Veteran forward off Tigers’ roster . . . Royals still perfect after seven games . . . Broncos get first win, head west


ThisThat

Following a 4-1 victory by the Medicine Hat Tigers over the visiting Prince George Tigers Logo OfficialCougars on Friday, Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat Tigers tweeted: “Tigers not commenting on the status of Gary Haden, who was scratched from tonight’s game.” . . . Prior to Saturday’s game, in which Medicine Hat beat the visiting Kootenay Ice, 4-3 in a shootout, McCracken reported that “Haden is no longer on the (Tigers’) roster.” . . . After the game, Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ general manager and head coach, told McCracken that Haden’s absence will be addressed on Monday. . . . Haden, 19, is from Airdrie, Alta., who was a ninth-round selection by the Regina Pats in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. . . . This season, he had one goal and two assists in nine games. Last season, he had 17 goals and 25 assists in 70 games. . . . In 115 career regular-season games, he has 25 goals and 28 assists.


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SATURDAY NIGHT NOTES:

F Kaid Oliver scored with 25 seconds left in OT to give the host Victoria Royals a 3-2 VictoriaRoyalsvictory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals are 7-0-0 overall, including 5-0-0 at home. All seven victories have come against B.C. Division opponents. . . . The Giants (7-1-1) have points in six straight (5-0-1). . . . Oliver (6) finished with two goals and an assist. . . . F Brandon Cutler (3) gave Victoria a 2-1 lead at 13:08 of the second period. . . . F Milos Roman (3) scored on a PP at 3:36 of the third period to tie it 2-2. . . . The same teams will play in Victoria again today, 3:05 p.m.


G Joel Hofer stopped 53 shots through OT and his Swift Current Broncos went on to win SCBroncosfor the first time this season, beating the host Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2 in a shootout. . . . The Broncos got shootout goals from F Alec Zawatsky and F Max Patterson. . . . Swift Current improved to 1-7-0. . . . The Wheat Kings (5-0-2) have yet to lose in regulation time. . . . F Stelio Mattheos (7) had both Brandon goals. . . . D Garrett Sambrook, acquired from Brandon earlier in the week, was in the Broncos’ lineup. . . . After the game, the Broncos boarded their bus and headed west. They next are scheduled to play on Tuesday in Langley, B.C., against the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Broncos will play all five B.C. Division teams on the trip, covering it in eight days. Interestingly, they will go Kamloops-Prince George-Kelowna, playing the last three games of the swing in five nights. Most teams on a B.C. Division trek play in Kelowna and Kamloops on back-to-back nights, then finish in Prince George two nights later.


F Brett Leason had a goal and an assist as the Prince Albert scored a 2-1 victory over the visiting Red Deer Rebels. . . . Leason’s goal, his seventh, broke a 1-1 tie five minutes into the third period. . . . He now is riding a 10-game point streak, with seven goals and 12 assists over that stretch. Last season, he had one goal in 12 games with the Tri-City Americans, then added 15 goals and 17 assists in 54 games after being dealt to the Raiders. . . . The Rebels had been 5-0-1 in their previous six games. . . . The Raiders (9-1-0) are to play in Saskatoon on Sunday afternoon. The Blades are 7-2-0 and have won four in a row.


F Daemon Hunt had two goals and an assist to help the host Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 MooseJawWarriorsvictory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs had points in their previous six games (4-0-2). They are 1-1-0 on their East Division trip. . . . The Warriors have points in six straight (4-0-2). . . . Hunt, 16, is from Brandon. He was a first-round pick in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. . . . Hunt’s first WHL goal gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead, on a PP, at 4:17 of the third period. His second goal broke a 3-3 tie at 11:49. . . . D Ty Smith scored twice for Spokane, his first goals this season. . . . The Warriors lost D Josh Brook to a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on Spokane F Ethan McIndoe at 6:02 of the third period.


