
Bentley's Mark Woolf tied the score on a power play at 18:10, but Shawinigan regained the lead at 19:27 when constant forechecking kept the puck deep in the Generals' zone and eventually led to Pierre Morvan's goal.
ICE CHIPS: Elementary school children who have been attending Allan Cup afternoon games will get free admission to the Blast's game tonight against the Bentley Generals as long as they bring their Tim Hortons Cheerstix.
Hockey with 'heart';
Allan Cup fans flock to civic centre
Vincent Ball, Brantford Expositor - Tues. April 15
All decked out in their Allan Cup commemorative jerseys, Chuck O'Neill and Larry Tall had their routine down pat as they walked through the civic centre on Monday.
O'Neill was always on Tall's left.
They held the same positions when when they got to their seats.
"Check us out," said O'Neill, turning to show his back. "Do you get it?"
O'Neill had a No. 1 on his jersey, while his friend sported 00. Side by side, the men's jerseys paid tribute to the 100th edition of the Allan Cup.
They travelled from Alberta to watch this week's battle for supremacy in Canadian Senior AAA men's hockey, which culminates in Saturday's championship game.
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world," O'Neill said. "I've seen the last 14 Allan Cups and I'm going to be here for all of the games again this year.
"There's just no better hockey than this."
Tall may have missed one or two Allan Cup tournaments over the past decade. He, too, is looking forward to watching a "great brand of hockey."
"It's all about heart.
"These guys aren't playing for big contracts or anything like that. They're playing with their hearts."
They arrived in the city late Sunday. By noon Monday, they had seen the whole city, said O'Neill
"We went looking for the civic centre, went all over town and went all the way up to the Gretzky Centre before we ended up here.
"So, yeah, we've seen the whole city and it's great. It's a beautiful place."
O'Neill and Tall were among the fans attending the tournament's opening match between the Dundas Real McCoys and the Whitby Dunlops, which ended in a 4-4 overtime tie.
Paul Renaud, of Paris, was wearing his commemorative jersey, too, and could hardly wait for the opening faceoff.
"I think it's a great looking sweater," said Renaud after getting a hot dog and a pop before the game. "I'm going to be here for every game.
"It's going to mean missing a few things, too, including work. Fortunately, I'm my own boss, so it's OK."
In addition to an entertaining first game, fans got to witness to a memorable opening game ceremony featuring a local school choir and Ontario Lt.-Gov. David Onley.
Onley, accompanied by Mayor Mike Hancock and city councillors Jennifer Kinneman, John Bradford and Vince Bucci, dropped the puck for ceremonial opening faceoff.
"It's great," Onley said of the atmosphere in the civic centre, which featured the energy and enthusiasm of a large contingent of elementary school students.
"It's a real privilege to be here and when I received the invitation I accepted immediately. 'm a hockey fan and the Allan Cup is really something special."
It's special for a couple of reasons, including its format and its history, he said.
"The Whitby Dunlops were world champions 50 years ago and, outside of the NHL, the Dunlops are probably one of the best-known teams around," said Onley, who watched the game from rinkside.
"I really like that it's a tournament. There is something uniquely Canadian about a tournament. It's something all of us have experienced in some way."
The opening game was also special for many of the elementary school kids, who were allowed to cut class to attend the game.
"This is only the second game I've ever seen in my life," said seven-year-old Gideon More, a Grade 3 student at Echo Place School. "I really like the passing and the shooting and all of the noise.
"It's a lot of fun."
Heather Linington, a Grade 3 teacher at Echo Place School, said the experience was a good one for more than 90 students from the school. "For a lot of these students, this is the first game they've ever seen," she said.
The game was also a new experience for Sam Nelson, a 10-year-old student at Burford Elementary School.
He was part of the school choir that sang the national anthem, in both English and French, before watching the game.
"We did that for a Blue Jays game and for the (Brantford) Red Sox, too," Sam said. "I guess I get a little nervous but not too much.
"We sing it that way every day."
After watching the first period, he said he really liked the checking into the boards.
Asked what he preferred to do, watch a hockey game or be in math class, Sam said it was a no-brainer.
"Hockey, for sure," he said with a big grin.
Goalie steals win for Xtreme
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Tuesday, April 15
Goaltender Guillaume Lavallee stole a victory for the Shawinigan Xtreme as the 2008 Allan Cup tournament for Canadian supremacy in senior AAA hockey got underway Monday.
Brantford Blast, the host entry, outshot the Xtreme 40-30 at the civic centre but suffered a 3-2 loss to the Quebec champions.
