Tag: Riley Heidt

Blades, Rebels ready for Game 6 . . . Ice takes 3-2 series lead to Moose Jaw . . . Cougars’ Heidt joins Team Canada

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The host Red Deer Rebels take a 3-2 lead into Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal this afternoon (Sunday). The Blades, who have won the last two games, are hoping to force a Game 7 back in Saskatoon on Tuesday night.

“The Blades,” blogger Darren Steinke wrote after the Blades won, 6-3, on Friday night in Saskatoon, “are trying to become the third team in WHL history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series to win it 4-3.

“Dating back to the WHL’s start in 1966-67, only two teams have rallied to win a best-of-seven series having trailed the set 3-0. The Spokane Chiefs, who were guided by Mike Babcock as head coach, trailed the Portland Winterhawks 3-0 before rallying to take a first-round series 4-3 in 1996. The Kelowna Rockets fell behind the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-0 in 2013 before rallying to claim that first-round series 4-3.” . . .

The WHL office updated its discipline page sometime Saturday evening and the Rebels and Blades each will be without a player due to suspension in Game 6. . . . Red Deer F Frantisek Formanek was given a one-game suspension “under supplemental discipline” for something that happened in Game 5 on Friday night. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies had his suspension finalized at three games for the headshot on Red Deer F Kalan Lind in Game 4. That means Lies will miss the remainder of the series should it go seven games. . . . According to Troy Gillard, the Rebels’ radio voice, Formanek’s suspension is related to a boarding penalty he picked up at 7:21 of the first period in Game 5.

——

SATURDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Moose Jaw (4) at Winnipeg (1) — The Winnipeg Ice erased a 2-0 first-period WinnipegIcedeficit and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2. . . . The Ice holds a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal, with Game 6 in Moose Jaw on Monday night. . . . If they need a seventh game, it would be played in Winnipeg on Wednesday. . . . Last night, the Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 first-period leads on goals from F Jagger Firkus (9), at 13:35, and F Brayden Yager (6), at 15:03. . . . Winnipeg equalized in the second period on two goals from F Conor Geekie (3), at 2:27 and 11:32. . . . F Matt Savoie (9) broke the tie at 15:06 of the third period. . . . Geekie had a chance at the hat trick when he was awarded a penalty shot with his side ahead 3-2 and 4:21 left to play in the third period. But he wasn’t able to beat Moose Jaw G Connor Ungar. . . . Geekie did get a third goal, this one into an empty net, at 17:50. . . . F Zach Benson (2) added another empty-netter, at 19:01. . . . Each team was 0-for-1 on the PP. . . . The Ice got 26 saves from G Daniel Hauser, while Ungar turned aside 33 shots. . . . F Evan Friesen returned to Winnipeg’s lineup after serving a two-game suspension for a headshot on Moose Jaw D Matthew Gallant in Game 2. . . . Gallant hasn’t played since absorbing that hit.

Vegan

You may recall that Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, fined the Dallas Mavericks US$740,000 the other day because of an obvious tank job in the final game of their regular season. . . . Meanwhile, Jack Finarelli (aka The Sports Curmudgeon) points out that Yao Ming, the former NBA star who runs the Chinese Basketball Association, had to deal with something similar after a game that featured the Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons. . . .

Finarelli writes: “There would be a benefit to both teams if the Dragons lost. In the second half of the game, the Dragons committed five consecutive turnovers in the final two minutes to assure a victory for the Sharks.” . . .

While this kind of thing is called “tanking” in the NBA (or the NHL, for that matter), Yao Ming referred to it as “game-fixing.”

According to Finarelli, Yao fined each team “the equivalent of $727,000, banned the Sharks’ general manager and coach for five years each; and banned the Dragons’ general manager and coach for three years each.

“Silver is never going to use the term ‘game-fixing’ lest the gambling interests that provide lots of funding for the league get very antsy,” Finarelli added. “People hate to lose money gambling, but they will hate it a whole lot more if they find out — or even suspect — that the game was ‘fixed,’ and they were not ‘in on the fix.’ But this is an issue that sports leagues must deal with when they dip their beak into the fountain of cash that can come from the myriad gambling sites out there today.”

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Battlefords North Stars beat the Bombers, 7-4, in Flin Flon on Saturday night to sweep the SJHL’s championship series. . . . The North Stars lost their first game of these playoffs, dropping a 3-2 decision to the visiting Weyburn Red Wings, then rolled to 12 straight victories. . . . The North Stars were the SJHL’s top regular-season club, finishing with a record of 48-5-3. . . .

F Riley Heidt of the Prince George Cougars has joined Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship that is being played in Porrentruy and Basel, Switzerland. . . . Canada is 1-1 after losing 8-0 to Sweden on Thursday and beating Germany 7-0 on Friday. . . . Canada is to play Slovakia today (4 a.m. PT) and Czechia on Tuesday. . . . Heidt, who turned 18 on March 25, is from Saskatoon. He finished tied for fourth in the WHL’s regular-season points derby, with 97 points, including 72 assists.

Pyramid

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Dam

Princeton mourns loss of assistant coach; Johnston was ‘well-loved local personality’ . . . It’s official! Scoring change gives Heidt 72nd assist

Morton (Mort) Johnston, an assistant coach with the junior B Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, was killed in a car accident on Sunday afternoon. He was 25.

Johnston, who was from Princeton, played four seasons with the Posse (2014-18).

Posse
The Princeton Posse had a No. 18 sweater hanging at their bench during a Sunday playoff game in Revelstoke. (Photo: Revelstoke Review)

Johnston was driving to Revelstoke for a Sunday playoff game when his car, a Princeton2009 Toyota Corolla, left the highway and went down an embankment. Johnston, the lone occupant of the vehicle, was declared dead at the scene. Princeton RCMP are conducting an investigation into the crash.

Andrea DeMeer and Josh Piercey of the Similkameen Spotlight reported that RCMP Sgt. Rob Hughes told them police were informed of an accident at about 2 p.m.

“A car left the road and travelled down an embankment,” they wrote, “struck several trees, and flipped over. The driver was ejected from the car and while the airbag was deployed the seatbelt was found fully retracted, according to Hughes.”

From a KIJHL news release: “The Posse received the news around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday prior to their conference championship-clinching Game 6 win in Revelstoke and made the decision to play in Morton’s honour with the support and encouragement of his family.” . . . The Posse beat the Grizzlies, 2-1, to win the series, 4-2, and advance to the KIJHL final against the Kimberley Dynamiters.

The Posse played the game with a No. 18 sweater — Johnston wore No. 18 when he played with the Posse — hanging behind the bench. DeMeer and Piercey reported that Posse captain Jake McCulley carried a No. 18 sweater when he went to centre ice after the game to claim the conference’s championship banner.

According to the Spotlight story, “Johnston (was) a well-loved local personality on and off the ice.”

Besides being on the Posse coaching staff, Johnston was playing for the Penticton Silver Bullets, a senior team, this season. They were preparing to play in the Coy Cup tournament — for the B.C. senior AA title — but pulled out on Monday. The Coy Cup is to be played in Quesnel this weekend.

“He was a glue guy, he held everyone together,” Matt Fraser, the Silver Bullets’ manager, told the Penticton Herald. “He loved the locker room, loved being a Silver Bullet and always showed up with a smile on his face. He played hard-nosed hockey, worked hard and never backed down from anyone. He kept this locker room together.”

DeMeer had occasion to speak with Johnston almost five years ago following the April 6, 2018, crash involving the SJHL-Humboldt Broncos’ bus that claimed 16 lives.

Johnston was a player with the Posse on Feb. 4, 2018, when its bus left the road and went down an embankment as the team was returning to Princeton after a game in 100 Mile House.

After the Broncos tragedy and with Posse team members having escaped their accident with fairly minor injuries, Johnston said: “It just makes you realize how lucky you are.”

At the time, people in Princeton agreed many would wear sports-themed sweaters in memory of the Humboldt victims on April 12, 2018, something with which Johnston was in full agreement.

