Some news from CBC on Sunday morning: “Nova Scotia is reporting 133 new cases of COVID-19, 117 of which are in the Central Zone. There are 822 known active cases. 34 people are in hospital, including 6 in ICU. The Nova Scotia Health Authority lab is still facing a backlog of tests to process.”
So . . . I’m thinking that the Nova Scotia government did the right thing in pulling the plug on the IIHF Women’s World Championship. Perhaps the IIHF should be taken more to task for not having a Plan B, considering the times in which we live. . . . And considering what is going on with the numbers in Alberta these days, how seriously will the IIHF look at Edmonton when it comes to playing host to the event in August?
As has become commonplace the past year, the virus is calling the shots.
Yes, the virus is calling the shots at the World women’s curling championship in Calgary, too. Positive tests among broadcasters resulted in the postponement of Sunday’s morning draw and also means no televised draws until Tuesday at the earliest. . . . Folks, we still have miles to go before we’re out of this so get vaccinated if you want to be able to watch sports in person in the fall of this year.
And then there’s the Olympic torch relay in Japan where eight participants have tested positive. That’s eight. So far. . . . The six most recent positives were involved in traffic control and all wore masks. . . . The Olympic Summer Games are scheduled to being in Tokyo on July 23. Maybe.
“NFL owners want a crackdown on taunting — as in, more penalty flags — for such offenses as players standing over a prone opponent, getting in an opponent’s face, pointing fingers or Tom Brady flashing his seven Super Bowl rings after throwing a TD pass,” writes Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times. “OK, just kidding on that last one.”
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Perry, again: “WWE just released 10 rasslers from their contracts. Say it ain’t so, Samoa Joe.”
The Prairie League, an independent baseball league that has teams in Idaho, Colorado, Montana and Utah, has decided that its games this season won’t include extra innings. Instead, tie games will be decided with home run derbies. One player from each team will have five opportunities to homer. If it’s still tied after that, it’ll be sudden-death. . . . Yes, it’s one more sign that baseball’s apocalypse is near.
Something to think about: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first player selected in the opening round of the NFL draft on Thursday, never lost a game in four seasons of high school play. Then he went to Clemson and never lost a game in three seasons with the Tigers. . . . Then he got drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have lost 116 games over the past 10 seasons, including 11 of 12 in 2020.
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More numbers of interest: This is the 54th season for the Oakland A’s in California. Before arriving there, they spent 54 seasons as the Philadelphia Athletics.
Headline at fark.com: Arsenal fans protest owner Stan Kroenke, told to get in line behind entire city of St. Louis.
The WHL’s developmental season is into the stretch run, with fewer than two weeks remaining. . . . The Manitoba and Saskatchewan teams finished up their schedules in the Regina hub last week. . . . The five Alberta teams will conclude this week, with the last game on Thursday. . . . The U.S. Division is to wrap things up on May 11, with the B.C. Division finishing on May 12. . . .
In the meantime, there were five games on Sunday . . .
F Josh Tarzwell’s OT goal gave the visiting Red Deer Rebels a 5-4 victory over 
the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Rebels (4-15-3) have won two in a row after having ended a 13-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday night. . . . Red Deer has one game remaining — it is scheduled to play host to Calgary on Tuesday. . . . The Hitmen (9-8-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . F Sean Tschigerl (12) gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 9:31 of the first period, with Red Deer’s Kalan Lind equalizing at 15:46. . . . F Arshdeep Bains put the Rebels up by a goal at 4:19 of the second, only to have F Tyson Galloway (4) get Calgary into a tie at 6:35. . . . Red Deer went ahead, 4-2, on goals from Lind (4), on a PP at 1:12 of the third, and Bains (8), at 3:12. . . . The Hitmen came right back and tied it as F Zac Funk (4) scored at 4:26 and F Adam Kidd (8) added a PP goal at 11:45. . . . F Ben King, who had two Red Deer goals on Saturday, drew three assists in this one. . . . G Chase Coward, who recorded his first WHL victory on Saturday, stopped 29 shots for his second straight triumph. . . .
F Jared Davidson broke a 4-4 tie at 18:08 of the third period as the Seattle 
Thunderbirds beat the Portland Winterhawks, 5-4, in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds (8-11-0) has lost their previous six games. . . . Portland now is 9-7-3. . . . D Ryan Gottfried (1) gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 1:40 of the first period. . . . Portland took the lead on goals from F Kyle Chyzowski (5), at 6:07, and F Jaydon Dureau, on a PP, at 7:40. . . . Seattle then scored two in row, with the goals coming from D Cade McNelly (2), at 9:48 of the first period, and F Lucas Ciona (2), on a PP, at 1:08 of the second. . . . Portland came right back to take a 4-3 lead, with Dureau (7) scoring, on a PP, at 7:32, and F Reece Newkirk (9) counting at 12:00. . . . F Keltie Jeri-Leon (13), who also had two assists, pulled the Thunderbirds into a tie at 15:39 of the second period and that stood until Davidson won it with his seventh goal. . . . F Henry Rybinski had three assists for Seattle. . . . Portland was 2-for-7 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-3. . . . F Simon Knak of the Winterhawks was awarded a penalty shot at 5:25 of the third period, but he lost control of the puck and wasn’t able to get off a shot. . . .
F Cole Fonstad scored twice, including the winner, and added an assist as the 
Everett Silvertips skated to a 3-2 OT victory over the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . Everett improved to 16-4-0, while Spokane, which had won two straight, now is 6-7-4. . . . Fonstad, who has 15 goals, opened the scoring at 6:28 of the first period, and f Jackson Berezowski (5) made it 2-0 just 30 seconds into the second period. . . . The Chiefs tied it on second-period PP goals from F Blake Swetlikoff (6), at 2:12 and 19:03 of the second. . . . Fonstad won it at 3:06 of extra time. . . . F Gage Goncalves and D Ronan Seeley each had two assists for Everett. . . . G Dustin Wolf stopped 30 shots to earn the victory over G Mason Beaupit, who also made 30 saves. . . .
The Prince George Cougars scored three times in the game’s first six minutes 
and went to post a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants in Kamloops. . . . The Cougars (7-7-3) have points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . The Giants are 10-8-0. . . . F Koehn Ziemmer got the Cougars started at 1:54 of the first period, with F Craig Armstrong (7) making it 2-0 at 4:11. Ziemmer’s sixth goal, at 6:00, gave Prince George a 3-0 lead on four shots. . . . F Tristen Nielsen got Vancouver on the scoreboard at 8:10. . . . The Cougars put it away with a pair of second-period goals, from F Tyson Upper (4) and F Blake Eastman (1). . . . Nielsen, with his 13th, rounded out the game’s scoring in the third period. . . . Vancouver held a 31-16 edge in shots, including 11-5 in the second period and 10-3 in the third. . . . G Taylor Gauthier stopped 29 shots for the Cougars. . . . Cougars F Jonny Hooker sat out a second game after being suspended for a high hit on F Connor Zary of the Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday. Zary has missed two games. Hooker’s suspension still is shown as TBD on the WHL website. . . .
In Lethbridge, F Ryan Chyzowski scored three times to help the Medicine Hat 
Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers improved to 14-7-1, while the Hurricanes slid to 9-12-2. . . . The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period, D Eric Van Impe (4) scoring for Medicine Hat and F Ty Nash (3) replying for the Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers took control by scoring the next four goals. F Oren Shtrom (5), on a PP, F Noah Danielson (3) and Chyzowski counted in the second period. Chyzowski added his second goal at 2:07 of the third. . . . F Jett Jones (6) got Lethbridge’s second goal at 8:22, with Chyzwoski completing his hat trick with his 11th goal into an empty net. . . . There were 79 shots on goal in this one, 40 of those from the Tigers. . . . Medicine Hat G Garin Bjorklund blocked 37 shots, three more than Jared Picklyk of Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-3 on the PP; Lethbridge’s PP didn’t get even one opportunity.