In other action, Whitby Dunlops and Dundas Real McCoys played to a 4-4 overtime draw.
Brantford and Shawinigan are entered in Division 2 of the six-team tournament, along with Bentley, B.C., Generals, who are the Pacific champions.
Whitby and Dundas are in Division 1, along with the defending Allan Cup champion Lloydminster, Sask., Border Cats, who represent the West region.
The Dunlops are the John Robertson Cup champions and the Real McCoys are the Renwick Cup champions.
"Their goalie (Lavallee) stood on his head," said Brantford head coach Larry Trader.
"We didn't catch any breaks. We had plenty of opportunities. We just couldn't bury the biscuit."
When the Blast lost the Major League Hockey championship series to Dundas, a major factor was an ineffective power play.
The Blast, who haven't played since March 16 when the Dundas series ended, scored only one goal on 15 power-play chances against Shawinigan.
The Xtreme was 1-for-8 on its power-play opportunities
Jerome Bergeron gave Shawinigan a 1-0 lead at 7:29 of the first period with a power-play goal after Brantford defenceman David Russell fanned on a clearing attempt.
The Blast tied the score when Ryan Healy crashed the crease to score on a power play at 13:01.
Shawinigan regained the lead at 15:27, when Benoit Cote got free in the slot to score at 15:27.
Brantford tied the score 2-2 at 12:10 of the second period, when Steve Rice pounced on Russell's rebound after centre Chad Spurr had made a good play to get the puck to Russell in the slot.
Justin Leinhos gave the Xtreme a 3-2 lead at 14:31.
"They got the one break they needed," said Trader.
"The shot was high off the glass and bounced right back in front of the net, and right on his (Leinhos's) tape for a empty-netter.
"I thought we played fairly well. We limited them to three goals against, and that's one of our goals, three goals and under."
Jay McAuley and Peter MacKellar each scored two goals for Whitby. MacKellar's second goal came with goaltender Chad Ford on the bench in favour of an extra attacker with 1:14 remaining in regulation time.
Rob DeCiantis, Ryan Christie, Todd Harvey and Brandon Merli scored for the McCoys, who received outstanding play from goaltender Brett Leggatt.
Whitby outshot Dundas 47-31.
In games today, Lloydminster plays Dundas at 1 p.m. and Bentley faces Shawinigan at 7:30 p.m.
The round-robin games conclude Wednesday with Whitby playing Lloydminster at 1 p.m. and The Blast meeting Bentley at 7:30 p.m.
Quarter-final playoffs are scheduled for Thursday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with semifinals on Friday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The championship game will be played Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
A great hockey tradition; The Brantford Blast look to follow in the footsteps of some of the city's best senior hockey squads as the Allan Cup gets underway
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Mon. April 14
Local sports fans have been treated to the best in senior hockey over the years.
Who can forget Jack (Smokey) Egers taking a pass from shifty Fred Speck at the opponent's blue-line and blasting the puck, ankle high, into the corner of the net during the Brantford Alexanders' march to the Allan Cup championship in 1977?
The A's had an unbelievable team. Three explosive lines, each with equal firepower. The defence was steady and the goaltenders (Gerry Gray and Stan Worosz) outstanding.
However, the real key may have been the player-coach John MacMillan. He got the players to stick together and play as a unit. That was the reason they won.
Ten years later, the Brantford Mott's Clamatos brought the Allan Cup championship back to the civic centre.
The Clamatos, directed by head coach Ken (Spud) Mann, were a collection of ex-NHLers and youngsters just a year or so out of major junior with a few stalwart senior players thrown into the mix. When the playoffs rolled around, the Clamatos' roster included eight players with NHL experience. Among those was goaltender Don Edwards, who had worn a NHL uniform in each of the previous 10 seasons.
Three of the other seven ex-NHLers were defencemen. Wow, Edwards could be forgiven if he thought he had American Hockey League squad playing in front of him because, in reality, he did.
The youngsters included Brantford natives Scott Tottle and Dave MacLean. Both had starred in the OHL, Tottle with Peterborough and MacLean with Belleville.
Some of the other Clamatos' young stars were Scott Morrison and Rick Barkovich.
The Clamatos swept Nelson, B.C., in the Allan Cup final at the civic centre, but they almost never got there.
Brantford defeated Dundas Real McCoys 4-3 in the OHA best-of-seven championship series before hosting the St. John's, Nfld., Capitals for the Eastern Ontario championship.