“I hope everyone can show their support,” Johnston said, adding that his family would be wearing sweaters. “It’s a really hard situation. I hope everyone sends their prayers and thoughts their way.”

Jared Picklyk, a goaltender who made WHL stops with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Tri-City Americans and now plays for the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, was taken into custody by RCMP early Saturday after the truck he was driving left a road and struck a home in Humboldt. . . . Picklyk, who turned 20 on March 18, was arrested and charged with refusal to comply with a breath screening. He has a May 8 court date. . . . On Friday night, Picklyk and the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos had eliminated the Nipawin Hawks from the playoffs. Picklyk made 25 saves in a 6-2 victory over the visiting Hawks as the Broncos won the series, 4-1. . . . On Monday afternoon, the SJHL announced that Picklyk had been suspended indefinitely. . . . Picklyk played in 38 games with Lethbridge (2020-23) and two with Tri-City (2022-23). . . . With the Broncos this season, the Kelowna native went 11-1, 3.20, .908 in the regular season.

It’s official. . . . The WHL added an assist to F Riley Heidt of the Prince George Cougars on Monday. That was his 72nd assist of the season, moving him into a tie for the WHL lead with F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats. . . . The scoring change comes from a Friday night game in Kamloops in which the Cougars beat the Blazers, 7-2. Prince George’s fourth goal was scored by F Koehn Ziemmer and originally was unassisted. The change on Monday provided Heidt with the lone assist. And if you watch a video of the goal you will agree that the assist definitely was earned.

In the end, Bedard still won the WHL Triple Crown, as he led in goals (71), assists (72) and points (143); it’s just that he now must share part of it with Heidt, who finished with 97 points in 68 games.

(NOTE: Hey, WHL, you’ve got a story on your website headlined ‘Bedard claims Bob Clarke Trophy as WHL Scoring Champion for 2022-23.’ The story was posted there on Sunday. It contains this: “Bedard’s 72 assists were also first in the WHL, one ahead of the runner up. Fellow 2023 NHL Draft prospect Riley Heidt of the Prince George Cougars finished the season with 71 helpers.” . . . That now is factually incorrect; perhaps you can get in there and fix it for posterity’s sake.)

The Calgary Hitmen will be without D Keagan Slaney when they open the playoffs after he drew a three-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Oil Kings in Edmonton. Slaney sat out Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Oil Kings in Calgary. He will miss the first two games of Calgary’s series with the Red Deer Rebels. Those games are to be played in Red Deer on Friday and Saturday.

Headline at The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton) — NHL fan singing national anthem, honouring soldier with standing ovation thinks Pride Nights are too political.

Spring

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

——

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Fishing

Bedard to share WHL assists lead; scoring change to give Heidt 72nd helper . . . Oil Kings triumphant in season finale . . . Whitney Forum will be hopping on Tuesday

While F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats has won the WHL Triple Crown — he led the league in goals, assists and points — it seems that he is going to have to share the lead in one of those categories.

Some time today (Monday), the WHL website is expected to indicate a scoring change from a Friday night game.

That change will award an assist to Prince George F Riley Heidt on the Cougars’ fourth goal in a 7-2 victory over the Blazers in Kamloops. That goal was scored by F Koehn Ziemmer, giving the Cougars a 4-1 lead at 5:06 of the second period.

That assist means Ziemmer, a native of Saskatoon who turned 18 on Saturday, will finish with 97 points, 72 of them assists, in 68 games. He was the second overall selection in the WHL’s 2020 draft.

Bedard, who played in 57 games this season, had the outright lead in goals (71) and points (143). As the points leader, he will be awarded the Bob Clarke Trophy.

The WHL’s draft lottery is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, with teams in the lottery able to move up a maximum of two spots.

That’s it. Another WHL regular season is in the books. The Edmonton Oil Kings beat the host Calgary Hitmen, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the 2022-23 regular season. . . . The announced attendance of 7,905 lifted the WHL’s average per game to 3,877, an increase of 672 over last season. . . . Could it be that the WHL is on the way back at the gate after taking a two-season beating from the pandemic? . . . You will recall that the 2019-20 season was brought to a premature end by the pandemic. When it ended in March, each of the 22 teams had played between 30 and 34 games, and the average attendance was 4,154. The 2020-21 season was wiped out, although teams did play some games in what was a developmental situation. . . . In the 20 seasons from the turn of the century through 2019-20, the lowest average attendance was 4,115 in 2000-01. The other seasons all averaged between 4,251 (2001-02) and 4,817 (2012-13). . . .  So while this season’s average still was under 4,000, it just might be showing us that pre-pandemic crowds are on the way back. We certainly will hope that’s the case.

Pete

SUNDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

It took until the final game of the WHL’s 2022-23 regular season, but the defending-champion Edmonton Oil Kings finally got to double digits in victories as they beat the Hitmen, 2-1, in Calgary. . . . That lifted Edmonton’s record to 10-54-4 as it snapped a seven-game losing skid (0-6-1). Still, the Oil Kings, who went 50-14-4 last season, now hold the dubious distinction of having the poorest record in WHL history in the season after winning a championship. The 2018-19 Swift Current Broncos had held the record, having finished 11-51-6. . . . The Hitmen (31-29-8) had won their previous four games. . . . F Loick Daigle (9) broke a 1-1 tie at 19:33 of the third period to give the Oil Kings the victory. Daigle, who turned 21 on Jan. 31, was playing in his final junior game. . . . F Marshall Finnie (8) had given Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 12:45 of the first period. . . . F Sean Tschigerl (27) tied it, shorthanded, at 9:11 of the second period. . . . The Oil Kings got 32 saves from G Logan Cunningham. . . . Calgary lost F Ethan Moore to a boarding major and game misconduct at 6:08 of the second period.

——

OK . . . what’s next in the WHL?

All eight first-round best-of-seven playoff series are scheduled to open on Friday, which means that the rumours of TSN showing Game 1 between the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats on Thursday were just that — rumours.

THE PLAYOFF MATCHUPS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) vs. Medicine Hat (8) — Opens with games in Winnipeg on Friday and Saturday. . . . The Ice won the season series, 3-1-0, outscoring the Tigers, 20-12. . . . The Tigers beat the Ice, 6-4, in Medicine Hat on March 1.

Red Deer (2) vs. Calgary (7) — They’ll start with games in Red Deer on Friday and Saturday. . . . Red Deer was 6-1-1 in the season series; Calgary was 2-4-2. . . . In their most-recent meetings, the Hitmen won, 4-3, in Red Deer on March 10, with the Rebels winning, 9-0, in Calgary on March 11.

Saskatoon (3) vs. Regina (6) — Games 1 and 2 are set for Saskatoon on Friday and Sunday. The ice isn’t available on Saturday because of an NLL game. . . . The season series went to the Blades, 4-2-0. . . . Saskatoon is 15-4-2 versus Regina over the past five seasons. . . . This season, the Blades held a 25-18 edge in goals. . . . Regina F Connor Bedard had five goals and four assists in five games against the Blades, but he was blanked in two of those games. . . . The Pats’ last two visits to Saskatoon drew sellout crowds of 14,768.

Moose Jaw (4) vs. Lethbridge (5) — They are scheduled to open in Moose Jaw with games on Friday and Saturday. . . . The Warriors won the season series, 3-1-0, and held an 18-14 edge on the scoreboard. . . . The Warriors lost four players to suspension on Feb. 11; they went 9-8-0 since then, including 6-2-0 in their last eight games. Assuming those players — G Conner Ungar, D Max Wanner, D Marek Howell and F Lynden Lakovic — carried out the terms of their suspension, they will be eligible to play on Friday.

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) vs. Kelowna (8) — Games 1 and 2 are to be played in Kent, Wash., on Friday and Saturday. . . . The Thunderbirds swept the season series, 4-0, outscoring the Rockets, 15-7, but they haven’t played each other since Dec. 30 and 31. . . . After losing 1-0 in Everett on Feb. 4, the Thunderbirds closed by going 19-2-1. The two regulation losses — 6-5 in Kamloops and 3-1 to visiting Portland — occurred in their past three games.

Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (7) — They’ll open in Kamloops on Friday and Saturday. . . . Kamloops dominated the season series, going 6-1-1; the Giants were 2-6-0. . . . The Blades outscored the Giants, 33-19. . . . In their last meeting, on March 11 in Kamloops, the Blazers won, 6-0.

Portland (3) vs. Everett (6) — It opens with games in Portland on Friday and Saturday. . . . The season series went to Portland, 6-1-1; Everett was 2-6-0. . . . The Winterhawks held a 34-25 edge in goals. . . . Everett won, 10-3, at home on March 3, but then lost, 3-1, in Portland on March 5.

Prince George (4) vs. Tri-City (5) — This series is the only one that will be played under a 2-3-2 format. The first two games are to be played in Prince George on Friday and Saturday before the scene shifts to Kennewick, Wash. . . . The Americans won the season series, 3-1-0; the Cougars were 1-2-1. . . . Tri-City led 17-14 on the scoreboard, but these teams last met on Dec. 9 and 10. . . . These were two of the hottest teams in the league as the regular season wound down. The Cougars closed on an 8-0-3 run; the Americans went 6-0-1.

(NOTE:There are excellent playoff previews available on the WHL’s website.)

UFO

Gardiner MacDougall, who coached teams to the 2022 Memorial Cup and 2023 Canadian university men’s hockey titles, has a lot of fans out there. One of them has reminded me that I shortchanged him here when I dropped a few sentences after his U of New Brunswick Reds won another championship. “I’d like to add to Mr. Gardiner MacDougall’s list of championships in the past several months,” the email read. “He guided the Canadian university all-star squad to a gold medal performance in the World University Games in January in Lake Placid, N.Y.” . . . Yes, he certainly did. It’s worth pointing out that it was his second Universiade championship; he also was head coach of the Canadian team that won in 2013 in Trentino, Italy. . . . At some point in the not too distant future, MacDougall should be an inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

THINKING OUT LOUD — The Penticton Vees concluded a 50-3-1 regular season on Sunday, setting a BCHL record for best points percentage (.935) in the process. So now they go into the playoffs with opponents knowing that if they are to advance they will have to beat the Vees four times in seven games, which would be as many losses as they suffered in the 54-game regular season. . . . BTW, in their last 109 games, including last spring’s 16-1 playoff run, the Vees are 109-12-3. . . . I’m not positive about the previous record, but the 2011-12 Vees went 54-4-2 and that’s a .917 points percentage. . . . If you need to contact me this week, please do so before Thursday. It’s Opening Day and I will be kind of busy all day and into the night. . . . There’s something wrong with the NHL’s Dept. of Discipline when a deliberate cross-check to the face that inflicts damage draws only a one-game suspension. F Blake Lizotte of the L.A. Kings got just that for taking his stick to the face of Winnipeg Jets D Josh Morrissey, who needed stitches inside his mouth and to his chin. Maybe one day the NHL will get serious about shots to the head, but it won’t be today or tomorrow. . . . Noticed some followers of the Vancouver Canucks celebrating the fact they their favourite team reached the .500 mark with Sunday’s 4-2 victory in Chicago. That lifted Vancouver’s record to  34-34-5. That tells me the Canucks have 34 wins and 39 losses, and that’s not .500 in my book. . . . Unfortunately, the Canucks still aren’t going to make the playoffs. . . . The place to be on Tuesday night? The Whitney Forum in Flin Flon. It’ll be the Bombers and Estevan Bruins in Game 7 of a first round SJHL series. Flin Flon forced the series to the limit with a 4-1 victory in Estevan on Sunday night.

——

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

——

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Bear

Remembering Rob Brown’s two nine-point games 10 days apart . . . Had 29 points in five-game span . . . Bedard adds five more points to his legend

F Matt Seminoff of the Kamloops Blazers put up eight points — four goals and Kamloopsfour assists — on Wednesday night in an 11-1 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals.

The next day, the WHL tweeted that only two other players “in the Internet era” had had eight-point games — D Ty Smith of the Spokane Chiefs on Feb. 28, 2020, against the Seattle Thunderbirds, and F Peter Schaefer of the Brandon Wheat Kings on Dec. 6, 1996, against the Calgary Hitmen.

Smith scored three times and drew five assists in a 9-2 victory over the Thunderbirds in Spokane.

Schaefer had three goals and five assists as the host Wheat Kings dumped the Hitmen, 10-2.

But what of players who played in the WHL in the 30 years prior to “the Internet era”?

Once again, the WHL should be embarrassed by not being able to acknowledge the accomplishments of those who played back in the day. The time is long past for the WHL to remedy the situation so that the players from the league’s first 30 years can be given their due when necessary.

Players like Rob Brown. A prolific scorer with Kamloops, Brown, according to Blazers’ radio voice Jon Keen, had two nine-point games in 1986-87.

That was the season in which Brown totalled 212 points, including 136 assists, in 63 games.

It didn’t take long for me to learn that Brown enjoyed a pair of nine-point games just 10 days apart.

On Nov. 11, 1986, Brown struck for six goals and three assists in a 10-3 victory over the visiting Chiefs.

On Nov. 21, he had three goals and six assists in a 15-8 victory over the Victoria Cougars in Kamloops.

In between, he had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory in Spokane, two goals and four assists in a 10-5 victory in Spokane, and a goal and two assists in an 8-5 victory over visiting Seattle.

In those five games, Brown put up 29 points, including 16 assists.

He had missed the start of the season while in camp with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. But after that second nine-point outing, Brown had 64 points, 25 of them goals, in 14 games.

Without looking too hard, I also found two other nine-point games.

On Jan. 27, 1985, F Cliff Ronning of the New Westminster Bruins scored six times and added three assists in a 16-4 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.

On Feb. 11, 1984, F Al Conroy of the Medicine Hat Tigers scored five times and had four assists in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Warriors.

Of course, the WHL record for points in one game is 10, something that has been accomplished on five occasions, most recently by F Brian Sakic of the Tri-City Americans. On Oct. 3, 1990, he had two goals and eight assists in a 19-3 victory in Seattle.

F Gerry Pinder of the Saskatoon Blades was the first to enjoy a 10-point game. He had six goals and four assists in a 17-5 victory over the visiting Calgary Buffaloes on March 12, 1967.

On Dec. 30, 1971, F Tom Lysiak of Medicine Hat had four goals and six assists in a 12-6 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings.

On Jan. 19, 1973, F Dennis Sobchuk of the Regina Pats scored six times and added four assists in an 11-3 victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings.

On Jan. 9, 1983, F Kelly Glowa of the Wheat Kings had five goals and five assists in a 12-6 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders in Brandon.

I have a feeling that Bobby Clarke of the Flin Flon Bombers may have had a nine-point game or two, and there likely are three or four others from back in the ‘live puck’ era. But I’m only guessing.

Evel

BEDARD
CONNOR BEDARD

THE BEDARD REPORT: F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats recorded his eighth hat trick of the season but it went for naught as his club dropped a 9-5 decision to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors before a sold-out crowd of 6,499. . . . Bedard also had two assists, meaning he figured in all five of the Pats’ goals. . . . Bedard, who has played 53 games this season, leads the WHL in goals (66) and points (134). He and F Riley Heidt of Prince George are tied for the lead in assists (68). . . This was the ninth time Bedard has scored at least five points in one game. He has seven five-pointers and one six-point outing. . . . He is the first WHLer with 66 goals since F Jayden Halbgewachs scored 70 with the Warriors in 2017-18. Halbgewachs was 20 that season; Bedard won’t turn 18 until July 17. . . . From Rob Vanstone (@robvanstone): “With 4:21 left in the second period, it is Moose Jaw Warriors 6, Connor Bedard 2. Bedard’s 65 goals are the most by someone who has played an entire season with the Pats since Tim Iannone scored 65 times in 1985-86.” . . . Bedard has nine points in his past two games; he had two goals and two assists in a 6-3 victory over visiting Brandon on Wednesday. . . . A note from a Regina friend on Thursday afternoon: “You should see the tickets from ‘verified resellers’ for the last two Regina Pats games. I looked today . . . and found one set for $750 per ticket.”

