Bedard, Pats leave ‘Toontown with two victories . . . Stringer nets OT winner . . . BCHL planning to leave Hockey Canada?

WHL

Some Twitter tidbits from Saturday’s WHL playoff games . . .

Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) points out that D Nolan Allan, who is from Davidson, Sask., and F Jared Davidson both scored for Seattle in the Thunderbirds’ 4-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Now if only Davidson was from Allan, Sask., but he’s from Edmonton. . . .

More from Brandow: The Calgary Hitmen won in OT — they beat the Red Deer Rebels, 2-1 — for the first time since April 28, 2015. That night, F Adam Tambellini’s goal at 3:07 of extra time gave the host Hitmen a 2-1 victory over Brandon in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference final that the Wheat Kings would win, 4-1. . . .

Brandow, again: D Lucas Benton, who scored twice in 68 regular-season games, had two goals in the third period as his Moose Jaw Warriors beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-1. . . .

After a 4-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips, Portland historian Andy Kemper (@Andy Kemper) informed us that “the shutout for Jan Spunar was the 24th playoff clean sheet in Winterhawks history and third against Everett. The others: 3/25/05 — Blake Grenier 20 svs, 3-0 in Portland; 3/26/11 — Mac Carruth 32 svs, 4-0 in Portland. . . . First on home ice since 3/29/15 (Adin Hill — 21 svs in 3-0 win over Seattle).” . . .

A note from Troy Gillard (@Troy_Gillard), the play-by-play voice of the Red Deer Rebels, following a 2-1 OT loss to the Calgary Hitmen: “Calgary’s game-tying goal late in the third period ended G Kyle Kelsey’s shutout streak versus the Hitmen at 190:59. He’d last allowed a goal to them in the third period of a Rebels OT win on Nov. 27.” . . .

After Seattle’s 4-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets, Thunderbirds radio voice Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning) noted: “G Thomas Milic earned his 16th playoff win in net for Seattle (16-11). I believe that ties him with Carl Stankowski (16-4) for most (playoff victories) in franchise history. Unless @TBirdTidbits says otherwise!” TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) later confirmed that as being correct.


Cheque


There was one first-round game played on Sunday, with a late afternoon start time in Saskatoon where the Blades entertained the Regina Pats, who had taken Game 1, 6-1, on Friday night. . . . The teams couldn’t play Saturday in Saskatoon because the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush had SaskTel Centre booked for a game. If you’re wondering, the Rush beat the Vancouver Warriors, 12-11. . . .

There are two WHL playoff games scheduled for tonight, with the Red Deer Rebels to face the Hitmen in Calgary, and the Portland Winterhawks to play the Silvertips in Everett. . . . The Rebels and Hitmen are even, 1-1, while the Winterhawks hold a 2-0 lead.

——

SUNDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Regina (6) at Saskatoon (3) — F Zack Stringer scored two PP goals, the second one at 2:58 of OT, as the Regina Pats beat the Saskatoon Blades, 6-5. . . . The Pats had won the opener, 6-1, on Friday night. . . . The teams now head for Regina and games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . The Pats won it on the only shot by either team in OT; they were outshot 47-19 in the game, including 20-3 in the third period. . . . The Pats took a first-period lead on a goal from F Stanislav Svozil (2) and F Connor Bedard’s first of three scores. . . . The Blades got even on goals from F Justin Lies (1), at 18:01 of the first period, and F Lukas Hansen (2), at 2:48 of the second. . . . Stringer’s first PP goal, at 5:32, put the Pats back out front, but F Josh Pillar (1) tied it at 6:42. . . . Bedard scored at 12:31 for a 4-3 lead, but goals 18 seconds apart from F Jayden Wiens (1) and F Vaughn Watterodt (1) early in the third period gave the Blades their first lead of the series. . . . Bedard (who else?) tied it again at 11:10, just 2:20 after the Blades had taken the lead. . . . The WHL’s online scoresheet credited the winner to Svozil. However, on the play in question, F Alexander Suzdalev took the puck behind the Saskatoon net and centred it to Stringer, who snapped it past G Ethan Chadwick. . . . Suzdalev finished with a career-best four assists. . . . Chadwick came on in relief of Austin Elliott after Regina had scored four goals on 13 shots. Chadwick was beaten twice on six shots in playing 30:27. . . . The Pats got a huge effort from G Drew Sim, who finished with 42 saves. . . . The Blades were 0-for-4 on the PP and now are 0-for-6 in the two games. . . .

It would seem that there was at least one really unhappy fan when this one was over . . . A tip of the Taking Note cap to the attendants for maintaining their cool . . .

——

BEDARD
CONNOR BEDARD

THE BEDARD REPORT: F Connor Bedard had three goals and two assists as his Regina Pats took a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series, beating the Blades, 6-5 in OT, in Saskatoon. . . . He had two goals and an assist in Friday’s 6-1 victory. . . . That means he has been in on eight of the Pats’ 12 goals in the two games. . . . This was Bedard’s 11th game this season with at least five points — nine with five, two with six. He now has played in 59 games this season and has at least three points in 27 of them. . . . Bedard has scored at least three goals in 10 games this season — eight threes and two fours. . . . The announced attendance for Game 2 was 10,598. That means that Bedard and the Pats have played before 50,399 fans in their last four visits to Saskatoon. . . . Some of the fans showed their appreciation on Sunday by tossing hats onto the ice after Bedard’s third goal.


Closed


If you were watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, you may have seen bchlSportsnet’s Jeff Marek offer up some speculation about the BCHL perhaps preparing to leave the Hockey Canada umbrella.

The BCHL already has pulled out of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, so isn’t able to compete for the ‘national’ championship — the Centennial Cup.

As well, the BCHL has made recent noises about what it sees as the need for a super junior A league.

“The goal,” Marek told viewers on Saturday, “is to create this league of high-level, elite-level junior A players from all over the country without having to pay for players to bring them in. If you go out on your own away from Hockey Canada, you have access to everybody.”

According to Marek, a move could happen in time for the BCHL to operate independently starting with the 2023-24 season.

Jesse Adamson, the BCHL’s manager, communications and events, told Brian Wiebe, the owner and editor-in-chief of BCHL Network: ”We are always exploring opportunities to support more players. However, no decisions or votes have taken place and the reports are just rumours and speculation.”

Considering that last fall the BCHL sent Hockey Canada a 35-page report titled ‘Modernizing Junior Hockey in Canada — Supporting Two Junior Development Paths for Canadian Athletes’ and also posted it on its website, and apparently has yet to receive any reaction from Hockey Canada, this might well be one of those ‘where there’s smoke there’s fire’ situations.

Wiebe’s story on Marek’s report is right here.


