Huskies Drop Game in GP

The Huskies 9 game undefeated streak is over.

A short bench, penalty plagued second period and strong oppenent on the road were to much for the Huskies to overcome Thursday night. The 1st place dogs are now (0-2-1) in the Coca-Cola Cente this year as the Grande Prairie Wheelers improve to (8-2-1-1) at home.
5-3 was the final.

Friday is the final game prior to the X-mas break for the Sled-dogs, as the boys hop back on the bus and are off to Sexsmith to face the Vipers.

The Vipers have the leagues #2 goal scorer in Lloyd A-kim-na-chee. The Huskies played in Sexsmith early in the year and watched A-kim-na-chee post a natural hattrick in the 1st period en route to a Vipers 11-6 romp.

Catch the game live with Brent Locke and I at 7:45 on Moose FM.

Happy Egg-Nog Season!

Huskies Keep Rollin'

If you had told the Peace Air Navigators prior to Friday's game that they would hold the Huskies' dynamic top line to a single goal, had two '5-on-3's, held the league's most potent offense to a lone even strength goals and faced the visitor's 'back-up' goalie the Navigators would have assumed they won Friday's home game.

But then that's what is so dangerous about this first place Huskies team.

The Sled-Dogs continue to prove why they have to be the run-away favorite for NWJHL Champions (back to back?!). Friday, the depth of the Huskies was shown in the crease, up-front and on the blue line, and all the host Navigators could do was watch an excellent effort leave them with nothing but awe and disbelief of their sterling opponent.

With the top line playing well, but held in check (one goal for the trio that represent 3 of the top 4 scorers in the league) the Huskies second line stood tall. Cody Kalb, Kyle Porter and Jordan Shipton generated 3 of the Huskies 4 goals that trumped the Navigators pair of tallies. On the back end, Andrew Payou's first of the season (a 3rd Period PP marker) couldn't have been bigger as it established a 3 goal deficit for the home team that played an emotional and technically solid game, only to find themselves in a late hole. In net Chris Jenkins' play was solid, with flashes of brilliance. Jenkins' lightning quick glove that robbed Brad Kerr (second in league scoring with 47 points in 18 games) was exactly that.

Could the Navigators had it any worse?... Well, YES! Sure, the Huskies are riding a hot streak (just one loss in their last 15), but they were missing 6 regulars, didn't start their #1 goalie, had to juggle lines for a half period as Jeff Shipton blew the rivets in one of his skates, and weren't in the comfortable confines of the North Peace Arena where they are a perfect 12-0. That is just plain scary.

All the opposition can do at this point is hope the Huskies overindulge over the Holidays and have a few extra Nanaimo bars and EggNogs!

Oh, yeah 4-2 was the final!! here is the game recap.

Success on the Road, the Final Homestand of the Year, and a Bus Filled with Tins

A solid weekend of Huskies Hockey on the road showed why they are the class of the NWJHL this year. Not only did the 'sled dogs' take three of a possible four points this past weekend, they did it in hostile environments in which they had struggled all year. Heading into the two game roadie, the Huskies had an ugly (0-3) combined record in the Memorial Arena in Dawson Creek and the Coca-Cola Centre in Grande Prairie, needless to say the Huskies exorcised some demons.

On Friday, a quick start had the Huskies leading 5-0 halfway through the game, they never looked back and won 7-4 in a physical affair that featured 8 fights.

Saturday's match was a much more defensive battle that ended up going into double OT, where nothing was decided. Huskies G Wendel Dyer continued his strong play against the GP Wheelers allowing just a pair of twine ticklers. Dyer was at his finest when the game was in OT... he made 9 saves in 2OT alone! The game ended in a 2-2 draw, and was hands down the most exciting Huskies game I have called on Moose FM.

This weekend the Huskies have their last home stand of 2006 as they host Beaver Lodge on Friday and Peace River on Saturday. Make sure you get you Huskies Fix, as their next home stand is over a month away (Jan 6). Puck drop is 8 PM both Friday and Saturday @ the North Peace Arena.

Finally, this Sunday is the Huskies' "Fill the Bus" Food Drive. The team will be out on the streets of FSJ gathering non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army. Be sure to keep a few items to donate near the front door, or leave your food donation on your front step come Sunday.



Let's fill this bad boy with food for the Salvation Army

Huskies to Visit Winless Venues

They have only lost 4 games all year long, but the Huskies have lost every single time they have laced up the blades in the Dawson Creek Memorial Arena or the Coca-Cola Arena in Grande Prairie. Oh for three. This weekend the team will have to turn their luck around in DC and GP if they want to keep their 5 pt cushion for first place in the NWJHL.



The Jr. Canucks have the Huskies' number when they play in DC.



