Injury-riddled Giants add Sexsmith . . . Strumm, Thunder into Hall of Fame . . . Rockets, Royals pay for early scrap


MacBeth

D Martin Gernát (Edmonton, 2011-13) had his loan assignment by Košice (Slovakia, Extraliga) to Lausanne (Switzerland, NL A) extended until the end of the season. He has two goals and an assist in eight games with Lausanne. . . . The initial loan assignment was until Dec. 17 and was subsequently extended until Feb. 5. Gernát started this season with Prešov (Slovakia, 1. Liga), recording two assists in three games. He signed with Košice on Nov. 21. He was pointless in two games when he was loaned to Lausanne on Dec. 7.


DAN’S DIARY . . .

Dan Courneyea, who heads up the Kamloops Blazers’ off-ice crew of officials is at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang where he’ll be working the hockey Olylogocompetitions.

On Tuesday, with the men’s hockey less than 24 hours from starting, he reported:

“The overall atmosphere here in South Korea has been amazing. There have been many locals volunteer for the Games, even if they don’t fully understand the sport. I think it’s that they just want to be involved.

“It’s still windy but the cold temps have dropped a bit.

“The locals say this is their winter season (Feb-Oct) but there is no snow in the lower elevations (kind of reminds us of Vancouver), yet the hills are battling cold and extremely windy conditions.

“Overall, the Games are good, the events are selling out and the people are very, very friendly.”


A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

With the Vancouver Giants’ defensive corps suddenly riddled by injury, D Joel Sexsmith, 15, is expected to make his WHL debut tonight (Wednesday) against the host Portland VancouverWinterhawks. . . . Steve Ewen of Postmedia tweeted updates on the Giants’ situation on Tuesday morning. . . . The Giants will be without D Darian Skeoch, D Dylan Plouffe, D Matt Barberis and perhaps D Alex Kannok Leipert. . . . The Swift Current Broncos selected Sexsmith in the first round of the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. The Broncos weren’t able to sign him and dealt him to the Giants on Jan. 7, getting back a first-round pick in the 2019 draft. . . . From Edmonton, he has two goals and 12 assists in 13 games with the Edge School Elite 15s. He also had a goal and three assists with the Northern Alberta X-Treme prep team. . . . D Parker Hendren, another AP, likely will get into his eighth game. Hendren, 16, has been playing with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He was a seventh-round pick by the Giants in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Meanwhile, Vancouver F Milos Roman (ankle) is scheduled to skate on Friday for the first time since he last played on Jan. 9. In a perfect scenario, he then would be about two weeks from playing again.


The Las Vegas Thunder, which included former WHL executive and coach Bob Strumm, is to be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony Thunderis scheduled for May 11 at the Orleans Arena. . . . The Thunder, owned by the father-and-son duo of Hank and Ken Stickney, was an International Hockey League franchise that played out of the Thomas & Mack Center for six seasons (1993-99). The franchise folded on April 18, 1999. . . . “I just want to firstly thank the directors and the committee for recognizing our efforts and the fact that we may have paved the way a little bit for professional hockey, what’s happening here today, which is pretty special for us and pretty special for that other pro team that’s going pretty good right now,” Strumm said during a Tuesday news conference. “We hope that we kicked the can down the road a little bit for those guys.” . . . Strumm worked in the WHL office, and also with the Billings Bighorns, Regina Pats and Spokane Chiefs, filling roles from owner to GM to head coach.


F Mitchell Callahan of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors has been suspended for 20 games. According to a news release from the AHL, Callahan was suspended for “violating the terms of the AHL/PHPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.” . . . Callahan will be eligible to return on April 11. . . . Callahan signed a two-year deal with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers on July 1. He had been in the Detroit Red Wings’ organization for six seasons. . . . The 26-year-old Callahan is from Whittier, Calif. He played three seasons (2008-11) with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets.


BradHornungKenMcIntyre
BEST OF FRIENDS: Brad Hornung enjoyed visits from buddy Ken McIntyre at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina. McIntyre, 48, died last week in Minot, N.D.

CLARIFICATION: In this space on Saturday, I wrote that Ken McIntyre, a former WHL player, had died on Feb. 7 after being “found unresponsive in a vehicle at an intersection in Minot, N.D.” . . . I have been informed that this isn’t accurate. He wasn’t in a vehicle when he was found unresponsive at a city intersection, apparently having collapsed just as he was about to walk across the street. A passer-by spotted him, initiated CPR and called 9-1-1. However, McIntyre, 48, was pronounced dead at hospital.


The Kootenay Ice has added F Connor McClennon, 15, to its roster. McClennon, from Wainwright, Alta., was the second-overall selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. . . . He has 26 goals and 41 assists in 31 games with the CSSHL’s Northern Alberta X-Treme prep team. . . . The Ice is scheduled to entertain the Saskatoon Blades tonight (Wednesday).


The Victoria Royals and Kelowna Rockets have been fined $500 apiece after two players whlbecame involved in a fight just 10 seconds into Monday’s Family Day game in the Little Apple. F Braydon Buziak of the Royals and F Kyle Pow of the Rockets drew one-game suspensions for the scrap. . . . The Rockets won the game, 5-4, but lost F Kole Lind after he took a hard hit from Victoria D Ralph Jarratt while cutting across the slot in the Royals’ zone. Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ general manager, told Steve Ewen of Postmedia on Monday evening that Lind will be “out for a week likely.” . . . The Rockets also lost G James Porter Jr., when he left the game after being involved in a goal-mouth collision. . . . Lind and Porter both are listed as day-to-day with undisclosed injuries. . . . “Can you imagine if the Rockets and Royals met in a playoff series?” Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, wrote on this blog. “It would be a blood bath. These two organizations detest one another.”


THE ROSTER REPORT: The Brandon Wheat Kings are listing F Stelio Mattheos as being out “TBD” with an upper-body injury. . . . The Regina Pats show G Ryan Kubic (UB) as being out indefinitely, meaning they will continue to go with Max Paddock as their starter. G Jacob Wasserman, who was added to the roster from the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, remains with the Pats. . . . G Carl Stankowski, who has yet to play for Seattle this season, remains out week-to-week. It’s looking more and more as though he won’t appear in a game this season. . . . The Victoria Royals list F Jeff de Wit and F D-Jay Jerome (both UB) as week-to-week, while D Chaz Reddekopp (UB) will be out another three weeks.


The Kimberley Dynamiters of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have yet to seen a penny from Mike Gould, who pledged $7.5 million to the junior B team earlier this season. . . . However, Gould has pleaded guilty to fraud charges after he allegedly paid a tab of almost $8,000 at a Cranbrook restaurant with two cheques that were in another person’s name. . . . Gould is to be sentenced in February. CBC News reports that Gould also faces a second charge of using a forged document. . . . The CBC report is right here.


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If you have a tip or just want to chat, email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com. You are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.



IF THE PLAYOFFS OPENED TODAY …

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Saskatoon at Moose Jaw

Regina at Medicine Hat

Brandon at Swift Current

Kootenay at Lethbridge


WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle at Everett

Tri-City at Kelowna

Spokane at Portland

Vancouver at Victoria


Scoreboard

TUESDAY:

At Lethbridge, D Juuso Valimaki scored a goal and drew two assists to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge (26-24-6) is second in the TriCity30Central Division, five points behind Medicine Hat. . . . Tri-City (28-19-8) had lost its previous four games (0-3-1). The Americans hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, two points ahead of Seattle. Tri-City is fourth in the U.S. Division, one point behind Spokane. . . . The teams alternated goals until the Americans took control with the last three scores. . . . F Riley Sawchuk gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 13:54 of the first period, only to have Lethbridge F Brad Morrison (21) tied it, on a PP, at 16:17. . . . The Americans went back out front at 3:41 of the second period when F Parker AuCoin struck, on a PP. . . . F Taylor Ross (15) got the Hurricanes even at 6:13. . . . Valimaki (7) gave Tri-City a 3-2 lead, on another PP, at 15:23. . . . F Logan Barlage (5) got the home boys back on even ground at 1:18 of the third period. . . . AuCoin (14) snapped the tie just 21 seconds later. . . . F Michael Rasmussen (21), who also had an assist, added insurance at 3:43 and Sawchuk (12) got the empty-netter at 19:10. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from F Dylan Cozens. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-2. . . . G Patrick Dea earned the victory with 27 saves. . . . The Hurricanes got 29 saves from G Reece Klassen. . . . The Americans are on a quick three-game trip into the Central Division. They will play the Calgary Hitmen tonight and the Kootenay Ice on Friday. . . . Prior to the game, the WHL presented Bob Bartlett, the Hurricanes’ director of player development, with a Distinguished Service Award. Bartlett has been around the WHL for more than 40 years, and has worked with the Lethbridge Broncos and Moose Jaw Warriors, as well as the Hurricanes. He is a member of the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame, the Alberta Hockey Hall of Game and the Lethbridge Broncos/Hurricanes Hall of Fame. . . . Announced attendance: 3,603.


WEDNESDAY:

Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Tri-City at Calgary, 7 p.m.

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

Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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

Edmonton at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.


TWEET OF THE DAY

Friday in the WHL: Ice triumphs in Regina … Reichel sparks Rebels … Chiefs stun Silvertips . . . Record, win for Ronning

A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed G Carl Tetachuk, 16, to a WHL contract. From Lethbridge, Tetachuk is playing for the midget AAA Hurricanes (14-1-1, 1.47, .931, with six shutouts). He leads the Alberta Midget Hockey League in victories, GAA, save percentage and shutouts. . . . The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Tetachuk wasn’t selected in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, despite going 14-3-1, 2.01, .885 with the Lethbridge Golden Hawks.


Jim Swanson, a former sports editor of the Prince George Citizen, has been named a finalist as the Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year. . . . Swanson, who spent a number of years covering the Prince George Cougars and the WHL, now is the managing partner of the Victoria HarbourCats of baseball’s West Coast League. He is preparing for his fifth season with the franchise, having started as general manager and vice-president. . . . The 2018 Greater Victoria Business Awards will be handed out on May 10.


If you like what you see here, please consider clicking on the DONATE button over there to the right and helping the cause.

If you have a tip or just want to chat, email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com. You are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.

And don’t forget that the domain name here is greggdrinnan.com.


IF THE PLAYOFFS OPENED TODAY …

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Prince Albert at Moose Jaw

Regina at Medicine Hat

Brandon at Swift Current

Kootenay at Lethbridge

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle at Everett

Tri-City at Kelowna

Spokane at Portland

Vancouver at Victoria


Scoreboard

FRIDAY:

At Moose Jaw, G Brody Willms stopped 20 shots to lead the Warriors to a 2-0 victory over MooseJawWarriorsthe Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Moose Jaw (41-9-3) has won two in a row and leads the overall standings by five points over Swift Current. . . . Lethbridge (25-22-6) had points in each of its previous five games (3-0-2). It is second in the Central Division, five points ahead of Kootenay. . . . F Vince Loschiavo (15) scored the game’s first goal, at 8:11 of the first period, and F Brayden Burke (26) added insurance at 16:10. Burke and Swift Current F Glenn Gawdin now are tied for the scoring lead, each with 99 points. . . . Willms posted his third shutout of this season, and the fourth of his career. This season, he is 29-7-3, 3.02, .901. . . . The Hurricanes got 34 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . Lethbridge was 0-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-4. . . . The Warriors continue to be without D Jett Woo, although is back at practice in a non-contact outfit. . . . The Hurricanes still are without F Dylan Cozens. . . . Announced attendance: 3,259.


At Regina, the Kootenay Ice struck for three second-period goals and went on to beat the KootenaynewPats, 4-2. . . . Kootenay (24-28-3) had lost its previous five games. It is third in the Central Division, five points behind Lethbridge. . . . Regina (28-23-5) had won its past three games. It is fourth in the East Division, four points behind Brandon, but continues to hold down the Eatern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . F Alec Baer (23) gave the Ice a 1-0 lead just 46 seconds into the first period. . . . Regina F Nick Henry (9) tied it at 1:04 of the second period. . . . The Ice took common with three goals in 6:29. . . . F Colton Kroeker (12) started it with a shorthanded goal at 3:29. . . . F Sebastian Streu (9) gave the visitors a 3-1 lead at 6:14, and D Dallas Hines (4) added a PP goal at 9:48. . . . The Pats got their second goal from F Matt Bradley (31) at 6:33 of the third period. . . . Hines, Baer and Kroeker added an assist each for the winners. . . . F Sam Steel drew two assists for Regina. . . . Kootenay was 1-2 on the PP; Regina was 0-5. . . . The Ice got 37 saves from G Duncan McGovern, while Ryan Kubic stopped 29 shots for the Pats. . . . Announced attendance: 6,020.