Don’t forget that my wife, Dorothy, is preparing to take part in her eighth Kamloops Kidney Walk, albeit virtually, on June 6. If you would like to be part of her team, you are able to make a donation right here.
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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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Or, for more information, visit right here.
as having tested positive.
Raiders in Regina. . . . Alexander, 18, from Okotoks, Alta., earned his first career shutout in his 12th career appearance, five of them this season. . . . He is 3-2-0, 2.01, .926 this season. . . . The Ice (7-4-0) scored the game’s first two goals after Raiders F Dallyn Peekeekoot was tossed with a charging major. . . . F Cole Muir (4) scored at 2:51 of the second period and F Owen Pederson made it 2-0 just 35 seconds later. . . .
Winterhawks to a 6-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Winterhawks lead the WHL with five shorthanded goals. . . . Portland (4-1-2) scored the game’s last five goals. . . . Knak has seven goals this seaosn. . . . F Seth Jarvis (3) had a goal and two assists for Portland. . . . F Sasha Mutala (3) scored twice for the Americans (2-4-0). His second goal, 19 seconds into the second period, gave Tri-City a 2-1 lead. . . . F Jaydon Dureau (1) tied it on a PP at 15:22 of the second and Knak gave Portland the lead at 16:28, also on a PP. . . . D Nick Cicek also had a goal and two assists for Portland. . . . 
over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Goals from F Ryan Chyzowski (6) and F Corson Hopwo (8) gave the Tigers (8-3-0) a 2-0 lead after one period. . . . F Josh Prokop (5) got Calgary to within one at 14:23 of the second. . . . Svejkovsky, who has eight goals, put it away with a pair of third-period PP scores. . . . The Hitmen are 5-6-1. . . . D Carlin Dezainde made his WHL debut with the Tigers. He is a grandson of Brian Carlin, who played one season (1970-71) with the Tigers. Carlin also played three seasons (1967-70) with the Calgary Centennials. . . . 
Oil Kings’ night included four goals in 82 seconds in the third period and a power-play that was 4-for-5. . . . The Oil Kings (10-1-0) have beaten the Rebels four times in this shortened season. Go back to last season and Edmonton has beaten Red Deer 15 straight times. . . . The Rebels now are 2-7-2. . . . Edmonton got a single-game franchise-record six points, including four assists, from D Logan Dowhaniuk, and a goal and three helpers from D Matthew Robertson. . . . Dowhaniuk now holds the franchise record for most points by a defenceman in one game. . . . F Josh Williams, F Jalen Luypen, F Carter Souch and F Jake Neighbours each had a goal and two assists. . . . The online game sheet shows Dowhaniuk with five points. However, Andrew Peard, the Oil Kings’ play-by-play voice, said an assist will be added to Dowhaniuk on Neighbours’ goal. . . . Dowhaniuk, an 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., has a goal and nine assists in 11 games. He had six points, including five assists, in 33 games his freshman season (2018-19), then put up two goals and 10 assists in 62 games in 2019-20. . . . Edmonton was without F Scott Atkinson, its captain, with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Rebels played a lot of the game with five defenceman after Blake Gustafson left with an undisclosed injury. Red Deer already was without D Chase Leslie and D Kyle Masters, both of whom are listed as week-to-week with undisclosed injuries.
The AJHL revealed on Friday that “as the result of a positive COVID-19 test by a member” of the Oilers, team activities had been suspended for at least 14 days. . . . That resulted in the Oilers’ games of April 2, 4 and 6 being cancelled. . . . The Oilers, who last played on Sunday when they edged the visiting Brooks Bandits, 2-1, joined the Drayton Valley Thunder, Grande Prairie Storm and Whitecourt Wolverines, who also have been shutdown because of positive tests. . . . The AJHL has yet to release a schedule of games after April 6.
five different communities. It was playing only exhibition games when things came to a halt in November. . . . Now it’s playing what it is calling a “pod season” with Friday’s games in Alberni Valley, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Penticton and Vernon. . . . On Thursday, the BCHL announced that there weren’t any positives from the first round of testing. All told, 439 players and staff were tested.
four divisions cleared to play on Friday night. . . . The longest of the night’s eight games took 2 hours 31 minutes to play (Everett beat Portland 2-1 in OT). Victoria and Kelowna finished in 2:10. The other game times were 2:15, 2:16, 2:17, 2:18 (twice) and 2:25. . . . Three of the games ended in shutouts, while G Dustin Wolf and the Everett Silvertips surrendered their first goal in four games. . . . If you’re on Twitter and interested in WHL numbers, you should be following Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow). . . . Some highlights and tidbits from Friday. . . .
7-3 victory over the Regina Pats on Friday. . . . F Chase Wouters had two goals and an assist for the Blades. The assist was the 100th of his career. He has 169 points in 267 regular-season games. . . . F Colton Dach also scored twice for Saskatoon. . . . The Blades (7-0-1) scored the game’s first three goals and never looked back. . . . Despite playing in their home arena, the Pats (2-4-2) are 0-2-2 in games when they have been designated the home team. . . . Spencer Welke, one of three goaltenders on the Pats’ roster, made his WHL debut with 40 saves. . . . Regina F Connor Bedard, 15, scored once, giving him at least a point in each of his first eight career games. . . . 
Hitmen, 4-3. . . . F Jalen Luypen had two goals and an assist for the Oil Kings (8-0-0), who got 26 saves from G Sebastian Cossa. . . . Goals by Luypen and F Josh Williams, each of whom has six, gave the Oil Kings a 4-1 lead by the middle of the second period. . . . Luypen has 10 points in eight games. . . . Edmonton has outscored its opponents, 38-12, in eight games. . . . The Hitmen slipped to 4-4-1. . . . Bob Stauffer, the host of Oilers Now on 630 CHED and the analyst on Oilers’ broadcasts, tweeted that there were 27 NHL scouts, including four assistant GM/head scouts, at the game. . . . 
victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Silvertips (4-0-0) got 35 saves from G Dustin Wolf, who had his shutout streak end at 16:32 of the second period. He had posted a shutout in each of his first three starts this season, and finished with a club-record shutout streak of 216:27. The previous record (195:12) belong to Carter Hart, who now is with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. . . . F Gage Concalves gave Everett a 1-0 lead at 3:42 of the second period. . . . F Simon Knak pulled Portland even at 13:16 of the second. That was the third shorthanded goal — two of them from Knak — in two games for Portland (2-0-2). . . . Going back to last season, the Silvertips are 24-2-1 in their past 27 games. . . . Joe Mahon, who played in the WHL with the Winterhawks (2012-13) and Calgary Hitmen (2013-14), was one of the linesmen. It was his first WHL game as an on-ice official. . . . Jackson Kozari was one of the referees. His father, Steve, is a former WHL referee who now works in the NHL. . . .
gathering on Oct. 15. When the topic of WHL players moving to junior A during the shutdown arose, Trevor Redden of 
out that Finnish D Lassi Thomson won’t be back for a second season. Instead, he will play with Ilves in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league. . . . Thomson, who is to turn 19 on Sept. 24, has signed a contract (two years plus an option for a third) with Ilves. He is from Tampere, and has played for Ilves’ U-16, U-18 and U-20 sides. . . . The Ottawa Senators selected Thomson with the 19th-overall pick in the NHL’s 2019 draft, then signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on July 15. . . . Last season, Thomson put up 17 goals and 24 assists in 63 regular-season games with the Rockets. He was named the Western Conference’s rookie of the year and to the conference’s second all-star team. . . . Thomson is spending this week playing for a Finnish team in a U-20 tournament in Vierumaki, Finland. Teams from Czech Republic and Switzerland also are taking part. . . . 
