Press Release - Immediate Release
March 12, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer

Mar. 12, 2012
Boulder, CO - It wasn’t exactly the kind of showing the Cheyenne Stampede had hoped for in their first trip to the playoffs; and getting outscored 12-2 in two games against your earliest/geographically-closest rivals is plain unacceptable if you expect to move on. Neither game was very impressive for the Stamps as the Boulder Bison outworked them on both occasions and won the best-of-three series 2-0.

Taylor Porrier got Boulder off to a hot start by scoring five minutes into the series off of a dish by Ryan Gauthier. Will Neff improved upon it four minutes later on the powerplay. And while two goals would have been enough to beat Cheyenne at that point, the Stampede notched their first playoff goal in franchise history as Ryan Carroll put one past Chris Komma on the man-advantage. Unfortunately, they would be silenced after that goal. Dante Ruscitti made it 3-1 in the second period while Porrier would end the night with a hat trick; the third goal coming on an empty netter to win it for the Bison 5-1.

Saturday, would be even worse for the boys from Wyoming. A horrendous first period would seal their fate as Boulder jumped to a 4-0 lead going into intermission with goals by Gauthier, Neff, Mathieu Gauthier-Cote, and Porrier. Jake Bauer would add another before Cheyenne showed any signs of life with a goal of their own by Heath Lantz on the power play. That too would be answered with another Neff goal. Chris Guidotti scored one more for good measure and Boulder won the game 7-1.

The game three scheduled for Sunday was unnecessary and therefore was cancelled. Cheyenne will go home with missed opportunities at the forefront of their minds as they went 2 for 18 on the powerplay, a dismal 11%. What is most stunning though is how the big players for the Stampede didn’t even show up. There were no goals by Taylor Crawford, Joe Bellotti, Carl Graf, or Daniil Kulikov. Reily Moore and Tobias Pehrson went silent as well. Out of the six best players on the team, only Carroll was able to get one past Komma.

And while the series loss is an extremely difficult pill to swallow now, in a few days’ time the Cheyenne Stampede will look back on this season as a monstrous success. The Stamps and everyone associated with the organization has a lot to be proud of regardless of the playoff outcome.

The team as a whole had an impressive rookie season and has built a solid platform to grow on. Arguably the hardest thing to do is create an addictive atmosphere for the fans, and that was pretty much the first thing Cheyenne did. Week after week, fans flocked to the rink to support this team through everything. They were there for both the ten game win-streak, and the ten game losing-streak. Fans have been established, and that is critical to the success of a franchise, just ask the Atlanta Thrashers...or should I say the Winnipeg Jets?

On top of that, their front office knew when changes needed to be made and they did so. They brought in two of the best scorers in the league and gave up virtually nothing for them. The blue-line improved due to great coaching, and the goaltending had some healthy competition. When all is said and done, the team that moved from Tulsa ended with a 22-20-3-1 record, good enough for 48 points and third place in the Mountain Conference regular season. Fellow expansion teams like the Ogden Mustangs, Park City Moose, and the Dallas Snipers cannot say that about their seasons. In fact, the only team with a more impressive rookie season has to be the Dallas Ice Jets as they will be playing for the Mid-West title.

Aside from everything on the ice, the team worked hard off of it as well. They had promotions, community service, great advertising, a good relationship with local media, five-star billeting, and the best team cohesion that anyone has ever heard of. They have built an environment that players will want to play in next season, which begins now. Yes they will lick their wounds, but now that the team has established a reputation, recruiting will go much easier and more talent will find its way to Southern Wyoming; which means the playoff wins will come.

Press Release - Immediate Release
March 06, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Border War for Opening Round
By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer

Mar. 06, 2012
Boulder, CO - Playoffs. This is the time that everything from the season gets thrown out. Yes, the broadcasters, the media, and all the fans remember the big plays made and missed during the grind; but what good does any of that do now? What does it matter if a team had a 10 game winning streak if they lose two of the next three? No, the only thing that truly makes a difference at this point is how you play today.

When it comes to every practice, every meal, every game from here on out is what means everything and the Cheyenne Stampede are going to experience this for the first time in its young existence; and after talking with head coach Jeff Heimel, it is a challenge they are ready for.

“It’s all been about positivity. Staying positive and doing the work is what’s going to get it done.” Heimel continued, “The team’s been working hard and staying focused which is really what you need after so much time off, they’re just ready to go.”

He’s not kidding either. After locking up third place in the Mountain Conference of the WSHL, Cheyenne has had two weeks to ponder how they will face their opponents: The Boulder Bison. Having gone 1-5 against their neighbors to the south, the Stamps will need to have a short term memory as they will only have a best-of-three game series to prove their mettle.

Heimel went on to say, “they played us tough this season, but we’re a different team than the last time we faced them. We only had 16 guys and Mark [Lantz], GM has made some great moves to help us out. Picking up Tobias [Pehrson] and Carl Graf from El Paso has really made an impact; and our blue-line has been working hard to pick it up as well.”

Those are a couple of guys who have stepped up big for Cheyenne, but so have the goalies. In fact, the postseason opener is still up for grabs as Heimel has opened it up for battle. All netminders will have a shot at earning the start before the coaches make a decision on Thursday.

What they will need to look out for though is the one-two punch of the Bison: Chris Guidotti and Ryan Gauthier. These two are no strangers to Cheyenne as they both have at least ten points in the six games the teams have played each other. Boulder’s star defenseman, Preston James also has more points than anyone in a Cheyenne sweater not named Taylor Crawford, Carl Graf, Daniil Kulikov, or Ryan Carroll. This team can score, and they can score fast.

So who will Cheyenne start? How will Boulder play in front of their home crowd? Which team will win? There are still many questions left to be answered before the puck drops on Friday, but one thing is for sure: This war is just getting started.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

Press Release - Immediate Release

February 20, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Stamp Production at an All-Time High
By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer

Feb. 19, 2012
Ogden, UT - After months of a hard fought season, the Cheyenne Stampede have gotten hot just in time for playoffs as they finished up the regular season in style by sweeping the Ogden Mustangs. This weekend was much more than just three games for Cheyenne, this weekend symbolized their entire maiden voyage.

It was a frustrating start to something that would eventually turn out better than anyone had thought it could. Once established, the franchise embarked on a hot streak taking 9 out of 11 games to start the season off. Not bad. However, the bad would end up coming as they would go on to drop 13 out of 14 midway through the season.

That officially became gut check time. Most teams have those moments where they have to ask themselves from the top down, is everybody giving their all. In the end, adjustments and transactions were made which would end up shaping the look and direction of the franchise for good.

The addition of Carl Graf really had a lot to do with the Stamps turning point as his presence was felt in just about every game he laced up. In just 19 games with the club he racked up 30 points including 5 game winning goals and got at least one point in all but five games. Other players stepped up big for Cheyenne including Daniil Kulikov and Taylor Crawford.

Down the stretch they hit another streak that was less than perfect while facing the Dallas Ice Jets and the Idaho Junior Steelheads, however this time it was different. They kept scoring in the midst of adversity and eventually it would lead to success as they finished out the regular season on a 4 game win streak.

Playing the Ogden Mustangs isn’t exactly like playing the Fresno Monsters but Ogden has also made strides to improve their team. It’s just going to take a little more time for them though before anything turns into lasting success. Cheyenne put up 20 goals in just three games against the Mustangs and while the goaltending was serviceable, there will need to be some fine tuning before playoffs begin. The Stamps will enjoy some time to lick their regular season wounds and get ready for the post-season but as for now, they have much to be proud of after their first year in the WSHL.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

It’s a Family Affair

Feb. 17, 2012
Ogden, UT - The Cheyenne Stampede played possibly the most physical series of the season in a heated battle against the New Mexico Renegades and were rewarded with time for some R&R. Well break time is over.  Today marks the first day of the rest of the season for Cheyenne as they go in to face off against the Ogden Mustangs for the last series on the schedule.  This is more than the final game of the regular season.  It’s prepping for the playoffs.

Since this will probably be the last chance to see the players before the pressure of the playoffs, I wanted to  talk with two players who deal with a lot of pressure every day:  Matt and Heath Lantz. Matt and Heath not only have to deal with hockey on the ice, but their parents are the owners of the team.  Think there’s some interesting dinner conversation there? Count on it.

Name: Matt Lantz
Age: 20
Height: 6’1
Weight: 185lbs
Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming


Name: Heath Lantz
Age: 16
Height: 6’4
Weight: 185 lbs
Hometown:  Cheyenne, Wyoming

MP: Describe this roller coaster of a season
M LANTZ: Honestly I think it’s been good. We hit that rough patch a little but it forced us to make some moves for the team and that has really strengthened us in the long run. I think we have a real shot to go deep in playoffs because of it. It was stressful but in the end, it’s been worth it.
H LANTZ: It’s been a silly season but we’re a pretty good team and have a lot of skills. We’re just looking to put that stuff behind us and focus on this weekend. We have Ogden so we should be able to get three wins going into Utah.

MP: Matt this is your last year of eligibility correct? What’s next for you?
M LANTZ: Well this is going to just about do it for hockey. I’ve got too many injuries, surgeries, and concussions so I’m just going to take some time and go to fire school to become a firefighter. It’s hard to hang it up but when your body tells you it’s time then it’s time. I’ve enjoyed playing but I’m ready to move on.

MP: Heath, on the opposite end, this is your first season of juniors.  What do you think so far?
H LANTZ: It’s been a great experience for me. A lot of the older guys have been pushing me to get better, to help me develop my skills, and to move onto the next level. I feel like I will be ready for that in the future but I’ll probably be back here in Cheyenne next season which will be nice.

MP: This is kind of an all in the family type of deal where you two play together, your mom handles accounting stuff and your dad GM’s the team. Is that better or more stressful?
M LANTZ: You know it’s nice but you definitely have to deal with things that the other players don’t have to. Obviously it’s better being at home than living with billets like I did last year but having your parents around all the time gets kind of stressful too.
H LANTZ: I think it’s a little more stressful sometimes. The team kind of gives us some crap sometime but it’s nice to be home and sleep in your own bed. Its bittersweet dealing with your parents and playing but it’s helpful because we can give good feedback to how things are with the team.

MP: From your perspective, what was it like to watch your family go through the process of starting this team up?
M LANTZ: (begins laughing) Frustrating is the word for it. Oh my gosh it was extremely frustrating and stressful just dealing with the start-up process. Things have since calmed down but yeah it wasn’t easy at first. You know every family that runs their own business goes through that kind of thing and gets into arguments but in the end, it has been great and makes me proud that we bought the team from Tulsa.
H LANTZ: It was pretty stressful on my parents to get everything done. When they were starting it up there were family dinners, looking for coaches, finding host families, and all that so it was tough but it sure paid off in the end.

MP: Playoffs are just on the horizon, what are your expectations?
M LANTZ: I’m really excited for it. I think that after everything this team has been through it will be exciting to be put to the test. I don’t think anybody on this team thinks we don’t have a chance to win and I think we’re all ready to take care of business.
H LANTZ: I expect us to do well in the first round. Against Boulder, we’ll do well. They’re definitely beatable and we have a good chance to go play in El Paso.

MP: Before that you have this weekend, and the Mustangs are a team that were on a hot streak but have since simmered down. Do you expect a lot this weekend?
M LANTZ: Honestly I’m not sure. It’s been a while since we’ve played each other. They’re a different team and we’re a different team so we just need to go in there with the expectation that we can take them, get the six points, and get ready for playoffs.
H LANTZ: I expect us to get six points, but it’s been a while since we’ve faced them so as long as we play Stampede hockey and get the puck deep then the outcome should go our way.

The Stampede is already starting their Camp and Recruiting process to get ready for next season. For more information you can go to www.cheyennestampede.com or check out their Facebook or Twitter accounts. You can find those links on their website.

Balancing act

In playing junior hockey, high schoolers adjust to professional demands

By Jeremiah Johnke
jjohnke@wyosports.net

CHEYENNE -- Denver Lloyd thought he knew what to expect when he decided to play Junior A hockey with the first-year Cheyenne Stampede.

Still, his first month with the Western States Hockey League team was quite an eye-opener, both academically and athletically.

“There were times early on where it was really tough to go back to my host family’s house and get all of my stuff done after a long day of school, practice, weight lifting and all of that,” said Lloyd, who hails from Pinedale.

“Even now, as we try to make a playoff push, there’s a bigger time commitment and it’s been more difficult. It takes some getting used to, but you learn to make do.”

Lloyd, a 17-year-old left winger, said it took him a solid month to grow comfortable with his juggling act. He is the only Stampede player attending Cheyenne East and was recently nominated to take part in the American Legion’s Boys State program this coming summer.

The Stampede have defenseman Matt Broman and forwards Austin Krantz, Sean Sayers and Levi Shryack at Cheyenne Central. Forward Heath Lantz is home-schooled. And goaltender Vlodislav Kornienko takes online courses through a school in his native Russia as well as English classes at Laramie County Community College.

Playing junior hockey differs from playing at the high-school level.