Shoulder


THINKING OUT LOUD — Having watched more than a bit of MLB over the past few days I can tell you that some of the home-plate umpires seem to be doing everything in their power to speed up the arrival of robo-umps. . . . I’m not privy to details of the TV contract between the CHL and TSN, but it’s hard to believe that the ‘Canadian’ sports network didn’t jump through heats to get the Connor Bedard-led Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades on one of their multiple channels on Sunday. . . . Hey, TSN, if you’re not aware, Games 3 and 4 in that WHL playoff series are scheduled for Regina on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Are fans of the Toronto Blue Jays reaching for the panic button yet? After all, they’ve played three games without hitting a home run.


DorothyGirls
Dorothy and two of the loves of her life — granddaughters Averi and Kara. This photo likely wouldn’t have been possible had Dorothy not had a kidney transplant almost 10 years ago.

My wife, Dorothy, will be taking part in the 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk on June 4 and, for a 10th straight year, is fund-raising. In September, she will celebrate 10 years as a transplant recipient. . . . If you would like to make a donation and be part of Team Dorothy, you may do so right here.

——

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.


Job

Bedard sparks Pats’ victory . . . Firkus, Warriors win in 2OT . . . Stankoven, Blazers light up Giants

April1


Things got rolling in the WHL playoffs on Friday with all 16 qualifiers in action. WHLSeven of the series will continue on Saturday night, with the exception being the Regina-Saskatoon series, which will pick up with Game 2 on Sunday in ‘Toontown. . . . All series are best-of-seven and injury-related news will be harder to find than hen’s teeth. And line combinations that are available prior to regular-season games? Those now are top secret and confidential. . . .

——

FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Medicine Hat (8) at Winnipeg (1) — F Matt Savoie scored three times and added WinnipegIcean assist to lead the Winnipeg Ice to a 5-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Savoie gave the Ice a 2-0 lead at 8:22 of the first period, upped it to 4-1 at 4:55 of the third and made it 5-2 with an empty-netter at 18:53 of the third. . . . Three of Winnipeg’s first four goals came via the PP as it went 3-for-6 with the man advantage. . . . D Ben Zloty recorded four assists, three of them on the PP. . . . F Andrew Basha scored twice for the visitors, who held a 36-35 edge in shots. . . . F Zach Benson was among Winnipeg’s scratches. He was the Ice’s leading scorer in the regular season with 98 points, 62 of them assists, in 60 regular-season games but hasn’t played since March 10. . .  .

Calgary (7) at Red Deer (2) — G Kyle Kelsey stopped 25 shots to help the Red RedDeerDeer Rebels to a 3-0 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Kelsey was 21-11-5, 2.64, .907 with four shutouts in his freshman season. He has put up three blank jobs in his las four starts, with two of them coming against Calgary. . . . F Kai Uchacz, a 50-goal man in the regular season, scored the game’s first goal at 17:56 of the first period. . . . The Rebels nursed that lead until F Jayden Grubbe scored at 13:22 of the third period and F Frantisek Formanek counted at 17:56. . . . The Rebels are without F Ben King, who led the WHL last season with 52 goals. This season, he finished with 17 goals and 18 assists in 30 games, but he last played on March 18. . . .

Regina (6) at Saskatoon (3) — F Connor Bedard scored twice and added an Reginaassist to lead the Regina Pats to a 6-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . But it was F Zackary Shantz who got the Pats started, giving them a 1-0 lead at 4:11 of the second period with his first WHL goal. The 17-year-old from Sucker Creek, Alta., went into the game with one assist in 22 regular-season games — nine with Prince George and 13 with Regina. . . . F Riley Ginnell upped Regina’s lead to 3-0 just nine seconds into the third period. . . . The Blades got to within two when F Lukas Hansen scored at 9:54 but it was too little and too late. . . . G Drew Sim earned the victory with 27 stops. . . . There were only two minor penalties called, both to the Pats. . . . If you’re wondering, the announced attendance was 10,265. . . .

Lethbridge (5) at Moose Jaw (4) — F Jagger Firkus struck for PP goal late in the WarriorsNewsecond OT period to give the Moose Jaw Warriors a 2-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge had failed to score on a PP opportunity late in the first OT. . . . Firkus, who also had an assist, got the winner with 17 seconds left in the second OT period. . . . D Logan Dowhaniuk had given the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 4:53 of the second period. . . . F Cole Shepard tied it at 12:04, scoring while shorthanded. . . . The four Warriors who sat out the regular season’s last 17 games due to WHL-issues suspensions — G Connor Ungar, D Max Wanner, D Marek Howell and F Lynden Lakovic — all played. In fact, Ungar and Wanner were in the starting lineup. . . . Ungar finished with 50 stops. . . . Lethbridge G Bryan Thomson, who is from Moose Jaw, blocked 52 shots. . . .

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Kelowna (8) at Seattle (1) — The Seattle Thunderbirds erased a 2-0 deficit to Seattlebeat the Kelowna Rockets, 3-2, in Kent, Wash. . . . F Dylan Guenther scored twice for Seattle, the second one tying the game, 2-2, at 3:22 of the third period. . . . F Reid Schaefer snapped the tie, on a PP, at 5:53. . . . Guenther drew the primary assist on the winner, giving him a three-point night. . . . The Rockets got 36 saves from G Jari Kykkanen. G Talyn Boyko, who made 40 regular-appearances for the Rockets, appeared in only five of 12 March games. . . . G Thomas Milic stopped 23 shots for Seattle. . . . These teams are meeting in the playoffs for the 10th time since 2001, with the Thunderbirds holding a 5-4 edge. Seattle has won the last three times they’ve met — 2016 and 2017 in the Western Conference final and last season in the first round. Seattle is 3-1 in first-round series with Kelowna. . . .

Vancouver (7) at Kamloops (2) — F Logan Stankoven, who led the 2022 Kamloopsplayoffs in goals, scored three times and added two assists as his Kamloops Blazers dropped the Vancouver Giants, 8-0. . . . Last spring, Stankoven scored 17 times in 17 games. . . . The Blazers scored four times in the first period and took it from there. . . . Kamloops outshot Vancouver, 17-3, in that first period and held a 39-7 edge after the second. . . . G Dylan Ernst stopped 15 shots for the shutout. . . . D Olen Zellweger had four assists. . . . F Caedan Banker chipped in a goal and two helpers. . . .

Everett (6) at Portland (3) — F Marcus Nguyen scored twice to help the PortlandPortland Winterhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Nguyen’s first goal gave Portland a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 5:26 of the second period. . . . F Jackson Berezowski got Everett even, on a PP, at 4:17 of the third, only to have Nguyen break the tie, on another PP, at 10:59. . . . F James Stefan made it 4-2 at 12:20. . . . F Austin Roest’s second goal of the game got Everett to within one at 16:49. . . . Portland was 3-for-4 on the PP; Everett was 1-for-6. . . . Roest, who last played on March 8, returned to the lineup and had three points. He had 78 points, including 32 goals, in 60 regular-season games. . . . G Jan Špunar earned the victory with 28 saves. . . .

