D Jakub Čutta (Swift Current, 1998-2001) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Litvínov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Čutta last played in 2015-16 with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan), when he had three assists in 31 games. . . .
F Michal Řepík (Vancouver, 2005-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) after his release by mutual agreement by Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had 12 goals and 11 assists in 51 games. Slovan has two regular-season games left, but can’t make the playoffs.
A LITTLE OF THIS . . .
The Tri-City Americans may have F Michael Rasmussen in their lineup tonight (Saturday) when they meet the visiting Spokane Chiefs.
Rasmussen, who had wrist surgery before Christmas, last played on Dec. 16. The 6-foot-6, 
220-pound Rasmussen has 31 points, including 16 goals, in 22 games. He was a first-round selection by the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL’s 2017 draft.
Rasmussen took part in full practices this week for the first time since having surgery.
“It’s been a good week,” head coach Mike Williamson told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. “He has worked hard to put himself in a position to get back. We are pretty sure he will play this weekend. . . . We are pretty sure he is ready to go. We will make that final determination (Saturday).”
The Americans are scheduled to entertain the Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday.
Tri-City remains without D Juuso Valimaki, but he may return to the club next week.
Fowler’s complete story is right here.
The biggest smile in all of the west likely belongs to Bruce Vance these days. He’s one of the good guys and spent a lot of time working in WHL circles. These days, you can bet that his focus is on the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team.
That’s because his daughter, Jessica, leads Canada West with six shutouts and a .921 save percentage.
Oh, did we mention that she spent two seasons at the U of Manitoba but couldn’t get into the Bisons’ lineup, other than one game that cost her a season of eligibility.
Then she transferred to Saskatchewan and had to sit out a season.
Claire Hanna of Global News in Saskatoon has more right here.
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Enjoy!
Another day, another set of twins is brought to our attention.
This time it’s Brett and Garrett Festerling, now 31 and playing in Europe.
Brett, a defenceman, spent five seasons (2002-07) in the WHL, with the Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants. He now plays for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of Germany’s DEL.
Garrett, a forward, was in the WHL for four seasons (2003-07), with the Portland Winterhawks and Regina Pats. These days, he also is in the DEL, with Adler Mannheim.
——
Twins who played together . . .
Darren and Trevor Kruger, Swift Current (1987-89)
Bob and Ted McAneeley, Edmonton (Calgary Buffaloes, 1966-67; Edmonton Oil Kings, 1968-69)
Trevor and Troy Pohl, Portland (1986-88)
Taylor and Travis Sanheim, Calgary (2014-16)
Jeremy and Joshua Schappert, Seattle (2005-08)
Rich and Ron Sutter, Lethbridge Broncos (1980-83)
Kaeden and Keenan Taphorn, Kootenay (active)
——
Twins who played but not together . . .
Brett and Garrett Festerling, Tri-City/Vancouver, Portland/Regina (2002-07)
Connor and Curtis Honey, Seattle, Brandon (2011-14)
Brent and Kyle Howarth, Kelowna, Medicine Hat/Spokane/Prince Albert Raiders (2003-06)
Kris and Ryan Russell, Medicine Hat and Kootenay (2003-07)
Beck and Will Warm, Tri-City and Edmonton (active)
——
Officials who are twins and work together . . .
Chad and Cody Huseby, linesmen from Red Deer (active)
THE COACHING GAME . . .
Since being fired as the general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, Mike Vandekamp is hanging out at the rink and helping the minor hockey association.
“I want to continue to volunteer my time with that, mostly coach mentorship stuff,” Vandekamp, a former WHL coach, told Greg Sakaki of the Nanaimo News Bulletin. “That’s something that keeps a guy a little bit involved and down at the rink.”
Wes Mussio, the Clippers’ new owner, fired Vandekamp on Dec. 21, a move the coach said he never saw coming. Mussio announced the move via a late-night post on Twitter, citing irreconcilable differences.
“I don’t think there was ever a specific incident that led to this, or specific animosity or any disrespect shown,” Vandekamp said. “We were operating the hockey team the way we’ve always operated the hockey team.”
Under Vandekamp and assistant Dustin Donaghy, a former WHL player, the Clippers were 18-13-3-2 and second in the Island Division. Under Darren Naylor, the Clippers are 4-7-0-0 and have slipped to third, five points behind the Powell River Kings and Victoria Grizzlies.
Sakaki’s complete story is right here.