The Huskies have lost their only tilt in the 'Pop Bottle' when the Wheelers scored with 12 seconds left to beat the Huskies 3-2

Huskies Sweep Homestand - Get Back on Track

The Fort St. John Huskies had one of their worst efforts as a team Wednesday November 15th in Dawson Creek. The Scoreboard flattered the Huskies as they looked uninspired most of the game. That loss halted a 5 game winning streak, but a couple games at home seemed to be the perfect tonic for a the most talented in the NWJHL.

The Huskies are yet to lose at home, they beat the Sexsmith Vipers 6-4 on Friday and the Grande Prairie Wheelers 5-1 on Saturday. Chris Jenkins got his first start in net since Nov 9th on Friday and picked up the Win. Jenkins had been bothered by an ailing ankle but looked solid in the victory. Wendel Dyer had another great home win Saturday, he allowed just one tally on 28 shots.

The Huskies have won 7 of 8 and now have a comfy 5 pt cushion over the second place Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks.

This Weekend's action sees the Huskies hit the road for a pair of games. Friday you can catch the Huskies on Moose FM with a 7:45 pre-game and 8 O'Clock Puck Drop in Dawson Creek. Saturday the Sled Dogs head to Grande Prairie for a 8:45 game, that one also airs on the Moose... Pregame underway at half past eight.

Huskies look for 6th straight

After a weekend with no games, the Huskies are off to Dawson Creek looking to create some more room between themselves and the rest of the pack in the NWJHL. Currently the 1st place Huskies have a 3 point bulge on their nearest competitor, the Jr. Canucks, and they also hold a game in hand.

These two teams played last Thursday in FSJ, with the Hometown Huskies destroying the Jr. 'nucks 9-2. (click here for the game sheet)

Jeff Shipton is on an absolute tear. #26 has 6 goals and 2 assists in his last two games, he now leads the league in goals and points. (click here to see Jeff's game log)

The Huskies are on a 5 game winning streak while the Jr. Canucks have lost their last two contests.

Catch the game live tonight on Moose FM. Pre-Game 7:45, Puck Drop at 8 bells.

First Place on the Line Thursday

It is shaping up to be a great matchup for the mid-week tilt between the Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks and the Huskies here in FSJ. The two teams are seperated by a single point in the standings with the Huskies in first, but the Jr. Canucks have a game in hand. The winner will leave the North Peace Arena in first place... it is that simple.

The home team has been victorious in each meeting of these two clubs, even in the exhibition, home ice has played a major role.

Click below for gamesheets from the regular season meetings between these clubs this season.

10/11/2006: FSJ 4 - DC 3 (@FSJ)
10/13/2006: DC 6 - FSJ 5 (@DC)

leading scorers in the season series between these two club are as follows:
Adam Horst (FSJ) - 2G 3A 5PTS
Bret Loney (FSJ) - 1G 4A 5PTS
Marcus Juister (FSJ) - 1G 3A 4PTS
Ray Richmond (DC) - 0G 3A 3PTS

Puck Drop is 8pm at the North Peace Arena.

Ronald MacDonald will be on hand giving away prizes... the sooner you arrive, the greater your chance of winning a NHL mini jersey and other memorabilia.

Winning Streak Continues for 1st Place Huskies

The Huskies made it four in a row on Sunday with a road victory in Peace River. The 1st place club got stellar goaltending down the stretch from Wendel Dyer and make-shift Jeff Shipton notched the winner with 15:44 remainging in the 3rd period. The Final score was 5-4 making the victory the fourth consecutive for the team and the third game in a row that Wendel Dyer started for the club.

Click here for an audio game report from Brent Locke and me.

Big Weekend Pt.2 - At Home

The Huskies made the best of their home ice advantage Saturday and Sunday putting back to back wins togther at the end of a busy weekend of hockey. The Team is now sitting in first place in the NWJHL.

Andrew VanDerMerwe back stopped the team in the 7-4 win Saturday against the Slave Lake Wolves while Wendel Dyer got the 'W' in the Sunday Matinee against the Peace Air Navigators that the team won 3-2.

Bryce Novak two goals and four assists and Brady Busche added two goals and an assist in just his second game of the year in the 7-4 win. On Sunday, Durrell McLennan notched the game winner short handed midway through the period and Wendel Dyer slammed the door late to preserve the 3-2 win.

Currently the Team sits with 14 points throught 10 games to lead the league. Dawson Creek has 13 points in 9 games for second best record in the league and Sexsmith sits in third place with 12 points in 10 games.

Big Weekend Pt.1 - On The Road

The Huskies put forth a strong effort in Grande Prairie Friday Night, only to watch as the Wheelers scored on a scramble off a faceoff with just 8 seconds remaining to win the game 3-2.

Chris Jenkins made his first start of the season and was very strong for most of the game. Chris likely couldn't see either the game tying or game winnning goals as he was screened on both shots, but made some huge saves in the third to keep the game tied at two.