At Swift Current, F Glenn Gawdin scored the game’s first two goals to get the Broncos SCBroncosheaded towards a 5-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Swift Current (38-13-4) has won two straight. It is second in the overall standings, five points behind Moose Jaw, which holds two games in hand. . . . Prince Albert (22-21-11) had points in its previous nine games (6-0-3). It is tied with Saskatoon for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Gawdin, who has 46 goals, scored 22 seconds into the first period, then added a second goal at 11:25. He has 99 points and is tied with Moose Jaw F Brayden Burke for the lead in the scoring race. . . . F Giorgio Estephan (25), at 11:39, and F Beck Malenstyn (7), at 17:38, added goals before the period ended. . . . F Kaden Elder (13) made it 5-0 at 1:43 of the second period. . . . The Raiders got their goal from F Justin Nachbaur (7) at 13:58 of the second. . . . The Broncos got two assists from F Matteo Gennaro, with Estephan and Malenstyn getting one each. . . . Swift Current was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . G Stuart Skinner earned the victory with 29 saves, one fewer than Prince Albert’s Curtis Meger. . . . The Broncos had F Aleksi Heponiemi, Elder and D Sahvan Khaira back after brief injury-related absences. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890.


At Brandon, the Wheat Kings scored the game’s last five goals, the last two into an empty BrandonWKregularnet, and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 6-3. . . . Brandon (30-19-5) is third in the East Division, now four points up on Regina. . . . Saskatoon (26-26-3) remains tied with Prince Albert for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. They will play tonight in Saskatoon as the folks in ‘Toontown celebrate the 30th anniversary of the facility originally known as Saskatchewan Place (it now is the SaskTel Centre). . . . Last night, F Cole Reinhardt gave Brandon the lead at 3:11 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon scored the next three goals. . . . F Max Gerlach (26) tied it at 7:21. . . . F Bradly Goethals (11) gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at 5:17 of the second period, and D Dawson Davidson (8) upped it to 3-1 at 10:57. That was Davidson’s first goal since coming over from Regina in January. . . . F Luka Burzan (10) got Brandon to within a goal at 16:16. . . . D James Shearer (1) tied the scored at 2:38 of the third period, with Reinhardt 13) breaking the tie at 13:52. . . . D Chase Hartje (2) and F Evan Weinger (25) got the empty-netters, at 18:00 and 18:30. . . . F Gunnar Wegleitner had two assists for Brandon, with Reinhardt and Weinger getting one apiece. . . . The Blades got two assists from F Logan Christensen. . . . Brandon was 0-4 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-2. . . . G Logan Thompson stopped 33 shots to record the victory over Tyler Brown, who made 19 saves. . . . G Nolan Maier (ill) was among Saskatoon’s scratches. As a result, Koen MacInnes, 16, came in from the Burnaby Winter Club to back up Brown. MacInnes was a second-round pick by Saskatoon in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. . . . Announced attendance: 4,210.


At Red Deer, F Kristian Reichel scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Rebels Red Deerto a 7-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Red Deer (17-25-13) has points in nine straight games (7-0-2). It is fourth in the Central Division, four points behind Kootenay. . . . Edmonton (14-32-7) has lost three in a row. . . . These two teams will play again this afternoon in Edmonton and it’s on Sportsnet. . . . F Kobe Mohr (7) gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead 26 seconds into the game. . . . Red Deer scored the next five goals, three of them by Reichel, who has 23. . . . He started with PP goals at 3:37 and 17:59 of the second period. . . . F Arshdeep Bains (2) made it 3-1 at 19:15. . . . Reichel completed the hat trick with a shorthanded goal at 4:28 of the third period. . . . F David Kope (8) got a shorthanded goal for Edmonton in the third period, before F Brandon Hagel (9) and D Hunter Donohoe (2) finished Red Deer’s scoring. . . . McCarty, Hael and D Dawson Barteaux each had two assists for Red Deer. . . . The Rebels were 3-11 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-3. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 24 shots for the winners, while Edmonton’s Todd Scott turned aside 33. . . . The Oil Kings lost F Trey Fix-Wolansky to a cross-checking major and game misconduct for a hit on Reichel at 8:42 of the first period. . . . D Alex Alexeyev, who was due back in Red Deer on Friday after returning to Russia following the death of his mother, may return to the lineup on Monday in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 4,729.


At Medicine Hat, David Quenneville became the highest-scoring defenceman in Tigers Tigers Logo Officialhistory as they beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-0. . . . Medicine Hat (28-22-7) has won two straight. It leads the Central Division by seven points over Lethbridge. . . . Calgary (16-31-7) had points in its two previous games (1-0-1). . . . Quenneville drew two assists, giving him 197 career points, one more than Kris Russell. Quenneville, 19, has played 236 games over four seasons. Russell, now with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, played 241 games over four seasons. . . . F Elijah Brown opened the scoring at 1:16 of the second period, with F Mark Rassell (44) making it 2-0 at 2:13. . . . Brown (5) upped it to 3-0 at 3:36. . . . F Ryan Chyzowski (18) added a PP goal at 15:20 of the third period. . . . G Michael Bullion recorded his second consecutive shutout with 16 saves. He’s got three shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . Calgary G Nick Schneider stopped 41 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 3,063.


At Prince George, F Jermaine Loewen scored a PP goal late in the third period to give the Kamloops1Kamloops Blazers a 3-2 victory over the Cougars on Lumberjack Night. . . . Kamloops (25-25-4) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). It is eight points away from a playoff spot. . . . Prince George (19-28-8) has lost two straight. It is fifth in the B.C. Division, eight points behind Kamloops. . . . F Ryley Appelt (2) gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead at 1:37 of the first period. . . . The Cougars took the lead on goals by F Ilijah Collins (8), at 2:46, and F Kjell Kjemhus (1), at 3:37. . . . Kamloops F Jackson Shepard (6) got the visitors even at 9:44. . . . The teams then played almost 50 minutes of scoreless hockey before Loewen scored his 26th goal. . . . D Joe Gatenby had two assists for the Blazers. He has career highs in goals (11), assists (36) and points (47). He will play his 300th regular-season game tonight in Prince George. . . . Kamloops was 0-3 on the PP; Prince George was 0-6. . . . G Dylan Ferguson stopped 26 shots to earn the victory over Taylor Gauthier, who made 30 saves. . . . Kamloops F/D Tylor Ludwar took a kneeing major and game misconduct after a hit on D Joel Lakusta at 9:38 of the third period. Lakusta wasn’t injured on the play. . . . Kamloops F Luc Smith left early in the first period, after he missed a check, hit the boards hard and left with an apparent leg injury. . . . F Brendan Boyle, 16, made his WHL debut with the Cougars. From Lake Country, B.C., he plays for the major midget Okanagan Rockets. He has 16 goals and 19 assists in 29 games in the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . Announced attendance: 2,901.


At Portland, G Shane Farkas stopped 32 shots to help the Winterhawks to a 3-1 victory Portlandover the Tri-City Americans. . . . Portland (33-18-4) has won three straight games. It is second in the U.S. Division, two points behind Everett. . . . Tri-City (27-18-8) has lost three in a row (0-2-1) and now is tied with Seattle for the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots, but they are just one point behind Spokane, which is third in the U.S. Division. . . . F Jordan Topping (31) gave Tri-City a 1-0 lead at 19:31 of the first period. . . . D Dennis Cholowski (14) got Portland into a 1-1 tie at 3:24 of the second period. That was his first goal with the Winterhawks, after being acquired from Prince George at the trade deadline. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld (18) broke the tie at 4:33. . . . F Kieffer Bellows (29) added insurance at 16:44 of the third period. . . . Tri-City was 0-1 on the PP; Portland was 0-2. . . . Farkas won for the fifth time in his last six decisions. . . . The Americans got 34 stops from G Patrick Dea. . . . D Keoni Texeira played in his 327th regular-season game, moving past Kevin Haupt (1994-99) and into second on Portland’s all-time list. Only D Troy Rutkowski (2008-13) has played in more, at 351. . . . Announced attendance: 7,741.


At Victoria, the Royals scored three times on the PP en route to a 6-1 victory over the VictoriaRoyalsKelowna Rockets. . . . Victoria (33-19-4) now is tied with Kelowna (33-17-4) atop the B.C. Division. The Rockets hold two games in hand. . . . The Royals took a 2-0 lead on PP goals from F Dante Hannoun (22), at 16:36 of the first period, and F Matthew Phillips, at 9:28 of the second period. . . . F Dillon Dube (24) got Kelowna’s goal at 11:26 of the second. . . . Victoria took a 3-1 lead at 13:20 of the second when F Igor Martynov (16) scored. . . . Phillips (41) added insurance at 17:19. His two goals made him the WHL’s fifth 40-goal man this season. . . . Victoria got third-period goals from F Tyler Soy (28) and F Andrei Grishakov (17), the latter on a PP. . . . Soy also had three assists, as did F Tanner Kaspick, with Hannoun getting two. . . . Victoria was 3-8 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-4. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 37 shots through 56:00 for the Royals. Dean McNabb finished up with two saves in 4:00. . . . G Brodan Salmond allowed four goals on 25 shots through two periods for the Rockets. James Porter Jr. finished up by stopping 13 of 15 shots. . . . These same teams will play again tonight in Victoria, and then head for Kelowna and a Monday afternoon clash. . . . The Rockets had F Erik Gardiner in their lineup for the first time since Oct. 28. Gardiner, who missed 39 games, was out with a concussion. Gardiner was hit square in the visor by a puck on Oct. 27, then played the next night, before being knocked out of the lineup by symptoms associated with a concussion. . . . Announced attendance: 4,887.


At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning set a franchise single-season scoring record in OT to give the Vancouver Giants a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Vancouver (29-17-8) is third in the B.C. Division, four points behind Kelowna and Victoria. . . . Seattle (27-18-8) has points in three straight (1-0-2) and is tied with Tri-City for the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . Ronning scored the game’s first goal, his 48th of the season, at 6:13 of the second period. . . . Seattle tied it on F Noah Philp’s 12th goal at 10:27 of the third. . . . Ronning won it at 1:42 of OT. That was his 49th goal in 53 games, giving him the Giants’ single-season franchise record. F Evander Kane had 48 goals, in 61 games, in 2008-09. . . . Ronning is second in goals, behind only Moose Jaw F Jayden Halbgewachs, who has 51. . . . Each team was 0-1 on the PP. . . . Vancouver got a giant game from G David Tendeck, who made 49 saves. . . . Seattle G Liam Hughes stopped 19 shots. . . . The Giants scratched four defencemen — Matt Barberis, Darian Skeoch, Alex Kannok Leipert and Dylan Plouffe. . . . Announced attendance: 3,437.


At Everett, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Silvertips, 2-SpokaneChiefs1 in OT. . . . Spokane (29-19-5) has points in nine straight games (7-0-2). It has moved into third in the U.S. Division, seven points behind Portland. . . . Everett (34-17-4) has points in three straight (2-0-1). It leads the U.S. Division by two points over Portland. . . . F Garrett Pilon (26) gave Everett a 1-0 lead at 10:17 of the first period. . . . That lasted until 18:11 of the third period when F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (29) pulled Spokane even. . . . The Chiefs won it at 2:58 of OT when F Kailer Yamamoto scored his 11th goal. . . . D Ty Smith drew an assist on each of Spokane’s goals. . . . Spokane was 0-1 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . The Chiefs got 38 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 30 shots. He is one victory shy of the franchise record for career victories by a goaltender, and one shutout away from tying the WHL’s career record. . . .  Announced attendance: 4,863.


SATURDAY (all times local):

Red Deer at Edmonton, 1:30 p.m.

Kootenay at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Vancouver at Everett, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 6:05 p.m.

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

Kelowna at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.


TWEET OF THE DAY

Tragedy averted as junior B team’s bus leaves road . . . O’Rourke not impressed with Warriors . . . WHL honours Rick Brodsky

MacBeth

F Jeremy Williams (Swift Current, 2000-04) has signed a one-year extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). He has 21 goals and 19 assists in 49 games. He leads the Tigers in goals and is tied for the team lead in points. As part of the contract extension, Straubing has agreed to loan Williams to Örebro (Sweden, SHL) for the rest of this season. Straubing has three games left in the regular season and cannot make the playoffs. Örebro has 10 games left in its regular season.


A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

Tragedy was averted early Sunday when a bus carrying the junior B Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League slid off a B.C. highway.

The Posse was on its way home after having played Saturday night in 100 Mile House.

Head coach Mark McNaughton gave full marks to the bus driver, saying that he did a “phenomenal job.”

According to McNaughton, the bus came upon ice and started sliding.