FRIDAY:
At Prince Albert, F Kody McDonald had a goal and two assists against his old club as the Raiders beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-2. . . . Prince Albert (19-20-9) has points in four 
straight (3-0-1) and remains four points behind Saskatoon in the chase for a wild-card spot. . . . Prince George (18-24-7) is 10 points out of a playoff spot. This was the start of a six-game East Division trek for Prince George. . . . McDonald opened the scoring with his 23rd goal, while shorthanded, at 3:51 of the first period. . . . F Josh Maser tied it with No. 22 at 9:48. . . . F Jordy Stallard (32) put the Raiders back out front at 9:48. . . . F Liam Ryan (2) got the visitors even again at 6:03 of the second period. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s last four goals. . . . F Parker Kelly (20) snapped the tie at 16:20. . . . F Curtis Miske (16) upped the lead to 4-2 at 1:21 of the third period. . . . F Cole Fonstad (13), just back from the Top Prospects game, scored at 8:36 and F Sean Montgomery (11) added a PP goal at 10:20. . . . Stallard, Montgomery and Parker each added an assist for the Raiders. . . . The Raiders were 1-2 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-5. . . . G Ian Scott earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . Prince George got 29 stops from G Tavin Grant. . . . F Brogan O’Brien, who last played on Dec. 10, was back in the Cougars’ lineup. . . . The Raiders were without F Regan Nagy, whose right knee injury apparently isn’t as bad as it looked when it happened. “I think we dodged a bullet there,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid told Jeff D’Andrea of paNOW.com. “He was X-Rayed, MRI’d, and they all came back clear. It seemed there was a lot of trauma in that area, but he seems to have dodged a bullet and he’s pretty much day-to-day. As soon as he can play, he can play.” . . . Announced attendance: 1,896.
At Saskatoon, G Nolan Maier stopped 20 shots to lead the Blades to a 5-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Saskatoon (24-23-3) had lost its previous two games. It holds 
down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, four points behind Regina. . . . Edmonton (13-28-7) has lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . . Maier, who turned 17 on Jan. 10, has two shutouts this season. He is 16-9-1, 3.18, .904. . . . F Josh Paterson (24) scored the game’s first goal, at 3:05 of the first period. . . . F Max Gerlach (23) scored a PP goal at 6:07, and D Jackson Caller (3) made it 3-0 at 9:20. . . . The Blades got a second-period goal from F Michael Farren (4), on a PP, at 17:03, and one in the third from F Braylon Shmyr (25), at 12:39. . . . Saskatoon got two assists from F Kirby Dach, with Gerlach and Paterson each adding one. . . . Saskatoon was 2-11 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-3. . . . Edmonton took 17 of the game’s 25 minor penalties. . . . G Josh Dechaine started for the Oil Kings and was beaten three times on eight shots in 10:13. Todd Scott finished up by stopping 17 of 19 shots in 49:47. . . . The Blades had F Caleb Fantillo back in their lineup. He hadn’t played since Nov. 29. . . . D Dawson Davidson (ill) was among Saskatoon’s scratches, ending his chance of playing 73 games this season. The Blades acquired him from Regina earlier this month. . . . Announced attendance: 3,309.
At Lethbridge, F Brayden Burke scored in OT to give the Moose Jaw Warriors a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Moose Jaw (39-7-3) has won four straight and leads the 
overall standings by 11 points over Swift Current. . . . Lethbridge (22-21-6) has lost four in a row (0-2-2). It is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Warriors took a 2-0 lead on second-period goals from F Tristin Langan (13), at 11:35, and F Justin Almeida (29), on a PP, at 13:24. . . . F Keltie Jeri-Leon (5) got the home boys to within a goal at 19:45. . . . F Jadon Joseph (6) forced OT with a goal at 19:34 of the third period. . . . Burke, who was acquired from the Hurricanes last season, won it with his 23rd goal of the season at 2:38 of extra time. He leads the WHL scoring race with 95 points, three more than teammate Jayden Halbgewachs. . . . D Kale Clague drew three assists for Moose Jaw, with Burke and Almeida getting one apiece. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-1. . . . The Warriors got 19 saves from G Adam Evanoff. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 30 shots for Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes are without F Taylor Ross and F Dylan Cozens, while D Jett Woo remains out of Moose Jaw’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 4,158.
At Medicine Hat, D Cal Foote’s OT goal gave the Kelowna Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Tigers. . . . Kelowna (31-14-3) has won three straight and leads the Western Conference by 
one point over Everett. . . . Medicine Hat (25-19-6) went to OT for the fifth time seven games. It leads the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s last three goals, Foote winning it with his 10th goal on a breakaway at 3:01 of extra time. . . . F Mark Rassell gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead with goals at 0:42 and 5:43 of the first period. He has 41 goals, the third player this season to surpass 40. . . . F Leif Mattson (16) got Kelowna on the scoreboard at 19:45. . . . F Jaeger White (8) restored Medicine Hat’s two-goal lead at 17:39 of the second period. . . . F Kole Lind (25) got the visitors to within a goal at 5:20 of the third period, and F Conner Bruggen-Cate (14) tied it at 8:14. . . . D Gordie Ballhorn had two assists for Kelowna. . . . The Rockets were 1-2 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-1. . . . G Brodan Salmond stopped 29 shots for Kelowna, four fewer than Medicine Hat’s Michael Bullion. . . . F Dillon Dube was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 3,041.
