The best players from across the Alberta Junior Hockey League made the trip up Highway 63 last weekend to play in the 2010 Scott Safety All-Star Game. Team North was included four Oil Barons: defenceman Brad Stebner was given the “C”, fellow blueliner Mason Conway, rookie forward Markus Gerbrandt and Branden Gracel, the leagues top scoring centre.

As is in any all-star game, the competition was wide away, quick and with very little hitting. The crowd at the newly named Casman Centre was quit early as the South side scored four unanswered goals in less than nine minutes. But the North fired back and by the end of the first the lead was down to 4-3 for the South. Less than three and a half minutes later it was a 4-4 hockey game. Both sides then traded goals to make it 6-6 before the North netted a pair in the final three minutes of the period to take a 8-6 lead into the third.

Things went south for the South in the third as the North All-Stars scored twice in a row to extend their lead to 10-6. The South responded with back-to-back goals of their own but following a flurry of late third period goals the North All-Stars celebrated a 14-9 victory in Fort McMurray.

The Captain Stebner led the local All-Stars with a goal and three assists while Gracel chipped in three helper, Conway had two assists and Gerbrandt notched a lone goal.

Between periods the teams also competed in an entertaining shoot out.

Keyano Huskies rookies continue to impress as men’s volleyball player Matt Hebert was recently named ACAC player of the week for January 18-25, 2010.

Hebert led the Huskies with 15 kills in last Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the NAIT Ooks. The win was Keyano’s first of the North/South Conference season.

Fort McMurray forward Branden Gracel reached the 80 point plateau last night as the Oil Barons won their third straight doubling up Bonnyville 2-1.

Trailing the Pontiacs 1-0 in the first, the 19-year old Calgary centre assisted on Chad Golanowski’s 18th goal of the season, fourth as an Oil Baron, to tie the game at 1-1. It stayed that way until 15:11 in the second when Gracel netted his 28th on the powerplay with Golanowski and Brad Stebner picking up assists. MOB goaltender Jesse Kallechy made 24 saves for his 16th win of the season, taking over the team lead after being tied with Joey Quattrocchi who has 15 victories.

Tonight Fort McMurray faces first place Spruce Grove who edged Grand Prairie 3-2 Friday night. The Saints have dominated the Barons all season, winning all four previous contests and outscoring Fort McMurray 13-2. The Oil Barons and Saints will square off again next Friday in Fort McMurray as the MOB host the 2010 Scott Safety AJHL All-Star Weekend. The All-Star game goes Saturday January 30th at 3:30 pm at the newly named Casman Centre.

The Fort McMurray Oil Barons completed a pair of trades on deadline day yesterday.

The MOB sent the rights of Tyler Gron to the Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) for the rights of 20-year old Brooks Robinson and future considerations. Robinson, a 5′11, 185 lbs forward was leading the Spruce Kings with 16 goals, 39 assists and 55 points in 40 games this season. He’s also familiar with Fort McMurray, having played 35 regular and playoff games for the Grand Prairie Storm during the 2008/2009 season.

Fort McMurray also acquired 17-year old Gui Glasspoole from the Okotoks Oilers in exchange for defenceman Bray Ryan. Glasspoole is a big 6′2″, 185 lbs rookie forward who played in two games for the Oilers last season and until the trade was on the WHL’s Medice Hat Tigers roster, recording one point in five games.

It was an up and down few days for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.

Prior to Friday nights game versus the Sherwood Park Crusaders, the AJHL announced that MOB rookie forward Markus Gerbrandt had been selected to replace the injured Shawn Bates of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the 2010 All-Star Game. Fort McMurray will host the best of the leagues North and South divisions on January 30, 2010 at Thickwood Heights Arena. Four Oil Barons will now suit up in front of their home town fans: Gerbrandt, an 18-year old left winger from Edmonton, fellow forward Branden Gracel, defenceman, MOB captain and local product Brad Stebner and blueliner Mason Conway.

Fort McMurray then had their three game losing streak snapped by the Crusaders who managed a 1-0 win thanks to a 36 save shutout by netminder Patrick Terriss. Oil Barons goalie Joey Quattrocchi was named 2nd Star after saving 29 of 30 Sherwood Park shots. The loss was the first for Fort McMurray since December 19, 2009, while marking the first time they failed to score since September 19, 2009.

Things didn’t get any better today as the MOB were blanked again, this time by the league leading Spruce Grove Saints who blanked the Barons 2-0. Fort Mac is now tied for second in the North with Grand Prairie.

Hey Fort McMurray,

Mix 103.7 FM will be your source for 2010 Winter Olympics as I will be in both Vancouver and Whistler for the duration of the Games. If anyone else is going to be there send me an email @ lslade@mix1037fm.com because I’d love to get in touch with you and hear your experiences.

Just 34 days left!

Leithan

It’s Silver in Saskatoon for Team Canada.

Down 5-3 late in the third against the US in the Gold medal game at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship, Regina native Jordan Eberle scored twice in the final three minutes to force overtime. In OT John Carlson snapped one short side on a 3 on 1 rush to lift the US to a 6-5 victory, giving them their second World Junior Gold Medal and ending Canada’s run at five straight titles.

The Americans will defend their championship on home ice next year when the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship is played in Buffalo, New York. Eberle was named Player of the Game for Canada while Derek Stepan received the honour for the Americans.

A weekend sweep of the St. Albert Steel has moved the Fort McMurray Oil Barons back into second in the AJHL North Division standings.

The MOB had goals from Mason Conway, Tyler Helton, Justin Remillard and Adam Johnson in Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Thickwood Heights Arena. Johnson led the way on Sunday with two goals and a pair of helpers as the MOB spanked the Steel 8-2 for their sixth win in their past 10 games.

Fort McMurray now has four days off before travelling to Sherwood Park to clash with the Crusaders on Friday.

Team Canada will play Switzerland in the semi-finals of the 2010 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. Seriously. The Swiss stunned Russia 3-2 in overtime Saturday, backed by a 50 save performance by goalie Benjamin Conz.

Michael Loichat opened the scoring in Saskatoon beating Russian netminder Igor Bobkov on a wraparound at 8:25 in the second. The Russian’s would tie the game then take the lead 16 seconds later as Vladimir Tarasenko scored 18:44 and Kirill Petrov followed at 19:00. Then with just 32 seconds left in the third frame Nino Niederreiter scored to tie the game at 2-2 and force overtime. It was in OT that Niederreiter endeared himself to his country by scoring his second of the game and sending the Swiss to a Sunday match-up versus Canada in the semi-final.

If a new decade in Oil Barons hockey begins like 2009 ended, fans at Thickwood Heights Arena are in for an offensive treat tonight. Fort McMurray crushed the St. Albert Steel 9-0 on December 22, 2009 before taking some time off over Christmas. With just 18 regular season games left, the Oil Barons return to the ice sitting in third spot in the AJHL North Division with 57 points, just one back of the Grand Prairie Storm while the Spruce Grove Saints look uncatchable, leading the league with 34 wins and 72 points.

For a team touted as young and fairly inexperienced, the 09/10 Oil Barons have turned heads across the league this season. Led by 19-year old centre Brandon Gracel who is currently third in league scoring with 26 goals, 45 assists and 71 points, the MOB are tied with the Storm for the most goals in the AJHL with 171.

Tonight’s game is the first of back-to-back versus the Steel. Puck drop tonight is at 7:30 and Sunday at 2:00.