The players are 16-21 years old, but the teams are operated like pro franchises and they often make one-way bus trips that can last up to 20 hours. Many prep teams practice only a few times per week, but Cheyenne practices and lifts weights almost daily.

“There are some really good players at this level, so you have to work hard every day,” said Lloyd, who has scored a goal and dished out two assists in 37 games. “I’m not 100 percent there yet, but I’m comfortable with the level of play and have enjoyed what I’ve been doing.”

He does admit to having been homesick.

Shryack, who hails from Sheridan, had the same feelings last year when he played Triple-A hockey in Billings, Mont. Triple-A is a step below the junior level.

“For a lot of us, it’s our first time away from home and that in itself can be overwhelming,” Shryack said. “We have a lot on our plates. Some guys deal with it well and others need that extra push.

“Having gone through it last year, I’ve tried to be there for my teammates as much as I can.”

The primary mission of junior hockey is to prepare players for the rigors of college hockey.

“They’re in a pretty special circumstance, so they have to learn how to balance hockey and school,” Cheyenne coach Jeff Heimel said. “We’ve all heard stories about guys who go to college and can’t manage all of the balls they have to juggle.

“Keeping them in a structured environment but giving them the freedom to make choices is going to prepare them for a much more demanding college hockey schedule.”

Heimel expects his players to be committed to the team, but he’s flexible when it comes to their schedules. Every now and then he will let them miss film study or a team meeting for study sessions and projects.

“As long as they communicate with us, I’m OK with them missing things,” he said. “We can work our schedule around their schedule. We have some good students on this team, so we haven’t had a lot of problems.”

Assistant Ty Smith has the high-schoolers’ log-ins for Laramie County School District 1’s online report cards and sets aside 15 minutes each Thursday to check grades. If a player isn’t taking care of business in the classroom, he doesn’t play that weekend.

Broman learned that lesson earlier this season when he missed out on a trip to his native Utah.

“It was hard, but it was the motivation I needed to keep up with things and get things done,” Broman said.

The Stampede do more than merely punish the players for slacking in the classroom.

Owner and general manager Mark Lantz invested in a sleeper bus so his players could get more rest on return trips after Sunday games and be fresher for school. Some of the beds also convert into tables and it’s not uncommon to see players doing homework on the bus.

Said Smith, “The schools have been really great about working with our schedules. They’ll let us know what assignments our guys are going to miss and what they need to do to make them up.

“They know these guys are here to chase their dream and they’ve been really helpful.”

The team has a pair of tutors, and forward Ryan Carroll became its unofficial math mentor after a teammate saw him studying for an advanced math class he was taking LCCC and asked for help.

That single interaction has turned into teammates regularly dropping by the home of Carroll’s host family for assistance.

Mark Lantz doesn’t expect next year’s team to be heavy on high-schoolers, but he still plans to raise the amount of academic support the club provides.

“We’ll probably institute a study hall,” he said. “If these guys want to play college hockey, they’ve got to keep their grades up. It’s definitely a necessary part of junior hockey.”

Press Release - Immediate Release

January 30, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Greener Pastures Ahead
By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer

Jan. 30, 2012
Cheyenne, WY - It wasn’t exactly the weekend the Cheyenne Stampede had in mind, but then again they aren’t the first team to be swept by the best team in the Mountain Conference and second best in the WSHL. Yes, they Stamps have dropped five of their last six, but let’s take a moment to review who they’ve lost to. The Dallas Ice Jets and the Idaho Junior Steelheads have such a high reputation for a reason, they’re really good. The two teams have a combined 55 wins in 70 games; they know what they’re doing.

The bigger story here is seeing Cheyenne do what they were failing to do throughout the middle of the season: score. In the last two series they notched 22 goals, five more than they scored in the entire month of December, and they did so against two of the three stingiest teams in the league. This team is still on the up and up regardless of the current losing streak.

What is nice for the Stampede is that they are going into New Mexico and Ogden to finish out the season. That’s not to say that these will be pushover games, but they will be highly competitive which is what Cheyenne needs. Since they have already secured their playoff spot, it would be easy to rest. However, they will be tested more than they ever have once they start playing for the Thorne Cup and they will need to be primed and ready for it. New Mexico shouldn’t be too much of a problem since the Renegades find themselves in a scoring dry spell, but the Ogden series will be their first feeling of playoff intensity since that series could decide seeding.

Once the Stamps can clean up the defense, this team will be among the top in the league. As for now, the biggest thing they have going for them besides their upcoming schedule, is that they are finding scoring amongst the entire team. Ryan Carroll, Reilly Moore, Wayne Hoffman, Carl Graf, Taylor Crawford, Daniil Kulikov, and Matthew Broman all found twine this weekend. This kind of puck sharing and second/third line scoring can make up for problems in other areas; they just need to keep it up...a task that shouldn’t be too difficult in the last two weeks of the season.

The Cheyenne Stampede will go on the road for the next 6 league games starting this weekend playing the New Mexico Renegades in the first outdoor WSHL “Winter Classic” game in Los Alamos, NM then onto Ogden, UT to take on the Mustangs in their final League Game.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

Click here to listen to the Cheyenne Stampede VS. Idaho Steelheads Radio Promo

Press Release - Immediate Release

January 23, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Stamp a Ticket to Playoffs

By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer

Jan. 23, 2012
Cheyenne, WY - After a stunning 6-3 victory against the Dallas Ice Jets on Friday and the Park City Moose getting the broom from the Ogden Mustangs, the Cheyenne Stampede have officially clinched a playoff berth in their maiden voyage. It has been what you would expect of a rookie season for the Stampede as they have had both high points with marked low ones as well, but this achievement is exactly what the front office was looking for all year. GM Mark Lantz has stated on several occasions that their most prominent goal was to make it to playoffs in their first year of existence, and after all the hard work, numerous trades, and battling through adversity on the ice, Cheyenne will be playing for the Thorne Cup.

While this occasion deserves celebration, the next question is where will their focus be now? This team is now in the same situation that every college graduate faces: after working your whole life on the goal of getting the bachelor’s degree, now that you have it what next? The Stamps received the degree they sought, but now will they go backpacking through Europe or go for the career? And will the fan base be happy with the fact that they’ve made playoffs or will they expect a deep run this season? These are all questions that Cheyenne must address. They have made their mark on this season, but what will it say when it is all over?

This team may have started out with a prominent run of wins, but during their losing stint we saw that they had deficiencies that were a cause for concern. They made good trades to put speed on the blueline instead of just brawn, added skill to the top two lines that desperately needed it, and enforced better discipline. It appears now that this team is finally constructed to play at a high level and their win on Friday and close defeat on Saturday and Sunday showed that they can compete with the best of them. The Dallas Ice Jets are no joke. For the entire season they have been fighting tooth and nail with the El Paso Rhinos to see who will stand alone atop the Mid-West Conference. And while the Stamps went 1-2 against them this weekend, they showed tenacity and the ability to score which was missing earlier this season.

The hardest part of the season begins this Friday as the Stampede will play their final three home games in front of a crowd full of support. The league-leading Idaho Junior Steelheads will travel to Cheyenne for a three game series that will challenge the Stampede in all aspects of the game. They won’t face a big scoring threat, but what they will see is the best goalie in all of the WSHL, Jordyn Kaufer, and the most efficient penalty kill as well. This weekend will really tell us what to expect from the post-season and whether or not they can readjust their season-long objective, or if they should go buy a copy of Backpacking for Dummies.

The Cheyenne Stampede will play hosts to the League Leading Idaho Jr. Steelheads for a 3 game series, starting Friday at the Cheyenne Ice & Events Center. Puck Drops at 7:35pm Friday (Jan 27) and Saturday (Jan 28), 11:30am Sunday (Jan 29). For tickets call 433-0024.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

Press Release - Immediate Release

February 06, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Bad Blood Boils Over
By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer

Feb. 06, 2012
Rio Rancho, NM - After losing their last five games, the Cheyenne Stampede needed a big weekend when they travelled to face the New Mexico Renegades in the WSHL’s version of the Winter Classic; and a big weekend was what they had. Taking five of the possible six points has put Cheyenne back on track and solidified 3rd place in the Mountain Conference of the WSHL. With 42 points now, the Stampede have pulled away from the Ogden Mustangs but still don’t have enough points to catch a Boulder Bison team that is currently riding a modest, yet important, four game win streak.

Friday started with a heated battle that resulted in a 3-2 victory for the Stamps off of the brilliant play of the team’s penalty kill. The Renegades on six different occasions failed to convert on the man advantage and that cost them in the end. Cheyenne’s special teams ability was also evident when they scored twice on their own powerplays (one being Tobias Pehrson’s game winning goal in the third period) in what was overall a poorly disciplined game that saw 14 different players across the two teams sit for various infractions.

The big story for this one was that goaltender Michael Porter received more defensive help that any other game this season. He only faced 21 shots and stood tall for all but two of them. It has been the D-core that has needed improvement for Cheyenne just about all season and when they were needed to, they stepped up in game one of this series.

One day later, it was a different story. The Stampede will remember Saturday as a perfect example of what happens when you let up for just a moment, because it came back to bite them where it hurts. Overall it was a great game for Cheyenne. They scored five goals, they had four of them on the powerplay, and they even outshot their opponents. However what will be remembered was Jake Peterson’s shorthanded goal with under a minute remaining in the first period to give New Mexico a one goal lead. That is the goal that would end up costing Cheyenne as the two teams battled it out for the lead throughout the game.

Tied at 5 they went into overtime where nothing transpired and was then followed by a shootout which was won by New Mexico to give them a 6-5 win. All it took was one second of being behind a play and allowing a goal that should have never happened go in for what could have been a 5-4 victory turn into a 6-5 defeat. However, lesson learned and they moved on to Sunday.

After a defeat like Saturday’s it is important to see how a team will recover the following day. There are a lot of questions that come up such as: Do they have the energy to push through this? Do they have the mental strength to come back from that? Will they go back to fundamentals? Who will try to make reparations for the loss? All of these things swirl around a team’s aura and what everyone looks for is that sign that the previous game wasn’t debilitating…and it wasn’t.

Cheyenne came out hot taking over 40 shots in the game, scoring all but one goal on special teams, and battling against the Renegades laughable brand of hockey. It seemed that all New Mexico wanted was to go head hunting which didn’t make any sense for a playoff-bound team. Colton Burkett, Michael Pisarevsky, Matt Uvodich, and Cole Dodson’s play was an example of everything that is wrong with hockey. These four jokers were all charged with head contact infractions which is a nice way of saying they either don’t know how to hit, which is probably true for Burkett and Uvodich, or they’re out to injure people which is more likely for Pisarevsky and Dodson who has 20 PIMs in his 3 games with New Mexico. Add on Dodson’s fifth penalty of the game for checking from behind which got him kicked out, and you have all you need to know about how this one went down.

The Stampede weren’t innocent in this one either with a few unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, but when players are being cheap shot, what else do you expect? In a game where concussions are literally the biggest subject, the exhibition that took place on Sunday deserves harsh penalties and I’m not talking about on the ice. The WSHL needs to make a statement after a game like that, because if they don’t then this is only going to be the beginning. People watch hockey for the intensity, not for the life-threatening injuries. Head contact cannot be a simple two minute minor if you want it taken out of the game. If nothing is done about hits to the head, pretty soon every hockey player will have nothing but scrambled eggs floating where a brain used to be. Maybe the bright lights and being outdoors got to the players, even so it is unacceptable.

For Cheyenne to battle through the adversity they faced and win game 3 in their final series against New Mexico by a score of 4-3 proves that this team is truly on the up and up. The crisp outdoors provided all they needed to get back on track. The slip up against the Ice Jets and the Junior Steelheads isn’t a good pool to test the waters in when it comes to record, however this series was indicative of what the Stampede have the ability to do. They will have a bye weekend before closing out the regular season in Utah when they play the Odgen Mustangs in two weeks. Playoff Ticket availability will be announced soon on the Teams Website for the first round to be held in Boulder, CO.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

Stampede rally falls short
By Jeremiah Johnke
jjohnke@wyosports.net

CHEYENNE n The spark came a little too late for the Cheyenne Stampede.

The Western States Hockey League squad scored four goals over a three-minute stretch in the third period, but still lost to the visiting Dallas Ice Jets 7-5 on Sunday afternoon at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

“We just couldn’t find the spark we needed n I don’t know what it was,” said forward Carl Graf, who scored a pair of third-period goals and assisted on another. “We played 12 minutes of good hockey and only lost by two goals, so that’s frustrating.”

Dallas (22-7-2) dominated a flat and relatively lifeless Stampede squad well into the third period. The Ice Jets built a 6-0 lead by the 14:18 mark of the second period.

Cheyenne (17-17-3) didn’t get on the scoreboard until Daniil Kulikov’s power play goal with 5 minutes, 8 seconds to play in the second.

Sunday’s game played out in a similar fashion to Saturday’s contest, which Dallas won 4-3.

In that game, the Ice Jets scored three goals in the first period and led 4-1 a mere 42 seconds into the second.

It didn’t surprise Stampede coach Jeff Heimel that his team lacked energy Saturday night after picking up a hard-fought 6-3 win to open the series Friday.

