Warriors win first WHL title, complete sweep against Portland

It’s jubilation in the Friendly City as the Moose Jaw Warriors are WHL champions for the first time ever.

Brayden Schuurman, who scored the overtime winner in Game 3, once again proved to be the decider, scoring with just 5:53 remaining in the third period on Wednesday night.

“I don’t know if it has fully sunk in yet,” Schuurman said.

“We battled through a lot this season, and had lots of ups and downs, and to come out on top is absolutely incredible.”

Coupled with an empty-netter, Schuurman’s goal gave Moose Jaw a 4-2 win, sweeping the Portland Winterhawks 4-0 in the WHL Final.

Moose Jaw had never won the Ed Chynoweth Cup. The last time the Warriors made the finals was the 2005-’06 season, when they were swept by the Vancouver Giants.

“It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. Just feeling that thing and lifting it up, it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk, who was also named the WHL’s playoff MVP.

The win has been years in the making for the Warriors, who built up a core years ago that included Mateychuk and Jagger Firkus — the Canadian Hockey League’s top scorer and WHL’s player of the year — as well as Brayden Yager and others.

“Our goal was always to do this, and we weren’t sure if we were going to get there, and today we did it,” Mateychuk said.

Head coach Mark O’Leary said this group has been building ever since 2020 when the COVID pandemic forced the WHL to play a shortened season at the Brandt Centre.

“It all started in a hub in Regina. We talked about doing something special here and building something special,” O’Leary said.

The win is extra special for Atley Calvert, a Moose Jaw product who is in his final season of WHL eligibility.

“I can’t describe it. So much work has gone into this, and highs and lows throughout the year, but at the end of the day I’m going to remember the group of guys and the fans. They really helped us this year,” Calvert said.

“Growing up, I went to all these games and the people in Moose Jaw really showed out and gave us energy and life, and they really believed in us this year.”

The Warriors got on the board first with a powerplay marker from Martin Rysavy, beating Winterhawks goalie Jan Spunar.

In the second period, Portland tied things up after Moose Jaw took a bench minor for having too many men on the ice.

The Winterhawks made them pay with a powerplay goal from Kyle Chyzowski, who tipped a puck past Moose Jaw goaltender Jackson Unger.

But that lead didn’t last long, as Matthew Savoie, who was acquired this season in a trade with the Wenatchee Wild, scored to once again to put the Warriors ahead.

Savoie played in the WHL Final last season as a member of the Winnipeg Ice, losing 4-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

“It’s special,” Savoie said. “It’s a special group in that locker room, and the belief never wavered. I think we were always in the driver’s seat in the playoffs.”

Marcus Nguyen found the back of the net for Portland to tie things up heading into the third, but Schuurman scored late in the third to secure Moose Jaw’s first title. Moose Jaw added an empty-net goal from Rysavy.

The Warriors will now move on and compete for Canadian junior hockey’s top prize, the Memorial Cup. The host Saginaw Spirit, OHL champion London Knights, and QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs will also compete in the tournament.

That begins May 24. Moose Jaw will take on the Spirit in its first game of the tournament.

Warriors fans swarmed the ice following the game at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. (Daniel Reech/980 CJME)

Warriors fans overjoyed

Hugs, high fives and smiling faces were all around the Moose Jaw Events Centre on Wednesday night.

Warriors fans were absolutely ecstatic as the team hoisted its first ever Ed Chynoweth Cup.

“It’s electric. The attitude in here is just insane. The way the place exploded when they knew they were going to win with 11 seconds, it was unbelievable,” said Reid Cook.

The arena erupted in cheers as time expired, and after the post-game ceremonies many fans gathered on the ice.

“It’s awesome. Forty years in this city and (this is) the first year we get a trophy, so go boys go,” shouted Matthew Fernell.

Fernell, who has a visual impairment, said he was on the edge of his seat throughout the game.

“It’s (a nervous feeling) any time you can’t see what’s going on, but I’m glad the boys pulled together and played as a team and they got ‘er done here tonight,” Fernell said.

“We’re going to the Memorial Cup, and I hope we can win it all.”

Warriors fans celebrating the teams win over the Portland Winterhawks. (Daniel Reech/980 CJME)

Kai Unger, the brother of Warriors goalie Jackson Unger, made the seven-hour trip from Calgary to watch his brother play in the final. He said it was great to watch the Warriors make history.

“It’s pretty cool. Seeing him play hockey his whole life, and now he wins the WHL, it’s pretty amazing,” Unger said.

Regan Kuzek was also cherishing the moment.

“You don’t see it every day. The last time we’ve seen them this far was in 2006 (when I was) a young kid, so it’s amazing,” Kuzek said.

For Chad Morash, this win has been a long time coming.

“Just super ecstatic for Moose Jaw. This was 40 years for this team. We watched a lot of hockey. We watched a lot of good teams. And to see this happen to this group of kids is phenomenal,” Morash said.

“This was our main prize. Everything after this is just a bonus.”

Troy Williams felt a similar way.

“I’m so excited. This is 40 years in the making,” he said.

“This is history right now for Moose Jaw. We love it. This is huge for the fans, for the players – everybody. This whole city’s buzzing. We’re all pumped for them. We love it. We’re so happy for them all!”

His wife Krystal agreed.

“My husband’s family has had season tickets and boxes for 40 years, and they’ve never done this before, so it’s just amazing. We’re super happy,” she said.

“I hope they take it all the way. I hope they just finish it.”

James Gallo, the voice of the Warriors, said the hype around the championship game was evident even before this long-awaited win.

“A 40-year celebration just waiting, and it was an absolutely amazing moment last night in downtown Moose Jaw,” Gallo said during an appearance on The Evan Bray Show on Thursday morning.

Listen to James Gallo on The Evan Bray Show:

For some, Gallo suggested the win is still setting in.

“I think a lot of people in our city are just waking up this morning and saying ‘Is this real?’”

Gallo said even the voice of the team was at a loss for words.

“The struggles and the hardships that you go through to get to this point and how this amazing group pulled themselves to get to it,” he said. “It is truly amazing.”

However, Gallo said, the work is not done, as the Warriors are still hoping to hoist the Memorial Cup.

“They’ll be the first ones to admit there’s still more to go,” he said. “There’s one more trophy they want to add to the mantle.”

–with files from 980 CJME’s Daniel Reech and Abby Zieverink