D Jake Lee had four assists — giving him seven in two games — as the Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 7-3, in Kent, Wash. . . . F Noah Philp had two goals and an assist for Seattle. Philp had never scored more than once in a game before scoring four times on Wednesday. . . . F Dillon Hamaliuk had a goal and two assists for Seattle, and has points in all seven games this season. He’s got 15 points, including six goals. . . . Seattle is 3-0-1 in its past four games. . . . The Oil Kings went 0-5-0 in a five-game U.S. Division trip. Overall, they have lost seven in a row (0-6-1). . . . Edmonton D Conner McDonald played in his 200th regular-season game.


The Everett Silvertips scored five PP goals as they beat the visiting Kamloops Blazers, 7-2. . . . The Silvertips, who had a 57-20 edge in shots, held a 3-1 lead when Kamloops F Riley EverettAppelt was given a headshot major and game misconduct at 13:34 of the second period. Everett blew it open with three goals on the ensuing PP. . . . Kamloops F Jermaine Loewen sat out Game 3 of a four-game suspension. He won’t play Friday against the visiting Swift Current Broncos, and may be joined by Appelt and D Montana Onyebuchi on the sideline. Onyebuchi was given an interference minor, misconduct and game misconduct at 6:43 of the third period, and may be hearing from the WHL office. . . . F Riley Sutter (4) had two goals and an assist for Everett, with D Jake Christiansen drawing three assists. . . . Everett F Dawson Butt scored for a second straight game. He finished last season with one goal and two assists in 45 games. This season, he has three points, two of them goals, in five games. . . . The Blazers’ losing streak has reached seven (0-6-1) after they opened the season with two victories. . . . The Silvertips, who beat the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-3, on Friday, are scheduled to visit the Portland Winterhawks today, 5 p.m. That will be Everett’s third game in fewer than 48 hours; the Winterhawks haven’t played since dropping the visiting Oil Kings, 8-2, on Wednesday.


The Prince George Cougars scored three shootout goals and beat the Hurricanes, 6-5, in PrinceGeorgeLethbridge. . . . D Cole Moberg (2) of the Cougars forced OT with a goal at 15:26 of the third period. . . . Prince George then outscored the hosts 3-2 in the shootout to snap a four-game losing skid. . . .  Moberg got the winner, breaking a 2-2 tie in the third round of the shootout. . . . G Isaiah DiLaura stopped 49 shots for the Cougars. . . . F Josh Curtis (3) had two goals and an assist for the visitors. . . . Prince George lost F Mike MacLean to a boarding major and game misconduct at 6:54 of the second period. . . . The Cougars, who lost 4-1 to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Friday, are to meet the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, B.C., this afternoon for their third game in fewer than 48 hours.


F Ryan Jevne scored in the sixth round of a shootout to give the host Medicine Hat Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Goals from ex-Tigers F Jaeger White (3) and F Jakin Smallwood (1) had given the Ice a 3-2 lead midway through the third period. . . . The Tigers forced OT when F Ryan Chyowski (3) scored at 15:59. . . . F Tyler Preziuso drew three assists for Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice, which lost 3-2 to the visiting Regina Pats on Friday night, is at home to the Prince George Cougars this afternoon. That will be Kootenay’s third game in fewer than 48 hours.


The Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Rockets, 5-4, in tri-cityKelowna. . . . F Riley Sawchuk (4) tied the game, 4-4, with his second goal of the game, at 14:35 of the third period, and F Isaac Johnson (5) snapped the tie, on a PP, just 27 seconds later. Johnson finished with two goals and an assist. . . . The Rockets (2-9-0) are 0-6-0 on home ice. . . . Kelowna had beaten the Americans, 3-2, in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday. . . . G Talyn Boyko stopped 24 shots in his first WHL start for the Americans. The 6-foot-6 Boyko, who is from Drumheller, Alta., will turn 16 on Nov. 16. Tri-City selected him in the third round of the 2017 bantam draft. . . . F Michael Farren, acquired on Thursday from the Saskatoon Blades, was pointless in his debut with the Rockets.