that Don MacGillivray and Tyler Plante will return and that Mark Derlago has been added as a second assistant. . . . MacGillivray is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach, as is Plante, the goaltending coach. . . . Derlago, a former Wheat Kings captain, has signed on as the team’s second assistant coach having chosen to end his playing career. He played last season with Esbjerg Energy in Denmark, scoring 17 goals and adding 18 assists in 36 games. . . . Plante is the son of Cam Plante, who played four seasons (1980-84) with the Wheat Kings; Derlago’s uncle, Bill, spent three-plus seasons (1974-78) with Brandon and was one of the most-prolific scorers in WHL history. . . . The coaching staff is headed up by Dave Lowry, who was named head coach on July 18. . . . Darren Ritchie, the Wheat Kings’ general manager, also is preparing for his first season in a new role. He was named GM on July 12. A former Wheat Kings forward, he also worked as an assistant coach for 10 seasons and was their director of scouting for the past three seasons. . . . The Wheat Kings’ complete news release is 
headshot major and game misconduct on Friday night.
victories when the Penticton Vees beat the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, 4-0, on Saturday. . . . The Vees also clinched their eighth straight regular-season Interior Division title with the the victory. . . . Harbinson is in his 12th season with Penticton. He joins Harvey Smyl (New Westminster Royals, Chilliwack Chiefs, Langley Chiefs, 1990-2012), Kent Lewis (Powell River Kings, Nanaimo Clippers, 1990-2018) and Bill Bestwick (Nanaimo Clippers, Victoria Warriors, Cowichan Valley Capitals, Victoria Grizzlies, 1989-2014) as BCHL coaches with 500 victories. . . . Harbinson took over as the Vees’ general manager and head coach prior to 2007-08 after five seasons as an assistant coach with the St. Cloud State Huskies. The Vees have him signed through the 2023-24 season.
Warriors to a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Moose Jaw (33-16-8) has won two in a row. It is third in the East Division, 10 points behind the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Regina (18-39-3) had won its previous two games. . . . Moose Jaw leads the season series, 5-1-0. . . . Langan finished with two goals, giving him 44, and an assist; Tracey scored his 30th goal and added two assists. . . . Langan opened the scoring, on a PP, at 9:19 of the first period. . . . Tracey made it 2-0 at 16:18. . . . The Pats tied it on second-period goals from D Brady Pouteau (4), on a PP, at 1:06, and F Garrett Wright (6), at 11:41. . . . After going 11 games without a goal, Wright has scored in two straight games, and has three goals in five games. He’s a 17-year-old freshman from Mesa, Ariz. . . . The Warriors took control with a pair of goals in the last 1:39 of the period. . . . D Josh Brook (15) broke the tie at 18:21, and Langan made it 4-2 at 19:18. . . . Moose Jaw got its final goal from F Carson Denomie (4), a Regina native, at 14:57 of the third period. . . . Regina was without F Sebastian Streu, who took a hard hit from F Mark Kastelic of the Calgary Hitmen on Friday night. Kastelic was given a boarding major and game misconduct on the play and was suspended for two games on Saturday. . . . For an interesting read, click on the tweet at the top of this piece and read the comments. . . . 
victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Prince Albert (49-8-3), which clinched the East Division pennant for the first time since 1999 with the victory, has won three in a row. . . . The Raiders, who also will finish atop the Eastern Conference, have tied the 1971-72 Calgary Centennials for most victories in a 68-game regular season. . . . Brandon (29-23-7) had won its previous six games. It holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers and two ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Raiders won the season series, 4-1-1; the Wheat Kings were 2-4-0. . . . The Wheat Kings came out winners the last two times these teams met, winning 5-4 in OT in Prince Albert on Feb. 15, and 6-3 in Brandon the next night. . . . The Raiders got out to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from F Noah Gregor, at 2:37, and F Ozzy Wiesblatt (15), at 11:33. . . . Brandon D Vince Iorio scored his first WHL goal at 12:24. . . . The Raiders got the next five goals, from F Jakob Brook (6), Gregor, who now has 37, F Parker Kelly (30), F Sean Montgomery (27), on a PP, and Fonstand (27). . . . This was Fonstad’s second career four-point game. . . . Wiesblatt added two assists to his goal, and Gregor also had an assist for a three-point game. . . . The Raiders had a 48-16 edge in shots, including 23-4 in the second period and 13-5 in the third. . . . Brandon F Lynden McCallum left early in the second period with an apparent shoulder injury. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos left for a bit after absorbing a hit from Raiders D Brayden Pachal late in the second period. The two fought later, and Mattheos, Brandon’s leading scorer, didn’t play in the third period. . . . The Raiders lost Kelly at 15:48 of the third period as he took a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit that sent Brandon F Marcus Sekundiak to the dressing room. . . . Raiders D Max Martin sat out a third straight game. . . . Brandon was without F Linden McCorrister (ill) for a second game in as many nights. . . . Prior to the game, the Raiders announced that they had returned F Cole Nagy to the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers and G Brett Balas to the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks.
2013. The Blades clinched a playoff spot with a 4-3 shootout victory over the visiting Kootenay Ice. . . . Saskatoon (38-14-8) is second in the East Division and is likely to meet the Moose Jaw Warriors in the first round. . . . Kootenay (11-38-10) has lost eight in a row (0-6-2). . . . The Blades took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Kristian Roykas Marthinsen (12), who had gone 15 games without a goal, at 6:57, and F Gary Haden (28), at 14:20. . . . F Jaeger White (25) got the Ice on the scoreboard at 18:21. . . . D Reece Harsch (4) stretched Saskatoon’s lead to 3-1 at 5:05 of the second period. . . . Kootenay tied it on third-period goals by F Brad Ginnell (14), at 10:05, and F Jakin Smallwood (12) at 13:16. . . . Ginnell also had two assists. . . . Saskatoon F Kyle Crnkovic scored the only goal of the three-round shootout. . . . Saskatoon G Dorrin Luding stopped 34 shots, four fewer than Kootenay’s Jesse Makaj. . . . According to Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, Saskatoon has opened the scoring in 41 of 60 games. . . . Saskatoon F Max Gerlach had his point streak snapped at 15 games. He had 13 goals and 12 assists over that stretch. . . . Saskatoon D Nolan Kneen was back in the lineup after a one-game absence. . . . The Ice scratched D Martin Bodak with an undisclosed injury. He had played Friday night in a 4-0 loss to the Raiders in Prince Albert.
Swift Current. . . . Calgary (31-22-6) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). It is third in the Central Division, six points behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes and one ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Swift Current (10-42-5) has lost 10 in a row (0-8-2). . . . The Hitmen were 3-6 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-3. . . . Calgary got out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Luke Coleman (19), at 6:58, and D Devan Klassen (1), at 7:56. . . . F Joona Kiviniemi (15) scored for the Broncos, on a PP, at 10:05. . . . Calgary F Carson Focht, who had four assists, was in on Calgary’s next three goals, by F Kaden Elder (24), on a PP, F Ryder Korczak (7), on another PP, and D Jackson van de Leest (1). . . . F James Malm (26), who also had two assists, scored Calgary’s final goal. . . . Focht enjoyed the second four-point game of his career. . . . Klassen, a 17-year-old from Crooked Creek, Alta., got his first goal in his 38th game, 29 of them this season. Van de Leest, a 17-year-old from Kelowna, was the 16th overall pick in the 2016 bantam draft. His first goal of this season — and second of his career — came in his 58th game of 2018-19. He has played in 101 career games. . . . Calgary was without F Mark Kastelic, who began a two-game suspension. . . . The Hitmen revealed Saturday afternoon that F Cael Zimmerman will be out weekt-to-week with an unidisclosed injury. He now has missed three games since last playing on Feb. 16 in a 5-3 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. Zimmerman, a sophomore who turned 18 on Jan. 17, has seven goals and 18 assists in 56 games.