If the WHL playoffs started today:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) vs. Calgary (8)

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

Saskatoon (3) vs. Regina (6)

Moose Jaw (4) vs. Lethbridge (5)

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) vs. Kelowna (8)

Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (7)

Portland (3) vs. Everett (6)

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

——

FRIDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

F Sloan Stanick’s second goal of the game and 25th of the season, at 17:37 of the third period, gave Prince Albert a 4-2 lead and the Raiders went on to a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . Prince Albert (27-34-3) is five points from a playoff spot with four games remaining. . . . Brandon (26-31-8) has lost three straight and is two points from a playoff spot. . . .

F Tyson Laventure had a goal and two assists to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen in Lethbridge. . . . Laventure has 21 goals. . . . The Hurricanes erased a 3-2 deficit with three goals within 7:10 in the third period. . . . The Hitmen had beaten the visiting Hurricanes, 7-1, on Wednesday. . . . Lethbridge (34-24-6) is fifth in the Eastern Conference and appears headed for a first-round matchup with Moose Jaw. . . . Calgary (27-28-8) holds down eighth in the conference, two points ahead of Swift Current and Brandon. . . .

G Kyle Kelsey stopped 34 shots, 20 of them in the third period, as the host Red Deer Rebels beat the Swift Current Broncos, 2-0. . . . Kelsey has put up two straight shutouts. . . . Red Deer (42-17-6) has points in six straight (4-0-2) and will be the second seed in the Eastern Conference for the first round of playoffs. . . . Swift Current (28-32-4) has lost six in a row (0-5-1) and is two points out of the playoffs. . . .

F Jagger Firkus scored three times and added an assist to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 9-5 victory over the Pats in Regina. . . . He’s got 36 goals this season. . . . Moose Jaw (39-22-3) has won four in a row. It is fourth in the Eastern Conference, seven points ahead of Lethbridge, which has four games remaining. . . . Regina (32-28-4) is sixth, three points ahead of Medicine Hat. . . .

D Dru Krebs scored three times, all in the third period, to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Oil Kings in Edmonton. . . . Krebs, who has eight goals, recorded his first WHL hat trick. He scored once while shorthanded, once on the PP and once at even strength. . . . The Tigers (28-26-9) have won two in a row and are seventh in the Eastern Conference, three points behind Regina and three ahead of Calgary. . . . The Oil Kings (9-50-4) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . .

G Dylan Ernst stopped 24 shots for his WHL-leading 38th victory of the season as the Kamloops Blazers dumped the visiting Kelowna Rockets, 5-2. . . . Kamloops F Caedan Bankier, who had three goals and three assists in an 11-1 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals on Wednesday, had two assists. . . . The Blazers (46-11-6) have won eight in a row and 19 of 20. With five games remaining, they are seven points behind Western Conference-leading Seattle. . . . Kelowna (26-36-3) has lost two straight. With three games left, it is eighth in the conference, five points behind Vancouver. . . .

D Hudson Thornton, F Riley Heidt and F Chase Wheatcroft each had a goal and two assists to lead the host Prince George Cougars to a 7-1 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The teams combined for 120 minutes in penalties, with the Cougars taking 68 of those. . . . Prince George (35-24-6) has points in eight straight (6-0-2) and is fourth in the Western Conference. . . . Victoria (15-43-7) has lost 12 in a row (0-11-1). . . .

F Dylan Guenther had a goal (8) and two assists to help the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks in Kent, Wash. . . . Guenther has 23 points in 16 games since joining the Thunderbirds from the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. . . . Seattle (51-9-3) has points in 17 straight (16-0-1). It is two points behind the idle Winnipeg Ice in the race for the WHL’s best record. Each team has five games remaining. . . . Portland (39-18-7) had points in each of its previous five games (3-0-2). The Winterhawks will be Western Conference’s No. 3 seed when the playoffs begin. . . .

G Tomas Suchanek stopped 23 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 3-1 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . Tri-City (30-26-8) has points in three straight (2-0-1). It is fifth in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Everett. . . . Spokane (14-41-9) has lost five in a row (0-3-2). . . .

G Jesper Vikman stopped 32 shots for his first shutout of the season as the Vancouver Giants beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-0, in Langley, B.C. . . . Vancouver (26-29-8) has won two in a row. It is seventh in the Western Conference, five points ahead of Kelowna. . . . Everett (31-30-3) is five points ahead of Vancouver.

Noah

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Stupid

That’s 60 for Bedard, but Pats stunned by Oil Kings . . . Coward a winner in return to Rebels . . . BCHL taking Showcase to Seattle

THE BEDARD REPORT: F Connor Bedard scored his 60th goal of the season on Wednesday night but it didn’t mean a whole lot as his Regina Pats dropped a 3-2 decision to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Bedard, who was playing in his 49th game of the season, is the first WHLer with 60 goals since 2017-18 when F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors finished with 70 in 72 games. . . . The last Regina skater to get to 60 goals was F Ronald Petrovicky, who finished the 1997-98 season with 64 in 71 games. . . . Bedard leads the WHL in goals (60), assists (64) and points (124). However, he has only one point in his past two games. . . . Next up? The Pats, with eight games remaining in the regular season, venture into Alberta for two games — Friday in Lethbridge and Saturday in Medicine Hat.

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)

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) vs. Kelowna (8)

Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (7)

Portland (3) vs. Tri-City (6)

Prince George (4) vs. Everett (5)

——

WEDNESDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

In Red Deer, the Rebels clinched the Central Division title with a 2-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Red Deer last finished on top of the division in 2010-11. . . . F Kai Uchacz got his 47th goal for Red Deer in the first period, but it was F Jhett Larson’s 15th, shorthanded, at 14:04 of the second that was the winner. . . . D Chase Pauls (6) scored for Lethbridge with 17 seconds left in the third period. . . . G Chase Coward, in his first appearance this season, stopped 20 shots to earn the victory. The Rebels had announced prior to training camp that Coward, who turned 20 on Jan. 19, would be out for a while as he dealt with a medical situation. Last season, as a freshman, he was 22-10-2, 2.51, .906. . . . Red Deer (40-17-5) has points in three straight (2-0-1). It is 15 points ahead of the second-place Hurricanes (32-23-6), who have seven games remaining. . . .

Here’s more on Coward, this from Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts, which is right here:

“(I) wanted to recognize 20-year-old Chase Coward of WHL Red Deer. Coward is scheduled to start for the Rebels Wednesday night against Lethbridge. Last summer, Coward, not drafted by an NHL team, was invited to the Canadian World Junior Team’s summer camp, and also to Buffalo’s development camp. However, he failed his physical due to hip injuries, although the Sabres kindly allowed him to stay.

“In August, Rebels uberboss Brent Sutter announced Coward ‘underwent testing and discovered a congenital defect to his lower body. At this time Chase has decided he will not attend training camp or be a part of the Rebels roster to start the season, and we support him as he navigates through the process.’ There was concern Coward’s hockey career was over at waaaaaaaaaay too young an age. As I write this, I’m not 100 per cent sure of the procedures he went through, but it was a gruelling process and recovery against big odds. Wishing Chase good luck as he returns to action.” . . .

F Josh Pillar scored twice to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 5-3 victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos. . . . Pillar, who turned 21 on Feb. 14, missed a good chunk of the season with an undisclosed injury. He has six goals in 21 games. He didn’t play between Nov. 26 and Feb. 17; these were his first two goals in nine games since returning to the lineup. . . . The Blades got out to a 3-0 lead — D Tanner Molendyk (8) made it 3-0 at 7:33 of the second period — and were never headed. . . . The Broncos twice got to within a goal but weren’t able to equalize. . . . F Brandon Lisowsky (32) iced it with the empty-netter. . . . F Josh Filmon (43) scored twice for the Broncos. . . . The Blades got 36 stops from G Ethan Chadwick (21-8-2, 2.53, .903). . . . Saskatoon (43-13-5) has points in 11 straight (10-0-1). . . . Swift Current (28-29-3) has lost two in a row and is clinging to the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot, one point ahead of Calgary and Brandon. . . .