Tri-City (5) at Prince George (4) — The Tri-City Americans coughed up a 3-0 Tri-Citylead but came back to beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-4. . . . F Tyson Greenway scored twice as the Americans grabbed a 3-0 lead early in the second period. . . . The Cougars came back and tied it when F Caden Brown scored his second goal of the game at 2:03 of the third period. . . . Goals from F Jake Sloan, at 4:46, and F Deagan McMillan, at 6:55, put Tri-City ahead, 5-34. . . . F Zac Funk got the Cougars to within a goal at 9:42, then they thought they had it tied with 58 seconds left only to have the goal disallowed because the net was off its moorings. . . . F Jalen Luypen iced it with the empty-netter. . . . The Americans got 43 saves from G Tomas Suchanek. . . . This series has a 2-3-2 format, meaning the Americans now are in a position to win it on home ice.


JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

F Josh Filmon of the Swift Current Broncos has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils, who selected him in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2022 draft. From Winnipeg, Filmon, 19, had 47 goals and 28 assists in the just-completed WHL regular season. In 148 career games, he has 122 points, 72 of them goals. . . . He made his pro debut with the AHL’s Utica Comets on Friday night. Filmon had two shots and a tripping minor in a 4-3 shootout loss to the visiting Rochester Americans.


Think


My wife, Dorothy, will be taking part in the 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk on June 4 and, for a 10th straight year, is fund-raising. In September, she will celebrate 10 years as a transplant recipient. . . . If you would like to make a donation and be part of Team Dorothy, you may do so right here.

——

——

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.


Unicorn

Another five-point night for Bedard; he’s got 14 in three games . . . Two WHLers get NHL deals . . . Ice hangs on to lead atop overall standings

BEDARD
CONNOR BEDARD

THE BEDARD REPORT: It was only a few short days ago that I was wondering if fatigue was catching up to F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats. After all, he had had a four-game stretch during which he had only two points, both goals. . . . Since then? Well, he had another five-point outing — three goals and two assists — on Saturday night as the Pats beat the Warriors, 7-3, in Moose Jaw. One night earlier, in Regina, Bedard also had three goals and two assists, but the Warriors won that one, 9-5. . . . Prior to the back-to-back five-pointers, he had a four-point outing, so he now has 14 points in a three-game stretch. . . . He also now has nine hat tricks this season — seven three-goal games and two four-goal outings. Of the WHL’s 21 other teams, only the Saskatoon Blades have as many hat tricks. . . . Bedard leads the WHL in goals (69) and points (139). He and F Riley Heidt of the Prince George Cougars are tied for the lead in assists, with 70. . . . The last WHLer to score 70 goals in a season was F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2017-18. . . . Up next? The Pats are in Saskatoon to play the Blades today and somewhere around 15,000 are expected to show up for that one. Yes, that will a single-game attendance record for Saskatoon.


JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The NHL’s Dallas Stars have signed F Chase Wheatcroft of the Prince George Cougars to a three-year entry-level contract. Wheatcroft, 20, was an NHL free agent. . . . Wheatcroft, from Calgary, is second in the WHL scoring race, his 105 points trailing only F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, who has 139. Wheatcroft has 47 goals and 58 assists. . . . He went into this season with 82 points, 31 of them goals, in 137 games split between the Lethbridge Hurricanes (104) and Winnipeg Ice (33). . . .

The Edmonton Oilers have signed F Jake Chiasson of the Saskatoon Blades to a three-year entry-level contract. The Oilers selected Chiasson in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2021 draft. . . . Chiasson, an 18-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., was picked by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the first round, 15th overall, of the WHL’s 2018 draft. . . . The Wheat Kings dealt him to Saskatoon in January. He has 10 goals and 18 assists in 30 games with the Blades this season, after putting up 10 goals and 18 assists in 37 games with Brandon. In 170 career regular-season games, he has 40 goals and 67 assists.


Fire


If the WHL playoffs started today:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) vs. Calgary (8)

Red Deer (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)

Saskatoon (3) vs. Regina (6)

Moose Jaw (4) vs. Lethbridge (5)

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) vs. Kelowna (8)

Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (7)

Portland (3) vs. Everett (6)

Prince George (4) vs. Tri-City (5)

——

SATURDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

F Matt Savoie drew three assists to lead the host Winnipeg Ice to a 4-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . G Daniel Hauser recorded the victory with 19 saves. This season, he 36-4-1, 2.31, .915. In 89 career appearances, he is 77-7-3, 2.24, .913. . . . Winnipeg (54-9-1) has won six straight and leads the overall standings by two points over Seattle. Each team has four games remaining. . . . Prince Albert (27-35-3) was eliminated from the playoff chase after Saturday’s games. . . .

The Lethbridge Hurricanes scored the game’s last four goals as they beat the Oil Kings, 6-1, in Edmonton. . . . F Tyson Laventure had a goal (22) and an assist. . . . Lethbridge (35-24-6) is fifth in the Eastern Conference and headed to a first-round clash with Moose Jaw. . . . Edmonton (9-51-4) has lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . .

G Brayden Peters stopped 23 shots to help the Calgary Hitmen to a 2-0 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. . . . Peters, a 20-year-old from Taber, Alta., has three shutouts this season and seven in his career. This season, he is 16-14-6, 2.88, .908, pretty good numbers for a Calgary team that had something of a roller-coaster season. . . . F Carter Yakemchuk (17) gave Calgary a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 16:14 of the second period, and the Hitmen nursed that until F Sean Tschigerl (24) got the empty-netter at 19:26 of the third. . . . Calgary (28-28-8) is eighth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind Medicine Hat and two ahead of Swift Current. . . . Medicine Hat (28-27-9) had won its previous two games. . . .

G Drew Sim stopped 45 shots as the Regina Pats beat the Warriors, 7-3, in Moose Jaw. . . . F Connor Bedard had three goals (69) and two assists, while F Braxton Whitehead added a goal (10) and two assists. . . . Attendance was announced at 4,965, the largest crowd in Moose Jaw this season, well above the 4,011 fans who watched the Pats win 6-3 there on opening night. According to its website, the Moose Jaw Events Centre seats 4,465 for hockey. . . . Regina (33-28-4) clinched a playoff spot with the victory. It is sixth in the Eastern Conference and likely to face Saskatoon in the opening round. . . . Moose Jaw (39-23-3) had won its previous four games and will finish fourth in the conference. . . .

