Bruins 7 Hounds 1

Here is a recap of tonight's 7-1 victory over the Notre Dame Hounds in the last game of the pre-season.

There are a few injury-related tidbits to get to. I stand corrected on Shea Cooper's injury. The cut is actually on his foot, rather than his knee. He's expected to be out about two weeks.

Keith informed me that Ryan Ostertag was wrongly diagnosed with a concussion when he was with the Northern Connecticut Wings. After some testing done last week, it turns out it was a viral infection that was causing migraines. Not hard to see how the confusion started there. At any rate, Ostertag looked terrific in his return tonight, scoring twice and nearly getting a hat trick if not for a player being in the crease.

Ben Johnstone has recovered from his concussion. Keith said he could have played tonight.

As for the game itself, Ostertag was obviously a standout. He showed off his speed and pinpoint shot and also didn't shy away from battles. Dylan Smith was really impressive, both for his backdoor goal and his willingness to mix it up. Smith pummelled Hounds rookie Dillon Schwartzenberger after Calder Neufeld's goal in the third, and he also went looking for a few hits.

Jesse Bernard had probably his best outing yet and as you'll hear below, Keith was very impressed with his game. His one-touch passing play with Taylor Reich in front of the net was a thing of beauty and had Matthew Smidt completely out of position. With both his linemates from last week being at the Team West camp, Bernard didn't miss a beat.

Tyler Kauk once again showed off his poise with the puck. For an 18-year-old who's billed as a heavy hitter and shooter, he's very calm in moving the biscuit. That's something the Bruins' young blueline will rely on.

Here's the post-game with Keith:

Keith Cassidy Sept. 13 by lewis94

Bruins edge Hounds in rookie game

The Bruins defeated the Notre Dame Hounds 6-5 in today's rookie game in Wilcox.

Scorers were Wyatt Garagan (3), Dayton Picard, Daniel Wanner and Zach Douglas.

The Bruins got out to a 4-2 lead in the second period before the Hounds tied it up. Estevan then took a 5-4 lead, only for Notre Dame to level it up again. Garagan scored the game-winner on a two-man advantage late in the third.

Estevan's next game is at home against the Wings tomorrow, followed by a return game in Weyburn on Wednesday.

I'll try to get the current roster from Keith and post it here soon.

Team Black wins Gerry Aspen Cup

Team Black got a pair of goals from Calder Neufeld en route to a 3-1 win in today's Black and Gold game, which will now be called the Gerry Aspen Cup in honour of the Bruins' trainer.

Wyatt Garagan added another goal late in the third and Black got strong netminding from both Shea Cooper and Travis Pelletier.

Ben Johnstone had the only goal for Team Gold, burying a cross-ice pass from Matt Brykaliuk early in the third.

Although the black team had more chances, it easily could have been a tie game. Brandon Halbgewachs hit a crossbar in the first period that looked like it may have gone in, and Neufeld's second goal came when the puck was trickling into the net and it looked to me like Derek Tendler knocked it away in time.

Either way, it was a high-tempo game with a lot of players giving it their all to stick around a while longer.

The Bruins will trim down to about 28 players tonight, not including the kids who will play in the rookie game tomorrow in Wilcox.

Post-game interviews with Calder Neufeld, Shea Cooper and Keith Cassidy:

Calder Neufeld Sept. 4 by lewis94

Shea Cooper Sept. 4 by lewis94

Keith Cassidy Sept. 4 by lewis94


Also, here's the roster the Bruins will be icing for tomorrow's game against Notre Dame:

Goalies
1. Ryland Pashovitz
30. Braven MacPherson

Defence
2. Zach Douglas
3. Josh Rieger
4. Tyson Theaker
5. Edwin Hookenson
6. Blake McMillen
7. Lyndon Soper

Forwards
8. Brandon Halbgewachs
9. Dylan Johner
10. Wyatt Garagan
11. Darcy Deroose
12. Dylan Ostertag
14. Dayton Picard
15. Daniel Wanner
16. Cohen Yano
17. Chase McKersie
18. Brendan Hopkins
19. Drew Kocur
20. Rhett Handley

