Since the trade deadline, the Swift Current Broncos have seen an influx of newly purchased season tickets. In an arena that has the capacity to hold 2890 people, and 1700 season tickets sold before the season even started, the staff working in The Stable at the Credit Union iPlex have worked long and hard after the acquisition of the newly formed team to sell over 400 more season ticket packages. With over 2100 season ticket holders, the rest of the season’s games are expected to be sold out or close to it.
For the first time in many years, Swift Current is living the dream with their new team.
January 12th
The Broncos visited the Prince Albert Raiders and proved that Manny Viveiros knew exactly what he was doing during the trade deadline. He may have given away some raw young talent and an experienced goalie, but, in return, he obtained some tough offensive contenders. The new team is exactly what people were expecting.
On a night that Prince Albert deemed, “Guaranteed Win Night,” on social media, they not only lost but they were completely shutout. It was a hard-hitting game with a lot of penalties. Roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct, slashing, and high-sticking were the points of reference in a game that proved why Swift Current will be a gritty powerhouse for the remainder of this season. When the Raiders pushed, the Broncos pushed back twice as hard. With two goals in the first period, the Broncos welcomed back their golden boy, Tyler Steenbergen, with an assist on Glenn Gawdin’s opening goal. Kaden Elder would notch another goal, the helper given to Aleksi Heponiemi, to finish off the first period with a 2-0 lead.
Colby Sissons got his ninth goal of the season in the middle frame, assists to Artyom Minulin and Glenn Gawdin. Gawdin would finish the game with two goals, an assist, four shots on net, and a +3 rating. After the second period ended in a parade to the penalty box, the third period started out much the same way with the Raiders Pachal and Broncos Josh Anderson taking unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. With an empty net goal late in the game, Gawdin would give the Swift Current Broncos a 4-0 edge to beat Prince Albert.
Heponiemi, after losing a tooth in the last home game from a high-stick that wasn’t called, found redemption in Prince Albert with an assist and three shots on net. Tyler Steenbergen’s success came in the form of an assist, three shots on net, and a +2 rating. The new guys got in the mix as well, making an impact early for their new team. Giorgio Estephan earned one shot on net and a +2 rating, Tanner Nagel had two shots on net, and Josh Anderson notched a shot on net and a +1 rating.
January 13th
The Broncos made the trip home for another game on Saturday when they hosted the Edmonton Oil Kings. This was the first time the new acquisitions were welcomed on home turf and it was the return of Steenbergen to his home barn after winning gold in Buffalo with Team Canada.
Manny Viveiros had many good things to say about the newly acquired players in his interview with Ryan Switzer on Saturday morning. But he also knows that it will “take time for the team to come together…” As for the game that evening, when the Broncos hosted the Oil Kings, Manny said to “expect a high-energy game from us.”
The stage was set in the beginning of the game with a welcome home tribute to Tyler Steenbergen, when fans would be at their loudest. Steenbergen would acquire two assists and a +3 rating in his first game home. But it would be Glenn Gawdin that would steal the show with a goal, two assists, two shots on net, and a +3 rating throughout the game.
With this kind of fire-power on the front line, the Swift Current Broncos would take this game and run. Gawdin opened the scoring a few minutes into the first period and the home team would set the pace. With a goal on a penalty shot, Heponiemi solidified the score at 2-0 for the Swift Current team after 20 minutes.
It would only take 39 seconds into the second period for Minulin to capitalize for Swift Current again. And three more goals by Matteo Gennaro, Max Patterson, and Tanner Nagel, would give the home team a comfortable 5-1 cushion heading into the final period. Even a goalie change by Edmonton in the third period wouldn’t help the Oil Kings in the face of this Swift Current team. Giorgio Estephan and Kole Gable would each bury a power play goal in the final frame and Beck Malenstyn would later finalize the score at 9-1 for Swift Current.
The Swift Current Broncos get a short break before leaving on a U.S. Division road swing when they’ll be visiting the Tri-City Americans (Jan 17), Portland Winterhawks (Jan 19), Seattle Thunderbirds (Jan 20), Everett Silvertips (Jan 21), and the Spokane Chiefs (Jan 23).
You can find those updates here on DubNetwork throughout the week.