G Reid Dyck turned aside 31 shots as his Swift Current Broncos came out of Red Deer with a 3-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Josh Filmon scored his 45th goal of the season for the Broncos. . . . The Broncos led 2-1 after the first period and it stayed that way until F Mat Ward (25) scored into an empty net at 19:18 of the third. . . . Red Deer lost F Frantisek Formanek to a cross-checking major and game misconduct at 15:33 of the first period. . . . Swift Current (29-32-4) snapped a six-game losing skid (0-5-1). It is ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points from a playoff spot with three games remaining. . . Red Deer (42-18-6) had points in each of its previous six games (4-0-2). It will be the No. 2 seed in the conference and is awaiting an opponent. . . .

F Justin Lies broke a 2-2 tie at 16:04 of the second period as the Saskatoon Blades beat the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . Lies has eight goals. . . . F Jake Chiasson, whom the Blades acquired from Brandon in January, had two assists on the day he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . Saskatoon (46-14-5) has won two straight and will be Eastern Conference’s third seed when the playoffs open. . . . Brandon (26-32-8) has lost four in a row and is four points from the conference’s last playoff spot with only two games remaining. . . .

D Aidan Sutter had a goal and two assists to help the host Everett Silvertips to a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . He’s got six goals. . . . The Silvertips scored the first two and the last two goals. . . . Sutter’s PP marker, at 18:20 of the first period proved to be the winner. . . . Everett (32-30-3) is sixth in the Western Conference, three points behind Tri-City. . . . Vancouver (26-30-8) had won its previous two games. It is seventh in the conference, four points ahead of Kelowna but with two games in hand. . . .

F Kyle Crnkovic broke a 2-2 tie with two late third-period goals as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Winterhawks, 4-2, in Portland. . . . Crnkovic scored his 29th goal of the season at 16:46, then added No. 30 into an empty net at 18:31. . . . It was Seattle’s club-record 24th road victory of the season, breaking a record that was set last season. . . . Seattle (52-9-3) has points in 18 straight games (17-0-1), but trails Winnipeg by two points atop the overall standings. . . . Portland (39-19-7) has lost two in a row. It will be the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed when the playoffs begin. . . .

F Logan Stankoven’s goal at 2:19 of OT gave the Kamloops Blazers a 5-4 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna. . . . Stankoven, playing in his second game since returning from an undisclosed injury, also had an assist. He’s got 33 goals. . . . F Ryan Hofer of the Blazers forced OT with his 40th goal, at 15:55 of the third period. . . . Kamloops D Olen Zellweger scored his 29th goal of the season, tops among WHL defencemen. . . . Kamloops got two goals and an assist from F Connor Levis, who now has 26 goals. . . . F Carson Golder had a goal (30) and two assists for the Rockets, as did F Dylan Wightman (15). They also got two goals from F Andrew Cristall (38). . . . Kamloops (47-11-6) has won nine in a row and 20 of 21, but is seven points behind Seattle atop the Western Conference standings. Each team has four games remaining. . . . Kelowna (26-36-4) has lost three in a row (0-2-1). It is eighth in the conference and appears headed to a first-round meeting with Seattle. . . .

F Brayden Schuurman scored in the second-round of a shootout to give the Victoria Royals a 7-6 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . The Royals had tied the game with two PP goals in the final minute of the third period. F Teague Patton (14) scored at 19:15 and Schuurman got his second of the game and 15th of the season at 19:54. . . . F Koehn Ziemmer reached the 40-goal plateau with a pair for the Cougars. . . . Victoria (16-43-7) has lost its previous 12 games (0-11-1). . . . Prince George (35-24-7) has points in nine straight (6-0-3) and will finish fourth in the Western Conference. . . . 

F Jordan Gavin and F Parker Bell each had two goals and an assist to help the Tri-City Americans to an 8-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Gavin, the second overall selection in the WHL’s 2021 draft, has 22 goals and 30 assists in 59 games. He won’t turn 17 until Nov. 13. . . . Bell, 18, has 24 goals and 39 assists in 53 games. Last season, in 64 games, he finished with 18 goals and 31 assists. . . . Tri-City (31-26-8) has points in four straight (3-0-1). It is fifth in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Everett with each team have three games remaining. . . . Spokane (14-42-9) has lost six in a row (0-4-2).


OldAge


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.


Boss

Bedard nets winner in Brandon . . . Blazers’ victory streak hits 11 . . . Raiders roar back, stun Blades

There was a time when hockey people who do a lot of travelling would tell me that the Regina Leader-Post had the second-best sports section in Canada, behind only the Toronto Star. I was the sports editor then and I loved to hear from those people.

While that sports department covered the heck out of the CFL and the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the WHL and the Regina Pats we really prided ourselves on our local sports coverage. Our curling coverage was second to none. We had someone whose primary responsibility was the U of Regina; he also covered junior football’s Rams, the SJHL and the local stock car scene. We were all over the high school athletic scene and the local amateur sports people.

Well, as of today, that sports department is gone. Kaput. Nothing but a memory.

Murray McCormick, who had been there since 1985, spent his last day as a member of the sports department working from home. And somehow that was only fitting because the lights really had gone out a long time ago.

A department that once was home to at least 12 of us was down to three not that long ago. But then Greg Harder, whose primary beat had been the Regina Pats, moved over to entertainment.

That left McCormick and Rob Vanstone. But Vanstone announced his departure a few days ago. He now is the senior writer and historian with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

For now, Regina is home to arguably the biggest story of this hockey season. F Connor Bedard, who hasn’t yet turned 18, led Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championship and since returning to the Pats he has been selling out arenas throughout Western Canada, including Regina. Until a few days ago, Vanstone had done a masterful job of keeping all informed of Bedard and all the numbers that go with his story.

In a few months, Bedard will be the first selection in the NHL’s 2023 draft.

As things sit now, the Regina Leader-Post won’t be there because it no longer has a sports department to document his journey. It’s like a book without an ending and that’s a real shame.


Overseer


CANADA WEST UPDATE: The U of Calgary Dinos doubled the visiting Saskatchewan Huskies, 4-2, on Friday night to even their best-of-three Canada West semifinal series, 1-1. They’ll decide things at the Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary tonight. . . . The Dinos had won 23 in a row before dropping a 5-3 decision to the Huskies on Thursday. . . . In the other semifinal, the UBC Thunderbirds ran their winning streak to 15 games with a 4-3 victory over the visiting Alberta Golden Bears. They’ll play Game 2 in Edmonton tonight.


Juice


BEDARD
CONNOR BEDARD

THE BEDARD REPORT: The Travellin’ Bedards were in Brandon on Friday night and, according to Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun, they drew a record 5,954 fans. “That’s a new record,” Bergson tweeted. “Maybe don’t tell the fire marshal.” . . . Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to ascertain what the previous single-game attendance record was. . . . F Connor Bedard only picked up one point on Friday night, but it was a big one as his goal, with 1:55 left in the third period, gave the Regina Pats a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Bedard tipped home a point shot by D Parker Berge to win this one. . . . Bedard leads the WHL in goals (53), assists (58) and points (111). Yes, he was at 111 points after having what originally was a six-point outing — a goal and five assists — on Wednesday in Regina’s 6-3 victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. However, one of those assists later was taken away from him.