Black and Gold rosters

Team Black
Goalies
Shea Cooper
Travis Pelletier

Defence
Dom Perrault
Eric Baldwin
Jordan Greig
Austin Yano
Denin Boesch
Lyndon Soper

Forwards
Chris Daniels
Dylan Smith
Taylor Reich
Cole Olson
Tanner Froese
Wyatt Garagan
Jesse Bernard
Dylan Johner
Calder Neufeld
Kyle Trimp
Dayton Picard
Chase McKersie

Team Gold
Goalies
Derek Tendler
Steven Glass

Defence
Tyler Kauk
Sean Whelan
Dallas Jorgensen
Jeff Bartel
Edwin Hookenson
Zach Douglas
Blake McMillen

Forwards
Matt Dochylo
Ben Johnstone
Matt Brykaliuk
Brendan Hopkins
Darcy Deroose
Dylan Ostertag
Rhett Handley
Mitch Holick
Dylan Richardson
Brendan Halbgewachs
Daniel Wanner
Anthony Delli Fraine

Training camp - Day 2

I'm putting this up now because I have to go to Torquay for bull riding tonight, so I'll miss the last game of the day.

Scores from this morning were 5-2, gold over red, and 5-3, white over green.

Here are most of the goal scorers:
Gold: Dylan Ostertag, Michael Hengen, last one was either Brayden Larkin or D. Ostertag.
Red: Jesse Bernard
Green: Matt Dochylo, Chris Daniels, Anthony Delli Fraine
White: Calder Neufeld (2), Dylan Johner, Tyler Boyer, last one was either Dylan Smith or Matt Brykaliuk

On the injury front, Derek Whitehill and Ryan Ostertag sat out this morning. Whitehill suffered a shoulder injury last night (I believe on a hip check from Kauk). Not sure how serious it is. Ostertag is still recovering from a concussion he suffered in Boston and wasn't feeling great after last night's game.

For rookies, Austin Yano had another impressive showing. He's a dynamic presence from the back end and a guy who should get lots of PP time this year. Tyler Boyer also showed some offence from the blueline, scoring for the second straight game. He's been the best 94 in camp in my mind and should see some pre-season action at the very least.

Jesse Bernard and Tanner Froese seem to be building some chemistry and Matt Brykaliuk has shown that he knows what he's doing around the net. Tyler Kauk turned in another strong game. He's laid some nice hits without trying too hard and taking himself out of position, as some guys have been prone to doing.

For vets, Daniels continues to impress. He'll of course be facing older competition in game action but he's been dominant for the green side so far. He's been setting up a lot of plays. Calder Neufeld has been very good in both games he's played and he's showed a competitive spunk, throwing a few hits and mixing it up. He's got tons of talent and could easily be a first-line guy if he puts it all together.

Shea Cooper and Derek Tendler went head-to-head in the second period of the white vs. green game. Cooper has looked great so far, relying on his reflexes and athleticism to make stops and challenging shooters. He's making a very strong pitch for that #1 job.

If I had to predict what the blueline will look like, I'd say two spots are up for grabs with Perrault, Baldwin, Jorgensen, Kauk and Yano taking the first five. I think it's Denin Boesch, Jeff Bartel and Tyler Boyer battling for the six and seven roles. But what do I know.

The camp roster will be cut down to about 40 after tonight's games. I will try to get the info and get the rosters up for tomorrow's game when I get back from Torquay.

Training Camp - Day 1

Day 1 of Bruins camp is in the books. Two intrasquad games were played tonight, with Team White defeating Team Gold 7-5 and Team Green (originally black) edging Team Red 4-3.

Most would agree that the second game had a little more intensity and crisp offensive play. There were highlights to be had in both sessions though.