At Cranbrook, B.C., F Alec Baer and D Martin Bodak each scored twice to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 6-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings Kings. . . . Kootenay (22-23-3) 
has won two in a row. It is third in the Central Division, three points behind Lethbridge. . . . Brandon (28-16-5) has lost seven straight (0-4-3). It remains third in the East Division, six points ahead of Regina. . . . The same two teams will play in Cranbrook again tonight. . . . Last night, the Ice led 5-0 at 10:53 of the second period. . . . Bodak, who has five goals, got it started at 10:14 of the first period. Baer, on a PP, made it 2-0 at 13:00. . . . F Peyton Krebs (11) upped it to 3-0 at 1:22 of the second period. . . . F Sebastian Streu (7) made it 4-0, on a PP, at 4:28 and Baer’s 20th made it 5-0, on another PP, at 10:53. . . . Bodak added a third-period goal. . . . F Luka Burzan (7) and F Evan Weinger (23) scored for Brandon. . . . The Ice got three assists from F Brett Davis and two from F Colton Kroeker, with Baer adding one. . . . Kootenay was 3-3 on the PP; Brandon was 1-5. . . . G Matt Berlin stopped 21 shots for the home side. . . . Brandon’s Dylan Myskiw turned aside 27 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings will wrap up a seven-game road trip tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 2,230.
At Kamloops, head coach Don Hay tied the WHL’s career record for regular-season victories with No. 742 as the Blazers skated to a 5-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Hay 
now shares the record with long-time Edmonton/Portland coach Ken Hodge. Hay’s first opportunity to break the record comes tonight in a rematch with Portland. . . . Kamloops (22-23-3) has won four in a row but is still six points away from a playoff spot. . . . . Portland (28-16-4) had won its previous two games. It is second in the U.S. Division, four points behind Everett. . . . F Connor Zary (5) gave the home team a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 7:17 of the first period. . . . Portland F Skyler McKenzie (36) tied it, on a PP, at 9:18. . . . The Blazers went ahead 3-1 on second-period goals from F Justin Sigrist (2), at 10:44, and F Jermaine Loewen, at 12:24. . . . Sigrist hadn’t scored opening night when he notched the Blazers’ first goal of the season in a 6-2 loss to the Rockets in Kelowna. . . . F Jake Gricius (10) added a Portland goal, on a PP, at 4:12 of the third period. . . . F Quinn Benjafield (16) provided some insurance at 14:20, and Loewen (23) got the empty-netter, at 18:23. . . . Portland was 2-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-2. . . . Blazers G Dylan Ferguson was the game’s first star, with 30 saves. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler, 20, stopped 20 shots. The Winterhawks acquired him from Kamloops on July 21, 2016, for a seventh-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . It was a homecoming for F Ty Kolle and D John Ludvig of the Winterhawks. Both played their first WHL games in their hometown. . . . The Winterhawks continue to play without top forwards Cody Glass and Kieffer Bellows, who have combined for 47 goals. . . . With the injuries, the Winterhawks have added F Seth Jarvis, a first-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft, to their roster. Jarvis, who turns 16 on Feb. 1, plays at the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg. . . . Kamloops F/D Tylor Ludwar didn’t return after his head and the right elbow of Portland D Matthew Quigley came into contact at 18:11 of the second period. It would be safe to assume that Ludwar is in concussion protocol. . . . Announced attendance: 3,721.
At Langley, B.C., F Tanner Kaspick’s second goal of the game, in OT, gave the Victoria Royals a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Victoria (28-17-4) is second in the B.C. 
Division, five points behind Kelowna. . . . The Giants (25-16-8) have lost four in a row (0-2-2). They are third in the B.C. Division, two points behind Victoria. . . . F Dawson Holt (8) gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead at 2:54 of the first period. . . . Victoria tied it on F Andrei Grishakov’s 15th goal, at 7:34. . . . F Tyler Benson put the Giants back out front at 9:22. . . . The Royals took a 3-2 lead on second-period PP goals from Kaspick, at 7:25, and F Matthew Phillips (33), at 10:28. . . . Benson’s 19th goal at 19:06 of the third period forced OT. . . . Kaspick won it with his 16th goal at 2:28 of extra time. . . . Phillips added an assist to his goal for the Royals, while Holt did the same with the Giants. . . . Victoria was 2-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-4. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 22 shots for the winners. . . . The Giants got 28 stops from G David Tendeck. . . . Announced attendance: 3,357.
