STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS
Swift Current Broncos Still in WHL Playoffs
Mr. Wall: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the elimination of the Saskatoon
Blades this past Friday, there is now only one of the five
Saskatchewan WHL (Western Hockey League) cities left in the WHL
playoffs. I’m referring of course to the Swift Current Broncos,
the 2000 east division champions.
So, Mr. Speaker, I thought
it’d be interesting today to look at some of the reasons behind
the Broncos’ success.
We should probably start with
the heart and grit of our players; we should talk about the best
goalie in junior hockey in Bryce Wandler. Also the fact that the
Broncos can boast the services of the finest hockey coach in all
of junior hockey in the country, Todd McLellan, cannot be
overlooked. Nor can the amazing community spirit of Swift Current
and area; it’s the smallest city to host a major junior hockey
franchise on the continent. It could even be that the colour
commentator on Bronco hockey telecasts is my constituency
assistant.
But if we only acknowledge these
things, Mr. Speaker, we may be missing a more subtle reason behind
the Broncos’ success and the lack of success of any other
Saskatchewan franchise, for only one WHL city sent a Saskatchewan
Party MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) to this place, Mr.
Speaker. Sadly the rest of our WHL cities are now suffering under
the same fate as the Saskatchewan Roughriders who have never won a
Grey Cup under NDP rule in this province, Mr. Speaker.
But there is good news for these
cities, Mr. Speaker. Soon and very soon, they too will send
Saskatchewan Party members to this Assembly and they might also
enjoy the same level of success that the Broncos have enjoyed in
Swift Current. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Some Hon.
Members: Hear,
hear!
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