The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, November 12th:

1. (1) Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
2. (2) Truro Bearcats (MHL)
3. (3) Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
4. (10) Winnipeg Blues (MJHL)
5. (7) Minnesota Wilderness (SIJHL)
6. (5) Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL)
7. (4) Melville Millionaires (SJHL)
8. (11) OCN Blizzard (MJHL)
9. (9) Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL)
10. (20) Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)
11. (HM) Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL)
12. (6) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
13. (18) Summerside Western Capitals (MHL)
14. (12) Georgetown Raiders (OJHL)
15. (13) Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
16. (14) Yarmouth Jr. 'A' Mariners (MHL)
17. (HM) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
18. (NR) Humboldt Broncos (SJHL)
19. (17) Smiths Falls Bears (CCHL)
20. (19) Saint Jerome Pantheres (LHJAAAQ)

Honourable Mention goes to the Merritt Centennials (BCHL), Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL), Dauphin Kings (MJHL), North Bay Trappers (NOJHL), Ottawa Jr. 'A' Senators (CCHL).

From not on the list to honourable mention to ranked 17th in Canada, all in two weeks....Woohoo!!!!....... Go Storm!!!!!......

Eight in a Row

2012 November 11th

If it wasn't clear to AJHL fans already, the Grande Prairie Storm made it official this weekend---they are indeed a team to be reckoned with. After winning 2-1 Friday night in Bonnyville, the Storm made it a weekend sweep over the Pontiacs by doubling them 6-3 Saturday evening at the RJ Lalonde Arena.

The Storm have now won an impressive eight straight hockey games, as they continue their rise in the North Division standings. Grande Prairie remains one point back of first place Spruce Grove, as the Saints also won Saturday. However, the Storm enjoy four games in hand on the Saints.

For the second straight night, Jade McMullen had the winning goal for the Storm. His tally at the 19:06 mark of the second period snapped a 3-3 tie and put the visitors ahead to stay. Adam Boytinck added the insurance in the third period with his first two goals of the season. Jeremy Barriault, Jordan McTaggart and Sam Lawson also scored for Grande Prairie, with Lawson also adding a pair of assists for a three-point night.

The Storm powerplay continues to click as of late, as it went 2-for-6 on the night. The Pontiacs, meantime, scored once with the man advantage in just two opportunities in the contest.

Storm now return home next Friday to face a team that is even hotter than they are---the Brooks Bandits. The Bandits stretched their AJHL record for most wins at the start of a season to 20 in a row on Saturday night, as they blanked the Fort McMurray Oil Barons 5-0.

- Story submitted by Don Whiteford of www.PeaceCountrySports.com

The Grande Prairie Storm.....#17 in Canada......Just defeated the Brooks Bandits ..........#1 in Canada........4-1.......and ended the Brooks 20...yes 20 game winning streak!!!!!!!!



Me thinks my boys are gonna pass your Grizzles in the rankings this week Gunny.....

Unbeaten No Longer

2012 November 16th

The Brooks Bandits were looking for yet another entry into the AJHL record books on Friday night, but the Grande Prairie Storm would have none of it. In front of 2496 raucous fans at the Canada Games Arena, the Storm scored three unanswered third period goals to skate to a 4-1 victory over the previously unbeaten Bandits.

With 20 consecutive wins, Brooks had already set a league record for the longest win-streak out of the gate. Another victory would have tied them for the longest-ever single season victory streak. Instead, though, it's the Storm who enjoy the longest current winning streak, as they've now put together nine straight victories.

Marc-Etienne Drapeau was the offensive hero for the home squad. His two goals just under two minutes apart, early in the third period, broke open a contest which had been knotted at one goal apiece since the middle of the first period. Coach Blaine Bablitz was very pleased with what Drapeau and his line brought to the table, especially in the third.

"When you're playing against a team as good as the Bandits, your best players have to be your best players. I thought our guys raised their level of play, which was the difference in the third period."

Jake Matkin had opened the scoring three minutes into the game, but the Bandits tied things up about ten minutes later on the powerplay. After that goal, the Storm penalty killers were flawless in the final four attempts against the vaunted Bandits powerplay. They had to be particularly sharp, Bablitz noted, late in the game, after Sasha Laroque took a double minor.

"Killing off that four-minute powerplay was huge. Our PK unit didn't panic, as they stuck to their lanes and blocked a number of shots...and when the shots did get through, Nick was solid in making the saves."

Nick, of course, being Nick Kulmanovsky, who was brilliant again on the night, in getting named the first star of the game. Kulmanovsky made 30 saves on the night, many of the brilliant variety, in winning his sixth start in a row. Kulmanovsky only had a chance to finally breathe easy when Mike Forsyth iced the win with an empty netter and just 34 ticks left on the clock.

The win keeps Grande Prairie two points back of Spruce Grove for first in the AJHL North, as the Saints also won Friday. The Storm, however, enjoy six games in hand on the Saints.

Storm are right back in action Saturday night, when another South Division team comes calling. Canmore hasn't won twenty in a row, like Brooks, but with a winning record thus far this AJHL season, the Storm can't afford to take the Eagles lightly. Gametime will be 7:30 pm.