“He adjusted to go the right way,” McNaughton told Andrea Demeer of Black Press. “He steered it straight into a snow bank instead of over towards the embankment.”

The driver, whose named wasn’t included in the story, and one player were taken to hospital in Princeton and later released.

Demeer’s story is right here.


Prince George had just dropped a 4-1 decision to the host Moose Jaw Warriors on PrinceGeorgeSaturday night, and Steve O’Rourke, the Cougars’ associate coach, didn’t like what he saw . . . from the Warriors.

“It’s not easy when a team plays only two lines for pretty much the whole night,” O’Rourke said on 94.3 the GOAT’s post-game show. “It’s embarrassing to watch (the Warriors) to tell you the truth. I’m very upset.

“To come out here and see a top place team and really they played two (or) two-and-a-half lines.

“I thought we did a good job of keeping them to the outside. Yes, we gave up some chances and (goaltender Taylor Gauthier) played really well. We knew that was going to happen with a team this powerful.

“If you are not willing to play four lines during a 72-game schedule, it’s going to catch up to you somewhere. They are a good hockey club, give them credit, but I don’t know about the long term. Personally, I didn’t think it looks good on junior hockey. They have a fourth line that didn’t see the ice all night.”

There’s nothing like some fightin’ words to fire up things in the WHL, something we rarely hear these days. Unfortunately, the Warriors and Cougars aren’t scheduled to play again this season.


Rick Brodsky, a longtime owner and a former chairman of the board of governors, has whlbeen presented with a WHL Governors Award. . . . His involvement in the WHL began in 1977 when his family purchased the Saskatoon Blades. He left that ownership group early in 1992 when he purchased the Victoria Cougars, a franchise that he moved to Prince George after the 1993-94 season. . . . He sold the Cougars after the 2013-14 season and since has been only an interested observer. . . . Brodsky did two stints as the chairman of the board of governors, from 1986-90 and again from 1992-96, when he carried a lot of weight at the top levels of major junior hockey. . . . Brodsky’s brother Jack, who was involved in the Blades’ ownership for a long time, was a recipient of the same award for 2013-14.


Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, reported Monday that the team will be without sophomore F Nolan Foote “for a significant amount of time.” Foote suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s 8-2 loss to the host Everett Silvertips. That was Foote’s 100th WHL regular-season game. . . . Foote, a sophomore, has 12 goals and 26 assists in 48 games this season.


Bob Ridley, the radio voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers, tweeted Sunday that the Tigers “limp home from winless road trip without goaltender Jordan Hollett. Sidelined indefinitely (with) lower-body injury.” . . . Hollett was injured during Saturday’s 5-4 loss Tigers Logo Officialto the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. He left in the second period, apparently favouring his right leg.

“It looked liked (Ty) Ronning might’ve got the tongue of his skate trapped with the top of the pad and it was just a little freak thing,” Tigers assistant coach Bobby Fox told Zach Amin of CHAT News. “Just the speed off the rush and you could tell right away in the video that he wasn’t himself.”

Fox said the Tigers will add G Garin Bjorklund, 15, or G Kaeden Lane, 16, with Hollett out. . . . Bjorklund, a first-round pick in the 2017 WHL bantam draft, is with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes. Lane plays at the Burnaby Winter Club. . . . The Tigers next are scheduled to play on Wednesday when they entertain the Edmonton Oil Kings.


The Spokane Chiefs have added F Cordel Larson, 16, to their roster. Larson, who plays for the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds of Wilcox, Sask., should be with the Chiefs on Wednesday when they visit the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Larson, from Weyburn, Sask., was a ninth-round pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He has 12 goals and 28 assists in 38 games with the Hounds this season.


The Kootenay Ice has added G Jesse Makaj, 16, to is roster. From Vancouver, he plays for the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. In 14 games, he is 6-7-0, 3.14. Makaj was selected by the Ice in the second round of the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. . . . Ice G Dustin McGovern likely will be suspended after being hit with a match penalty for attempt to injure during Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Swift Current Broncos. Should that happen, Makaj will back up Matt Berlin. . . . The Ice is scheduled to visit Saskatoon tonight (Tuesday).


John Grisdale, the BCHL’s commissioner since 2003, revealed Monday that he is stepping aside following this season. Grisdale became the BCHL’s first commissioner when he succeeded Ron Boileau, who had been the league’s president. . . . “The BCHL has meant a lot to me and I’m happy with the work we’ve done but the time is right for me to step aside and let a new face run the show,” Grisdale said in a news release. “I believe the league is in a good place and I think I’m leaving it in a better position than when I began so I take great pride in that.” . . . For more, click right here.

——

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Scoreboard

MONDAY (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.


TUESDAY (all times local):

Regina at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.


TWEET OF THE DAY

Saturday in the WHL: Record for Hay . . . Two goals for Rasmussen in return . . . Four points for Budik . . . Ice sweeps Wheat Kings

If you like what you get here, please consider clicking on the DONATE button over there to the right and helping the cause.

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Enjoy!


Scoreboard

SATURDAY:

At Prince Albert, D Vojtech Budik had a goal and three assists to lead the Raiders to a 9-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Prince Albert (20-20-9) has points in five straight PrinceAlbert(4-0-1). The Raiders are four points behind Saskatoon, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Edmonton (13-29-7) has lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . F Cole Fonstad gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 9:25 of the first period. . . . F Parker Kelly (21) made it 2-0 at 10:12. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky got Edmonton on the scoreboard 28 seconds into the second period. . . . Fonstad (15) got that one back at 4:38 and Budik (8) made it 4-1, on a PP, at 9:23. . . . Fix-Wolansky (20) cut into the deficit at 19:07. . . . The Raiders put it away with five third-period goals, two of them from F Kody McDonald, who has 25 goals, and one each from F Justin Nachbaur (5), D Zack Hayes (2) and F Nikita Krivokrasov (1). . . . The Raiders got two assists from each of D Brayden Pachal and D Max Martin, with Hayes, Fonstad and Nachbaur getting one each. . . . F Tomas Soustal had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Prince Albert was 2-5 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-2. . . . G Ian Scott recorded the victory with 18 saves. . . . Edmonton starter Todd Scott allowed six goals on 25 shots in 44:00. Josh Dechaine finished up with six saves on nine shots in 16:00. . . . Raiders F Regan Nagy (knee) took the pregame warmup but didn’t play in this one. . . . Announced attendance: 1,865.


At Swift Current, F Glenn Gawdin scored twice to lead the Broncos to a 3-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Swift Current (34-12-4) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). The SCBroncosBroncos lead the season series, 3-0-0. . . . Swift Current is second in the overall standings, nine points behind Moose Jaw. . . . Regina (25-21-5) had points in each of its previous two games (1-0-1). The Pats are fourth in the East Division, six points behind Brandon. . . . The Pats held a 16-11 edge in first-period shots, but mustered only seven shots through the final 40 minutes. . . . D Libor Hajek (10) gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 7:35 of the first period. . . . Gawdin tied it at 8:48 of the second period, then gave his guys a 2-1 lead with his 39th goal, on a PP, at 11:38 of the third. . . . D Artyom Minulin (10), who also had an assist, got the empty-netter, at 19:28. . . . Regina was 1-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-5. . . . The Broncos got 22 stops from G Stuart Skinner, while Regina’s Ryan Kubic turned aside 42. . . . While F Jake Leschyshyn and F Emil Oksanen returned to Regina’s lineup, the Broncos were without D Sahvan Khaira and F Kole Gable. . . . These teams will play in Regina this afternoon. . . . Announced attendance: 2,879.


At Saskatoon, F Josh Paterson scored in the sixth round of a shootout to give the Blades a 4-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Saskatoon (25-23-3) has won two in a row Saskatoonand now is two points behind Regina, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Prince George (18-24-8) is 0-1-1 on its East Division swing and now is 11 points out of the playoffs. . . . Paterson had given the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 25th goal at 11:39 of the first period. . . . The Cougars took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Joel Lakusta (6), at 18:18 of the second period, and F Ilijah Colina (5), at 0:53 of the third. . . . Saskatoon F Braylon Shmyr (26) got the Blades even, on a PP, at 6:50. That was his 100th career goal in his 279th game. He has 70 goals in 151 games with the Blades, who acquired him from Brandon. . . . D Ryan Schoettler (4) gave the visitors a 3-2 lead at 14:05. . . . The Blades thought they had tied it, 3-3, with 56 seconds left in the third period when F Caleb Fantillo tipped a point shot from D Evan Fiala. But it was ruled that the puck was contacted by a high stick. . . . F Max Gerlach (24) tied it for real just 16 seconds later. . . . F Chase Wouters had two assists for the winners, with Shmyr adding one. . . . The Blades were 2-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-4. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 35 shots through OT for Saskatoon. At the other end, Isaiah DiLaura blocked 36 shots. . . . The Blades had Fiala back after he served a one-game WHL suspension. D Dawson Davidson also returned after missing one game due to illness. . . . Announced attendance: 3,817.


At Red Deer, F Kristian Reichel’s OT goal gave the Rebels a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Red Deer (12-25-11) has won two in a row. It had lost its previous eight OT Red Deergames. . . . Kelowna (31-14-4) has points in four straight (3-0-1). This was the third straight game in which it went to OT. It went 2-0-1. . . . The Rockets lead the Western Conference by one point over Everett. . . . F Leif Mattson (17) put the Rockets out front at 14:41 of the second period. . . . Red Deer took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Mason McCarty (25), at 17:33, and F Josh Tarzwell (5), shorthanded, at 1:25 of the third period. . . . The Rockets forced OT when F Kole Lind (26) struck at 19:27. . . . Reichel (17) won it at 2:46 of extra time. . . . Red Deer was 0-2 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-4. . . . The Rebels got a big game from G Ethan Anders, who stopped 41 shots. . . . G Cole Tisdale stopped 19 shots for the Rockets as the 15-year-old made his third WHL start. . . . Kelowna had F Dillon Dube back after a two-game absence. He picked up one assist. . . . Announced attendance: 4,644.


At Cranbrook, B.C., F Peyton Krebs scored twice to spark the Kootenay Ice to a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Kootenay (23-23-3) has won three in a row, including Kootenaynewa 6-2 victory over Brandon on Friday night. It is third in the Central Division, one point behind Lethbridge. . . . Brandon (28-17-5) has lost eight straight (0-5-3). The Wheat Kings were 0-5-2 on a seven-game road trip that ended with this one. They are third in the East Division, 11 points behind Swift Current. . . . Krebs gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 19:29 of the first period. . . . F Cameron Hausinger (15) made it 2-0 at 12:46 of the second. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos (33) cut into the lead at 12:56. . . . Krebs, who has 13 goals, made it 3-1 at 18:18. . . . The Wheat Kings got back to within a goal on F Luka Burzan’s eighth score, shorthanded, at 5:47 of the third period. . . . Burzan also had an assist. . . . Brandon was 0-1 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-2. . . . G Matt Berlin stopped 19 shots for Kootenay, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson turned aside 32. . . . Before the game, the Ice announced that it had returned D Nolan Orzeck to the midget AAA Calgary Northstars. Orzeck, 16, got into two games this time, after making his WHL debut in October. . . . Announced attendance: 3,474. That’s the largest announced crowd of the season. The announced attendance for their home-opener was 3,392.


At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored twice on a five-minute PP in the second period en route to a 5-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Medicine Hat (26-19-6) has points Tigers Logo Officialin three in a row (2-0-1). It leads the Central Division by eight points over Lethbridge. . . . Moose Jaw (39-8-3) had won its previous four games. It leads the overall standings by nine points over Swift Current. . . . F Brayden Burke (24) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 18:41 of the first period. . . . The Tigers tied it when F Ryan Chyzowski (16) scored at 3:55 of the second period. . . . F Tanner Jeannot (33) put the Warriors out front just 34 seconds later. . . . At 12:11, Moose Jaw F Barrett Sheen was given a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Tigers D Joel Craven, who had to be helped off the ice. . . . The Tigers scored twice on the ensuing PP, with D David Quenneville counting at 13:07, and F James Hamblin (15) making it 3-2 at 16:25. . . . The Tigers went up 4-2 at 1:57 of the third period as F Mark Rassell (42) scored. . . . F Ryan Peckford (18) got the visitors back to within a goal at 12:11. . . . Quenneville, who has 21 goals, iced it with the empty-netter at 19:58. . . . The Tigers got three assists from F Ryan Jevne, with Hamblin, Rassell, Chyzowski and Quenneville adding one each. . . . D Kale Clague drew two assists for the Warriors, with Jeannot adding one. . . . The Tigers were 2-7 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-0 as the Tigers weren’t assessed even one penalty. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 33 shots to earn the victory. . . . The Warriors got 19 stops from G Adam Evanoff. . . . The Tigers scratched F Tyler Preziuso, who left Friday’s 4-3 OT loss to visiting Kelowna after being struck on the head by a puck. . . . Moose Jaw D Jett Woo remains out of the lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 3,268.


