WHL Winnipeg Ice

Pre Game Report - ICE vs Broncos - March 15, 2021

Published on March 15, 2021 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Winnipeg Ice News Release


March 15, 2021, 8:00pm (SK time), 9:00pm (MB time)

Winnipeg ICE vs Swift Current Broncos

Brandt Centre, Regina SK

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LAST GAME: The ICE dropped a 3-2 to decision to the Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday night in their season opener in the Hub Centre. Conor Geekie opened the scoring with his first Western Hockey League goal while Jakin Smallwood scored a powerplay goal in the loss. Carl Stankowski made 22 saves in defeat.

SCENE SETTER: Tonight is the home opener for the ICE, and the first of four meetings with Swift Current this season. Winnipeg won all four meetings between the clubs in 2019-20 including a shootout win in Swift Current to start the matchup.

NOTABLE:

Geekie Gets First: 2004-born Conor Geekie scored his first WHL goal in Saturday's opener against Brandon. Geekie was the second overall pick in the 2019 WHL Draft and appeared in seven games with the ICE in 2019-20.

First-timer: 2005-born Zach Benson made his Western Hockey League debut against the Wheaties. Benson was Winnipeg's first-round pick in the 2020 WHL Draft out of the Yale Hockey Academy. Benson had 1 SOG and was 1/1 in faceoffs Saturday.

Rolling Out The Welcome Mat: Goalie Carl Stankowski and forward Anderson MacDonald joined Benson in making ICE debuts on the weekend, both players are 2000-born and veterans of Major Junior hockey.

Centurion: Forward Owen Pederson will play his 100th WHL game tonight versus Swift Current. The Albertan has scored 32 goals and added 25 assists for 57 points in 99 games to date.

Runners-up: The 2019-2020 Winnipeg ICE finished second in the East Division with a 38-24-1-0 record, five points back of the defending WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders and one point up on Manitoba rivals the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Home Kings: Last season the ICE went 20-8-1-0 within the East Division, the best record among the six teams.

Winning Ways: Winnipeg's 38 total wins, and 22 home wins, were also East Division highs.

Powerful PP: The ICE were 22.5% effective on the powerplay last season, tops in the East Division scoring 58 PPG in 63 games.

Krebs Impresses: Peyton Krebs had 48 assists in 38 WHL games last season, a league-best 1.263 helpers/game. The ICE captain was fourth in the Western League in pts/game with 1.579

Silver Linings: Krebs had eight points in seven games to help Canada to a silver medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship in Edmonton before recording five points in five games with the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL, Vegas)

Flying High: ICE forward Connor McClennon was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Highly-Touted: defenceman Carson Lambos is one of only two East Division "A" prospects listed by NHL Central Scouting in their latest watch list, a rank reserved for players seen as first round candidates.

WHL Draft Dandies: six of the 26 players on the ICE roster are WHL Draft first round picks (Leppard, Krebs, McClennon, Lambos, Geekie, and Benson).

Puck drops at 9:00PM CDT tonight, catch all the action live on CFRW 1290 AM, iHeartRadio App and winnipegICE.ca. Pre-game show starts at 8:30PM CDT with Mitch Peacock and Kevin Olszewski. Tonights game is available as a FREEVIEW on WHL Live on CHL TV.

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2021


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