Author: greggdrinnan

Blades complete improbable comeback . . . Legend of Spencer (Mr. Game 7) Shugrue grows . . . Winterhawks pondering Memorial Cup bid

It sounds like we can expect the Portland Winterhawks to bid on a Memorial PortlandCup in the near future, perhaps even as early as 2026. . . . Joshua Critzer, who covers the Winterhawks for pnwhockeytalk.com, spent some time chatting with Michael Kramer, one of the franchise’s co-owners. . . . The OHL’s Saginaw Spirit will be the host team for the 2024 tournament, the first time it will have been held in an American city since 1998 when the Spokane Chiefs were the host team. . . . Asked his stance on bidding on a future tournament, Kramer told Critzer: “One hundred percent I do, absolutely. I’m thrilled to hear that Saginaw got it. I was talking with those guys while they were bidding for it. I personally spent a lot of time with the CHL talking about why it is important and why United States-based teams can host. We would absolutely love to host the Memorial Cup. Given the right circumstances, we are going all for it. The first opportunity we will have is three years. I don’t know if we will be able to get it done for that or not, but I’m definitely, definitely focused on hosting.” . . . The complete interview — it’s lengthy and worthwhile — is right here.

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The WHL playoff schedule will pause to catch its breath now, with no games until Friday night. That is when the Eastern Conference final, featuring the regular-season champion Winnipeg Ice and Saskatoon Blades is to open. It will begin with games in Winnipeg on Friday and Saturday, then shift to Saskatoon for games on Tuesday and May 3. . . .

The Blades advanced on Tuesday night with a Game 7 victory, beating the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 5-2. . . .

The Blades became the third team in WHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. . . . In 1996, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks in Game 7, winning 4-3 when F Darren Sinclair scored 58 seconds into OT. . . . In 2013, the Kelowna Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7, winning on a goal at 5:10 by F Tyson Baillie. Steve Konowalchuk, now Red Deer’s second-year head coach, was in his second season as Seattle’s head coach at that time. . . .

But not only did the Blades lose the first three games to Red Deer, but they surrendered the first two goals in Game 4 before coming back for a 4-2 victory. . . .

Meanwhile, the Western Conference finalists — the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 2 Kamloops Blazers — no doubt are anxious for Saturday to get here. That’s when they will open their series in Kent, Wash. Game 2 is to be played there on Sunday, with Games 3 and 4 in Kamloops on Tuesday and May 4. . . . Each team was 2-1-1 in the season series. And each team is 8-0 in these playoffs. . . .

You will note that the top two seeds in each conference are the only teams still standing. They also are the only four of the WHL’s 22 teams that enjoyed 100-point seasons.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,200 on Tuesday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

TUESDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Red Deer (3) at Saskatoon (2) — The Saskatoon Blades broke a 2-2 tie with two Saskatoonthird-period goals 40 seconds apart and went on to a 5-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Blades, who had lost the first three games of the series, the first two at home, won the series, 4-3. . . . Saskatoon now is 5-0 in elimination games this spring. . . . The Eastern Conference final will open in Winnipeg on Friday night. The Ice, which won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular-season champions, ousted the Moose Jaw Warriors on Monday night, winning Game 6, 8-2, on the road. . . . The Ice was 4-2-0 in the regular-season series; the Blades were 2-3-1. . . . If you are looking for a Game 7 hero look no further than Blades D Spencer Shugrue. The 19-year-old from Vancouver went into these playoffs with three goals in 125 regular-season games. He scored his first playoff goal in a Game 7 victory over the Regina Pats. Last night, he scored twice, breaking a 1-1 tie at 5:41 of the second period and snapping a 2-2 deadlock at 4:29 of the third period. . . . D Hunter Mayo (2) gave Red Deer a 1-0 lead at 12:10 of the first  period, only to have F Conner Roulette (2) get Saskatoon even at 14:45. . . . Shugrue (2) gave the Blades a 2-1 lead at 5:41 of the second period, and F Ryker Singer (1) pulled the Rebels even at 7:35. . . . Shugrue (3) put the Blades in front for good at 4:29 of the third, and Roulette (3) added insurance at 5:09. . . . F Vaughn Watterodt (4) got the empty-netter at 19:32. . . . The announced attendance was 9,489. . . . Saskatoon was 0-for-3 on the PP (7-for-26 in the series); Red Deer was 0-for-2 (2-for-20). . . . The Blades got 23 stops from G Austin Elliott. . . . G Kyle Kelsey stopped 23 for the Rebels. . . . With the score 2-2, Red Deer had what it thought was a second-period PP goal disallowed because of contact with Elliott. . . . The Rebels had F Kalan Lind back after he missed two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies sat out as he completed a three-game suspension for a high hit on Lind in Game 4. . . . Red Deer F Jhett Larson didn’t play as he served a one-game suspension, while Rebels F Frantisek Formanek returned from a one-game suspension. . . . Saskatoon D Blake Gustafson, who was the subject of the hit that earned Formanek that suspension from Game 5, missed a second straight game.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

D Marek Alscher of the Portland Winterhawks will finish his season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Alscher, who turned 19 on April 7, is from Czechia. He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . . This season, his second with Portland, he had eight goals and 16 assists in 60 games. . . .

The SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves have signed Kyle Schneider to a three-year extension through the 2025-26 season. An assistant coach there for the past two seasons, he now is assistant general manager and assistant coach. Schneider played three seasons with the Ice Wolves (2017-20). . . .

In the OHL, the host North Bay Battalion beat the Barrie Colts, 3-1, in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal. The No. 2 Centennials will meet the No. 4 Peterborough Petes in the conference final. That series is to open in North Bay on Friday. . . . The Western Conference final will feature the No. 2 London Knights and No. 3 Sarnia Sting. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday in London. . . . Terry Doyle (@Terry_Doyle) reports that this is the “first time since the 1999 playoffs the conference finals do not include a regular-season top seed from either conference.” . . .

There was a Game 7 in the BCHL last night, too. The Alberni Valley Bulldogs used two early first-period goals as the springboard to a 3-1 victory over the host Surrey Eagles. . . . The No. 3 Bulldogs will meet the No. 5 Chilliwack Chiefs in Coastal Conference final. . . . The BCHL’s Interior Conference semifinal has the No. 4 Salmon Arm Silverbacks meeting the No. 1 Penticton Vees.

——

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.

Phone

Ice back in Eastern final after ousting Warriors . . . Rebels, Blades to decide winner tonight . . . Ottawa 67’s upset in OHL playoffs

As you can see by the above tweet, Ferris Backmeyer, a six-year-old sweetheart from Kamloops, has a new best friend in the person of Regina Pats star Connor Bedard. . . . Ferris is in need of a kidney transplant and there are hopes that will happen in the next few weeks, perhaps in late June, at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She was to have had the transplant via a live donor this week but something happened to disrupt the chain a few weeks ago and surgery was postponed. Of late, Ferris has had to deal with a few medical issues that also may have slowed things. . . . Ferris, who has been on peritoneal or hemo dialysis almost all of her young life, actually underwent a kidney transplant two years ago, but there was an issue and the ‘new’ kidney had to be removed. . . . What all of this means is that there are a lot of crossed fingers and toes and a lot of prayers up for Ferris in Kamloops.

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The Winnipeg Ice will make its second straight appearance in the Eastern Conference final having ousted the Moose Jaw Warriors on Monday night. The Ice put up an 8-2 victory in Moose Jaw to win that semifinal, 4-2. . . . Winnipeg now awaits the winner of Game 7 between the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades. That game is scheduled for Saskatoon tonight. According to Colin Priestner, the Blades’ president and general manager, 6,600 seats were sold in the first 38 minutes of sales. Have to think there will be more than 8,000 fans in the house tonight. . . .

One year ago, the Ice lost the Eastern Conference final in five games to the Edmonton Oil Kings, who won the last three games en route to winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions. . . .

The Blades, meanwhile, will be trying to get a piece of WHL history. As I wrote here on Sunday night, the Blades will be attempting to become the third team in WHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. . . . Interestingly, the only two teams to have managed this feat needed OT in Game 7. . . . In 1996, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks in Game 7, winning 4-3 when F Darren Sinclair scored 58 seconds into OT. . . . In 2013, the Kelowna Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7, winning on a goal at 5:10 by F Tyson Baillie. . . . Saskatoon had an opportunity to do it in a 1990 Eastern Conference semifinal but lost Game 7, 4-3 in OT, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on a goal by F Neil Hawryluk at 2:31 of extra time. . . .

Keep in mind that the Rebels won the first three games of this series and held a 2-0 first-period lead in Game 4 at home before the Blades roared back. . . .