At Kamloops, Don Hay became the winningest head coach in WHL history as his Blazers erased a 2-0 first-period deficit and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 4-2. . . . Hay now has Kamloops1743 regular-season victories, one more than Ken Hodge, who retired as Portland’s head coach after 1992-93. . . . Kamloops (23-23-3) has won five in a row. It remains six points away from a playoff spot. . . . Portland (28-17-4) has lost two straight. It dropped a 5-2 decision in Kamloops on Friday. The Winterhawks are third in the U.S. Division, five points behind Everett. . . . The teams headed for Portland immediately after this one. They’ve got a date there today at 5 p.m. . . . The Winterhawks got first-period goals from F Skyler McKenzie (37), shorthanded, at 4:29, and F Jake Gricius (11), at 12:06. . . . The Blazers tied it in the second period as F Connor Zary (6), at 5:37, and F Luc Smith (13), at 11:31, found the range. . . . F Quinn Benjafield (17) broke the 2-2 tie 43 seconds into the third period. . . . F Luc Smith (14) got the empty-netter at 18:56. . . . D Nolan Kneen had two assists for the Blazers. . . . Kamloops was 0-2 on the PP; Portland was 0-4. . . . G Dylan Ferguson earned the victory with 32 saves. . . . G Shane Farkas stopped 32 shots for Portland. . . . The Winterhawks were without D Matthew Quigley, who drew a two-game suspension for an elbow to the head that took out Kamloops F/D Tylor Ludwar on Friday. Quigley wasn’t penalized on the play, but was suspended after the Blazers filed for supplementary discipline. . . . These teams will play again today in Portland, so Quigley will sit out that one, too. . . . It’s safe to assume that Ludwar is in the concussion protocol and won’t play today, either. . . . The Winterhawks again were without F Cody Glass and F Kieffer Bellows, both out with undisclosed injuries. No word on whether either one might return today. . . . Announced attendance: 3,651.


At Kent, Wash., D Austin Strand scored the only goal of a three-round shootout to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Seattle (26-17-6) had Seattledropped a 3-1 decision in Everett on Friday. It is third in the U.S. Division, two points behind Portland. . . . The Silvertips (31-16-3) have points in nine straight (8-0-1). They are second in the Western Conference, one point behind Kelowna. . . . Everett took a 1-0 lead when F Connor Dewar scored at 3:44 of the first period. . . . F Blake Bargar (10) tied it at 7:34 of the second period. . . . Dewar, who has 25 goals, put the visitors back out front at 7:41 of the third period. . . . F Matthew Wedman (10) scored on a PP at 10:25 as Seattle pulled even again. . . . Strand was the first shooter of the third round. . . . F Garrett Pilon had two assists for Everett. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-2. . . . G Liam Hughes earned the victory with 34 saves through OT. . . . G Carter Hart turned aside 29 shots for Everett. . . . Seattle was in a shootout for the third straight home game and it won all of them. . . . F Sami Moilanen was among Seattle’s scraches after leaving Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Payton Mount, who turned 16 on Jan. 19, made his debut with the Thunderbirds. From Victoria, he was a first-round pick in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. He plays at the Delta Hockey Academy. . . . Announced attendance: 5,476.


At Kennewick, Wash., D Dylan Coghlan’s second goal of the game, in OT, gave the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Tri-City (24-16-7) has points in four TriCity30straight (2-0-2). It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Spokane. . . . Spokane (26-19-4) has points in five straight (5-0-1). . . . The Americans overcame a 4-1 deficit by scoring the game’s last four goals. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (25), at 5:37 of the first period, and F Ethan McIndoe (15), at 1:15 of the second, gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. . . . Coghlan halved the deficit on a PP, at 2:43. . . . The Chiefs then got two quick goals to go up 4-1. D Ty Smith (7) scored at 3:46 and F Zach Fischer (22) counted at 4:39. . . . F Michael Rasmussen started the comeback at 10:26, and F Riley Sawchuk (6) cut the deficit to a goal at 14:11. . . . Rasmussen (18) tied it at 19:00 of the third. Coghlan then won it with his 15th goal at 1:14 of extra time. . . . The tying goal originally was credited to Coghlan, which would have meant the winner gave him a hat trick. But the Americans said after the game that the goal will be credited to Rasmussen. . . . F Jordan Topping drew three assists for the Americans, while Rasmussen, in his first game since Dec. 16, added one, as did F Isaac Johnson. . . . Rasmussen had wrist surgery before Christmas. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from D Filip Kral, with Anderson-Dolan getting one. . . . Tri-City was 1-1 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . G Patrick Tea recorded the victory with 33 saves, seven more than Spokane’s Dawson Weatherill. . . . Tri-City remains without D Juuso Valimaki, D Roman Kalinichenko and F Kyle Olson. . . . Announced attendance: 5,022.


At Victoria, F Tanner Kaspick and F Matthew Phillips each scored twice as the Royals beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-1. . . . Victoria (29-17-4) has won two in a row. It is second in VictoriaRoyalsthe B.C. Division, four points behind Kelowna. . . . Calgary (15-27-6) will play in Victoria again today in Game 2 of a seven-game road trip. . . . The Royals got out to a 3-0 lead on a goal from Phillips at 1:01 of the first period and two from Kaspick, at 12:03 of the first and at 3:22 of the second, the latter on a PP. . . . F Luke Coleman (10) scored Calgary’s goal, on a PP, at 12:57. . . . Phillips got his 35th goal, on a PP, at 14:52. . . . F Tyler Soy had three assists for Victoria. . . . Kaspick has six goals and two assists in seven games since Victoria acquired him from Brandon at the trade deadline. Four of those six goals have been game-winners. . . . Victoria was 2-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-9. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse stopped 21 of 22 shots in 58:59. Dean McNabb finished up with two saves in 1:01. . . . Calgary got 18 saves from G Nick Schneider. . . . F Jakob Stukel, with a team-high 22 goals, was among Calgary’s scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 5,638.


SUNDAY (all times local):

Swift Current at Regina, 4 p.m.

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 5 p.m.

Spokane at Everett, 4:05 p.m.

Kamloops at Portland, 5 p.m.

Seattle vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 5:05 p.m.

Calgary at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.


TWEET OF THE DAY

Hay ties WHL career coaching record . . . Americans’ Rasmussen set to return . . . Silvertips run win streak to eight

MacBeth

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, TriCity30220-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.


If you like what you get here, please consider clicking on the DONATE button over there to the right and helping the cause.

If you have a tip or just want to chat, email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com. You are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.

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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.

whlBrett, 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.


Scoreboard

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 PrinceAlbertstraight (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 Saskatoondown 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 MooseJawWarriorsoverall 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 KelownaRocketsone 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) Kootenaynewhas 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 Kamloops1now 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. VictoriaRoyalsDivision, 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 Everettwon 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.


TWEET OF THE DAY

Free beer at WHL game . . . Savoie family may ask for exceptional status . . . Rebels snap ugly streak . . . Thunderbirds win, again

A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

Will free beer draw fans to a hockey game?

The Vancouver Giants may find out tonight (Wednesday) when they play host to the Spokane VancouverChiefs at the Langley Events Centre.

If you are of legal drinking age, you need to get a wristband prior to entering the facility. In order to get that wristband, you will have to show two pieces of ID.

That will allow you to get one free Trading Post Lager. If you aren’t yet 19 years of age, you will be able to get a free can of pop.

Rob Williams of dailyhive.com has the beer story and more on the Giants right here.


Two more messages on Tuesday means two more sets of twins in the WHL, although they didn’t play together.

Of course, a trade could change that for 18-year-olds Beck and Will Warm. Beck, a goaltender, is in his second season with the Tri-City Americans, while Will, a defenceman, is completing his second season with the Edmonton Oil Kings. They are from Whistler, B.C.

I also have been reminded of the Russell brothers. Now 30, the twins are from Red Deer. Kris played four seasons (2003-07) with the Medicine Hat Tigers and now is in his 11th NHL season. Ryan played with the Kootenay Ice for four seasons (2003-07). He last played in 2015-16 with the Cardiff Devils of the British Elite league and now is an amateur scout with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

So put the Becks and the Russells on a list with Connor and Curtis Honey as twins who played in the WHL but not on the same team.

Bob and Ted McAneeley, Rich and Ron Sutter, Darren and Trevor Kruger, and Trevor and Troy Pohl are twins who were teammates in the WHL. Of course, the Kaphorn twins, Kaeden and Keenan, now are with the Kootenay Ice.

And we can’t forget Chad and Cody Huseby, twin brothers who work as WHL linesmen based in Red Deer.


The WHL has yet to grant exceptional status to a 15-year-old player, a move that would allow him to play an entire season. Matthew Savoie may become No. 1 on the WHL’s list.

A rule prohibits WHL teams from using 15-year-olds for more than five games, although whlexceptions are made for players selected in the bantam draft under emergency conditions. Savoie, though, won’t turn 15 until Jan. 1, 2019, so isn’t eligible for the WHL bantam draft until 2019.

From St. Albert, Alta., he has 61 points, including 20 goals, in 19 games with the Northern Alberta X-Treme bantam prep team.

Were his family to apply for and be granted exceptional status, Savoie would become eligible for the 2019 bantam draft and could play a full-time role in 2019-20.

His family also is looking at the NCAA route. In fact, Matthew’s brother Carter, who turned 16 on Tuesday, already has made a verbal commitment to the U of Denver. Carter has 40 points, 13 of them goals, in 24 games with the X-Treme prep team in the CSSHL. He was a ninth-round selection by the Regina Pats in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft.

Dhiren Mahiban of The Canadian Press has more right here.


A few roster notes (all injuries undisclosed unless otherwise noted): The Edmonton Oil Kings list G Boston Bilous as being out week-to-week with an illness. Here’s hoping the mumps haven’t made a return. . . . The Kelowna Rockets have two goaltenders out — James Porter is week-to-week and Roman Basran is indefinite. That may mean a lengthy stay on the roster for G Cole Tisdale, 15, of the minor midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Moose Jaw Warriors are listing D Jett Woo as week-to-week. . . . F Regan Nagy of the Prince Albert Raiders is out indefinitely. He appeared to injure his right knee during Saturday’s 3-2 OT victory in Medicine Hat. . . . The Seattle Thunderbirds show F Tyler Carpendale as having a season-ending injury. A freshman from Powell River, B.C., he had three goals and two assists in 19 games. Carpendale, who will turn 18 on Friday, was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The Tri-City Americans continue to list four top-end players on their injury list — D Roman Kalinichenko, four weeks; D Juuso Valimaki, one week; F Michael Rasmussen, one week; F Kyle Olson, four-to-six weeks. . . . The Victoria Royals show D Chaz Reddekopp as being out four-to-six weeks.


F Sean Richards of the Everett Silvertips has drawn a two-game suspension for match penalty he was given at 14:59 of the third period of Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos. . . . Richards, who has 18 goals and 21 assists in 46 games, served a one-game suspension for a headshot major earlier in the season. . . . He will miss a home-and-home weekend series with the Seattle Thunderbirds, then be eligible to return for Sunday’s game against visiting Spokane.


Scoreboard

TUESDAY:

At Cranbrook, B.C., the Kootenay Ice scored four times in a span of 2:39 in the second period en route to a 7-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Ice (21-23-3) is Kootenaynewthird in the Central Division, three points behind the Hurricanes (22-21-4). . . . Kootenay is 1-1-0 on a seven- game homestand. . . . The Hurricanes went 2-2-1 on a trip into B.C. They hurried home from Cranbrook because they’re home to the Kelowna Rockets tonight. . . . F Jordy Bellerive (30) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 11:14 of the first period. . . . The Ice responded with five straight goals. . . . F Brad Ginnell (7) got it started at 18:05. . . . F Peyton Krebs (10) started the second-period explosion, on a PP, at 0:56. . . . F Kaeden Taphorn (4) made it 3-1 at 1:37. His twin brother, Keenan, upped it to 4-1 with his sixth goal, at 2:28. . . . The home team went up 5-1 when F Brett Davis scored at 3:35. . . . The Hurricanes got the next two goals, from F Keltie Jeri-Leon (4), at 12:44, and F Brad Morrison (17), at 17:35. . . . The Ice put it away with third-period goal from F Colton Veloso (16), on a PP, at 0:26, and Davis (16), shorthanded, at 17:38. . . . Kootenay got three assists from F Colton Kroeker, two from D Martin Bodak, and one each from Veloso, Krebs and Ginnell. . . . Jeri-Leon added two helpers for Lethbridge, with Morrison and Bellerive each getting one. . . . Kootenay was 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-2. . . . The Ice got 24 saves from G Duncan McGovern. . . . Lethbridge stared Logan Flodell gave up five goals on 21 shots in 23:35. Reece Klassen finished up, stopping nine of 10 shots in 35:14. . . . The Ice had F Gillian Kohler back in the lineup after he received medical clearance following the second concussion of his season. The Swiss freshman hadn’t played since Jan. 1. . . . D Calen Addison was among Lethbridge’s scratches. He is at the Top Prospects Game in Guelph Ont. . . . The Hurricanes remain without F Dylan Cozens (week-to-week) and F Taylor Ross (day-to-day), both of whom are out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Ice scratched D Dallas Hines, who is listed as day-to-day on the WHL’s weekly roster report. They also scratched D Loeden Schaufler and D Bobby Russell, who weren’t on the report. . . . Before the game, the Ice announced it has brought back D Nolan Orzeck, 16, and he was in the lineup last night. From Calgary, Orzeck has three goals and 10 assists in 24 games with the midget AAA Calgary Northstars. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. Orzeck played one game with the Ice earlier in the season. . . . Announced attendance: 2,054.


