Kootenay Ice
Box 242
Cranbrook, BC
250-417-0322
Kootenay Ice Information
After just four seasons in the Western Hockey League, the first two in Edmonton and the last two in Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice have won the President's Cup.
The Ice finished second overall in the WHL behind the Calgary Hitmen with 44 wins and 102 points, a 35 point improvement over the previous season.
Several transactions keyed Kootenay's rise in the west. First, the draft brought goaltender Dan Blackburn to Cranbrook. The 16-year-old quickly established himself as the team's number one goaltender, and by season's end was considered to be among the league's elite. Blackburn posted a 34-8-7 record with a 2.52 goals against average and a stellar .912 save percentage.
Blackburn's efforts were bolstered early in the season when star defenceman Steve McCarthy was returned to the Ice by the Chicago Black Hawks. McCarthy, who won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 1999-2000 World Junior Championships, had an injury plagued season, but scored 36 points in 37 games when he was healthy.
In October, the Ice made two deals that brought import sniper Zdenek Blatny and forward Fischer Cole to Kootenay. While Cole was a nice addition, Blatny proved to be a real steal. All he did was lead the team in scoring with 46 goals and 90 points.
At the January trade deadline, Kootenay picked up rugged defenceman Matt Walker, a veteran with Memorial Cup experience, from the Portland Winterhawks. He really helped to solidify the defence corps, especially with McCarthy's health causing him to bounce in-and-out of the line-up.
With all those pieces in place, Kootenay was ready to challenge the Hitmen for league supremecy.
The Ice swept the Red Deer Rebels in the opening round of the playoffs and defeated the Swift Current Broncos in six games to advance to the Eastern Conference Final against Calgary. Kootenay won that series in five dramatic games, each decided by a single goal - the last two in overtime.
But the Ice still had work to do. After losing the first two games of the Final to the Spokane Chiefs, the Ice rebounded to win four straight games and clinch the WHL title.
The Ice had the top three scorers in the WHL playoffs in Jaroslav Svoboda, Blatny and Mike Green. Blatny was a clutch performer, scoring four game winning goals. And with McCarthy missing the entire post-season, the defensivly-inclined Walker stepped up his game and led all blue-liners with 18 points, including four game-winning goals.
A 2.03 goals against average and a .935 save percentage earned Blackburn the Playoff MVP Award. He was dominant in the Final against Spokane, allowing just 10 goals in the six games.
For head coach Ryan McGill this will be his second trip to the Memorial Cup. He played with the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1988 when they defeated the Windsor Spitfires in the championship game.
That experience should go a long way in helping McGill prepare his team for the Memorial Cup tournament in Halifax, where the Ice will look to put the freeze on their opponents.
Players to Watch
Zdenek Blatny - A super-pest with scoring touch, Blatny also has a knack for timely goals. He's Russia's verion of Claude Lemieux.
Mike Green - Team captain and workhorse. Green, a four-year veteran with the Ice, has become a solid offensive contributor.
Jarrett Stoll - Youngster has offensive touch, especially on the powerplay, but remains a defensive liability. Stoll is highly regarded by scouts and could be a top ten pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
Jaroslav Svoboda - Had 66 points in 56 regular season games and led the team in playoff scoring with 15 goals and 28 points in 21 games. Won a gold medal with the Czech Republic at the 1999-2000 WJHC.
Steve McCarthy - Best offensive defenceman in the WHL needs to get healthy. If his shoulder heals, watch for him on the powerplay - he's deadly. Won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 1999-2000 WJHC.
Dan Blackburn - Could be the next superstar goaltender to emerge from the WHL. Unflappable despite his tender age. Had a great season and a better post-season. Can he take it up another notch in the Memorial Cup?
Matt Walker - Solid defenceman showed previously unknown offensive talent in the post-season. That will need to continue if McCarthy's out. Otherwise, watch for eye-popping hits and crease-clearing crunches.