麻豆社国产minor hockey alum Dalton Thrower and the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Saskatoon Blades keep on rolling and seem to be poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.
The Blades finished with the top record in the league and will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Thrower said it's been an incredible ride for the team and he doesn't see it ending anytime soon.
"The season was just great for us," he said. "We were a strong team back in November but I think us adding Brayden Schenn at the trade deadline was a huge lift. We just kept winning games and it really put us up to another level."
Schenn, who has starred for Team Canada at the past two World Junior Championships, has recorded an astounding 53 points in his 27 games with Saskatoon and Thrower said acquiring him sent the team the message that this was their season to challenge for the Memorial Cup.
"He's done so much for the team and made such a difference," he said. "It really made us a better team."
As of press time, the Blades had eliminated the Prince Albert Raiders 4-2 in first-round playoff action and Thrower was a major factor early in the series. He notched two goals in Game 1 and sent a message to the Raiders in Game 2, taking down Prince Albert's heavyweight Austin Connor in a fight.
"It's been a good start to the playoffs for me," he said. "In the playoffs you need to try and get as many shots on goal as you can and you never know they might go in. Those two just happened to go in for me.
"As for the fights, we'd been having words all night but he nailed a teammate from behind and there was no penalty, so I thought it was a good time to drop the gloves. It was good to get the crowd going and my teammates liked it."
Thrower finished the series with three points and was a solid plus-5 on the blue line for Saskatoon. The Blades are set to open their second-round series against the Kootenay Ice on Friday (April 8).
Thrower said that he's been following the progress of his best friend and former neighbour, Brodyn Nielsen, who recently got called up to the WHL's Vancouver Giants.
"I told Bro from Day 1 that he's good enough to play in this league and it's kind of surreal to see me and him playing in the WHL," he said. "I think him playing in major midget was good for his development and confidence as a player."
Thrower admitted that the Blades, who drafted Nielsen back in 2009, weren't a good fit at the time for his best friend.
"We're a deep squad and Brodyn is the type of skilled player that should be a top-six forward," he said. "I told him when he didn't make the team that there were better things out there for him and the Giants called him up, listed him and now he's on their team."
Thrower said that he and Nielsen have joked about planning their first WHL fight to be against each other. Thrower said it would be funny but maybe not a good idea in the playoffs.
"We've definitely talked and joked about it," he said, laughing. "But I don't think it would be the best idea to fight him in the playoffs. Plus, I don't want to rough him up too bad."
Fortunately, perhaps for both Nielsen and Thrower, the Giants were eliminated from the WHL playoffs on March 30, so the "fight" will have to wait until possibly next year.
For more information on Thrower and the Blades, visit www.saskatoonblades.com.