The Clamatos won the series 4-2 but the series was close. Edwards stole Game 5 and the Clamatos won Game 6 in overtime.
Over the years, the Allan Cup championship has switched from a best-of-seven series, east versus west, to a six-team tournament.
The Allan Cup tournament begins today with the Brantford Blast hosting the 100th competition for supremacy in senior AAA hockey at the civic centre.
The tournament opens with the Dundas Real McCoys facing the Whitby Dunlops at 1 p.m. and continues with the Blast meeting the Quebec champions at 7:30 p.m.
Blast president and general manager Peter Ham has gone above and beyond the call of duty to promote the tournament. It's believed that turtles along the shore of Mohawk Lake have been seen with "Go Blast Go" on their shells.
Ham has put together a competitive team. The Blast roster is probably as strong as that of any of the teams in the tournament. Brantford, however, hasn't played since March 16 and inactivity at this point in the season is a tough pill to swallow.
All teams have strengths and weaknesses. The strength of the Blast is through the middle and along the boards.
Centres Chad Spurr, Aaron Brand, Brent Gretzky and team captain Tyler Pelton generate offence and understand defensive responsibilities.
The Blast also have size and power along the boards with players such as Steve Rice, Ryan Healy, Andrew Taylor, Jason Simon and Wayne Muir battling for possession of the puck.
Goal-scorers such as Bobby Stewart and Chris Grenville must take advantage of the opportunities created by the power wingers and creative centres to put the puck in the net.
Anthony Marshall, backed by Bryan Worosz, should provide solid goaltending.
That brings us to the Blast weakness - defensive play.
Fans must understand that poor defensive play can't always be blamed on defencemen. Often, a defensive breakdown is caused by either forwards not backchecking or not being in position to make a defensive play inside their own blue-line.
That being said, the Blast defence must be steady. It doesn't have to be spectacular, just the simple everyday, clear-the-zone plays and the allow the forwards to do their thing once the puck is outside the Brantford blue-line.
Jim Baxter, Jeff Brown and Ian Jacobs must be the leaders on the blue-line. Dan Pitre will play his usual safe game. Jeremy Bloomfield must stay away from pinching and/or taking chances.
David Russell shows tremendous enthusiasm but he must learn to stay back and allow his partner, Brown, to do his thing when he's on the ice.
It's impossible to know how good the Bentley Generals, Lloydminster Border Cats and the Quebec champions are without seeing them but they didn't get a free pass to the tournament.
One thing is for sure, if the visiting teams are a step or two above the Blast in the talent department, hockey fans are in for top quality games this week.
Allan Cup boon to area tourism
Vincent Ball, Brantford Expositor - Mon. April 14
The city's "hockey town" spirit will shine throughout the week as Brantford plays host to the Allan Cup, says the chairwoman of the tourism advisory board.
"We are excited and proud to be the host city for the 100th anniversary of the Allan Cup," Beverly Scott said in a statement.
"This is truly an incredible time for Brantford and its communities. "The enthusiasm of this event is contagious. Every hotel, restaurant and attraction is on board ... it's fantastic."
The community will benefit tremendously from the scores of spectators, additional diners and others looking for tourist attractions to visit, she added.
The committee will have people at every game to answer questions about the community and provide fans with directions and suggestions of places to dine, she said.
"The spirit of our community is alive and well, and we especially thank Peter Ham and the team of folks who worked diligently, believing that we have what it takes and so much more to host such a remarkable and historic event."
Blast fan hyped for Allan Cup;
National hockey championship begins today
Vincent Ball, Brantford Expositor - Mon. April 14
Gord Hilborn will be going out to watch some pretty terrific hockey this week - not staying in.
He will be putting the NHL playoffs on ice for a while so he can follow the Brantford Blast's quest for the Allan Cup.
"I've got tickets for (today), Tuesday and Wednesday and I'm thinking about what I can do about Thursday and Friday," Hilborn said on the weekend. "There's going to be some pretty terrific hockey being played next week and I'm really looking forward to it.
See more Allan Cup coverage in Sports, Page B1 and B4.
He'll be heading to the civic centre to watch teams from across the county compete for the Allan Cup. The battle for supremacy in Canadian Senior AAA men's hockey begins today.
Teams competing in the 100th edition of the national championship include the Bentley Generals from Alberta, the Lloydminster Border Kings representing Saskatchewan/Manitoba, the Whitby Dunlops, the Dundas Real McCoys, the Shawinigan Xtreme Bionest and, of course, the hometown favourites, the Blast.
