WHL Saskatoon Blades

Blades Hunt 5th Straight Win Hosting Pats

April 15, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Regina Pats (6-8-2-1) @ Saskatoon Blades (13-2-2-0)

Date | Time Thursday, April 15th | 4:00pm MT

Place Brandt Centre, Regina, SK

Video Stream WHL Live

Radio 98 COOL FM | Pre-Game Show w/ Les Lazaruk @ 3:45pm MT

Mobile App Apple | Android

What's Next Saturday, April 17th vs. Swift Current Broncos (8:00pm MT)

Social Media @BladesHockey| Facebook | Instagram

Saskatchewan BlueCross Game Day Preview

After rolling over Swift Current 3-0 last night, the Saskatoon Blades will look for a similar result as the home team, hosting the Regina Pats this afternoon.

Forward Blake Stevenson collected a pair of goals, and netminder Nolan Maier earned a 27-save shutout in the Blades victory over the Broncos, stretching their winning streak to four games.

Saskatoon enters the contest tied with the Brandon Wheat Kings for first in the East Division, however hold one game in hand as teams enter the final stretch.

Meanwhile, the Pats are trying to get back in the win column after falling in back-to-back games to Prince Albert and Winnipeg.

Tale of the Tape

This is the third of four meetings between the two rivals, with Saskatoon coming away with regulation victories in both.

The Blades doubled up the Pats 6-3 to open the season series on March 14th, and followed that up with a 7-3 lashing on March 26th.

Seven of the combined 13 goals for Saskatoon have come in the first period. Historically, the Blades hold a strong advantage against Regina, donning an impressive 15-4-1-1 record over the last five years.

These two will finish their season series next Tuesday, with the Blades acting as the away team. FOR THE ENTIRE GAME NOTES PACKAGE, CLICK HERE.

Who to Watch

Newly acquired forward Blake Stevenson was named the game's first star last night after scoring a pair of goals, including the game-winner against the Swift Current Broncos.

The former Tri-City American also leads the team in scoring against the Pats this season with six points (6G-6A), which includes a career-high four-point (2G-2A) in their first meeting of the year.

Captain Chase Wouters picked up his second goal in as many games last night, extending his point streak to four games.

The career-Blade also notched a pair of markers along with an assist in Saskatoon's most recent game against the Pats on March 26th.

Speedy winger Kyle Crnkovic picked up an assist for the sixth straight game last night, and is now tied with Tristen Robins atop the Blades scoring charts with 23 points (7G-16A).

Higher for Maier

Veteran goaltender Nolan Maier continues to re-write the history books this season, not only setting a new record for most career wins (86) but also matching Andrey Makarov for most shutouts as a Blade (9).

The latter came last night, when the Yorkton, SK native stopped all 27 shots to lead the Blades to a 3-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos.

Maier currently leads the East Division in wins (10), and is 26 starts away from catching Braden Holtby's record for most games played (177).

On the Record

#73 | Nolan Maier

#18 | Blake Stevenson

Captain's Quarters

Pending WHL graduate Chase Wouters is enjoying an impressive final chapter to his storied career.

The Lloydminster, AB native sits third in team scoring with 17 points (7G-10A), all while continuing to excel as one of the best faceoff artists in the WHL.

The two-time Hardest Working Blade award winner sits 3rd among centreman in the WHL with 201 faceoff wins, despite playing several fewer games than most players.

Wouters also boasts a team-leading 55.8% success rate. Hailed as one of the greatest leaders in the WHL, the career-Blade is the only player in franchise history to wear the 'C' for three consecutive years.

Ecologik Game Day 50/50...

24 games mean 24 chances to win a hefty cash prize through our Ecologik Game Day 50/50!

Purchase your tickets online beginning 1 hour prior to puck drop for every Blades game during the 2021 season. Participants must be of legal age to purchase and live in the Saskatoon area to purchase. Tickets are:

1 for $10

10 for $20

30 for $30

You know the drill: winner takes half the pot and the other half goes towards the Saskatoon Blades Player Education Fund.

Need to Know Love winning as much as we do? Download the Blades official mobile app, powered by SaskTel, and try your hand at some of our in-app games!

You have the chance to win a Hockey Gives Blood prize pack if you correctly predict the player who scores our first goal! Or put your puzzle-solving skills to the test with our photo scramble, featuring a new player and photo every game day.

The Blades official app has so much more to offer, giving our fans a new, interactive way to engage with their favourite team this season. It's available to download on Apple and Android devices!

Check out the Saskatoon Blades Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from April 15, 2021


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