Reverse sweep: Saskatoon Blades complete historic series comeback with victory over Red Deer
CBC
The Blades have done it.
After losing three consecutive games to the Red Deer Rebels, the Saskatoon Blades returned with a four-game win streak to join two others in the Western Hockey League history books as the only teams to rebound from a 3-0 playoff series deficit.
"We found a way," said Blades captain and defenceman Aidan De La Gorgendiere.
"We could be down 3-0, up 3-0, I think we're always going to try and come out and play our game."
The Blades forced themselves into the third round of the WHL playoffs with a 5-2 victory over the Rebels in SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on Tuesday night.
Despite the excitement in the Blades dressing room after their victory, De La Gorgendiere said the potentially historic outcome wasn't on their minds heading into game seven.
"I don't think it's honestly set in yet ... like [head coach Brennan] Sonne said to us in the room, we're going to remember this for the rest of our lives until we can't remember anything anymore," he said.
The last team to manage the feat was the Kelowna Rockets in 2013.
Their win over the Rebels is the fifth time the team has evaded elimination and the second time in as many series that the Blades have earned a game seven victory to move on.
The two showdowns with the Regina Pats and the Red Deer Rebels are the only series in the 2023 playoffs that have required a game seven.
De La Gorgendiere credited his team's unwillingness to quit and also described the tight-knit crew he captains as a brotherhood, a message that was echoed by Les Lazaruk, the longtime voice of the Blades.
"I would say this group might be tighter than any group that has come through since 1994 when I started doing the play-by-play," Lazaruk told CBC's Peter Mills before game seven.
LISTEN | Voice of Saskatoon Blades on the second round comeback series prior to game 7
While Tuesday's attendance was counted at nearly 9,500, De La Gorgendiere said their victory over the Rebels may have been the loudest cheers he's heard from the stands.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.
A national organization is seeking people with experience in Canada's forestry sector as they put together a working group that will examine ways to improve forest recovery following wildfires.
Ella Heyder is bracing for a breakup, even though she already moved out decades ago.
Shawne Hopkins never saw it coming.
Politicians return to Queen’s Park Monday for a shortened spring session, as Premier Doug Ford prepares to unveil his eight budget amid heightened global economic uncertainty.
Despite a recent announcement that a water supply pipeline will be build in Oneida Nation of the Thames, some members of the community say that's no excuse for taking water for granted.
As scandal has swirled around former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, questions and curiosity have also focused on his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Friday may have been the first day of spring, but winter storms are not over yet for Newfoundland.
While we officially welcomed spring last week, an incoming system will be a reminder that snow is still very much part of the new season, especially early on.
The future of a national historic site in Fredericton is up for discussion at meetings across New Brunswick in the next few weeks as the Anglican diocese considers what to do about costly repairs needed at Christ Church Cathedral.