At Everett, F Matt Fonteyne broke a 1-1 tie 34 seconds into the second period and the Silvertips went on to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Everett (31-16-2) has 
won eight in a row and leads the U.S. Division by four points over Portland. . . . Seattle (25-17-6) had a five-game winning streak end. It is third in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Spokane. . . . F Bryce Kindopp (14) put the home team out front at 9:25 of the first period. . . . Seattle tied it at 11:50 on a PP goal from D Austin Strand (16). He has 11 PP goals this season. . . . Fonteyne put the home side ahead 2-1 with his 29th goal, on a PP. . . . F Connor Dewar added insurance at 9:40 of the third period. . . . Fonteyne also had an assist. . . . Seattle was 1-4 on the PP; Everett was 1-5. . . . G Carter Hart earned the victory with 20 saves, 10 more than Seattle’s Liam Hughes, who had missed the previous five games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Hart now is 18-3-1, 1.33, .958. . . . Seattle lost F Sami Moilanen in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Everett F Sean Richards sat this one out as he began serving a two-game suspension. . . . He also will miss tonight’s rematch in Kent, Wash. . . . Announced attendance: 8,164.
SATURDAY (all times local):
Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Regina at Swift Current, 2:30 p.m.
Prince George at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Brandon vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Portland at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
home game since the franchise moved from Pacific Coliseum to the Langley Events Centre prior to last season. . . . Malm, who also had an assist, has 17 goals. . . . F Ty Ronning scored his 40th goal of the season for Vancouver, which has points in nine straight (7-0-2). . . . The Rockets had won their previous three games. . . . The victory lifted the Giants to within one point of the Western Conference-leading Rockets. . . . Announced attendance: 4,753.
Championship in Buffalo.
points in three straight (2-0-1). They now are five points out of a wild-card playoff spot. . . . The Rebels (10-21-9) have lost seven straight (0-3-4). . . . The Raiders had D Vojtech Budik back after his stint with Czech Republic at the World Junior Championship and he opened the scoring with his third goal of the season, 48 seconds into the second period. . . . That goal came after a first period in which the home side held a 17-0 edge in shots. . . . F Reese Johnson (13) pulled the Rebels even at 19:33 of the second. . . . McDonald won it at 1:08 of extra time with his 20th goal of the season. . . . Budik earned an assist on the winner. . . . Prince Albert was 0-2 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-3. . . . G Curtis Meger earned the victory with 18 saves. . . . Red Deer got 33 saves from G Ethan Anders. . . . Both teams will make it three games in fewer than 48 hours today as they hit the road — the Rebels will play in Swift Current, while the Raiders are in Regina. . . . Announced attendance: 1,901.
Broncos are second in the overall standings, 10 points behind Moose Jaw and six ahead of Brandon. . . . Regina (20-19-3) had won its previous four games. The Pats hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points ahead of Prince Albert. . . . The Broncos took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Kaden Elder, at 9:34, and F Matteo Gennaro, at 11:42. . . . Regina tied it in the second period as F Bryan Lockner (6) scored, on a PP, at 4:41 and F Nick Henry (7) counted at 18:46. . . . Gennaro (26) broke the tie at 15:15 of the third period and Elder (11) added insurance at 18:31. . . . D Josh Mahura had two assists for the Pats. . . . Regina was 1-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-3. . . . The Broncos got 33 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . Regina starter Tyler Brown allowed two goals on 11 shots in 11:45 before being relieved by Jacob Wassermann, who made his WHL debut by stopping 15 of 17 shots in 48:15. Wassermann, who plays for the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, is on the Pats’ roster while G Max Paddock is sidelined. . . . F Austin Pratt, acquired earlier in the day from Red Deer, was in the Pats’ lineup. However, F Jesse Gabrielle and D Jonas Harkins, who came over to Regina from Prince George on Friday, didn’t play. . . . D Artyom Minulin played for the Broncos after returning from the World Junior Championship where he played for Russia. . . . Announced attendance: 2,284.
are in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, two points ahead of Regina. . . . The Ice (18-21-3) has lost five in a row, going 0-4-1 as it played five games in six nights. This also was its eight game in 11 nights since the end of the Christmas break. Kootenay remains second in the Central Division, two points ahead of Lethbridge. . . . F Gage Ramsay, who went into the game with two goals this season, got his guys off to a quick start by scoring twice in the first period, at 3:07 and 12:46. . . . F Josh Paterson (20) made it 3-0 at 17:13. . . . Saskatoon F Cam Hebig (30) upped the lead to 4-0 at 8:33 of the third period. . . . The Ice got two late third-period goals from F Keenan Taphorn (4), at 15:48, and F Brett Davis (11), at 18:44. . . . Ramsay added an assist to his two goals, while Hebig had two helpers. . . . D Zachary Patrick had two assists for the Ice. . . . Kootenay was 0-1 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-2. . . . Saskatoon G Nolan Maier stopped 27 shots. He’s got 10 victories in his past 10 starts. . . . Kootenay starter Bailey Brkin was beaten three times on 17 shots in the first period. Duncan McGovern finished up by stopping 14 of 15 shots in 38:51. . . . This was the first meeting of four between these teams this season. . . . D Libor Hajek, who played so well for Slovakia at the World Junior Championship, was back in the Blades’ lineup. . . . The Blades will make it three games in fewer than 48 hours when they meet the Wheat Kings in Brandon today. The Wheat Kings were idle last night. . . . Announced attendance: 3,241.