Red Deer. . . . Edmonton (34-18-8) has won three in a row. It leads the Central Division by two points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who hold a game in hand. . . . Red Deer (29-24-5) has lost five straight and is 1-9-2 in its last 12 outings. It is two points behind the Brandon Wheat Kings, who hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Edmonton is 5-1-1 in the season series; Red Deer is 2-5-0. . . . On Friday, the Oil Kings had beaten the visiting Rebels, 2-1. . . . F Vince Loschiavo (28) gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead at 12:09 of the first period, and F Parker Gavlas (1) made it 2-0 at 15:54. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky (30) upped it to 3-0, on a PP, at 9:01 of the second period, and F Andrei Pavlenko (8) made it 4-0 at 1:37 of the third. . . . D Ethan Sakowich (2) scored while shorthanded to get Red Deer on the scoreboard at 2:27, only to have Edmonton F Vladimir Alistrov (10) get that one back at 5:13. . . . Red Deer got another shorthanded goal, this one from F Oleg Zaytsev (12), at 19:57. . . . Edmonton was 1-7 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . Edmonton enjoyed a 36-23 edge in shots, including 16-7 in the second period. . . . F Josh Williams (ill) was among Edmonton’s scratches. He had played in Friday’s game.
Hurricanes to a 5-0 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. . . . Lethbridge (32-17-10) has won three in a row. It is second in the Central Division, two points behind the Edmonton Oil Kings and with a game in hand. . . . Medicine Hat (31-24-5) has lost six straight. It is fourth in the Central Division, one point behind the Calgary Hitmen. The Tigers
victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash. . . . Portland (37-17-6) is second in the U.S. Division, eights points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . Seattle (24-28-7) holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers, who have two games in hand. . . . Portland is 8-2-0 in the season series, including six straight victories; Seattle is 2-6-2. . . . Seattle led this one 3-0 before the first period had reached the midway point. . . . F Matthew Wedman (33) made it 1-0 at 2:05; F Owen Williams (4) upped it to 2-0 at 8:04; and F Andrej Kukuca (23) made it 3-0, on a PP, at 9:42. . . . D Clay Hanus (6) started the Portland comeback at 1:57 of the second period, with F Lane Gilliss (14) getting the visitors to within a goal at 2:24. . . . Portland D Jared Freadrich tied it with his 12th goal, at 3:21 of the third period. . . . Jarvis, Portland’s second shooter, scored in the shootout, with the three Seattle shooters all being blanked. . . . Portland G Shane Farkas come on in relief of Joel Hofer and stopped all 22 shots he faced through OT. . . . Seattle got 36 stops from G Roddy Ross. . . . Portland D Nick Cicek was hit with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on Seattle D Jake Lee at 16:44 of the second period. . . . The Winterhawks continue to be without D Brendan De Jong. . . . With D Cade McNelly suspended, the Thunderbirds brought in D Luke Bateman from the Kamloops-based Thompson Blazers of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Bateman, 16, played two earlier games with the Thunderbirds, who selected him in the fourth round of the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft.
victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Spokane (31-19-7) had lost three in a row (0-2-1). The Chiefs and Americans now are tied for third in the U.S. Division, with Spokane having a game in hand. . . . Tri-City (33-22-3) had won its past two games. . . . The Americans are 6-3-0 in the season series; the Chiefs are 3-5-1. . . . F Adam Beckman (26) gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 9:19 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Nolan Yaremko (23) tied it at 16:33. . . . Zummack got the winner, his 14th goal of the season, at 3:32 of the third period. . . . Spokane was 1-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-3. . . . G Reece Klassen stopped 24 shots for Spokane, four fewer than Tri-City’s Beck Warm, who was making his 100th regular-season appearance. . . . The Americans scratched F Kyle Olson, who has 62 points in 53 games. He had played Friday in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
Royals a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Victoria (31-25-3) is second in the B.C. Division, eight points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . With the loser point, Vancouver (40-14-4) wrapped up the B.C. Division pennant for the first time since 2009-10. The Giants are four points behind the Everett Silvertips, who lead the Western Conference. Vancouver has two games in hand. . . . The teams will meet again this afternoon in Victoria to complete the tripleheader weekend. The Giants won, 4-0, in Langley, B.C., on Friday night. . . . Vancouver is 5-2-2 in the season series; Victoria is 4-4-1. . . . Last night, F Milos Roman (23) gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 8:48 of the first period. . . . Victoria responded with the next three goals, by F Brandon Cutler (11), at 2:56 of the second period; F Kody McDonald (18), at 3:41; and F Dino Kambeitz (9), shorthanded, at 3:22 of the third. . . . Vancouver pulled even on goals from F Jadon Joseph (17), at 10:49, and F Davis Koch (24), at 15:51. . . . Victoria went back in front as F Logan Doust (6) scored, at 17:21. . . . The Giants got to OT as F Jared Dmytriw (15) scored, at 19:17. . . . With Vancouver shooting first, Dmytriw and McDonald traded goals in the shootout’s third round, and F Lukas Svejkovsky and Cutler did it in the fourth round, before Schultz won it. . . . D Bowen Byram had three assists for the Giants, with Joseph adding two assists to his goal. . . . Byram has 21 goals and 37 assists in 58 games. . . . The Royals got 38 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, while G Trent Miner blocked 20 shots for Vancouver. . . . The Giants listed G David Tendeck as a scratch for personal reasons. He was in goal for the Giants on Friday. . . . With Tendeck out, the Giants had Braedy Euerby, a 16-year-old from Delta, B.C., backing up Miner. Euerby plays for the Delta Hockey Academy’s prep team. He was selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Vancouver also had F Zack Ostapchuk in the lineup. Ostapchuk, 15, is from St. Albert, Alta., and plays for the Northern Alberta X-Treme prep team. This was his fifth game of the season with the Giants, who took him with the 12th overall selection of the 2018 bantam draft. . . . Victoria D Ralph Jarratt, who has battled injuries for most of this season, was back in the lineup after last playing on Feb. 2.
visiting Prince George Cougars. . . . Everett (42-14-4) has points in four straight games (3-0-1). It leads the U.S. Division by eight points over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Prince George (17-36-7) had snapped a 17-game losing skid (13-0-4) with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday night. The Cougars have eight games remaining and are 14 points from a playoff spot. . . . Everett played twice in Prince George earlier in the week, winning both games by the same 4-1 score. . . . Everett went 4-0-0 in the season series, outscoring the Cougars, 20-6. . . . last night, the Silvertips got first-period goals from D Wyatte Wylie (10), on a PP, at 6:08; F Zack Andrusiak (37), at 6:24; and F Jackson Berezowski (11), on a PP, at 17:52. . . . F Robbie Holmes (11) made it 4-0, on another PP, at 2:59 of the second period. . . . F Matéj Tomas scored for the Cougars at 5:12, but the Silvertips got that one back at 6:19 as F Bryce Kindopp scored. . . . Kindopp added his 36th goal at 2:23 of the third period. . . . Toman got his second of the game and seventh of the season at 10:16, and F Josh Maser (24) got the Cougars’ last goal at 17:31. . . . D Gianni Fairbrother had three assists for Everett. . . . The Silvertips were 3-5 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-4. . . . Everett outshot the visitors, 47-29, including 24-8 in the first period. . . . Cougars D Cole Moberg, who didn’t finish Friday’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Blazers in Kamloops, was scratched from this one. . . . Everett was without F Martin Fasko-Rudas, F Connor Dewar, F Riley Sutter and F Dawson Butt, all of whom are injured.
