Weekend Thoughts

First off all, Happy Easter to all of you and for all you Ukrainians out there you get to do it all again this weekend as well (Double the paska and babka, can't go wrong with that.)

**The season for the Yorkton UCT Terriers ended on a disappointing note losing to to the Winnipeg Warriors in the Bronze Medal Game at the Western Canadian Bantam Hockey championships in Winnipeg , but they have nothing to hang their heads about. The Terriers were able to capture their 2nd straight league and provincial title in dominating fashion. Expect a handful or more players from this squad to have their name called out very early when the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft is here on May 7th. Job well done Head Coch Graham Garett and the Terriers team.

**It wasn't the color of medal they wanted but congratulations to local product Jessica Campbell and her Team Canada teammates who captured the silver medal at the 2015 World Women's Hockey championships in Malmo, Sweden. The canadian girls lost to their longtime rivals the Americans in the final Saturday 7-5. It was the first big step for Campbell as she played her first World championship with the Senior program and she didn't look out of place. I'm proud of my good friend and former teammate on her success so far in her hockey career, still plenty of time for the 22 year old with the Canadian Senior Women's program.

**The SJHL's Canalta Cup Finals are now set as two of the best and most talented teams the whole year will do battle as the Notre Dame Hounds take on the Melfort Mustangs. The Mustangs have been one of the leagues elite all season long led by the Minion line of Travis Mayan, Tristan Frei and Justin Boyer will have been sensational all season long along with former Melville Richard Palmer who has been superb for them between the pipes. The Mustangs won the battle of the North East and  advanced after defeating the Nipawin Hawks in 5 games, with 3 of those going to the overtime period.
     Meanwhile the Notre Dame Hounds will be making their appearance in the Canalta Cup final since 1988 (Former NHLer Curtis Joseph was the goalie on that team). The Hounds have been very consistent all season long and have fallen under the radar a little bit, but they backed their play up by beating 2 very good teams, the Flin Flon Bombers in 7 games and now most recently last night defeating the Kindersley Klippers in 6 games after Spencer Trapp got his 2nd of the game in OT. Boy is Trapp a player, he has come a long from being a little guy I saw running around at hockey games when we were little when our older brothers played together back in Melville. Speaking of the Balcarres product and former Melville Millionaire Bear Trapp, he is of course the Assistant Coach of the Jr. A Hounds and him alongside Clint Mylymok have done a tremendous job with that Hounds squad.

          Also the Klippers loss last night ended off the very solid Junior career of Regina's Dylan Baer. Baer was acquired earlier in the year to Klippers I have been able to see this kid grow over the years mostly spent with the Yorkton Terriers where he captured a couple league titles and a RBC Cup National Title. So congrats to Baersy on the career and best of luck going forward.
     So now that the final is set, it should be a dandy so if you have the chance to check it out, please do so and I'm saying this could be a very homer series, meaning the home team would probably be successful, so its going to go 7 games. Goaltending is going to be HUGE.  The Series starts Friday in Melfort.

**Speaking of Junior A hockey, the MJHL Turnbull Cup Final begins Wednesday in Portage, as the top 2 teams in the standings will do battle as the Terriers will take on the Steinbach Pistons.This might be a closer series than most people think as the 2015 RBC Cup host Terriers have shown despite their great success this year that they can struggle a bit on a smaller ice like the Pistons have. Local flavor in the final has a couple of former Swan Valley Stampeder teammates Colin Baudry (Steinbach) up against Landon Peel (Portage). Also one time Millionaire Brodie Buhler is the on the Steinbach squad.  I'll take Portage in 6 games.

**The Regina Pat Canadians are headed to the Telus Cup National Championships after defeating the Pembina Valley Hawks 7-1 in the Gold Medal Game yesterday (Sun). They will begin the tournament on April 20th in Quebec.

**The final week of the NHL season is upon us and it could be a very entertaining and exciting final week, and I got only one thing to say and thats Go Canucks Go!!

** It's opening day for the Toronto Blue Jays as they battle the New York Yankees. The question mark is still out there if the Jays can be a playoff contender this season, well their offence looks strong and they will score a lot of the runs but is their pitching going to be good enough? I think the Jays will be in consideration to be one the Wild Card teams in the American League.

**Its also Master's Week for Golf as the first major of the 2015 season will go this week. All eyes are on Tiger Woods who makes his return to the course, I don't think Tiger will have any magic in his first week back. I got Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson as my picks with Webb Simpson being my dark horse.

**and finally the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game goes tonight as Wisconsin battles Duke. I'll take Coach K and the Blue Devils this evening.