The Rebels will be without F Jhett Larson tonight as he serves a one-game suspension after picking up an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of Game 6 on Sunday. The Rebels also were fined $500 for having a player instigate in the final five minutes of a game. . . . At the same time, F Frantisek Formanek will return to Red Deer’s lineup after having served a one-game suspension that was assessed under supplemental discipline. He took a boarding minor for a hit on Saskatoon D Blake Gustafson, who didn’t play in Game 6. . . . The Blades will be without F Justin Lies, as he completes a three-game suspension for a headshot on Rebels F Karan Lind in Game 4. Lind has yet to return to Red Deer’s lineup.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

MONDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) at Moose Jaw (4) — The Winnipeg Ice built up a 6-0 lead before WinnipegIcethe second period was eight minutes old en route to an 8-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . That allowed the Ice, who finished atop the WHL’s regular-season standings, to win the Eastern Conference semifinal, 4-2. They will open at home against the winner of tonight’s Game 7 between the Red Deer Rebels and host Saskatoon Blades. . . . Last night, the Ice scored two first-period goals 51 seconds apart and took it from there. F Zack Ostapchuk (7) scored at 10:49 and F Vladislav Shilo (3) counted at 11:40. . . . Winnipeg really took control on four straight second-period goals — from F Connor McClennon (7, 8), D Graham Sward (2) and F Conor Geekie (5). . . . Geekie (6) and F Evan Friesen (3) had the Ice’s other goals. . . . D Denton Mateychuk (3) and F Jagger Firkus (10) had PP goals for the Warriors. . . . Firkus is tied for the playoff lead in goals and points (21). . . . Shilo and Sward each had two assists and Geekie had one for three-point nights. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-for-2 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser stopped 25 shots in earning the victory.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

F Lukas Sawchyn, selected sixth overall overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL’s 2022 U.S. prospect draft, has opted for the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Sawchyn, 16, put up 78 points, including 28 goals, in 57 games with the 16U AAA team at Shattuck St. Mary’s this season. His 18-year-old old brother, Gracyn, is in his first season with the Thunderbirds. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL’s 2020 U.S. prospect draft and later was traded to Seattle. . . .

Might the Salmon Arm Silverbacks be able to throw a scare into the Penticton Vees in the BCHL’s Interior Conference final? The Vees, who have won 24 straight playoff games going back to last season, are 8-0 as they play host to Game 1 on Friday. The Silverbacks are 8-1, that lone loss coming in OT. . . . The Vernon Vipers opened a second-round series with a 4-3 OT victory over Salmon Arm, only to have the Silverbacks win the next four games. . . . The BCHL’s other semifinal will feature the Chilliwack Chiefs against either the Alberni Valley Bulldogs or Surrey Eagles. They’ll play Game 7 tonight in Surrey. . . .

The Ottawa 67’s, the OHL’s top team in the 2022-23 regular season, were eliminated from the playoffs on Monday as they lost, 5-4, to the host Peterborough Petes, who won the series in six games. Ottawa had finished 33 points ahead of the Petes. . . . The Petes will face either the North Bay Battalion or Barrie Colts in one semifinal. Barrie, playing at home, won 4-2 on Monday to tie the series, 3-3. They will play Game 7 in North Bay tonight. . . . On the other side of the draw, the London Knights and Sarnia Sting will meet. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday in London. . . .

The OHL’s Guelph Storm has signed general manager George Burnett to a contract extension that will run through the 2025-26 season. Burnett started his second stint with the Storm, this time as GM/head coach, prior to the 2017-18 season. He stepped aside as head coach in order to focus on the GM’s role before this season got started. . . . At the time, co-owner Scott Walker, a former NHLer, took over as head coach. However, he had to leave the position for health reasons in October, so associate coach Chad Wiseman now is the head coach. . . .

The QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic fired general manager/head coach Serge Beausoleil on Monday. He had been with one team longer than any other head coach in the league, having been there since 2011-12. . . . Danny Dupont now is the interim general manager while ownership decides on the franchise’s direction. . . . In 12 seasons in Rimouski, Beausoleil won 487 regular-season games. This season, the Oceanic finished 33-26-9, good for ninth place in the 18-team league. Rimouski won a first-round series, 4-1, over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, then was swept by the Quebec Remparts. . . .

The QMJHL playoffs are down to the Final Four, with the Quebec Remparts meeting the Gatineau Olympiques, and the Halifax Mooseheads facing the Sherbrooke Phoenix. These were the league’s top four regular-season teams — Quebec and Halifax were first and second in the Eastern Conference, finishing just two points apart, while Sherbrooke and Gatineau tied atop the Western Conference.

Noah

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.

Food

Sidorov sparks Blades’ victory . . . Rebels head to ‘Toontown for Game 7 . . . Ice at Warriors in Game 6 tonight

There is a link to a GoFundMe page on the link below. Please give it some consideration . . .

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The Saskatoon Blades will be playing in a Game 7 on home ice for a second straight series, both times after losing the first two games at home. . . . The Blades dropped Games 1 and 2 to the visiting Regina Pats in a first-round series, before coming back to win Game 7, 4-1, in Saskatoon on April 10. . . . And now, after having lost the first two games to the visiting Red Deer Rebels, the Blades have forced a seventh game, thanks to a 5-3 road victory on Sunday afternoon. . . . They’ll play Game 7 in Saskatoon on Tuesday night. . . .

Not only were the Blades trailing 3-0 in this Eastern Conference semifinal, but they fell behind 2-0 at 13:05 of the first period of Game 4 in Red Deer before storming back to win, 4-2. . . .

On Tuesday night, the Blades will be attempting to become the third team in WHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. . . . Interestingly, the only two teams to have managed this feat needed OT in Game 7. . . . In 1996, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks in Game 7, winning 4-3 when F Darren Sinclair scored 58 seconds into OT. . . . In 2013, the Kelowna Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7, winning on a goal at 5:10 by F Tyson Baillie. . . . Saskatoon had an opportunity to do it in a 1990 Eastern Conference semifinal but lost Game 7, 4-3 in OT, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on a goal by D Neil Hawryluk at 2:31 of extra time. . . .

A tweet from Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) from Saturday’s game in Winnipeg in which the Ice beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2: “After ceding first two goals, Conor Geekie puts Winnipeg on his back by scoring the next two nine minutes apart in the 2nd and completing a hat trick into an empty net. 3rd trick in last 23 games, 4th of season. Scored grand total of five in other 19.” . . . The Ice holds a 3-2 lead in that Eastern Conference semifinal with Game 6 scheduled for tonight in Moose Jaw.

Meanwhile, the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 2 Kamloops Blazers await the arrival of Saturday night and Game 1 of the Western Conference final in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds last played on Wednesday when they completed a sweep of the No. 4 Prince George Cougars, while the Blazers finished a sweep of the No. 3 Portland Winterhawks on Thursday. . . . The Thunderbirds and Blazers both are 8-0 in these playoffs, so something is going to give on Saturday. . . . They’ll play the second game in Kent on Sunday.

Dorothy-040719The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

SUNDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Saskatoon (2) at Red Deer (3) — F Egor Sidorov scored twice and added an Saskatoonassist as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Red Deer Rebels, 5-3. . . . The Eastern Conference semifinal is tied, 3-3, with Game 7 scheduled for Sasdatoon on Tuesday night. . . . The Blades now are 4-0 in elimination games. . . . Sidorov, who has nine goals in the playoffs, gave his guys a 1-0 lead just 34 seconds into the game, then drew the secondary assist on a goal by F Trevor Wong (5), at 16:24, for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Jace Isley (2) got Red Deer to within a goal at 5:09 of the second period, but Sidorov got that one back via a PP at 9:53. . . . F Jake Chiasson (4) gave Saskatoon a 4-1 lead at 17:37. . . . F Kai Uchacz (9) scored at 19:31 and the Rebels went to the third period trailing by two. . . . Isley (3) cut the deficit to one goal at 12:13 of the third. . . . F Jayden Wiens (7) got the empty-netter for the Blades at 18:08. . . . Saskatoon was 1-for-6 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-4. . . . In his first start since Game 3, Saskatoon G Austin Elliott stopped 35 shots. . . . Red Deer gave G Chase Coward his first start of these playoffs and he responded with 18 saves. . . . There were some shenanigans at 19:12 of the third period that resulted in 49 penalty minutes being doled out. F Jhett Larson of the Rebels picked up 37 of them — an instigating minor, two fighting majors, and a double game misconduct, the second one for getting into a second fight during the same stoppage. Chances are he will be hearing from the Dept. of Discipline. . . . By game’s end, the Rebels had taken 78 of the 112 penalty minutes that were handed out. . . . The Blades were without suspended F Justin Lies, who will complete a three-game suspension by also missing Game 7. He was suspended for a headshot on Red Deer F Kalan Lind, who hasn’t played since taking that hit in Game 4. . . . The Rebels were without suspended F Frantisek Formanek, who drew a one-game sentence under supplemental discipline after taking a boarding penalty in Game 5 for a hit on Saskatoon D Blade Gustafson, who didn’t play in Game 6.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Cullen Revel is the new head coach of the junior B Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. He spent nine years coaching in Taiwan, including with the Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey Federation. He also has coach at the U18 level in North Vancouver. . . . Revel replaces Bayne Koen, who held the position from May 1, 2020, through the end of the 2022-23 season.

——

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.

Keys

Blades, Rebels ready for Game 6 . . . Ice takes 3-2 series lead to Moose Jaw . . . Cougars’ Heidt joins Team Canada

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The host Red Deer Rebels take a 3-2 lead into Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal this afternoon (Sunday). The Blades, who have won the last two games, are hoping to force a Game 7 back in Saskatoon on Tuesday night.

“The Blades,” blogger Darren Steinke wrote after the Blades won, 6-3, on Friday night in Saskatoon, “are trying to become the third team in WHL history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series to win it 4-3.

“Dating back to the WHL’s start in 1966-67, only two teams have rallied to win a best-of-seven series having trailed the set 3-0. The Spokane Chiefs, who were guided by Mike Babcock as head coach, trailed the Portland Winterhawks 3-0 before rallying to take a first-round series 4-3 in 1996. The Kelowna Rockets fell behind the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-0 in 2013 before rallying to claim that first-round series 4-3.” . . .

The WHL office updated its discipline page sometime Saturday evening and the Rebels and Blades each will be without a player due to suspension in Game 6. . . . Red Deer F Frantisek Formanek was given a one-game suspension “under supplemental discipline” for something that happened in Game 5 on Friday night. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies had his suspension finalized at three games for the headshot on Red Deer F Kalan Lind in Game 4. That means Lies will miss the remainder of the series should it go seven games. . . . According to Troy Gillard, the Rebels’ radio voice, Formanek’s suspension is related to a boarding penalty he picked up at 7:21 of the first period in Game 5.