——

If the WHL playoffs started today:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) vs. Medicine Hat (8)

Red Deer (2) vs. Calgary (7)

Saskatoon (3) vs. Regina (6)

Moose Jaw (4) vs. Lethbridge (5)

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) vs. Kelowna (8)

Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (7)

Portland (3) vs. Everett (6)

Tri-City (4) vs. Prince George (5)

——

FRIDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

In Brandon, G Drew Sim blocked 44 shots to lead the Regina Pats to a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . According to one observer, Sim also sparked a post-game brouhaha by “waving goodbye to a Wheat Kings player at the end of the game.” Any resemblance to an old-fashioned bench-clearing was purely accidental, however. . . . Regina F Jaxsin Vaughan received a match penalty for attempt to injure in the post-game melee, while Brandon F Matt Henry was given a game misconduct for leaving the bench. . . . The Pats had taken three of the game’s four minor penalties until that point. . . . Vaughan already has served a five-game suspension for a headshot major and game misconduct in a Dec. 28 game at Brandon. . . . F Nate Danielson (27) got Brandon into a 3-3 tie at 8:17 of the third period. . . . Regina F Connor Bedard (53) won it at 18:05 of the third period. . . . The Wheat Kings are to play in Regina tonight. . . . Regina (28-24-3) has won three straight. It is sixth in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Calgary and Medicine Hat. . . . Brandon (22-25-8) is 10th, three points from a playoff spot. . . .

G Talyn Boyko stopped 27 shots to lead the visiting Kelowna Rockets to a 4-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Boyko has three shutouts this season and six in 136 career appearances. . . . F Dylan Wightman scored twice, his first one, at 9:55 of the first period, proving to be the winner. He’s got nine goals on the season. . . . Former Edmonton F Carson Golder (24) provided insurance at 3:45 of the second period. . . . F Max Graham was back in Kelowna’s lineup after a nine-game absence. He drew an assist on Wightman’s first goal. . . . Kelowna (21-30-3) has won four straight. It is eighth in the Western Conference, nine points ahead of Victoria and four behind Vancouver. . . . Edmonton (8-44-3) has lost six in a row. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Kamloops Blazers scored the game’s last five goals to beat the Hurricanes, 6-2. . . . F Fraser Minten (26) got the Blazers even, on a PP, at 19:00 of the second period and D Olen Zellweger (20) gave the visitors the lead, on another PP, at 9:53 of the third. . . . F Logan Stankoven scored his 29th goal and added two assists for the Blazers, who have won 11 in a row, five of them on a six-game swing through the Central Division that wraps up tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . Kamloops (38-10-6) will win the B.C. Division. . . . Lethbridge (30-21-6) has lost three in a row but appears headed to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. . . .

G Jackson Unger blocked 36 shots to lead the host Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Broncos held a 39-24 edge in shots, including 15-6 and 12-6 in the final two periods. . . . F Atley Calvert scored his 34th goal, giving him the Warriors’ single-season record for most goals by a Moose Jaw-born player. That record had belonged to David Bararuk (33, 2001-02). . . . Calvert’s goal, at 17:55 of the second period, broke a 2-2 tie. . . . F Ryder Korczak (23) made it 4-2 at 5:05 of the third period. . . . The Broncos got to within a goal when F Josh Filmon (35) scored at 5:39, but they weren’t able to equalize. . . . They’ll have a rematch tonight in Swift Current. . . . Moose Jaw (35-19-3) has won two in a row and looks to be headed to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. . . . Swift Current (25-27-3) has lost five straight and is two points from a playoff spot. . . .

F Matt Savoie’s third-period goal stood up as the winner as the Winnipeg Ice got past the Rebels, 2-1, in Red Deer. . . . F Zack Ostapchuk (21) had given the Ice a 1-0 lead at 12:03 of the first period. . . . F Jace Isley (25) tied it 11 seconds into the second. . . . Savoie’s 29th goal of the season, at 4:38 of the third, turned into the winner. . . . G Daniel Hauser earned the victory with 29 saves. This season, he is 31-3-1, 2.39, .913. His career numbers are 72-6-3, 2.27, .911. . . . Yes, 72-6-3. Think about that for a minute or two. . . . The game featured the leaders of the East and Central divisions. . . . Winnipeg (46-7-1) has won nine in a row. It now leads the Eastern Conference by 14 points over Saskatoon. . . . Red Deer (37-15-4) has lost two straight, but will finish atop the Central Division and be the conference’s second seed. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders erased a 5-2 deficit with three third-period goals and then beat the host Saskatoon Blades, 6-5 in OT. . . . D Aidan De La Gorgendiere (10) put the Blades ahead 5-2 at 10:53 of the third. . . . The Raiders tied with with three goals in 2:45 — D Landon Kosior (17), at 12:37; F Niall Crocker (13), at 14:23; and F Aiden Oiring (11), at 15:22. The first two came via the PP. . . . F Sloan Stanick won it with his 19th goal just 49 seconds into OT. . . . It was Stanick’s second OT goal of the week. He had the winner at 1:05 of OT on Monday as the Raiders won, 4-3, in Brandon. . . . Kosior, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, added two assists to his goal. . . . Oiring also had two helpers. . . . Saskatoon got two goals and an assist from F Jake Chiasson (17). . . . The Raiders were 3-for-8 on the PP; the Blades were 2-for-5. . . . They’ll meet up again tonight, this time in Prince Albert. . . . The Raiders (24-28-3) have won five in a row; they are four points from an Eastern Conference playoff spot. . . . The Blades (37-13-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They are likely to be the conference’s third seed. . . .

The Seattle Thunderbirds scored three first-period goals en route to a 6-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans in Kent, Wash. . . . F Brad Lambert (12) scored 16 seconds into the game to put Seattle ahead. . . . F Jalen Luypen (10) got the Americans even just 33 seconds later, but the visitors weren’t able to score again. . . . Seattle was 2-for-5 on the PP and added a shorthanded goal. . . . F Reid Schaefer (22) scored twice and added two assists. He’s got 46 points in 43 games. . . . Lambert added an assist to his goal. He now has 23 points in 14 games. . . . F Dylan Guenther drew three assists, giving him 13 points in eight games. . . . Seattle (44-9-2) ran its winning streak to nine games. It leads the Western Conference by eight points over Kamloops. . . . Tri-City (27-22-7) is fourth, three points ahead of Prince George. . . .

F Carter Streek scored twice to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks. . . . Streek, who has 13 goals, gave his guys a 2-0 lead at 19:14 of the first period and added the game’s last goal at 14:53 of the second. . . . F Ty Cheveldayoff helped Spokane’s cause with his 20th goal. . . . G Dawson Cowan stopped 30 shots to earn the victory. . . . Spokane (12-36-7) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). . . . Portland (36-15-5) has lost six straight (0-5-1) and is going to be the third seed when the Western Conference playoffs start. . . .

