Coming into this season, Vancouver Canucks forward Mason Raymond set some lofty goals for himself.

Twenty-five goals, 28 assists and 82 games later it’s safe to say those goals and more were reached in what quickly became a breakthrough year for the young Cochrane winger.
“I always feel like you’re learning something and moving forward,” Raymond said during a recent phone interview.

“Every day I am learning what it takes to be a professional hockey player and to continue to be an effective player for years to come.

Effective would be a good word to summarize Raymond’s 2009-10 campaign to date, as the 24-year-old set career highs in every noteworthy statistical category this season and became a staple in the Canucks’ lineup, appearing in every one of the team’s regular-season games.

Mason Raymond will look to be an impact player for the Vancouver Canucks as they open the NHL playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings. Photo by Jeremy Nolais

Of course, none of Raymond’s accomplishments are the topic of discussion now, as the National Hockey League quickly shifts focus to the post-season, and the top 16 teams begin the marathon chase for the Stanley Cup.

The Canucks locked up third in the Western Conference by winning the Northwest Division and now have a date with the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round. Raymond believes the key for his team is to take things one game at a time.

“There’s never an easy game, it’s a tough league and any given night these teams come to play,” he said. “I think, at the end of the day, if we are focused on what we can control and doing our thing we are a tough team to beat.”

Up front, Raymond won’t be the only one looked upon to ignite Vancouver’s offence, as the Canucks also boast the NHL’s top regular-season scorer Henrik Sedin and his playmaking twin brother Daniel. On the back end, Olympic gold medal winning netminder Roberto Luongo will look to find his top form after struggling somewhat down the stretch.

“(Luongo’s) only human. Everybody goes through ups and downs,” Raymond said. “He’s finding his consistency and is a huge part of our club. We will rely on him a great deal down the stretch.”

If the Canucks are able to get past the Kings, tough challenges could come from the Western Conference’s top two teams, the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks.

Raymond made his post-season debut during a second round series with the ’Hawks last season, potting two goals and adding an assist as the Canucks fell in six games. Raymond said he learned a great deal from that series and is ready for any challenge awaiting him during this year’s playoff run.

“At the end of the day, you are going to have to play the toughest teams if you hope to go all the way,” he said.

And when the heated NHL playoff action finally comes to a cool, Raymond will find himself in unfamiliar territory as a restricted free agent — meaning he can entertain new contracts from other teams but the Canucks are given the opportunity to match any offer and will be awarded compensatory draft picks if he leaves.

When asked about his possible endeavours in the off-season, Raymond said he plans to let his play do the talking.

“The only thing I can control is what I do on the ice,” he said.

The Canucks open the playoffs against the Kings on April 15 in Vancouver.

Medicine Hat Tigers captain Wacey Hamilton of Cochrane hopes to be drafted by an NHL club this summer. Photo by Jeremy Nolais

Tigers’ Hamilton clawing at the pros

And while Raymond may have multiple contract offers to weigh this summer, fellow Cochranite Wacey Hamilton is looking for just one chance to prove himself in the pros.

The young captain’s season in the Western Hockey League officially came to a close April 11, as his Medicine Hat Tigers fell 3-2 in overtime to the Calgary Hitmen to drop their Eastern Conference semifinal series four games to two.

Much like Raymond, Hamilton set numerous career markers this season, finishing the regular-season campaign with 24 goals and 41 assists in 67 games.

“As captain you can’t expect to be a leader for your teammates if you’re not doing your part,” Hamilton explained.

Hamilton also proved to be a consistent force in the playoffs for Medicine Hat, notching eight points in 12 games, as the Tigers topped the Kootenay Ice and pushed the No. 1-seeded Hitmen to six games.

If he had it his way, Hamilton would already be the property of an NHL team; however, injuries last season cost him any chance of being drafted. Now, the 19-year-old heads into the off-season looking for a shot at the big time.

“I am just going to stay optimistic and see what happens,” he said.

Springbank’s Joe Colborne signed a three-year deal with the Boston Bruins March 31 after two seasons with the Denver Pioneers of the NCAA. Photo courtesy University of Denver

Springbank scorer inks deal with Bruins

Hamilton and Raymond aren’t the only local skaters looking for a steady job in the NHL, as Springbank’s Joe Colborne officially signed a three-year contract with the Boston Bruins on March 31.

