PLAYOFF NOTES:
The Seattle Thunderbirds will have a chance to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions when they entertain the Winnipeg Ice in Game 5 of the final series in Kent, Wash., on Friday night. The Thunderbirds scored a 4-2 victory over the Ice on Wednesday night to assume a 3-1 series lead. . . . The Thunderbirds are in the final for the second straight season, having lost in six games to the Edmonton Oil Kings a year ago. . . . Seattle won its only WHL championship in 2016-17. . . .
In the OHL, the host Peterborough Petes erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 5-3 victory over the London Knights. . . . The Petes hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series with Game 5 in London on Friday night. . . . If Games 6 and/or 7 are needed, they’ll be played in Peterborough on Sunday and London on Monday. . . . Last night, F Easton Cowan (8) gave London a 1-0 lead at 1:19 of the first period. . . . The Petes took control with the next four goals, three in the second period. F J.R. Avon (9) scored twice in the second, with F Owen Beck (8) getting the other. D Donovan McCoy (2) made it 4-1 at 7:44 of the third period. . . . London got to within a goal on a pair of PP goals, from D Sam Dickinson (4), at 13:59, and F Denver Barkley (10), at 16:51. . . . F Avery Hayes (11) iced it for the Petes with an empty-netter at 17:24. . . . G Michael Simpson earned the victory with 50 saves, 24 of them in the third period. . . .
In the QMJHL, the visiting Quebec Remparts broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as they beat the Halifax Mooseheads, 2-1, to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship final. . . . The Remparts get their first opportunity at wrapping it up when the play Game 5 in Quebec City on Friday night. . . . If needed, a sixth game would be played in Halifax on Sunday with a seventh game in Quebec City on Monday. . . . Last night, F Zachary Bolduc (10) scored the game-winner at 13:11 of the third period. Remparts F Theo Rochette likely should have been assessed a slashing penalty in the defensive zone as he forced a turnover, skated up ice, split the defence and fed Bolduc on the left side. He rifled the winner past G Mathis Rousseau on the short side. . . . Rochette (4) had the Remparts’ other goal, at 2:54 of the first period, with Bolduc drawing an assist. . . . F Evan Boucher (8) scored for Halifax at 11:53 of the second period. . . .
Check out Geoffrey Brandow on Twitter (@GeoffreyBrandow) for even more information after each CHL game. . . .
The Memorial Cup is scheduled to arrive in Kamloops on May 25 with the first game — the QMJHL champion against the host Blazers — set for May 26. Of note: Smoke from various forest fires moved into Kamloops in a big way on Wednesday. Hopefully, it moves out long before tournament time arrives.
WEDNESDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Winnipeg (1) at Seattle (2) — F Dylan Guenther broke a 2-2 tie at 7:47 of the 
third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Winnipeg Ice, 4-2, in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds, having won three straight games, lead the best-of-seven series, 3-1. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Kent on Friday night. . . . If needed, Game 6 would be played in Winnipeg on Sunday with Game 7, if needed, there on Monday. . . . Guenther ended up with the game-winner in what was a terrific game. He one-timed a pass from F Reid Schaeber from the top of the right circle for his WHL-leading 16th goal. . . . F Nico Myatovic (3) iced it with an empty-netter at 19:52. . . . Ice F Carson Latimer (4) had opened the scoring at 16:25 of the first period, using his speed to get to a loose puck about 10 feet in front of G Thomas Milic from where he lifted it over him. Latimer has goals in three straight games. . . . D Kevin Korchinski (3) pulled Seattle even when he scored off a quick wrist shot from the top of the right circle with 16.3 seconds left in the first period. . . . Seattle F Gracyn Sawchyn (3) gave his side its first lead at 4:31 of the second period when he banged home a rebound off the end boards while on a PP. . . . F Evan Friesen (6) got the Ice into a 2-2 tie by tucking home a loose puck at 8:33. . . . The Ice felt it had a 3-2 lead at 10:54 when Latimer was able to beat Milic from in close by knocking in the puck out of midair. The call on the ice was a goal but it was disallowed after a lengthy video review, because, according to an entry on the online scoresheet, the puck was “directed in by a player’s glove.” . . . Both goaltenders, Milic and Winnipeg’s Daniel Hauser, were nothing short of superb. Milic finished with 31 saves, two fewer than Hauser. . . . Seattle was 1-for-5 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-3.