in eight straight (7-0-1) and is 10 points clear atop the overall standings. . . . The Oil Kings (10-24-6) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . . The Warriors jumped out front 2-0 on first-period goals form F Tanner Jeannot (31) and Halbgewachs, at 5:05 and 10:32. . . . Edmonton tied it before the period ended on PP goals from F Davis Koch (18) and F Trey Fix-Wolansky (17). . . . The Warriors scored the game’s last five goals. . . . F Luka Burzan (6) broke the tie at 12:00 of the second period, and F Justin Almeida added insurance at 17:18. . . . Almeida (24) scored again at 2:14, Halbgewachs (44) got his second of the game, while shorthanded, at 14:25, and F Tate Popple (4) finished the scoring at 17:32. . . . F Brayden Burke, who leads the WHL points race, had three assists. . . . Fix-Wolansky and Koch each had an assist for Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings were 2-7 on the PP; the Warriors were 1-4. . . . The Warriors got 16 saves from G Brody Willms, while Edmonton’s Josh Dechaine stopped 25 shots. . . . Moose Jaw lost D Matthew Benson to a headshot major and game misconduct at 3:23 of the third period. . . . The Oil Kings were without F Colton Kehler, who served a one-game suspension after a slew-footing incident in Medicine Hat on Friday night. . . . Announced attendance: 7,375.
Lethbridge and leads the season series, 4-2-0. Calgary is fourth in the Central Division, five points behind Lethbridge. . . . Lethbridge (17-19-3) has lost two in a row. It is 2-3-1 in the series with Calgary. The Hurricanes are third in the division, two points behind Kootenay with three games in hand. . . . Fyten gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 5:38 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge F Jordy Bellerive (24) tied it at 15:05 with his seventh goal in six games. . . . Fyten (6) put the Hitmen back out front at 17:34. . . . The visitors took control with three second-period goals, from F Luke Coleman (8), at 1:34; D Jameson Murray (1), at 6:34; and F Riley Stotts (9), at 8:53. . . . F Cael Zimmerman (4) closed out the scoring, on a PP, at 19:19 of the third period. . . . James and F Jake Kryski each had two assists for Calgary, with Coleman and Stotts each adding one. . . . The Hitmen were 1-4 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-3. . . . Calgary G Nick Schneider stopped 37 shots. . . . The Hurricanes started G Stuart Skinner, who allowed five goals on 17 shots in 28:53. . . . Reece Klassen played the final 31:07, stopping 16 of 17 shots. . . . Calgary F Jakob Stukel came up short on a second-period penalty shot. . . . The Hitmen will play their third game of the weekend today when they entertain the Kelowna Rockets, who didn’t play last night. . . . Announced attendance: 3,773.
games. The Giants, who have missed the playoffs each of the previous three seasons, are tied with Kelowna for first place in the B.C. Division. . . . Medicine Hat (22-16-3) had been 3-0-1 in its previous four games. It leads the Central Division by eight points over Kootenay. . . . F Tyler Preziuso (11) scored a shorthanded goal at 2:08 of the first period to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. . . . F Dawson Holt pulled the visitors even at 6:51. . . . The Tigers went back out front when F Ryan Chyzowski (14) scored, on a PP, at 2:53 of the second period. . . . Vancouver pulled even again just 55 seconds later when F Brad Morrison (11) scored. . . . The Giants took their first lead at 8:27 as F Brayden Watts (12) scored while shorthanded. . . . Medicine Hat tied it at 9:53 when F Gary Haden (10) scored while on the PP. . . . The Giants won it with two third-period goals. . . . F Ty Ronning (36) broke the tie, on a PP, at 5:38, and Holt (6) provided insurance with his second goal of the game at 11:36. . . . Morrison and Watts had an assist each for Vancouver. . . . Chyzowski added an assist to his goal, too. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-7 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-4. . . . G Todd Scott stopped 23 shots for the Giants, two fewer than Medicine Hat’s Jordan Hollett. . . . F Ryan Jevne of the Tigers completed a three-game suspension by sitting out this one. . . . Announced attendance: 3,353.
three games (0-1-2). The victory lifted it past Everett and into first place in the U.S. Division. . . . Everett (23-16-2) has lost two straight. . . . Portland scored the game’s first three goals. . . . Gricius opened the scoring at 17:41 of the first period, and F Ryan Hughes (6) made it 2-0 just 17 seconds later. . . . F Ilijah Colina (3) upped the lead to 3-0, on a PP, at 1:39 of the second period. . . . Everett tied it with the next three goals, all via the PP. . . . F Wyatte Wylie (3) made it 3-1 at 8:11 of the second period. . . . F Matt Fonteyne made it a one-goal game, at 9:49, then tied it with his 20th goal, at 7:59 of the third period. . . . The teams appeared headed to OT when Gricius won it with his ninth goal of the season. . . . F Mason Mannek had two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Everett got two assists from each of D Kevin Davis and F Patrick Bajkov. . . . Everett was 3-5 on the PP; Portland was 1-2. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 36 shots for the Winterhawks, two more than Everett’s Dustin Wolf. . . . The Silvertips brought in D Dylan Anderson from the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League, but he wasn’t in the lineup. Anderson, 15, was a fourth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Announced attendance: 7,019.
