this week in Dragons history, January 20-26:
January 20, 2009…..Colin Bergman becomes the 23rd Dragon to play 100 career games.
# 9 scored once in a 3-1 win against Okotoks.
Defenseman Lee Morrow, who came over in trade with Camrose earlier in the 2008-09
season, scored his first goal as a Dragon on Steve Papciak in this game, his first goal in
the AJHL.
January 20, 2011…..Justin Tateson played his 100th career game with the Dragons,
scoring a goal in a 4-3 loss to the Canucks at the Memorial Arena. # 2 became the 26th
player to reach the mark.
Also in this game, Rob Geddes became the 13th Dragon to reach the 20-goal plateau
when he scored on Dusty Nickel.
The Canucks left the Arena with the win for head coach Don Phelps in his final game
behind the bench in the valley. Phelps retired following the 2010-11 season after 23
years coaching the Canucks, the last 17 consecutively. Phelps was presented a plaque
prior to the game by the Dragons in recognition of his long service in the AJHL, including
time with the Junior Falcons, where he won AJHL coach-of-the-year in 1974-75.
January 21, 2005…..Mitch Jaffray, an original member of the Dragons, became the 3rd
player to play 100 career games in a 4-2 loss against Canmore.
January 21, 2012…..rookie goaltender Christopher Wray stopped 15 shots to record his
first AJHL shutout one year ago, blanking the St. Albert Steel 4-0 at the Arena.
January 22, 2005….another of the original Dragons played his 100th career game, as
Oyen's Charles Allen became the 4th member of the club in a 5-2 win against Canmore.
January 22, 2008…..the Dragons defeated Canmore 5-2 at the Arena, their 29th win of
the season to set a new club record, breaking the mark of 28 posted by the 2005-06 team.
The Dragons went on to win 35 games in 2007-08, a team record which still stands.
Two all-time great Dragons were front and center in that win. Both Trevor Smyth and
Graham Klassen made significant contributions (as usual).
Smyth ripped home 3 goals,his 16th, 17th and 18th of the season to pace the offense.
This was Smitty's only hat-trick as a Dragon.
Klassen set a team record when he scored his 12th goal of the season to break
the existing record of 11 goals by a defenseman in a season, established by Derek Lewis
in 2006-07. A big night for the team, and two of the best to ever put on the orange and black.
January 22, 2011…..the Dragons beat the Calgary Mustangs 3-1 at the Arena. Matt Brown was held off the scoresheet in his 100th career game as a Dragon. “The Steady One” became the 27th Dragon to play 100 games. The 28th player to top the century mark also suited up in that game. Mike Marianchuk, in his second year with the Dragons, also played his 100th game that night.
January 23 to 27, 2004….the Dragons won 4-3 versus Olds, 5-4 against Lloydminster, and 4-3 in Brooks to mark their first three game winning streak in club history. The Dragons won in their 47th, 48th and 49th games of the season.
January 23, 2006…..Dion and Derek were at it again in a game against the Calgary Royals.
Dion Knelsen and Derek Werenka led the offense in 2005-06, setting many scoring records which still stand in the Dragons annals. In a 5-0 win at the Arena over the Royals, rookie Dion Knelsen scored the hat-trick (his 23rd, 24th and 25th goals of the season) and added an assist. Veteran Werenka scored once and added three helpers for a 4 point night of his own.
Dion's 24th of the year broke Werenka's team record for goals by a rookie (23, set in 2004-05).
Derek Werenka reached two career milestones that night. First he assisted on Dion's 23rd goal in the 1st period to record career point number 100, becoming the first Dragon to reach the century mark. Later he tallied his 30th goal of the season, again becoming the first Dragon to attain that plateau.
A bit lost in all the fuss for the offensive stars was goaltender Matt Thomson. The 18-year-old rookie from Victoria kicked out all 19 shots directed his way to post his first (and only) AJHL shutout. He played one season with the Dragons (2005-06), appearing in 11 games.
His won-lost record was 2-4-2. He posted a goals against average of 3.75, with a save percentage of .865 and the one shutout. A most memorable night at the Arena, 7 years ago.