He was surprised that Cheyenne was flat Sunday.

“I definitely expected more from the get-go,” he said. “For whatever reason, the legs weren’t there. They weren’t down (on themselves), though.

“I thought our guys stayed pretty positive because they knew that if we got a couple of power plays and a couple of goals, we’d be right back in the game.”

Graf got the Cheyenne offense going with his goal at the 14:38 mark of the third period.

The Stampede then got goals from Wayne Hoffman (16:09), Graf (16:36) and Joe Bellotti (17:50) to narrow Dallas’ advantage to 6-5.

“We’ve been such a momentum team this year,” Heimel said. “When things are going our way, we play unreal. When things aren’t going our way and we’re not at our best, we really struggle.

“We got a couple of goals and guys got fired up.”

With his team trailing 6-4 and Dallas’ Bryan Siersma called for hooking, Heimel pulled goaltender Cacy Wilfer to give his team two extra attackers.

The strategy resulted in Bellotti’s goal.

The defenseman wrapped around the net and snuck the puck between Dallas goalie Michael Baldwin and the left pipe.

“Guys finally started working and feeling that competitive greatness that we needed from the start,” Graf said. “We got one goal, and then people started moving their feet and we got another and built off of that,” Graf added. “We just needed to play that way from the beginning.”

Ice Jets’ forward Christian Elsborg snuffed out Cheyenne’s comeback hopes with an empty net goal with 34 seconds to play. It was Elsborg’s second goal of the game.

“We had an opportunity to come back and win the game, which you wouldn’t have thought we would when we were down five goals,” Heimel said.

Cheyenne plays its final home series of the year starting Friday when it hosts the Mountain Conference-leading Idaho Junior Steelheads (28-2-2) at 7:35 p.m.

Press Release - Immediate Release
January 20, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Time for the Stamped to Act-Out Their Namesake
By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer

Jan. 20, 2012

Cheyenne, WY - The Cheyenne Stampede have never had more in common with their namesake as they have recently. Merriam-Webster, the most well-known English dictionary, defines a stampede as “a mass movement of people at a common impulse”. That impulse for the juniors in southern Wyoming: winning.

After coming off of a long losing streak, Cheyenne burst forward with a huge weekend against the Phoenix Knights. Once the dust settled, the Stampede out-shot, out-scored, out-saved, out-played, and just about out-everything-else-positive against the Knights and rolled to their most impressive series sweep in the short history of the franchise. Now they have a much more difficult task in front of them as the Dallas Ice Jets come to town and they have something to prove as they have fallen out of the top spot in the Mid-West Conference.

With Cheyenne just 10 points away from locking up their first ever playoff appearance, don’t think they aren’t just as fired up. The front office has been active in making their team better and it certainly paid off last weekend. Carl Graf, recent acquisition from the El Paso Rhinos, went on a scoring tear knotting up 7 points in the three games, one of which included a hat trick. Teammate Daniil Kulikov matched him point-for-point as well.

It seems as though Cheyenne has found their groove, but will Dallas have something to say about it? The league’s number 4 and 5 goaltenders, Thomas Scoggin and Michael Baldwin, provide a dual threat in between the pipes for Dallas. However, the Stampede had a remarkable upturn in goals with 21 total against Phoenix. The question is which streak will remain intact? Can the Stampede continue their momentum forward with guns blazing? Or will the Ice Jets defense and netminding prove to be just too much for the young bucks? Find out this weekend as the Stampede host the Ice Jets for another three game series of WSHL action.

The Cheyenne Stampede will play hosts to the Dallas Ice Jets for a 3 game series, starting Friday at the Cheyenne Ice & Events Center. Puck Drops at 7:35pm Friday (Jan 20) and Saturday (Jan 21), 11:30am Sunday (Jan 22). For tickets call 433-0024.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

Press Release - Immediate Release

January 18, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Welcome Back Cheyenne!

By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer
Jan. 18, 2012

Cheyenne, WY - 180 minutes...that’s all it took to change the shape of a season. After losing 13 out of its last 14 games, it looked as though the Stampede had just about given up with a horrific schedule ahead of them. However, 180 minutes later, this team has a new lease on life and the Cheyenne Stampede welcomed back their winning ways with open arms as if it were the Prodigal Son who had returned home.  After living a comfortable life just above the Colorado border, he (being “winning ways”) left home and had gotten caught in his wayward life while hanging out with the likes of Bison and Brahmas, Monsters and Rhinos, and Flyers and Red Hawks. But then he realized a change was needed so he came home and lit up the net against some Knights that came to visit, and the town was there to celebrate his return home by slaughtering the fatted calf in victory.

Ok maybe not so much that last part, but in no way is there exaggeration in saying that the Cheyenne Stampede went Biblical in their recent home series against the Phoenix Knights. It hasn’t been an easy road for the Stampede in recent weeks, but thanks to new addition Carl Graf and the surprising awakening of Daniil Kulikov, they put together their first series sweep since early November. This team looked like one of the WSHL’s elite as they ripped shot after shot after shot against a Phoenix team that has endured one of the most painful seasons in franchise history out in the desert; pair that up with some outstanding goaltending for three nights, one including a shutout by Vladislav Kornienko, and the Stampede finally found their recipe for success.

The weekend got off to a hot start with not one but two hat tricks for the home squad by Graf and Kulikov, while netminder Cacy Wilfer only allowed one goal on 18 attempts. They came out with all kinds of aggression and won in dominating fashion 7-1. Riley Moore also punched in a power play goal for the Stampede. This however, wouldn’t be the most remarkable evening out of the three either. After licking its wounds, the Knights came back and put three up on Wilfer, however goalie Sebastian Ramirez for Phoenix couldn’t match and allowed four off of an amazing 48 shots. Graf and Kulikov both scored in this one again to give each of them 4 after two nights; Taylor Crawford and Joe Bellotti also tallied a goal to win 4-3. Sunday however, that is when the big beatdown of Phoenix came as they lost 11-0 and couldn’t even scrape together 20 shots. Goals came by Graf, Matthew Broman, Graf again, Crawford, recent acquisition Tobias Pehrson, Sean Sayers, Kulikov, Bellotti, Crawford again, and Dorren Masters who earned a Gordie Howe hat trick after his scrap with Gage Mitchell and his assist on the Sayers goal. Graf finished the weekend with 7 points, not a bad welcoming party; and Kulikov matched with 7 himself.

It’s as if Phoenix poked at a sleeping bear that was hibernating and woke it up, because the Stampede apparently had enough of losing. Their play was remarkably better than possibly any other series they’ve played in, and if they continue this against the Dallas Ice Jets this coming weekend, they could possibly be sitting on a nice six game winning streak. Shot production was at an all-time high with 160 shots in those 180 minutes, that’s almost one shot on goal per minute. With all this scoring as a result, let’s hope that they took notes and can hit the repeat button because this is fun hockey.

The Cheyenne Stampede will play hosts to the Dallas Ice Jets for a 3 game series, starting Friday at the Cheyenne Ice & Events Center. Puck Drops at 7:35pm Friday (Jan 20) and Saturday (Jan 21), 11:30am Sunday (Jan 22). For tickets call 433-0024.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

Press Release - Immediate Release
January 13, 2012
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Clinch Could Be Coming
By: Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Staff Writer
Jan. 13, 2012

Cheyenne, WY - Welcome to the weekend of reckoning for the Cheyenne Stampede. They have made it no secret that they have one main goal: to make playoffs in their first year of existence. Today they find themselves in position to fulfill that vision and all they need to do is win 4 out of their 15 remaining games. They start this weekend with a three game series against the easiest team they will play the rest of the season, the Phoenix Knights.

It hasn’t exactly been the season the Knights were hoping for. After following taking the reins from the seven-time champion Phoenix Polar Bears, the new purple and black find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference with mathematically no chance of breaking even. This is the team that should make the Stampede begin salivating at the thought of playing them as Cheyenne hasn’t been playing their best hockey in recent games either. Another bright note for the home team is that Phoenix is absolutely horrible on the road with a record of 3-10-1.

This weekend will also be the first chance for fans to see the new faces on the club. They already saw Carl Graf in the Stampede’s 3-1 loss to Boulder a week ago, but this time they get to check out recently acquired defenseman, Tobias Pehrson of the El Paso Rhinos. They did need to give up statesman Brandon Luke in the process but Pehrson will add much needed depth at the blueline with reports of more trades coming.

If there were ever a time for Cheyenne to right the ship, it’s this weekend. Why you may ask? Because after this they have six games in a row against the Mid-West and Mountain Conference leaders in the Dallas Ice Jets and Idaho Junior Steelheads; two teams who are determined to make things very difficult for the Stampede. It will be tough sledding ahead for the new franchise in Wyoming but they just have to remember the goal: 4 wins out of 15 games. If they can do that, they will be playoff-bound and who knows, maybe the last-place Park City Moose will help them out with a few losses this weekend against the Arizona Red Hawks. Although it’s always better to make that an unnecessary need.

The Cheyenne Stampede will play hosts to the Phoenix Knights for a 3 game series, starting tonight at the Cheyenne Ice & Events Center. Puck Drops at 7:35pm Friday(Jan 13) and Saturday(Jan 14), 11:30am Sunday (Jan 15). For tickets call 433-0024.

Friday and Saturdays home game will also be designated Carey Jr. High Night as the Stampede players have been on the ice again this week with all Carey Physical Education classes teaching, encouraging, giving tips and learning the game of Ice Hockey. The Team has invited all PE Class members to the Phoenix series and waived their admission fees by giving the Carey PE Coaches over 250 Free Tickets to the games!

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

In-Depth Look at Taylor Crawford of the Cheyenne Stampede - Jan. 06, 2012

Cheyenne, WY - Currently the WSHL has just passed its half-way point and so far, the expansion (or transfer) Cheyenne Stampede have had a decent season. After starting the season with a loss, the team immediately took off going on a hot ten game win streak. Then they hit a bit of a rough stretch just before break but currently stand at 15-12-3. The Stampede have gone through some growing pains but overall seems to be developing nicely and are eagerly waiting their return from break.

But since the teams of the WSHL are just now reporting back to their respective facilities after a nice two-week vacation, it’s a good time to get to know the players a bit. So this week, I took a few minutes to chat it up with Stampede Captain, Taylor Crawford. Below are some specifics on him to start:

Age: 20 Height: 5’6” Weight: 155lbs Birthplace: Anchorage, AK Current Status: Amateur GPA: 3.8 Ethnicity: Caucasian Tenure with Cheyenne Franchise: First season

MP: So how’s the break been treating you? Enjoying yourself?
CRAWFORD: Oh my gosh it’s been great! Definitely what I needed so it’s been real nice.
MP: Haha I’m sure it has been; you guys had a tough finale to the first half of the season. By the way, congratulations on your early success this season. You lead the team with 41 points so far, what would you attribute your success to?
CRAWFORD: Well to be honest with you, it’s really all about the group of guys I have around me. I’ve been on a line with Ryan Carroll all season long and we’ve just been able to develop some really good chemistry and it’s worked out great. Because of my size, I’m more of a guy who doesn’t play in front of the net so much and I just look for ways to get open and my teammates do a really good job of getting the puck to me; it also helps open things up for me to pass.
MP: You went from 10 games without a loss to 11 games without a win. This season has been rather hot and cold wouldn’t you say? What happened?
CRAWFORD: Yeah we’ve been through lots of adversity you know. I mean really here’s what happened, we played well against some pretty weak teams in the beginning of the season and that built up a lot of confidence for us which was good. The problem though was we got complacent just before playing some elite teams and that just brought us back down which was also good. It really wasn’t fun during that rough patch but the adversity was healthy for this team and I think we’ll be ready to go coming off this break
MP: The franchise moved from Tulsa, a city that loved its team, to Cheyenne this year. How has the fan support been for a team that is really starting from scratch?
CRAWFORD: Oh the fan support has been a huge surprise to me. This wasn’t a hockey town before we came here and I really wasn’t expecting much but we have some crazy, die-hard fans that are awesome. And it really helps when you’re in an 0-11 funk to have a lot of support to back you up.
MP: So the fans kept coming during the losing streak?
CRAWFORD: Honestly, I think there were more fans there when we were losing than when we were winning. They wanted us to get out of that losing streak just as much if not more than we did haha. You know and credit Mark Lantz, our GM. He and our coaches worked really hard to spread the word before we even got here and the fans have been great.
MP: And I’m sure you’ve had to compete with the college crowds around there for attention too which wouldn’t make things easy, especially because people don’t really know how intense junior hockey is.
CRAWFORD: Well yeah, when people hear “junior hockey” they think of little kids going to play some recreation stuff, but once they realize that it’s grown adults playing extremely physical hockey then they get hooked
MP: Do you think it’s because it’s called “junior” hockey that people are turned off by that?
CRAWFORD: Yeah I really do. People, especially those who don’t know hockey but even some who do, don’t understand that the people playing aren’t minors and that turns them off.
MP: So if you could pick anything you wanted to change it to, what would it be?
CRAWFORD: Oh man that’s a tough one. You’ve caught me off guard for this. Um, I don’t really know; maybe Big Boy Hockey haha.
MP: Alright not too shabby, but I’ll give you a few weeks to come up with something better. In the meantime, you’re from Idaho and last year you played for the Junior Steelheads, what was it like going back there earlier this season to face off against them?
CRAWFORD: It was fun going back there and you know my best friend is the captain of the team; so yeah that was fun. Don’t get me wrong though, I definitely wanted to take it to them because we aren’t friends during the game. We’ve got 60 minutes of playtime and then we can go back to being friends afterwards. It really motivates you to have a good showing though.
MP: Trades have been a big part of this team’s young history as they are with most expansion franchises. As the captain of the team, how have you been able to keep your team together and cohesive through the changes?
CRAWFORD: It’s been pretty easy since we are such a close team. There isn’t really much to do around Cheyenne and a lot of teams end up splitting into cliques but because we don’t have much else to do, we stick together a lot. It doesn’t stop guys from worrying about being traded but that’s part of hockey and you just have to learn to deal with it. And when it comes to the guy we trade for, we just accept him as another one of the guys. Nobody is safe, but that’s what keeps us together.