Brady Busche and Richard MacDonald made their Season debuts for the team and stepped in without missing a stride.

Not present for the game was assist leader Bret Loney, steady first year rearguard Jack Christian and Adam Horst who came into the weekend leaing the league in goals.

The Defending champs don't have much time to hang their heads and dwell on this loss. The Huskies host the Slave Lake Wolves tonight at 8PM at the NPA and the Peace Air Navigators Sunday afternoon.

Look for Andrew Van Der Merwe to start tonight against the Wolves and Wendel Dyer to play against the Navigators on Sunday.

Back on Track

After an unsatisactory road trip last weekend through Dawson Creek and Sexsmith, the Huskies are back to their winning ways again. The Dogs played two games at home Friday and Saturday and collected all four points available with wins over Beaver Lodge and Grande Prairie. Friday wasn't exactly the prettiest win as the celler dwelling Blades pushed the defending champions to Overtime before Adam Horst completed his hattrick and sealed the win, 10-9. Saturday the Huskies got back to playing defense beating the Wheelers 5-1 in Wendel Dyers best statistical preformance of the year. This morning Huskies Bench Boss Gary Alexander was the guest on a special Huskies edition of 'Issues and Answers' you can listen to the program by clicking here.

Road Tripping Adventures

If losing 11-6 to the Sexsmith wasn't enough on Saturday, the Huskies had to deal with a bus that didn't want to cooperate on the ride home. About 20 minutes after hitting the road from the Sexsmith Arena, the headlights decided to turn off... as we were driving on the highway at 100 km/h... Not exactly the safest travel conditions! With no lights we faced no choice but to creep back to Sexsmith with the hazard lights blinking and the coaching staff excercizing their contact lists in their cell phones. It isn't easy trying to find a mechanic or electrician that can get to Sexsmith near midnight on a Saturday, but by 1 AM we a mechanic with new lights trying to fix the problem. Every time the lights were operational the bus would blow another fuse putting us back in the dark. Now nearing 3 AM Head Coach Gary Alexander and the the mechanic managed to hotwire a headlight from the battery under the back of the bus by stringing an extention cord along the side of the bus. When all was said and done, the bus arrived in the North Peace Arena at 5:20 AM on Sunday... just 5 hours late!

Here are some pics I snapped during the wait on the outskirts of Sexsmith.

Sexsmith Shows Superiority

The Huskies droppped their second game of the season and second in a two nights Saturday in Sexsmith. The Huskies managed 6 goals on the road, but the home town Vipers had a 5 - nothing lead after 20 minutes and managed 11 goals in the full 60 minutes. Coming into the game the Sexsmith Vipers were undefeated with four wins to lead the NWJHL. The Vipers were as advertised, Lloyd Ahkimnachee had a natural hattrick including two shorties in the first while the Payou brothers provided the headache for the final 40 minutes. Dale, Daniel and Darwin Payou (cousins of Huskies Capitain Andrew Payou) were a force offensively and the Huskies simply couldn't stop them. To hear a game update Click Here.

First Loss For The Huskies

The Huskies dropped their first game of the season Friday night in Dawson Creek.
The Jr. Canucks switched to number one goalie Alex Gauvreau halfway through the game and came back from a 4-2 defecit to earn a big 6-5 victory at home to split the home and home mini series with the Huskies.
The breaking point seemed to be the short handed breakaway goal by Jr. Canucks D-man Lorne Weaver that was as unlikely as it was a difference maker.
The Huskies now head to Sexsmith to face the red hot league leading Vipers. This game should be a good indicator of how good each team is in this early NWJHL season. The Vipers are well rested for the match not having played since last weekend while the Huskies will be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Pre-game is at 6:45 on Moose FM.

Click here for audio game report.

The Weekend Ahead and The Week That Was

This week in Huskies Hockey
After playing just 2 games in the first 12 days of the season, the Huskies are in the middle of a busy week in the schedule.
The team beat Dawson Creek Wednesday night in dramatic fashion, with talented blueliner Bret Loney flicking the backhand shot that defeated the Jr. Canucks with just 2 full seconds remaining in regulation.
Above and beyond the midweek action, the Huskies now head out for two games in two nights this weekend agianst the only two teams above them in the standings. The Huskies are 3-0, and face a familiar opponent Friday night in the Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks... This time in their barn. Saturday night doesn't get any easier for the Huskies as the league leading and undefeated Sexsmith Vipers play host to the defending champs. While the weekend ahead provides stiff competition and quite a challenge for the Huskies, conversely the opportunity is also huge for the team. A strong weekend of play and two wins would see the team vaulted into first place in the NWJHL. Should be fun to call! Be sure to tune into the games on Moose FM at 7:45 on Friday and 7:45 Saturday to catch the Pre-game, while the puck drops at the top of the hour.

