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WHL Saskatoon Blades

CHL on CBC Gem - 3 Reasons to Watch - Blades vs. Warriors

December 14, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Free hockey is on the docket.

Available via the free CBC Gem streaming service, fans across Canada can tune in Wednesday as the Saskatoon Blades visit the Moose Jaw Warriors, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. Central.

To get you ready, here are three reasons why this WHL showdown is must-see TV:

Draft day talent

The biggest talking point when it comes to the Warriors is blue-liner Denton Mateychuk, the lone WHL rearguard who projects as a first-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft. Skating in his second season with the Warriors, the Manitoba native plays a complete, two-way game, underscored by a strong start to 2021-22 in which his offensive side has reached the next level. Through 28 appearances, Mateychuk has neared point-per-game production in collecting seven goals and 16 assists, good for third in team scoring and fourth best among his fellow defencemen league wide. Learning alongside Minnesota Wild draftee Daemon Hunt - who recently suffered an injury during tune-up action at selection camp with the Canadian World Juniors - Mateychuk has continued to progress this season, while the coming months will only see him take on greater opportunities. Meanwhile, other names to keep an eye on during draft day include Eric Alarie and Jagger Firkus of the Warriors and Pavel Bocharov, Brandon Lisowsky, and Charlie Wright of the Blades, all of whom project to be drafted in the back half of the 2022 class.

NHL futures ahead

Beyond Hunt, the Warriors bring a veteran savvy lineup that includes four other players who have heard their names called on draft day, a group that includes two more rearguards in Cole Jordan (Calgary Flames) and Maximus Wanner (Edmonton Oilers) as well as leading scoring centre Ryder Korczak (New York Rangers) and Czech-born left-wing Martin Rysavy (Columbus Blue Jackets). Beginning with the former, Korczak brings intriguing bloodlines - he is the younger brother of Kelowna Rockets graduate Kaedan Korczak - mixed with a solid skill set highlighted by a smooth skating stride and excellent on-ice vision. Those assets make Korczak a noteworthy playmaker, as evidenced by his strong showing with Moose Jaw this season where he has collected eight goals and 20 assists through 28 contests. For Rysavy, the sixth-overall selection from the 2020 CHL Import Draft has made an impressive showing in his first season on North American ice, where through 27 games he has registered four goals and 11 assists for 15 points. Prior to coming to Canada, the talented forward spent one season split between the Czech professional leagues.

Dynamic duo

An impressive pair leads the way for the Blades and will look to do so again Tuesday against the Warriors. Namely, that is 2002-born left-wing Kyle Crnkovic and his fellow forward Tristen Robins, a 2020 second-round selection of the San Jose Sharks. For Crnkovic, despite his smaller stature he has continued to find the scoresheet this season, to the tune of 35 points counting 16 goals and 19 assists through 25 appearances, production that puts him fourth-best league-wide and in the conversation for top spot when the season wraps in the spring. Meanwhile, Robins continues to provide solid returns since hearing his name called by the Sharks. This season, he sits second in team scoring with 31 points in 24 games, marked by four nights where he has put up three or more points. The son of former pro Trevor Robins whose development path also included three seasons with the Blades, Robins is well equipped with the knowledge of what it takes to exceed at the next level.

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 14, 2021


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