The Border Kings are the defending champions.
"I think the Blast will do fairly well," said Hilborn, who was at every Blast home game this past season. "I thought they got a few bad breaks in the series against Dundas.
"But I also think that they have to get their power play going."
The Blast automatically qualified for the Allan Cup because Brantford is the host city. The Brantford team earlier lost the Major League Hockey championship to Dundas, winners of the Renwick Cup.
The Blast haven't played a competitive game since losing to Dundas and Hilborn isn't quite sure how that will affect them.
"On the one hand, they should all be healthy and well-rested," he said. "But on the other hand, it might take them a bit to get their legs going again. It's tough sometimes to play well when you've been off for a while."
He believes the competition will be really tough.
"I don't know too much about the western teams or the Quebec team. But I know the Whitby team handled Dundas pretty well and the Whitby team has done really well in the past three years.
"For sure, I think the Whitby team will be the team to watch."
Either way, he's planning to don his Blast sweatshirt and hat and looking forward to some good, entertaining hockey over the next week. He's also thinking of picking up an Allan Cup commemorative jersey.
"The skill level is pretty high. Not quite as good as the American Hockey League but close," Hilborn said.
The final lap on the road to the Allan Cup begins today at 1 p.m. when the Dundas Real McCoys face off against the Whitby Dunlops.
David Onley, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, will participate in the pre-game ceremonies.
At 7:30 p.m., the official opening ceremonies get underway featuring all six teams, and honorary Allan Cup chairman Walter Gretzky and local dignitaries. The ceremonies will be followed by the Blast taking on Shawinigan.
final to be televised
Games continue all week until the final on Saturday. The championship game will be broadcast by The Sports Network (TSN).
While the winner on the ice won't be determined until Saturday, organizers are saying the off-ice winner has all ready been determined. Hotels, restaurants and bars and any other business associated with the hospitality industry stands to gain because of an influx of visitors.
"In terms of dollar figures, the numbers I keep hearing is somewhere between $2.5 and $3 million," said Steve Cheeseman, assistant general manager of the Blast. "The buzz around town has been great.
"I think the restaurants and hotels around town will be very happy." Getting a hotel room in Brantford for April 18 and 19, the final two days of the tournament is next to impossible.
In fact, hotel rooms are in such short supply, organizers had to put the Quebec team up in a hotel in Hamilton.
In addition to the hockey teams, there will be a lot of hockey fans from across the country coming to Brantford to see some games, Cheeseman said.
And for the first time, TSN will be broadcasting the Allan Cup final live on Saturday giving the community national television exposure.
The Downtown Business Improvement Area is getting in on the action, with a number of establishments offering Allan Cup specials. An ice carving exhibition is scheduled for Thursday between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at downtown Harmony Square and a family-oriented dance will be held at the square on Friday.
The Allan Cup is the type of event that can really boost local tourism, said Vic Prendergast, a member of the local tourism board and the board's past chair.
"This is the type of event that we've been trying to promote and the kind of thing that we like to see," Prendergast said. "What makes this so special is that it is a week-long event. People will be staying over night."
Shawinigan grabs last Allan Cup berth
BrantfordExpositor.ca - Saturday, April 12
Shawinigan Bionest has booked its Allan Cup berth.
Shawinigan defeated Saguenay 98.3 fm 2-1 in the deciding game of the best-of-seven Ligue Cenrale de Hockey championship on Friday night.
The Allan Cup, which is to be played Monday through Saturday at the civic centre, has been divided into two three-team divisions.
Division One consists of the Dunlops, the McCoys and the Border Kings.
Division Two will be composed of Shawinigan, Bentley and Brantford.
'77 Alexanders full of character
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Saturday, April 12
They were led by a player-coach with shoulder-length hair, a Fu Manchu moustache and a beard with a five o'clock shadow no matter the time of day.
John McMillan, the grizzled veteran of minor professional leagues, was respected by the players on the Brantford Alexanders, who in 1977, brought Brantford the Allan Cup championship.
Plenty of water has flowed under the Lorne Bridge since then.
Peter Ham, president and general manager of the Brantford Blast, host of next week's Allan Cup tournament at the civic centre, was the brash 33-year-old general manager of the Alexanders.
"That '77 team, as it turns out, is my favourite all-time hockey team," says Ham. "They just had so much character and so many characters but, when it came to game time, those guys were always ready to go, always."
The Alexanders had an unbelieveable amount of talent for a senior hockey team.