straight (7-0-1). . . . Spokane (21-16-3) is tied with Seattle for fourth in the U.S. Division, two points behind Tri-City. Seattle and Spokane hold down the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . Neuls opened the scoring at 18:10 of the first period. . . . Seattle D Jarret Tyska (6) made it 2-0 at 6:36 of the second period. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (22) scored for Spokane at 12:44 of the second period. . . . Neuls (13) restored the two-goal lead, on a PP, at 16:05. . . . Seattle F Matthew Wedman (7) stretched the lead, on another PP, at 5:54 of the third period. . . . F Zack Andrusiak and D Turner Ottenbreit each had two assists for the winners. . . . Andrusiak, 19, went into this season with six goals and five assists in 67 games. This season, he has 18 goals and 20 assists in 39 games. . . . Seattle was 2-5 on the PP; Spokane was 0-6. . . . G Liam Hughes earned the victory with 39 saves, 10 more than Spokane’s Dawson Weatherill. . . . Announced attendance: 5,180.
Austin Crossley, 18, and the Raiders’ first-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft.
and an assist in 30 games last season.
This season, he had seven goals and nine assists in 39 games. In 165 career games, he has 62 points, including 31 goals.
Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . The Raiders (13-17-7) have lost four straight and now are six points out of a playoff spot. . . . These teams will meet again Monday, this time in Regina. . . . Regina F Jake Leschyshyn (11) broke a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal, at 13:43 of the third period. . . . F Jared Legien (14) have given the Pats a 1-0 lead just 56 seconds into the first period. . . . F Curtis Miske (12) tied it 57 seconds into the second period. . . . The Raiders held a 35-12 edge in shots after two periods, but found themselves in a 1-1 tie. . . . Prince Albert was 0-9 on the PP; Regina was 0-3. . . . G Tyler Brown earned the victory with 47 saves. . . . G Curtis Meger, who is from Regina, stopped 18 shots for Prince Albert. . . . The Raiders were without F Justin Nachbaur, who served Game 1 of a two-game suspension for a cross-checking major and game misconduct he incurred on Thursday against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. . . . Announced attendance: 1,943.
the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . The Broncos (26-9-2) have lost two in a row. They are second in the overall standings, seven points behind Moose Jaw. . . . The same two teams will play Monday in Saskatoon. . . . F Josh Paterson (18) pulled the Blades into a 3-3 tie with his second goal of the game at 8:33 of the third period. . . . F Braylon Shmyr (18) go the winner, at 15:25. . . . F Cam Hebig (29) had given the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 3:04 of the first period. . . . The Broncos took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Colby Sissons (8), at 8:26 of the first period, and F Max Patterson (4), at 5:18 of the second. . . . Paterson got his first goal, for a 2-2 tie, at 6:03 of the third period. He’s got nine goals in the Blades’ past eight games, seven of which have been victories. . . . F Beck Malenstyn (2) got the Broncos back into a tie just 22 seconds later. . . . F Chase Wouters had two assists for the Blades, with Hebig and Shmyr each getting one. . . . F Matteo Gennaro had three assists for the Broncos, and Malenstyn had one. . . . The Blades were 2-6 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-3. . . . G Nolan Maier of the Blades earned his seventh straight victory with 29 saves. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 28 for the Broncos. . . . D Jacson Alexander, who left the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies to sign with the Broncos over the Christmas break, made his WHL debut and drew an assist on Swift Current’s first goal. . . . Announced attendance: 2,268.
Sportsnet. . . . These teams will meet again tonight, this time in Moose Jaw. . . . The Warriors (29-6-3) have points in four straight (3-0-1) and lead the overall standings by a comfortable seven points over Swift Current. . . . The Wheat Kings (25-10-1) have lost two in a row. They had won 10 straight home games. . . . Brandon is third in the overall standings, three points behind Swift Current. . . . Burke had a goal, his 18th, into an empty net, with Almeida drawing four assists. . . . Brandon grabbed an early 2-0 lead on goals from F Gunnar Wegleitner (9), at 2:42 of the first period, and F Linden McCorrister, at 6:50. . . . The Warriors took control by scoring the next five goals, the first three in the opening period. . . . F Ryan Peckford got it started at 7:49, with F Tristin Langan (6) tying it at 15:08 as he got credit for an own goal by Brandon G Logan Thompson, who tipped in what appeared to be a pass back to him by a teammate. . . . Peckford (15) gave Moose Jaw the lead at 19:43. . . . The visitors stretched the lead to 5-2 on second-period goals from D Jett Woo (7), at 9:30, and F Jayden Halbgewachs (38), on a PP, at 13:11. . . . McCorrister (12) got the Wheat Kings to within two at 16:21, only to have F Tanner Jeannot (27) get that one back for Moose Jaw at 18:11. . . . F Evan Weinger (17) got Brandon’s last goal, at 15:29 of the third period, with Burke then getting his goal, at 19:04. . . . Halbgewachs, Peckford and Langan added an assist each for Moose Jaw. . . . D School Higson had two assists for Brandon, with Weinger getting one. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-2 on the PP; Brandon was 0-5. . . . G Brody Willms turned aside 29 shots to earn the victory over Thompson, who stopped 32 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 4,511.
