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Giants and Blazers Excited for Whitehorse WHL Match-Up

February 10, 2011 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


The Western Hockey League heads to the great white north this weekend to help celebrate CBC's annual Hockey Day in Canada.

The Vancouver Giants will face off against the Kamloops Blazers at Takhini Arena in Whitehorse, Yukon, on Saturday as part of CBC's event celebrating Canada's love of all things hockey. Joined by the CBC's Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, along with a host of NHL and WHL Alumni, the WHL is set to stage its first ever regular-season contest in the Yukon.

"It's going to be a really exciting experience," said Blazers' forward Brendan Ranford, who is among the top scorers in the Western Hockey League. "This will be the furthest north I've ever been."

It's not the first time the WHL has ventured north - the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kootenay Ice staged a pair of exhibition contests in Yellowknife, NWT, in 2005 - but it will the League's first trip to Whitehorse.

"The furthest north I've ever been is probably Prince George," said Giants winger Brendan Gallagher, also among the WHL's best marksmen. "I don't think anyone on our team has been to the territories or the Yukon, so it will be a different experience for us, and I'm really looking forward to it."

The CBC's Hockey Day in Canada has become an incredibly popular event, and draws millions of viewers from across the country. Naturally, the Blazers and Giants are both excited to take part what has become an annual tradition, and take to the ice on a national stage.

"It's going to be really fun...I know it'll be cold up there," said Blazers forward Colin Smith, who has never ventured north of Ft. McMurray, AB. "Everyone knows Don Cherry and Ron MacLean, and we all grew up dreaming of playing on Hockey Night in Canada, so it'll be nice to have an opportunity to take part in this."

Traveling to the Yukon, hobnobbing with CBC personalities and playing in the 1,535-seat Takhini Arena will certainly make for a great weekend for the Blazers and Giants. However, both teams are aware of the fact there is still two points available from the game. With the WHL playoffs coming up fast and the intense competitiveness of the B.C. Division this season, both teams know they will have to find a way to focus on the task at hand.

"The playoff race is happening right now, and we need the two points, so we will have to be focused on the game and how we play," said Smith, whose Blazers are battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Giants will head to Whitehorse having played some of their best hockey of the season in recent weeks. As exciting an experience as this weekend will be, Gallagher knows the Giants will face a tough B.C. Division battle when they hit the ice at Takhini Arena.

"Our division is incredibly tight, right now, so whenever there are two points on the line versus a divisional opponent, you know it's going to be a tough game," said Gallagher, whose Giants currently lead the division and are seeking an unprecedented sixth consecutive division crown.

"We will enjoy the trip to the Yukon, and hopefully we can come away with a win," he said.

NOTES: CBC's Hockey Day in Canada coverage starts at 10:00AM MST on Saturday, February 12th, with the Giants and Blazers facing off at 2:30PM...All six Canadian NHL teams will feature on Hockey Day in Canada...The WHL Alumni participating in the event include Trevor Linden (Medicine Hat Tigers), Wendel Clark (Saskatoon Blades) and Kelly Hrudey (Medicine Hat Tigers)...CBC will also be broadcasting from Cole Harbor, NS, Quebec City, QC, Oakville, ON, Regina, SK, and Victoria, B.C. as part of the Hockey Day in Canada coverage.

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