By John MacNeil /
Stefan Elliott does most of his talking on the ice.

The anchor of the Saskatoon Blades defence doesn’t necessarily garner headlines around the WHL, but he goes about his business quietly and effectively.

The Colorado Avalanche second-round draft pick led all WHL defencemen in goal-scoring this season, netting 26 goals and 65 points in 72 games with Saskatoon, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Surprisingly, the 19-year-old native of North Vancouver wasn’t among the four defencemen who nabbed berths on the conference’s two all-star teams.

“That’s disappointing,” Blades coach and general manager Lorne Molleken told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “They’re all deserving, but I thought that Stef should’ve been on one of the two teams.”

Coaches and general managers selected the all-stars, and the executives weren’t permitted to vote for their own players.

The defencemen chosen to the first all-star team were Brayden McNabb of the Kootenay Ice and Michael Stone of the Calgary Hitmen. The second-team blue-line picks were the Brandon Wheat Kings duo of Travis Hamonic and Colby Robak.

Elliott, whose plus-41 rating tied him for seventh in the WHL, didn’t dwell on his all-star snub.

“Team success definitely comes first,” Elliott told the StarPhoenix on the eve of Saskatoon’s first-round playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels.

“People say that if a team is successful, individual success will come along with that.”

The Blades opened the playoffs with a bang, scoring 3-0 and 4-0 wins over the Rebels at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, and gaining early control of the best-of-seven series.

Steven Stanford, the 19-year-old goaltender acquired in a trade with the Prince Albert Raiders, posted both shutouts in his first taste of WHL playoff action.

“Steve Stanford, two games in a row, has been real solid,” Molleken said after Game 2.

At the other end of the spectrum, it was a rough post-season start for Red Deer goaltender Darcy Kuemper, a second-team conference all-star who was yanked from Game 2 after giving up three goals on four shots. Kuemper, a Minnesota Wild prospect, was playing in his hometown of Saskatoon.

The Blades received a major boost on the opening night of the playoffs when defenceman Teigan Zahn (broken leg) and forward Curtis Hamilton (broken collarbone) returned to the lineup after months on the sidelines. At the same time, defenceman Jyri Niemi jumped back into the lineup after being out for a few weeks with a broken finger.

Calgary Flames draft pick Gaelan Patterson scored two goals in the Blades’ opening playoff victory.

SASKATOON SELECTS
After the regular season, Patterson received the Brian Skrudland Trophy as the Blades’ top defensive forward.
Elliott was the big winner at the awards banquet, as he was named the team’s MVP, top defenceman and most gentlemanly player.
Blades graduating captain Derek Hulak was recognized as the top scorer and for his community-minded efforts.
Watrous defenceman Sam Klassen was saluted as the hardest hitter and as the fans’ choice award-winner.
Promising defenceman Duncan Siemens was chosen the rookie of the year, while fellow young gun Dalton Thrower was tabbed “diamond in the rough.”
Other award recipients included right-winger Josh Nicholls (most improved), goaltender Adam Morrison (most dedicated), centre Brent Benson (hardest working) and defenceman Tyler Kizuik (Bentley Memorial Scholarship).