Colborne, the 16th-overall pick in 2008 NHL Draft, had his time in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) cut short this past season, as his Denver Pioneers were upset by the Rochester Institute of Technology in the opening round of the Division 1 Men’s Hockey Championships.

After signing with Boston, Colborne reported to the organization’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins, and played in the team’s six remaining regular-season games, picking up two assists in the process.

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The nail-biting second half as shot after shot failed to find the bottom of the basket.

The celebratory dogpile at centre-court after the final buzzer rang.

Yes, March 12 was a day the St. Timothy Thunder won’t soon forget, as the little school of 320 students — only 150 of which are in senior high school — captured its first-ever high school championship in any sport with a 44-34 victory in the Calgary junior varsity girls basketball Division 3 city final.

Behind the historic St. Timothy victory is a group of 12 girls that head coach Brent Breit describes as “very special.”

“They all work so hard,” said Breit, who led the same crew to St. Timothy’s first-ever junior high championship a few years prior. “I told them it doesn’t matter what the other team’s doing as long as we are giving our best, and they did that all season long.”

Proof of the Thunder’s effort throughout the season isn’t hard to find, as the team went a perfect 9-0 in the regular season and outscored the opposition 518-228. In fact, the Thunder were so good that they even began scheduling games against senior varsity opponents.

St. Timothy point guard Leah Loeppky believes the key to her team’s success lies in player chemistry.

“Everyone is really close, we all get along and play as a team. This is a great group of girls,” Loeppky said.
Heading into the post-season as the top-ranked squad, the Thunder didn’t really miss a beat. St. Timothy opened with a 51-13 thumping of No. 8 seed James Fowler in the quarterfinals and followed that up with a 66-39 win over the No. 4-seeded Timberwolves from Bishop McNally.

In the championship game, St. Timothy faced off against Crescent Heights, a school with more than four times the student population. Unfortunately for the Thunder, Crescent Heights had already been pre-determined as the host school for the city championship games, meaning the Thunder would be forced to play on their opponent’s court despite being the higher seed.

St. Timothy post player Carissa Alexander said she was ready for a battle coming into the final.
“Crescent is definitely the toughest team in the league,” Alexander said. “We knew they would come out and play hard. They are really strong defensively.”

And that Crescent Heights defence seemed to stymie the Thunder in the second half, as their halftime cushion of 15 points was cut to just eight after three quarters of play.

“We were getting a little more tired and our nerves got the better of us a bit,” Loeppky recalled.
During the second-half break, Breit attempted to relax his young group and remind them of the things they had done well all season long.

“We made a few mistakes down the stretch,” Breit said. “I had a feeling coming in that it was going to be one of those situations where we just have to keep everyone calm.”

In the fourth quarter, the Thunder continued to struggle in the offensive end but relied on steady defence to hold the Crescent Heights girls, who led the league in scoring during the regular season, to just nine points to secure the victory.

As the final buzzer rang, screams from the Thunder players filled the air as they stampeded to centre court and piled on top of each other. The dozens of St. Timothy fans that had made the trip into Calgary to erase any notion of home-court advantage for Crescent Heights exploded in applause. Numerous players and parents alike could be seen wiping away tears of joy.

“We were all just so happy,” Loeppky exclaimed. “It was an amazing feeling.”

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It was the greatest night of Mason Raymond’s young life, and the best part of all was that his family and friends were on hand to witness the whole thing.

The 24-year-old emerging NHL star, who grew up on a ranch just outside of Cochrane, scored three goals in succession in the first two periods Dec. 27 as his Vancouver Canucks thumped the host Calgary Flames 5-1 in front of a packed house at the Saddledome.

It was the first career hat trick for the speedy left-winger and earned him the game’s first star recognition.

“Obviously it was great,” said a reserved Raymond in the locker room after the game. “I grew up watching the Flames and was a big fan . . . this area has been good to me over the years.

“Obviously the Calgary-area is very passionate about their hockey and Cochrane was a great place for me to grow up. Some good players have come out of there, I still consider it home and a place I come back to all the time and enjoy.”