the host Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . Saskatoon (33-13-8) has points in nine straight (7-0-2). It leads the season series, 6-1-0. . . . The Blades are second in the East Division, six points ahead of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who have three games in hand. . . . Swift Current (10-38-4) has lost five straight (0-4-1). . . . While the Blades enjoyed Friday off, the Broncos played in Brandon and didn’t get home until 4 a.m. Because the Saturday game was part of a Hockey Day in Canada celebration in Swift Current, it started at 5 p.m. CT. . . . After a scoreless first period, F Gary Haden (26) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 9:29 of the second. . . . F Tyler Lees (2) tied it for the Broncos at 10:12. That was his first goal in nine games since the Broncos acquired him from the Victoria Royals with whom he had one goal in 27 games. . . . Saskatoon F Riley McKay broke the tie at 8:34 of the third period. He has nine goals in 54 games with the Blades, after totalling seven in 113 over two seasons with the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Blades got insurance from F Max Gerlach (33), at 17:46, and F Cyle McNabb (6), into an empty net, at 19:41. . . . G Nolan Maier stopped 24 shots for Saskatoon, 10 fewer than the Broncos’ Isaac Poulter. . . . Broncos D Matthew Stanley didn’t play after the first period, while Saskatoon F Kirby Dach, who will be a first-round selection in June’s NHL draft, left late in the second period after being struck by a puck in the throat area. A Blades official told Taking Note last night that Dach “will be fine” and that taking him out of the game was “precautionary.”
beat the Hurricanes, 6-5, in Lethbridge. . . . Prince Albert (45-7-2) has won four in a row. It leads the Eastern Conference by 18 points over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Lethbridge (27-16-10) had points in each of its previous three games (2-0-1). It is third in the Central Division, one point behind the Medicine Hat Tigers and two behind the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The victory provided Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid with the 500th regular-season victory of his WHL career. . . . For someone who played the game with offensive flair, it was only fitting that Habscheid’s milestone victory should come in a game with 11 goals. . . . F Jake Elmer (22) gave the home boys a 1-0 lead at 5:42 of the first period. . . . The Raiders responded with three straight goals, from F Eric Pearce (6), at 12:40; F Parker Kelly (25), on a PP, at 1:48 of the second period; and Fonstad, again, at 7:25. . . . Lethbridge roared back with three goals of its own, from D Ty Prefontaine (2), at 8:59; D Igor Merezhko (4), at 13:53; and F Jake Leschyshyn, at 16:24. . . . F Sean Montgomery (22) got the Raiders into a 4-4 tie at 18:50. . . . Leschyshyn broke the tie with his 31st goal, shorthanded, at 5:57 of the third period. . . . The Raiders tied it at 6:05 as F Ozzy Wiesblatt (22) scored, on a PP. . . . Fonstad won it with his 26th goal of the season. . . . One night earlier, Fonstad had two goals and three assists in an 8-2 victory over the Hitmen in Calgary. He now has 60 points, including 26 goals, in 54 games. . . . F Nick Henry had three assists for Lethbridge. . . . With G Ian Scott given the night off, Boston Bilous started for the Raiders and made 29 stops, two fewer than Lethbridge’s Carl Tetachuk. . . . The Raiders also had F Tyson Laventure in their lineup. Laventure, who turned 16 on Jan. 28, is from Lloydminster, Alta., and plays for the OHA Edmonton prep team. He played in three games with the Raiders right before the Christmas break. Laventure was a second-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . F Justin Nachbaur of the Raiders completed a three-game suspension by missing this one.
the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . Moose Jaw (30-13-8) has won two straight. It is third in the East Division, six points behind the Saskatoon Blades with three games in hand. . . . Red Deer (28-19-4) has lost five in a row (0-4-1). It holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. Red Deer also is fourth in the Central Division, four points behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Warriors have been outshot 98-46 in their last two games, and have won both games. They beat the host Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-3 in OT on Friday night, despite being outshot, 50-25. . . . F Brayden Tracey (24) got Moose Jaw’s first goal, at 13:03 of the second period. . . . F Tristin Langan (39) made it 2-0 at 16:44. . . . F Brett Davis (17) got Red Deer’s goal, but it didn’t come until 19:19 of the third period. . . . Red Deer was credited with winning 46 of the game’s 71 faceoffs. . . . Evanoff now is 15-8-3, 2.54, .919. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel broke the franchise’s career record for assists when he earned No. 162 on Davis’s goal. The previous record had been held by F Arron Asham (1994-98). . . . Warriors D Jett Woo missed this one as he completed a two-game suspension. 
over the Medicine Hat Tigers in Kent, Wash. . . . Seattle (21-26-6) had lost its previous two games. It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Medicine Hat (30-18-5) has points in four straight games (3-0-1). It is second in the Central Division, one point behind the Edmonton Oil Kings and one ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers, who opened a U.S. Division swing with a 1-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips on Friday, held a 3-1 lead in this one. . . . They got their first goal from F James Hamblin (30), on a PP, at 8:15 of the first period. . . . F Andrej Kukuca tied it at 11:58 of the second. . . . Medicine Hat went ahead 3-1 on goals from F Tyler Preziuso (19), at 18:18 of the second, and F Ryan Chyzowski (19), at 4:51 of the third. . . . Kukuca (18) pulled Seattle to within a goal at 10:18, and D Jake Lee (4) tied it at 13:15. . . . Wedman won it with his 27th goal of the season. . . . Kukuca also had two assists, meaning he was in on all four Seattle goals. . . . The 19-year-old Slovakian freshman has 43 points in 47 games. . . . F Ryan Jevne had three assists for the Tigers. . . . G Roddy Ross stopped 27 shots for Seattle, with Medicine Hat getting 36 stops from Jordan Hollett. . . . Seattle was without D Simon Kubicek, who left in the first period of Friday’s game, and remains without F Nolan Volcan, the team captain.
Kootenay Ice. . . . Spokane (29-17-6) has points in six straight (5-0-1). It is third in the U.S. Division, five points ahead of the Tri-City Americans. . . . Kootenay (11-34-8) has lost three in a row. . . . The Chiefs swept the season series, 5-0-0; Kootenay was 0-4-1. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (8) and Finley gave the Chiefs an early 2-0 lead, with goals at 3:08 and 5:47 of the first period. . . . D Martin Bodak got the Ice on the scoreboard at 7:03. . . . Spokane got the next two goals, from F Riley Woods (26), on a PP, at 9:04, and Finley (8), at 4:34 of the second period. . . . Bodak (8) scored again at 8:52. . . . D Bobby Russell (4) rounded out the scoring for the Chiefs, at 18:03. . . . Russell, who played last season with Kootenay, has scored three of his four goals against the Ice.