Brantford native Gerry Gray, who starred in junior for the Hamilton Red Wings and had seen action in the NHL, shared the goaltending duties with Stan Worosz.
On offence, the Alexanders had three lines that could be considered No. 1.
The unit of left winger Jack Egers, centre Fred Speck and right winger Steve DeGurse probably was the top line. Egers was coming off six consecutive seasons in the NHL and Speck had played in the World Hockey Association, the American League and even enjoyed a couple of short stints in the NHL.
The Alexanders didn't suffer any drop off when Steve Aitkinson went on the ice to centre left winger John Gofton and right winger Al Osborne or when big Bob Roselle went between wingers Guy Smith and Corby Adams.
Of course, Marc Dumesnil and McMillan were adequate fill-ins on the forward lines whenever their services were required.
The defensive crew consisted of veteran Jim Thompson, John Held, Dan O'Donahue, Denny McLean, Ken Southwick and Rick Bince, the team's policeman / enforcer.
"I could relate with them very well because there wasn't a great deal of difference in our ages back then," says Ham. "We did a lot of things together. We'd golf and party. That '77 team was really a year-long party because everyone enjoyed one another."
The Alexanders played a best-of-nine league semifinal series against the first-place Thunder Bay Twins.
Brantford earned a split of the first two games in Thunder Bay but they stunned the Twins by sweeping the next three at home. The A's closed out the series with a 4-1 victory in Thunder Bay to advance to the best-of-seven league championship against the Barrie Flyers. Barrie had a strong team and the Alexanders eventually won the series 4-3 with about 4,000 fans watching the seventh game at the civic centre.
The challenge for the Alexanders were the Woodstock Royals, champions of the Intercontinental League. They put up a strong fight but the Alexanders won the series 4-2 to advance to the Eastern Canadian championship, a best-of-five series against the St. John's Capitals in Newfoundland.
The Alexanders won the first two games with relative ease. However, they then began to party and the Caps came back to tie the series and force a fifth game.
McMillan took his players to see the movie Rocky before Game 5. It worked.
"We made it difficult on ourselves but in the fifth game we dominated," recalls Gray, who now resides in Florida.
The Alexanders came back to Brantford and defeated the Western Canadian champion Spokane Flyers 4-1 in the best-of-seven Allan Cup championship series.
"We had a great team," Gray remembers. "We were strong, mature and experienced.
"We just had a good group of guys. I don't think we had any locker room problems, whatsoever. Everyone seemed to get along."
Gray felt little pressure as a goaltender because the Alexanders possessed so much offensive firepower.
"You could kind of screw up a few times because the guns were in front of you," says Gray. "We had an explosive team. We had a lot of talent for that level of play."
Winning the Allan Cup was special, says Gray.
"It's something that every player who has ever won it will remember vividly."
Osborne never got to hoist the Allan Cup when the Alexanders knocked off Spokane. He was flat on his back in Brantford General Hospital with bronchial infection.
"I couldn't breathe and they hauled me away in an ambulance between periods of the second to last game," says Osborne, who retired at the end of the season to concentrate on his teaching career.
He had enjoyed an outstanding junior A career with the Toronto Marlboros. He played for cash in the Central Professional and Eastern Leagues before deciding to play in the senior ranks and teach school.
"In all the years that I played, there was only one team that was as strong as that (Alexanders) team," notes Osborne. "That would be my first year in junior, my first year in Marlies."
That Marlie team included future NHLers Brit Selby, Brian Glennie and Jim McKenny."
Osborne remembers how well each player did his job on the Alexanders.
"It was definitely a team in the team sense of the word. You never had to worry about your back."
Gofton, Osborne's left winger, remembers the Alexanders as a team where "everybody fit it."
"Other teams had good players," he says. "We just got the job done."
Blast play tonight
Brantford Expositor - Friday, April 11
Brantford Blast will play an intrasquad game tonight at 7:30 at the civic centre as they prepare to compete in the Allan Cup tournament which begins Monday.
Admission is free for everyone as Brent Gretzky's White Team will face Tyler Pelton's Red Team.
All of the Blast players will be in action. The Blast also have called on several of their affiliate players from the Brantford Golden Eagles junior B squad.
The Blast also has announced that civic centre general manager Jane Curtis is keeping the box office open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day because of the demand for Allan Cup tickets.
NHLers spiced up Clamatos;
Allan Cup champs had talent to spare
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Friday, April 11
How good were the Brantford Mott's Clamatos when they won the Allan Cup in 1987?