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Hannan into B.C. Hockey Hall . . . Reichel sinks Raiders . . . Hofer gets first blank job . . . Rockets burn Tigers


MacBeth

D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Brandon, 2002-04) announced his retirement in a long interview published Tuesday (in Swedish) on the Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL) website. He still is suffering from the effects of a concussion incurred during a game on Feb. 15, 2017. The piece is titled: I am no longer a hockey player. In it, he describes the hit (collided with a teammate on a three-on-three) and its after-effects. Last season, he had three goals and three assists in 40 games with Färjestad. He was an alternate captain.


A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

D Scott Hannan, who played four seasons (1995-99) with the Kelowna Rockets, is among BChallthe 2018 inductees to the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame that is located in Penticton. . . . Hannan, from Richmond, B.C., went on to play 1,055 regular-season NHL games with five teams. . . . Also going into the Hall are Willie Mitchell, another former NHL defenceman, and Gerry Sillers, who played with the WHL’s Vancouver Canucks and later spent 28 years as president of the Canucks alumni association. . . . Mitchell, from Port McNeil, played in 907 regular-season NHL games and won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles King. . . . The 1980 Burnaby Lakers, who won the Canadian intermediate A championship, will be inducted in the team category. . . . The inductions will take place in Penticton on July 20.


F Barrett Sheen of the Moose Jaw Warriors will sit for five games after being suspended by the WHL for a headshot major and game misconduct he took on Saturday in a 5-3 loss whlto the host Medicine Hat Tigers. Sheen was penalized for a hit on Tigers D Joel Craven, who had to be helped off the ice. On this week’s WHL roster report, Craven is shown as being out week-to-week. . . . Sheen will miss four home games — against Red Deer, Prince George, Lethbridge and Kootenay — and a Feb. 14 game in Regina. He’ll be eligible to return on Feb. 16 against visiting Regina. . . .

F Joachim Blichfeld of the Portland Winterhawks has been suspended for two games after taking a cross-checking major and game misconduct for a hit on Kamloops D Nolan Kneen during a 4-2 victory over the visiting Blazes on Sunday. Kneen wasn’t injured on the play. Blichfeld won’t play tonight against visiting Everett or Friday in Kennewick, Wash., against Tri-City. He will be eligible to return Saturday at home against Tri-City.


Some notes from the WHL’s weekly roster report: The following players all are listed as being out week-to-week or indefinitely with upper-body injuries — D Drea Esposito and F Conner Chaulk, Calgary Hitmen; F Akash Bains, Everett Silvertips; F Erik Gardiner, Kelowna Rockets; F Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge Hurricanes; D Joel Craven and D Linus Nassen, Medicine Hat Tigers; D Jett Woo, Moose Jaw Warriors; and D Sergei Sapego, Prince Albert Raiders. . . . D Bailey Dhaliwal is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. . . . D Chaz Reddekopp of the Victoria Cougars is out four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury. . . . D Roman Kalinichenko of the Tri-City Americans is out another three weeks with an upper-body injury. . . . Everett D Gianni Fairbrother will be out up to three weeks with an upper-body injury. . . . F Hayden Ostir of Medicine will miss up to six weeks with an upper-body injury. . . . F Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks is expected back this week from a hip injury, while teammate Kieffer Bellows (hand) should return next week.


If you’re interested in attending the 2018 Memorial Cup in Regina, you should know that tickets for the general public now are on sale. For more info, check out the Pats’ news release right here.


D Oscar Plandowski, who is from Halifax and is playing for the OHA-Edmonton bantam prep team, has committed to Quinnipiac University for the 2021-22 season. . . . This season, Plandowski has 17 points, including 14 assists, in 22 games. . . . The 6-foot-0, 165-pounder is 14 years of age; he’ll turn 15 on May 18. . . . His father, Darryl, is the head amateur scout for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Darryl played at Northern Michigan for four seasons. From Lloydminster, Alta., he spent two seasons (1992-94) as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Seattle Thundebirds and scouted for the team for four seasons (1994-98).