This list is incomplete but here are most of the goal scorers:
White: Cole Olson, Jordan Greig, Sean Whelan, Matt Brykaliuk, Tyler Boyer
Gold: Ben Johnstone, Michael Hengen, Dominic Perrault
Green: Chris Daniels, Matt Dochylo, Taylor Reich (2)
Red: Edwin Hookenson, Daniel Wanner

Reich, Daniels, Johnstone, Tyler Kauk and Steven Glass were some of the kids who impressed me most. Reich was everywhere and threw some good hits, Daniels looked good around the net and Kauk was a physical presence. Glass made some big stops... he's looked good all week and if he keeps this up will almost certainly earn a spot.

Here are a couple of interviews with Bruins coach Keith Cassidy and forward Ryan Ostertag. Sorry about the background noise.

Keith Cassidy Sept. 2 by lewis94


Ryan Ostertag Sept. 2 by lewis94

Camp Rosters

Team Red
Goalies
1) Steven Glass (93)
30) Ryland Pashovitz (95)

Defence
2) Eric Baldwin (92)
4) Austin Yano (93)
5) Lyndon Soper (93)
6) Edwin Hookenson (95)
7) Jacob Eger (95)
9) Zach Harms (95)

Forwards
10) Josh Jelinski (92)
11) Derek Whitehill (91)
12) Tanner Froese (93)
14) Dayton Picard (94)
16) Jesse Bernard (93)
17) Cohen Yano (96)
18) Daniel Wanner (95)
22) Keegan Ham (93)
23) Chase McKersie (96)

Team Gold
Goalies
1) Gage Murray (94)
33) Travis Pelletier (94)

Defence
2) Dominic Perrault (91)
5) Tanner Davies (95)
6) Brennan Degenhardt (93)
7) Brandon Lequyer (95)
51) Denin Boesch (93)
52) Stacy Lowes (93)

Forwards
8) Michael Hengen (92)
9) Ryan Ostertag (92)
11) Ben Johnstone (93)
12) Kyle Trimp (92)
14) Wyatt Garagan (94)
15) Darcy Deroose (95)
16) Brayden Larkin (96)
17) Jason Hengen (95)
19) Dylan Ostertag (95)
22) Dylan Richardson (92)

Team White
Goalies
1) Shea Cooper (91)
33) Braven MacPherson (95)

Defence
2) Dallas Jorgensen (92)
3) Jordan Greig (94)
4) Sean Whelan (94)
5) Tyler Boyer (94)
6) Damon Elgie (93)
49) Lyndon Johnson (95)

Forwards
8) Cole Olson (92)
9) Dylan Smith (91)
10) Calder Neufeld (92)
11) Matt Brykaliuk (93)
12) Mitch Holick (93)
14) Brandon Halbgewachs (94)
17) Dylan Johner (94)
18) Curtis Noll (94)
19) Ryan Frehlick (95)
22) Brendan Hopkins (94)

Team Black (green jerseys)
Goalies
30) Derek Tendler (92)
1) Brok Terrill (95)

Defence
2) Jeff Bartel (92)
3) Tyler Kauk (93)
5) Blake McMillen (94)
6) Zach Douglas (95)
7) Tyson Theaker (95)
8) Josh Rieger (96)
9) Garett Earl (94)

Forwards
10) Matt Dochylo (91)
11) Chris Daniels (91)
12) Taylor Reich (93)
15) Rhett Handley (94)
16) Zach Paxman (96)
17) Derek Roeher (94)
18) Drew Kocur (95)
19) Anthony Delli Fraine (91)

Bruins property at WHL camps

Here's a list of the players I've been able to glean so far who are listed by the Bruins and at WHL camps. I'm sure there are others, so if you know of them feel free to leave a comment.

Tyler Bell - defenceman, 17 years old
Bell has impressed the Kamloops Blazers in camp and they have now signed him to a pre-season contract.

Austin Daae - left winger, 18 years old
Daae played in 11 games with the Saskatoon Blades last year and is looking to crack the squad for good.

Tyler King-Cunningham - defenceman, 16 years old
King was a first-round pick of the Spokane Chiefs, so don't expect him in Estevan, although there was some talk earlier in the summer that he might come for one year.