——

SATURDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Moose Jaw (4) at Winnipeg (1) — The Winnipeg Ice erased a 2-0 first-period WinnipegIcedeficit and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2. . . . The Ice holds a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal, with Game 6 in Moose Jaw on Monday night. . . . If they need a seventh game, it would be played in Winnipeg on Wednesday. . . . Last night, the Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 first-period leads on goals from F Jagger Firkus (9), at 13:35, and F Brayden Yager (6), at 15:03. . . . Winnipeg equalized in the second period on two goals from F Conor Geekie (3), at 2:27 and 11:32. . . . F Matt Savoie (9) broke the tie at 15:06 of the third period. . . . Geekie had a chance at the hat trick when he was awarded a penalty shot with his side ahead 3-2 and 4:21 left to play in the third period. But he wasn’t able to beat Moose Jaw G Connor Ungar. . . . Geekie did get a third goal, this one into an empty net, at 17:50. . . . F Zach Benson (2) added another empty-netter, at 19:01. . . . Each team was 0-for-1 on the PP. . . . The Ice got 26 saves from G Daniel Hauser, while Ungar turned aside 33 shots. . . . F Evan Friesen returned to Winnipeg’s lineup after serving a two-game suspension for a headshot on Moose Jaw D Matthew Gallant in Game 2. . . . Gallant hasn’t played since absorbing that hit.

Vegan

You may recall that Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, fined the Dallas Mavericks US$740,000 the other day because of an obvious tank job in the final game of their regular season. . . . Meanwhile, Jack Finarelli (aka The Sports Curmudgeon) points out that Yao Ming, the former NBA star who runs the Chinese Basketball Association, had to deal with something similar after a game that featured the Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons. . . .

Finarelli writes: “There would be a benefit to both teams if the Dragons lost. In the second half of the game, the Dragons committed five consecutive turnovers in the final two minutes to assure a victory for the Sharks.” . . .

While this kind of thing is called “tanking” in the NBA (or the NHL, for that matter), Yao Ming referred to it as “game-fixing.”

According to Finarelli, Yao fined each team “the equivalent of $727,000, banned the Sharks’ general manager and coach for five years each; and banned the Dragons’ general manager and coach for three years each.

“Silver is never going to use the term ‘game-fixing’ lest the gambling interests that provide lots of funding for the league get very antsy,” Finarelli added. “People hate to lose money gambling, but they will hate it a whole lot more if they find out — or even suspect — that the game was ‘fixed,’ and they were not ‘in on the fix.’ But this is an issue that sports leagues must deal with when they dip their beak into the fountain of cash that can come from the myriad gambling sites out there today.”

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Battlefords North Stars beat the Bombers, 7-4, in Flin Flon on Saturday night to sweep the SJHL’s championship series. . . . The North Stars lost their first game of these playoffs, dropping a 3-2 decision to the visiting Weyburn Red Wings, then rolled to 12 straight victories. . . . The North Stars were the SJHL’s top regular-season club, finishing with a record of 48-5-3. . . .

F Riley Heidt of the Prince George Cougars has joined Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship that is being played in Porrentruy and Basel, Switzerland. . . . Canada is 1-1 after losing 8-0 to Sweden on Thursday and beating Germany 7-0 on Friday. . . . Canada is to play Slovakia today (4 a.m. PT) and Czechia on Tuesday. . . . Heidt, who turned 18 on March 25, is from Saskatoon. He finished tied for fourth in the WHL’s regular-season points derby, with 97 points, including 72 assists.

Pyramid

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.

Dam

Late assist gives Zellweger share of record . . . Blades send series back to Red Deer . . . Ice, Warriors to clash tonight

When we went to bed on Thursday night, D Olen Zellweger of the Kamloops Blazers was coming off a six-point night and was one point out of the WHL Kamloopsplayoff scoring lead. . . . That all changed at some point on Friday when he was awarded a fourth assist from the Blazers’ 10-4 series-clinching victory over the Winterhawks in Portland.

The assist in question came on the Blazers’ fourth goal, at 2:29 of the second period, that provided the visitors with a 4-2 lead. It was scored by F Matthew Seminoff, with the primary assist going to F Cedar Bankier.

The added point upped Zellweger’s night’s work to seven points and means that he actually tied the WHL record for most points by a defenceman in a playoff game. Darryl Sydor, a former Blazers skater who now is one of the franchise’s five owners, had seven points, including six assists, in an 11-5 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans on March 22, 1991.

The WHL record for most points in a playoff game is eight. It is shared by F Dave Chartier of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Portland F Alfie Turcotte. Chartier had five goals and three assists in a 13-4 victory over the visiting Regina Pats on March 27, 1981; Turcotte put up four goals and four assists in a 13-4 victory over the host Seattle Breakers on March 26, 1983.

The added point also moved Zellweger into a tie with F Logan Stankoven of the Blazers for the WHL’s playoff scoring lead, each with 21 points, one more than F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, whose season ended on April 10. Stankoven has 10 goals and 11 assists; Zellweger has seven goals and 14 assists.

Stankoven is tied for the lead in goals with Bedard and F Dylan Guenther of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Zellweger is tied for the lead in assists with Seattle F Brad Lambert.

The Thunderbirds, the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, and the No. 2 Blazers, will open the best-of-seven conference final in Kent, Wash., with games on April 29 and 30.

Both teams will go into Game 1 with 8-0 records in these playoffs.

WHL
A few Twitter tidbits left over from Thursday’s lone WHL playoff game . . .

From Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “I remember being there the last time the Winterhawks gave up 10 in a playoff game at home in the 1989 league final against a Swift Current juggernaut (also a 10-4 score). Hawks haven’t been beaten this soundly much over the years, but the Blazers just had a huge talent advantage.”

Sepich, again: “Portland’s captain in that 1989 loss to Swift Current was Shaun Clouston, who just happens to now be the Blazers’ head coach.”

From Chad Klassen (@klassen87): “According to the WHL, the Blazers are undefeated through two rounds for the first time since 1984 when they went 10-0 (best-of-9 series) on their way to the WHL championship.”

Klassen, again: “The Blazers meet Seattle in a Western Conference final rematch that will be fantastic. With both teams 8-0, it’s the first time since 2009 (Brandon vs. Calgary in East final) that undefeated conference finalists meet.” . . . Calgary swept Brandon in that 2009 Eastern Conference final.

——

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

While the Seattle Thunderbirds enjoyed yet another day off while going to a baseball game, the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades played in Friday night’s lone WHL playoff game. . . . The Blades, playing at home, put up a 6-3 victory and now trail their Eastern Conference semifinal, 3-2, with Game 6 to be played in Red Deer on Sunday afternoon. If they need a seventh game, it would be played in Red Deer on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the other Eastern Conference semifinal will resume tonight in Winnipeg with the No. 1 Ice and No. 4 Moose Jaw Warriors tied, 2-2. After Game 5, they’ll return to Moose Jaw for Game 6 on Monday. If needed, a seventh game would be played in Winnipeg on Wednesday.

——

FRIDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Red Deer (3) at Saskatoon (2) — The Saskatoon Blades sent their Eastern SaskatoonConference semifinal back to Red Deer with a 6-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . Red Deer still holds a 3-2 series lead, with Game 6 scheduled for Sunday afternoon. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played in Saskatoon on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, the Blades scored the game’s last three goals after the teams had traded goals and found themselves in a 3-3 second-period tie. . . . D Tanner Molendyk (2) gave the Blades a 1-0 lead at 5:39 of the first period, only to have F Kai Uchacz (7) tie it at 11:08. . . . The Blades went back out front as F Egor Sidorov (6) scored, on a PP, at 11:59. . . . And the Rebels tied it when Uchacz (8) scored again, at 16:58. . . . Sidorov (7) struck on another PP at 18:03 and the Blades led 3-2 at the intermission. . . . F Ollie Josephson (2) got Red Deer back into a tie at 1:28 of the second period. . . . But it was all Blades after that, with D Aiden De La Gorgendiere (2), who also had two assists, counting on a PP at 19:35, F Jayden Wiens (6) scoring at 5:41 of the third period, and Molendyk (3) adding another at 12:34. . . . The Blades got three assists from F Trevor Wong, who has 17 points, 13 of them helpers, in 12 games. . . . Saskatoon was 3-for-6 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-3. . . . G Ethan Chadwick earned the victory with 14 saves. . . . The Blades were without F Justin Lies who was hit with one of those TBD suspensions after taking a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Red Deer F Kalan Lind in Game 3 on Wednesday. Lind, who left the ice on a stretcher that night, also was scratched. One would have to believe he is in concussion protocol.

Ex

At some point in the past week, I heard former NHL D P.K. Subban, who is rather good in a studio role during these NHL playoffs, talking about hockey being football on ice with all the collisions and nastiness. . . . Except that I would suggest there are far more headshots in hockey than in football. And, of course, two football players aren’t allowed to stand and punch each other in the face. . . . And if your head is above ground, you know that there are a number of people who played hockey and came to struggle with brain injuries later in life. . . . And yet there was Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, denying all in a conversation with A Martinez of National Public Radio just the other day.

“We listen to the medical opinions on CTE and I don’t believe there has been any documented study that suggests that elements of our game result in CTE,” Bettman said. “There have been isolated cases of players who have played the game that have CTE, but it doesn’t necessarily come from playing in the NHL.”

Ken Campbell of Hockey Unfiltered points out that the NFL admitted in 2016 that there is a link between head trauma and CTE. The NHL, though? Not so much.

