THE BEDARD REPORT: Ho hum . . . Yes, it was another one of those nights for F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats. . . . On Friday, he had a goal and four assists as he led his guys back from a 3-0 deficit to a 5-3 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Ice, the CHLâs No. 1-ranked team. . . . On Saturday, Bedard scored once and added three assists as he and his pals overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 6-5 in OT. . . . Bedard leads the WHL in goals (59), assists (64) and points (123). . . . In 124 regular-season games, he has 251 points â 122 goals and 129 assists. . . . He has put up 32 points, including 14 goals, over his past nine games. . . . Bedard now has played in 19 games since return from the World Junior Championship; he has 32 goals and 27 assists over that stretch. . . . Next up? The Saskatoon Blades are in Regina this afternoon for what will be a third game in fewer than 48 hours for both teams.
Mike Stothers, an assistant coach with the NHLâs Anaheim Ducks who did a turn as head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, revealed on Saturday that he has been diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma of the lymph nodes. He is to begin treatment, which is to involve surgery, in the near future. . . . âIf I could share one simple message to all,â Stothers, 61, said. âListen to your body. If you notice something unusual, or donât feel like yourself, consult a doctor immediately. Please do no wait. It could be the best decision you ever make.â . . . Stothers spent three seasons with the Warriors (2011-14). The Warriors got into the third round of the playoffs in his first season, but then missed the playoffs each of the next two seasons. . . . He ended up the head coach of the Manchester Monarchs in 2014-15 and guided them to the Calder Cup as AHL champions.
CANADA WEST UPDATE: F Josh Prokopâs goal in OT gave the visiting U of Alberta Golden Bears a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Dinos on Saturday night. . . . The Golden Bears won despite coughing up a 4-0 lead as the Dinos scored four times in the third period. . . . The best-of-three Canada West final is 1-1 with the deciding game scheduled for tonight in Calgary.
If the WHL playoffs started today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Winnipeg (1) vs. Swift Current (8)
Red Deer (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
Saskatoon (3) vs. Regina (6)
Moose Jaw (4) vs. Lethbridge (5)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Seattle (1) vs. Kelowna (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Portland (3) vs. Tri-City (6)
Prince George (4) vs. Everett (5)
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SATURDAYâS WHL HIGHLIGHTS:
F Conor Geekie scored three times as the Winnipeg Ice wrapped up a 10-game road trip with an 8-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Ice, which had lost its previous two games, went 8-2-0 on the trip. . . . Geekie opened the scoring with his 30th goal, at 3:01 of the first period, scored again at 13:51 of the second for a 5-1 lead, and completed his hat trick at 16:37 to put the Ice ahead 7-1. . . . Geekie has three hat tricks this season, with two of them in his past five games. . . . F Connor McClennon (41) had a goal and two assists for the winners, and F Owen Pederson had three assists. . . . Winnipeg (49-9-1) leads the Eastern Conference by 12 points over Saskatoon. . . . Brandon (23-28-8) has lost two in a row and now is five points from a playoff spot. . . .
G Joey Rocha stopped 24 shots to post his first WHL shutout as the Swift Current Broncos beat the Oil Kings, 8-0, in Edmonton. . . . Rocha, who turned 18 on Jan. 22, is a freshman from Nanaimo, B.C. . . . F Connor Hvidston (19) had two goals and an assist, and D Owen Pickering drew three assists. . . . F Josh Filmon scored his 40th goal in his 54th game this season, and D Sam Ward got his first. . . . Filmon went into this season with 25 goals in 84 games. . . . Ward, a 17-year-old from Kamloops, scored in his 26th game this season. . . . The Broncos held a 50-24 edge in shots and were 3-for-4 on the PP. . . . Swift Current (28-27-3) has won three straight. It is eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Medicine Hat and three ahead of Calgary. . . . Edmonton (8-48-3) has lost 11 in a row and been outscored 70-14 in the process. . . . The Oil Kings have been blanked eight times this season. . . .
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors opened a 3-0 lead and went on to beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-3. . . . F Jagger Firkus (32), shorthanded, and F Eric Alarie (18) gave the hosts a 2-0 first-period lead, and D Matthew Gallant, with his first of the season, on a PP, made it 3-0 at 6:26 of the second. . . . The Raiders werenât able to catch up, although they did get to within a goal, at 4-3, when F Evan Herman (15) scored at 12:39 of the third period. . . . Warriors F Ryder Korczak (24) iced it with the empty-netter. . . . The Warriors got 34 stops from G Jackson Unger. . . . Moose Jaw (36-22-3) had lost its previous three games. It is settling into fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, 12 points behind Saskatoon and five ahead of Lethbridge. . . . Prince Albert (25-31-3) has lost two in a row and now is six points from a playoff spot. . . .
