The Swift Current Broncos are ripping up the WHL stats. Among the Broncos first line of Glenn Gawdin, Tyler Steenbergen, and Aleksi Heponiemi, and goaltender, Logan Flodell, the SC Broncos have already proven that they are among the elite in the league.
Logan Flodell was acquired by the Broncos in September of this year. He was originally drafted by the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2012, then moved to the Saskatoon Blades in 2016. A year later, Flodell has quickly become a fan favourite in Swift Current. With a .907 save percentage in 24 games played, he’s proven quite quickly that he will be a key element in helping the Broncos to make a run for the playoffs.
Aleksi Heponiemi, a Florida Panthers prospect, has been a solid forward in Swift Current for the past two seasons. During his first year with the Broncos, the Finnish import notched 28 goals and 58 assists in 72 games. So far, this season, he’s earned 19 goals and 50 assists for 69 points in just 28 games. His skating abilities are some of the best in the league and he finds his place on the ice and really owns it. At 5-foot-10-inches tall, he’s not the biggest player on the ice, but he sure plays like he is. He skates fast and plays well along the boards to help create plays for his teammates who are standing in front of the net.
Glenn Gawdin, who was recently signed to an entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames, has been one of the best captains I’ve ever witnessed for the SC Broncos. Just talking to him for a couple of minutes, I was struck by his maturity, gracefulness, and friendly demeanour. Gawdin arrived in Swift Current in 2012 and has grown as a player with each passing season. He’s a staple at the rink and he’s never shied away from meeting fans and has made a good name for himself in the community. His stats on the Broncos have been better and better as the years progress. Last season, his first year as captain, he managed 59 points in 52 games with the hometown team. This season, he’s notched an unbelievable 56 points in 28 games. He went to the Calgary Flames training camp during the off-season, but, luckily for Swift Current, was sent home near the end, despite being eligible to play professional hockey.
Tyler Steenbergen, a prospect of the Arizona Coyotes, is another player who we can’t seem to keep our eyes off of. He’s accumulated 61 points in 27 games and is the WHL’s scoring leader with 35 goals. His average points-per-season keeps getting better and he shows no signs of slowing down. I remember watching him play in the rookie game a few years ago and I turned to my husband and said, “keep an eye on that kid because he’s gonna go far.” And now here we are, Steenbergen with an average points per game at 2.26 and, it was just announced, Steenbergen has been invited to Hockey Canada’s camp to represent his country in the IIHF World Junior Championship.
It’s no surprise that the Swift Current Broncos are atop the WHL with stats like this. The top three leaders in points are Heponiemi with 69 points, Steenbergen with 61, and Gawdin with 56. Steenbergen also holds the highest total of goals with 35, while Gawdin isn’t far behind in 5th place with 24. Heponiemi also leads in assists with an astonishing 50 in 28 games. Gawdin is in 5th place in assists with 32. Flodell is making his mark as well with 17 wins to earn him 2nd place and his three shutouts have put him in 2nd place there also.
With 28 games played, the Swift Current Broncos have a record of 20-6-2, which gives them sole possession of second place in the East Division. The Moose Jaw Warriors hold onto first place with 46 points, but both Swift Current and the Brandon Wheat Kings aren’t far behind. The Broncos have 42 points while Brandon is quickly turning up the heat with 41 points.
Recently, the Broncos were involved in a massive multi-player deal that saw the likes of Beck Malenstyn, a prospect for the Washington Capitals, and Matteo Gennero move to the small town of Swift Current to add depth to their offensive lines. That cost the Broncos defenseman Dom Schmiemann and forwards Riley Stotts and Conner Chaulk, as well as draft picks. You can read more about the mega-trade here. With the acquisition of Flodell, Malenstyn, and Gennero, it should be obvious that Swift Current is trying to prove their worth in the league in spite of their small-town/small-market status.
With a group like this, it would be a massive surprise to the entire league if the Swift Current Broncos don’t make playoffs this season. But, if I’ve learned anything over the past few years, I’ve learned that hockey is unpredictable and we will have to wait and see what happens in the coming months. So far, so good for the small-market team.
The Broncos are on a road swing this week as they visit Calgary on Friday night to take on the struggling Hitmen. Then they’re off to Red Deer and Edmonton before returning home on December 12th. I will have all your weekly updates on the team and their games for the month of December right here.