JUNIOR JOTTINGS:
The Penticton Vees won their second straight BCHL championship on 
Wednesday night, beating the host Alberni Valley Bulldogs, 4-1, to sweep the best-of-seven series. . . . The Vees went 16-1 in winning last season’s Fred Page Cup, and they replicated that this time around. . . . F Brett Moravec scored twice for the winners, giving him 10 goals. . . . The game was halted with 4:02 left in the first period following an injury to Penticton F Spencer Smith following a high hit. From St. Catharines, Ont., Smith is to turn 21 on Saturday. The first intermission was held at that point. . . . During that intermission, the BCHL tweeted: “Smith is alert and was helped off the ice. We hope for a speedy recovery.” . . . The Vees tweeted in the second intermission: “Spencer Smith is doing well at Port Alberni’s hospital. His spirits are high.”
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. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is 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.
added an assist as the Winnipeg Ice beat the Saskatoon Blades, 6-2. . . . The Ice, having won Friday’s opener, 3-0, leads the series, 2-0, with Games 3 and 4 in Saskatoon on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . McClennon, who has 10 goals, completed his hat trick at 1:08 of the third period, giving the Ice a 5-0 lead. . . . He had scored the game’s first two goals, at 6:09 and 17:31, the latter via the PP, of the first period. . . . F Zach Benson (3) and F Owen Pederson (3) added second-period goals. . . . F Justin Lies (2) and F Jayden Wiens (8), on a PP, scored for the Blades in the third period. . . . Ice F Matt Savoie (10) closed the scoring with an empty-netter at 16:27. . . . Benson and Savoie added two assists each. . . . McClennon recorded his first hat trick of these playoffs; he had two in the regular season. . . . Winnipeg was 1-for-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-for-5. . . . G Daniel Hauser stopped 27 shots for the Ice. . . . G Austin Elliott turned aside 27 shots for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon continues to play without injured defencemen Blake Gustafson and Ben Saunderson. The Blades also scratched F Jordan Keller and inserted F Misha Volotovski.
5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers in Kent, Wash. . . . They’ll play Game 2 today in Kent, then head for Kamloops and games on Tuesday and Thursday. . . . Seattle held period leads of 1-0 and 2-1, then put it away with three goals in the second half of the third period. . . . F Jared Davidson (6) scored at 17:00 of the first period and F Nico Myatovic (2) got the 2-0 goal at 13:44 of the second. . . . D Olen Zellweger (8) got the Blazers’ goal at 16:11. . . . Seattle’s third-period goals came from F Dylan Guenther (11), Davidson (7) and F Gracyn Sawchyn (2), on a PP. . . . Davidson also had an assist, for a three-point night. . . . Seattle was 1-for-3 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-for-2. . . . G Thomas Milic stopped 24 shots for the Thunderbirds, while G Dylan Ernst, at the other end, blocked 30. . . . Milic is 9-0, 1.11, .953 in the playoffs. In 34 appearances over the past two seasons, he is 23-11, 1.98, .931. . . . Kamloops lost D Logan Bairos to an undisclosed injury and he isn’t likely to play in Game 2, which means Ryan Michael will play. . . . The Thunderbirds are 9-0 in the playoffs. They also opened the 2017 playoffs with nine victories before dropping a 4-3 OT decision to the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