To update you on the team Crawford plays for…GM Mark Lantz and Coach Jeff Heimel have been working tirelessly to add some scoring to their offensive core. Already they have made three big splashes by acquiring Carl Graf from the El Paso Rhinos, Daniil Kulikov from the Phoenix Knights, and they have added 6’1” forward Sean Sayers. Even after all of this, they may not be done. Lantz has a lofty goal in sight and is determined to make it a reality; “That goal is earning a playoff berth in our first year of existence.” If his team continues making great trades and key pickups, they may just have a shot.

Cheyenne returns to the ice this weekend against the Boulder Bison, a team they are 1-3 against so far. This has quickly turned into a nice border brawl and it looks to be even more heated come Saturday. Afterwards, the Stampede will enjoy an extended home stretch. They will host the Phoenix Knights, Dallas Ice Jets, and the Idaho Junior Steelheads for a trifecta of three-game series’. For more information go to www.cheyennestampede.com.

Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Writer for JuniorHockey.com. E-mail him at MProsser58@gmail.com.

Stampede set to open 2012 with a Bang on Saturday

CHEYENNE, WY - The Cheyenne Stampede are set to open the 2012 portion of their home schedule with a bang this Saturday January 7, 2012 at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center by facing off with the Boulder Jr. Bison of Colorado. Puck drops at 7:35pm.

General Manager, Mark Lantz is excited about getting team going into 2012. “The Stampede are poised and looking forward to completing another team goal within a few short games! That Goal is earning a Play-off berth in their first year of existence.” 

The entire Stampede Staff has been working tirelessly to add depth and scoring punch to the lines, and Head Coach Jeff Heimel is happy about the new additions, “GM Lantz has acquired three such players within the last 25 days.” Starting off with Danill Kulikov, 6’1” Forward from Moscow, Russia who joined the roster just prior to the WSHL’s Showcase in late December. Carl Graf, 6’2” Forward from Stockholm, SWE who was added to the roster during the showcase and recently acquired Sean Sayers, 6’1” Forward from Calgary, AB. “We still are in the Playoff building mode, looking to add maturity and depth to the defensive squad,” added Assistant Coach Ty Smith.

Saturdays home game will also be designated Carey Jr. High Night as the Stampede players have been on the ice with the Carey Physical Education classes all week teaching, encouraging, and giving tips. The Team has invited all PE Class members to the Boulder Game Saturday night and waived their admission fees by giving the Carey PE Coaches over 200 Free Tickets to Saturday’s game!

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

R&R: Rest & Rumors

Dec. 27, 2011

CHEYENNE, WY  - December is usually a month of cold weather for The Equality State, but this year there is a Chinook Wind blowing Cheyenne’s way that is bringing the warming feeling of trade acquisitions on the horizon. After a historical start to the expansion Stampede’s season, things have simmered down in the win column and the Western States Shootout is a great summary for how the level of play has been lately. The team went just 1-1-2 on their trip to Las Vegas before the break where they had a remarkable come-from-behind win against the Long Beach Bombers in the finale. Other than that, there wasn’t much to write home about.

However, there was a stir in the pot that occurred on the trip. After the Stampede fell to the El Paso Rhinos in game two of the weekend, the two franchises reached a trade agreement that brought star forward Carl Graf to Cheyenne. The Stampede needed to give up D-man Travis Cornwell but that is a small price to pay for a player on track to score 60+ points this season, especially considering Cheyenne’s scoring struggles.

Just to give you an idea of what the Stampede are receiving, this 6’2”, 190lbs Swedish sensation is averaging 1.28 points per game, adds much needed size to crash the net, and quick hands. This is the player that Cheyenne has been waiting for all season to support Taylor Crawford and Ryan Carroll. With these three scoring threats, the Stampede should be able to turn their fortunes around when they return from their two-week vacation.

The exciting thing about all of this is that sources are saying that the Stampede are still throwing feelers out there for other possible transactions. Assumptions are that this time it is to put some speed on their blue-line. Also, nothing is confirmed yet, but rumors are swirling around the organization starting up an Independent U-16 or U-18 team under the AAU. It is unlikely that the franchise will choose both but if this comes to fruition, only good things will come for hockey in southern Wyoming so stay tuned for more info. For up-to-the-minute info you can go to the Cheyenne Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or the team website www.cheyennestampede.com.

When the season gets underway again on January 6th, the team will be playing against the team they started the year with: The Boulder Bison. As a fun thing for the fans to get involved with, the Stampede are planning a “Fan Party Bus” to travel down to Boulder, Colorado.  Again, for more information please go to the websites. Things are looking bright for Cheyenne, and if these trades culminate with a lot of hard work then they may have a Thorne Cup in the near future.

Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Writer for JuniorHockey.com. E-mail him at MProsser58@gmail.com.

Herded In and Out of Showcase

Dec. 21, 2011
LAS VEGAS, NV  - Well it wasn’t necessarily the most glorious weekend of hockey for the Cheyenne Stampede, but there were some bright spots. On Friday, the Stampede travelled to Las Vegas to play in the WSHL Western States Shootout Tournament where they finished with a record of 1-1-2. For an expansion team, it could’ve been much worse than it ended up.

In game one on Saturday, Cheyenne drew one of the more elite squads on-site: The Valencia Flyers. The contest got off to a great start with Joe Bellotti netting the first goal of the game, but that was pretty much the only great thing in the game for the Stampede. Valencia scored the following four goals to win 4-1. The key to this one was blown chances. The boys in brown had four chances on the power play and couldn’t capitalize on any of them. And who knows, maybe if they had scored on the Ryan Smith penalty about midway through the first period when the Stampede were down 2-1, we could be talking about a different ending. Momentum leads to momentous moments, and by missing out on those chances, Cheyenne didn’t have a prayer.

After licking the wounds, the Stampede moved to Sunday; playing the El Paso Rhinos, Cheyenne’s General Manager, Mark Lantz, stated afterwards that it was the best game he’s seen his team play. He even added that they “played more as a team than when [they] were leading the [Mountain] Division.” Unfortunately, this came in a losing effort as the Rhinos won the game 3-2. Some highlights though were that the passes were crisp, the shots were smart, and just the fact that they pushed a great team like El Paso to overtime. If there was ever such a thing as a moral victory, this was as close as it would come.

Monday marked game three of the Shootout for Cheyenne and they were matched up with yet another capable opponent, the Arizona Red Hawks. This one was another heart-breaker for the Stampede as they once again forced the game into overtime, but just as the previous night, they fell short 3-2. Vladislav Kornienko played well between the pipes, stopping a flurry of 34 shots hurled his way, but there were just too many defensive breakdowns that led to his second overtime loss of the season.

Even after starting the tournament 0-3, the silver-lining was found in the Stampede’s game against the Long Beach Bombers on Tuesday. They had to do it in dramatic fashion, coming from behind after trailing 3-0, but somehow they found a way to pull together and walk away with a victory on the biggest stage the franchise has ever played on. And just as special teams played horribly on Saturday, the exact opposite happened in this one. Cheyenne got back into the game by getting their first two goals on the powerplay; the first one was scored by Bellotti and the second by Matthew Lantz. Coming back from the intermission, the Stampede needed just one to tie, but were given two goals by Daniil Kulikov about midway through the second period. Andrew Baggen put the icing on top of the cake with a shorthanded empty net goal to seal it 5-3 in one of the most shocking comebacks of the entire tournament.

The other accolade the team receive was for start defenseman, Joe Bellotti, who was named HockeyShot.com’s National Defensive Player of the Week. This is the highest honor any player for the Stampede has accomplished in its young existence. Cheyenne will be on break until January 6th like everyone else in the WSHL. They travel to Boulder Colorado for yet another attempt at redemption against the Bison. So far, the Stampede is 1-3 in the season series.

Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Writer for JuniorHockey.com. E-mail him at MProsser58@gmail.com.

Cheyenne's Bellotti Named HockeyShot.com Defensive POTW - Junior Hockey News

Published: Tuesday, 20 Dec 2011
By: JuniorHockey.com Staff

JuniorHockey.com today announced that Joe Bellotti, of the Western States Hockey League's Cheyenne Stampede, has been named HockeyShot.com's National Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending December 20th.

Bellotti recorded two goals and a pair of assists as Cheyenne went 1-1-2 at the Western States Shootout in Las Vegas.

The 6'1" / 185 lb. 20-year-old from Malboro, New Jersey has collected a total of eight goals and seven assists in 29 WSHL games this season.

HockeyShot manufactures its own line of products under the HockeyShot brand and acts as a distributor for many other popular products found on the site. With an established network of manufacturers and vendors, we have access to other products not listed on our site. If you can't find a product you are looking for, email us and we will let you know if we can supply it. We welcome any suggestions or comments you may have. Get Into Hockey Training! www.hockeyshot.com

Headquartered in Kingwood, Texas, JuniorHockey.com celebrates its 2nd season as the nation's only independent news source devoted to junior hockey.  With 100,000+ views a month and over 10,000 pages of content, JuniorHockey.com is emerging as the world's foremost producer of junior hockey content. For more information, visit us on the web at www.juniorhockey.com

MEDIA ADVISORY - Immediate Release
December 11, 2011
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

What Happens When Expansion Meets Champion

Dec. 18, 2011

LAS VEGAS , NV - It was the most anticipated game of Day 3 at the Western States Shootout Tournament. The up-and-coming expansion Cheyenne Stampede faced off against the reigning Mid-West Division Champion El Paso Rhinos in a dual that was so good, it wouldn’t have been right if it didn’t go into overtime.

The Stampede got off to an early lead when Andrew Baggen’s shot was deflected by Dorren Masters at just under four minutes in. It would take nearly 16 minutes but the Rhinos did answer with a goal of their own by Alex Koopmeiners to tie it at 1 going into the intermission. When the puck dropped for the second period, it was a sluggish start for both squads. There would be three penalties over a span of ten minutes before a goal would be scored at the 14:07 mark by Dallas Szustak to give the Rhinos the lead. Not to be outdone, Cheyenne responded six minutes later to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Once a player for each team was removed from the playing surface and the extra period began, it was only a matter of time before this thriller would find a winner. That winner would come in the shape of Trey Hughes on a breakaway. After receiving a puck bounced off the boards by Szustak, Hughes caught a burst of speed, split the defense, and buried the rubber to end the game with just over a minute remaining. When asked if he could give a player of the game award, Coach Cory Herman explained “the Hughes, Morales, and Szustak line played like magic all game so I’ll go with all of them.” Magic is a great word for it. The three of them together recorded six points from the three goals in a great win for the Rhinos.

Despite the loss, there were still some bright spots for Cheyenne. Goalie Michael Porter gave a fascinating performance, stopping 38 of El Paso’s 41 shots. When asked what he thought in his team’s losing effort, Cheyenne GM Mark Lantz stated “this was the best game I’ve seen our team play. I don’t look at this as a defeat, our guys played more like a team than back when we were in first place. We played a great team [from] El Paso and got a point out of it.”

Up next in the Shootout for the Rhinos are the dominant Idaho Junior Steelheads; and Cheyenne will play the Arizona Red Hawks. Both teams will have their hands full playing very capable teams. However if they show up with the same intensity as they did today and get a couple of breaks then they have a better than good shot at winning.

Matt Prosser, Cheyenne Stampede Writer for JuniorHockey.com. E-mail him at MProsser58@gmail.com.