The Edmonton Oil Kings, owners of the poorest record in the WHL, snapped an 11-game losing skid with a 3-2 victory over the Pats in Regina. . . . F Marshall Finnie (7) snapped a 1-1 tie at 15:36 of the first period and F Gavin Hodnett (12) made it 3-1, on a PP, at 12:20 of the second. . . . G Kolby Hay earned his sixth victory of the season with 31 saves. . . . Edmonton (9-48-3) won’t be in the playoffs this season after winning the championship last season. . . . Regina (31-26-3) has lost two straight. It is sixth in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Medicine Hat. . . .

G Nick Jones earned his first WHL shutout with 26 saves as the host Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 2-0. . . . F Zakhar Polshakov (7) gave Brandon a 1-0 lead at 5:19 of the second period and that’s all the offence that Jones needed. . . . Jones, an 18-year-old from Calgary, was a fifth-round pick in the WHL’s 2019 draft. This season, he is 4-12-3, 4.17, .865. . . . Brandon (25-28-8) has won two in a row and is only one point from a playoff spot. . . . Medicine Hat (26-26-9) has lost two straight and is seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Swift Current. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers scored the game’s first four goals and went on to a 7-1 victory over the Silvertips in Everett. . . . D Owen Zellweger, who was acquired from Everett in January, had a goal (25) and two assists. He leads all WHL defencemen in goals. . . . F Jakub Demek also had a goal (2) and two assists. . . . The Blazers were without F Logan Stankoven, who left a 3-2 shootout victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds in the second period on Tuesday with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. The team is listing him as being out day-to-day. . . . Kamloops (42-11-6) has won four in a row and will finish atop the B.C. Division. . . . Everett (30-27-3) has lost three straight. It is tied with Tri-City for fifth in the Western Conference. . . .

The Prince George Cougars scored four times on the PP en route to a 6-2 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna. . . . The Cougars broke a 2-2 tie with four third-period goals, three of them on the PP. . . . F Riley Heidt recorded three assists, giving him 60 and Prince George’s single-season record for most assists. The previous record (59) was held by F Jansen Harkins 2014-15). . . . D Hudson Thornton also had three assists for the Cougars. . . . The visitors were 4-for-7 on the PP; the home side was 0-for-5. . . . Prince George had a 47-18 edge in shots. . . . The Rockets were without G Talyn Boyko (undisclosed injury) for a second straight game. . . . Prince George (31-24-5) has points in three straight (2-0-1). It is fourth in the Western Conference, four points ahead of Everett and Tri-City. . . . Kelowna (23-34-3) has lost three in a row. It is eighth in the conference and appears headed for a first-round meeting with Seattle. The Thunderbirds will open at home with games on March 31 and April 1. They announced last night that tickets for those two games will go on sale on March 15.

Orbit

JUST NOTES:

D Chloe Primerano, 16, led the Canada Winter Games women’s hockey tournament in scoring, with 14 points, including nine assists, in six games as her U-18 B.C. team won gold. You may recall that the Vancouver Giants selected her in the 13th round of the 2022 WHL draft and she attended their training camp. . . . This season, the North Vancouver native is playing for the U-18 female team at the Rink Hockey Academy in Kelowna, and the Giants are contemplating bringing her back to camp prior to next season. . . . In the meantime, she will be getting advice on her hockey-playing future from the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The chances are far greater of her playing NCAA hockey than in the WHL and CAA will provide her with guidance. . . . Steve Ewen of Postmedia has more right here. . . .

The BCHL has announced that it will hold its annual Showcase featuring all 18 teams in Seattle next season. This will be the first time since the inaugural event was held in 2012 that it hasn’t been held in Chilliwack. . . . The 2023 Showcase will be held in the Kraken Community Iceplex, the practice facility for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. The facility includes three rinks and 12 dressing rooms. . . . Each BCHL team will play two regular-season games during four days in October. The precise dates have yet to be announced. . . .

The Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) is in Penticton for the long haul. From a Wednesday news release: “The CSSHL and its partners Okanagan Hockey Group, OVG360, Travel Penticton and the City of Penticton has reached an agreement for a 10-year agreement (five years, with an additional five-year renewal clause) to host the Western Championships beginning in March 2024.” . . . Also from that news release: “This month’s tournament features 86 teams and roughly 1,900 players and staff who are competing in the CSSHL Western Championships over a period of two weeks. Roughly 4,000 spectators are expected to attend the event. The sponsorship agreement, worth $100,000 per year, will see the number of participants increase to 95 Western Division teams next season as Penticton becomes host of the CSSHL’s Western championships.” . . .

Nela Lopušanová, the Slovakian Sensation, will leave home next season to play for the U-19 Bishop Kearney Selects, a program that is based in Rochester, N.Y. Lopušanová, who turned 15 on Feb. 26, is from Zilina. She perhaps first came to prominence earlier this season when, as a 14-year-old, she put up 12 points, nine of them goals, at the World Women’s U-18 tournament. She has 43 points, 18 of them goals, in 14 games with Zilina’s U-16 team, and has 28 goals and 21 assists in eight games with a Zilina club in a Slovakian women’s league.

Pyramids

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Idiots

Storm wins KIJHL’s long game . . . Heidt sparks Cougars in front of large crowd . . . Big crowd in Saskatoon for Blades victory . . . Hitmen run winning streak to seven

Mask

KamStormnewThe junior B Kamloops Storm scored twice in the shootout to defeat the Columbia Valley Rockies, 5-4, in a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League game that began on Friday night and finished Sunday afternoon in Invermere, B.C. . . . The Storm and Rockies were tied, 1-1, with 1:05 left in the third period on Friday when an ammonia alarm sounded in the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. . . . They weren’t able to finish the game that night. With both teams scheduled to play Saturday, the KIJHL chose to have the Storm, which travelled to Creston and beat the Thunder Cats, 5-4 in OT, return to Invermere to finish up on Sunday. . . . Repairs were made to the refrigeration plant in time for the Rockies to drop a 4-1 decision to the Kimberley Dynamiters on Saturday. . . . On Sunday, Kamloops got shootout goals from F Jake Phillips-Watts and F Evan Douglas, with F Keenan Ingram counting for the Rockies. . . . If you’re wondering, the KIJHL picked up any extra expenses incurred by the Storm during their extra time on the road.

SUNDAY IN THE WHL:

The host Prince George Cougars scored five first-period goals and went on to PrinceGeorgebeat the Vancouver Giants, 6-4. . . . The Cougars (10-9-0) had lost their previous two games, including a 5-4 setback at the hands of the visiting Giants on Saturday night. . . . Vancouver (7-8-4) had been 3-0-1 in its previous four games. . . . The Giants actually led this one 2-0 before it was five minutes old. But the Cougars counted five times before the first period ended, two of them from F Riley Heidt, to take control. . . . Heidt (10) completed his hat trick at 17:01 of the second period for a 6-2 lead. . . . Vancouver got a goal and an assist from F Samuel Honzek (12) in the third period to get within two. . . . The Giants, who had five shots on goal in the first period and four in the second, held a 13-0 edge in the third. . . . The announced attendance was 4,821, the Cougars’ largest home crowd this season. They announced 4,463 on Saturday. . . . Those are the two largest crowds in the CN Centre since Feb. 17, 2020, when the Cougars dropped a 4-2 decision to the Red Deer Rebels before a crowd that was announced at 5,971. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades scored the game’s first three goals en route to a 5-2 Saskatoonvictory over the visiting Regina Pats. . . . The Blades (14-4-0) have won three in a row. . . . The Pats (9-9-2) had points in three straight (2-0-1) before this one. . . . The Pats were playing their fourth game in five days and third in fewer than 48 hours. This also was the first outing in a 10-game road trip that will taken them into the B.C. Division. . . . F Jayden Wiens (5) scored two PP goals for Saskatoon. . . . F Connor Bedard ran his point streak to 19 games with a goal (18) and an assist. . . . The Pats had D Corbin Vaughan back in the lineup after he completed his second four-game suspension since Oct. 13. . . . Attendance was announced at 7,868, the largest in Saskatoon since 9,188 showed up to watch the Blades beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 3-2, on March 15, 2019. . . .