At Red Deer, F Mason McCarty scored twice to help the Rebels end a 13-game losing skid Red Deerwith a 4-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Red Deer (11-25-11) had been 0-7-6 in its previous 13 outings. . . . Medicine Hat (24-19-5) has lost four in a row (0-2-2). It leads the Central Division by five points over Lethbridge. . . . The visitors took a 1-0 lead when F Jaeger White (7) scored at 4:42 of the first period. . . . McCarty, who has 24 goals, got the next two goals, at 13:53 of the first period and 16:23 of the third. . . . F Grayson Pawlenchuk (16) gave the Rebels a 3-1 lead at 17:52, and F Kristian Reichel (16) added the empty-netter at 18:28. . . . Pawlenchuk also had an assist. . . . Each team was 0-1 on the PP. . . . G Ethan Anders stopped 36 shots for Red Deer, eight more than Medicine Hat’s Michael Bullion. . . . The Rebels were without D Alex Alexeyev, who has returned to Russia following the sudden death of his mother on Monday morning. . . . Announced attendance: 3,392.


At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds erased a three-goal deficit and then scored three times in the shootout to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 6-5. . . . Seattle (25-16-6) has Seattlewon five in a row. It is third in the U.S. Division, four points behind Portland. . . . Brandon (28-15-5) has lost six in a row (0-3-3). It is third in the East Division, nine points behind Swift Current and eight ahead of Regina. . . . The Wheat Kings went 0-3-2 in the U.S. Division. . . . Brandon’s road trip continues with games in Cranbrook, B.C., against the Kootenay Ice on Friday and Saturday. . . . The Wheat Kings got the game’s first two goals, from F Connor Gutenberg (15), at 6:55 of the first period, and F Ty Lewis, at 10:16. . . . F Donovan Neuls (18) got Seattle on the scoreboard at 15:25. . . . Brandon went ahead 4-1 on second-period goals from F Stelio Mattheos (32), shorthanded, at 3:15, and F Linden McCorrister (14), on a PP, at 8:56. . . . The Thunderbirds closed to within a goal as D Jake Lee (3) scored at 14:48 and F Noah Philp got his 11th at 17:22. . . . Lewis (28) restored Brandon’s two-goal lead at 4:53 of the third period. . . . Seattle tied it on goals from F Dillon Hamaliuk (12), at 12:29, and F Zack Andrusiak (22), at 18:46. . . . Andrusiak also had two assists, giving him two goals and five helpers over his past two games. In a seven-game point streak, he has four goals and nine assists. . . . Philp, F Blake Bargar and Neuls scored for Seattle in the shootout, with only Lewis counting for Brandon. . . . Philp and Lee each had an assist for Seattle. . . . F Evan Weinger and Lewis each picked up two assists for Brandon, with McCorrister and Mattheos adding one apiece. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Seattle was 0-4. . . . The Thunderbirds got 24 saves from G Dorrin Luding, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson stopped 35 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds had G Liam Hughes back from injury and backing up Luding, so G Cole Schwebius has been returned to the major midget Okanagan Rockets. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Luka Burza, who is taking part in the Top Prospects extravaganza in Guelph, Ont. . . . Announced attendance: 4,362.


At Spokane, D Filip Kral, with his mother in the stands, had two goals to lead the Chiefs to a 4-2 victory over the Swift Currrent Broncos. . . . Spokane (25-19-3) has won three in a SpokaneChiefsrow and will play its next seven games on the road. Spokane and Tri-City are tied for the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots. They also are three points behind third-place Seattle in the U.S. Division. . . . The Chiefs went 6-0-0 against the East Division this season. . . . The Broncos (33-12-4) have lost three straight (0-2-1). They went 2-2-1 in the U.S. Division, and remain second in the overall standings, nine points behind Moose Jaw. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto (6) gave the Chiefs the lead 31 seconds into the game. . . . F Giorgio Estephan (23) tied it, on a PP, at 16:39 of the first period. . . . Kral, who is from Czech Republic, gave Spokane a 2-1 lead at 17:26. . . . The Broncos tied it on D Artyom Minulin’s ninth goal at 4:31 of the second period. . . . F Ethan McIndoe snapped the tie with his 14th goal, at 16:15 of the second period. . . . Kral (5) added insurance at 13:10 of the third. . . . Spokane got two assists from each of F Jaret Anderson-Dolan and D Jeff Faith, with McIndoe and Yamamoto each getting one. . . . Broncos F Aleksi Heponiemi had his 28-game point streak snapped. He put up 19 goals and 50 assists during the streak. . . . Swift Current was 1-5 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . The Chiefs got 28 saves from G Dawson Weatherill, who hadn’t played since Jan. 6 due to injury. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 21 shots for the Broncos. . . . D Ty Smith of the Chiefs was scratched. He’s at the Top Prospects Game in Guelph, Ont. . . . Announced attendance: 3,410.


WEDNESDAY (all times local):

Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

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

First call for Memorial Cup ducats . . . Goaltender’s WHL days over . . . Giants get trade acquisition signed . . . Royals short on D, beat hurting ‘Hawks

MacBeth

F Ryan Olsen (Saskatoon, Kelowna, 2009-14) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). This season, he had eight goals and 17 assists in 34 games with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). . . .

G Mac Carruth (Portland, 2009-13) has signed a one-year extension with Fehérvár AV19 Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste bank Liga). In 26 games, he is 2.82 and.923. He is fourth in the league in save percentage.


A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

If you are planning to attend the 2018 Memorial Cup in Regina, you now are able to call your banker and tell him the size of the loan you will be needing.

Ticket packages for what will be the Memorial Cup’s 100th anniversary will go on sale to MemCupRegRegina Pats season-ticket holders today (Thursday).

From a news release:

“Ticket packages for the 10-day event will include eight guaranteed games (plus a tie-breaker if needed), with season-ticket holder pricing set at $695 for Centennial-level seating and $645 for Festival-level seating.

“Regina Pats season-ticket holders will also enjoy an exclusive ticket presale opportunity from Jan. 18-26. Season-ticket holders aren’t guaranteed their current seat but the host committee in conjunction with the Regina Pats will do all they can to limit seat relocation.”

The complete news release is available at the Pats’ website (reginapats.com).

Tickets will be released to the general public on Jan. 30. At that time, those packages will be priced at $750 and $700.

If you visit mastercardmemorialcup.ca and click on TICKETS, you will be taken to a ticketmaster site that includes this message: “If selected, you will receive a specific seat allocation. All tickets packages are $847.50 including tax.”

Last year, in Windsor, Ont., regular bowl ticket packages went for $595 plus tax, with platinum packages at $885 plus tax.

When it came to single-game tickets in Windsor, round-robin games not including the Spitfires were $75, while games including the Spitfires were $90. The semifinal game was $95, with the final set at $115. You had to add HST to each of those prices, too.


The Victoria Royals were without two veteran defencemen as they beat the host Portland Winterhawks, 4-2, on Wednesday night. . . . Chaz Reddekopp (undisclosed injury) will be missing for up to six weeks. He was injured in Saturday’s 5-4 victory over visiting Kamloops. . . . Kade Jensen, meanwhile, began serving a four-game suspension that was delivered after he took a cross-checking major after the final buzzer of Saturday’s game. That was for a hit on Kamloops D Luke Zazula during a late scrum. . . . Dan Price, the Royals’ head coach, told Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist that Jensen’s penalty had nothing to do with a lack of discipline. The way Price saw it, Jensen was “trying to protect (Matthew Phillips) and sometimes things happen in the moment.” . . . With Reddekopp and Jensen out, the Royals have added D Remy Aquilon, 16, to their roster. He has been playing for the Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He got into two games with Victoria earlier in the season.


The Edmonton Oil Kings revealed via this week’s WHL roster report that G Travis Child’s EdmontonOilKingsjunior hockey career is over. According to the report, Child has a “season-ending” upper-body injury. Child, 20, is from Killam, Alta. He also played with the Swift Current Broncos and Brandon Wheat Kings. This season, with Edmonton, he was 6-13-2, 4.21, .868, but last played on Dec. 15. . . . Edmonton acquired him from Brandon on May 31, giving up a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft in the swap. . . . In 107 regular-season appearances, Child was 33-39-10, 3.39, .893.

The Oil Kings are left with three goaltenders on their roster — Josh Dechaine, 19, Todd Scott, 17, and Boston Bilous, 16. Scott was acquired last week from the Vancouver Giants.


After choosing not to sign with the Swift Current Broncos, D Joel Sexsmith signed with VancouverVancouver on Wednesday, 10 days after being acquired by the Giants. . . . The Broncos selected Sexsmith ninth overall in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. He refused to sign with the Broncos and observers thought he might be taking the NCAA route. Instead, he signed with the Giants, who gave the Broncos a first-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft for his rights. . . . This season, he has two goals and nine assists in eight games with the Calgary-based Edge School elite 15s. . . . Sexsmith is the last of the 22 first-round selections from the 2017 bantam draft to sign a WHL deal.


The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings and general manager Mike Hawes have signed a three-year contract extension that runs through May 31, 2021. His present deal was due to expire on May 31. . . . Hawes joined the Spruce Kings as an associate coach for 2005-06. After two seasons, he was named assistant GM and director of player personnel a role he filled for four seasons. He took over as GM during the 2010-11 season. . . . The Spruce Kings have made the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons.


A full 117 days since the start of the 2017-18 regular season, the WHL’s Official Guide, with the Seattle Thunderbirds on the cover, is available for download. Featuring what appear to be training camp rosters, it arrived quietly this week, a few days after the league’s roster-shuffling trade deadline passed us by.


If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).


If you enjoy stopping by here, and even if you don’t, feel free to make a donation to the cause by visiting my old site, taking note.ca, and clicking on the DONATE button. Thank you, in advance.


Scoreboard

WEDNESDAY:

At Prince Albert, F Matt Bradley scored twice to help the Regina Pats to a 4-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . Regina (24-19-4) has points in five straight (4-0-1) and now has won more ReginaPats100games (24) than it has lost (23). The Pats are fourth in the East Division, seven points behind Brandon. . . . Prince Albert (16-20-8) is seven points away from a wild-card spot. . . . D Vojtech Budik (4) gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 5:02 of the first period. . . . Regina tied it when F Jake Leschyshyn (15) scored at 19:55. . . . F Curtis Miske (14) put the Raiders back out front at 17:47 of the second period. . . . Bradley tied it at 18:12. . . . The Pats opened the third period by surviving a 5-on-3 disadvantage for 1:02, then scored two PP goals. . . . The first two came from Bradley, at 5:19. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle (3) gave the Pats a two-goal lead, at 6:54. . . . Prince Albert got to within a goal when F Jordy Stallard (30) scored while shorthanded at 15:07. . . . F Cam Hebig had two assists for Regina. . . . Prince Albert got two assists from F Regan Nagy, with Miske adding one. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 1-5. . . . G Ryan Kubic earned the victory with 34 saves, five more than the Raiders’ Curtis Meger. . . . F Cole Fonstad of the Raiders came up short on a penalty shot at 1:48 of the first period. . . . Regina leads the season series, 5-0-0; Prince Albert is 0-3-2. . . . Announced attendance: 2,045.