F Chase Wheatcroft scored twice, including an OT goal, as the Prince George Cougars beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-4, in Langley, B.C. . . . Wheatcroft, who has 36 goals, won it at 3:09 of OT. . . . The Cougars erased a 3-1 deficit with three goals 2:50 apart in the second period. . . . F Cole Dubinsky (17) gave them a 4-3 lead at 10:09. . . . F Skyler Bruce (10) got the Giants even with his second goal of the game, at 4:42 of the third period. . . . Wheatcroft also had an assist. . . . At one point in the first period, Vancouver D Damian Palmieri delivered seven cross-checks to the back of Prince George F Arjun Bawa, who was down in the Giants’ crease. Referee Adam Bloski was in perfect position at the back of the net and didn’t raise a finger. I know! I know! Stripes was waiting for the eighth one. . . . Prince George (27-23-4) has won three in a row. It has moved into fifth in the Western Conference, three points behind Tri-City and one ahead of Everett. . . . Vancouver (21-26-7) is seventh, four points ahead of Kelowna.


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.


Snow

Sim overshadows Bedard in Pats’ victory . . . Warriors hang on to win in Kamloops . . . Thunderbirds slow down Portland express

A reminder that former WHLer Andrei Lupandin and his family have left their native Ukraine and are in Saskatoon hoping to start a new life after losing their home in the ongoing Russian onslaught.

Lupandin, 44, and his wife and two sons arrived in Saskatoon “with little more than a hockey bag and one suitcase for the family of four,” according to a GoFundMe page that is up and running.

“They have no work and need to start over. We are raising funds to help them with buying essentials, saving money to live and for future accommodations and household items.”

That GoFundMe page is right here.



FRIDAY IN THE WHL:

F Connor Bedard’s I Can Sell Out the B.C. Division Arenas Tour got started in Langley, B.C., as his Regina Pats beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-0, before an Reginaannounced crowd of 5,276. . . . That is the largest crowd for a Giants’ home game in the Langley Events Centre since they moved there to start the 2016-17 season. . . . The Pats (10-11-2) had lost their previous three games. . . . The Giants now are 8-10-4. . . . G Drew Sim was huge for the Pats, kicking out 47 shots to record his second shutout this season and the third of his career. Sim, 19, was a third-round pick by the Giants in the WHL’s 2018 draft. His first 11 WHL appearances were with the Giants. . . . Vancouver dealt him to Regina on Oct. 21, 13, 2021, for a conditional fourth-rounder in 2024. . . . Bedard, who takes his tour on to Victoria to meet the Royals tonight, was playing in his 100th regular-season game. He had one assist as his point streak reached 22 games. He was blanked in the season’s first game and hasn’t been shut out since then. . . . Bedard leads the WHL in goals (19), assists (30) and points (49). . . . Bedard is from North Vancouver, and this was his first WHL game on the Lower Mainland of B.C. . . . F Borya Valis (10), who had missed the last two games, got Regina’s first goal, on a PP, at 12:47 of the first period. . . . F Riley Ginnell, 20, made his Regina debut after being acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors earlier in the week. . . .

The visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes scored three PP goals en route to a 4-3 Lethbridgevictory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Lethbridge improved to 13-10-1. It is 1-2 on a six-game road trip. . . . The Wheat Kings are 8-14-2. . . . These teams will play in Brandon again tonight. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 2-1 lead into the second period, but the Hurricanes scored the next three goals. . . . F Tyson Laventure (5) had two goals and an assist for the winners, with D Logan McCutcheon (1) chipping in a goal and two assists. . . . Lethbridge was 3-4 on the PP; Brandon was 2-5. . . . The Hurricanes got 37 stops from G Harrison Meneghin. . . .

In Calgary, F Sloan Stanick and F Keaton Sorensen each had four points to help PrinceAlbertthe Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Raiders (9-12-2) have won four in a row. . . . The Hitmen (11-6-3) had points in each of their previous two games (1-0-1). . . . After F Zac Funk (6) gave Calgary a 2-1 lead 48 seconds into the second period, the Raiders scored the game’s last four goals. . . . Sorensen (11) had two goals and two assists, with Stanick drawing four assists. . . . Raiders F Evan Herman, the team’s captain, scored his fifth goal this season — it was the 50th of his career — and added two assists. . . . The Raiders got 32 stops from G Tikhon Chaika. . . .

The Kelowna Rockets struck three times in the second period and went on to Kelownabeat the Silvertips, 4-2, in Everett. . . . Kelowna improved to 9-9-1; the Silvertips, who had been 0-3-1 in their previous four games, now are 12-9-1. . . . F Colton Dach (6), Kelowna’s captain, broke a 2-2 tie at 17:24 of the second period. He also had an assist. . . . F Max Graham (2) iced it with an empty-netter. . . . Kelowna D Jackson DeSouza had two assists and now is on a four-game point streak, with seven points over that stretch. He went into this season with one goal and 10 assists in 70 games. This season, he has three goals and five assists in 17 games, with all eight points having come over the past five games. . . . Everett F Jackson Berezowski, who hadn’t played since Nov. 4 as he missed six games, scored his 13th goal. . . .

The Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s first three goals, two via the PP, and WarriorsNewhung on to beat the Blazers, 3-2, in Kamloops. . . . The Warriors (14-9-0) are 1-1-0 on this seven-game road swing. . . . The Blazers (10-5-4) had points in each of their previous five games (3-0-2). . . . F Brayden Yager (11) had a goal and an assist for the Warriors, the goal giving them a 3-0 lead at 13:52 of the second period. . . . F Jagger Firkus of the Warriors ran his point streak to 16 games with an assist. . . . Kamloops F Logan Stankoven (14) scored 45 seconds into the third period and later added an assist to extend his point streak to 15 games; he has hit the scoresheet in each game in which he has played this season. . . . The Warriors got a big game from G Connor Ungar, who made 36 stops. . . .

