Dekker's Corner

 It has been a Christmas break like no other! Personally, it has been full of blessings, which I'll get into later on, but it has also been a terrific opportunity to rest. There has also been several intriguing storylines heading into the break as the tale of the 2025/26 AJHL season continues to twist and turn. Entering the month of December, I'm not sure how I would've evaluated the Oil Barons. They were a team that stumbled through November and weren't playing to their identity. Then a massive game against Bonnyville seemed to turn their fortunes around. They went on to beat Whitecourt at home, split a two game series against the South's top team in Camrose, before wrapping up with seven of a possible eight points on the road, to complete December with a 6-1-1 record. Unbelievable! Fort McMurray find themselves in second overall in the league, three points back of Whitecourt for first. Now granted, the MOB have played more games than anyone in the AJHL, but to be ...

 It's hard to believe, but it's the final week before the Christmas break and it's a busy final stretch for the Oil Barons. December has been a successful month so far for the MOB, but they will really have to push hard to find victories over this final week.  Man, Fort McMurray has had to scrap out some results. They put up wins against Bonnyville, who were on a six game point streak at the time. They defeated number one Whitecourt and beat the current top team in the South Division, Camrose. However, all four games this month were tight, including two that went to overtime or a shootout. What this tells me is that Fort McMurray is a team who can ill afford to take shifts off, otherwise it could haunt them. The Oil Barons are a team that needs to put forward their best effort every night, or they run into trouble, like their 7-2 loss to Devon on November 28th. It has led to some entertaining hockey, the question now is, can they keep it up. Looking at that observation abou...

 It was a very sobering week for the Oil Barons. Fort McMurray dropped all three games and are clinging to a playoff spot by their fingernails. The extra time losses to Lloydminster were no surprise. Two terrific battles between closely contested teams that could've gone either way. But warning signs from those two games came to the front as the Barons got humiliated by Devon 7-2 on Friday. It does feel like the sky is falling for the Oil Barons, it shows how excellent the North Division is, either way the MOB need to find answers quickly or they could end up in a precarious position. So what are the concerns for the Oil Barons? One is shots on goal. Fort McMurray has given up 40+ shots in four of their last five games. Not only does this increase the chances of goals against, but this wears down the goaltenders making them less effective in the long run. This is a team that lacks a true number one defender, a player who can shut down the opposition. There were hopes it would be Pa...

 It was a week full of tea and honey for myself as I continue to wrestle with this cough I've been battling over the last two weeks. Good news, I have the majority of my voice back, bad news I still am fighting coughing fits and don't have the full range of my voice, which is a bit frustrating. That said, the show must go on and what an interesting show it was for the Oil Barons. When looking back at this weekend for the MOB, it could be one of the defining moments of the season. Fort McMurray found themselves in a bit of a slump, struggling to play to their identity and seeing the teams behind them in the standings catch up. After a loss against Devon on Friday (which was almost a carbon copy of the game in September between these teams) a wake up call was issued and the boys responded. It took almost two and a half periods to see the fruit of the MOB's labor, but what they got was the team's first come from behind win when trailing after two periods, a tie for second ...

 Well, this was one of the more challenging weeks I have had to deal with. Since coming back from our southern road trip, a nasty cough gripped me, strangling my voice in the process. I was barely at half capacity with my voice, but still powered through the two games this weekend, even if it was at times quite painful. The bright moment of the weekend was a conversation I had with Drayton Valley's head coach Jeff Truitt. I did an interview with one of the Thunder players and found out that it was his first interview in three years. To get a word of encouragement from Jeff and to hear how much the player enjoyed it, it meant a lot. Sometimes, it's the little things that mean the most. To sum up the weekend for the Oil Barons, I feel like the perfect descriptor is frustrating. The team did not want to split the two games against a foe they felt like they should've handled with ease. Even in the 6-1 win, Fort McMurray showed some warts, while on Sunday's loss they were di...

 It's been a hot minute since I did an update and the busy Oil Barons schedule is a big reason for it. Six games in nine days, plus the first southern road swing of the year makes for very little free time for this broadcaster. That said, the Barons had what I'll call a positive road trip. Currently on a three game point streak, taking five of a possible eight points on the road, check mark for the MOB! To sum up this road trip, one saw a lot of firsts. For starters, the Oil Barons had to get creative in between the pipes. With a potentially long term injury to Berney Weston and the team waiting for paperwork to be approved for Brendan Gee at the start of the trip, Fort McMurray leaned on a couple of affiliated goalies. It paid off! Sergio Davidson made 45 saves in a 4-3 loss versus Drumheller, and the Portland Winterhawk's prospect showed flashes of brilliance, proving why he's a highly rated goalie. It was enough that the Calgary product made the trip back north to be...