What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
Nov 18, 2024
Previously, WHL players were declared ineligible to play NCAA hockey in the U.S.
It’s an 18th birthday Jagger Firkus won’t forget.
The Moose Jaw Warriors forward had two goals and an assist, propelling his team to a 6-4 win over the Saskatoon Blades and punching their ticket to the second round of the WHL playoffs.
“(The birthday) was good. Coming into this game we wanted to put them out tonight and that was all that was on my mind — just coming into this game and winning,” Firkus said. “When I’m shooting the puck it goes in. That’s what I thought about going into this game — just shooting the puck from everywhere.”
But while the Warriors get to celebrate and continue their season, the Blades’ run has come to an end.
“They’re a good hockey team and have a lot of talent. We started a little slow (in the series) and got better every game,” Saskatoon head coach Brennan Sonne said. “We just got down two (goals) deep and just had no margin for error. I will say we battled all the way to the end. You go down 2-0 quick and then battle back and then down 3-2. I’m still proud of the guys.”
The Warriors, who finished just one point ahead of the Blades in the regular-season standings, won all three games they played at Mosaic Place in the best-of-round series. The Warriors won Game 3 in Saskatoon while the Blades kept their season alive in Game 4.
“You work all season long and it’s a long season and you’re playing for something — home-ice advantage is certainly one of them,” Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary said. “It proved to be an important factor in this series and I think any team will say they are more comfortable playing at home. For us, that is certainly the case.”
The Warriors were the first to find the back of the net Friday, with a pass from Brayden Yager from behind Blades goaltender Nolan Maier finding Jagger Firkus in the slot. Firkus fired it into the back of the net.
Later in the period, during a high-sticking double minor to Saskatoon’s Brandon Lisowsky, Denton Mateychuk fired a puck past Maier 13 seconds into the man advantage.
The Blades pulled within one with a power-play goal of their own, with Lisowsky firing a shot on net but hitting teammate Josh Pillar in front of Moose Jaw goalie Carl Tetachuk. The puck went into the air and as it came down, Moose Jaw’s Calder Anderson tried to swipe it out of harm’s way with his hand — but the puck landed in the back of the net instead.
In the second frame, the Blades were able to get within one, with Josh Pillar scoring.
The Warriors scored another one after a pass from Majid Kaddoura found Thomas Tien, who got behind the Blades’ defenders and put a shot past Maier.
Saskatoon once again pulled within one goal, with Trevor Wong getting a puck past Tetachuk.
But Atley Calvert put an end to the series after a rebound from Maier ended up in the slot and on the Warriors’ stick, who scored the fifth goal of the game for the home team.
O’Leary said the team’s ability to remain calm when opposing teams get within a goal speaks to the mindset they’ve had all season.
“When you get knocked down, you have to get up fast and punch back,” O’Leary said.
Robert Baco added an empty-net goal to complete the scoring.
For the Blades, it marked the end of their seasons and the end of the WHL careers for Tristen Robins, Rhett Rhinehart, and Maier.
“It’s tough but at least they got playoffs. The last couple groups didn’t even have that. As sad as we are that they are gone, this is what it is all about — we’re trying to develop human beings and hockey players at the same time,” Sonne said. “They’re off to the next chapter of their lives.”
“It meant a lot (to play in playoffs). We had a couple unfortunate years with COVID everything. To share this experience and go to war with these guys every night, it’s an experience like no other,” Robins said.
After the game, all the Blades players lined up to shake Maier’s hand after his final WHL game. He goes out as the WHL’s all-time wins leader.
“He’s the best to put on a Blades jersey and one of the best to be in between the pipes in this league,” Robins said.
The Warriors will play the Winnipeg Ice in the next round if the Red Deer Rebels win their series against the Brandon Wheat Kings. If Brandon wins, Moose Jaw will match up against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
“We prepare by trying to get healthy and take advantage of some rest here,” O’Leary said. “Whether you’re playing Edmonton or Winnipeg, you’re playing a team that’s built to win now and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
And O’Leary hopes the team can keep the wins coming and allow captain Daemon Hunt to return to the lineup.
“It’s our responsibility to keep this thing going long enough to see him again. Him, Eric Alarie and Riley Niven, all three of them we will see how this week looks, and hopefully we see them back in the lineup soon,” O’Leary said.