In Everett, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last four goals to beat the CalgarySilvertips, 6-3. . . . Calgary (10-4-2) has won seven in a row, including the first two games of a U.S. Division tour. . . . Everett (12-6-0) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . . Everett took a 3-2 lead into the third period. . . . F Zac Funk pulled Calgary even at 1:01, then gave his mates a 4-3 lead with his fourth goal of the season, on a PP, at 2:24. . . . D Tyson Galloway (3) scored once and added two assists for Calgary as he figured in each of the last three goals.

——

Eyes

Headline at The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton) — Elon Musk suspended from Twitter for impersonating competent businessman.

CNN

Shark

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Fox

Rebels (12-0-0) actually chasing Estevan record (22-0-0) . . . Ice get defenceman from Chiefs . . . Cougars hand Thunderbirds first loss

Estevan
The 1967-68 Estevan Bruins opened the Western Canada Junior Hockey League — now WHL — season by going 22-0-0. (Photo: icehockey.fandom.com)

Something had been nagging at me amid all the chatter about the Red Deer Rebels and their run at the WHL record for most victories to start a season.

The Rebels got to 12-0-0 on Friday night with a 4-0 blanking of the visiting Vancouver Giants. It was reported in various places, including right here, that the Rebels had tied a WHL record that had been set by the 1988-89 Swift Current Broncos. (The Rebels will go for No. 13 on Sunday afternoon when they face the 1-11-1 Oil Kings in Edmonton.)

But even as I referenced the Rebels’ streak there was something buzzing in the back of my mind . . .

Then I saw a Saturday morning tweet from Lucas Punkari of the Brandon Sun that had the Estevan Bruins as holders of that record, and it all fell into place. I had written about that very thing less than a year ago.

Yes, the Bruins won 22 straight games to open the 1967-68 season, the second EstevanBruinsin the existence of what now is the WHL.

The Bruins of general manager Roderick Neil (Scotty) Munro and head coach Ernie (Punch) McLean got to 22-0-0 by going into Swift Current and beating the Broncos, 9-6, on Dec. 10, 1967.

The interesting thing about that game is that Estevan G Gord Kopp suffered a broken nose and a bad facial cut in the pregame warmup. Teams carried only one goaltender in those days, which likely is why Kopp went ahead and started the game. In fact, he played through the second period before having to bow out.

F Jim Harrison, perhaps the Bruins’ best player and one of the league’s top skaters, had scored three goals through two periods, but that didn’t keep him from taking over for Kopp. With Harrison in goal, the Bruins outscored the Broncos, 3-2. Unfortunately, the number of saves he made has been lost to history.

As I wrote almost a year ago, “When is the last time a WHL player — or any junior player for that matter — had a hat trick and played goal in the same game?”

And so it was that the Bruins ran their season-opening record to 22-0-0, with a game against the host Saskatoon Blades next on the schedule.

“You have to concede the Bruins win No. 23 tonight when they take on the Blades in Saskatoon,” wrote Ron Campbell in that day’s Regina Leader-Post as he looked ahead to the Dec. 12 game. The Blades were 6-12-3 at the time.

You guessed it . . . the Blades won, 4-3, bringing the Bruins’ streak to a halt in front of 1,410 fans.

Kopp wasn’t able to answer the bell, so the Bruins started Ed Dyck, a 17-year-old from the junior B North Battleford Beaver-Bruins. Harrison and D Dale Hoganson gave Estevan a 2-0 first-period lead, with F Orest Kindrachuk pulling the Blades to within one before the period ended.

F Ron Fairbrother got Saskatoon into a 2-2 tie with the only goal of the second period, then gave his guys a 3-2 lead at 5:46 of the third. F Greg Polis scored for Estevan at 6:18, only to have F Jim Nicholls score what proved to be the winner, at 10:59.

“Young Dyck, playing in his first junior A game, was remarkably calm and had little chance on the four shots that beat him,” Jack Cook of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reported.

The Bruins went on to finish the regular season at 45-13-2, good for second place, seven points behind the Flin Flon Bombers (47-8-5). Harrison, the only player in WHL history to score three goals and play goal in the same game, was named the league’s MVP.

Estevan swept a best-of-seven first-round series from the Winnipeg Jets, then took out the Moose Jaw Canucks in five games, winning four and tying another.

The Bruins finished their unbeaten run to the championship by beating the Bombers, 4-0 with a tie. At this point, the Bruins were riding a 23-game unbeaten streak.

Estevan followed that by ousting the Fort William, Ont., Westfort Hurricanes, 4-1, and then sweeping the Penticton Broncos, 4-0, to qualify for the Memorial Cup.

In those days, the Memorial Cup was an East vs. West affair featuring two teams in a best-of-seven series. In this case, it was two teams affiliated with the NHL’s Boston Bruins — Estevan and the Niagara Falls Flyers. They played one game (Game 2) in the Montreal Forum and the other four in Niagara Falls’ Memorial Arena. The Flyers won the series, 4-1.

Interestingly, the Flyers wore Montreal Jr. Canadiens’ uniforms for the first two games and those belonging to the St. Catharines Teepees in the final three. That’s because the Estevan and Niagara Falls kits were identical, other than the logo.

Harrison, meanwhile, wasn’t able to do much in the five games. It seems that he suffered a broken hand in the final minute of Game 1. There was a brawl behind the Estevan net and he got into it with a fan, who turned out to be the father of Niagara Falls D Rick Thompson.

In an essay on the 1968 series, I wrote: “Harrison, who was already in the penalty box, tangled with a fan. The gentleman happened to be Thompson’s father. And, according to one report, Mr. Thompson ‘left the arena battered and bleeding.’ The fan was also reported to be stripped to the waist.”

Munro, for his part, pointed a finger at the fans, saying they “are nothing but animals.”

Ahh, those were the days!

——

BTW, the Bruins beat the visiting Weyburn Red Wings, 5-1, for their 20th straight victory on Dec. 5, 1967. The next day, The Leader-Post reported: “The Bruins moved one step closer to the all-time junior hockey win streak mark set at 25 by the now-defunct Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 1942.”

I saw this in Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts: “Growing complaint among fans who gamble: changes to shots on goal well after initially awarded. You’d be surprised at the number of people who comb these odds much more carefully than I comb my hair. If you’re going to take gambling money, you’ve got to make sure the changes are minimal.”

Yes, fans, this is where we’re at with gambling having become so pervasive.

BTW, Friedman also wrote that he no longer is going to be producing one of these 32 columns per week during the season.

“My initial thought,” he explained, “is to write a little more often (maybe two-to-three times per week), but shorter. You might get 32 Thoughts, but in smaller bunches. Hopefully, you find it a fair trade-off. I’m open to ideas.”

His latest 32 Thoughts is right here.

Notice

If there were any doubts about the Winnipeg Ice’s goal this season, they were erased early Saturday evening when it was announced that D Graham Sward WinnipegIcewas on his way to the Manitoba capital from the Spokane Chiefs.

Yes, the Ice’s management badly wants to have its team in Kamloops in May.

In the exchange, the Ice surrendered D Jaren Brinson, 18, and four WHL draft picks — a first-rounder in 2023, a third in 2025 and second and fourth-rounders in 2026.

Sward, 19, is from Abbotsford, B.C. He has 14 goals and 52 assists in 132 games with the Chiefs. Last season, he put up 10 goals and 33 assists in 57 games. This season, he has four assists in eight games.

Sward was a fifth-round pick by the Nashville Predators in the NHL’s 2022 draft. The Chiefs selected him in the first round of the WHL’s 2018 draft.