Who's Hot
Adam Horst has made quite a splash in his second season in the NWJHL, he and linemates Jeff Shipton and Bryce Novak have supplied the vast majority of scoring 3 games into the season. Horst opened the season with back to back hattricks and added 3 assists last night to grab the lead in league scoring. While Adam Horst's point production has been dazzling, In this broadcaster's humble opinion, no player for the Huskies can make as much of an impact as D-man Bret Loney when he is on the ice. Loney seems to be capable in all aspects of the game. He is as gifted offensively as a D-man can be jumping up into the play often and moving the puck well from the point on the powerplay. Loney also is defensively conscious and can play a physical game with his big body. The only knock on Loney thus far this season is his affinity for the penalty box. Loney's presence was visably missed on a 4 on 3 Wednesday night when he was serving a minor. When Loney stays out of the box, he could just be the best player in the entire league.

Net Gain
Coach Gary Alexander caught a lot of attention Wednesday with his decision to start his back-up goalie Matt De Jong over #1 Wendel Dyer, in the toughest match to date of the Huskies season. The logic in the Coach's head was that putting De Jong in against a lower level team like the Blades or the Wolves wouldn't be a great gage for De Jong's talents and ability to contribute to the team, unlike Wednesday's game.Wenesday's tilt provided a better test of De Jong's mettle against a tougher opponant in the first solid test of the year. Coach Alexander proved why he has been coaching at this level of hockey for so long... the decision was a gusty one, but it was one that provides him a better look at his crowded crease that currently has 4 stoppers.

Game Three News and Notes

The Huskies look to keep winnning streak alive tonight as they host the Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks. The Canucks have 3 wins and an OT loss on the year, while the Huskies have 2 wins and no loses.

Gameday Notes:

- The Huskies 05-06 Banner is at the Printers to have the Back side printed

- Adam Horst and Jeff Taylor are the League's top two goal scorers heading into tonight's game. The Huskies' Horst has 6 goals in 2 games while the Jr. Canucks' Taylor has 7 goals in 4 games.

- The Staff at the North Peace Arena are working serious over time in the last 12 hours. After hosting the Nazareth concert last night, the crew worked until the wee hours of the AM and returned today at 7:30AM to get the building ready for the Huskies game tonight.



- Huskies Special Teams play was exceptional on Saturday for their home-opening 7-4 win against the Slave Lake Wolves. The team scored 3 shorthanded goals and 3 powerplay goals in the win, with Adam Horst notching two shorties and one PP marker.

- Team President Carolyn Krauss was thrilled with the season opening crowd and banner raising... Let's keep the North Peace Arena rocking tonight with another big crowd.

Huskies Win First Home Game

The Huskies won Saturday night 7-4 over Slave Lake in their first home game of the season. On top of the win, they raised the banner over the NPA for their 2005/2006 NWJHL Championship win. Listen to Moose FM for the next Huskies Road Game this Friday at 7:45pm live from Dawson Creek

Top Line Dominance!

With the Huskies home opener just days away, Slave Lake would be advised to keep some tight checks on the Huskies top line. If the Wolves want any shot at winning at the North Peace stopping Bryce Novak, Adam Horst and Jeff Shipton would be a good start. The Offensively gifted trio opened the season with 8 of the Huskies 9 goals in the 9-7 victory over the Beaver Lodge Blades last weekend. Novak and Horst had hat-tricks while the older of the Shipton Brothers added 2 gaols. Also the Wolves best keep their eyes on smooth skating rearguard Bret Loney, he had 3 assists and seemed to make a brilliant play every time he touched the puck.
Puck drops and Banner Rises at 7:30 Saturday. Be there!

Game 1 - Parade of Penalties.

The Huskies took two points from the Beaver Lodge Blades on Saturday night on the road. The Team came back from a two goal deficit and the handicap of having a man in the box, for what seemed like nearly the whole game, to post a 9-7 victory in their first game of the season. The Huskies out shot the Blades 60-35 in a game that saw each team given with double digit power play opportunities and even saw some 3 on 3 action. The topic of discussion before and after the game was the tight enforcement of obstuction calls and how teams will adjust to the new officiating. I spoke with Coach Gary Alexander before the game about obstruction, expectations and the roles played by his 8 rookies.

Ready to Rumble

With the season opener on Saturday, the Huskies are getting geared up for the new season and a chance to start the drive for back to back NWJHL Championships. I spoke with Assistant Coach Todd Alexander after Monday's Practice and picked his brain on the upcoming season. We discussed the new NHL rules that Hockey Canada has now applied to the NWJHL, how many goalies the team will carry, and how coaching alongside father Gary Alexander came to be. Click to listen to the full interview.