over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Calgary (11-19-6) had lost four in a row (0-2-2). They are 11 points out of a playoff spot. . . . Lethbridge (16-17-3) has points in its last two games (1-0-1). The Hurricanes are third in the Central Division, three points behind Kootenay. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from F Jordy Bellerive (20), on a PP, at 13:24, and F Egor Zudilov (5), at 18:52. . . . Calgary F Andrei Grishakov pulled his guys even with a pair of second-period goals — at 3:15 and on a PP at 7:38. He’s got 10 goals this season. . . . Kastelic won it with his 10th goal. . . . F Jakob Stukel had two assists for Calgary. . . . Calgary was 1-1 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-3. . . . The Hitmen got 40 saves from G Nick Schneider. . . . G Reece Klassen stopped 27 shots for Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes lost F Zane Franklin to an undisclosed injury late in the first period. . . . Announced attendance: 8,494.
and is second in the Central Division, four points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Oil Kings (9-22-5) have points in four straight (2-0-2) but are 16 points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Ice took an early 2-0 lead on goals from F Keenan Taphorn (3), at 0:21 of the first period, and Kroeker, at 3:25. . . . The Oil Kings tied it as F Davis Koch (16) scored, shorthanded, at 7:34 of the first, and F Colton Kehler (12) got one at 2:51 of the second. . . . F Cameron Hausinger (11) put the Ice out front, on a PP, at 15:29. . . . The Oil Kings pulled even again when F Tomas Soustal (10) scored at 15:42. . . . Kroeker won it with his ninth goal. . . . D Dallas Hines had two assists for the Ice, with Hausinger adding one. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky drew two assists for Edmonton. . . . The Ice was 1-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-3. . . . G Bailey Brkin, back after a bout of the flu, earned the victory with 24 stops. . . . G Josh Dechaine made 29 saves for Edmonton. . . . Announced attendance: 7,050.
now has 324 regular-season victories with Medicine Hat, giving him the franchise record. He shared the record with Willie Desjardins, who will lead Team Canada into the Spengler Cup final today in Davos, Switzerland. . . . The Tigers (20-15-2) lead the Central Division, by four points over Kootenay. . . . The Rebels (10-19-8) have lost four in a row (0-1-3). They also have lost eight straight games that have gone to extra time. They are 12 points away from a playoff spot. . . . The Tigers took a 1-0 lead when F Gary Haden (9) scored, shorthanded, at 11:31 of the first period. . . . F River Fahey’s first WHL goal, in his 11th game, got the Rebels even at 13:08. . . . The Tigers took a 3-1 lead on goals from Rassell, at 17:29 of the first, and F Tyler Preziuso (10), at 18:59 of the second. . . . Red Deer pulled even as F Arshdeep Bains scored his first WHL goal, in his fifth game, 48 seconds into the third period and F Mason McCarty got his 18th of the season at 17:02. . . . Rassell won it with his 31st goal this season. . . . McCarty and F Grayson Pawlenchuk had two assists each for Red Deer, while Bains also had an assist. . . . Red Deer was 0-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-4. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 23 shots for the victory. . . . The Rebels opened with G Ethan Anders, who allowed three goals on 26 shots through two periods. Riley Lamb played the final 24:31, stopping 16 of 17 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 3,361.