At Medicine Hat, F Brett Davis scored with 4.2 seconds left in the third period to give the Kootenay Ice a 4-3 victory over the Tigers, who coughed up a three-goal lead. . . . KootenaynewKootenay (20-22-3) has won two in a row. The Ice is third in the Central Division, three points behind Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat (24-18-4) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). The Tigers lead the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . The Ice went ahead 1-0 when D Martin Bodak scored, on a PP, at 6:04 of the first period. . . . The Tigers scored the next three goals, all of them in the first period. . . . F Mark Rassell (38) got it started at 7:17. . . . F James Hamblin (14) gave the home side a 2-1 lead at 9:59. . . . F Ryan Chyzowski (15) upped the lead to 3-1 at 13:00. . . . Bodak (3) got the Ice to within a goal at 16:51 of the second period. . . . Kootenay F Michael King (7) tied the score at 11:20. . . . Davis snapped the tie with his 14th goal of the season. . . . Ice F Colton Veloso, playing in his 250th regular-season game, had two assists, but missed on a first-period penalty shot. . . . F Peyton Krebs also had two assists for the Ice. . . . Hamblin added an assist for Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice was 1-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-3. . . . G Duncan McGovern stopped 34 shots and picked up an assist for the Ice. . . . The Tigers got 19 saves from G Jordan Hollett. . . . In its previous nine games in Medicine Hat, the Ice had lost nine times and been outscored 54-20. . . . Announced attendance: 2,817.


At Portland, F Matthew Phillips had a goal and two assists to lead the Victoria Royals to a 4-2 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Victoria (26-16-4) has won three straight. It is tied VictoriaRoyalswith Vancouver for second in the B.C. Division, three points behind Kelowna. . . . Portland (26-14-4) had points in each of its previous five games (4-0-1). The Winterhawks are second in the U.S. Division, two point behind Everett with two games in hand. . . . F Tanner Kaspick (14), who was acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings a week earlier, broke a 2-2 tie at 11:14 of the third period. . . . Phillips, who has 31 goals, made it 4-2 at 12:02. . . . F Tyler Soy (20) had given Victoria a 1-0 lead, while shorthanded at 8:28 of the first period. . . . F Skyler McKenzie (34) pulled Portland into a tie, on a PP, at 9:09. . . . The Royals went back out front when D Matthew Smith (3) scored at 15:06 of the second period. . . . F Cody Glass (25) tied it for Portland, on a PP, at 7:21 of the third period. . . . Portland got two assists from each of D Henri Jokiharju and D Dennis Cholowski. . . . Portland was 2-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 28 shots for the Royals, one fewer than Portland’s Cole Kehler. . . . F Kieffer Bellows was among Portland’s scratches after suffering an undisclosed injury on Saturday against visiting Everett. . . . Portland dressed nine forwards and eight defencemen, then lost F Ryan Hughes to an undisclosed injury in the first period. . . . With the shortage of forwards, Portland used D Conor MacEachern and D John Ludvig up front. . . . Announced attendance: 2,838.


At Prince George, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored five of the game’s last six goals and beat the Cougars, 7-4. . . . Seattle (22-16-6) had beaten the host Cougars, 5-2, on Tuesday Seattlenight. The Thunderbirds are tied with Tri-City for third in the U.S. Division. . . . Prince George (17-22-7) has lost two straight and is eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . Seattle F Mike MacLean scored his first WHL goal at 7:53 of the first period, but Prince George F Aaron Boyd (9) tied it one minute later. . . . F Matthew Wedman (8) gave the Thunderbirds a 2-1 lead at 9:36. . . . The Cougars took a 3-2 lead on goals by F Max Kryski (5), at 11:11, and F Josh Maser (21), on a PP, at 13:53. . . . Seattle followed with the next three goals for a 5-3 lead. . . . F Jaxan Kaluski (3) scored at 7:14 of the second period, with F Sami Moilanen (18), on a PP, counting at 11:29. F Dillon Hamaliuk (11) got the fifth goal at 4:55 of the third period. . . . Hamaliuk, who had one goal in 17 games last season, has 29 points in 44 games this season. He’s got four goals and five assists in his past four games. . . . D Jack Sander (2) pulled the Cougars to within a goal, on a PP, at 7:47. . . . The Thunderbirds iced it on goals from F Zack Andrusiak (19), on a PP, at 16:31, and F Nolan Volcan (20) at 17:39. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Donovan Neuls, and one each from Andrusiak, Wedman, Hamaliuk, Volcan and MacLean. . . . The Cougars got two assists from D Ryan Schoettler. . . . The Cougars were 2-5 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 2-6. . . . Seattle got 18 saves from G Darrin Luding. . . . G Taylor Gauthier blocked 37 shots for the Cougars. . . . Announced attendance: 2,454.


At Kelowna, D Cal Foote scored in overtime to give the Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Kelowna (28-13-3) leads the Western Conference by one point over Everett. . . . Lethbridge (21-19-4) has points in five straight games (4-0-1). It is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Hurricanes started OT on the PP — Foote was in stir for delay of game after he knocked the Rockets’ net off its moorings late in the third period — and hit two posts in extra time. . . . F Jordy Bellerive (26) put Lethbridge out front 42 seconds into the first period. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube (19) tied it at 8:08. He also drew the lone assist on the winning goal. . . . Dube was in the lineup for the first time since the WJC ended in Buffalo. Dube, who last played for Kelowna on Dec. 9, had been out with the flu. Team Canada’s captain last played for Kelowna on Dec. 9; all told, he missed 13 games. . . . F Kole Lind (22) gave the home boys a 2-1 lead at 4:05 of the second period. . . . The Rockets went ahead 3-1 when F Conner Bruggen-Cate (11) scored shorthanded, at 8:52. . . . D Tate Olson (1) got Lethbridge to within a goal at 13:27. . . . The visitors tied it when F Taylor Ross (14) scored at 12:27 of the third period. . . . Foote, who also had an assist, won it with his eighth goal of the season, at 2:55 of OT. . . . Lethbridge got two assists from F Dylan Cozens. . . . Kelowna was 0-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-5. . . . G Brodan Salmond stopped 31 shots for the Rockets. Salmond played for the first time since Nov. 4. Prior to that, he last played on Oct. 15. Cole Tisdale, 15, was on the bench in support of Salmond. G James Porter Jr. (day-to-day) and Roman Basran (week-to-week) are out with undisclosed injuries. . . . Tisdale, an eighth-round pick in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft, played in his hometown for the minor midget Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . G Reece Klassen turned aside 33 shots for Lethbridge. (No, Logan Flodell didn’t start). . . . The Rockets remain without F Erik Gardiner (concussion), who hasn’t played since Oct. 28. He took a puck to the visor the previous night, played in the next game but hasn’t played since then. He may have suffered a setback, however, as he is shown as being out week-to-week on the Jan. 9 roster report, after being shown as day-to-day one week earlier. . . . Announced attendance: 5,103.


At Spokane, G Bailey Brkin recorded his first WHL shutout to led the Chiefs to a 3-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Spokane (23-19-3) holds down the Western SpokaneChiefsConference’s second wild-card spot, but is only one spot out of third in the U.S. Division. . . . Brandon (28-13-3) opened a U.S. Division swing with its first regulation loss in six games. It had been 3-0-2 in its previous five games. The Wheat Kings are third in the East Division, eight points behind Swift Current. . . . Brkin stopped 21 shots. The 18-year-old was acquired from the Kootenay Ice on Jan. 8 for a 2019 eighth-round bantam draft pick. He has been with the Chiefs with Dawson Weatherill out with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto (4) scored the game’s first goal, at 14:40 of the first period, then set up F Ethan McIndoe (12) at 18:34. . . . F Milos Fafrak (6) rounded out the scoring at 17:57 of the second. . . . Yamamoto has two goals and four assists in three games since returning from the WJC where he played for the U.S. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . Brandon got 32 saves from G Logan Thompson. . . . Announced attendance: 3,113.


At Kennewick, Wash., F Aleksi Heponiemi’s second goal of the game, in overtime, gave the Swift Current Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Swift Current (32-SCBroncos10-3) has points in seven straight games (6-0-1). The Broncos are second in the overall standings, eight points behind Moose Jaw. . . . Tri-City (22-16-6) has lost five in a row (0-4-1). It is tied with Seattle for third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Broncos took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from F Matteo Gennaro (30), at 14:58, and Heponiemi, at 19:03. . . . Tri-City tied it on goals from F Jordan Topping (23), on a PP, at 10:52 of the second period and D Jake Bean (7), at 16:59 of the third period. . . . Heponiemi won it with his 23rd goal of the season at 2:23 of OT. . . . F Morgan Geekie had two assists for the Americans. . . . The Americans were 1-5 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-1. . . . G Stuart Skinner recorded the victory with 24 saves. . . . The Americans got 37 stops from G Patrick Dea. . . . Tri-City F Max James was eligible to return after serving a three-game suspension, but he was scratched. . . . The Americans remain without D Juuso Valimaki, F Michael Rasmussen, D Roman Kalinichenko and F Kyle Olson, all of whom are injured. . . . Announced attendance: 2,428.


THURSDAY (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.


FRIDAY (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Calgary 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

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

Swift Current at Portland, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Prince George, 7 p.m.

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

Victoria vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Sunday in the WHL: Warriors sneak past Tigers . . . Ice freezes out Blades . . . ‘Tips, ‘Hawks tied at top

A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

The above tweet came from the Saskatoon Blades’ Twitter account as their game with the host Kootenay Ice was about to begin.

If this report is accurate, it also is scary, and it is to be hoped that the WHL commissioner’s office will be looking into the situation.

You would think that there would be a doctor in the house whenever two teams start their pregame warmup, wouldn’t you?


The NFL playoff game between the visiting New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings is why we play/watch sports. It is being shown again tonight (Sunday) at midnight on the NFL Network. It will be worth PVRing (is that a word?) and watching again, just to see if it really happened.


If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).


If you enjoy stopping by here, and even if you don’t, feel free to make a donation to the cause by visiting my old site, taking note.ca, and clicking on the DONATE button. Thank you, in advance.


Scoreboard

SUNDAY:

At Moose Jaw, the Warriors gave up 3-0 and 4-1 leads before beating the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-4 in OT, on a goal from F Brett Howden. . . . The Warriors (36-7-3) lead the MooseJawWarriorsoverall standings by 10 points over Swift Current. . . . The Tigers (24-17-4) are atop the Central Division, nine points ahead of Lethbridge. . . . The Warriors got out to a 2-0 lead as D Brandon Schuldaus scored his first two goals of the season, at 6:16 of the first period and 1:26 of the second. . . . Schuldaus is in his third WHL season; he had two goals in each of his first two seasons. He started this season with 12 assists in 37 games with Red Deer. Since being acquired by the Warriors, he had two goals and two assists in five games. . . . D Dmitri Zaitsev (4) upped the lead to to 3-0 at 2:40 of the second. . . . D Kristians Rubins (4) got the Tigers started at 4:44. . . . The Warriors went ahead 4-1 when F Jayden Halbgewachs, the WHL’s leading sniper, got No. 48 at 6:41 of the third period. . . . The Tigers tied it on goals from F Jaeger White (6), at 10:26; F Bryan Lockner (9), on a PP, at 16:18; and F Mark Rassell (37), at 19:21. . . . Howden won it with his 17th goal at 3:06 of extra time. . . . Howden, who also had two assists, has four goals and six assists in three games since returning from the WJC where he won gold with Canada. . . . Halbgewachs also had two assists, as did F Ryan Peckford. . . . Warriors F Brayden Burke had one assist. He leads the WHL with 88 points, one more than Halbgewachs. . . . White added an assist to his goal for the Tigers. . . . Burke also had the distinction of taking the game’s only penalty, a minor for tripping at 15:34 of the third period. . . . Lockner scored with him in stir. . . . The Warriors got 37 saves from G Brody Willms. At the other end, Jordan Hollett stopped 35 shots. . . . Both teams were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours, with the Tigers on the road for all three. . . . James Gallo (@jamesgallo2) tweeted that this was Moose Jaw head coach Tim Hunter’s “129th win on the Warriors bench, which ties him with Dave Hunchak for second on the Warriors’ all-time win list.” . . . Who is No. 1? Al Tuer, with 137 victories. . . .  Announced attendance: 3,306.