Well, the Clamatos had eight players with NHL experience in their lineup and those players hadn't been in the NHL just for a cup of coffee.
Goaltender Don Edwards, signed late in the season by general manager Don Robertson, had spent the previous 10 seasons in The Show and was a former Vezina Trophy winner with the Buffalo Sabres.
"He sealed the deal," recalls Ken (Spud) Mann, head coach of the Clamatos and current head coach of the Dundas Real McCoys.
Managers of senior hockey teams today think they've died and gone to heaven if their lineup includes one or two defencemen with NHL experience.
The Clamatos had three ex-NHL defencemen - Graeme Nicolson, Fred Boimistruck and Pat Graham.
Nicolson played 52 games in the NHL prior to joining the Flamboro Mott's Clamatos late in the 1984-85 season.
The squad didn't become the "Brantford" Mott's Clamatos until the 1986-87 season.
Boimistruck played 83 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Graham had 103 games of NHL experience.
The forward lines were anchored by Stan Weir (642 NHL games and 68 in the WHA), Stan Jonathan (411 NHL games), Rocky Saganiuk (259 NHL games) and Gord Brooks (70 NHL games).
"That was an easy team to coach," recalls Mann, also a former NHLer. "How many former NHLers did we have there?
"You could coach them and they wouldn't try to step on your toes. When it got tough at the end, you didn't have to motivate the NHL guys. They all had that competitiveness inside them."
The Clamatos were regarded as a stacked team but they didn't walk over their opponents until they got to the Allan Cup championship series.
The Clamatos defeated the Dundas Real McCoys 4-3 in the Ontario Hockey Association's best-of-seven championship series.
Prior to the seventh game, the players held a players-only meeting and went on to defeat the McCoys 9-4 in the seventh game of the series played before more than 2,700 fans at the civic centre.
The Clamatos then faced the St. John's, Nfld., Capitals for the Eastern Canadian championship at the civic centre.
The Caps gave the Clamatos a run for their money in the best-of-seven series.
In fact, St. John's might have won the series if it hadn't been for Edwards.
"The series was tied 2-2 and they outshot us something like 52-20 and (Edwards) stole it for us," remembers Mann.
"Then we won Game 6 in overtime."
The Clamatos went on to sweep Nelson, B.C., in the Allan Cup final. Although the ex-NHLers were the key, the Clamatos' talent didn't end there.
"We had good young guns, the Scott Tottles, Scott Morrisons, Dave MacLeans and then there was Rick Barkovich and Blake Hull," says Mann.
"They were either just out of junior or just a couple of years out of junior. And we also picked up some players (Don McLaughlin and Peter Natashak) from university."
Solid senior players Reg Aubert, Wayne Smith, Todd Stark, Jeff Crawford, Joe McCallion, John Held, Ted Kewley, Mike Morrison, Jim Koudys and goalie Les Garrod completed the Clamatos' roster.
Held also won the Allan Cup with the 1977 Brantford Alexanders.
Barkovich, now a self-employed insurance agent in Raleigh, N.C., played for the London Knights in the OHL and still was trying to pursue a hockey career.
"We had a fun group of guys," he says.
"We put it together and we won it all."
Barkovich was selected as the Clamatos' most valuable player for the season and Edwards, who knew Cliff Fletcher, got Barkovich a tryout with the Calgary Flames.
Barkovich signed a three-year contract with the Flames and spent the next four seasons in the International Hockey League.
He later went to the East Coast League with the Raleigh Icecaps, where he played and eventually became the Icecaps' head coach.
Barkovich got an assistant's job with the Carolina Hurricanes but that only lasted one season and he landed in the insurance industry. "That (playing for the Clamatos) was the start of my career," says Barkovich.
"It was a great experience. I wouldn't change it. It's got me to where I am today."
It's doubtful if any of the Clamatos would change the experience.
They're wearing Allan Cup championship rings.
Quebec entry to be decided Friday; Pacific representative will be Bentley, Alta.
Brantford Expositor - Thursday April 10th
Bentley, Alta., Generals have qualified as the Pacific representative for the 2008 Allan Cup tournament, which begins Monday at the civic centre.
The Generals defeated the Fort St. John, B. C., Flyers 3-1 on Sunday night to win the McKenzie Cup best-of-three championship series 3-1 and earn a berth in the six-team Allan Cup tournament, which is held to determine the Canadian senior AAA hockey champ.
The McKenzie Cup was played in Fort St. John.
