Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Moen's Mom Feeling Ducky/WHL Award Winners


Sheryl Moen won't miss a game.
The mother of former Kelowna Rocket, now Anaheim Duck forward Travis Moen admits it was awfully exciting watching her son on TV scoring the game winning goal in Tuesday night's overtime win over the Canucks.
"What a game", she said when I spoke to her from the family farm in Stewart Valley, Saskatchewan today. "I was pretty proud of him. You still can't believe it when you see him on TV. Am I really watching my son out there? Then you come to the realization that ya, he looks pretty good out there".
Sheryl Moen says while she is busy on the family farm she won't miss a minute of the action when the Ducks are on national television.
"I love it. I get excited and don't get nervous. I am just crossing my fingers hoping they (Ducks) make it past the Canucks so I can see some games down in Anaheim if they happen to get to round three".
Sheryl told me that her son Travis is dedicating his playoff run to one specific individual who had a huge impact in his life.
"His father Brian, no doubt. Brian and I both believed he could play in the NHL if he really wanted to. I am quite sure when Travis is playing, he is thinking of his dad".
Travis Moen's dad died of a massive heart attack during the 2002 season, the year the Kelowna Rockets were in the midst of a Western Conference final against the Kootenay Ice.
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No surprises at the WHL awards banquet today in Calgary.
Med Hat's Kris Russell was named MVP and top defenseman. I remember when he broke into the league and how small he was.
Yet over the years smallish defenseman have again been allowed to play a huge part in a junior teams success after a period of time where everyone thought bigger was better!

Congrats to Kelowna resident Kyle Beach for being named the WHL rookie of the year. Love him or hate him, he's a great player. Sure he's a little chippy, but he combines skill with grit, which is why so many NHL scouts are already talking about him. He has to play that way to be effective, and if he keeps it up he may walk away with the Four Broncos Award as the league's most valuable player down the road.

Cory Clouston of the Kootenay Ice was name the Coach of the Year. While I am not a fan of Clouston personally, you have to admit he does a great job with his team year-in-and-year out.
Do the Ice ever rebuild?
With Clouston at the helm he makes it look like they don't.
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I have to come clean and admit I was never a Kelly Hrudey fan...until this years playoffs.
What a bang up job Hrudey is doing with Oilers Assistant Coach Craig Simpson. The two are great in the intermissions and work wonderfully together. I like the relaxed approach they take on camera which gets away from the Sportnet - TSN panel which has every 'insider' in a three piece suite, hair in place (Darren Pang excluded) sitting behind a desk.
Hrudey and Simpson have great chemistry and simply look like they are having fun.
It's easy to be critical of the CBC with the crew they've had in place for years, but the Hrudey-Simpson combo is great TV.
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Is it just me or are you sick of every WHL scout saying the phrase "We will take the best player available" when asked about the Western Hockey League bantam draft.
Look for Portland to take Luke Moffatt with the 1st pick overall.

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