(14-18-5) are fifth in the B.C. Division, one point behind Kamloops. . . . The Giants (19-14-5) are 1-0-1 in their past two outings. They are third in the B.C. Division, three points behind Victoria. . . . These teams will meet again in Langley on Monday afternoon. . . . The Cougars actually led 4-0 before the game was seven minutes old, on goals from D Dennis Cholowski, F Max Kryski (2), F Josh Curtis (5) and McDonald. . . . F James Malm (14) and F Ty Ronning got the Giants to within two before the first period ended. . . . McDonald restored the three-goal lead at 3:39 of the second period. . . . The Giants then scored four straight goals to take a 6-5 lead. . . . Ronning scored twice, at 12:36 and 17:15 of the second period, for the hat trick. He’s got a single-season high 34 goals, three more than he scored in 2015-16. Ronning’s third goal last night was the 100th of his career. It came in his 253rd game. He has two hat tricks this season and four in his career. . . . D Bowen Byram (3) tied the score at 3:10 of the third period, and F Jared Dmytriw (8) put Vancouver out front at 6:45. . . . Cholowski (10) tied it with a shorthanded goal with 0.30 left on the clock. . . . McDonald won it with his 18th goal. He had a career-high 17 goals last season. He has three career hat tricks, two of them this season. . . . Cholowski also had two assists, including one on the winner, for a four-point night. . . . The Cougars also got two assists from each of F Jared Bethune, F Nic Holowko and D Joel Lakusta, with Curtis getting one. . . . F Tyler Benson recorded four assists for Vancouver, with F Brayden Watts getting two. . . . Prince George was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-5. . . . G Isaiah DiLaura stopped 41 shots for the Cougars to earn his first WHL victory in his sixth appearance. . . . Vancouver’s Todd Scott blocked 32 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 3,767.
Portland. . . . Kamloops (16-19-2) has lost four in a row (0-3-1) and now is five points behind Seattle, which holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Everett took a 1-0 lead as F Riley Sutter (18) scored, on a PP, at 1:06 of the first period. . . . F Brodi Stuart (10) tied it for the Blazers on a PP, at 4:06. . . . Stuart was ejected at 17:31 of the first for his part in a scrap with Everett D Kyle Walker. . . . The Silvertips took over the game with two more first-period goals and two in the second. . . . D Montana Onyebuchi (3) gave Everett the lead at 7:03 of the first, with F Orrin Centazzo (6) making it 3-1 at 15:57. . . . Christiansen, who has five goals, counted twice in the second period, at 11:01 and 12:58, the latter via the PP. . . . F Jackson Shepard (4) scored for the Blazers at 13:18 of the third. . . . Centazzo also had two assists, as did F Sean Richards. . . . Everett was 2-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-3. . . . G Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots for the winners. . . . G Max Palaga got the start for Kamloops, his first start since he beat host Seattle 2-1 on Dec. 2. He gave up four goals on 23 shots in 31:01. Dylan Ferguson finished up, stopping 14 of 15 shots in 28:59. . . . Announced attendance: 4,752.
games (4-0-1) and holds down the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. . . . The Winterhawks (22-12-2) are 1-0-1 in their past two. They are second in the U.S. Division, two points behind Everett. . . . These teams will do it again tonight with a New Year’s Eve test in Portland. . . . The Thunderbirds held a 7-0 edge in shots in OT, with Tyszka winning it with his fifth goal of the season. . . . F Skyler McKenzie had put the visitors out front with a PP goal 44 seconds into the second period. . . . Seattle D Jake Lee (2) tied it at 1:01. . . . F Alex Overhardt (8), on a PP, tied it for Portland at 15:14. . . . F Samuel Huo’s first WHL goal, 10 seconds into the third period, got Seattle into a 2-2 tie. . . . McKenzie (26) gave Portland the lead at 5:10. . . . Seattle F Nolan Volcan (16) counted on a PP, at 12:32, to force OT. He’s got goals in five straight games. . . . The Thunderbirds got two assists from F Zack Andrusiak. . . . D Brendan De Jong had three assists for the visitors with F Ryan Hughes getting two. . . . Portland was 2-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-2. . . . G Liam Hughes, who hadn’t played since Nov. 17, stopped 31 shots for Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds scratched G Matt Berlin, who appeared to be shaken up at the final buzzer of a 5-4 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Friday night. . . . G Cole Kehler blocked 29 shots for the visitors. . . . The Winterhawks were able to dress only 11 forwards. They were without five regulars — D Henri Jokiharju (Finland), F Kieffer Bellows (U.S.) and F Joachim Blichfeld (Denmark) are at the World Junior Championship, while F Cody Glass and D Keoni Texeira are injured. . . . Announced attendance: 5,667.
Division, three points behind Portland. . . . The Americans (19-10-6) have points in six straight (4-0-2). . . . The Chiefs held a 44-24 edge in shots, including 4-0 in extra time. . . . F Hudson Elynuik (19) gave the home boys a 1-0 lead 56 seconds into the first period. . . . The Americans took a 2-1 lead before the period ended, on goals from F Sasha Mutala (3), at 2:26, and F Jordan Topping (18), at 14:45. . . . Spokane took a 3-2 lead on second-period goals from F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (19), on a penalty shot while shorthanded, at 2:04, and F Riley Woods (17), on a PP, at 8:24. . . . F Morgan Geekie (16) got the Americans even again, at 12:49 of the second. . . . Smith won it with his sixth goal of the season. . . . Elynuik added two assists to his goal, while Smith had one. . . . The Americans got two assists from D Dylan Coghlan before he was tossed at 7:34 of the second period with a clipping major. . . .
TAKING NOTE 