goals 1:26 apart en route to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. . . . They’ll play Game 2 today in Winnipeg, starting at 4 p.m. . . . D Ben Zloty (1) opened the scoring at 14:39 of the first period. He went into the game with no goals and a WHL-leading 15 assists. . . . The Ice went ahead 2-0 at 16:05 when F Zach Ostapchuk (8) scored a shorthanded penalty-shot goal, putting the puck off a post and in. He has goals in eight of the 10 games in which he has played in these playoffs. . . . D Carson Lambos (1) upped the lead to 3-0 at 7:45 of the second period. . . . Saskatoon was 0-for-4 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser recorded the shutout with 16 saves. He is 9-1, 2.56, .907 in the playoffs, after going 37-4-1, 2.28, .917 in the regular season. . . . The Blades got 25 stops from G Ethan Chadwick. . . . Were the Blades, coming off two seven-game series, showing signs of fatigue in the latter part of the game? The Ice outshot them 8-4 in the second period and 10-4 in the third. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies was back in action after having served a three-game suspension. . . . The Blades continue to be without D Blake Gustafson, who was injured in the previous series. . . . With D Ben Saunderson also injured, Saskatoon had D Morgan Tastad make his playoff debut. The 6-foot-4 Tastad, a 17-year-old from Loreburn, Sask., played in one regular-season game. He was a ninth-round pick by the Blades in the WHL’s 2021 draft.
Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) . . .
Blazers, with a 3-0 series lead, in Langley, B.C., for Game 4 with the Vancouver Giants. . . . All you really need to know is that Kamloops G Dylan Ernst is 3-0, 0.33, .983. . . . On Wednesday, Chad Klassen of CFJC-TV in Kamloops tweeted: “Just checked with the WHL and since 2006 the lowest goals-against in a series is two (Vancouver vs. Everett, 2006 Western Conference final). The Kamloops Blazers have a chance to tie or break that mark in Game 4 on Thursday.” . . . Yes, the Blazers have outscored the Giants, 19-1, in the three games. . . . Remember, though, that the WHL doesn’t seem to have any records handy from the 30 years prior to 2006. So who knows what the league record might be.
home page — CRACK IN THE ICE: First-place WHL team could be on last legs in Winnipeg.
the WHL meetings in Las Vegas, that the league was contemplating taking over the franchise and that it already was looking for a potential new home for the franchise.
who sometimes plays for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills: “Y’all I was trying to take my family to the beaches resort in Turks & Caicos but apparently it’s required to be vaccinated. Y’all still out here doing this? I thought we were done . . . lol.”
has been suspended for 10 games. The decision was announced on Wednesday, after he was suspended indefinitely on Friday. . . . His crime? He got into an altercation with a fan as he was exiting the ice surface following a Feb. 8 game against the host Gatineau Olympiques. . . . Interestingly, the league at first said there wouldn’t be any action taken because of a lack of evidence. However, a video of the incident surfaced on social media and the suspension came afterwards. . . . This isn’t L’Heureux’s first run-in with the QMJHL law. In fact, this is his ninth suspension, and when this one runs its course he will have sat out 37 games in total. . . . L’Heureux, 19, has 37 points in 24 games this season. He was a first-round selection by the Nashville Predators in the NHL’s 2021 draft. . . . Willy Palov has more 
game. The Prince Albert Raiders announced on Wednesday morning that the Pats’ visit to the Art Hauser Centre on Friday is “SOLD OUT.” . . . The Pats last appeared in Prince Albert on Dec. 30 when they beat the Raiders, 4-3 in OT. Bedard wasn’t with the Pats for that one; he was busy helping Canada win gold at the World Junior Championship. The announced attendance that night was 2,548. . . . Prince Albert’s largest crowd this season came on opening night when 2,798 fans watched the Saskatoon Blades beat the Raiders, 5-2. Second on the list is from Dec. 9 when the Pats, again without Bedard who had left for Canada’s selection camp, beat the Raiders, 3-2, in front of 2,781 fans.