Everett Silvertips beat the Portland Winterhawks, 5-0. . . . Everett (38-13-2) leads the U.S Division by seven points over Portland. . . . With the victory, Everett clinched a playoff spot for the 16th straight season, meaning it has been in the playoffs in every season that it has been in the WHL. . . . The Winterhawks (33-16-5) are seven points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett leads the season series, 6-3-0; Portland is 3-5-1. . . . After a scoreless first period, the Silvertips struck four times in the second, including twice on the PP and once while shorthanded. . . . D Jake Christensen got it started, on a PP, at 5:31. . . . F Bryce Kindopp (30) scored while shorthanded at 14:27, and F Max Patterson (13) made it 3-0 on a PP at 18:49. . . . Christensen scored Everett’s last two goals, at 19:26 of the second and 8:08 of the third, the latter coming via a PP. He’s got 12 goals. . . . Not only did Christensen score his first career hat trick, it was the first three-goal game by a defenceman in franchise history. . . . F Zack Andrusiak helped out with three assists. . . . Wolf now has 10 career shutouts. This season, he leads the WHL in victories (34), GAA (1.77), save percentage (.933) and shutouts (6). . . . Portland was shut out for the first time this season. . . . G Joel Hofer stopped 48 shots for Portland, which remains without F Cody Glass (knee). . . . The Winterhawks lost D Brendan De Jong to an apparent left knee injury in the first period. He wasn’t able to put any weight on his left leg as he was helped off the ice following a hit into the end boards in Portland’s zone.
Jared Legien, 20, to their roster. He had been playing with the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. . . . With D Matt Barberis out since Nov. 18 with an undisclosed injury, the Giants have been utilizing two 20s — F Davis Koch and F Jared Dmytriw. Should Barberis return at some date, they would have to make a decision and get back down to three. . . . Legien, from Pilot Butte, Sask., was selected by the Kootenay Ice with the ninth overall pick of the 2013 bantam draft. . . . In 84 games over three seasons (2014-17) with the Ice, he had four goals and five assists. Last season, he played 36 games with the Victoria Royals (13-20–33) and 25 with the Regina Pats (10-7—17). . . . This season, Legien had 28 goals and 24 assists in 32 games with the Terriers. . . . Legien is expected to be in Vancouver’s lineup tonight when they meet the Rebels in Red Deer.
from the Christmas break. . . . Jeff Bromley (@JeffBromley1), a former newspaper reporter who covered the Ice for 15 years and a long-time season-ticket holder, tweeted that Smart left for “personal and hockey reasons.” . . . Smart, who is from Kelowna, had three goals and eight assists in 36 games this season. . . . The Kelowna Rockets selected him in the first round of the 2014 bantam draft. In 216 regular-season WHL games — 68 with Kelowna, 64 with the Regina Pats and 84 with the Ice — he had 14 goals and 66 assists. . . . Smart is at least the fourth veteran WHLer to leave the Ice this season, following D Sam Huston, F Nick Bowman and F Brendan Semchuk. As well, F Jack Cowell refused to report after being acquired from the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Ice also has traded away four veterans — forwards Brett Davis, Cam Hausinger, Kaeden Taphorn and Keenan Taphorn — since the start of the season. . . . 
Americans won 6-5 in a shootout at home on Sept, 28. . . . Those two teams closed out the pre-Christmas schedule with back-to-back games — the host Americans won 3-2 in OT on Dec. 15, then won 4-3 in OT in Portland the next evening. So when those teams resume their schedules tonight it only makes sense that they should meet again. Right? . . . Yes, they’ll clash in Portland. . . . It’s also worth noting that the Americans will have faced the Winterhawks in three straight games with ace F Cody Glass out of the lineup. Glass, of course, is with Team Canada at the WJC. . . .
an impact the Kootenay Ice will have had on the outcome of the U.S. Division race. Yes, the Everett Silvertips (27-7-2) are well on their way to the division title, what with a 14-point lead over Portland and the Spokane Chiefs, both of whom are 19-11-4. . . . The Winterhawks were scheduled to meet the Ice (8-22-6) once this season — Portland beat the visiting Ice, 10-2, on Dec. 2. . . . The Chiefs, meanwhile, will face the Ice on five occasions. Spokane won 7-4 in Cranbrook on Sept. 28, and then beat the Ice 6-3 at home the next night. The Chiefs also won 4-3 in OT in Spokane on Dec. 8. They’ll meet again Jan. 5 in Cranbrook and Feb. 9 in Cranbrook. . . . Should the Chiefs win the last two meetings, they’ll have picked up 10 points in games with the Ice, while Portland will have claimed two.
Kings in Brandon. . . . Regina improved to 10-24-1, while Brandon slipped to 15-11-6. . . . The Pats took a 2-0 first-period lead on PP goals from F Robbie Holmes (7), at 3:29, and Alkhimov, at 11:30. . . . F Ridly Greig (8) got Brandon on the scoreboard with a PP goal at 5:07 of the second period. . . . Alkhimov gave the Pats a 3-1 lead with his ninth goal at 2:32 of the third period. . . . D Cole Reinhardt (6) scored Brandon’s second goal at 10:56. . . . Each team may have a player suspended before tonight’s rematch in Regina. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos, who leads the Wheat Kings in goals, assists and points, was hit with a
in Moose Jaw. . . . Swift Current (7-24-2) had lost its previous two games. It now is 2-16-0 on the road. . . . Moose Jaw is 17-8-6. . . . The Warriors will get another shot at the Broncos tonight in Swift Current. . . . Last night’s winner came as Moar successfully completed a 2-on-1 break with F Matthew Culling at 1:58 of OT. . . . Goals from Culling (5) and D Matthew Stanley (1) at 14:29 and 17:07 of the third period had given Swift Current a 3-1 lead. . . . The Warriors scored twice with G Brodan Salmond on the bench for the extra attacker, with F Brayden Tracey (11) making it 3-2 at 18:51 and F Keenan Taphorn (9) tying it at 19:13. . . . Moar, who was acquired from the Everett Silvertips, won it with his first goal in 22 career games, 18 of them with the Broncos. . . . Moose Jaw held a 42-21 edge in shots, including 10-3 in the first period and 20-7 in the second, but Swift Current G Joel Hofer continued his fine season. Despite a 5-19-2 record, and a 4.15 GAA, he has a .900 save percentage. . . . The Warriors were 0-4 on the PP; the Broncos didn’t get even one opportunity. . . . The Broncos scratched both of their 17-year-old Finnish freshmen imports — F Joona Kiviniemi and D Roope Pynnonen — due to travel-related issues on their way back from the break. Both players are expected to be available tonight. . . . The Warriors were without F Luke Ormsby, who completed a two-game WHL-issued suspension. . . . Moose Jaw also is missing head coach Tim Hunter and D Josh Brook, both with Team Canada at the WJC. In Hunter’s absence, associate coach Mark O’Leary is in charge of the bench.
The Raiders (32-2-1) have won four in a row. . . . The Blades (21-10-5) have points in six straight (4-0-2). . . . They’ll play the rematch tonight in Prince Albert. . . . F Kyle Crnkovic (2) staked the Blades to a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 12:59 of the first period. . . . The visitors took a 2-1 lead on two goals from F Noah Gregor (21), at 13:37 of the first and 2:52 of the second. . . . Saskatoon went ahead 3-2 on second-period goals from F Eric Florchuk (10), at 4:28, and F Max Gerlach (20), on a PP, at 6:22. . . . Pachal tied it at 6:28 of the third and won it with his ninth goal of the season, banging home a rebound 33 seconds into OT. . . . Pachal has 20 goals in 206 career regular-season games. This was his second career two-goal game. . . . F Cole Fonstad drew three assists for the Raiders, the fourth straight game in which he had at least two points. He has a goal and nine assists in that stretch. . . . Gregor also had an assist for a three-point outing. . . . Gregor has seven goals and three assists in helping the Raiders go 4-0-0 without G Ian Scott and F Brett Leason, both of whom are with Team Canada at the WJC.