The Generals won the first game 5-4 but the Flyers took the second 5-0. Bentley came back to win Game 3, 4-3 before wrapping up the series Sunday.
Bentley qualified for the McKenzie Cup by defeating the Stony Plain Eagles 4-3 in the best-of-seven Alberta final.
Five of the six teams that will play in the Allan Cup tournament have been determined.
The defending champion Lloydminster Border Cats will represent Saskatchewan/Manitoba.
Brantford Blast are in as the host team, as well as the John Robertson Cup champion Whitby Dunlops and the Renwick Cup champion Dundas Real McCoys.
The Dunlops also have won the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League championship and the McCoys are the Major League Hockey champions.
Saguenay 98.3 fm and Shawinigan Xtreme Bionest are battling for the Ligue Centrale de Hockey championship and the final berth in the Allan Cup.
Shawinigan won 7-3 on Wednesday night to knot the series at 3-3.
The deciding game will be played in Saguenay on Friday night.
The Allan Cup tournament has been divided into two three-team divisions.
Division 1 consists of the Dunlops, the McCoys and the Border Kings. Division 2 will be composed of the Quebec champion, Bentley and Brantford.
Free admission to Blast vs. Blast game Friday
Brantford Expositor - Thursday April 10
The Brantford Blast are playing an exciting Inter Squad Game Friday April 11th at the Brantford Civic Centre. Game time is 7:30 pm and admission is free for everyone. Feelings are at a fever pitch as Brent Gretzkys White Team take on Tyler Peltons Red Team. All the Blast Boys will all be in action along with several affiliate players from the Brantford Golden Eagles. Come out and cheer on your favourite Blast players, they need and want your support to get ready for the 100th Allan Cup starting this Monday.
Due to the demand for Allan Cup tickets, Jane Curtis and staff are keeping the Civic Centre Box Office open this Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 AM til 2:00 PM for your convenience.
Look for Vibrant in Saturday's paper
Brantford Expositor - Thursday April 10
The April edition of Vibrant magazine, which will be inserted into Saturday's Expositor, is the official program for the 100th Allan Cup.
The tournament, which starts Monday at the civic centre, will decide the 2008 Canadian senior AAA hockey champion.
The Brantford Blast are among the teams vying for the Cup.
The magazine includes player profiles, game schedules and much more.
The Blast compete for the Allan Cup
Brantford Expositor - Thursday April 10
Hear the Blast's Peter Ham talk about the Allan Cup tournament in Brantford next week.
The Blast is hosting the 100th Allan Cup tournament to determine Canada's best amateur hockey team.
To hear the Expoditorcast, go to www.theexpositor.com, double-click on the Expoditorcast logo and download the MP3 file.
Hard work coming to fruition for Allan Cup organizers; Blast hosting 100th edition of tourney next week
Ed O'Leary, Brantford Expositor - Thursday April 10
When the Allan Cup is hoisted April 19 at the civic centre it will be the culmination of almost three years of work to stage the Canadian senior AAA hockey championship.
Hockey Canada unanimously supported in May 2005 a bid by the Brantford Blast to host the 100th edition of the Allan Cup, which begins Monday.
"It was generally regarded that the Brantford Blast had the best facility which was TV friendly, the best fan support, sponsorship and we could make a financial guarantee ($400,000 budget)," says Blast president and general manager Peter Ham.
"We also had the experience and media support."
Once Brantford was awarded the tournament, the work began to host the six-team event.
"The first thing we had to do was increase the number of season-ticket subscribers," says Ham.
"You pack your lunch before you go on the picnic. In other words, you must put money in the bank."
Blast fans this season bought between 400 and 500 season tickets, up from between 200 and 250 three years ago.
"Sponsorships go hand in hand with the season tickets because that's generating revenue," says Ham.
"It's been remarkable the support we've got from sponsors for the past three years. They come from the biggest employers in the Brantford area right through to the mom-and-pop organizations."
Although selling tickets and gaining sponsors is important, Ham knew he had to build a competitive team.
"For the past three years we've been the most dominant team in Major League Hockey in terms of wins against losses," says Ham.
"The contribution of hosting the Allan Cup certainly helps (attract players)."
A highlight of the tournament is that the championship game will be broadcast by TSN.
Ham says organizers learned of TSN's interest six months after the Blast won their bid. "We jumped at that. It was a no brainer even though it's an additional cost to us, but it's well worth it. TSN is a real plus to garner support for our community."
The Blast have also relied heavily on volunteers with the tournament's organization.