Vancouver forward Mason Raymond celebrates his third goal of the night as the Cochrane hockey product tallied his first-ever hat trick in a 5-1 win against Calgary Flames Dec. 27. Raymond was named first star in the effort and now has a career-high 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists) for Vancouver this season. Photos by Jeremy Nolais.

More photos from the game: Photo Gallery

For Raymond’s father, Terry, who watched his son play the game of his life from the Saddledome stands along with wife Carol, daughter Nadine, and numerous other family and friends, it was an emotion-filled night that he will never forget.
“Well I didn’t cry,” Terry said, chuckling. “I always believed in him. You just never know how big the heart in the dog is.”

Terry, who still lives in the Cochrane area, has been Mason’s biggest source of encouragement over the years, offering him guidance and building outdoor rinks for his son to practice on as a youngster.

The proud father recalls watching with great excitement as his son erupted on the Alberta hockey scene with the Camrose Kodiaks in 2005, scoring a league-high 41 goals and adding an identical number of assists in his second season with the team to lead them to the Alberta Junior Hockey League championship.

Later on that year, the Canucks drafted Mason in the second round, 51st overall.

It was at this point that the Cochrane farm boy’s dreams of playing in the NHL became a viable reality.

“I think you always believe you can make it,” Mason said. “You get your chances and opportunities, but when I got drafted that was really the turning point.”

After successful stints with the NCAA’s University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, Raymond finally earned his NHL stripes in the Canucks season-opener against the San Jose Sharks in October 2007, picking up an assist in the process on a goal by Brendan Morrison.

But the battle wasn’t over for Mason, as he suffered a knee injury during a game in March 2008 that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Finally, after being scratched from the lineup numerous times during the regular season, Mason got his shot in last year’s playoffs when fellow Vancouver forward Pavol Demitra went down with a knee injury in the second round against the Chicago Blackhawks. Paired with Canucks stars Mats Sundin and Ryan Kesler, Mason took full advantage of his opportunity, scoring two goals and adding an assist before the Canucks fell to the ‘Hawks in six games.

It’s been a long road indeed, but looking back Mason doesn’t seem to have many regrets.

“It’s all been stepping stones to where I’m at now,” he said bluntly.

Where he’s at now is a consistent second-line forward for the Canucks who has appeared in every game for the team this season and already logged a career-high 29 points (17 goals,12 assists) with a lot of season still left.

Terry says his son has gained a new level of confidence this season and he foresees even greater things from him in the years ahead.

“He hasn’t exceeded my expectations, I expect a lot more from him yet,” Terry said. “He has got a long ways to go yet with his development in terms of where he wants to be.”

Mason’s father isn’t the only one who has taken notice of the Cochranite’s drastic improvement, just ask Canucks superstar Daniel Sedin.

“He’s such a skilled player, and a smart player, and he’s figured it out himself,” Sedin said. “We have been there too, myself and Henrik (his twin brother and fellow Canucks forward), sometimes you have just got to relax, get back to the basics and have fun.

“Mason’s been working really hard these past few years and now he is getting some really nice goals and some points too. He’s really deserving of his success.”

Success like his hat trick Dec. 27. In the opening period, Mason got behind the Calgary defence and chipped a shot from Mikael Samuelsson past Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. On the same shift, Mason flipped a puck in from about centre ice that fell onto Kiprusoff’s left arm and then trickled into the net.

In the second period, Vancouver defenceman Alexander Edler fed a beautiful, cross-ice pass to Mason, who was on the doorstep to bury it home and complete the hat trick. The Canucks bench exploded with excitement and the young forward was mauled by his linemates.

“It was really special to do it tonight, in front of friends and family,” Mason said.

Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault said the team has been extremely pleased with the input from Mason, who now ranks third on the team in overall points.

“Mason’s been real good at home and this was a real good road game for him,” Vigneault said. “A lot of our group has talked about playing better on the road . . . we made some mistakes, but our goaltending was really good and shut the door.”

The Canucks now move on to face the Blues in St. Louis on New Year’s Eve.

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Watching his stepson ride to a second consecutive national amateur superbike title, veteran racer Clint McBain couldn’t help but feel a sense of immense pride.