Prince Albert Raiders a 6-5 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Prince Albert (29-2-1) now is 15-0-0 at home. . . . Edmonton (16-12-6) has lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . F Noah Gregor scored twice to give the Raiders a 2-1 lead early in the second period. He’s got 16 goals. . . . The Oil Kings then got goals 50 seconds apart from F Carter Such (6) and F Jake Neighbours (7) to take a 3-2 lead in the period’s second half. . . . F Parker Kelly (14) pulled the Raiders into a tie at 11:18, only to have Edmonton take a 4-3 lead on a goal by F David Kope (5) at 15:34. . . . Prince Albert tied it when D Max Martin (5), who also had two assists, scored at 11:55 of the third period, then took the lead as F Carson Miller (9) scored at 12:28. . . . Edmonton F Vince Loschiavo (14) forced OT when he scored with 6.6 seconds left in the third. . . . Fonstad won it with his 11th goal at 3:00 of OT. . . . Prince Albert was 2-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 2-7. . . . Oil Kings F Trey Fix-Wolansky was held to one assist. He now shares the WHL scoring lead with Prince Albert F Brett Leason, each with 64 points. Season is in Victoria with Canada’s national junior team. . . . Gregor added an assist to his two goals, with Fonstad adding two assists to his singleton. . . . Edmonton got a goal and two assists from D Conner McDonald. He’s got seven goals. . . . The Raiders were without G Ian Scott and Leason, both of whom are with the Canadian junior team, and D Sergei Sapego and F Aliaksei Protas, who are with Belarus at the IIHF World Junior Championship (Division I Group A) in Fussen, Germany. The Oil Kings also have two players on the Belarusian roster — F Vladimir Alistrov and F Andrei Pavlenko.
visiting Kelowna Rockets, 5-1. . . . Lethbridge (16-9-6) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). . . . Kelowna (15-16-2) had points in each of its previous five (4-0-1). . . . F Zachary Cox (10) got the home side started at 2:16 of the first period, and F Jake Leschyshyn (20) made it 2-0, shorthanded, at 14:05. . . . F Jake Elmer (16), in the second period, and F Jordy Bellerive (13) and F Taylor Ross (18) added third-period goals. . . . F Liam Kindree (7) scored, on a PP, for Kelowna at 13:39 of the third. . . . Kelowna was 1-7 on the PP, while Lethbridge was 0-3. . . . The Hurricanes won 43 of the game’s 67 faceoffs.
4-2 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Tigers (16-14-3) have won three in a row. . . . The Blazers (12-14-3) have lost four straight (0-3-1), all on a Central Division trip. . . . Jevne opened the scoring at 5:38 of the first period. . . . F Tyler Preziuso (13) made it 2-0 at 12:21. . . . Jevne, who has 16 goals, scored shorthanded at 4:35 of the second period for a 3-0 lead. . . . The Blazers made it interesting late in the second as F Connor Zary (7) scored at 15;14, and F Brodi Stuart (9) made it 3-2 at 17:59. . . . The Tigers got insurance from D Daniel Baker (2) at 6:04 of the third. . . . G Mads Søgaard earned the victory with 36 saves. . . . Blazers F Jermaine Loewen served Game 2 of a three-game suspension. . . . Kamloops F Zane Franklin wasn’t suspended after taking a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit from behind on Red Deer D Alex Alexeyev on Tuesday night. Alexeyev was taken to hospital but, according to Greg Meachem of 
4-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Spokane improved to 17-11-4. . . . Everett (25-7-2) now has points in 12 straight (10-0-2). . . . The Silvertips had won their previous nine games in regulation. . . . Everett was 3-4 on the PP; Spokane was 2-5. . . . F Connor Dewar (24) gave the Silvertips a 1-0 lead at 3:50 of the first period, and F Luc Smith (13) tied it, on a PP, at 19:50. . . . F Max Patterson (10) put Everett ahead at 5:23 of the second period. . . . Spokane went ahead 3-2 on second-period goals from F Luke Toporowski (9), on a PP, at 8:28 and F Adam Beckman (14) at 9:24. . . . F Bryce Kindopp (14) tied it 3-3 at 14:02. . . . The Chiefs got 43 saves from G Bailey Brkin. . . . F Akash Bains returned to Everett’s lineup after a three-game absence. . . . Everett F Sean Richards sat out the second of an eight-game suspension.
WHL contact. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Valenti, who won’t turn 18 until Sept. 24, was selected by the Giants in the 2017 CHL import draft. Vancouver played with one import all season, rather than the maximum of two, and thus was able to maintain Valenti’s WHL rights. . . . This season, Valenti played for Jungadler Mannheim’s U-19 team, putting up 34 goals and 18 assists in 36 games. Last season, he had 20 goals and 23 assists in 40 games with that team. This season, he also played four games with Adler Mannheim in the DEL and two with the EC Kassel Huskies of DEL-2.
Conference’s second wild-card spot, four points behind Brandon and five ahead of Saskatoon. . . . Moose Jaw (49-15-3) had won its previous two games. It leads the overall standings, by one point over Swift Current. . . . The Warriors lead the season series, 4-2-1; the Raiders are 3-4-0. . . . F Cole Fonstad (21) gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead at 11:37 of the first period, and F Kody McDonald made it 2-0 at 4:17 of the second. . . . F Brendan Klatt (3) got the Warriors on the scoreboard at 8:13. . . . McDonald’s 34th goal, at 10:28, restored the Raiders’ two-goal lead, and F Jordy Stallard (42) stretched it to three, on a PP, at 13:29. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs got the Warriors to within two at 15:55, but the home team got that one back at 18:15 as F Curtis Miske scored. . . . Miske made it 6-2 with his 25th goal, while shorthanded, at 1:48 of the third period. . . . The Warriors closed to within two as F Justin Almeida got his 40th at 6:41, and Halbgewachs (66) counted, on a PP, at 13:23. . . . Fonstad also had two assists for the Raiders. Last season, as a freshman, Fonstad had 11 goals and 15 assists in 26 games. This season, he has 72 points, including 51 assists, in 67 games. . . . F Parker Kelly also had two assists for the winners, and Stallard added one. . . . Halbgewachs and Almeida each had an assist for Moose Jaw. . . . Halbgewachs now has 135 regular-season goals with the Warriors, moving past F Brayden Point into second on the franchise’s career list. F Theo Fleury is No. 1, at 201. . . . Prince Albert was 1-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-3. . . . G Ian Scott earned the victory with 21 saves, four more than Moose Jaw’s Adam Evanoff. . . . Prince Albert F Regan Nagy was unsuccessful on a third-period penalty shot. . . . The Warriors were without F Brayden Burke for a second straight game, while the Raiders scratched F Brett Leason, who didn’t finish a 4-2 victory over visiting Edmonton on Wednesday. . . . . Announced attendance: 2,324.
in the East Division, three points behind Regina. The Wheat Kings hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Swift Current (47-15-6) had points in each of its previous five games (4-0-1). It is second in the overall standings, one point behind Moose Jaw. . . . The Broncos won the season series with Brandon, 4-2-2; the Wheat Kings were (4-4-0). . . . The Broncos went up 2-0 on first-period goals from F Kaden Elder (15), at 2:47, and F Beck Malnestyn (15), shorthanded, at 8:48. . . . Brandon tied it in the second period when F Cole Reinhardt (17) and Weinger scored, at 12:29 and 13:36. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen’s 46th goal and 100th point gave the visitors a 3-2 edge at 17:06. . . . Weinger tied it at 19:00. . . . F Ty Lewis (42) shot Brandon into a 4-3 lead, on a PP, at 12:09 of the third period. . . . F Linden McCorrister (17) provided insurance at 12:35, and Weinger completed the hat trick — he’s got 29 goals — into an empty net at 18:00. . . . D Braden Schneider andF Stelio Mattheos had two assists each for Brandon, with Lewis getting one. . . . The Broncos now have three 100-point men — F Glenn Gawdin and F Aleksi Heponiemi are the others. The last team to have three such players was the Portland Winterhawks in 2012-13 — F Brendan Leipsic and F Nic Petan, each 120, andF Ty Rattie, 110. . . . Swift Current was 1-2 on the PP; Brandon was 1-5. . . . G Logan Thompson started for Brandon and stopped 21 of 24 shots. He left with an apparent leg injury after the second period. Dylan Myskiw came on to stop all five shots he faced in the third period. . . . The Broncos got 27 stops from G Stuart Skinner. . . . Gawdin (ill), the WHL scoring leader, was among Swift Current’s scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 4,240.