“What you’re trying to do,” Bettman said, “is equate football to hockey, and the two are not comparable when it comes to head contact.”

As Campbell writes: “But now it’s getting laughable. His statements on the link between the kind of head trauma that can occur in the NHL and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are getting as ridiculous as those of the tobacco lobby when it comes to cigarettes and the National Rifle Association when it comes to guns. And he’s clearly putting himself on the wrong side of history.”

Hey, P.K. Subban, back to you.

THE COACHING GAME:

Derrick Martin is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. Martin, 38, has spent the past two seasons on the coaching staff at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Edmonton. Prior to that he was an assistant coach with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints for four seasons. . . . Martin takes over from Clayton Jardine, who spent four seasons as the Kodiaks’ head coach. Jardine signed on as general manager and head coach with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers on April 10.

THINKING OUT LOUD — We all are well aware that we can’t get away from the gambling commercials on TV and the ads all over the place in the playing facilities. Hey, just watch those stupid changing board ads during an NHL game. In other words, the pro leagues are racking in the dough. So let’s not act surprised when the NFL has to discipline a bunch of people for violating their betting rules and regulations. . . . And you can bet that there will move of this down the road. . . . I’m sorry, Hyundai, but I still don’t know what the heck WAH is. . . . There isn’t anything more predictable in sports than fan reactions during NHL playoffs. Both sides are upset with the biased officiating and it seems that the broadcast crew is biased both ways, too. And it repeats itself year after year after year.

License

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.

KFC

Ginnell family had memorable run in the WHL . . . Blazers take apart Winterhawks; move into West final . . . Stankoven new scoring leader

As Riley Ginnell took what would be the final shift of his WHL career on April 10, I wondered it if was the end of a long-running chapter.

PatGinnell
A young Paddy Ginnell.

After all, it would appear that there won’t be a member of hockey’s Ginnell family involved with the WHL next season; in fact, there apparently isn’t even one in the pipeline.

To date, the WHL has been home to Riley, Brad, Erin, Kevin and Pat (Paddy) — the first four players, the latter a legendary owner, general manager and coach from back in the day.

Riley, 20, played out his junior eligibility with the Regina Pats this season, bringing an end to a four-season stint that also included stops with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors. He has hopes of continuing his career in the professional ranks.

“I enjoyed every single moment of my time in the Western League,” Ginnell told Dante De Caria of the Pats for a story that you will find right here. “It’s pretty difficult to walk away from it, but you gotta be happy that it happened, not sad that it’s over.”

Riley’s brother, Brad, concluded a five-season career in the spring of 2021, having played for the Portland Winterhawks, Kootenay/Winnipeg Ice, Spokane Chiefs and Moose Jaw. Brad, 22, played for the senior Eston, Sask., Ramblers this season.

By playing in the WHL, they were following in the footsteps of their father, Erin, who spent four seasons in WHL arenas. He spent time with the New Westminster Bruins, Calgary Wranglers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Regina and the Swift Current Broncos. Early in 1987, following the bus crash that resulted in the deaths four Swift Current players, Erin was moved from the Pats to the Broncos as teams helped to fill holes in the Swift Current roster.

Erin, 54, has been an NHL scout since 2000, working with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights. He is in his seventh season with Vegas.

The first Ginnell to play in the WHL was Erin and Brad’s older brother, Kevin. He spent four seasons (1978-82) in the league, playing with the Lethbridge Broncos, Medicine Hat Tigers and Calgary Wranglers. After battling health issues for a year, Kevin died in Vancouver on May 2, 2020, at the age of 58.

As I wrote at the time of his death:

“When his mother, Wanda, was battling cancer, he promised that if she beat it he would leave the ice and go back to school.

“Wanda recovered and Kevin . . . resumed his education. Dr. Ginnell went on to leave an indelible impression in the world of academia as a professor at Simon Fraser University and Douglas College.”

The Ginnells are more than a WHL family, though; this is a hockey family.

A third Ginnell brother, Dan didn’t play in the WHL, but has been in the NHL since 2005. Dan, 56, is in his 18th season as an amateur scout with the St. Louis Blues.

Derek, Dan’s son, also didn’t play in the WHL, but he spent time in the Alberta and Saskatchewan junior A and junior B ranks before moving into the scouting game. Derek, 32, has been in the NHL for nine seasons — five seasons with Columbus and the past four with the New York Rangers.

Interestingly, Brad and Derek both got a taste of Flin Flon hockey. Derek played four games with the Bombers in 2009-10; Brad played two games with them in 2020-21.

Of course, it was in Flin Flon where the patriarch of the Ginnell family first made his mark in hockey.

Paddy was a key contributor with the Bombers when they won the 1957 Memorial Cup. And if the Flin Flon Bombers winning the Memorial Cup isn’t one of hockey’s best stories, I don’t know what is!

A true character when the WHL was populated with more than a few of them, Paddy would go on to coach the Bombers, stepping into that role prior to the 1968-69 season and staying there until purchasing the Victoria Cougars during the 1973-74 season. He was in Victoria through 1977 before moving on to spend time with the Lethbridge Broncos, Medicine Hat, Swift Current and New Westminster.

He later moved into the NHL as a scout with St. Louis. He was with the Blues for 14 seasons, until he died of cancer on Nov. 17, 2003, in Vernon, B.C. He was 66.

So . . . what about it? Was Riley’s final game the end of the line for the Ginnell family in the WHL?

When I asked Erin via email, he responded with:

“I guess the next batch will be our grandkids. LOL.”

Time will tell.

WHLA few Twitter tidbits from Wednesday’s WHL playoff games . . .

Geoffrey Brandow (@Geoffrey_Brandow): “Zack Ostapchuk capitalizes on a power play in overtime for Winnipeg as it is back to a best-of-3.  Ostapchuk did not have a winning goal with the ICE since being acquired.  Ben Zloty helps out on all three tallies, 13 for postseason without a goal.” . . .

Brandow, again: “Saskatoon survives to play another day coming back from two down past the halfway point of regulation (trailed after 2nd break in 8 of 11 games thus far). Defenders Aidan De La Gorgendiere and Tanner Molendyk both turn in a goal and assist.” . . .

More from Brandow: “Kamloops has Portland teetering after earning the win in Game 3. Logan Stankoven and Fraser Minten collect power-play markers, team’s 11th and 12th of postseason to lead the League. Minten tied for 4th with 17 power-play goals in regular season.” . . .

Brandow, again: “Make way for Seattle as it reaches the Western Conference final scoring 16 times in 2 road games in series. Eight different marksmen do the job, including Colton Dach who delivers game-winner in back-to-back tilts, tacks on 2 assists in Game 4.”

——

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

And then there were six . . .

There was only one game on Thursday night, as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Winterhawks, 10-4, in Portland to sweep that series. The Seattle Thunderbirds are next up for the Blazers, who will be the host team for the Memorial Cup. . . . Seattle and Kamloops both are 8-0 in the playoffs as they head into the Western Conference final for a second straight spring. . . . One year ago, the Thunderbirds beat the Blazers in seven games. . . .

There still are four teams alive in the Eastern Conference, but that could get whittled down with tonight’s lone game. That one has the Red Deer Rebels taking their 3-1 series lead into Saskatoon for Game 5 with the Blades. . . . As of 10 p.m. PT on Thursday, there wasn’t anything on the WHL website to indicate whether Saskatoon F Justin Lies will be suspended after taking a headshot major and game misconduct at 3:24 of the first period on Wednesday night. You would have to think that Red Deer F Kalan Lind won’t be able to play. He left the ice on a stretcher after that hit and was taken to hospital. He was released shortly after game’s end. . . .

In the other series, which is tied, 2-2, the Moose Jaw Warriors will meet the Ice in Winnipeg on Saturday night. They’ll be back in Moose Jaw for a sixth game on Monday night.

——

THURSDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Kamloops (2) at Portland (3) — The Kamloops Blazers scored a PP goal 31 Kamloopsseconds into the first period after Portland was penalized for a lineup infraction on the opening faceoff and went on to beat the Winterhawks, 10-4. . . . The Blazers, who were 10-for-17 on the PP in the series, swept the Winterhawks, 4-0, and will open the Western Conference final with games against the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on April 29 and 30. . . . F Matthew Seminoff scored three times for the Blazers, including the game’s first goal. He has four goals in these playoffs after scoring 31 in the regular season. . . . Goals from D Kyle Masters (1) and F Logan Stankoven (9), on a PP, got the Blazers into a 3-0 lead. . . . Portland closed the gap to one on goals from D Ryan McCleary (1), on a PP, and F Diego Buttazzoni (1) before the first period ended. . . . However, Seminoff, who also had one assist, completed his hat trick with goals at 2:29 and 5:24, the latter via the PP, to start the second period and school was out. . . . Kamloops D Olen Zellweger finished with three goals and three assists, his six points one shy of the WHL record for most points in a playoff game by a defenceman. Darryl Sydor holds the record (7), having scored once and added six assists in an 11-5 victory by the Blazers over the visiting Tri-City Americans on March 22, 1991. Sydor now owns a chunk of the Blazers. . . . Zellweger had 12 points, eight of them assists, in the four games with Portland and now has 20 points in these playoffs. That trails only teammate Logan Stankoven, who had two goals and an assist in Game 4. He leads the WHL with 21 points, 10 of them goals, one more than F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, whose season ended on April 10. Stankoven, who led last season’s playoff scoring race with 31 points, has put up 52 points in his last 25 post-season games. . . . Stankoven had six goals and six assists in the series with Portland. . . . The Blazers also got a goal and two assists from F Caedan Bankier. . . . F Diego Buttazzoni scored his first two playoff goals for Portland. . . . At one point in the second period, Joshua Critzer (@jjcritzer) tweeted: “6th post of the night for Kamloops and (it has) seven goals on the board.” . . . The Blazers, who had a 48-27 edge in shots, later hit a seventh post. . . . G Dylan Ernst earned the victory with 23 saves. . . . Portland G Dante Giannuzzi made his first start of the playoffs, but left at 10:24 of the first period, having been beaten three times on 11 shots. Jan Špunar finished up, stopped 30 shots.

