Saskatoon Blades face Pats in opening round of WHL playoffs
The Saskatoon Blades' last two home games of the season have been against the Regina Pats, and with top NHL prospect Connor Bedard drawing big crowds wherever he's playing, almost 30,000 fans have come through the turnstiles at Sasktel Centre.
A Blades 3-2 win on Friday night secured a first round playoff matchup between the Blades and Pats, Regina's first trip to the postseason in five years.
“Obviously being on the team last year and having the frustration of not making it, we were close and we had so many games that we should have won, it was a tough pill to swallow,” said Connor Bedard. “It’s exciting to get in this year and compete on the big stage and when it matters most.”
With nearly 11,000 more people in the building than the Blades' season average, it's clear that a big part of that is 17-year-old Connor Bedard.
While the WHL’s leading scorer is staying focused on his job on the ice, he enjoys the atmosphere in Sasktel Centre.
“It’s fun, we played back to back and really good atmosphere both times,” Bedard told media on Friday. “It holds more people than I knew so a lot of people in here and it was loud and energetic, so it was fun.”
Blades coaches Brennan Sonne and Wacey Rabbit played in front of sold out WHL arenas during the 2004-2005 NHL lockout, and while they’ve got advice to give, Sonne says it's important to let the players learn through it.
“It’s one thing to give the words of wisdom, its another to experience it,” said the Blades’ head coach. “As we all know, teenagers maybe don’t listen the first time, and sometimes experience is the best teacher. But in general when the puck goes down, we've been doing it all year, so they know what to do, you’ve just got to experience it and learn from that.”
For overage defenceman and Blades captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere, more of these crowds and games is a good thing.
“It's awesome, the boys feed on that,” said the 21-year-old from Langley. “It’s great energy, you can hear it every TV time out; every whistle, you can hear it. It’s pretty cool to be out there.”
Game one kicks off Friday night in Saskatoon, and if they’re anything like the last two games between these teams at 14,768 recorded fans each, tickets will be going fast.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.