STAMPEDE SNAP LOSING STREAK

CHEYENNE, WY: Finally after dropping 8 games in a row the Cheyenne Stampede played a scheduled exhibition game against the University of Wyoming’s ACHA Div III Team on Friday in Laramie, WY and won in a fairly convincing manner. 4-1, before returning home to the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center on Saturday to play in front of one of largest crowds to date.
The Stampede didn’t spoil their fans enthusiasm and want for a home victory. The Stampede battled hard in front of their fans, giving them a 5-2 win in this home and home series.
Scoring Summary 
Game 1- Laramie WY, Dec 9th, 2011

Period 1-No Scoring
Period 2- Cheyenne (1) Masters (Cornwell, Moore) 1:50; Cheyenne (2) Tucker (Cornwell, Moore) 7:57; Cheyenne (3) Masters (Crawford) 9:28
Period 3-Cheyenne (4) Hoffman (unassisted) 11:29; UW (1) Lang (unassisted)
Shots 43-35 Cheyenne
Winning Goal-Tender: Cacey Wilfer
Final 4-1 Cheyenne
Game 2 - Cheyenne WY, Dec 10

Period 1-Cheyenne (1) Carroll (Crawford) 1:06 ; UW (1) Freeman (Bates) 2:11
Period 2-Cheyenne (2) Crawford (Lantz, Carroll) 4:35; Cheyenne (3) Lantz (Crawford, Carroll) 7:44; UW(2) Squire (Nelson, Roberts)
Period 3-Cheyenne (4) Carroll (Lantz, Moore) 1:19; Cheyenne (5) Lantz (Moore, Cornwell) 10:43
Shots 36-22 Cheyenne
Winning Goal-Tender: Michael Porter
Final 5-2 Cheyenne
Cheyenne’s Heath Lantz and Ryan Carroll recorded 4pts each during this game and showed some impressive work ethic and seemed to be returning to their production habits of earlier this season.

Coach Heimel had this to say, “It was nice to get something in the win column.  We have been plagued by injuries and have been dealing with a ton of adversity lately.  I am happy to see some players turning things around but still we have a long way to go and many pieces to add to the puzzle if we are going to win when it matters come playoff time.”  “Overall it was a positive weekend”.    Asked about what he thought about his GM scheduling an “Exhibition Series” in the middle of the season Heimel added, “This was a great exhibition series.  Both the fans of Cheyenne and Laramie really got involved and it was a great opportunity to provide the state of Wyoming with some high caliber hockey. I can see this turning into a heated rivalry and a yearly tradition based on the success of last weekend. What a great experience.” 
The Stampede take their game on the road to Las Vegas to play in the Western States Hockey League Showcase featuring 18 teams and over 60+ College coaches and recruiters later this week and afterward will go on a Holiday break, returning home to the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center on January 7, 2012 to face their most heated rivals, the Boulder Bison for a home and home series!

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

MEDIA ADVISORY - Immediate Release
November 18, 2011
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

CHEYENNE, WY - This coming weekends game, Saturday, November 19th between #1 Cheyenne Stampede and #3 Boulder Jr. Bison  has been designated  as “Stamp out Hunger” at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

The Cheyenne Stampede will be joining CBS Channel 5, Cheyenne Spradley Bar, and Sierra Trading Post with a food drive this weekend to benefit the Comea Shelter and the Salvation Army.  The Stampede players will deliver the food early next week.  There will be a collection box at the Rink for canned goods, cereal, jello or cake mixes. Please bring a few items to donate to these great organizations and help feed the hungry in Cheyenne.

Come out and enjoy a Cheyenne Stampede hockey game vs. Boulder Jr. Bison on November 19th at 7:35pm! Saturday night the Stampede will also host Autograph Night with selected Stampede Players and a FREE Skate with the players after the game. Call 307-433-0024 for tickets or visit www.CheyenneStampede.com  for more information!

MEDIA ADVISORY - Immediate Release
November 22, 2011
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

By: David Briggs - Stampede Staff

Boulder, Cheyenne Establish Heated Rivalry

It was Russ Tyler who coined the term “It’s Knuckle Puck Time,” in D2: The Mighty Ducks.

The “Knuckle Puck” was a weapon used by Coach Gordon Bombay to effectively change the momentum of a game. But, what was the “Knuckle Puck,” really? It was a next to impossible shot for any goalie to stop, including Team Iceland’s goalie, and that is saying something.  Although, the literal term “It’s Knuckle Puck Time” never really made a whole lot of sense to me speaking strictly in a hockey sense.

Don’t get me wrong. The “Knuckle Puck” was one of the most well known entities in one of the best hockey movies ever made. However, it would make more sense to me to apply the term: “It’s Knuckle Puck Time” to a phenomenon that makes the term more credible in a hockey sense, to a phenomenon that has knuckles and pucks flying, to a phenomenon that after this past weekend can only be described as a bitter fierce WSHL rivalry established for the ages.

So I am borrowing the term “It’s Knuckle Puck Time” for the time being. It is certainly fitting to describe the newly established border war between the Boulder Bison and the Cheyenne Stampede.

It’s Knuckle Puck Time. Lets see how the home-and-home series panned out over the weekend.

From the get go on Friday night in Boulder in game one of the home-and-home, it was all Cheyenne. Just :57 into the game Taylor Crawford scored on a nasty backhand on an odd man rush. The Stampede controlled possession by a wide margin and took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

A goalie change in the second after surrendering three straight goals to the Stampede may have been the catalyst for a sudden change in momentum that worked in Boulder’s favor.

Hunter Fernandez entered the game in relief of Dax Deadrick. In short work Boulder easily tied the game at three.

The Bison came out in the third period with a chip on their shoulder and easily controlled the remainder of the game. The Bison skated past the Stampede 6-4.

The hard fought battle from zone to zone was easily overshadowed however by the number of fists flying and less than complimentary words chirped from bench to bench all night long.

It was like Fight Club on ice, except this time everyone’s talking about it. Isn’t that breaking the number one rule?

Overall Friday night, in a game in which the first match penalty in recent memory was handed out, was goal-to-goal and fist-to-fist, one of the most exciting hockey games I have watched in a while, at any level.

Here is a round of applause for my three Stars of the night: Taylor Porrier, for his three goal night for the Bison, Hunter Fernandez for his stellar relief appearance that effectively flipped momentum Boulder’s way, and Andrew Baggen for the Stampede, who in the spirit of Mustache November or “Movember” was rocking one of the best horseshoe ‘staches I have seen on ice since Johnny Upton from “Slap Shot.”

The second game of the home-and-home series was held at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.  But, home ice wasn’t as sweet for the Stampede as it was for the Bison.

The Bison came out firing in the first. They picked up right where they left off on Friday night, scoring the first five goals of the game, on their way to a much easier 7-2 win and a sweep of the Stampede.

There were 22 penalties called in this one, including five majors and a game ejection. Enough said.

It was a very rough weekend for the Stampede. Here is what Coach Jeffrey Heimel had to say following the two game sweep. “This was a tough weekend for us.  We had control of the game Friday night with a 3-0 lead and were unable to finish the job. We have a big series coming up this weekend against Fresno and need to refocus and get back to what has made us successful this season.”

The Stampede now sits at 12-6-1 and in third place in the Mountain Conference of the WSHL. It has a very tough test this weekend in Fresno against the Monsters. The Monsters sit at 17-1-0 on the season, in first place in the Western Conference.

Lets face it. The kind of hockey played against the Bison this weekend won’t get the job done in Fresno. Hopefully the Stampede can keep its emotions at bay.

The next installment of “It’s Knuckle Puck Time” kicks of January 6, 2012. It should be one heck of a new year.

The Stampede’s next home stand will be Dec 2-4 when the Texas Brahmas come to town for a 3 game stand against the Stampede. Tickets can be reserved for this game and the upcoming University of Wyoming game, by call 307-433-0024.

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

Stampede Speed Past Mustangs
David Briggs - Stampede Staff

It is safe to say that overcoming defeat is no problem for the Cheyenne Stampede.

After a less than stellar showing against the Junior Steelheads in Idaho last weekend, where it suffered its first three game losing streak on the season, the Cheyenne Stampede welcomed in the Ogden Mustangs on Military Appreciation Weekend for a three game set, hoping to inflict a little pain of its own.

It did just that.

“I was happy with the leadership our team showed this weekend,” said coach Jeffrey Heimel, “We had many players step up at the right times in big moments in the series and I believe that is a testament to our team and its desire to win hockey games.”

The weekend started off with a bang in game one on Friday night in Cheyenne. 19 goals were scored, 11 by the Stampede. To say that the Stampede was able to get its offense back on track would be an understatement. It averaged more than one shot a minute, 67 to be exact.

Taylor Crawford proved why he is deserving of wearing the “C”. He tallied three goals and four assists on Friday on his way to a seven-point night and a 13-point weekend overall.

Special teams were also a huge factor in the game. The Stampede was nearly perfect in that aspect, going 5 for 6 on the power play and only surrendering one goal on the Mustangs seven chances with the man advantage.

The Stampede sped past the Mustangs with relative ease, 11-8.

The Stampede found its offense again on Saturday night at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. This time though, it was more evenly distributed. It got goals from five different players on it way to a 6-3 win over the Mustangs.

Cacy Wilfer got the win after stopping 28 of 31 pucks thrown his way.

After two games against the Mustangs the Stampede had already thrown 119 shots at net. That trend would not change in the final game on Sunday.

The Stampede recorded another 51 shots. Over its three game set with the Mustangs, the Stampede recorded a total of 170 shots on net.

The cliché of giving credit where credit is due is certainly fitting here. Although the Stampede skated past the Mustangs with relative ease this weekend, Alex Glockner, the Ogden Mustangs goaltender, deserves a ton of praise. He kept every game close.  If his team could have found a bit more offense, the mood of this article may have been a lot different.

Glockner faced all 170 shots that the Stampede threw the Mustangs way this weekend and he only let 21 by him. That is a .876 save percentage. Not bad.

The Stampede are now 12-4-1 on the season after completing the three game sweep of the Mustangs and once again hold sole possession of first place in the Mountain Conference of the WSHL.

The Stampede welcome the Boulder Bison to town this upcoming weekend and Coach Heimel couldn’t be more thrilled with the momentum his team stands to carry into the series. “It was great to see the team bounce back after a rough series last weekend in Idaho.  Our goal was to win three games this weekend and continue to improve as a team and at the end of the series coming away with six points feels pretty good.  We are looking forward to a great series next weekend against the Boulder Bison.”

MEDIA ADVISORY - Immediate Release
November 8, 2011
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

CHEYENNE, WY - This coming weekends games between #2 Cheyenne Stampede and #4 Ogden Mustangs has been declared Military Appreciation Weekend at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

The Stampede will be paying homage to all those we have served and still are serving in our nation’s armed forces.  Are you a member of the U.S. Military?  Regardless of whether you’re an active member, a reserve or retired, we want to thank you for serving this great country with a special Stampede ticket offer.

All Members of the U.S. Military will receive a discounted ticket for $7.00 per ticket and we have arranged for all Stampede Merchandise to be sold at a 10% discount with Military I.D. also we will have $2 Draft Beer and Concessions discounts available.

Come out and support our Military folks and Wyoming’s newest sports franchise, The Cheyenne Stampede Hockey Club.  The puck drops at 7:35pm both Friday and Saturday Night and at 11:30am Sunday at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center!

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey or follow our Tweets (@stampshockey)

MEDIA ADVISORY - IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2011
Cheyenne Stampede Jr. “A” Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

PARK CITY, UT:  During last Saturday’s game preparations the Cheyenne Stampede had some very special visitors come to the Park City Moose -vs- Cheyenne Stampede, Western State Hockey League Game (WSHL).

Pictured right to left: Reilly Moore, Travis Carpenter, Taylor Crawford, Nolan Carpenter ,Barrett Carpenter, and Matt Lantz… Carpenters visit Stampede Locker Room during Pre-Game preparations.

Travis Carpenter, age (4) and his brothers Barrett (7) and Nolan (9) were accompanied of course by their mother Kelly Carpenter and the Stampede Captains: Taylor Crawford(C), Matt Lantz (A), and Reilly Moore (A) for a very special pre-game locker room visit.

The Carpenters previously from Cheyenne, WY were they were highly involved in youth hockey and were supporters in the formation of the Cheyenne Stampede Jr. “A” Hockey Club. Travis and his brothers fell in love with hockey, but Travis was unable to try the sport his brothers were so involved in, see Travis was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1, a condition that causes tumors to grow on nerve tissue and creates skin and bone abnormalities. There’s no cure, but the tumors can be removed in some cases, but, not in Travis condition.

Travis Carpenter (4) showing off his new Stampede Gear.

The Cheyenne Stampede Captains presented the Carpenter boys with Official Stampede gear and front row seats to watch the Stampede in a very entertaining game which the Stampede won in a Shoot-Out. The Stampede return to action this weekend on the road in a key match-up against the defending league champions, the Idaho Jr. Steelheads in McCall, ID.

For more information about neurofibromatosis please see the Children's Tumor Foundation, www.ctf.org or contact the Colorado Chapter of the Children's Tumor Foundation. The Chapter President is Mark Ebel, Mark.Ebel@Newmont.com

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website:  www.CheyenneStampede.com  or find us on Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey

Media Advisory
Immediate Release
October 31, 2011 

CHEYENNE STAMPEDE MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE IN MOUNTAIN DIVISION OF WSHL!

PARK CITY, UT: The Cheyenne Stampede have moved into first place of the highly competitive Mountain Division of the Western States Hockey League after a 5 point weekend against the Park City Moose.  The Stampede are now 3 points ahead of the defending league champion Idaho Junior Steelheads heading into a 3 game series this upcoming weekend against the steelheads in McCall Idaho. 