Stan Worosz and Al Osborne, members of the 1997 Allan Cup champion Brantford Alexanders, head the organizing committee which will "meet and greet" the visiting teams.
"They'll make sure all their needs are met," says Ham.
Worosz and Osborne have also taken on other duties such as organizing a reunion for the 1977 Alexanders. Many of the players from that team have committed to coming to Brantford and they will be introduced prior to the semifinal game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on April 18.
The Blast have also developed a program, sponsored by Millard, Rouse an Rosebrugh, the city and Tim Hortons, for elementary school students in Brant County.
Behind the program is Ross Enslev, who has arranged for about 4,000 students to attend games played Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
"What a wonderful job he's done," Ham says of Enslev.
Ham also appreciates the work done by civic centre general manager Jane Curtis and her staff.
"Their customer service has been fantastic," says Ham. "They've arranged it so that people from throughout Canada can simply phone the box office, order tickets and pay on their credit card."
The Blast also have arranged for Ontario Lt.-Gov. David Onley to drop the ceremonial puck at the opening game of the tournament Monday afternoon.
Ham also gives credit to his son-in-law Steve Cheeseman, who is the executive director and assistant general manager of the Blast.
"When we went after the Allan Cup, everything was normal (health wise)," says Ham, who has been diagnosed with cancer. "One and a half years later, things weren't normal with me as my health took a jolt."
Ham has undergone surgery and he's able to stay at home and treat himself with chemotheraphy three times a week.
"I never realized it drained your energy liked it does," he says.
"Steve has been running the day-to-day operations for the last year and without him we would have been sunk. Steve has proven to me that he can run the operation in the future without me, if he chooses."
Real McCoys round out one Allan Cup division; MLH team sweeps Thunder Bay Hawks in Renwick Cup
Brantford Expositor - Mon. April 7th
One of two Allan Cup divisions has been filled as Brantford prepares to host the 2008 Canadian senior AAA hockey championships at the civic centre from April 14 to 19.
However, local fans hoping to brush up on who the hometown Blast will play will have to wait a little longer.
The 100th Allan Cup will feature two divisions of three teams playing a round robin against the other two teams within its own pool.
Division 1 is set following a pair of weekend wins by Major League Hockey's Dundas Real McCoys.
The McCoys swept the Thunder Bay Hawks 2-0 in the best-of-three Renwick Cup championship, with a 9-8 win on Friday and a 4-2 victory on Saturday.
Dundas is now in a division with the John Robertson Cup champion Whitby Dunlops and western Canadian champion Lloydminster Border Kings.
Just one team has secured a berth in Division 2 - the Blast.
Brantford, which received a berth as the host team, will be joined by a Pacific and Quebec champion to round out its division.
Heading into a game late on Sunday, the Bentley Generals led the Fort St. John Flyers 2-1 in the best-of-five McKenzie Cup Pacific championship.
Bentley - which plays out of Alberta's Chinook Hockey League - needed a win in Game 4 late on Sunday to qualify as the Pacific champion.
Fort St. John - which is a member of British Columbia's North Peace Hockey League, needed a win to force Game 5 today.
In Quebec, the Saguenay 98.3 FM took a 3-2 lead over the Shawinigan Xtreme Bionest with a win on Sunday in its best-of-seven Ligue Centrale de Hockey championship.
Game 6 was scheduled on Wednesday and, if necessary, Game 7 would be on Friday.
The winner will advance to the Allan Cup.
Brantford is scheduled to play in the Allan Cup on April 14 and 16, with both games tabbed for 7:30 p.m.
There will be two games each on April 14, 15 and 16, with start times of 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The Allan Cup quarter-finals will take place on April 17, with the third-place team in Division 2 playing the second-place team from Division 1 at 3 p.m., and the third-place team from Division 1 playing the second-place team from Division 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals - which will include the two division winners against the quarter-final winners - will take place on April 18 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with the Allan Cup championship game scheduled for April 19 at 3 p.m.
Ticket details
The Blast have announced details regarding VIP tournament passes and ticket sales for the tournament
Blast season-ticket holders and VIP subscribers are advised that they may get their Allan Cup tournament passes at the civic centre Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
General admission single-game ticket prices are as follows: All games April 14 to 17, tickets are $20 each; April 18, semifinal games, tickets are $25 apiece for each game; April 19, tickets are $30 each for championship game.
The Blast encourage families to take advantage of discount coupons available in The Expositor during Allan Cup week.
More Blast News
Click links to view more Blast news stories.
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
BLAST NEWS ARCHIVE