Golfer

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

D Stanislav Svozil of the Regina Pats has been invited by Czech Ice Hockey to participate in their national team training camp for the 2023 IIHF World Championship. . . . Svozil, 20, made his NHL debut with the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 13 after the Pats were eliminated from the WHL playoffs. He was a third-round selection in the NHL’s 2021 draft. . . . The Czechia camp opens Monday in Brno. The World Championship is to run from May 12-18 in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia.

THINKING OUT LOUD — What do you think? Is it safe to assume that fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs put away the panic buttons, at least for a day or two? . . . Is there anything more predictable than cross-checking being removed from the NHL rule book for the playoffs? . . . You know what NHL playoff games need? More scrums, that’s what.

——

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.

Soup

Ice works OT to even series in Moose Jaw . . . Blades stayin’ alive . . . T-Birds use brooms in Prince George . . . Blazers in control in Portland

WHL

A few Twitter tidbits from Tuesday’s three-game night on the WHL playoff scene . . .

Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow): “Moose Jaw forces Winnipeg into allowing their most goals this season (8). Lynden Lakovic, who scored twice in the regular season, does so in one playoff game. Youngest (and first 16-year-old) with 2-goals in 1 playoff game with Warriors in Internet Era. . . . Brayden Yager, who sits 3rd on list behind Lakovic and Kendall McArdle, registers 4 assists matching career competitive best. Jagger Firkus extends point streak to 13 with a pair of tallies, 4th multigoal game in span. Ryder Korczak collects 1+2, 3rd straight multipoint effort.” . . .

Brandow, again: “Red Deer is a step away from a conference final appearance after a come-from-behind win. Frantisek Formanek finds a home for 3rd playoff goal while Dwayne Jean Jr. puts team ahead for good.  5 goals since joining the Rebels, all have come at home.” . . .

More from Brandow: “Seattle wins in a romp, most road goals in playoffs since March, 2017. Half of their eight markers come on man advantage. Brad Lambert leads charge with a goal and 5 assists. 11 assists, 13 points in series (PG has 6 — 3G, 3A — as a whole). . . . Dylan Guenther grabs another pair of goals, extending goal streak to 13. First since Giorgio Estephan to have 10+ goals in consecutive playoffs (11 w/ LET in 2017; 13 w/ SC in 2018).” . . .

From Troy Gillard (@Troy_Gillard): “Kyle Kelsey has set a Rebels record by winning six-straight playoff games, besting Shane Bendera’s record of five-straight in 2001.”

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

And then there were seven . . .

One more team bowed out of the WHL playoffs on a four-game Wednesday night, leaving six standing in the chase for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. BTW, the road team won each of the four games. . . .

In Prince George, the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds won their eighth straight game beating the No. 4 Cougars, 8-2, to sweep that Western Conference semifinal series.

The Thunderbirds now await a winner of the other semifinal between the No. 2 Kamloops Blazers and No. 3 Portland Winterhawks. Last night in Portland, the Blazers posted a 3-2 victory and lead the series, 3-0. They’ll play Game 4 tonight in Portland. That will be the WHL’s lone game of the night.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the No. 2 Saskatoon Blades avoided a sweep by beating the No. 3 Rebels, 4-2, in Red Deer. They’ll play Game 5 in Saskatoon on Friday, with the Rebels holding a 3-1 series lead.

And, in Moose Jaw, the No. 1 Winnipeg Ice tied the series with the No. 4 Warriors, posting a 3-2 OT victory. Those teams now head for Winnipeg and Game 5 on Friday, then return to Moose Jaw for Game 6 on Monday.

——

WEDNESDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) at Moose Jaw (4) — F Zack Ostapchuk scored on a PP in OT to give WinnipegIcethe Winnipeg Ice a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . That series is tied, 2-2, as the teams return to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Saturday night. . . . They are scheduled to play a sixth game in Moose Jaw on Monday night. . . . F Vladislav Shilo (2) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 8:22 of the first period. . . . The Warriors tied it at 12:57 as F Martin Rysavy (5) scored. . . . The Ice went back in front, 2-1, 50 seconds in to the second period on a goal from F Matt Savoie (8). . . . F Jagger Firkus (8) got the Warriors back even at 1:22 of the third period. . . . Ostapchuk scored his sixth goal of the playoffs at 11:56 of OT. . . . Winnipeg D Ben Zloty drew three assists. He has 13 points, all assists, in eight games. . . . The Ice was 1-for-2 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser earned the victory with 29 saves, nine fewer than Moose Jaw’s Connor Ungar. . . . The Warriors welcomed back F Robert Baco after he completed a three-game suspension for a goaltender interference major he took in Lethbridge on April 5. . . . The Ice was without F Evan Friesen, who completed a two-game suspension for a headshot on Moose Jaw D Matthew Gallant in Game 2. Gallant, who likely is in concussion protocol, hasn’t played since the hit. . . .

Saskatoon (2) at Red Deer (3) — The Saskatoon Blades erased a 2-0 first-Saskatoonperiod deficit en route to a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Rebels still hold a 3-1 series lead as the series goes back to Saskatoon for Game 5 on Friday night. . . . F Kai Uchacz, without a point in the first three games of this series. scored twice to give the Rebels a 2-0 first-period lead. A 50-goal man in the regular season, he has six goals in these playoffs. . . . D Aidan De La Gorgendiere (1) got the Saskatoon comeback started, on a PP, at 12:09 of the second period. . . . F Jayden Wiens (5) tied it at 4:12 of the third period and F Brandon Lisowsky (3) gave Saskatoon the lead 43 seconds later. . . . D Tanner Molendyk (1) added insurance at 8:15. . . . The Blades got 34 saves from G Ethan Chadwick. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies was tossed with a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Red Deer F Kalan Lind at 3:24 of the first period. Lind was down for several minutes before being removed on a stretcher. Lind was taken to Red Deer Regional Hospital where he underwent an examination before being released.

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) at Prince George (4) — The Seattle Thunderbirds advanced to the SeattleWestern Conference final with an 8-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Thunderbirds swept their second straight series. They will meet either the Kamloops Blazers or Portland Winterhawks in the conference final. . . . The Thunderbirds outscored the Cougars, 25-5, in the four games. In eight playoffs games — they swept the Kelowna Rockets in the first round — the Thunderbirds have outscored the opposition, 39-8. Seattle has yet to allow more than two goals in a game in these playoffs. . . . Last night, four of Seattle’s first five goals came from skaters who scored for the first time in the eight-game run — F Sam Popowich, D Jeremy Hanzel, D Bryce Pickford and D Luke Prokop. . . . In all, the Thunderbirds got goals from eight different players, with F Colton Dach (2), F Mekei Sanders (2), F Reid Schaefer (3) and F Jared Davidson (5) also scoring. . . . Dach had two assists and was the only Seattle skater with three points. . . . Seattle F Brad Lambert, who put up six points in Game 3, had two assists in this one. He finished the four games with two goals and 12 helpers. . . . The Cougars had F Riley Heidt back from a one-game suspension, and he had two assists. . . . Prince George was without F Jaxsen Wiebe, who drew one of those TBD suspensions for a match penalty he incurred in Game 3. . . . F Zach Funk (5) and F Chase Wheatcroft (5) had the Cougars’ goals. . . . The Thunderbirds got 22 saves from G Thomas Milic, who now is 8-0, 1.13, .953. . . .

Kamloops (2) at Portland (3) — F Fraser Minten’s PP goal at 1:56 of the third Kamloopsperiod turned out to be the winner as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . Kamloops leads the series, 3-0, and can finish it tonight in Portland. . . . The Blazers are 7-0 in these playoffs. . . . F Jakub Demek (3) gave Kamloops a 1-0 lead at 9:48 of the first period. . . . F Jack O’Brien (3) pulled Portland even, on a PP, at 11:23. . . . F Logan Stankoven (8) gave the visitors a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 4:35 of the second period, with Minten getting his second goal of the playoffs at 1:56 of the third period. . . . D Luca Cagnoni (1) got Portland to within a goal at 14:02 of the third period, but the Winterhawks weren’t able to equalize. . . . Kamloops was 2-for-3 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-4. . . . G Dylan Ernst stopped 23 shots for Kamloops, 10 fewer than Portland’s Jan Spunar. . . . Stankoven also had an assist, and now has 18 points in seven games. . . . He and F Jagger Firkus of the Moose Jaw Warriors are two points behind F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, who put up a WHL-leading 20 points in a seven-game loss to the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Blazers drew a $250 fine from the WHL on Monday for a warmup violation prior to Game 1 on Friday in Kamloops. It was their second such fine in these playoffs; they also were fined $250 for a warmup violation prior to a first-round game against the host Vancouver Giants on April 4.