January 23, 2009…..4 years ago, Jeff Young scored shorthanded on Aaron Dell of the
Canucks to help the Dragons earn a 2-2 tie. The goal was # 8's 20th of the season as
he became the 3rd Dragon to reach the 20-goal plateau twice, joining Derek Werenka and Kevin Bui. Jeff finished the season with 25 goals, 4th best total in Dragons history. He also had 21 goals in his rookie season with the club, in 2005-06.
January 24, 2008…..one year prior to Young's 20th goal game, another top scorer for the Dragons reached the mark for the second time. Kevin Bui scored his 20th (of 24 on the season, 5th best all-time) on James Reid in a 6-4 win over the Calgary Canucks. # 19's 21st of the season into an empty net sealed the deal. He also added an assist for a 3-point night. Bui had scored 22 goals in 2006-07.
January 24, 2010…..two Dragons played their 100th career game up in Lloydminster against the Bobcats. Doug Jessey and Scott Kennedy became the 24th and 25th Dragons to play that many regular season games in a 7-2 loss in the border city. Neither registered a point that night.
January 24, 2011…..rookie defenseman Keenan Martens scored his first AJHL goal on
Brayden Hopfe at Camrose in a tight 2-1 loss to the Kodiaks.
January 26.2011….rookie defenseman Darian Henry scored his 1st (and only) AJHL goal on Jay Deo of the Mustangs as the Dragons won 4-2 in Calgary. Brennan Baxandall was held off the scoresheet, but the big defenseman played his usual strong game, the 100th of his Dragon career. Bax became the 35th player to reach the century mark, one year ago.
This really isn't “Dragons” history, but it is “Drumheller hockey history” so it is worth noting.
January 25, 1972…..Falcons forward Don Simituk scored two goals just 5 seconds apart
against Mount Royal College in Calgary, at 12.40 and 12.45 of the second period. The
lightning fast pair set an AJHL record for fastest two goals by one player (since tied).
They were both shorthanded, and Simituk still holds the record for fastest two
shorthanded goals by one player….41 years ago this week in AJHL history.
birthdays:
January 21 happy 21st to current Dragon Mitchell Gartner. The Macklin, Sask. native came to the Dragons earlier this year and is a big component of that experienced defensive corp.
January 26 former Dragon Bretton Cameron turns 24. The Didsbury native played 2 games for the Dragons in 2004-05, went to Leduc to play AAA midget for 2005-06, then played here in 2006-07, scoring 18-17=35 and earning team rookie-of-the-year honors. He also was named top playoff performer that spring (co-winner with Talon Berlando). Cameron went on to a 3-year WHL career with Medicine Hat. He has spent the last three winters toiling in the East Coast Hockey League with Stockton and Greenville. (In Stockton last winter, Cameron played for a time with former Dragon and Okotoks Oiler defenseman Colten Hayes before he was traded to Greenville.)
Dragons Career Leaders, regular season
Power-Play Goals
1. 20 Derek Werenka
2. 18 Kevin Bui
3. 16 Dion Knelsen
4. 16 Jeff Young
5. 16 Cam Lamoureux
6. 13 Joel Chisholm
7. 13 Erik Slemp
8. 13 Ryan Bloom
9. 12 Braden Desmet
10. 12 Evan Warner
Short-Handed Goals
1. 7 Trevor Smyth
1. 7 Jeff Young
3. 5 Kevin Hunter
4. 5 Kevin Bui
5. 4 Joel Chisholm
6. 4 Ryan Bloom
7. 3 Derek Werenka
8. 3 Lyndon Bartman
9. 3 Tyler Moir
10. 3 Justin Faryna
Game-Winning Goals
1. 7 Kevin Bui
1. 7 Trevor Smyth
1. 7 Evan Warner
4. 6 Braden Desmet
5. 6 Ryan Bloom
6. 5 Mitch Jaffray
7. 5 Cam Lamoureux
8. 5 Justin Faryna
9. 5 Colin Bergman
10. 5 Rob Geddes
11. 5 Doug Jones
Penalty Minutes
1. 806 Trent Colberg
2. 513 Kyle Fehr
3. 444 Trevor Smyth
4. 438 Vincent Muller
5. 373 A.J. Mikkelsen
6. 337 Josh Kluck
7. 333 Talon Berlando
8. 325 Brennan Baxandall
9. 320 Justin Tateson
10. 309 Lyndon Bartman