The Swift Current Broncos returned home on December 12th after a successful weekend road trip. Back at home, they hosted three teams before the Christmas break. December 12th saw the Prince Albert Raiders on Broncos ice, December 13th the team hosted the Kelowna Rockets, and December 16th the Kamloops Blazers visited Swift Current.
Game 1
Swift Current hosted the Raiders on December 5th and they hosted them again on December 12th. Considering the Broncos had played three games in four days, their return home was another success as they pulled out a last minute win against one of their provincial rivals in front of about 1900 spectators. It took a while for the Broncos to get their skating legs back. They seemed to struggle a bit through the first period. But Colby Sissons would open the scoring for the home team in the second period. Before the period ended, the Raiders would tie it 1-1. And then the Broncos did what they do best and they pulled out a regulation win with only 21 seconds left on the clock. Not only did Matteo Gennaro play in his 300th WHL game, but he notched his 18th of the season to give the Swift Current Broncos a 2-1 win before the clock ran out against the team that drafted him. Glenn Gawdin notched another point and Max Patterson earned two assists. Shots on goal were 35-29 for Prince Albert, but it was a goalie battle that the Broncos Logan Flodell would eventually win.
As Aleksi Heponiemi sat out on December 12th and 13th and prepared to leave for the World Junior Championship, Tyler Steenbergen had already left to join Team Canada in Ontario. TSN caught up to Steenbergen during his time away and they chatted in this interview about his time at camp as well as the hometown Steenbergen that he made famous in Swift Current.
Game 2
Wednesday, December 13th, the Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current held 2031 cheering fans as the Broncos took the ice in their fifth game in six days. The general feeling in the arena was one of hope, but not expectation. Most fans I talked to hoped the home team could pull out another last minute win as they did the evening before, but, considering the grueling schedule, a loss would not have been surprising. The Broncos landed on the scoreboard first with a goal by Matteo Gennaro, putting the home team up 1-0 early. Glenn Gawdin would add to the tally before the end of the first 20 minutes to give Swift Current a comfortable 2-0 lead. The second period would see the likes of Kaden Elder, Logan Barlage, and Glenn Gawdin hammering home another win in spite of Price Albert breaking the shutout in the final period. It was another four point night for Gawdin with two goals, including his 30th of the season, and two assists. Logan Barlage earned his first of the season. Shots on net were an impressive 38-26 in favour of Swift Current. The Broncos proved their compete level with a 5-1 win over Kelowna. And, as head coach and GM, Manny Viveiros explained in an interview with Ryan Switzer before the following game, even though the team may have been “running on fumes,” Viveiros thinks the team “played a really good hockey game.”
Game 3
After a well-deserved two-day break, the Swift Current Broncos hosted one last team, the Kamloops Blazers, before the holiday break. Hoping to take a fifth consecutive win, the home team battled hard to hold off their opponents. 25 seconds into the first period, the Broncos captain, Glenn Gawdin buried his 31st of the season to put the home team on the board. Before the end of the opening period, Owen Blocker would pot his first WHL goal of the season. But the Blazers would answer back, giving Swift Current a 2-1 lead going into the second frame. It was a parade to the sin bin during the middle period of play that included a penalty shot for the Blazers. They couldn’t capitalize and the score remained 2-1. The final period was spent mostly in the Blazers end as the Broncos fought for an insurance goal. With just over three seconds left on the clock in regulation time, Matteo Gennaro would be victorious, ending the game with another Broncos win with a score of 3-1. Logan Flodell defended his net triumphantly with 40 saves on 41 shots and the Broncos would end their busy week successfully.
The Swift Current Broncos are now officially on their holiday break. And, considering how hard they’ve worked this month, they deserve a break. Every player has stepped up their game in the absence of those playing in the World Junior Championship and now it’s time for a rest. They return to home ice on Wednesday, December 27th when they host their closest rival, the Moose Jaw Warriors. They continue on December 28th with the home and home, when they visit Moose Jaw.