On Friday night the Park City Moose snapped the Stampede’s 7 game winning streak in a dramatic overtime finish that ended in a 5-4 overtime loss.  The Stampede went down early and fought back to secure a point for a regulation tie but fell short when the Moose struck roughly 3 minutes into the overtime period. 

Scoring Summary:

Period 1- Cheyenne (1) Joe Bellotti (Powerplay) (Travis Cornwell) 5:00; Park City (1) Nate Garcia (unassisted) 8:52 ; Park City(2) Devin Holmes (Devan Beck, Aaron Rio) 11:02
Period 2- Park City (3) Devin Holmes (Robert Bass) 3:46; Cheyenne (2) Brandon Luke (Joe Bellotti, Wayne Hoffman) 4:08; Park City(4) Skyler Metcalfe(pp) (Devin Holmes) 10:44; Cheyenne(3) Brandon Luke(Braden Johnson) 12:43;
Period 3- Cheyenne (4) Taylor Crawford (Braden Johnson, Ryan Carroll) 5:08
Overtime:  Park City (5) Austin Teel (Devin Holmes) 0:50
Shots: 34-19 Cheyenne
Final 5-4 Park City

On Saturday night the Stampede bounced back with a 5-1 victory.  Strong Goaltending from Vladislav Kornienko and multi point games from Brandon Luke, Taylor Crawford, Curtis Tucker and Wayne Hoffman were keys to the Stampede Victory. 

Coach Heimel had this to comment.  “Saturday was a big day for us.  We had been inconsistent in our preparation and intensity the last series against Dallas and we really put these kids to the test during our pregame meeting Saturday.  I am happy to see us moving back in the right direction.”

Scoring Summary

Period 1- No Scoring
Period 2- Park City(1) Skyler Metcalfe (Devan Beck, Robert Bass) 2:32; Cheyenne (1) Curtis Tucker (Wayne Hoffman, Brandon Luke) 4:15; Cheyenne (2) Ryan Carroll (Crawford, H Lantz) 10:22; Cheyenne (3) Brandon Luke (Hoffman, Tucker) 10:43; Cheyenne (4) Reilly Moore (Crawford, Carroll) 17:44
Period 3- Cheyenne (5) Braden Johnson (Crawford, Fiedorek) 9:12
Shots: 37-20 Cheyenne
Final 5-1 Cheyenne Stampede

Sunday morning proved to be an intense battle ending in an exciting shootout in which the Stampede prevailed 5-4. Strong goaltending from Park City was enough to quite the Stampede offense in the 3rd period forcing an overtime period. 

Coach Heimel commented “The score did not fully reflect how well of a game we played Sunday.  We really did a great job managing the puck and creating opportunities.  We ran into a very good goaltender and fortunately we were able to get 2 points and win the series.” 

Scoring Summary

Period 1- Park City (1) Jordan Matthys (SH) (Unassisted) 7:33; Cheyenne (1) Wayne Hoffman (pp) (Cornwell, Jorgensen); Cheyenne (2) Lantz, H (pp) (Carroll, Crawford) 13:27
Period 2- Cheyenne (3) Joe Bellotti (pp) (Johnson, Hoffman) 3:25; Park City(2) James Talmage (Bass) 13:02
Period 3 Park City (3) Michael Bauerfeind (dommer, McConnel) 3:47; Park City (4) Austin Teel (pp) (Rio, Metcalfe) 7:45; Cheyenne (4) Brandon Luke (Unassisted) 10:15
Overtime- No Scoring
Shootout Winner: Cheyenne Stampede
Shots 42-25 Cheyenne
Final 5-4 Cheyenne Stampede 

For more details about the Cheyenne Stampede, please visit our website: 

MEDIA ADVISORY - IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2011
Cheyenne Stampede Hockey Club

Stampede Corrals Dallas in a 3 Game Sweep

The Cheyenne Stampede swept the Dallas Snipers this past weekend bringing their record to 7-1, third in the WSHL’s Mountain Conference. The Stampede won 3-2 on Friday night, after a 16 hour bus ride, 4-2 on Saturday evening and 4-3 on Sunday.

This past weekend’s contest the Stampede came out flat, which quickly turned to re-focusing on the game at hand, especially during Friday’s game when the Stampede endured a 16 hour bus trip to open their first long road swing as an inaugural team. According to Head Coach Jeff Heimel, “This weekend we faced a lot of adversity as a team.  In all 3 games Dallas jumped out to an early lead and in all 3 games we had to battle back and sacrifice in order to get the wins.  It would have been very easy for us to get frustrated and let our emotions take over but we managed to stay focused and level headed and that was definitely a key to our success this weekend.”

Game 1 - Scoring Summary:
Period 1- Dallas (1) Shane Bonds (Arnie Osuna) 0:32
Period 2- Cheyenne (1) Joe Bellotti (powerplay) (Wayne Hoffman, Travis Cornwell) 3:12; Dallas (2) Shane Bonds (shorthanded) (unassisted) 12:07
Period 3- Cheyenne (2) Joe Bellotti (Denver Lloyd, Jakob Jorgensen) 6:12; Cheyenne (3) Braden Johnson (Ryan Carroll, Patryk Fiedorek) 11:58

POWERPLAYS
Cheyenne 1 for 9: Dallas 0 for 7
Final 3-2 Cheyenne; Shots 38-20 Cheyenne
Winning Goal-Tender:  Vladislav Kornienko   .916 SV% (Ranked 3rd in the WSHL)

Game 2 - Scoring Summary:
Period 1- Dallas (1) Chris Green (powerplay) (Numan Arango) 2:38
Period 2- Dallas (2) Jake Gorden (powerplay) (Arnie Osuna, Craig Brubaker) 0:53; Cheyenne (1) Taylor Crawford (powerplay) (Reilly Moore) 3:49; Cheyenne (2) Taylor Crawford (Braden Johnson, Travis Cornwell) 10:58; Cheyenne (3) Curtis Tucker (Wayne Hoffman, Reilly Moore) 15:12
Period 3- Cheyenne (4) Ryan Carroll (Taylor Crawford) 0:17

POWERPLAYS
Cheyenne 1 for 6  :  Dallas 2 for 8
Final 4-2 Cheyenne; Shots 40-25 Cheyenne
Winning Goal-Tender:  Cacy Wilfer  .890 SV%

Game 3 - Scoring Summary:
Period 1- Dallas (1) Cole Dodson (Powerplay) (Chris Green, Tristen Pierce) 7:50; Dallas (2) Jake Gordon (Arnie Osuna) 13:44; Cheyenne (1) Braden Johnson (Powerplay) (Wayne Hoffman, Matthew Lantz)
Period 2-Dallas (3) Arnie Osuna (Powerplay) (Shane Bonds) 3:55; Cheyenne (2) Levi Shryack (shorthanded) (Brandon Luke) 14:40 Cheyenne (3) Andrew Baggen (unassisted) 15:25; Cheyenne (4) Reilly Moore (Powerplay) (Taylor Crawford) 16:51
Period 3- No Scoring. 

POWERPLAYS
Cheyenne  2 for 9 :  Dallas 2 for 6
Final 4-3 Cheyenne: Shots 36-29 Cheyenne
Winning Goal-Tender:  Cacy Wilfer  .890 SV%

Next up for the Stampede is a trip to Park City, UT. this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to take on the Park City Moose. The Stampede went a combined 3-0-0 against the Moose earlier this season at home.

MEDIA ADVISORY
October 17, 2011
Cheyenne, WY
CHEYENNE STAMPEDE HOCKEY

CHEYENNE STAMPEDE EARNS THREE GAME SWEEP AGAINST THE PARK CITY MOOSE

CHEYENNE, WY, The Cheyenne Stampede Hockey Club earned its first sweep in the Western States Hockey League with a 5-2 victory yesterday over the Park City Moose at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. Improving their League (WSHL) record to 4-1-0 and their over-all record to 6-2-0 as the Stampede continue to tally a 4 game winning streak to their credit.

The Stampede dominated the opening period Friday night , and can continued pursuing a balanced and coordinated scoring attack throughout the weekend, and came out in front on the scoreboard in all three games as a result. The Scoring attack was lead by Stampede Captain Taylor Crawford (F) who tallied 7 total points (2 goals, 5 assists), followed by Braden Johnson (F) with 6 points (Assists) and Ryan Carroll (F) (3 goals) over two games as Carroll was unavailable for Saturday night’s contest.

Three Stampede Rookies blotted their first Junior Goals of their careers lead by Heath Lantz (D/F) with 2 points (1 Goal, 1 Assist), Austin Krantz (F) and David Sweatt (F) each recorded their first Junior goals.

Head Coach Jeff Heimel had this to say "I'm very pleased with our performance this weekend. We continue to build and grow as a team. It’s very important to start the season with some wins and this weekend was another positive step in our eventual goal of winning a league championship.”

Game 1 Scoring Summary

Park City versus Cheyenne 10/14/11
First Period - Cheyenne (1) Luke (Tucker) 8:35
Second Period - Cheyenne (2) Austin Krantz (unassisted) 2:42; Cheyenne (3) Matthew Lantz (Braden Johnson) PP 8:10; Cheyenne (4) Ryan Carroll (Taylor Crawford, Braden Johnson) 14:34 ; Park City Moose (1) Ville Rantanen (Devin Beck, Devin Holmes) 19:49
Third Period - Cheyenne- (5) Ryan Carroll (Braden Johnson, Taylor Crawford) 7:05; Cheyenne- (6) David Sweatt (unassisted) 17:12
Shots 58-13 Cheyenne
Winning Goalie: Vladislav Kornienko .92 SV%

Game 2- 10/15/11 Scoring Summary

First Period - Cheyenne (1) Braden Johnson (Taylor Crawford) 1:21; Cheyenne (2) Matthew Boente (unassisted) 4:12; Park City (1) Skyler Metcalfe (Devin Holmes) 10:26; Park City (2) Ville Rantanen (unassisted) 12:14
Second Period - Cheyenne (3) Brandon Luke (Curtis Tucker, Wayne Hoffman) 3:45;  Cheyenne (4) Braden Johnson (Reilly Moore) 14:23; Cheyenne (5) Braden Johnson (Taylor Crawford) 17:47
Third Period - -No Scoring
Shots:   Cheyenne 58; Park City 18
Winning Goalie: Cacy Wilfer, .873 SV%

Game 3 10/16/11 Scoring Summary

First Period - Cheyenne (1) Matthew Boente (Heath Lantz) 2:07 PP; Cheyenne (2) Taylor Crawford (Reilly Moore) 7:34; Cheyenne (3) Taylor Crawford (Braden Johnson) 14:58; Park City (1) Nate Garcia (Aaron Rio, Jordan Matthys) 16:55; Cheyenne (4) Ryan Carroll (Taylor Crawford) 17:15; 
Second Period - Cheyenne (5) Heath Lantz pp(Taylor Crawford, Joe Bellotti) 15:23
Third Period - Park City (2) Jordan Matthys (Devin Beck) 1:33
Shots: 53- 34 Cheyenne
Winning Goalie: Vladislav Kornienko .92 SV%

The Stampede start a 9 game road swing this weekend with the Dallas Snipers, then back to Park City and finishing their road swing November 6th in Boise, ID against the Idaho Jr. Steelheads. The Stampede’s next Home Series will be November 11-13 at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center against the Mustangs of Ogden, UT. Tickets are now available on-line at: www.CheyenneStampede.com or by call (307) 433-0024.

MEDIA ADVISORY - Immediate Release
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne Stampede Junior "A" Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

CHEYENNE STAMPEDE JR. “A” HOCKEY CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED

CHEYENNE, WY:  Coach Jeffrey Heimel is proud to announce this year’s Captains and Alternate Captains for the 2011-2012 Cheyenne Stampede Jr. “A” Hockey Club.

Taylot Crawford will serve as this year's Team Captain.
Player Profile

According to couch Heimel "Weare very blessed to have Taylor Crawford as part if our team this year. A veteran forward in his last yeat of Junior Hockey, Taylor spent the last season with both the Idaho Junior Steelheads of the WSHL and the Edina Lakers of the MNJHL. It was an easy choice to make Taylor the very first captain ever of the Cheyenne Stampede. His work ethic, determination, passion for the game, and strong leadership skills represent with excellence the indentity that we want to establish as a new organization. Welook forward to a great season with Taylor at the helm.

Matt Lantz will serve as this year's Alternate Team Captain.
Player Profile

A native of Cheyenne Wyoming,” Matt brings balance to an already strong group of leadership this season.  His levelheadedness is one of his greatest assets.  His ability to keep focus and come ready to the rink day in and day out was one of the many reasons Matt was selected as an associate captain for the stampede.  Another veteran player in his last junior season, Matt spent last year with the Yellowstone Quake of the Northern Pacific Hockey League. Matt also has an incredible passion for the game of hockey” said Heimel.

