Falling one goal short of the RBC Cup in their 2012/13 season and returning well over double digits in cast members for the 2013/14 season as defending SJHL champs the Yorkton Terriers had one silent goal all season. Winning the SJHL before going to the Western Canada Cup for the second season and earning a spot in the National Championships that slipped away the year before.
After sweeping the Melville Millionaires to win the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for the second straight season, the Yorkton Terriers battle adversity for a two week stretch in Dauphin to win the 2014 Western Canada Cup and a punched ticket to the Junior A National Championship for the first time in nearly a decade for the Yorkton club.
Following a 1-2 start to the tournament that put the Terriers on the brink of elimination heading into their final round robin game against the BCHL's Coquitlam Express a clutch win and some mathematical luck put Yorkton into the tournament championship game after results had the SJHL representatives holding the tiebreakers for second place after all the round robin games were completed.
The championship game would draw the two prairie teams at the Western Canada Cup as the Terriers would face the host Dauphin Kings in the final after the Kings took first place on the final day of the round robin to give the Terriers an opponent who they beat 8-6 in the round robin as their final stop between them and the RBC Cup. Dauphin would finish the round robin portion of the tournament with a 3-1 record, but would need to get over the psychological edge the Terriers held in winning the matchup in the round robin between the two teams to earn the WCC Championship on Saturday night.
With both cities filling the Credit Union Place in a thrilling atmosphere thanks to the Manitoba city's close proximity to Yorkton the two teams would put aside all of the talking points and nerves to provide a classic tournament final in front of a sold out crowd of both Kings and Terriers fans in Dauphin.
Looking for an early start to get their fans making the most noise early in the game, the Terriers would make their move as Brett Boehm would begin what would be one of the more legendary performances in the history of the team by scoring his first goal of many on Saturday night to put the Terriers up in front 1-0. Boehm's goal would come just 3:25 into the game and would prove to be crucial in what was the early start to a back and forth affair for the full 60 minutes.
Boehm's goal wouldn't last for long as the Kings showed why they were admirable hosts all tourney long with an answer back by Dylan Butler not long after Boehm had Yorkton celebrating. Butler's first goal of the tournament would be a huge one, but it wouldn't get the Kings into the intermission with a tied score as Boehm would beat Dauphin yet again this time on a wide open breakaway where the forward received a stretch pass from Tyler Giebel before going off to the races to make it 2-1 for the Terriers.
he Kings would take over control of the game, but Kale Thomson would step up in goal for Yorkton in what was his best period of the tournament.
After fighting the flu bug all week before hitting his stride in the final round robin game, Thomson came out strong to keep the Kings from tying the game for over half the period despite being under siege from an inspired Dauphin attack.
That persistence from the Kings to push forward as well as a struggle from the Terriers to gain offensive zone time would allow Dauphin to tie the game up on the only goal of the second period as Tanner Butler would do the honors this time, beating Thomson to level the game at 2-2.
There wouldn't be much for offense to start the final period as the theme from the second period continued with neither team wanting to give up a crucial goal to sink their hopes of winning the Western Canada Cup and Thomson and Kings goalie Jordan Piccolino doing whatever they could to keep the pucks out of the net to not be the scapegoat should their team lose.
That would change at the 13:42 mark of the period as Tayler Thompson would step up and score a top shelf rocket over Piccolino's shoulder to give the Terriers what looked like the game winning goal as Yorkton took a 4-3 lead with less than seven minutes remaining.
Dauphin would have other ideas as the Kings sent as much traffic in front of the net as possible before being rewarded with a generous deflection that changed direction ever so slightly on its way to Thomson that it allowed the puck to find the back of the net to tie the game back at 3-3.
The Kings found out quickly after that Brett Boehm would not be denied however, as another breakaway goal would give the Terriers a 4-3 lead before he would score his fifth of the night to give Yorkton the two goal lead they were waiting for all night with just minutes left on the clock for the Kings to find a miracle comeback that wouldn't come in what ultimately was a 5-4 final.
For Yorkton the 5-4 win would give the team the Western Canada Cup crown and more importantly a spot in the RBC Cup in Vernon, BC for the first time since 2006 for the city.
A goal that started after a 1-0 loss in Nanaimo was accomplished, something that captain Devon McMullen had no problem in admitting after raising the WCC Cup in jubilation.
"After losing last season and bringing back close to 15 guys we knew what we wanted to do at the start of the season after coming so close the year before," said the Terriers captain on the ice post game.
"We won the SJHL, now after battling for two weeks against some tough opponents we have accomplished what we wanted all season and it is an amazing feeling to be going to the RBC Cup with these guys."
The distinction of hero of the Western Canada Cup undoubtedly has to go to Brett Boehm as the Terriers midseason acquisition proved his worth and more all season, and while he didn't earn much league silverware from an individual standpoint two titles in one month more than satisfied an offensive dynamo who scored nine goals and had 12 points in the tournament.
Including five points in the final, scoring four and assisting on Thompson's late goal that was nearly the winner.
Brought in to provide an offensive punch from the Flin Flon Bombers and facing the task of jumping into the locker room of the defending champions with heavy expectation to bring production, Boehm downplayed any pressure in an expectedly excited mood after having arguably the first dominating tournament performance the young Western Canada Cup has ever seen.
"Coming here was exciting because it was to join a team that expected to win the championship and had a great group of guys to come jump right into being apart of the group," says Boehm. "I knew I was brought in to fill a role, but it was never really talked about in terms of putting pressure on me scoring and it has been all about helping the team win since day one of coming year so it has been great to get to come and be apart of winning two championships with a great team."
Despite letting in four goals, Kale Thomson was monumental in securing the Terriers spot in the RBC Cup and all it takes is a look back at how things went early in the tournament when he was sick from the flu to see how important the nominee for CJHL Goaltender of the Year has been to the Terriers.
Head coach Trent Cassan had nothing but praise for his goalie when summing up things that helped take the Terriers to the RBC Cup.
"What more can you say about Kale that hasn't been said all season about a player who has stepped up to lead the team", said Cassan of a goaltender who has spent a long journey with the Terriers.
"Kale has accepted any role we have asked of him since he has joined the team, and to go from a backup to a starter to losing his job after Dawson MacAuley got hot last year to becoming one of the best Junior A goaltenders in the country is something that was crucial to our success and that I am proud of."
A former Terriers player, Trent Cassan credited the organization and the players for helping the team get to their first RBC Cup in eight years.
"We have great guys behind the scenes, from Gary Carson our scout who brings in amazing players, to our assistant coaches to the general manager Don Chesney I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with every day and players to coach so it has been an amazing experience to do this with them."
As for preperations for the RBC Cup, a tournament where the Terriers will be well amongst the favorites should things shake out their way, Cassan didn't have much thought put into it in the post game celebrations on Saturday.
The Terriers coach continued his mantra of enjoying the moment before preparing after some deserved celebrations, not giving up much on any potential plans for success in Vernon, B.C.
"We will have a weekend off before getting right back into things, luckily we have a bit of experience in getting ready for these tournaments now so hopefully that will be a help once we get there."