be quick to salute Calder Anderson, Jake Chiasson, Nolan Ritchie and Ben Thornton of the Brandon Wheat Kings as this site’s sportsmen of the year. . . . In case you missed it, in the words of the Brandon Sun’s Perry Bergson, they “successfully interceded to help a distressed man who was contemplating suicide on the First Street Bridge” on the evening of Nov. 29. . . . “We’re very happy that we were able to save him and get him some help,” Thornton told Bergson, who added: “They also learned another lesson when 30 or 40 vehicles drove by without stopping in the short span they were trying to help the man. Yet they never considered leaving until the man was safe.” . . . Gentlemen, I salute you. . . . Bergson’s complete story is 
abysmal record unless being selfish and uncaring is the objective. Really, had you told me four years ago that the time was coming when our children would by dying, when our children would be unable to get much-needed surgical procedures, when our hospital’s emergency rooms would be over-run and that society would refuse to help by doing something as simple as masking up, well, I would have told you that you were crazy. . . . But, well, here we are.
in NHL history. So stop trying to tell me that he is. He’s still 88 behind Wayne Gretzky. Have people already forgotten just how great Gretzky was? . . . Allow me to point out that Gretzky also scored 92 goals in the WHA, which was a better league than many of those same people seem to recall. As for Gordie Howe, well he scored 801 NHL goals and another 174 in the WHA. . . . But when Ovechkin puts in No. 895, then you can call him the greatest goal scorer in NHL history. OK?
Canada beat Sweden, 5-1 — and left the game in obvious discomfort thanks to an injury to his right shoulder area. Dach, who turns 20 on Wednesday, has 17 points, nine of them goals, in 14 games with the Rockets this season. Earlier, he missed some time with a concussion. . . . The Rockets (12-18-3), who have lost five in a row, are eighth in the conference, seven points ahead of the Victoria Royals (8-24-4). . . . 
suffered a skate cut to the back of his left leg on Wednesday as his Slovakian side beat the U.S., 6-3. The 18-year-old Honzek, who is expected to be out as long as six weeks, leads the Giants in assists (26) and points (43) in 31 games. . . . Vancouver (14-16-6) is tied for fourth in the conference with the Tri-City Americans, who hold two games in hand. They are one point ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . .
personal reasons, was dealt to Everett in exchange for Braden Holt. . . . Palmer, from Fernie, B.C., was in his second season with Victoria. He left the Royals sometime after a 7-4 loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Nov. 12. . . . Holt, from Bozeman, Mont., was in his fourth season with Everett. In his first start with Victoria, he stopped 35 shots in a 3-0 victory over the host Vancouver Giants. . . . Having acquired Holt, the Royals then traded G Logan Cunningham, a 17-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., to the Edmonton Oil Kings for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 WHL draft. . . . After adding Cunningham to their roster, the Oil Kings dropped G Ronin Geraghty, 18. From Burnaby, B.C., he was 0-5-0, 6.48, .819 in seven games with Edmonton. . . .
Kootenay International Junior Hockey League took time out from chasing a puck to exchange Happy New Year greetings as they began the second period on Saturday evening. . . . The Leafs are the team in white in the above video, and the video evidence would seem to indicate that they were first off the mark. . . . The puck now has been passed to Jeff Dubois, the KIJHL commissioner. . . . Happy New Year, Mr. Dubois.
had beaten Red Deer, 3-1, halting the Rebels’ 15-game season-opening winning streak. . . . While the Rebels broke the franchise record for longest winning streak — the 2001-02 club won 14 in a row in mid-season — they fell short of the WHL record for longest winning streak to open a season. The 1967-68 Estevan Bruins opened with 22 straight victories. . . . The Ice (16-1-0) now has won 11 in a row. . . . D Ben Zloty gave the Ice a 1-0 lead, on the PP, at 8:21 of the first period. . . . F Skyler Bruce upped it to 2-0 at 13:50 of the second period, and F Matthew Savoie scored shorthanded for a 3-0 lead 13 seconds into the third period. . . . F Carson Birnie got Red Deer’s goal, at 12:52 of the third. . . . The Ice had a 29-21 edge in shots. . . . Winnipeg was 1-7 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-6. . . . G Daniel Hauser stopped 20 shots for the Ice. He is 12-0-0 (2.24, .922) this season, and 53-3-2 (2.20, .913) for his career. . . . The announced attendance was 1,411. . . . The same two teams are to meet again tonight in Winnipeg. . . .