The Medicine Hat Tigers scored three times in the shootout to beat the Rebels, MedicineHat3-2, in Red Deer. . . . The Tigers (8-10-5) have won two straight. . . . The Rebels (16-4-3) have lost three in a row (16-4-3). . . . F Kai Uchacz (17) scored while shorthanded to give Red Deer a 2-1 lead at 2:26 of the second period. . . . F Brendan Lee got the Tigers even with his 14th goal at 15:39 of the third. . . . Lee, who also had an assist, has goals in six straight games, putting in eight over that stretch. He also scored Medicine Hat’s first goal in the shootout. . . . The Tigers had a 42-31 edge in shots. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Winnipeg Ice broke a 1-1 tie with three straight goals en route Saskatoonto a 5-3 victory over the Blades. . . . The Ice (22-2-0) has won two in a row. . . . The Blades (15-5-0) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . . The will have a rematch tonight, also in Saskatoon. . . . F Ty Nash (11) gave the Ice a 4-1 lead at 4:16 of the third period. He has goals in five straight games. . . . The Blades got PP goals from F Josh Pillar (4) and F Justin Lies (4) to get within a goal, but weren’t able to equalize. . . . The Ice got a goal and two assists from D Ben Zloty (6), while F Connor McClennon had three assists. . . . Zloty, 20, has 28 points in 24 games this season. . . . G Daniel Hauser made 30 saves to earn the victory. This season, he is 16-0-0, 2.43, .914. In his career, he is a remarkable 57-3-2. . . . F Zach Benson was one of the Ice’s scratches. . . .

The Seattle Thunderbirds have points in six straight games after beating the SeattlePortland Winterhawks, 6-1, in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds (15-3-1) are 5-0-1 in their past six games. . . . The Winterhawks (17-3-1) had points in each of their previous 12 games (10-0-2) and had won nine in a row. . . . F Kyle Crnkovic (10) led Seattle with a shorthanded goal and two assists. . . . The only goal of the first period came from Seattle D Nolan Allan. He has five on the season, but this was his first with Seattle since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 16. . . . Seattle outshot Portland, 35-21, including 24-7 through two periods. . . . The Winterhawks had F Jack O’Brien and F Robbie Fromm-Delorme back after one-game absences. Joshua Critzer (@jjcritzer) tweeted that “both are wearing full shields/fish bowls due to coming off illness.” . . . The Thunderbirds remain without injured D Luke Prokop. . . .

F Josh Davies scored the game’s first three goals to lead the host Swift Current SwiftCurrentBroncos to a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Broncos (10-11-0) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Oil Kings (4-19-1) have lost two in a row. . . . The same teams will meet again tonight, also in Swift Current. . . . Davies, who has eight goals, scored twice while shorthanded — at 14:02 of the first period and 9:39 of the second — to complete his first WHL hat trick in his 106th game.


Looters


THE TRADING PLACE:

The Regina Pats skated at the Langley Events Centre on Thursday in advance of their Friday night game against the Vancouver Giants. Afterwards, John Paddock, the Pats’ senior vice-president of hockey operations, general manager and head coach, met with the media. Of course, he was asked about the possibility of trading highly touted F Connor Bedard. Paddock’s response: “That’s a stupid question. That’s my response. There’s only one place where that’s come out of all year and that’s in B.C.” . . . You will note that he didn’t say “NO!” Could it be that the Pats are keeping open all of their options? . . . Hey, John, any chance of your trading Tanner Howe? . . .

The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired F Anthony Wilson, 17, and D Luke Shipley, 18, from the Victoria Royals for F Teydon Trembecky, 17, and three WHL draft picks — a third-rounder in 2023 that originally belonged to the Red Deer Rebels, a fifth in 2024 and a fourth in 2026. . . . Wilson, a third-rounder selection in the 2020 WHL draft, had nine goals and nine assists in 81 games with the Royals. He is from Swift Current. . . . Shipley was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft. From Powell River, B.C., he had four goals and 18 assists in 105 games with Victoria. . . . Trembecky, a third-round pick by Brandon in the 2020 draft, is from Strathcona, Alta. He had two assists in 24 games with the Wheat Kings. . . . 

Since Oct. 25, WHL teams have combined on 13 trades involving 22 players, 30 draft picks and four conditional picks. . . . Only the Calgary Hitmen, Everett Silvertips, Kelowna Rockets, Medicine Hat Tigers, Portland Winterhawks and  Vancouver Giants haven’t made at least one deal in the past month.


Spotted


JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Regina Pats got down to three 20-year-olds by releasing F Jakob Brook. He is expected to join the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. . . . The Pats had indicated in Tuesday’s WHL roster report that they had dropped Brook. But there wasn’t an announcement until Thursday. . . . A second-round pick by the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL’s 2017 draft, Brook had three assists in seven games this season. In 164 career regular-season games, split between the Pats and Raiders, he put up 14 goals and 23 assists. . . . Brook’s brother, Aidan, 19, also is on Dauphin’s roster. Aidan has WHL experience with the Medicine Hat Tigers (24 games) and Prince George Cougars (11). . . .

F Max Streule, a sophomore from Zurich, Switzerland, has cleared WHL waivers and has left the Winnipeg Ice for the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Streule, 19, had two goals and nine assists in 52 games last season; this season, he was pointless in six games. . . . Streule’s departure leaves F Vladislav Shilo, who is from Minsk, Belarus, as the Ice’s lone import. . . .

G Ève Gascon, who made history last season as the third female to play in a QMJHL regular-season game, with the Gatineau Olympiques, has committed to play NCAA hockey for the U of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. . . .

The BCHL’s Penticton Vees ran their season-opening winning streak to 22 games on Friday, as they dumped the host Alberni Valley Bulldogs, 7-1. . . . The Vees are to travel to Powell River to meet the Kings tonight. . . .

Meanwhile, we shouldn’t be ignoring the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars, who have opened the season by playing 23 games without a regulation-time loss. . . . They will take a 20-0-3 record into their next game, against the visiting Notre Dame Hounds on Dec. 2.


Freedom


THINKING OUT LOUD — Just how big is the NFL in the world of TV and sports. Well, you may have noticed that the NHL didn’t have even one game scheduled for Thursday, which was American Thanksgiving and featured three NFL games. One of those games — New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys — averaged 42 million viewers on FOX-TV. It now is the most-watched NFL regular-season game in history. . . . I never cease to be amazed by the number of people on the sidelines of a football game in the U.S., be it NFL or NCAA. Does each one of those people have a particular responsibility, or are they just there? . . . Mask up whenever the situation calls for it. Those people with suppressed immune systems will thank you for it.


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.


Breakfast

Canucks’ sked remains unsettled . . . BCHL’s Clippers put on hold . . . Shutouts gone wild in WHL


One day after F J.T. Miller said he and his Vancouver Canucks teammates needed more time to recover from a COVID-19 outbreak before returning to game Canucksaction, the NHL scrubbed at least one of their upcoming games.

The Canucks, who haven’t played since March 24, have been in the middle of the outbreak since March 30.

They were scheduled to play host to the Edmonton Oilers tonight (Friday) and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The NHL acted Thursday to postpone the game against Edmonton, and more changes could be announced today.

Including tonight’s game, the Canucks have had nine games postponed.

The Canucks had at least 21 players test positive, along with four members of the coaching staff, including head coach Travis Green. After once having 19 players on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, only three players were there on Thursday — F Nils Hoglander, D Nate Schmidt and F Jake Virtanen.