Scoreboard

TUESDAY:

In Prince Albert, F Kristian Reichel of the Red Deer Rebels scored the game’s last two goals as they beat the Raiders, 4-3, in overtime. . . . Red Deer (13-25-12) has points in four Red Deerstraight games (3-0-1). . . . Prince Albert (20-20-10) has points in six straight (4-0-2). The Raiders now are three points behind Saskatoon, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Raiders will visit Saskatoon on Friday, after the Blades play host to the Rebels tonight. . . . The Rebels trailed three times before coming back for the victory. . . . F Justin Nachbaur (6) put the home side ahead 1-0 at 9:38 of the second period. . . . F Mason McCarty (26) pulled Red Deer event at 10:33. . . . The Raiders went back out front at 11:37 when F Curtis Miske (17) scored his 17th goal. . . . Red Deer F Alex Morozoff (2) tied it at 13:48. . . . F Eric Pearce (4) scored at 2:27 of the third period as Prince Albert went ahead 3-2. . . . Reichel, who has 19 goals, tied it at 7:43. He got the winner at 2:37 of OT. . . . Red Deer got two assists from F Brandon Hagel, with Reichel adding one to his two goals. . . . Red Deer was 0-1 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 25 shots for the Rebels, six more than that Raiders’ Ian Scott. . . . The Raiders had F Regan Nagy back in the lineup after he last played on Jan. 20 when he appeared to suffer a knee injury. It ended up being a whole lot better than originally feared. . . . Announced attendance: 2,056.


At Swift Current, G Joel Hofer stopped 30 shots to lead the Broncos to a 4-0 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Swift Current (36-12-4) has won four in a row. It is second SCBroncosin the overall standings, five points behind Moose Jaw, but the Warriors hold three games in hand. . . . The Cougars (18-25-8) are 0-2-1 on an East Division tour and are 13 points away form a playoff spot. . . . Hofer, a 17-year-old freshman from Winnipeg, recorded his first WHL shutout in his 14th appearance. He is 6-2-1, 2.61, .917. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen (37) scored the game’s first goal, at 13:01 of the first period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro (32) made it 2-0, on a PP, at 18:20 of the second. . . . F Max Patterson (7) and D Josh Anderson (2), who was acquired from the Cougars at the trade deadline, added third-period goals. . . . D Colby Sissons drew three assists, with F Glenn Gawdin adding two, and Steenbergen getting one. . . . G Tavin Grant stopped 36 shots for the Cougars. . . . The Broncos were without F Aleksi Heponiemi, although he wasn’t listed as being injured on the WHL roster report that was released on Tuesday. They again were missing D Sahvan Khaira and F Kaden Elder, while F Kole Gable was back after a brief absence. . . . Announced attendance: 2,816.


At Kelowna, F Dillon Dube and D Cal Foote each had a goal and two assists to help the Rockets to a 5-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Kelowna (32-14-4) has points in KelownaRocketsfive straight (4-0-1). The Rockets leapfrogged Everett and now leads the Western Conference by one point. . . . Medicine Hat (26-20-6) had points in each of its previous three games (2-0-1). It leads the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s first three goals and led 3-0 midway through the second period. . . . D Cal Foote (11) got it started at 18:08 of the first period. . . . The home team went ahead 3-0 on second-period goals from F Leif Mattson (18), at 1:35, and F Carsen Twarynski (32), on a PP, at 8:42. . . . D David Quenneville (21) got the Tigers on the scoreboard, on a PP, at 14:56. . . . F Kole Lind (27) got that one back for the Rockets at 18:54. . . . F Dawson Heathcote (6) got the Tigers to within two at 5:05 of the third period. . . . Dube (22) put it away with the empty-netter at 19:28. . . . Lind also had one assist. . . . Kelowna was 2-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . The Rockets got 31 saves from G Brodan Salmond. . . . At the other end, Jordan Hollett blocked 39 shots. . . . Tigers F Ryan Chyzowski was given a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Kelowna D James Hilsendager at 10:06 of the third period. Chances are Chyzowski will be suspended, so will miss his club’s game tonight against his older brother, Nick, and the Blazers in their hometown of Kamloops. . . . Announced attendance: 4,373.


WEDNESDAY (all times local):

Prince George at Regina, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Edmonton vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.

Calgary vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.


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