Darcy Deroose - forward, 16 years old (Moose Jaw Warriors)
-signed to a pre-season contract by the Warriors

Grant Naherniak - goalie, 15 years old (Red Deer Rebels)

Bruins add centre; players skating at Spectra Place

Nearly 25 Bruins or Bruin prospects showed up to Spectra Place for a little 4-on-4 shinny tonight in advance of training camp starting on Friday.

One of those players was new acquisition Derek Whitehill, a 20-year-old centre. Whitehill played two years with the Winnipeg Saints, including 2009-10 under Keith Cassidy. He played for the NAHL's Alaska Avalanche last year.

It sounds like Whitehill has speed to burn and he should make for a good checking centre and PK guy.

Here's a look at his stats:


I'm going to miss some guys here, but the players skating tonight included Derek Tendler, Steven Glass, Ryan Ostertag, Chris Daniels, Tanner Froese, Cole Olson, Josh Jelinski, Jesse Bernard, Tyler Kauk, Ben Johnstone, Calder Neufeld, Denin Boesch and Austin Yano.

Bernard's hands were on full display. It wasn't hard to see why he led the Manitoba midget league in scoring last year. Glass looked very solid despite wearing brand-new gear. Kauk looked impressive and Olson had the highlight of the night, beating Glass with a great snipe from in close.

A lot of players will likely be out tomorrow night as well.

Over 70 players invited to Bruins training camp

From today's Mercury:

There will be no shortage of players looking to earn a spot with the Estevan Bruins at the team’s training camp this weekend.

Head coach and general manager Keith Cassidy expects about 75 players to show up and they will be divided into four teams for scrimmages.

The main reason for the large group is so Cassidy can get a first-hand look at as many list players as possible in his first camp behind the bench.

Many of those players also attended the team’s conditioning camp last week, including one day when 30 players showed up. No goalies made it to any of the sessions though.

One of the biggest names at camp will be goaltender Derek Tendler, who was released by the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos last week.

The 1992-born netminder played 38 games for the Bruins in 2009-10. He has since spent time with the Broncos, Vancouver Giants and the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

It’s believed the Broncos let Tendler go mainly because of his conditioning, but Cassidy said he will be given every chance to battle for the starter’s job alongside 20-year-old Shea Cooper.

“We’ll see what he looks like when he gets here. That’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine, if guys don’t show up in shape, but we’ll see. He apparently spent the whole summer in Swift Current, so I can’t see him being too terribly out of shape.”

A whopping 10 goaltenders will be in camp.

The most difficult decisions will likely be up front, where a strong group of ’93 forwards will battle a returning contingent of eight players for roster spots.

Read the rest of the story here

Training camp schedule

Here's a rough schedule for Bruins' training camp this weekend.

About 75 players are coming to camp and they will be divided into four full teams. It's mainly so Keith can get a good look at everyone. Friday's games will be played 4-on-4. Sunday practice times may change but they will be in the morning.

Friday
4-5:30 p.m. Registration and orientation meeting
6-7:30 p.m. White vs. Gold
8-9:30 p.m. Red vs. Black

Saturday
10-11:30 a.m. Gold vs. Red
12-1:30 p.m. Black vs. White
4-5:30 p.m. Red vs. White
6-7:30 p.m. Gold vs. Black

*First round of cuts*

Sunday
9-10 a.m. Black practice
10:30-11:30 a.m. Gold practice
5 p.m. Black and Gold game

*Second round of cuts down to 25-28ish*

Tendler back in the picture

Derek Tendler could be the Bruins' starting goalie this season.

The 19-year-old netminder was released Thursday by the Swift Current Broncos and will be at training camp in Estevan a week from now.

Tendler, a native of Regina, last suited up for the Bruins in 2009-10 when he appeared in 38 games, posting a .907 save percentage and 2.99 GAA.

He's spent time with the Vancouver Giants and the Broncos since then.

Tendler's return puts the status of returning goalie Shea Cooper in jeopardy. No word yet on what will happen there.