Reilly Moore will serve as this year’s Alternate Team Captain.
Player Profile

Heimel said “Riley is a great asset to our organization.  Arriving in Cheyenne two weeks into the season Riley’s presence was immediately felt. A veteran player who spent last season in the Ontario Junior Hockey League has stepped up to the plate and made a huge impact thus far.  His strong defensive play along with his rapport with the team this season are just a few reasons why Riley was selected as an associate captain for the Stampede in their inaugural season. “

According to Assistant Coach Ty Smith, (Former WSHL Veteran) the Stampede return to action this weekend at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center with WSHL Opponent the Park City Moose on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:35pm and a Sunday Matinee Game that starts at 11:30am. Sunday’s game features a Buy One - Get One Free Ticket offer. The Stampede then go on the road for a 9 game swing, their first road swing playing the Dallas Snipers, Park City Moose, and finishing the long trip against Cup Champions the Idaho Jr. Steelheads. Tickets and great seats are still available for this weekend’s home series at: www.CheyenneStampede.com or at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey
and follow on Twitter @CheyStampede
hear what the Coach has to say on twitter also @Coach_Heimel

Cheyenne Stampede splits Opening Weekend with the Boulder Bison (WSHL)

CHEYENNE, WY - The Cheyenne Stampede Hockey Team split their first games of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) season this past weekend, losing a tough battle at home 3-5 to the Boulder Bison Junior "A" Hockey Club but rebounding with a 5-4 Over Time victory over the Bison during their home opener. Brandon Luke (CO) tallied the winning historic, inaugural, goal for the Stampede’s first WSHL Win!

Luke had this to say," Scoring any game’s winning goal is just the best feeling.  I can't even explain what it was like when I saw the puck hit the back of the net to seal the deal after the boys worked so hard all game"

The Stampede’s season opener was a tough test as Boulder entered the game ranked 2nd in the WSHL’s Mid-Western Conference. With 14 Rookies in the lineup, the Stampede struck early in the Home-Opener in Cheyenne and led the game 2-1 at the first intermission. The Stampede were unable to mount any offense during the second period and allowed 4 unanswered goals in the second. During the third period, the Stampede showed their grit and determination, but fell short only tallying 1 goal. Meanwhile, Veteran Goal-Tender Cacy Wilfer (AK) was impressive in net for the Stampede, stopping 32 of 37 shots as he contends for the starting job.

Head Coach Jeff Heimel had this to say about the Stampede’s home opener, "It was a great weekend against the Boulder Bison.  Boulder is a well established, professional program and we had every expectation that they would have a great team on the ice.  We came out hard in our first regular season home game going up 2-0 quickly in the first.  However we were unable to stay disciplined and composed during the game as we let penalties and turnovers paralyze us during a 4 goal 2nd period from Boulder."

Against the Boulder Bison in Superior, Colorado during their Home-opener, the Stampede took a commanding lead in the first period 3-1, but Boulder regrouped and battled back with three second period goals.  During the third period, the lead changed hands and the regulation game ended in a 4-4 tie. Rookie Brandon Luke Scored the Winning Goal in overtime with just under 1 minute left in the period! Rookie Goal-Tender, Vladislav Kornienko (Moscow, Russia) turned away 33 of 37 shots on goal and records his and the Stampede’s first win ever in League play improving the team’s WSHL standings to 1-1-0.

According to Heimel, "I was pleased with how we rebounded on Saturday Night.  We had very strong goaltending from Vladislav and did a much better job at defending the front of the net blocking many shots and clearing pucks away from our goaltender.  We fought hard to the very end winning in OT despite Boulder climbing back into the game early into the 3rd period.  I am looking forward to continuing to build as a team both on and off the ice this season."

The Cheyenne Stampede begins a 3 week break in the season until the Park City Moose come to town for a 3 game home stand October 14-16, 2011 at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. Friday (OCT 14) and Saturday (OCT 15) the puck will drop at 7:35pm and the Sunday (OCT 16) Matinee Game will start at 11:30am.

Scoring Summary:

Cheyenne-vs-Boulder 9/23/11

Boulder-vs-Cheyenne  9/24/11

Stampede Opening Night at Cheyenne Ice & Events Center Takes Place Tomorrow Night

Thursday September 22, 2011
Cheyenne, WY

It’s down to business for the Cheyenne Stampede Hockey Club this week as they kick off their 49-game regular season schedule against the Boulder Bison Friday night at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

The Stampede finished pre-season with a record of 2-1 over ACHA opponents. The pre-season goal was to spot and replace weaknesses and continue to grow on positive momentum.

The Stampede continue to build on their team game as they get set for a home-and-home with the Boulder Bison, which starts with the first Western States Hockey League regular season game in the history of the Cheyenne Stampede on Friday night. The Bison and Stampede are forecasted to build a fiery rivalry since the two teams are the closest league opponents and will meet for a total of 6 encounters this season. For WSHL veterans like Forward Taylor Crawford (ID), there are no secrets about what to prepare for with Boulder.

"We know they are going to come hard," said Crawford, a 20-year old who played in all three of the Stampedes’ pre-season games. "They finish their checks. Their coach (Brent Cullaton) makes them all finish their checks so we have to be able to move the puck. We have to be able to finish our checks and make them think that we’re coming hard at them, as well."

The stage has been set for the home opener after 300+ fans took in the Stampedes’ final pre-season game against the CSU Rams last Saturday. The vets have gone through home-openers, but for Stampede rookies like forward Austin Krantz (CO), this weekend could be quite an eye-opener.

"My first pre-season game I was pretty nervous, so I can only imagine how it’s going to be in the first regular season game," said Krantz, "I’m just excited and hoping for the best. Last year I played in a Youth League in Colorado and we didn’t get that many fans, so I was a bit nervous coming out to a pretty packed house (Saturday). I can only imagine what the home opener is going to be like."

Guarantee your spot at this historic game by purchasing season tickets (starting at $190) or single game tickets. For further details or to purchase your tickets today, visit the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center, as game day tickets can only be purchased at the venue. www.CheyenneStampede.com , e-mail GM@CheyenneStampede.com, or call 307-433-0024.

Tomorrow night’s Game is sponsored by Laramie County Community College (LCCC) and all Faculty, Staff, and Students of LCCC may purchase tickets at the "Student-Youth" Rate by showing your LCCC ID. Also the first 500 in the door Friday night will receive a LCCC Cow Bell to help the Stampede ring in a victory!

MEDIA ADVISORY - Immediate Release
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne Stampede Junior "A" Hockey
Mark Lantz, GM
307-630-6726

Cheyenne Stampede of the WSHL complete preseason with a record of 2-1

Cheyenne, WY; The Cheyenne Stampede completed their 2011 WSHL preseason ACHA schedule Saturday night with a disappointing loss against the Rams of Colorado State University (ACHA Div II) at home with over 300+ new hockey fans in attendance at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

The Stampede, Wyoming’s newest Junior "A" Program finished their exhibition season with a record of 2-1 against ACHA programs.

The Stampede are preparing for their WSHL Home League Opener Friday night against Mountain Conference Rivals, the Boulder Bison at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center, Puck Drops at 7:35pm. This Friday’s Game is sponsored by LCCC (Laramie County Community College) and they will be giving the first 500 fans in the door LCCC/Stampede Cowbells to help cheer on the Stampede!

According to Head Coach Jeff Heimel, "I am extremely pleased with our pre-season performance over the last two-weeks.  We learned a lot during our 5-2 victory over the University of Northern Colorado last Sunday and we were able to carry that momentum into Friday Night against Colorado State with a strong 4-3 Overtime Victory.  On Saturday we jumped out to an early 2-0 after period 1. The second period we lost our composure on several penalties and gave up 5 unanswered goals.  Despite a strong 3rd period showing in which we outshot the opponent 16-7 we were unable to mount any offense eventually losing the game 5-2. 

I am looking forward to taking our momentum into our regular season opener this Friday against the Boulder Bison. "

According to one of the Stampede fans, "It is great to come out to the ice rink and watch this high level of hockey and enjoy a nice cold beer."

Season ticket packages are still available for Friday’s game. Fans who would like to purchase ticket packages can do so at www. CheyenneStampede.com or at the Front Desk of the Ice and Events Center before and during the game.

For more information about season ticket packages, call the Cheyenne Stampede office at (307) 630-6726, and don't forget to follow the Cheyenne Stampede on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey

MEDIA ADVISORY
September 11, 2011
CHEYENNE STAMPEDE JUNIOR "A" HOCKEY

The Cheyenne Stampede corral the UNC Bears 5-2 in a hard fought battle to win the Stampede’s first inaugural game!

CHEYENNE, WY - The Cheyenne Stampede faced off with the Bears of the University of Northern Colorado (Greeley, CO) in a pre-season matchup Sunday at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. The Stampede ran over the UNC Bears 5-2 in a hard fought battle.

The game was the first pre-season tilt in four days, as the Stampede will face off with the Rams from Colorado State University on Friday (Sept 16) night in Ft. Collins and Saturday(Sept 17) night at 7:35pm at home. Saturday's game is the last pre-season game action the Stampede will see until their regular season opener September 23rd against the WSHL’s Boulder Bison at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

Scoring the First Inaugural Goal for the Cheyenne Stampede was forward Taylor Crawford (Idaho), un-assisted followed by Brandon Luke (Colorado), assisted by David Sweatt(Colorado), The Stampede’s Third goal was scored by Matt Broman (Utah), assisted by Joe Bellotti (New Jersey) and Hometown  Rookie sensation Heath Lantz of Cheyenne tallied goals 4 and 5 assisted by Elliot Langford (Alaska) Reilly Moore (Penn) and Curtis Tucker (Alaska). Three out of four net minders saw action Sunday with Cacy Wilfer (Alaska) recording the win.

Building on the momentum of Sunday’s victory is the Cheyenne Stampede’s goal, as they look to finish the pre-season against the Rams of Colorado State University this coming weekend. According to Stampede Head Coach, Jeffrey Heimel, "I was extremely encouraged by our performance against UNC today.  We have been working very hard in practice the last two weeks and will continue to build off the foundation that has been built during training camp.  Although this is a positive first step for our team we still have much to work on to get where we need to make a run for a league championship this season.  I am looking forward to seeing this organization grow as the season goes on." 

Season ticket packages are still available for Saturday's game. Fans who would like to purchase ticket packages can do so at www. CheyenneStampede.com or at the Front Desk of the Ice and Events Center before and during the game.

For more information about season ticket packages, call the Cheyenne Stampede office at (307) 630-6726, and don't forget to follow the Cheyenne Stampede on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey

Click here to Listen to the Park City Moose Vs. Cheyenne Stampede Radio Promo

MEDIA ADVISORY
September 9, 2011
CHEYENNE, WY

The Cheyenne Stampede will host a "Controlled Scrimmage" Sunday afternoon , Sept 11th at 1:45pm against the Bears of the University of Northern Colorado. Doors open at 1:30pm and we will have a Coaches Controlled Scrimmage for 2 hours.

Cost of admission is a suggested $2-5 donation at the door…Season Ticket holder FREE.

Cheyenne Stampede Complete
First Week of Training Camp

Media Release
Friday, September 2, 2011

The Cheyenne Stampede has just about completed their first week of pre-season training camp in preparation for their inaugural season at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

The Stampede will play up to three preseason games during their three week camp, which includes one home game when the Stampede host the Rams of Colorado State University (CSU), A ACHA Division II Team at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center on Saturday, September 17th at 7:35pm. Head Coach Jeff Heimel has also hinted at a possible scrimmage game against the Bears of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), details are still underway and will be announced soon.

Tickets to the Sept. 17th Exhibition game are available and can be purchased at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center or by visiting the Stampede Website: www.CheyenneStampede.com  or Fans can call the Ice and Events at 307-433-0024 for more information.

The Stampede have entered camp with 23 recruited, talented players from throughout the United States and sprinkled in an interesting blend of international players from Russia and Canada which should provide a good blend of talent for the Stampede. According to Coach Heimel, “there are still roster positions on the Stampede’s WSHL roster for new players and we will be bringing in new players throughout the season”

Heidi Peterson, Director of Stampede Public Relations had this to add “When building a new team you have very little time to get everything done just right.  Few realize the work that goes into building your team and assume the only team is the players on the bench.   Not true.  So many more people are needed and we are excited because of the involvement the people of Cheyenne bring.”
 
From getting involved by being a host family, game night volunteer, letting us speak at your luncheons or events to get the word out is only the beginning.  I am very happy to be a part of this new team.  After owning and operating our baseball team for 5 years it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.  Watching the players develop and move on was one of the best thing I have had the opportunity to do - but don't forget about the others, I have seen staff go on to work in the major leagues because of the experience they got from working with us.  I have also seen players/team members go on and finish college and work in the real world and I only hope that some of what we taught them by working in the community and becoming a part of the community they have taking to their new home towns. 

Getting to do what you love is so exciting.  These boys are getting to play at a higher level of hockey in Cheyenne, Wyoming and I am getting to let Cheyenne know about them.
 
Can you hear the RUMBLE - if not - I am not doing my job and I will be at your business soon getting the news out!”