At Cranbrook, B.C., the Kootenay Ice scored four goals before the game was 11 minutes old and went on to beat the Saskatoon Blades, 8-2. . . . Kootenay (19-22-3) had lost its Kootenaynewprevious six games (0-5-1). The Ice is third in the Central Division, two points behind Lethbridge. . . . The Blades (22-20-3) hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, seven points ahead of Prince Albert, which has two games in hand. . . . The above tweet came out of the Blades’ Twitter account after the first period. Yes, it was an afternoon game. . . . F Brett Davis, who had two goals, scored twice in that early onslaught, giving him 13. F Alec Baer (18) and F Colton Kroeker (10) added the others. . . . F Max Gerlach (19) got the Blades on the scoreboard at 18:17, but F Colton Veloso (15) got that one back just 63 seconds later. . . . F Keenan Taphorn (5) and D Sam Huston (2) added second-period goals for the winners. . . . D Jake Kustra (3) had Saskatoon’s last goal. . . . The Ice was 2-8 on the PP; the Blades were 0-6. . . . G Duncan McGovern stopped 28 shots for the Ice, while the Blades’ Tyler Brown turned aside 25 shots. . . . Kootenay D Ryan Pouliot came up short on a penalty shot at 19:50 of the third period. . . . (NOTE: I later heard from an observer of this game who points out that Pouliot, “who received a minor 10 seconds earlier, did not take the penalty shot, was not on the ice at the end of the game, nor did he get in a fight from the dressing room as the WHL website summary claims. I maintain that Martin Bodak had the penalty shot credited to Pouliot and Brad Ginnell had the fight credit to Pouliot at the end of the game.”) . . . Presumably, changes are coming to the online game sheet. . . . The Ice had Jesse Makaj backing up McGovern as Matt Berlin suffered an undisclosed injury on Saturday. Makaj, 16, was a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. He plays for the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . There were two fights at the final buzzer, which may result in fines. . . . Announced attendance: 2,535.


At Portland, F Matt Fonteyne scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Everett Silvertips a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Silvertips (27-16-2) have won four Everettin a row. . . . The Winterhawks (26-13-4) have points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . The two teams are tied atop the U.S. Division, with Portland holding two games in hand. . . . F Skyler McKenzie (32) gave the home side a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 13:48 of the first period. . . . Everett tied it at 13:33 of the second period when Fonteyne (25) scored. . . . The visitors took the lead 1:16 later as F Martin Fasko-Rudas scored his second goal of the season. . . . Portland F Kieffer Bellows (22) tied it at 1:18 of the the third period. . . . F Connor Dewar (19) put Everett back out front, on a PP, at 7:18. . . . Portland forced OT when McKenzie (33) scored his second goal of the game, at 15:26. . . . F Patrick Bajkov scored for Everett in the second round, with Portland tying it in Round 3 when Bellows scored. . . . Bajkov had two assists for Everett, with Fonteyne adding one. . . . Bellows added an assist to his goal. . . . Everett was 2-6 on the PP; Portland was 1-5. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 24 shots to earn the victory over Cole Kehler, who made 39 saves. . . . The Winterhawks went 2-0-1 in in playing three games in fewer than 48 hours. . . . Everett will make it three games in fewer than 48 hours when it plays host to the Tri-City Americans today (Monday), at 4:05 p.m. . . . Announced attendance: 4,266.


MONDAY (all times local):

Tri-City at Everett, 4:05 p.m.


TWEET OF THE DAY

Monday’s WHL deals: Pats, Blades make big trade . . . Ice adds, subtracts goaltender . . . Portland acquires some muscle . . . Kelowna rolls dice

WHEELING AND DEALING …

NUMBER OF TRADES (since Nov. 13): 37

PLAYERS: 67

BANTAM DRAFT PICKS: 45

CONDITONAL BANTAM DRAFT PICKS: 5

THE DEADLINE: Wednesday, Jan. 10 (2 p.m. PT, 3 p.m. MT, 4 p.m. CT)


THE DEAL: The Regina Pats acquire D Libor Hajek, 19, from the Saskatoon Blades for D Dawson Davidson, 19, F Tristen Robins, 16, and a first-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft.

THE NUMBERS: Interestingly, the Blades and Pats are tied for the Eastern Conference’s ReginaPats100two wild-card spots. They are 10 points behind third-place Brandon in the East Division and seven points ahead of Prince Albert in the wild-card chase. . . . The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Hajek has eight goals and 17 assists in 33 games with the Blades this season. In 167 games, all with the Blades, he has 15 goals and 62 assists. . . . Davidson, 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, has nine goals and 28 assists in 83 games with Regina after being acquired from the Kamloops Blazers. In 207 career WHL games, he has 100 points, including 21 goals. This season, he has seven goals and 20 assists in 43 games. . . . Robins plays at the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg, where he has 10 goals and 12 assists in 17 games for the midget prep team in the CSSHL.

THE INFO: The Pats and Blades next play each other on Jan. 20 in Saskatoon. . . . Hajek, an alternate captain with the Blades, played well for his native Czech Republic in the SaskatoonWorld Junior Championship in Buffalo. He had a goal and seven assists in seven games as the Czechs placed fourth. He was a second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL’s 2016 draft and has signed an NHL contract. . . . The Pats acquired Davidson, who is from Moosomin, Sask., from the Kamloops Blazers on Dec. 27, 2016. Kamloops had picked him in the third round of the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Robins is the son of former WHL G Trevor Robins, who played three seasons (1989-92) with the Blades and one (1992-93) with Brandon. Tristen was a fourth-round pick by the Pats in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . The acquisition of Hajek left Regina with three imports, one over the limit, so it placed Russian D Egor Zamula, 17, on waivers. He has seven assists in 38 games as a freshman. . . . Finnish F Emil Oksanen, 19, is Regina’s other import.

WHY: The Pats are of the opinion that they needed another top-end defenceman, even after acquiring Cale Fleury from the Kootenay Ice on Nov. 13. They are hoping Hajek fills that role. . . . The Blades add a solid defenceman who may return as a 20-year-old and a prospect who scored 51 goals in bantam AAA last season in Winnipeg. Saskatoon also gets a first-round draft pick in 2019, the draft that follows the Pats’ Memorial Cup-hosting season. As Blades GM Colin Priestner put it in a news release: “If history is an indicator, Regina’s first-round pick next year has a serious chance of being a lottery pick as Memorial Cup host teams often go through a tough phase. So to have that first pick next year . . . we feel that gives us a good chance at selecting a star player.”


THE DEAL: The Kootenay Ice acquired G Matt Berlin, 19, from the Seattle Thunderbirds for a fifth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft.

THE NUMBERS: Berlin made 24 appearances with the Thunderbirds this season, going Kootenaynew12-7-3, 3.40, .893, with one shutout. . . . Last season, Berlin was 7-2-2, 2.82, .902 in helping the Thunderbirds to the WHL championship. . . . In 44 career appearances, seven with Spokane and 37 with Seattle, Berlin is 20-10-7, 3.33, .891.

THE INFO: Berlin joins Duncan McGovern, 17, as the Ice’s goaltenders. . . . Berlin was a seventh-round pick by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Seattle is left with three goaltenders on its roster, in Liam Hughes, 18, who has made four straight starts, Dorrin Luding, 18, and Carl Stankowski, 17. However, Stankowski has yet to play this season due to hip problems. . . . The Thunderbirds had been without a fifth-round pick, having dealt their 2018 and 2019 fifth-rounders to the Ice for F Noah Philp on Sept. 11.

WHY: Seattle is able to get a draft pick for a player who likely wouldn’t be on its roster next season. . . . The Ice, meanwhile, continues its search for a goaltender. Since May 24, Ice general manager Matt Cockell has traded for five goaltenders — Mario Petit (Everett), Bailey Brkin (Swift Current), Kurtis Chapman (Regina), McGovern (Medicine Hat) and Berlin.


THE DEAL: The Spokane Chiefs acquired G Bailey Brkin, 18, from the Kootenay Ice for an eight-round selection in the WHL’s 2019 bantam draft.

THE NUMBERS: In 23 appearances with the Ice, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Brkin, a SpokaneChiefsfreshman, was 7-12-2, 4.51, .874.

THE INFO: The native of Sherwood Park, Alta., played last season with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs (45 games, 5.19, .890). . . . He won’t be joining the Chiefs, at least not right away; instead, he will play for the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. . . . Brkin was a list player with the Swift Current Broncos, who dealt him to Kootenay earlier this season.

WHY: With Brkin having some WHL experience, the Chiefs added some depth to the organization’s goaltending. They also have Dawson Weatherill (12-9-3, 3.23, .888) and Donovan Buskey (8-6-0, 3.51, .874) on their roster. On Monday, they brought back Arnold Campbell, 15, and he is expected to be in Kamloops on Tuesday when the Chiefs meet the Blazers. Arnold was a second-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. Arnold, from Nanaimo, B.C., plays at the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C. . . . You are free to specualte if Weatherill or Buskey is injured, or if another move is in the works.


THE DEAL: The Portland Winterhawks acquired F Lukus MacKenzie, 18, from the Red Deer Rebels for a sixth-round pick in the WHL’s 2020 bantam draft.

THE NUMBERS: This season, in 30 games — 13 with the Saskatoon Blades and 17 with PortlandRed Deer — the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder has eight assists. In 138 career games, he has eight goals and 20 assists.

THE INFO: The Rebels dropped the Calgarian from their roster on Thursday and he joined the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. He was pointless in one game with the Oilers. . . . Saskatoon selected him in the third round of the 2014 bantam draft.

WHY: The Winterhawks obviously wanted to add some toughness to their lineup because MacKenzie was one of the Eastern Conference’s toughest players when he was on a roster. . . . He has 163 penalty minutes in his WHL career, but don’t forget that the WHL chooses not to include some penalties, such as misconducts and game misconducts, in its penalty totals.


THE DEAL: The Vancouver Giants acquired D Brennan Riddle, 20, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for F Brad Morrison, who turned 21 on Jan. 4.

THE NUMBERS: Riddle has a goal and five assists in 37 games this season. In 216 career Lethbridgegames, he has five goals and 29 assists. . . . This season, Morrison has 11 goals and 24 assists in 42 games with the Giants. In 302 career regular-season games, split between Vancouver and the Prince George Cougars, he has 96 goals and 127 assists.

THE INFO: Lethbridge acquired Riddle, who is from Balgonie, Sask., from the Prince Albert Raiders early last season. This season, Riddle was an alternate captain in Lethbridge. The Calgary Hitmen selected him in the first round of the 2012 bantam draft. VancouverHe never played for the Hitmen, who dealt him to Lethbridge on Jan. 7, 2014. . . . Morrison was selected by the Prince George Cougars with the seventh overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft. He is from Prince George. The Giants acquired him from the Cougars on June 2. The New York Rangers selected him in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2015 draft, but he was never signed. Prior to this NHL season, he was in the Calgary Flames’ rookie camp.

WHY: It isn’t often that WHL teams are involved in a straight-up swap of two 20-year-olds, but that’s the case here. After three seasons out of the playoffs, Vancouver finds itself in contention for top spot in the Western Conference and wants to tighten up defensively. . . . The Hurricanes want more offence and should get that from Morrison and linemates. Morrison is a tremendous playmaker.


THE DEAL: The Calgary Hitmen acquired G Nick Sanders, 19, from the Prince Albert Raiders for a sixth-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft.

THE NUMBERS: The 6-foot-2 Sanders was 8-13-5, 3.91, .888 in 38 appearances over two Calgaryseasons with the Raiders. He got into four games with the Raiders this season (0-1-1, 4.89, .854) before being dropped from their roster. He has been with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats (6-5-2, 2.95, .915). . . . In 67 career games, split between the Raiders and Tri-City Americans, he is 19-22-6, 3.61, .890.

THE INFO: The Raiders acquired Sanders, who is from Calgary, from Tri-City on Oct. 13, 2016. . . . Bothered by hip issues, Sanders had offseason surgery and was late starting training camp with the Raiders. . . . He was selected by the Americans in the sixth round of the 2013 bantam draft.

WHY: The Hitmen have started a major rebuilding program, so are looking for competition at all positions. They are hoping Sanders can provide that among the goaltenders this season, and then compete for a 20-year-old spot prior to next season. . . . Also on the Calgary roster are Nick Schneider, 20, and Matthew Armitage, 18. Schneider is the starter, at 13-16-6, 3.51, .888. Armitage, a freshman, is 0-6-0, 3.70, .878.


THE DEAL: The Kelowna Rockets acquired F Ryan Bowen, 19, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for an eight-round selection in the 2019 WHL bantam draft.

THE NUMBERS: This season, Bowen had one goal and five assists in 13 games with the KelownaRocketsHurricanes. In 143 career games, between the Moose Jaw Warriors and Lethbridge, he has 21 goals and 36 assists.

THE INFO: Bowen was on Lethbridge’s suspended list after refusing an earlier trade to an unnamed team. From Chilliwack, he now is with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, although he has yet to play a game with them. . . . Bowen was a fifth-round pick by Moose Jaw in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . His younger brother, Ethan, a forward, was a second-round pick by Kelowna in the 2017 bantam draft. He hasn’t signed with the Rockets, choosing instead to commit to the U of North Dakota for 2020-21.

