Windspeaker Sports Briefs - February 2014

Oshie cracks U.S. team

While Carey Price will be doing his best to prevent goals for the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team, another Native player will be trying to score as many goals as possible for his side.

T.J. Oshie, who is part Ojibwe, will suit up for the American team in Sochi. Oshie is a 27-year-old forward with the St. Louis Blues. He’s in his sixth NHL campaign and is having a stellar season.

Oshie was second in team scoring after 51 games as he had collected 42 points (12 goals, 30 assists). Oshie, who grew up in Everett, Washington, starred at the University of North Dakota before turning pro in 2008.

He had been selected in the first round, 24th over-all, by St. Louis in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Like Price, this will mark the first time Oshie will compete in the Olympics. He had previously represented the U.S. at the 2006 World Junior Championships as well as the global men’s tournaments in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Brocket Rocket in Austria

Colton Yellow Horn is now starring overseas in the country where he launched his professional hockey career. Yellow Horn, who is from Brocket, Alta. and is nicknamed the Brocket Rocket, is playing for Szekeshfehervar Alba Volan, a club in Austria’s pro league.

Yellow Horn, a Blackfoot from the Piikani First Nation, was averaging almost a point per game with the team. He had earned 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in his first 35 matches.

This isn’t the first time, however, that Yellow Horn has ventured to Austria to play hockey. After finishing off his junior career with the Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans, based in the state of Washington, Yellow Horn opted to head overseas for his first pro season.

But he only spent 11 games with Austria’s Salzburg EC before returning to North America, where he joined the Elmira Jackals, members of the East Coast Hockey League.

Yellow Horn, who is now in his sixth season as a pro, returned to Austria following a stellar campaign last year. During the 2012-13 season, he split his time between the ECHL’s Ontario Reign, a California-based squad, and the American Hockey League’s Manchester Monarchs.

Yellow Horn had 58 points, including 36 goals, in 48 contests with the Reign. He also racked up 18 points, including six goals, in 28 matches with the New Hampshire-based Monarchs. Last year marked the first time Yellow Horn played in the AHL, considered one step below the National Hockey League.

During his pro career Yellow Horn has also suited up for the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder, as well as the Central Hockey League’s Allen Americans.

One of the country’s longest running tournaments will once again be held in Prince Rupert, B.C.

The 55th annual All Native Basketball Tournament will run from Feb. 9 to Feb. 15. More than 50 teams from across British Columbia are expected to take part in the event.

The tournament features four divisions; senior men, women’s, intermediate men (22 and under) and masters (35 and over). The event’s popularity is evidenced by the fact there’s even a qualifying tournament, which was held this past November, to get into the main February festivities.

Since a phone call he was waiting for never materialized, Wade Redden opted to end his National Hockey League career in early January. Redden, who is Métis, announced his retirement on Jan. 9.

The 36-year-old, who is from Lloydminster, Sask., was an unrestricted free agent. He had been hoping to ink a deal with any team this season but no offers materialized.

Redden appeared in 1,129 NHL contests during his career. He spent the majority of his career, 11 seasons, with the Ottawa Senators. He also had stints with the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins.

Some thought Redden’s NHL days were over a few years ago after the Rangers sent him to the minors.

Redden played two seasons with the Rangers’ minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League, but he resurfaced into the NHL last year. After being waived by the Rangers in January, when the shortened NHL season began, Redden inked a deal with St. Louis.

He appeared in 23 games with the Blues before being traded to Boston in early April. He appeared in six regular season contests and five playoff matches with the Bruins.

Redden was obviously hoping a club from the NHL would be keen to add a veteran such as himself to its roster this season, but with no such interest  forthcoming he opted to hang up his blades in January.