“Oh man, just to see his progression throughout the year and he’s getting quicker and quicker, it was amazing,” McBain said of his 16-year-old Cody Matechuk. “He goes out and doesn’t just win but he dominates. He sets a lap record, which is a focus for qualifying, and then in the race he’s so mature for his age.”

Matechuk added the Amateur 600 Sportbike class championship to his title in the SV650 series last year as the superbike season concluded Sept. 6 at Shannonville Motorsport Park in Ontario. McBain, meanwhile, wound up third in the Parts Canada Superbike Championships final standings behind Saskatoon’s Brett McCormick and overall winner Jordan Szoke of Brantford, Ont., who picked up his sixth national title.

Matechuk was quick to credit a great deal of his success to the teachings of his stepfather.

“He mainly gets me pointing the right way. He helps me by teaching me riding positions and lines and just how to communicate with the mechanic and all that,” Matechuk said. “Right from the start he has been helping me and has made me into a better rider.”

Matechuk came into the seventh and final stop on the superbike circuit in Shannonville with a commanding 44-point lead over his nearest rival, Longueil, Que.’s Sebastien Tremblay, and rode his Suzuki GSX-R600 safely to a second place finish, easily locking up the championship.

“He could have won the race, but the championship has got to come first and he worked so hard all year long, so why risk it when you don’t have to?” McBain said.

Looking ahead, the adoration displayed by both McBain and his stepson could quickly shift into a heated rivalry as Matechuk is set to turn pro next season, putting the teenager in direct competition with the man who taught him so much about his high-octane sport of choice. If the rivalry was to materialize, it would be the first father-son showdown in the history of North American superbiking.

“It’s pretty cool, it’s never been done before so I think it will be fun,” Matechuk said of racing against his stepfather. “The plan is to beat him but we’ll see where I end up.”

Much like his stepson, McBain didn’t exactly hold back competitive edge when asked about next season’s potential scenario.

“It would be tons of fun for me, at the same time I would go out and try to win as bad as it sounds . . .,” McBain. “He has got to earn his stripes. He’s young, just getting started, I have only got a few years left.
“Hopefully we get enough budget to set both of us up next year but it will be interesting that’s for sure.”
Budget shortcomings have become a constant nuisance for the McBain’s Acceleration Race team. Support from local establishments like Cochrane Dodge has made it easier to cope, however, McBain and Matechuk still constantly find themselves playing catch up with other teams.

“We always have spare parts to put the bikes back together but what we lacked this year was manpower,” said McBain, whose pit crew consisted of just a technician and his brother. “Because we ran two riders and Cody ended up being in title contention all year, if we both crashed on a Saturday we didn’t have enough manpower to put both bikes back together in time.”

Furthermore, finding time to train and fine-tune their equipment is a luxury, as both McBain and Matechuk live in Cochrane but their bikes remain out east during the offseason. Compound all of this with a few last-minute rule changes by circuit organizers and the odds quickly became stacked against the privateer Acceleration team at the outset of this past season.

“It put us behind the 8-ball a little bit at the start, no question,” said McBain, who has raced on the national circuit every season since 1999. “It took a few rounds for me to get going, shake off the winter rust.”

Budget issues aside, there is still nothing that excites McBain more than ripping his Suzuki GSX-R1000 around the various tracks on the circuit, at times reaching speeds over 300 km/h.

“It’s very exciting, we’re on two wheels, not four, and there’s no protective cage around us and there’s often crashing but nine times out of 10 people never get hurt,” said McBain, who himself was left with a sore behind after a nasty spill in Shannonville. “It’s the safest place to ride a motorcycle, believe it or not. Sure, the speeds are high but you are wearing protective gear . . . when you do crash it’s usually on a low-side, meaning you fall inwards and let’s face it we are almost all the way over anyways so it’s not a long ways to fall and you just slide out. On the streets if you do that and hit a car or a curb or something it’s lights out.”

Once again drawing comparisons to his stepfather, Matechuk claims to be a thrill seeker himself, whether it be aboard his superbike or a snowboard in the offseason.

“It’s just the adrenalin ride, I love it,” he said. “Doing something no one else has done before, it’s a rush and that’s why you do it. You just risk it all and hope everything goes well.”

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