WHY: The Rockets rolled the dice, giving up a late draft pick in the hopes that they will be able to convince Ryan to join them. Of course, should that happen, it might allow them to get a foot in the door in terms of trying to get Ethan signed. . . . “We’re working to see if we can get (Ryan) here, but it looks like he may play junior A this (season),” Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ president and GM, said in a news release. “But he’s a prospect that we will certainly have as an affiliate player and we’ll try to get him in eventually.”

Wheat Kings end Blades’ run . . . Heponiemi returns in big way . . . Silvertips back on top in U.S.

A LITTLE OF THIS …

Tim Hunter, the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, wasn’t back with the team in time to work the bench on Saturday night as they beat the host Edmonton Oil Kings, 7-2.

Hunter spent most of the past month as an assistant coach with the Canadian national MooseJawWarriorsjunior team that won the World Junior Championship in Buffalo. He is expected back on the bench Wednesday when the Warriors are scheduled to play host to the Hitmen.

In his absence, assistant coach Mark O’Leary served as head coach.

With O’Leary in charge, the Warriors went 8-1-1, losing 5-2 to the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Dec. 15 and dropping a 5-4 shootout decision to the host Swift Current Broncos on Dec. 27.

Since that loss, the Warriors have posted six straight regulation-time victories. They now lead the WHL’s overall standings by eight points over Swift Current.

Of course, Hunter also worked as an assistant coach with Team Canada last season. While he was away, O’Leary took over and the Warriors were 7-3-2 with him in charge.

In two stints as acting head coach, then, O’Leary is 15-4-3, which is rather good in any league.


The Medicine Hat Tigers have added D Trevor Longo, 17, to their roster. From North Vancouver, B.C., Longo was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He was pointless in four games with the Tigers earlier this season, and has three assists in 17 games with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

Meanwhile, the Kootenay Ice has returned F Holden Kodak, 16, to the Yale Hockey Academy where is plays for the midget prep team in the CSSHL. From Cloverdale, B.C., he was an 11th-round pick by the Portland Winterhawks in the 2016 bantam draft. Kodak was pointless in two games with the Ice.


F Wyatt Sloboshan, who spent the past three-plus seasons in the WHL, has been added the roster of the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. Sloboshan, 20, didn’t return to the Regina Pats after the Christmas break. . . . Sloboshan, from Vanscoy, Sask., had four goals and 11 assists in 36 games with Regina this season. . . . He also has played with the Saskatoon Blades — he was their captain when last season started — and the Spokane Chiefs. The Swift Current Broncos selected him in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft, although he never played for them. . . . in 219 regular-season WHL games, he has 44 goals and 77 assists.


Scoreboard

SUNDAY:

At Brandon, the Wheat Kings scored twice in the last two minutes of the third period to beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-3. . . . Brandon (27-12-1) has won two in a row. It is third in BrandonWKregularthe East Division, and the overall standings, six points behind Swift Current. . . . Saskatoon (21-18-3) had won its previous seven games and 10 of 11. It is tied with Regina for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card playoff spots. . . . Brandon went out front 1-0 when F Ty Lewis scored, while shorthanded, at 9:58 of the first period. . . . F Braylon Shmyr (21) pulled Saskatoon into a tie at 17:56. . . . However, the Wheat Kings scored twice in the period’s last 90 seconds to take a 3-1 lead. F Connor Gutenberg (12) scored at 18:30 and F Tanner Kaspick (12) followed at 19:13. . . . The Blades fought back and tied it on two goals from F Chase Wouters, at 15:42 of the second and 11:12 of the third. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Lewis broke the tie with his 23rd goal of the season at 18:04, and F Stelio Mattheos (29) got the empty-netter at 18:51. . . . The Wheat Kings got two assists from F Evan Weinger and one each from Mattheos, Lewis and Kaspick. . . . D Jackson Caller had three assists for Saskatoon and Shmyr had one. . . . Saskatoon was 0-1 on the PP; Brandon was 0-5. . . . G Logan Thompson stopped 15 shots to earn the victory over Ryan Kubic, who turned aside 25 shots. . . . Kubic was making his first appearance since Dec. 16. . . . The Blades, who were outshot 12-3 in the third period, were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours, including a 4-2 victory over visiting Kootenay on Saturday. The Wheat Kings didn’t play on Saturday. . . . Saskatoon D Libor Hajek didn’t make the trek to Brandon, the coaching staff no doubt deciding to give him some rest. He played for Czech Republic at the WJC and was back in Saskatoon in time to play in Saturday’s victory over Kootenay. . . . Announced attendance: 3,051.


At Swift Current, F Aleksi Heponiemi had four points, all via the PP, as the Broncos beat the Red Deer Rebels, 5-1. . . . Swift Current (29-10-3) is 3-0-1 in its past four games. It SCBroncosremains second in the overall standings, eight points behind Moose Jaw. . . . Red Deer (10-22-9) has lost eight in a row (0-4-4). . . . The Broncos didn’t have F Tyler Steenbergen, the hero of Canada’s victory at the World Junior Championship, back in their lineup, but Heponiemi returned from his stint with Finland to score once and set up three otyhers. . . . He opened the scoring at 5:14 of the first period. . . . F Kristian Reichel (15), in his first game since playing for Czech Republic at the WJC, scored for Red Deer, on a PP, at 7:55. . . . F Matteo Gennaro broke the tie, scoring twice, at 8:21 and 15:07. He’s got 28 goals and has scored twice in three straight games. He has 14 goals and 15 assists in 17 games since moving over from Calgary. . . . Broncos D Artyom Minulin scored his club’s other two goals, at 18:56 of the first period and 6:11 of the third. He’s got seven goals. . . . D Colby Sissons drew three assists for the winners, with F Glenn Gawdin getting two and Gennaro one. . . . The Broncos were 4-6 on the PP; the Rebels were 1-5. . . . G Joel Hofer stopped 19 shots for the Broncos. . . . Red Deer starter Riley Lamb surrendered four goals on 17 shots in the first period. Ethan Anders played the final two periods, stopping 13 of 14 shots. . . . The Rebels were playing their third game in three cities in fewer than 48 hours. They went 0-2-1. . . . The Broncos went 2-0-1 in their three-game weekend, with the first game on the road and the last two at home. . . . Announced attendance: 2,557.


At Regina, the Pats scored 37 seconds into the game and then added three third-period goals to beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-1. . . . Regina (21-19-3) and Saskatoon are tied ReginaPats100for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card playoff berths. . . . Prince Albert (15-18-8) had points in its previous three games (2-0-1). The Raiders are seven points behind Regina and Saskatoon. . . . F Robbie Holmes (10) scored Regina’s first goal. . . . In the third period, the Pats opened up a 4-0 lead on goals from F Jake Leschyshyn, at 3:12; F Bryan Lockner (7), at 9:56; and Leschychyn (14), into an empty net, at 13:32. Yes, 13:32. . . . F Parker Kelly (18) scored Prince Albert’s goal, on a PP, at 17:08. . . . Leschyshyn added an assist to his two goals. . . . Prince Albert was 1-6 on the PP; Regina was 0-6. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 28 shots for the winners, seven fewer than the Raiders’ Ian Scott. . . . The Raiders were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours. The first two games were played at home. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle, acquired by Regina from Prince George on Friday, officially has been assigned to the Pats by the NHL’s Boston Bruins, but he didn’t play on Sunday. . . . Announced attendance: 6,310.


At Calgary, F Marek Skvrne broke a 1-1 tie at 10:42 of the third period as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Hitmen, 3-1. . . . Kelowna (25-12-3) leads the Western Conference by two KelownaRocketspoints over Vancouver. . . . Calgary now is 13-22-6. . . . F Mark Kastelic (14) gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 10:54 of the first period. . . . D James Hilsendager (6), on a PP, got the Rockets into a 1-1 tie at 16:32 of the second period. . . . Skvrne, a freshman from Czech Republic, scored his second goal of the season and it proved to be the winner. He now has two goals and an assist in 37 games. . . . Kelowna F Conner Bruggen-Cate (9) got the empty-netter, at 19:45. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-8. . . . The Rockets got 21 saves from G Roman Basran. . . . G Matthew Armitage stopped 27 shots at the other end. . . . The Hitmen went 1-2-0 in playing three games in fewer than 48 hours. . . . F Carson Focht and F Dakota Krebs, who were part of a Saturday trade in which D Jake Bean went to the Tri-City Americans, both were in Calgary’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 8,687.


At Everett, F Patrick Bajkov had a goal and four assists to lead the Silvertips to a 9-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Everett (24-16-2) had lost its previous two games. It Everettmoved back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Portland and Tri-City. . . . Victoria (23-16-4) had won its past two games. It is third in the B.C. Division, a point behind Vancouver. . . . Everett got out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Connor Dewar at 0:24 and F Bryce Kindopp at 11:40. . . . The Royals tied it as D Jared Freadrich (10) scored, on a PP, at 12:30, and D Chaz Reddekopp (6) counted 52 seconds into the second period. . . . F Kyle Walker’s first goal, at 7:10, put Everett back out front, but Victoria F tyler Soy (19) tied it, shorthanded, at 10:12. . . . The Silvertips then scored the next six goals, with Kindopp (13), F Sean Richards (16) and Dewar (16) making it 6-3 before the second period ended. . . . F Matt Fonteyne added two third-period goals — he’s got 22 — and Bakjov got No. 21. All three of those goals came via the PP. . . . F Andrei Grishakov (13) scored Victoria’s last goal, on a PP. . . . Bajkov’s goal was the 100th of his career. He is in his fifth season with Everett; the goal came in game No. 312. . . . Everett got three assists from D Kevin Davis, two each from Fonteyne and D Wyatte Wylie, and one from Richards. . . . Reddekopp, Freadrich and Soy had an assist each for Victoria. . . . Soy’s assist was the 151st of his career, tying the Victoria/Chilliwack record that had been set by F Brandon Magee. . . . The Royals took 91 of the game’s 136 penalty minutes. . . . Everett was 5-9 on the PP; Victoria was 2-6. . . . G Dustin Wolf earned the victory with 30 saves. . . . The Victoria duo of starter Dean McNabb and Griffen Outhouse combined to stop 50 of 59 shots. . . . Both teams were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours. The Royals played at home Friday and in Kamloops on Saturday, while the Silvertips were in Victoria and then at home. The Royals, who beat visiting Everett 5-0 on Friday, went 2-0-0, while the Silvertips were 1-2-0. . . . Announced attendance: 3,958.


At Kamloops, F Parker AuCoin had a goal and two assists as the Tri-City Americans skated to a 4-1 victory over the Blazers. . . . Tri-City (22-12-5) has won two in a row. It is TriCity30tied with Portland for second in the U.S. Division, one point behind Everett. . . . Kamloops (17-20-3) is 1-1-1 in its last three and now is eight points out of a playoff spot. The Blazers were playing their first game without F Garrett Pilon, their leading scorer, who was traded, along with D Ondrej Vala, to Everett earlier in the day. . . . The Americans got out to a 3-0 lead. . . . AuCoin (11) opened the scoring, on a PP, at 9:42 of the first period. . . . D Tyler Jette, playing in his first WHL game, made it 2-0 at 5:03 of the second period, and F Jordan Topping (21) upped it to 3-0, on a PP, at 14:56. . . . F Quinn Benjafield (11) scored for Kamloops at 18:22. . . . F Sasha Mutala (6) iced it with an empty-netter at 19:32. . . . Tri-City F Max James, 20, had two assists and was the game’s second star. He is from Kamloops and this likely was the last WHL game he will play in his hometown as the Americans aren’t scheduled there again this season. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-5. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 32 shots for the Americans, while the Blazers got 23 stops from Dylan Ferguson. . . . The Americans completed a three-game weekend that began with two games in Prince George. They wound up 2-1-0. . . . The Americans were without F Kyle Olson (hamstring), F Morgan Geekie, who took a high hit on Saturday in Prince George, D Juuso Valimaki (undisclosed injury), F Michael Rasmussen (wrist) and D Jake Bean, who was acquired Saturday from Calgary, so brought in D Tom Cadieux, 15, and Jette, 19. . . . Cadieux, from Saskatoon, was a second-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. He has three goals and eight assists in 20 games with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. . . . Jette, from Farmington, Minn., was with the Americans in training camp prior to 2016-17 but suffered a concussion and sat out the season. He recently returned to playing, now with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders with whom he has one assist in four games. . . . Announced attendance: 3,215.


MONDAY (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.


TWEET OF THE DAY

They celebrated memories in Vernon, B.C., on Saturday night as the BCHL’s Vipers and Prince George Spruce Kings played the final hockey game in the Civic Centre. The 80-year-old facility is scheduled for demolition. . . . That’s old friend Mark Ferner, the Vipers’ director of hockey operations and head coach, looking every bit the part of Toe Blake in the tweet below.