Calvert vs Calvert taking centre stage in Eastern Conference Championship
By Tanner Chubey, Saskatoon Blades
There are plenty of storylines ahead of the 2024 WHL Eastern Conference Championship presented by Nutrien.
The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are set to collide in the first all-Saskatchewan Eastern Conference Championship since 1993.
Big trade addition in Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten for the Blades goes head-to-head against the Warriors midseason acquisition in Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie.
The Blades, who allowed the fewest goals during the regular season, will try and contain the high-octane offence of the Warriors.
Saskatoon saw family on opposing sides of the ice already this postseason.
Blades associate general manager Steve Hildebrand and son Max Hildebrand, a goalie for the Prince Albert Raiders, captured the hockey world after embracing in a hug following the Blades 4-1 series win in Round 1 against the Raiders.
Having to face your own son in a playoff series is the last thing any manager would want, especially when your son is the goalie for your biggest rival… but Max and Steve Hildebrand handled the entire series with class and this moment says it all. @BladesHockey @PARaidersHockey pic.twitter.com/NrX4lNtdI6
— Colin Priestner (@colinpriestner) April 6, 2024
It will be a sibling rivalry when the two Saskatchewan clubs meet in the Eastern Conference Championship.
Forward Rowan Calvert suits up for the Blades while his older brother Atley will don the colours of their hometown Warriors.
“The only time Atley and I are bickering at each other is either between shifts or on the golf course,” joked Rowan, “I’m sure that’ll ramp up as the series goes on.”
“I think every time we play each other it’s a little added motivation,” said Atley, “We’ve played against each other quite a bit, but the stakes are a little higher now.”
A pending WHL graduate, Atley is in pursuit of bringing the Warriors their first ever Ed Chynoweth Cup. He says getting to play his brother in a best-of-seven series in his final season is a special feeling.
“Being the younger sibling, you’re a little smaller, weaker growing up just because I matured faster than he did being a couple of years older than him. Every time we do something against each other, it’s always competitive. He always wants to beat me and I always want to beat him.”
The younger of the siblings, Rowan is in his sophomore season with the Blades. The 2005-born forward was drafted by Saskatoon in the ninth round (187th overall) in the 2020 WHL Prospects draft. Rowan played 57 games as a rookie in the 2022-23 regular season, scoring four goals and six assists with limited ice time. The 5-foot-11 winger only dressed in one playoff game for Saskatoon in last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Final.
This season saw Rowan enjoy much more offensive success.
The left-handed shot lit the lamp ten times and added 15 assists through all 68 regular season games.
His play earned him time on the man-advantage, capitalizing with four powerplay markers.
Rowan’s success has continued into the postseason this year.
The Moose Jaw native has goals in back-to-back games, including a short-handed tally in a 7-0 Game 4 win over the Red Deer Rebels.
Rowan contributes his play this season to being more comfortable in his role.
“The shorty was just an awesome play by (Misha) Volotovskii. I was doing my job on the penalty kill forecheck, and all of a sudden I saw Volo read the play perfectly, got a stick on it, and I was like, ‘might as well try and go get it.’ I just want to do my job and help the team win at the end of the day.”
Despite being the older of the two brothers, Atley says he’s learned lots from his younger sibling.
“The thing that I see the most from him is his compete, whether that be on the ice or off the ice and him just continuing to push me. The biggest thing I’ve learned from him is that you can’t take a day off because with him, he’s never taken a day off.”
No matter what happens on the ice, both say they’ll be proud of their brother when the series is said and done.
“He’s carved his way into this league different than what I have in Moose Jaw, but he’s done it with a smile on his face the entire time,” said Atley, “He showed up to the rink every day and worked as hard as he could to get where he is today.”
“We are both really good teams,” said Rowan, “We both have really high-end talent. We play in different ways, different structures. They do what they do well, and we do what we do well. We’re just going to try and play our game.”
The best-of-seven series gets underway Friday, April 26th at SaskTel Centre for Game 1 at 7:00 pm.
Game 2 is the following night at 7:00 pm, before the series shifts to the Moose Jaw Events Centre for games 3 and 4 next week.