F Alexander Suzdalevâs OT goal gave the host Regina Pats a 6-5 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Suzdalev scored his 35th goal of the season 55 seconds into extra time off a pass from F Connor Bedard, who finished with a goal, his 59th, and three assists. . . . Red Deer led this one 3-1 halfway through the second period. . . . D Stanislav Svozil (10), at 10:13 and F Riley Ginnell (7), at 11:30, got Regina even. . . . F Ben King (17) got Red Deer back in front before the period ended. . . . The Pats took their first lead on two goals from F Borya Valis (20), at 13:34 and 15:02 of the third period. . . . Red Deer F Jayden Grubbe (16) forced OT at 19:08. . . . Svozil also had three assists for a four-point evening. . . . F Kai Uchacz (46) had a goal and two assists for Red Deer, which got three assists from D Mats Lindgren, who has eight points in two games. He had a goal and four assists in a 6-3 victory in Brandon on Friday. . . . Regina (31-24-3) has won six in a row. It is sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Lethbridge and four ahead of Medicine Hat. . . . Red Deer (39-17-5) has points in two straight (1-0-1). . . .
In Saskatoon, the Blades scored the gameâs first five goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . D Charlie Wright (6) gave the Blades a first-period lead and they broke it open with three second-period goals, from F Jake Chiasson (19), F Jayden Wiens (15) and F Egor Sidorov (38). . . . Saskatoon G Ethan Chadwick stopped 19 shots to record the victory over a Lethbridge side that included his brother, Noah. . . . Saskatoon (41-13-5) has points in nine straight (8-0-1). It looks like it will be the Eastern Conferenceâs No. 3 seed when the playoffs open. . . . Lethbridge (32-22-6) had won its previous two games. It is fifth in the conference, five points behind Moose Jaw and five ahead of Regina. . . .
G Thomas Milic stopped 32 shots to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-0 victory over the Silvertips in Everett. . . . This was Milicâs fourth shutout this season and the eighth of his career. This season, he is 23-3-1, 2.06, .927. . . . F Nico Myatovic got Seattle a 2-0 lead with goals at 8:56 of the first period, via a PP, and 1:21 of the second. . . . Myatovic, an 18-year-old from Prince George, also had an assist. He has 25 goals in 58 games this season after scoring four times in 67 games last season. . . . F Reid Schaefer (26) also scored twice for Seattle. He has goals in five straight games. . . . Seattle (47-9-2) has won 12 straight games and has clinched first place in the U.S. Division for the first time since 2015-16. It also leads the Western Conference by 10 points over Kamloops. . . . Everett (30-25-3) had won its previous three games. It is tied with Tri-City for fifth in the conference, two points behind Prince George. . . .
The Kamloops Blazers clinched their fourth straight B.C. Division with a 7-2 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna. . . . The Blazers had beaten the Rockets, 8-1, in Kamloops on Friday. . . . Kamloops held a 109-50 edge in shots in the two games, including 56-28 last night. . . . The Blazers broke open a 1-1 game with six straight goals. . . . F Caedan Bankier (32) gave Kamloops a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 16:30 of the first period, and F Connor Levis (18) made it 3-1 just 2:17 later while shorthanded. F Ryan Hofer (38), on another PP, upped it to 4-1 at 15:41. . . . D Olen Zellweger (24), with his second of the game, gave Kamloops a 5-1 edge at 19:58. . . . The Blazers got three assists from F Logan Stankoven. . . . Hofer added two assists to his goal. . . . Kamloops (40-11-6) isnât likely to catch Seattle atop the Western Conference so, as B.C. Division champ, will be the No. 2 seed when the playoffs open. . . . Kelowna (23-33-3) is eighth in the conference, six points behind Victoria and 12 ahead of Victoria. . . .
F Adam Mechuraâs PP goal in OT gave the visiting Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F James Stefan of the Winterhawks was given a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 19:45 of the third period for a hit on F Ethan Ernst. Mechuraâs 21st goal of the season won the game at 2:35 of OT. . . . Tri-City F Jalen Luypen (12), who also had two assists, forced OT with a PP goal at 17:39 of the third period. . . . The Americans were 2-for-5 on the PP. Portland was 0-for-2. . . . D Lukas Dragicevic (15) had a goal and two assists for the winners. . . . Tri-City (28-24-7) had lost its previous three games. It is tied with Everett for fifth in the Western Conference, two points behind Prince George. . . . Portland (36-17-6) has lost nine in a row (0-7-2) and looks to be the conferenceâs No. 3 seed for the first round of the playoffs. . . .
F Chase Bertholet scored 28 seconds into OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 5-4 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . The Cougars had opened the weekend doubleheader with a 5-2 victory on Friday night. . . . F Berkly Catton, who had two goals and two assists, had tied the game, 4-4, with his 19th goal at 6:44 of the third period. . . . Catton, who turned 17 on Jan. 14, was the first overall selection in the WHLâs 2021 draft. He now has 46 points in 54 games. . . . F Chase Wheatcroft (41) had given the Cougars a 4-3 lead at 5:11 of the third. . . . D Mac Gross had three assists for the Chiefs. . . . The Cougars got a goal (16) and two assists from D Ethan Samson. . . . Spokane lost F Grady Lane to a charging major and game misconduct at 19:42 of the second period. . . . Spokane (14-38-7) had lost its previous two games. . . . Prince George (30-24-5) is fourth in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Everett and Tri-City. . . .