series. . . . Saskatoon (32-31-4) is five points from a playoff spot with five games remaining. . . . The Blades went 2-1-1 in the season series. . . . F Gage Ramsay (6) gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 1:48 of the first period. . . . Nielsen, who has 18 goals, tied it at 2:38. . . . The Blades went ahead 3-1 on goals from F Josh Paterson (30), who was playing in his 200th game, at 11:39, and D Mark Rubinchik (3), at 13:57. . . . Calgary tied it on two shorthanded goals on the same Sasktoon power-play, with F Mark Kastelic (18) scoring at 15:26, and Nielsen at 16:37. . . . F Braylon Shmyr (36) gave the Blades a 4-3 lead 41 seconds into the third period. . . . Calgary tied it at 8:35 on a goal from F Carson Focht (12). . . . Nielsen, who also had an assist, won it at 1:58 of overtime as he completed his first career WHL hat trick. . . . Calgary got three assists from D Egor Zamula and two from Focht. . . . F Chase Wouters and F Max Gerlach each had two helpers for the Blades, with Patterson, Shmyr and Ramsay adding one apiece. . . . Saskatoon was 0-1 on the PP; Calgary was 0-2. . . . Calgary got 20 saves from G Nick Schneider. . . . G Nolan Maier, in his eighth straight start for Saskatoon, stopped 30 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 3,579. . . . Darren Steinke was in the building and blogged about it 
third in the East Division, three points ahead of Brandon. . . . Kootenay (25-38-5) has lost nine in a row (0-7-2). It is fourth in the Central Division, eight points behind Red Deer with only four games remaining. . . . Regina finished the season series, 3-1-0; Kootenay was 1-2-1. . . . Steel gave the Pats a 1-0 lead at 17:25 of the second period. . . . The Ice tied it at 11:09 of the third period as F Cameron Hausinger got his 19th goal. . . . Steel won it with his 30th goal of the season, just 31 seconds into extra time. . . . Regina was 0-2 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-4. . . . The Pats got 19 saves from G Max Paddock. . . . G Duncan McGovern stopped 32 shots for the home team. . . . The Pats are 6-1-0 in a stretch of eight straight road games that concludes tonight in Lethbridge. The Pats have been out of the Brandt Centre while the Tim Hortons Brier (the Canadian men’s curling championship) is held. It is to conclude on Sunday. . . . Announced attendance: 2,642.
Central Division, seven points behind Lethbridge and eight in front of Kootenay. . . . Lethbridge (32-29-6) has lost four straight. It is second in the division, eight points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Hurricanes are 4-1-0 in the season series; the Rebels are 1-2-2. . . . D Calen Addison’s ninth goal, at 13:38 of the first period, gave the home side a 1-0 edge. . . . F Kristian Reichel (30) tied it at 17:01. . . . F Brandon Hagel (14) scored a shorthanded goal at 3:42 of the second period to give Red Deer its first lead. . . . Red Deer F Mason McCarty put it away with two third-period goals, at 13:28, on a PP, and at 18:32, into an empty net. He’s got 37 goals. . . . Hagel also had two assists, with McCarty adding one. . . . Red Deer was 1-5 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-4. . . . The Rebels got 26 saves from G Riley Lamb. At the other end, Logan Flodell blocked 22. . . . Announced attendance: 4,933.
eight points over Lethbridge. . . . Edmonton (19-41-8) has lost four in a row. . . . The The Tigers won the season series, 6-0-0; the Oil Kings were 0-4-2). . . . Tigers F Mark Rassell became the WHL’s fourth 50-goal man this season when he opened the scoring at 2:46 of the first period. . . . The Oil Kings tied it at 7:45 on F David Kope’s 13th goal. . . . Medicine Hat went ahead 3-1 on goals from F Ryan Chyzowski (20), on a PP, at 8:39 and F Elijah Brown (8), at 16:36. . . . D Ethan Cap (5) pulled the visitors to within a goal at 9:08 of the second period, but F Jaeger White (10) got that one back at 11:41. . . . The Oil Kings tied it on goals from F Colton Kehler (30), at 15:53 of the second, and D Conner McDonald (8), at 10:41 of the third. . . . Medicine Hat F Josh Williams (10) gave his side a 5-4 lead, on a PP, at 13:33, and F James Hamblin (21) added a PP goal at 15:09. . . . Brown and D Linus Nassen had two assists each for the winners, with Chyzowski getting one. . . . Hope had one assist for Edmonton. . . . The Tigers were 3-6 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-1. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 27 shots for Medicine Hat. . . . Edmonton G Todd Scott, who last played on Feb. 19, turned aside 24 shots. . . . D Joel Craven was in Medicine Hat’s lineup for the first time since Jan. 27. . . . Announced attendance: 3,311.
previous four games (0-3-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of Seattle. . . . Vancouver (34-24-9) is third in the B.C. Division, five points behind Victoria. . . . The Giants will play in Spokane tonight, then travel back to Kennewick for a Sunday rematch with the Americans. . . . Last night, Vancouver went ahead 1-0 when F Ty Ronning scored his 57th goal at 2:12 of the first period. . . . The Americans responded with three goals in the last four minutes of the period — from F Morgan Geekie (27), on a PP, at 16:05; F Jordan Topping (37), at 17:52; and F Sasha Mutala, at 18:18. . . . Tri-City F Nolan Yaremko’s 20th goal, at 18:10 of the second period, made it 4-1, and Mutala’s 11th goal stretched the lead to 5-1 at 6:59 of the third period. . . . D Dylan Plouffe (9) got Vancouver’s second goal, on a PP, at 11:48. . . . D Juuso Valimaki (12) scored Tri-City’s final goal, at 17:45. . . . Geekie and F Michael Rasmussen each had two assists for the winners, with Mutala, Topping and Valimaki adding one each. . . . Vancouver was 2-3 on the PP; Tri-City was 1-5. . . . G Patrick Dea earned the victory with 27 saves. . . . G David Tendeck stopped 34 shots for Vancouver. . . . F Milos Roman (ankle) returned to the Giants’ lineup for the first time since Jan. 9. He had eight goals and 21 assists in 34 games when he went out with the injury. . . . Announced attendance: 3,613.
holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Spokane (39-23-5) is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Portland. . . . Seattle leads the season series, 4-2-1; Spokane is 3-4-0. . . . D Filip Kral (8) put the Chiefs out front 1-0 at 2:14 of the first period. . . . Seattle tied it at 17:04 on a PP goal from F Zack Andrusiak. . . . The visitors went ahead 2-1 when F Riley Woods (22) scored, on a PP, at 2:28 of the second period. . . . Andrusiak (33) tied it at 8:49. . . . D Austin Strand scored Seattle’s last two goals, giving it a 3-2 lead at 6:16 of the third period, then adding insurance, on a PP, at 15:05. He has 23 goals. . . . Seattle got three assists from F Nolan Volcan and two from F Donovan Neuls. . . . Woods had one assists for the Chiefs. . . . Seattle was 2-2 on the PP; Spokane was 1-3. . . . G Liam Hughes stopped 25 shots for Seattle. . . . Spokane G Donovan Buskey stopped 18 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 5,317.
TAKING NOTE 