Past and present members of the Armed Forces and emergency services will be honoured on "Remembrance Night" tonight as the Saskatoon Blades host the Prince Albert Raiders. Game time at Credit Union Centre is 7:05 pm.Head-to-Head
The Blades and Raiders have only met each other once previously this season. On October 2nd at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, the Raiders came away with a 2-1 shootout victory. Justin Maylan scored in regulation for the Raiders while Ryan Harrison sealed the game in the shootout. Former Blade Garrett Zemlak made 43 saves to claim the victory. Derek Hulak (Saskatoon, SK) scored the Blades lone goal in the loss while Adam Morrison (White Rock, BC) turned aside 39 of the 40 shots he faced.
Saskatoon Blades
The Blades (15-3-0-3, 1st in East Division, 1st in Eastern Conference) played last evening, dropping a 4-3 shootout decision to the Regina Pats. Gaelan Patterson (Saskatoon, SK) picked up two goals and Burke Gallimore (Edmonton, AB) added a single. Morrison made 34 saves in defeat between the pipes.
Hulak, the Blades' leader in scoring this season with 9 goals and 19 assists for 28 points, is tied for sixth in Western Hockey League scoring. Walker Wintoneak (Flin Flon, MB) is second on the Blades with 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points, good enough for a tie for ninth in the WHL. Patterson is third on the team with 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points. Stefan Elliott (North Vancouver, BC), fourth amongst WHL defensemen in scoring, is tops for Blades' defensemen with 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points.
With 11 goals on the season, Wintoneak leads the Bridge City Bunch in that category.
The Blades feature the top two players in the WHL in penalty minutes with Randy McNaught's (Nanaimo, BC) 77 penalty minutes and Darian Dziurzynski's (Lloydminster, AB) 69 penalty minutes.
In goal, Morrison has made 15 appearances, compiling a 9-3-0-3 record with a 2.42 goals against average (4th in the WHL), and a.918 save percentage (T-5th in the WHL). Fellow netminder Steven Stanford (Calgary, AB) sports a 6-2-0-0 record on the season with a 2.01 goals against average (1st in the WHL) and a.918 save percentage (T-5th in the WHL).
The Blades are tied for 20th in the WHL in power play efficiency, working at a 12.5% rate this season. While shorthanded, the Blades have killed off 88.6% of shorthanded situations, good for 2nd in the WHL.
Prince Albert Raiders
The Raiders (10-8-0-1, T-4th in East Division, T-6th in Eastern Conference) come into tonight's action on the heels of a 4-0 road victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Igor Revenko is atop the Raiders' scoring list with 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points, tied for ninth in the WHL. Ryan Harrison is second the team with 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points on the campaign. Jordan Rowley leads the Raiders' rearguards in points with 2 goals and 14 assists for 16 points.
In goal scoring the Raiders are led by Revenko, who has 13 markers on the season.
Harrison is tops on the Raiders with 54 penalty minutes on the campaign.
Between the pipes, Zemlak has seen in action in 16 games this season, putting together a 10-5-0-1 record to go along with a 2.78 goals against average and a.922 save percentage. Dalyn Flette has appeared in 1 game this season, going 0-1-0-0 with a 8.00 goals against average and a.814 save percentage.
The Raiders have the 16th-ranked power play in the Western Hockey League, converting at a 15.8% clip on the season. Meanwhile, the shorthanded unit is ranked 12th in the league, having killed off 79.2% of chances a man short.
The Blades will be suited up in a special jersey to be worn just for tonight's game. The powder blue jersey is being worn in honour of current and former members of the Canadian armed forces. Fans can get their hands on a jersey by bidding in a silent auction on the concourse. Proceeds from the jerseys will go to the Tri-Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
A special raffle is also being held on a "Remembrance Night" jersey. For just $2 or for three for $5, fans can try for a jersey signed by the entire Blades' team. Proceeds from this raffle will go to a fund set up in memory of Lt. Justin Boyes, recently killed while in combat in Afghanistan. The Blades will honour the memory of Lt. Boyes with a moment of silence prior to puck drop.
The pregame ceremony will also feature current and former members of the Canadian armed forces in a ceremonial puck drop.
All veterans and current military and emergency services personnel can purchase tickets for the game for just $10 with the presentation of identification at the time of purchase at Credit Union Centre.
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