The Stampede will open their Western State Hockey League (WSHL) season at home when they battle Mountain Conference rivals the Boulder Bison at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center on Friday, Sept. 23rd, at 7:35 p.m. Note Date Change, as the Stampede Fans have requested this new date to not interfere with the Wyoming-vs-Nebraska home game! For more information on Ticket Packages, Single Game Tickets, or sponsorship opportunities visit www.CheyenneStampede.com

Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/StampedeHockey
and follow on Twitter @CheyStampede
hear what the Coach has to say on twitter also @Coach_Heimel

GAME NIGHT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Cheyenne Stampede's Home opener is just 24 days Away. The Stampede will face off Against the Division II ACHA Rams of CSU in an Exhibition game at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center at 7:35pm, September 17th…Tickets are available from this website!

Game Night Volunteers Needed...Are you interested in being a part of our Stampede team? The Stampede are in need of the following volunteer Positions: Off Ice Officials, (Goal Judges, Penalty Box Attendants, Score Keepers) - Tickets/Merchandise, Play by Play Announcer, Color Commentator, Rink Announcer, Arena Music, Videographer...
A few of these positions pay a small stipend For more information or to join our Game Night Team, please email GM@CheyenneStampede.com

MEDIA ADVISORY - AUGUST 16, 2011
Cheyenne, Wy

Becoming a Billet (Host) Family for the Cheyenne Stampede

The Cheyenne Stampede Junior “A” Hockey Team is in need of local Cheyenne Families to become Host Families for our aspiring players arriving near the end of August.

The Cheyenne Stampede Junior program offers opportunities for players from all over the country to be a part of our Junior team and further their development both on and off the ice.  Much of that development comes from having a healthy home environment provided by a host or billet family. Hosting a Stampede player is a great experience, whether you have a house full of your own kids or you live alone. They'll bring energy and excitement under your roof and you'll get to know a great bunch of people associated with the team

Players arrive in late August for training camp and will be here until the end of the playing season usually in March or the end of the school year in June depending on the player’s school situation.

Becoming a host family for a Stampede player is a great way to get involved in the community, as well as develop some very special bonds with the players and their families.  For many of the players, this will be their first time away from home and they will need a stable living environment for their move to Wonderful Wyoming.  Players on the Stampede  are generally between the ages of 16 and 20. 

Part of our commitment to our players and their parents is to help provide them with a good home.  The players often become just like one of the family. In fact the Stampede Head Coach Jeff Heimel, still keeps in contact with his Billet Family from his Junior playing years and believes that our motivated young men can be positive role models for many of the younger host family members..

Host families must be able to provide the player with his own room, and nutritious food that is available for him to prepare.  We have team guidelines and policies that the player must abide by with our organization and we expect out host families to enforce these team rules.  We also ask the player to abide by your house rules as outlined to him by you upon his arrival.

Each host family is paid a monthly stipend to house a player in their home and will also receive two season (VIP) tickets to all home games.  Generally the players and the families develop a special bond and remain close long after the player has left the. organization.  We try to make it possible to make sure that this experience is a rewarding one for both the player and the host family.

If you are interested in becoming a host family for a Cheyenne Stampede Junior player this upcoming season, or just would like some more information, please contact Tammy Lantz at  Tamlantz@Wyoming.com or 307-630-3499. More Host Family information can also be found at the Teams Website: http://www.cheyennestampede.com/

Thank you for considering this great opportunity to help further the development of an aspiring Stampede Junior player and your family as well! 

Immediate Release

August 5, 2011

Cheyenne Stampede and the Western States Hockey League

Cheyenne,WY

This First year, Inaugural season is really starting to take shape and the puzzle pieces are starting to “fall into place”  according to Mark Lantz, the Teams General Manager.

Recruiting efforts have been non-stop for the Coaching Staff which has spent the last 60 plus days on the road at national and regional camps. According to Jeff Heimel, Stampede Head Coach, we’ve signed and contracted players from Minnesota, Wyoming, Colorado, Alaska, and New Jersey. 

“We Understand the challenges we face as a new team in a very competitive division but expect much in our first season in the Western States hockey League,” Heimel said.  “ We believe this season will be a great first step to our ultimate goal of winning a league championship," he added. 

Both Heimel and Associate Coach Ty Smith feel that the time spent on the road and the phones will pay big dividends when the season starts.

There is a renewed sense of excitement at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. The Stampede Center ice logo has shipped this week along with several other team and rink sponsored in-ice logo’s. The ice is scheduled to return August 19th and the Stampede’s training camp is scheduled to start August 29th and run for roughly three weeks. The team dressing room and equipment are now being dusted off and critical team items will begin arriving throughout the month of August and early September. According to Robin Feezer, Recreation Coordinator - City Ice and Events, “We are so excited to be working with the Cheyenne Stampede to make this a fun and exciting inaugural season.”

For those players who do not have a team to play for, Lantz recommends getting in contact with the Stampede Coaching Staff.

The Stampede “Front Office” is also growing very rapidly, According to Lantz “the team is close to inking a marketing deal with another Wyoming company that has extensive Sports Marketing and Team Ownership experience.”

Lantz also announce the hiring of Jon Jonasson, a Bloomington, MN native who has played Junior and Professional Hockey as the Director of Scouting. Jon’s wealth of hockey experience and business skills will be a huge boost to our team development. According to Jonasson, he hopes to have 6-8 other regional scouts in place before the season arrives, and has begun working on this and next season’s roster.

Asked what the team is in most need of, Lantz replied, “Host Families, we are currently seeking local Cheyenne Families to host a hockey player. Host families provide the players with room and board for a monthly stipend. Hosting can be a very exciting and rewarding experience for all those willing to open up their homes to dedicated players. Many families who have hosted players in the past usually look back at their experience with fond memories. The Cheyenne Stampede also offer the host families several benefits."

For more information regarding the Stampede or hosting a player please see the clubs website: http://www.CheyenneStampede.com

FROM A RAMPAGE TO A STAMPEDE!
After years of working in Junior Hockey, both in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) and the Central States Hockey League (CSHL), Tulsa Rampage owner, Julie Wilson, will be moving on to other interests.  Yet in doing so, her heart remains with ensuring that her players still have the opportunity to develop and advance to higher levels in the future.

With that goal in mind, Wilson chose to transfer ownership of the team to an organization that will provide outstanding training and advancement opportunities for the players.  The Cheyenne Stampede is owned by  highly respected, longtime USA Hockey member, Mark Lantz, who has been involved in a variety of capacities including Junior hockey. "It was a difficult decision to move the team," Wilson says, "but having someone with the experience, knowledge, and heart for players that Mark has, made that choice an obviously good one."

Giving Wilson further reason to be pleased was Lantz's coaching selection.  Jeff Heimel, Head Coach of the Phoenix Polar Bears, has taken the reigns for the Stampede.  Heimel's recruiting and coaching lead the Polar Bears to an outstanding season including stellar performances at the WSHL Western Conference Finals.  "Jeff Heimel is a great coach who will have a highly successful season on the ice but won't stop there," Wilson says "he continues to work in the off season to advance his players to higher levels.  While that's what Junior Hockey team's are in business to do, it doesn't always happen as it should but with Jeff at the helm I feel very confident for the future of the players."

To add to the benefits, the local businesses including the rink are lending their support to the team in a variety of capacities from financial support to scheduling fun events for the players.  "When an entire town gets behind a program, it makes for a far better experience for the players," Wilson says "Cheyenne is a nice place to begin with - right on the border of Colorado - and that level of involvement will generate a great atmosphere for the players."

The transfer of ownership will be bittersweet for the Tulsa area fans as the players make the move to Wyoming but Wilson is at peace with that tough change.  "I had initially wanted to keep the team in Tulsa because the roster of players does transfer with the team," she said "but this opportunity is such a good one for them, it eases the pain of having the guys move away. While I'll definitely miss them, I'm very excited."  The players begin with the Stampede in September.

STAMPEDE HIRE HEIMEL AS HEAD COACH

The Cheyenne Stampede Hockey Club has announced the hiring of new head coach Jeff Heimel to lead the Stampede during its inaugural season in the Western States Hockey League.

Heimel, a native of Saint Paul Minnesota, is happy to be a part of the newly formed Stampede organization.  “When searching for a coaching position this spring I really wanted to find an ownership group that was committed not only to winning, but developing a strong community relationship and hockey culture with their fans and supporters.  I believe I have found that with the Lantz family and the city of Cheyenne”.

Heimel became the youngest Head coach in the history of the WSHL last season at 24 years old when he took the helm of the 7 time Western States Hockey League champion Phoenix Polar Bears.  Heimel, who won a league championship as a player and co-captain of the Polar Bears during the 2005-2006 season, is no stranger to winning in the WSHL.

In his first season as head coach Heimel led the Polar Bears to a regular season record of 25-15-6 finishing 3rd in the highly competitive Western Division.  He then led the Bears to the WSHL division finals where Phoenix was defeated by the eventual league champion Idaho Steelheads.

Heimel was also selected to represent the Western States Hockey League at the 2011 USA Hockey National Championships held in Rochester Minnesota as coach of the “best of the rest” team.   The annual event features players whose teams did not qualify for the national tournament form together as a league all star team to compete against other junior league teams in the country.  Heimel posted the first ever undefeated record for the WSHL with an impressive 3-0 record winning their division and helping several league players gain exposure at the collegiate and professional level in the process.

Heimel holds a level 4 coaching certificate from USA Hockey and in addition to coaching Junior A hockey he has been actively involved with teaching kids at the youth and high school level for the last 6 years.

With over 130 applicants applying for the position the stampede General Manager Mark Lantz is happy to have ended this exhaustive search for a head coach.  “We are so excited to have Jeff joining our staff.  The energy and excitement that he brings to the organization is contagious and I know that he will do a great job in helping us build a nationally recognized Junior Hockey Program”. - Added Lantz.

In addition to his coaching experience Heimel brings a unique business management element to the Stampede Organization.   Jeff has a background in finance from Arizona State University and held a position as a banker with JPMorgan Chase for two years prior to his tenure in Phoenix.  When Harry Mahood, the long time coach and owner of the polar bears, stepped down from the day to day operations of the team Heimel had no choice but to take on the financial and administrative responsibilities of the team.  “It was difficult managing both the day to day business operations and the day to day hockey operations.  I was fortunate that my background in business allowed me to learn and adapt quickly.

When asked about the adjustment in responsibilities from Phoenix to Cheyenne Heimel added “I’m just happy to focus on coaching hockey.  Dedicating 100% of my time to the development of a winning hockey team will be a nice change”. 

“Still, I wouldn’t take away my time in Phoenix for anything in the world.  I have learned so much from all the people I met throughout the Polar Bears organization and it has given me an opportunity to accept this amazing opportunity given to me by the Cheyenne Stampede.” 

The Cheyenne Stampede will play a 50 game schedule starting in Mid-September at the Taco Johns event center.

Junior “A” Hockey Comes to Cheyenne

Wyoming Stampede to take to the ice!

January 6, 2011
For Immediate Release

(Cheyenne) Representatives of the Western States Hockey League have announced plans to create a new hockey team for the state of Wyoming.  The team will be based in Cheyenne, but will recruit players from all over the nation as well as Wyoming. 

“We’re excited to bring Junior “A” hockey to the Cowboy State,” said Ron White, Commissioner and President of the Western States Hockey League.  “Players who get their start in Wyoming could wind up playing in NCAA College Hockey and even in the NHL, and that’s a result we’d all like to see,” he added.

Dwayne Dillinger, President of the Wyoming Amateur Hockey Association, sent a letter supporting the new team.

"I was very excited to hear that you and the City of Cheyenne are pursuing a junior hockey team and this letter is to support your endeavor.

In many cases junior teams are the highest level of hockey in a community and the players become involved with and help promote the growth of the game.  Junior teams are a great resource for youth hockey and help with the development of coaches and players.
As the President of the Wyoming Amateur Hockey Association I fully support your efforts and will assist in any way to help bring more growth in hockey to Wyoming and it’s communities.”

The name for the new team will be the Wyoming Stampede.  “We want our opponents to worry about a stampede of outstanding hockey players heading down the ice toward them,” said Mark Lantz, General Manager.  “We think we can have a lot of fun with the name”.

Lantz is actively recruiting a paid coaching staff, and will work with the coaches to assemble the team.  Players will not be paid so they can maintain their amateur status and college eligibility.  Players will range in age from 16 to 20 years old.

Practices and games will take place at the Taco John’s Event Center in Cheyenne. The league season begins in September.  The Western States Hockey League includes teams based in Boulder, Rio Rancho, New Mexico; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and North Ridgeland Hills just outside Dallas, and El Paso, Texas as well as Western Conference teams in Boise ID, San Diego, Long Beach, Valencia, Bakersfield, Fresno all in California, and 2 teams in Phoenix, Arizona.

Lantz says the team will be looking for billeting families to help house the players when they are in Cheyenne for practices and games.

“This is an important step for young hockey players and their families,” Lantz said.  “It gives them an opportunity to see what life is like for professional hockey players.  They’ll play in real arenas in front of cheering crowds, and some will start their professional careers right here in Wyoming.”

For more information, contact Mark Lantz at (307) 630-6726 or GM@WyomingStampede.com.