Brinson, from Airdrie, Alta., was a second-round pick by the Prince George Cougars in the WHL’s 2019 draft. He had two goals and seven assists in 72 games with the Cougars. This season, in 13 games with the Ice, he has a goal and three assists.

The Ice may have the best top six forward group in the WHL, if not in the entire CHL. Sward allows them to upgrade their back end in a big way.

Winnipeg opened this season with 13 straight road games and went 12-1-0. The Ice finally were able to hold its home-opener on Saturday and it moved to 13-1-0 with a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. This was the first of 10 straight home games for the Ice.

The Ice, now 3-0-0 against Brandon this season, got goals from F Conor Geekie (9), F Ty Nash (5), F Zach Benson (7) and F Owen Peterson (7). The Ice already has nine players with at least 10 points each, including three with 19, while four have at least seven goals.

Bears

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Seattle Thunderbirds fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Saturday night as they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Cougars in Prince George. The Thunderbirds had opened the season with nine straight victories. . . . F Riley Heidt scored twice for the Cougars (6-6-0), giving them leads of 1-0 and 2-1. . . . F Jared Davidson had Seattle’s goal. He is riding a five-game goal streak. . . . These teams will complete their tripleheader in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday. . . .

The Tri-City Americans skated out of Moose Jaw with a 6-2 victory over the Warriors. The Americans have won four in a row since getting drubbed twice at home — 11-3 by the Medicine Hat Tigers on Oct. 12 and 7-1 by the Kamloops Blazers two nights later. . . . The Warriors had a four-game winning streak come to an end. . . .

The Everett Silvertips beat the Pats, 3-2, in Regina as F Austin Roest broke a 2-2 tie at 18:41 of the third period. . . . Roest has 10 goals, as does teammate Jackson Berezowski, who also scored once. . . . F Connor Bedard of the Pats had a goal and an assist to run his points streak to 13 games. He won’t turn 18 until July 17, but leads the WHL in goals (11), assists (13), points (24) and shots (84). . . . The Pats (6-7-1) have lost four in a row. . . .

D Kyle Masters enjoyed his second straight three-point game with a goal and two assists as the Kamloops Blazers dropped the host Spokane Chiefs, 7-1. . . . The Blazers are 3-0-0 against Spokane this season, having outscored the Chiefs, 16-4. . . . Masters also had a goal and two assists on Friday as the Blazers beat the Chiefs, 5-1, in Kamloops. He went into Friday having played 118 regular-season games, the first 109 with the Red Deer Rebels, without a three-pointer. . . . F Logan Stankoven scored twice, and now has 19 points, including 10 goals, in eight games. He leads the WHL in points-per-game (2.38). Last season, Stankoven finished with 104 points in 59 games; he led the WHL in points-per-game (1.76). . . .

D Carter Sotheran’s first WHL goal, at 17:13 of the third period, snapped a 3-3 tie and the host Portland Winterhawks went on to a 5-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Winterhawks held a 36-9 edge in shots through two periods with the teams even at 2-2. . . . At game’s end, Portland had outshot the visitors, 47-15. . . . Sotheran, 17, is from Sanford, Man., which has a population of about 900. He has a goal and six assists in 10 games. He was a fifth-round pick in the WHL’s 2020 draft. . . . The Rockets were without D Noah Dorey, who drew a one-game suspension for his slew-footing major in Friday’s contest. . . .

F Mathew Ward’s sixth goal of the season, at 17:51 of the third period, gave the visiting Swift Current  Broncos a 5-4 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Ward, who played his 100th regular-season game last night, has six goals and nine assists in 12 games this season. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Saskatoon Blades had a seven-game winning streak snapped as they were beaten, 2-1, by the Hurricanes. . . . The victory skein lifted the Blades’ record to 10-3-0. . . . Lethbridge, which got 29 stops from G Harrison Meneghin, led 2-0 after one period. . . .

F Jake Poole struck for three goals — his second hat trick in four games — to lead the Victoria Royals to a 4-3 OT victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. . . . Poole’s eighth goal of the season won it at 1:28 of OT. . . . Poole, 20, was acquired from the Kelowna Rockets earlier in the month and has seven goals and four assists in 11 games with the Royals. . . .

In the BCHL, the host Penticton Vees ran their record to 14-0-0 with a 9-3 victory over the Trail Smoke Eaters. The Vees are scheduled to play their next three games at home against the Prince George Spruce Kings (Friday), Wenatchee Wild (Saturday) and Vernon Vipers (Nov. 11).

Parrot

THINKING OUT LOUD — If you’re like me, you’re wondering why the Seattle Kraken have F Shane Wright on their roster. Wright, 18, was the fourth-overall selection in the NHL’s 2022 draft after two seasons with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. He has one assist in five NHL games, but has been scratched five times. The Kraken played at home three times this week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — and Wright, with grandparents visiting for the week, was scratched from each game. Because he’s 18, he has to play in the NHL or be returned to Kingston. Hey, those are the rules. . . . I strongly suggest that it’s time to retire the cliche “teamwork makes the dream work.” Thank you. . . . There are some things in the sporting world that just shouldn’t be allowed. One of those is the Toronto Maple Leafs wearing black uniforms. . . . I’m still trying to understand why Wayne Gretzky is doing gambling commercials. Any ideas? . . . The Edmonton Oilers beat the Calgary Flames, 3-2, last night in the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta. Who knows why but the NHL schedule has these teams meeting only once more this season.

Heartfelt condolences to Stewart Kemp, the longtime president of the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club, on the death of his wife, Cathy Schave Kemp, late Saturday afternoon. . . . If you are so inclined, there is a GoFundMe set up right here that will help with the expenses.

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

bed

Scattershooting on a Sunday night while wondering how noisy things will be tomorrow (PM Justin Trudeau is in town) . . .

Scattershooting2

The National League wild-card game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals took four hours 15 minutes to play. The teams combined to use nine relief pitchers as the Dodgers won, 3-1. . . . Meanwhile, regular-season MLB games averaged three hours 10 minutes, the longest in history.

Jack Finarelli, aka The Sports Curmudgeon, offers up the perfect explanation as to why games are taking so long and when something might be done about it:

“Yes, much of the problem is the time between innings when the TV networks insert a profusion of advertisements. Having acknowledged that, let us come to the realization that it is those ads that drive major numbers of dollars into the league coffers and thereby to the owners. Those ads are not going away. So, the only meaningful way for MLB to address this is to stop all the time-wasting activities on the field. We know what they are; they have been chronicled in hundreds of places; the fact that there have not been changes to address them in any meaningful way can only mean that MLB does not see this as a problem worthy of resolving.

“So . . . I have abandoned any idea that the execs in MLB and/or the MLBPA care at all about this issue. This is the vector heading for MLB now and into the foreseeable future. Only when ratings drop enough for the TV networks to refuse to pay more for television rights will there be any real action to effect change.”

Bingo!

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Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News, writing about the Kyrie Irving situation: “The Nets should look into getting rid of him sooner or later, seeing if there is possibly a taker for him, with all of his baggage, old and new, perhaps from one of the teams from the dumber states when it comes to COVID, and that means we’re talking about you Florida and Texas.”

The four women in the above tweet worked Sunday afternoon’s BCHL game between the Langley Rivermen and the host Surrey Eagles, who won 4-3 in a shootout. Grace Barlow and Megan Howes were the referees, with Melissa Brunn and Colleen Geddes on the lines. . . . For more, there is a BCHL news release right here.

Meanwhile, Katie Guay, an on-ice official since 2006, became the first woman to referee an AHL game on Saturday night when she was on the ice alongside Brandon Schrader as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat the visiting Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 2-1. . . . On Sunday, Kelly Cooke became the second woman to referee an AHL game when she worked with Beau Halkidis as the host Utica Comets beat the Rochester Americans, 6-2.