- Story submitted by Don Whiteford of www.PeaceCountrySports.com

The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, November 19th:

1. (1) Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
2. (2) Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
3. (3) Truro Bearcats (MHL)
4. (5) Minnesota Wilderness (SIJHL)
5. (8) OCN Blizzard (MJHL)
6. (6) Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL)
7. (17) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
8. (4) Winnipeg Blues (MJHL)
9. (10) Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)
10. (9) Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL)
11. (15) Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
12. (11) Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL)
13. (13) Summerside Western Capitals (MHL)
14. (18) Humboldt Broncos (SJHL)
15. (12) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
16. (7) Melville Millionaires (SJHL)
17. (16) Yarmouth Jr. 'A' Mariners (MHL)
18. (HM) North Bay Trappers (NOJHL)
19. (19) Smiths Falls Bears (CCHL)
20. (20) Saint Jerome Pantheres (LHJAAAQ)

Honourable Mention goes to the Yorkton Terriers (SJHL), Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL), St. Michael's Buzzers (OJHL), Oakville Blades (OJHL), Nepean Raiders (CCHL).

Ten in a Row

2012 November 17th

What separates good hockey clubs from average ones is the ability to win games even on nights when they're not firing on all cylinders. Saturday night at the Canada Games Arena, the Grande Prairie Storm were no where close to bringing their "A" game, yet somehow they found a way blank the Canmore Eagles 3-0 in front of 1702 fans.

The win was the 10th in a row for the streaking Storm. In many ways, the letdown for the Storm was easy to foresee, as the club was coming off a hugely emotional contest one night earlier, when they beat Brooks 4-1 to hand the Bandits their first loss of the AJHL season, after 20 straight victories. Coach Blaine Bablitz anticipated his club may not be able to match the intensity of the previous night, but was happy to see they at least played solid in their own end.

"We have a good structure to our team now, which helps us greatly, even on nights when the offensive creativity isn't there. Even though we lacked the energy and emotion of Friday's game, we were still good defensively and didn't let a whole lot of shots through."

Perhaps fittingly, it was two Storm players who had little or no ice time against Brooks who had the most in their tank this night. Captain Taylor Cote, who was tossed in the first period against the Bandits, scored the only goal the Storm would need. Cote burst down the left wing, went by the defenceman and then deked the Eagles goalie to score the ice breaker five minutes into the second period. The pride of Falher would also add an empty net goal with just seven seconds left in the third.

Meantime, Curtis Skip, who only saw action in warm-up Friday, returned from two weeks away from the club to post his second shut out of the season. Skip, who was with Canada West for their silver medal at the recently completed Junior A World Championships in Nova Scotia, made 30 saves on the night. Although not overly tested in the first two periods, Skip had to shine on four or five first class scoring chances that Canmore had in the final twenty minutes.

Grande Prairie's other goal came early in the third period, when Devin Case deftly redirected Tyler Haiste's shot from the point. Case had moved up on the night from the fourth line to the second, replacing an injured Sam Lawson. Coach Bablitz liked what he saw and felt Case definitely did not look out of place.

"Devin knows our system inside and out. He's solid defensively, yet he also has a knack for always being around the puck in the offensive zone. He showed that tonight with a very nice deflection on our second goal."

Neither team had a chance to show off their powerplays or penalty killers in this affair. In an occurance about as rare as a blue moon, there was not a single penalty called in the contest---a good indication of the lack of overall intensity of the two clubs, between which there is little to no rivalry.

You can be sure that such will not be the case Wednesday night, as the Storm finish off their three-game home stand against Whitecourt. Although the Wolverines are in their first year in the AJHL, an intense rivalry and dislike has already grown between themselves and the Storm. It'll be Whitecourt's third-and-final trip to the Swan City this season. The Storm won the first two in overtime and are 3-0 overall against the Wolverines thus far.

- Story submitted by Don Whiteford of www.PeaceCountrySports.com

Lost Weekend For The Storm

2012 November 25th

The Grande Prairie Storm have started a new streak, but not one they want to be on. Fresh off of their eleven straight AJHL wins, the Storm have now dropped two in a row...and to the last place team in the North Division, no less.

After losing 4-1 Friday night in Lloydminster, the Storm weren't any better on Saturday, as they fell 5-1 to the Bobcats. Fairview's Adam Boytinck actually opened the scoring with a powerplay goal early in the second period, but it was all Bobcats after that. It was 3-1 Lloydminster after 40 minutes, before the home side added two more in the third period to round out the scoring.

For the second straight game, Grande Prairie actually held an edge on the shot clock, 26-25. However, like Curtis Skip on Friday, Nick Kulmanovsky didn't have a great save percentage in this game, as he blocked just 80% of the shots directed his way.

Perhaps the most telling statistic right now with this Storm team, though, is the huge difference in their home and away records. While they are virtually unbeatable at the Canada Games Arena, going 13-1, they posses a sub-par record of 4-6-2 on the road. Unfortunately for the Storm, their next three are also on the road, with Drayton Valley coming first on Wednesday. They then come back to Lloydminster on Thursday night.

Storm don't return home until Friday, December 7th, when the Sherwood Park Crusaders pay a visit to the Swan City.

- Story by Don Whiteford of http://www.PeaceCountrySports.com