after being sent to them by the NHL’s Nashville Predators. . . . “This is a huge addition for our team,” Bill La Forge, Seattle’s general manager, said in a news release. “Luke’s combination of size and talent greatly boosts our defensive core. Acquiring his rights was important to us and we will be thrilled to see him in a Thunderbirds jersey soon.” . . . The Thunderbirds are scheduled to visit the Kamloops Blazers tonight. The Thunderbirds didn’t indicate whether Prokop would in the lineup. . . . A third-round pick by Nashville in the NHL’s 2020 draft, Prokop had been with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals. He had one goal in eight ECHL games. . . . Last season, the 6-foot-6, 220-pounder put up 10 goals and 23 assists in 55 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings, then had four goals and 12 assists in a 19-game run to a WHL title. . . . He began his WHL career with the Calgary Hitmen, playing 153 games with them, scoring eight goals and adding 35 assists. . . . The Thunderbirds acquired his WHL rights from the Oil Kings on Oct. 25, giving up three draft picks in the exchange — a 2025 first-rounder and third-rounders in 2023 and 2025. According to a Seattle news release at the time, “All draft picks are conditional on Prokop returning to the WHL.” . . . The Thunderbirds are 10-3-0, having lost two in a row. They are in the U.S. Division chase, trailing the Portland Winterhawks (11-1-2) and Everett Silvertips (11-5-0).
in a multi-vehicle accident on Saturday afternoon.
League were in the middle of it all, too, because driving conditions in B.C.’s Interior have been horrendous for a few days now. After playing in Kamloops on Friday night and 100 Mile House on Saturday night, the Rebels arrived home on Sunday and tweeted: “Special thanks to our bus driver Craig Luke for his great work in snowy road conditions.”
out among all the rest. Those two games will feature the Red Deer Rebels in Winnipeg to face the Ice on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . The Rebels are on a franchise-record 15-game winning streak. Yes, they have won their first 15 games — the WHL record of 22 is held by the 1967-68 Estevan Bruins. . . . Meanwhile, all the Ice, which has won 10 straight, has done is go 15-1-0, despite opening with 13 consecutive road games. . . . Red Deer’s freshman goaltenders have some pretty fine numbers — Rhett Stoesser is 5-0-0, 1.40, .934, while Kyle Kelsey is 10-0-0, 1.80, .935. . . . Veteran Daniel Hauser of the Ice goes into the doubleheader at 11-0-0, 2.35, .920. His running mate, freshman Dawson Cowan, is 3-1-0, 2.52, .901.
F Jack O’Brien’s second goal of the game gave Portland that 4-0 lead at 13:28 of the first period. . . . Spokane F Ty Cheveldayoff tied it, 7-7, at 19:25 of the third period. It was his third goal of the game and seventh of the season. It also was the second multi-goal game of his 92-game WHL career; he had a two-goal outing last season. . . . Portland got shootout goals from F Marcus Nguyen and D Luca Cagnoni, with F Raegan Wiles counting for Spokane. . . . F Gabe Klassen had a goal and three assists for Portland. . . . The Chiefs got two goals and two assists from Wiles and a goal and three helpers from F Blake Swetlikoff. . . . The Winterhawks (11-1-2) moved into sole possession of first place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Everett Silvertips (11-5-0). Portland has points in six straight games (4-0-2). . . . The Chiefs (3-10-1) have lost eight in a row (0-7-1).
TAKING NOTE 