G Brett Mirwald turned aside 34 shots to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 4-2 victory over the Royals in Victoria. . . . The Giants had doubled up on the Royals, 4-2, in Langley, B.C., on Friday. . . . Mirwald came up with 14 saves in the third period as his guys were outshot, 15-5. This season, the 19-year-old from Saskatoon is 6-8-5, 3.30, .907. . . . D Carson Haynes (3) had a goal, an empty-netter, and two assists for Vancouver. . . . The Giants won this one with three second-period goals. . . . F Skyler Bruce (12) tied it 1-1 just 56 seconds into the period. F Ty Thorpe (32) gave the Giants the lead at 13:24 and F Ty Halaburda (18) made it 3-1 at 14:46. . . . Vancouver (24-28-7) clinched a playoff spot with its third straight victory. It is seventh in the Western Conference and appears headed to a first-round meeting with Kamloops. . . . Victoria (15-39-7) has lost eight in a row (0-7-1) and is 12 points from a playoff spot with seven games remaining.
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Eastern and Western conferences, which means, unfortunately, that fans in U.S. and B.C. division centres wonât get to see F Connor Bedard, the most-publicized prospect to enter the league in some time, live and in person. . . . Bedard is the first player to receive exceptional status in order to allow him to claim a full-time WHL roster spot as a 15-year-old. Bedard, who will turn 16 on July 17, has 12 goals and 16 assists in 15 games for the Pats in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. He left the Pats mid-season in order to play for Canada at the IIHF U18 World championship in Texas, where he had seven goals and seven assists in 14 games. . . . Bedard is eligible for the NHLâs 2023 draft. . . . It also means that those same U.S. and B.C. division fans wonât get to see F Matthew Savoie of the Winnipeg Ice. He was denied exceptional status prior to the 2018-19 season, but still got into 22 games and earned seven assists. He spent 2020-21 with the USHLâs Dubuque Fighting Saints, putting up 21 goals and 17 assists in 34 games. . . . Savoie is eligible for the NHLâs 2022 draft. . . .
Monday night with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens, it seems the rest of the hockey world is learning what WHL fans have known for a long, long time. Yes, Kelly McCrimmon, the Golden Knightsâ general manager, knows what he is doing.
If you are in the market for something to read, may I suggest you take a gander at Call Me Indian, a book that was published last month and tells the story of Fred Sasakamoose. Whatâs it all about? Well, the subtitle pretty much tells it all â From the Trauma of Residential School to Becoming the NHLâs First Treat Indigenous Player. . . . To think that Sasakamoose went from playing hockey and trying just to survive at a residential school in northern Saskatchewan to the lineup of the NHLâs Chicago Blackhawks in a few short years almost beggars belief. But he did just that, and a whole lot more. . . . Considering all that is happening these days involving residential schools and their history, both here and in the U.S., this really is a timely read. . . . Sasakamoose, who died of COVID-19 on Nov. 20 so didnât live to see his book published, doesnât go easy on himself either. He bares his heart and soul, including his issues with alcohol and parenting. In fact, if there is a hero in this book it isnât Sasakamoose, rather itâs his long-suffering wife Loretta with whom he had nine children. . . . Give this book a try; I guarantee it’ll stay with you for a long time after you’re finished with it.
teams begin a 14-game regular season on Aug. 5. The season is to begin with a rematch of the last Grey Cup game â the Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 33-12, in Calgary on Nov. 24, 2019. . . . The CFL hasnât played a game since then because of the pandemic. . . . The 2021 season is to open with that rematch being played in Winnipeg. . . . The 2021 Grey Cup game is to be played in Hamilton on Dec. 12. . . . Training camps are to open on July 10, with players needing to report and go through a quarantine process that will be decided in conjunction with local health officials. . . . There wonât be any exhibition games. . . . Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun takes a look at the CFL situation 
Rivières Lions, an expansion ECHL franchise that will be affiliated with the NHLâs Montreal Canadiens. . . . BĂŠlanger, 43, spent the previous two seasons as the head coach of the midget AAA Chevaliers de LĂŠvis. . . . His playing career included 820 NHL regular-season games split between the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals, Phoenix Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers. . . . In 2008-09, he was teammates with Marc-AndrĂŠ Bergeron with the Minnesota Wild. Bergeron now is the Lionsâ general manager.
said Monday that it will open its 2021-22 season on Oct. 1 and wrap things up on Feb. 20. . . . âAll 20 of the KIJHLâs member clubs will complete a 42-game regular season schedule that includes eight games against divisional opponents and two games each against teams in the opposing division within the same conference,â the league said in a news release. . . . That means that the Spokane Braves will be back after not operating in 2020-21 due to the U.S.-Canada border being closed to non-essential traffic. . . . The KIJHL news release is 
TAKING NOTE 