THE COACHING GAME:

The NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights announced on Wednesday that they and Manny Viveiros, the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, “have mutually agreed to part ways.” . . . Viveiros’s contract expires on June 30. He was the Silver Knights’ head coach through their first three seasons of existence. They went 89-79-11 over that stretch, and 3-4 in two playoff appearances. . . . This season, the Silver Knights finished 29-38-5, good for ninth in the 10-team Pacific Division. They didn’t qualify for the playoffs. . . . Viveiros is a former WHL player and coach. He played four seasons (1982-86) with the Prince Albert Raiders. He was the general manager and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos for two seasons (2016-18) and guided them to the 2018 WHL championship. He also was the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs for the 2019-20 season. . . . Kelly McCrimmon, the Golden Knights’ general manager, was quoted in the news release announcing Viveiros’s departure. Tim Speltz, once the longtime GM of the Spokane Chiefs, is the Silver Knights’ GM. There wasn’t any mention of Henderson assistant coach Jamie Heward or video coach Andrew Doty in the news release. Heward played and coached in the WHL, while Doty once worked with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .

The Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation has extended head coach Colton Orr’s contract through the 2024-25 season. In May 2022, his contract had been extended through the 2023-24 season. . . . Orr, who played four seasons in the WHL, has been the professional women’s team’s head coach through four seasons. . . . In the WHL, Orr played with the Swift Current Broncos, Kamloops Blazers and Regina Pats (1999-2003).

Onions

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

F Marcus Almquist of the Victoria Royals has turned pro, signing with the Rødovre Mighty Bulls of Metal Ligaen, the top league in his native Denmark. Almquist, who will turn 20 on Sept. 13, is from Rødovre, Denmark, and will join his new team for the 2023-24 season. He previously played 19 games for the Bulls in 2020-21, while on loan from the Royals, putting up five goals and an assist. In 82 games over two seasons with the Royals, he had 33 points, 19 of them goals. . . .

Three of the four QMJHL second-round series ended in sweeps, with only the Halifax Mooseheads and Moncton Wildcats still battling. . . . The Gatineau Olympiques swept the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, the Quebec Remparts quickly disposed of the Rimouski Oceanic, and the Sherbrooke Phoenix ousted the Drummondville Voltigeurs in four games. . . . The Mooseheads hold a 2-1 edge on the Wildcats going into Game 4 tonight in Moncton. The winner of this series will meet Quebec in the next round, with Gatineau and Sherbrooke facing off in the other semifinal. . . .

In the BCHL, the Penticton Vees advanced to the third round of the playoffs on Wednesday night with a 5-1 victory over the host Wenatchee, Wash., Wild. The Vees swept the best-of-seven series and now have won 24 straight playoff games. Last season, the Vees lost their first playoff game, then won 16 in a row en route to the championship. This post-season, they have opened with eight straight victories.

Film

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.

Equation

Ex-WHLer needs heart transplant . . . Rebels have Blades on ropes . . . Lambert puts up six points in Seattle victory

Dmitriy (Dyma) Markovskiy, a former WHL player, is 47 years of age and in need of a heart transplant. From Kyiv, Ukraine, he played with the Portland Winterhawks (1993-94) and split the next season between the Regina Pats, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Saskatoon Blades. . . . Mike Williamson, who played and coached with the Winterhawks, roomed with Markovskiy in 1993-94 and has started a GoFundMe page. . . . Williamson writes: “Dyma is doing better but has a long road ahead of him. Doctors have now told him that he will need a heart transplant, and he will always be limited in what he can do physically. Between the war and his heart, he has been unable to work and provide for his family. Julia is working and the family is doing what they can. Still, medical bills, medication, rehabilitation, and future costs are and will be substantial.” . . . That GoFundMe page is right here.

WHL

After a quiet day, the WHL was back in action with three games on Tuesday night, and there is a full slate of four scheduled for tonight.

In the Eastern Conference, the No. 2 Saskatoon Blades are staring elimination in the face as they meet the No. 3 Rebels in Red Deer. A 3-1 victory there last night gave the Rebels a 3-0 series lead.

In the Western Conference, the No. 2 Kamloops Blazers and No. 3 Portland Winterhawks will play Game 3 tonight. The Blazers, who are 6-0 in these playoffs, hold a 2-0 edge after dominating at home.

In Prince George, the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds, who are 7-0, will try to complete a sweep of the No. 4 Cougars tonight. Seattle posted an 8-1 victory in Prince George last night.

In the Eastern Conference, the No. 1 Winnipeg Ice is in Moose Jaw for Game 4 with the Warriors, who hold a 2-1 series lead after posting an 8-4 victory last night. They’ll go back to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Saturday night.

——

TUESDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) at Moose Jaw (4) — The Moose Jaw Warriors broke a 3-3 tie with WarriorsNewthe only two goals of the second period and went on to score an 8-4 victory over the Winnipeg Ice. . . . The Warriors lead the series, 2-1, and will play host to Game 4 tonight. The series will return to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Saturday night. . . . The Ice led this one 2-0 early in the first period after goals from F Zack Ostapchuk (5) and F Briley Wood (2) at 7:07 and 7:18. . . . The Warriors got back in it on PP goals from F Ryder Korczak (3) and F Jagger Firkus (6) at 8:45 and 11:33. . . . F Lynden Lakovic (2) put Moose Jaw ahead at 14:52, only to have F Vladislav Shilo (1) get Winnipeg into a 3-3 tie at 17:06. . . . The Warriors counted the next four goals to take control. F Eric Alarie (1), back after a four-game absence, Lakovic (3), D Cosmo Wilson (1) and F Martin Rysavy (4) got the Warriors into a 7-3 lead. . . . F Josh Medernach (1) got Winnipeg’s last goal, and Firkus (7) ended Moose Jaw’s offensive onslaught. . . . The Ice hadn’t surrendered eight goals in a game since Feb. 25, 2020 when they dropped a 10-1 decision to the Oil Kings in Edmonton. . . . F Brayden Yager had four assists for Moose Jaw, while Korczak added two assists to his goal and Firkus had one assist for a three-point game. . . . The Warriors were 2-for-2 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-2. . . . The Ice was without F Evan Friesen, who sat out the first of a two-game suspension for a headshot on Moose Jaw D Matthew Gallant in Game 2. Gallant didn’t return after the hit and he didn’t play in Game 3. . . .

Saskatoon (2) at Red Deer (3) — The Red Deer Rebels scored the game’s last RedDeerthree goals as they beat the Saskatoon Blades, 3-1. . . . The Rebels hold a 3-0 series lead with Game 4 in Red Deer tonight. . . . F Trevor Wong gave the Blades their first lead of the series when he opened the scoring at 5:04 of the second period. . . . F Frantisek Formanek (3) got Red Deer even at 9:46. . . . F Dwayne Jean Jr. (1) snapped the tie at 16:25. . . . F Kalan Lind (2) got the empty-netter at 19:14 of the third period. . . . Red Deer was 0-for-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-for-2. . . . G Kyle Kelsey earned the victory with 22 saves. He is 7-1, 1.67, .938 in the playoffs. . . . D Aiden De La Gorgendiere, the Blades’ captain, returned to the lineup after having left Game 2 with an illness. . . . The Blades also had D Blake Gustafson in the lineup for the first time in the series.

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) at Prince George (4) — The Seattle Thunderbirds scored four times Seattlebefore the game was 13 minutes old — two of them coming via the PP — en route to an 8-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Thunderbirds hold a 3-0 series lead and get their first chance to wrap it up tonight. . . . The Thunderbirds have outscored the Cougars, 17-3, through three games. . . . F Brad Lambert led Seattle with a goal and five assists. The WHL record for most assists in a playoff game (7) is held by F Dale Derkatch of the Regina Pats. He did it in a 13-6 victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings on March 26, 1982. . . . Lambert now has 15 points, 13 of them assists, in five games in these playoffs. At three points per game, he is slightly ahead of F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, who finished at 2.86 for seven games. . . . Including his 26 regular-season games, Lambert has put up 53 points, including 34 assists, since joining the Thunderbirds from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. . . . The Cougars lost F Jaxsen Wiebe at 10:30 of the first period when he was hit with a match penalty for butt-ending. Seattle scored twice on the ensuing PP to take a 4-0 lead. . . . Seattle finished 4-for-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-for-4. . . . The Thunderbirds had a 40-20 edge in shots, including 20-4 in the first period. . . . F Dylan Guenther scored his ninth and 10th goals of these playoffs; he is tied with Bedard for the playoff lead. . . . D Kevin Korchinski had three assists. . . . The Cougars were without F Riley Heidt, a 97-point scorer in the regular season, as he served a one-game suspension for a headshot major and game misconduct in Game 2.

Headline at The Beaverton — World’s sick, injured travel to see NHL team doctors after they miraculously heal entire rosters in time for playoffs.

Pastor

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Mitch Love, a former WHL coach and player, has been named the AHL’s outstanding coach for a second straight season. Love, the head coach of the Calgary Wranglers, also was awarded the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award last season when the NHL’s Calgary Flames had their AHL affiliate in Stockton, Calif. . . . The award is voted on by coaches and members of the media in the AHL’s 32 cities. . . . Love is the third coach to win the award in back-to-back seasons, after Bill Dineen (1985, 1986) and Robbie Ftorek (1995, 1996). . . . Love is the first head coach to win it in each of his first two AHL seasons. . . . The Wranglers finished 51-17-4, the AHL’s best regular-season record. . . . He is 96-33-11 in his two AHL seasons. . . . Love, 38, is from Quesnel, B.C. He played in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Swift Current Broncos and Everett Silvertips (2000-05). He spent six seasons (2012-18) as an assistant coach with Everett and as the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades for three seasons (2018-21). . . .