On Wednesday evening, the Canucks had indicated that their Thursday morning practice — the first since March 31 — would be open to the media. However, Canucks PR (@CanucksPR) tweeted on Thursday at 9:08 a.m., saying that “today’s practice, originally scheduled open to media, is now a closed practice.”

Miller, who was able to escape the virus, had said on Wednesday that “it’s kind of frustrating if I’m being 100 per cent honest with you. We try to talk about the No. 1 priority is the players’ health and the families’ safety, and it’s almost impossible to achieve that with what they’ve asked us to do here on our return.”


The BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers stopped all team activities on Thursday “to allow Nanaimofor further analysis of a potential positive COVID-19 test result,” the league announced. . . . All team members, who have been tested once a week since the BCHL returned with a pod-type season, went into isolation until results are confirmed one way or the other. . . . The league said it would “provide an update once further analysis has been completed.” There wasn’t an update as of Thursday at 10 p.m. PT. . . . The Clippers were to have played the Alberni Valley Bulldogs last night, but that game was postponed. . . . The Clippers, Bulldogs, Victoria Grizzlies and Cowichan Valley Capitals have been playing in Alberni Valley under the cohort format. . . . Victoria and Cowichan Valley are scheduled to play tonight, with Nanaimo and Victoria on tap for a Saturday afternoon game, followed by the Capitals and Bulldogs that night.


Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries, held a news conference on Thursday morning.

Among other things, she indicated that the OHL won’t be starting up anytime soon.

With COVID-19 and variant numbers on the rise in many jurisdictions, including Ontario, she said: “The ground has shifted significantly. . . . We will not be putting young athletes at risk.”

There is a whole lot more right here from Queen’s Park Briefing.


Radio-Canada reported Thursday morning that the 2021 Canadian Grand Prix has been cancelled. It had been scheduled for June 13 in Montreal. According to Radio-Canada, “Montreal public health authorities concluded that even behind closed doors without spectators, the risk of spreading COVID-19 during the Formula One event is too high.”


Boxes


Shutouts were the order of the night in the WHL on Thursday, with three goaltenders in the spotlight . . .

D Rhett Rhinehart scored three times to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-1 Bladesvictory over the Pats in the Regina hub. . . . Rhinehart, who went into the game with one goal, came out of it with his first career hat-trick. Interestingly, Regina’s lone goal went in off one of Rhinehart’s skates. It was credited to F Logan Nijhoff. . . . The last Saskatoon defenceman with three goals in one regular-season game? Ryan Flaherty (@RFlahertyGlobal) tweeted that Darren Dietz had four goals in a 7-3 victory over Swift Current on Feb. 17, 2012. . . . Rhinehart scored his first two goals at 8:07 and 11:41 of the first period. . . . Nijhoff counted his ninth goal at 3:08 of the second, but Rhinehart got that one back at 18:23. . . . Saskatoon F Kyle Crnkovic (8) got the empty-netter. . . . Saskatoon had a 35-21 edge in shots, including 16-3 in the third period. . . . The Blades (14-2-2) have points in six straight (5-0-1). . . . The Pats, who are 0-3 since F Connor Bedard left to join Canada’s U18 team, are 6-9-3. . . . The Pats were without F Zack Smith, who absorbed a headshot from D Landon Kosior of the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday. Kosior has been suspended for three games. . . .

G Max Paddock turned aside 45 shots to earn the shutout as the Prince Albert RaidersRaiders beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 2-0. . . . The Warriors (7-10-1), who have lost three in a row, outshot the Raiders, 45-25, including 21-8 in the second period. . . . The Raiders now are 7-8-3, with points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . This was Paddock’s first shutout of the season and the eighth of his career. . . . Prince Albert’s goals came from F Michael Horon (4), at 17:41 of the first period, and F Eric Pearce (7), at 16:37 of the second. . . .

G Sebastian Cossa stopped 30 shots to help the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 4-0 Edmontonvictory over the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The 6-foot-6 Cossa now has won 12 straight games. He has two shutouts this season and six for his career. This season, he is 12-0-0, 1.33, .948. Yes, he is eligible for the NHL’s 2021 draft. . . . F Carson Latimer (4) scored the only goal Cossa would need, at 16:55 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Henderson (1), F Jalen Luypen (11) and D Matthew Robertson (3) added third-period goals. . . . The Oil Kings (13-1-0) have won four in a row. . . . Lethbridge (6-7-2) had points in each of its previous four games (3-0-1). . . . Edmonton was 3-for-9 on the PP. . . .

G Drew Sim earned his first career shutout as the Vancouver Giants dumped the VancouverVictoria Royals, 4-0, in Kamloops. . . . Sim, who is 2-1-0, was making his fourth appearance of the season. . . . Vancouver had a 40-16 edge in shots, including 14-5 in the second period and 17-5 in the third. . . . The Giants are 6-3-0 and have posted shutouts in four of those victories. . . . The Royals (1-7-1) have lost four in a row. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-2 on the PP. . . . F Justin Sourdif (4), D Alex Kannok Leipert (3) and D Mazden Leslie (5) had second-period goals, with F Tristen Nielsen (8) scoring in the third. . . . Leslie, who turned 16 on Thursday, scored his fifth goal in eight games for the Giants. He was the 10th overall selection in the 2020 bantam draft.


Mower


F Payton Mount of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who was taken to hospital on a Seattlestretcher after a Tuesday night game against the visiting Tri-City Americans, was back with his billets on Wednesday morning. . . . According to the Thunderbirds, “All of Mount’s diagnostic tests at the hospital showed positive results and he was diagnosed with a contusion from the impact of the puck.” . . . Mount was seated on the Seattle bench near game’s end when he was struck on the neck by a puck that glanced off the back wall. . . . The Thunderbirds are next scheduled to play tonight against the visiting Everett Silvertips.


G Braden Holt of the Everett Silvertips will play for Team USA at the U18 IIHF EverettWorld championship that opens April 26 in Frisco and Plano, Texas. Holt is the only player on Team USA’s roster who isn’t out of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. . . . Holt, 17, is from Bozeman, Mont. The Silvertips selected him in the 12th round of the 2018 bantam draft. . . . This season, Holt is 1-1-0, 2.75, .862. Last season, in eight games backing up Dustin Wolf, Holt was 4-2-0, 1.82, .926. . . . With Holt gone, the Silvertips are left with Wolf and Evan May, a 16-year-old from Nanaimo, as their goaltenders. An 11th-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft, May has yet to appear in a WHL game.


My wife, Dorothy, who had a kidney transplant more than seven years ago, will take part in her eighth straight Kamloops Kidney Walk on June 6. Unfortunately, it will be a virtual walk for a second straight year, but that won’t keep her from fund-raising on behalf of the Kidney Foundation. If you would like to help her out, you are able to make a donation right here.


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.


West