Scattershooting on a Sunday night while waiting for another 40-at-16 scorer to surface . . .

scattershooting

OK. Let’s adjust the list again.

I am referring to the list of WHL skaters to have scored at least 40 goals in their 16-year-old season.

This time we’re adding Dan Lucas to the list. Lucas, from Powell River, B.C., WHLscored 57 times in 70 games as a 16-year-old sophomore with the Victoria Cougars in 1974-75. One season earlier, at the age of 15, he had six goals and 10 assists in 16 games.

In 1974-75, he added 56 assists to his goal total, giving him 113 points.

If you haven’t been following along, his list got started last week after F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats scored his 40th goal. “Bedard became just the second 16-year-old in the past 30 years, and sixth in WHL history, to reach the 40-goal mark during a regular season,” the WHL reported on its website.

The WHL’s list featured Glen Goodall, Kimbi Daniels, Mark Pederson, Dave Pasin, Jeff Friesen and Bedard.

We since have deleted Daniels because he actually was 17 when he scored 43 goals for the 1989-90 Swift Current Broncos.

And we have added Ron Chipperfield, who put up 40 with the 1970-71 Brandon Wheat Kings.

Today, then, we add Lucas to the list.

And here is that list as it now sits at seven . . . at least for now:

63 — Glen Goodall, Seattle Thunderbirds (1986-87)

57 — Dan Lucas, Victoria Cougars (1974-75)

45 — Jeff Friesen, Regina Pats, Regina Pats (1992-93)

42 — Mark Pederson, Medicine Hat Tigers (1984-85)

41 — Connor Bedard, Regina Pats (2021-22)

40 — Ron Chipperfield, Brandon Wheat Kings, 1970-71

40 — Dave Pasin, Prince Albert Raiders (1982-83)


Puzzle


There is little in sports that I dislike more than the loser point. Yes, it is time for it to be gone. Actually, it’s time was up a long while ago.

On Friday night, the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings held a 5-0 lead over the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks, who promptly scored five goals and then won in OT. The Spruce Kings, of course, were rewarded with one point.

Also on Friday night, the host Calgary Flames were beaten, 1-0 in OT, by the Buffalo Sabres. “That might be the point to get into the playoffs . . . that’s a good point for us. We didn’t score. Got a point.” . . . That’s exactly the point. The Flames didn’t score even one goal; for that, they were rewarded with a point.

Going into Saturday night’s WHL games, the Portland Winterhawks were 4-1-0 when playing the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent., Wash. The Thunderbirds, in those same five games, were 1-1-3.

Look, none of that makes any sense whatsoever. Please, it’s time for saner heads to prevail. Yes, even if it means bringing back tie games. Just get rid of the three-pointers.



As anyone who frequents this space will know, my wife, Dorothy, has been able to life a mostly normal life since undergoing a kidney transplant on Sept. 23, 2013. Since then, she also has raised money for the Kidney Foundation by taking part in the annual Kamloops Kidney Walk. This year that walk will be held on June 5. As much as we would like to get everyone together and go for a walk, there simply are too many immunocompromised people involved so the walk once again will be held virtually. . . . You are able to take part by sponsoring Dorothy and you may do that right here. . . . Thanks so much to all who have helped already this year; in fact, right now she is the No. 1 fund-raiser in all of B.C.


Adult


I saw this tweet on Thursday and it really struck me how politicians and healthcare officials have dumped pandemic-related mandates and restrictions, while a whole lot people seem to have forgotten about the healthcare workers. . . . But you know what folks? Sorry, but it’s not over.


“If you’re commiserating about the stock market’s recent dive,” writes Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, “just be glad you didn’t pay $518,000 for that ball from Tom Brady’s ‘final’ touchdown pass.”

——

Here’s Perry, again:

Not that the Russell Wilson hype train is already off the tracks for Denver fans, but KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs offered its viewers this poll last week:

“Who is the greatest Broncos quarterback of all time?

“a) Russell Wilson

“b) Peyton Manning

“c) John Elway

“d) Gary Kubiak”

Wilson had 8 per cent of the vote in early returns, compared to Elway’s 57, Manning’s 30 and Kubiak’s 5.


SUNDAY IN THE WHL:

D Olen Zellweger drew four assists as the host Everett Silvertips doubled the EverettSpokane Chiefs, 6-3. . . . F Michal Gut added a goal, his 13th, and two assists for Everett. . . . Zellweger, an 18-year-old from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., now has 68 points, including 56 assists, in 48 games this season. He leads all WHL defenceman in assists and points. Zellweger went into the season with four goals and 21 assists in 70 games. . . . With the victory, the Silvertips (41-10-8) moved into sole possession of first place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the idle Kamloops Blazers (43-14-2). . . .

In Portland, G Taylor Gauthier stopped 20 shots to help the Winterhawks to a 3-Portland0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Gauthier has 10 career shutouts, including four this season. All four have come since he was acquired from the Prince George Cougars. With Portland, he is 18-3-0, 1.74, .943. Overall, his numbers are 25-8-4, 2.12, .935. . . . F Tyson Kozak scored his 30th goal into an empty net. . . . F Cross Hanas got his 23rd goal at 1:23 of the second period and it stood up as the winner. . . . The Winterhawks (40-15-5) are third in the Western Conference, three points behind Kamloops. . . . Seattle (36-17-6) now trails Portland by seven points.


Dad


There are rumblings around and about claiming that the CFL is at least thinking about going to a four-down game. Of course, even thinking about it is a waste of time and energy. Because — and let’s be honest here — the CFL with anything but three downs isn’t the CFL.


The most-puzzling MLB free-agent signing? Easy. The Colorado Rockies, the same team that dumped 3B Nolan Arenado and let SS Trevor Story walk, signed Kris Bryant for seven years and $182 million. As Keith Law of The Athletic put it: “I have no objection to owners spending money on players, but the Rockies are going to pay Bryant a lot of money to make them a more watchable last-place team.” 



In writing about Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator, and how the oligarchs came to be, the great Charles P. Pierce of Esquire dropped this line: “All gangsters are the same. Some of them just have nukes is all.”



F Kishaun Gervais, who played 50 games over two seasons with the Portland sjhlWinterhawks, now is with the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. He scored the double OT winner on Saturday night as the Terriers beat the Mustangs, 4-3, in Melfort to even a first-round best-of-seven playoff series, 1-1. The best part of this story? When he was a bit younger, Gervais, now 20, was a stickboy with the Terriers when they won the 2014 RBC Cup as national champions. . . . BTW, the series moves to Yorkton for games Tuesday and Wednesday.


Doc


If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.


Knife

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