Jason Becker, a former WHL player and coach, has been named head coach of BC Hockey’s U16 male team for the 2023 Program of Excellence season. . . . Becker, the manager of hockey operations and head coach of the U17 Prep team at the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy, has been BC Hockey’s lead evaluator for its male U16 program for the past three seasons. . . . He played four seasons in the WHL (Saskatoon Blades, Red Deer Rebels, Kamloops Blazers, Swift Current Broncos, 1991-95) and was an assistant coach with the Prince George Cougars (2010-14). He also played five seasons with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. . . . Becker’s assistant coaches also are former WHLers— Craig Bedard and Riley Emmerson. Bedard will be with Team BC for a third time, while Emmerson is a first-timer. Bedard, a head coach with the Okanagan Hockey Academy since 2012, was an assistant coach with the Prince Albert Raiders (2007-12). . . . Emmerson, the head coach of the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds U15 AAA side, played two seasons (2004-06) with the Tri-City Americans. . . . BC Hockey’s U16 team will emerge from the BC Cup (Salmon Arm, April 20-23) and a provincial camp (Chilliwack, July 24-27) to play in the WHL Cup in Red Deer. . . .

The WHL has lost a legend with the news on Monday that Craig West has left the Tri-City Americans. The WHL team made that announcement, stating that West “has left . . . to pursue other opportunities.” . . . West, who had been vice-president of sponsorship sales and broadcasting, was the radio voice of the Americans since 1998. Before joining the Americans, he spent eight seasons (1990-98) with the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Last season, he called his 2,500th WHL game. . . .

On Tuesday, the Tri-City Americans announced that Midge Peterson, their athletic therapist, wouldn’t be returning. She had been with the organization since March 2021. . . .

The SJHL’s Melville Millionaires announced on Monday that Mike Rooney, their general manager and head coach, is leaving “to pursue other opportunities.” He had been with the Millionaires since May 2020. Melville went 25-68-16 with him as head coach, and wasn’t able to make the playoffs. . . . This season, the Millionaires finished 14-36-6. . . . The Millionaires also are looking for an assistant coach because Daven Smith left in March. . . .

The junior B Port Alberni Bombers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League are in the market for a general manager and head coach following the departure of Gaelan Patterson. According to a news release, Patterson told the Bombers that he is moving on “to a new endeavour with a U14 program being established in Duncan.” . . . Patterson was with the Bombers for their first two seasons in the VIJHL and got them into the playoffs both times. . . . Patterson, 32, is a former WHL player, who spent four seasons (2006-10) with the Saskatoon Blades.

Headline at The Onion — Absent-Minded Billionaire Almost Forgets to Pay $0 in Taxes.

THINKING OUT LOUD — If you are watching the first round of the NHL playoffs on TV, how many games is it going to take before you are sick of all the gambling-related commercials? . . . What’s that? . . . You’re there already? Yeah, so am I. . . . Remember when the analysts on hockey telecasts didn’t tread all over the play-by-play person’s time? Sheesh, when the puck is in play the analyst needs to zip it. . . . I’m thinking the NHL’s Calgary Flames have quite a decision to make. Do they stick with Darryl Sutter as their head coach, or do they promote Mitch Love? And if they don’t make a move with Love, might the Anaheim Ducks be interested?

Bees

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.

Seventy

Rebels complete two-game sweep in Saskatoon; King’s four points provide spark . . . Cougars goalie inks NHL deal

WHL

A few Twitter tidbits from Saturday night’s three WHL playoff games . . .

Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow): “Moose Jaw capitalizes on a major power play striking thrice within 90 seconds and holds off a third- period charge to tie series. Brayden Yager racks up first PP markers of playoffs and scores in 3rd straight. Fifth multigoal game of year, 3rd vs. Ice.” . . .

Brandow, again: “Seattle uses three power-play goals to down Cougars and take a 2-0 lead. Jared Davidson opens and closes scoring on man advantage, had one goal in postseason coming in — Game 2 against Kelowna. Brad Lambert turns in 7 points in 2 games after 4 more.” . . .

More from Brandow: “Kamloops, which had league’s best power play in regular season, is back on top in playoffs after tacking on three more in a shutout win. Logan Stankoven is in on all five markers, scoring twice and adding 3 assists. Next point will be 50th of career. . . . It’s a 29-save shutout for Dylan Ernst who earns third goose-egg of postseason, one more than in original 68. All other WHL goaltenders in these playoffs have combined for 4. Joins Dylan Garand from last season as Blazers’ most in Internet Era (team had 4 total between 1996-2019).” . . .

Lucas Punkari (@lpunkari): “Stankoven’s 50th playoff point will tie him with Mark Recchi for 15th on the Blazers scoring chart. . . . Stankoven’s 1.69 PPG mark (49 in 29) is tied with Rob Brown (86 in 51) for second among those who played in more than one playoff run for Kamloops. . . . Dean Evason leads with 2.00 (56 in 28).”

Monopoly

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

There was one game played on Sunday — in Saskatoon, the Red Deer Rebels beat the Blades, 5-2, to take a 2-0 lead in that series. . . . They will resume with games in Red Deer on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . You will recall that this is the second straight series in which the Blades lost the first two games on home ice; they came back against the Regina Pats, winning Games 3 and 4 on the road and eventually winning the series in seven games. Will history repeat itself?

There aren’t any games scheduled for tonight.

On Tuesday, three series will resume — the Seattle Thunderbirds hold a 2-0 lead on the Cougars as they play Game 3 in Prince George; the Winnipeg Ice and the Warriors are 1-1 as they play in Moose Jaw; and, of course, Saskatoon will play in Red Deer.

The other series, between the Portland Winterhawks and Kamloops Blazers, picks up on Wednesday in the Oregon city. The Blazers hold a 2-0 lead.

Seattle and Kamloops, the Western Conference’s top seeds, both are 6-0 in these playoffs.

——

SUNDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Red Deer (3) at Saskatoon (2) — The Red Deer Rebels scored three second-RedDeerperiod goals in a span of 4:17 — F Ben King was in on all of them — en route to a 5-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Rebels, who won 3-1 in Saskatoon on Friday, lead the series, 2-0. . . . The series now heads to Red Deer for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . King (4) opened the scoring, on a PP, at 7:53 of the second period, with D Christoffer Sedoff (4) and F Jhett Larson (3) adding goals at 9:42 and 12:10. . . . King assisted on both of those goals and added another helper on a third-period goal from F Jayden Grubbe (2). . . . F Carson Birnie (1) also scored for Red Deer. . . . F Brandon Lisowsky (2) and D Charlie Wright (2) had third-period PP goals for Saskatoon. . . . Grubbe and Larson had a pair of assists each. . . . Red Deer had a 20-16 edge in shots, including 11-4 in the second period. . . . Saskatoon F Tyler Parr played in his second straight game after missing 48 with an undisclosed injury. . . . Blades F Josh Pillar, who turned 21 on Feb. 14, was back after missing Game 1, but D Blake Gustafson, another 2002-born player, was scratched again. . . . Red Deer’s scratches included D Marek Schneider, who turned 20 on Feb. 5, for a second straight game.

Could it be that there are officials in the OHL who take things a little too seriously?

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

G Tyler Brennan of the Prince George Cougars has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2022 NHL draft. . . . Brennan, who will turn 20 on Sept. 27, was 21-10-3, 2.86, .898 with the Cougars this season. In the playoffs, he is 1-1, 2.98, .882; however, he hasn’t played since suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 3 of a first-round series with the Tri-City Americans on April 4.

JUST NOTES:

Luc Tardif, the president of the IIHF, told reporters at the world women’s championship in Brampton, Ont., on Sunday that Russia and Belarus will be ineligible to compete in the organization’s tournaments as long as the attacks on Ukraine continue. . . . “I hope Russia and Belarus will come back as soon as possible, because it will mean the war is over,” Tardif told reporters. “It’s a question of security for fans, our teams. Anyway, no visa, cannot travel. And nobody knows how long it’s going to take.” . . . Both countries have already been told that they’re out through 2024, and Tardif said a decision on 2025 will be made in March 2024.

Ugly

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.

Eggs

Warriors win in Winnipeg, but pay a price . . . Lambert leads Thunderbirds to victory . . . Stankoven, Ernst too much for Winterhawks

GrandmaGirls031823
Dorothy, with her two sweethearts — Averi, behind the hat, and the always smiling Kara.

With the 10th anniversary of her kidney transplant in sight, Dorothy is taking part in her 10th straight Kamloops Kidney Walk. So, yes, she is fund-raising. . . . It’s worth noting that she has been No. 1 in Kamloops for nine straight years, too, and, yes, things are cookin’ again. . . . In recent days, she has received support from the wife of a gentleman who is a general manager/head coach in the WHL. She also heard from another WHL head coach, and from an avid follower of the Victoria Royals, and from a former WHL scout. . . . As a result of these people and more, her 10-year total has surpassed $30,000. . . . Yes, hockey people are awesome. . . . The 2023 Walk is scheduled for June 4. . . . If you would like to be part of her team, you are able to donate right here. . . . And thank you in advance.

Pi

A few Twitter tidbits from Friday’s opening second-round WHL playoff games . . .

Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow): “After seeing a 3-0 lead dissipate, the Winnipeg Ice score twice in the third for a Game 1 win. Connor McClennon combines for 23rd career game-winning goal recording 30th playoff point in process. Graham Sward secures third goal since calendar changed to March.”

Brandow, again: “Red Deer only fires 20 shots on goal, but scores three times and takes a 1-0 series lead. Kyle Kelsey gets to within 1:54 of a shutout cutting off 23 of 24. Jhett Larson opens scoring with only goal of first 40, Jace Isley pots first of postseason.”

Brandow, once more: “Kamloops goes up 1-0 fending off a late Winterhawks charge. Jakub Demek delivers first playoff goal(s) since the Ed Chynoweth Cup winner with the Oil Kings last season. Potted four in 15 tries in regular campaign. Hits 25 career playoff points. . . . Portland’s James Stefan beats the final buzzer securing a hat trick and pots 10 playoff goals in 17 career efforts. First career combined hat trick in 204 games. 44 points (27 assists) at home, 29 points on road with a -13 rating. . . . Kamloops’ Dylan Ernst sees name everywhere on scoresheet with an assist, a delay of game penalty, and 28 saves on 32 shots. Improves to 5-0 in playoffs and has dropped goals against average by a full goal. 1.96 GAA, .927 SV% in combined 43 wins; 4.82 GAA, .854 SV% in 13 non-wins.”

From Winterhawks historian Andy Kemper (@AndyKemper): “Scoring change for Portland in Game 1 vs. Kamloops. 3rd goal — 72 Nguyen from 11 Fromm-Delorme and 19 Chyzowski. 2nd career 3 assist playoff game for Chyzowski.”

More from Brandow: “Seattle soars to a Game 1 win with help from a couple of midseason acquisitions. Dylan Guenther doubles up again in goal column reaching 20 (and 30 points) in 24 career playoff games. Brad Lambert returns and helps out on three, most this (season).”

Mayor

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

Six of the eight teams remaining in the WHL’s title chase now have played two WHLgames in the second round of playoffs. The other teams involved — the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades — are scheduled to play their second game today. They’ll meet in Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre, where the Rebels opened the series with a 3-1 victory on Friday night. . . . They weren’t able to play there on Saturday night because lacrosse’s Saskatchewan Rush had the facility booked for a NLL game.

There aren’t any games scheduled for Monday.

On Saturday night, the Moose Jaw Warriors evened their series with the Eastern Conference’s top-ranked Winnipeg Ice, but may have lost two veteran defencemen in the process. . . .

There weren’t any surprises in the Western Conference as the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 2 Kamloops Blazers each took 2-0 leads in their series. . . . The Prince George Cougars, down 2-0 to Seattle, may be looking at playing a game or two without a 97-point man who took a headshot major late in Game 2.

——

SATURDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Moose Jaw (4) at Winnipeg (1) — The Moose Jaw Warriors struck for four goals WarriorsNewin the game’s first 10 minutes, three of them in a span of 1:24 via the PP, en route to a 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Ice. . . . The Ice’s first loss of these playoffs left the series tied, 1-1, as the scene shifts to Moose Jaw for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Game 5 is to be played in Winnipeg on Saturday. . . . The Ice had won the opener, 5-3, on Friday. . . . Last night, F Ryder Korczak (2) gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 1:02 of the first period. . . . Ice F Evan Friesen was ejected at 7:45 for a headshot on Moose Jaw D Matthew Gallant, who left the game and didn’t return. . . . F Brayden Yager (4) made it 2-0 at 8:07. . . . Ice F Zach Benson went off for high-sticking at 8:22, and Yager (5) upped the lead to 3-0 at 9:11 on the 5-on-3 PP. . . . The Warriors made it 4-0 when F Martin Rysavy (3) added another PP goal just 20 seconds later. . . . The Ice managed to get to within a goal, at 4-3, on third-period scores from F Zack Ostapchuk (4), on a PP, at 1:07, F Connor McClennon (5), at 13:09, and F Carson Latimer (1), at 16:10. . . . Moose Jaw F Josh Hoekstra got the empty-netter with 2.4 seconds left to play. . . . Ostapchuk was back after sitting out Game 1 with a WHL-issued suspension. . . . Latimer was playing in his first game since Feb. 26. . . . The Warriors were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Ice was 1-for-9. . . . G Connor Ungar earned the victory with 33 saves. . . . Warriors F Atley Calvert, who had two assists, was given a slew-footing double minor at 15:07 of the first period. Those penalties often are met with a suspension. . . . Besides losing Gallant, the Warriors also played the third period without D Logan Dowhaniuk, who was hit from behind by F Owen Pederson in the second period.

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

Prince George (4) at Seattle (1) — F Brad Lambert was in on each of Seattle’s Seattlefirst three goals as the Thunderbirds beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-1, in Kent, Wash. . . . Seattle holds a 2-0 lead in the series with the next two games in Prince George on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Lambert, who had a goal and three assists in this one, had recorded three assists on Friday as the Thunderbirds opened the series with a 4-1 victory. . . . He missed two games in Seattle’s first-round sweep of the Kelowna Rockets, and now has a goal and eight assists in four playoff games. . . . Last night, Seattle scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Jared Davidson (2) got it started, on a PP, at 13:12 of the first period. . . . Lambert (1) got it to 2-0 at 9:23 of the second, and F Dylan Guenther (8) made it 3-0 at 13:43. . . . Guenther has goals in each of Seattle’s six playoff games, and is riding a 12-game point streak. . . . F Ondrej Becher (1) got the Cougars on the board 14 seconds into the third period, but F Kyle Crnkovic (2) got that one back for Seattle at 4:33. . . . Davidson (3) closed out the scoring on a PP at 19:16. . . . Seattle was 3-for-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-for-5. . . . G Thomas Milic stopped 26 shots for Seattle. In these playoffs, he is 6-0, 1.00, .959. . . . The Cougars lost F Riley Heidt to a headshot major a game misconduct at 18:03 of the third period. He was a 97-point man in the regular season so a suspension of any length could be truly devastating to the Cougars. . . .

Portland (3) at Kamloops (4) — F Logan Stankoven had two goals and threee Kamloopsassists to lead the Kamloops Blazers to a 5-0 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Blazers had posted a 6-4 victory on Friday, so take a 2-0 series lead into games in Portland on Wednesday and Thursday. . . . Stankoven, who led last season’s playoffs in goals (17) and points (31), has 16 points, including seven goals, in six games in these playoffs. . . . Stankoven now has had three five-point playoff games — one last season and two this time around. . . . He is the WHL’s leading playoff scorer not named Connor Bedard, who had 20 points in seven games when his Regina Pats were eliminated. . . . The Blazers opened the scoring at 11:44 of the first period when F Caedan Bankier (5) counted on a PP. . . . D Olen Zellweger (4) made it 2-0 at 17:35 of the second period and Stankoven (6) upped it to 3-0 at 19:05 on another PP. . . . Stankoven (7) and F Daylan Kuefler (2), the latter on a PP, added third-period scores. . . . While the Blazers struck for five goals, they had only six players register points. . . . Bankier added two assists to his goal, while Seminoff also had two assists. . . . G Dylan Ernst stopped 28 shots in posting his third shutout in six starts. He is 6-0, 1.42, .942 in these playoffs. . . . Kamloops was 3-for-4 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-2.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Eight WHL players have been named to Team Canada that will play in the IIHF U18 World championship in Basel and Porrentruy, Switzerland, from Thursday through April 30. Those players are G Carson Bjarnason, Brandon Wheat Kings; D Lukas Dragicevic, Tri-City Americans; D Caden Price, Kelowna Rockets; D Carter Yakemchuk, Calgary Hitmen; F Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs; F Andrew Cristall, Kelowna; F Ty Halaburda, Vancouver Giants; and F Tanner Howe, Regina Pats. . . . The head coach is Jeff Truitt of the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Canada opens the tournament with a game against Sweden on Thursday. . . .

The NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned D Stanislav Svozil of the Regina Pats to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Svozil played two NHL games earlier in the week, picking up an assist in his debut. He played in his first AHL game last night, recording two assists and being name third star in a 4-3 victory over the host Rochester Americans. . . . Meanwhile, the NHL’s Washington Capitals have assigned Regina F Alexander Suzdalev to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. He was a third-round pick by the Capitals in the NHL’s 2021 draft. This season, he led all WHL freshmen in goals (38), assists (48) and points (86). . . .

F Ty Thorpe (Vancouver Giants) had a goal on Saturday night as the host South Carolina Stingrays scored a 5-4 shootout victory over the Jacksonville Icemen. No, he didn’t take part in the shootout. . . . F Carson Golder (Kelowna Rockets) drew the primary assist on the winning goal as the visiting Manitoba Moose got past the Rockford IceHogs, 3-2. . . . F Parker Bell (Tri-City Americans) picked up an assist on the game-winner at 19:44 of the third period as the Calgary Wranglers beat the host Abbotsford Canucks, 3-2. With the victory, the Wranglers, under head coach Mitch Love, a former WHL player and coach, clinched first place in the AHL’s overall standings (51-17-4).

OutOfOrder

THE COACHING GAME:

Roy Sommer, once an assistant coach with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, coached his 1,814th and final AHL game on Saturday night as his San Diego Gulls dropped a 3-1 decision to the host Colorado Eagles. Sommer, 66, has announced his retirement after 25 years in the AHL. For the first 24 of this seasons, he was head coach of the San Jose Sharks’ affiliate in Kentucky, Cleveland, Worcester and San Jose. He spent this season with the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate. . . . Sommer has coached in more AHL games and posted more victories (828) than anyone in history. . . . Sommer was with Prince Albert in 1988-89, before moving on to the ECHL’s Roanoke Valley Rebels. . . . As a player, Sommer, who is from Oakland, Calif., played one game with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings (1974-75) and then two seasons (1975-77) with the Calgary Centennials. . . .

Zack Dailey has been named the head coach of the MacEwan U Griffins, who play in Canada West. Dailey, an assistant coach with the Edmonton-based team since 2017, had been the team’s interim head coach as he filled in for Michael Ringrose, who was on parental leave. Ringrose announced in February that he wouldn’t be returning. Dailey, a 33-year-old native of Healey, Alaska, played with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips for five seasons (2005-10), before going on to spend five seasons with the U of Alberta Golden Bears.

Delivery

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

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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

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Bacon