Pigeons

There were nine games played in the NHL on Thursday night, the second night of the regular season. My satellite TV package includes six TSN channels. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators were playing on four of them, but all were blacked out. I have access to nine Sportsnet channels — the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers were on three of them. . . . Sorry, NHL, but if you can’t do better than that you’re not going to attract new eyeballs. . . . As for me, I watched the NFL game (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles until the MLB playoff game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants started.

Headline at fark.com: Australian cricket player suffers 10th concussion, says he’s ready to try out for the NHL.

“Cleveland Browns sack-master Myles Garrett has decorated his front yard for Halloween with tombstones featuring the names and jersey numbers of opposing quarterbacks,” writes Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times. “What’s he handing out this year, Nestle Crunch?”

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Perry, again: “The Mississippi state auditor has ordered ex-QB Brett Favre — who was paid $141 million over his 20-year NFL career — to return $828,000 in welfare money he was paid for speeches he never gave. The word for that is . . . speechless.”

Auto

The WHL’s Victoria Royals had 15 skaters dressed, three below the maximum WHLallowed, when they met the Cougars in Prince George on Saturday night. When the teams played again on Sunday afternoon, the Royals, playing their fourth game in six days, were down to 13 skaters, including only eight forwards. . . . You are free to wonder at what point this becomes a safety issue for the players who are in the lineup. . . .

That was one of three WHL games played on Sunday. Some highlights . . .

In Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Victoria Royals, 4-2. . . . F Craig Armstrong (3) had two goals — the last two — and an assist. He broke a 2-2 tie at 5:45 of the third period. . . . F Riley Gannon (3) had a goal and an assist for the Royals (1-6-0). . . . The Cougars (2-3-0) now will travel to Victoria for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader as these teams face each other in six straight games. The series is to conclude in Prince George on Oct. 26 and 27. . . .

In Edmonton, G Connor Ungar stopped 29 shots to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 2-1 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . The Rebels (4-3-1) erased a 1-0 deficit with second-period goals from F Jace Weir (3) and F Ben King (3), the latter via the PP. . . . The Oil Kings now are 4-2-1. . . .

In Winnipeg, the Ice ran its season-opening winning streak to seven games with a 3-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Ice (7-0-0) held a 46-20 edge in shots. . . . F Connor McClennon (6) snapped a 1-1 tie 17 seconds into the third period. . . . The Broncos (2-5-0) have lost five in a row.

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There were nine WHL games on Saturday. Some highlights . . .

In Everett, G Koen MacInnes stopped 31 shots to help the Silvertips to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . That was his first shutout this season and the fourth of his career. . . . F Jackson Berezowski (5) scored twice as Everett improved to 4-0-0. . . . Seattle (2-2-1) was without F Lucas Ciona, who drew a two-game sentence after taking a charging major for running into G Braden Holt on Friday night when visiting Everett won 5-4 in OT. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks erased a 3-0 deficit and beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-3. . . . F Dawson Pasternak (1) pulled the Winterhawks even at 14:41 of the third period and F Marek Alscher (1) broke the tie at 17:05. . . . Portland improved to 3-2-1; the Americans are 2-3-0. . . .

In Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Victoria Royals, 3-1. . . . The Cougars (1-3-0) won for the first time this season, while the Royals fell to 1-5-0. . . . F Riley Heidt (2) broke a 1-1 tie at 15:52 of the third period. . . .

In Langley, B.C., G Dylan Garand blocked 23 shots as the Kamloops Blazes skated to a 5-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Garand, a candidate to be Canada’s starting goaltender at the 2022 World Junior Championship, has one shutout this season and nine in his career. . . . Kamloops (5-1-0) was 3-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Blazers went 3-1-0 in playing four road games in five nights. . . . The Giants are 2-1-0. . . .

In Brandon, D Chad Nychuk’s fifth goal of the season, at 3:41 of OT, gave the Wheat Kings a 4-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . This was the Broncos’ first game since general manager/head coach Dean Brockman announced his resignation on Thursday. . . . F Ridly Greig (4) pulled Brandon (4-3-0) into a 3-3 tie at 11:03 of the third period. . . . The Broncos, who have lost four in a row, are 2-4-0. . . . With G Ethan Kruger still injured, the Wheat Kings again started Carson Bjarnason, a 16-year-old from Carberry, Man., who now is 3-0-0, 3.84, .895. . . . According to the online scoresheet, Brandon played a third straight game without having a backup goaltender in uniform. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Tristen Robins had a goal and an assist — his fifth straight multi-point game — as the Saskatoon Blades edged the Warriors, 4-3. . . . F Cade Hayes (3) pulled the Warriors (3-3-0) into a 3-3 tie at 12:59 of the third period. . . . F Egor Sidorov (2) won it for the Blades (4-1-1) at 14:30. . . . Saskatoon was 3-for-4 on the PP. . . . Blades G Ethan Chadwick, a 17-year-old from Saskatoon, stopped 25 shots to earn the victory in his first career start. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored the only two goals of a shootout to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . D Kaiden Guhle and F Reece Vitelli had the shootout goals as the Raiders improved to 2-5-0. . . . The Tigers (2-3-1) forced OT when F Noah Danielson (1) scored while shorthanded at 4:08 of the third period. . . .

In Red Deer, G Brayden Peters stopped 25 shots for his first shutout of the season and second of his career as the Calgary Hitmen beat the Rebels, 2-0. . . . The Rebels (3-3-1) had won 8-1 in Calgary on Friday night. . . . The Hitmen (2-3-0) got a goal and an assist from D Keagan Slaney (1), who had been acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings earlier in the week. . . .

In Winnipeg, F Matt Savoie scored twice and added an assist as the Ice ran its record to 6-0-0 with a 6-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The Ice has outscored its opponents 40-10 in the six games it has played. . . . Savoie scored his second and third goals on a team-high six shots. . . . The Pats are 2-5-0.

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G Dawson Green came out of a Saturday MJHL assignment with two pucks — one for the shutout and one for the goal. . . . Green, a 20-year-old from Brandon, is in his first season with the Winnipeg Blues after playing two seasons with Neepawa. . . . On Saturday, before 112 fans at the RINK Training Centre in Winnipeg, he stopped 23 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Selkirk Steelers, and he put it away with an empty-net goal at 19:44 of the third period. . . . This season, Green is 9-0-0, 1.46, .944, with one goal.

If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

SocialMedia

Get your Last Man Back gear right here . . . Bedard continues red-hot start for Pats . . . Selkirk College drops hockey

We are nearing the third anniversary of the bus crash that involved the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. It occurred on April 6, 2018. Morgan Gobeil, who wore No. Humboldt24, was injured in the crash and spent almost a year in hospital. Morgan was, in fact, the last person from the crash to be released from hospital; he was the Last Man Back.

His brother, Ryan, was in the hospital with his brother one day when he found himself entranced by the heart monitor. So Ryan had Morgan’s heartbeat off the monitor tattooed onto one arm.

“I was watching the screen for, I don’t know how long it was,” Ryan told Global News. “I thought to myself, I never want this moment to end for me.

“I have this on me and it is something that I can see all the time. Whether we’re in the waiting room or going to catch some sleep, or eating or whatever. We can always see it. It’s always there.”

Ryan also has taken to marketing Last Man Back clothing, with all proceeds going to STARS air ambulance, the service that responded to the bus crash. The Last Man Back logo also incorporates No. 24.

If you’re interested, there’s more info in the tweet below . . .

Former WHL G James Priestner and his brother, Jared, are part of a Vancouver-based rock band — Rare Americans — these days. And they have had to ask for help from police after a thief or thieves stole some instruments and unreleased music . . . . CTV Vancouver reported: “The items were taken on Wednesday night, while James and his girlfriend were asleep in their home in Gastown. But it wasn’t until Friday, when the band got together in James’ basement studio, that they noticed several things were missing.” . . . The complete story is right here.

I don’t watch a lot of NCAA basketball, but I do see some of it during March Madness. One thing that crossed my mind while watching this weekend was that the men’s coaches sure seem to spend a lot of time whining about or at the officials. I kind of shrugged it off, until Jack Finarelli, aka The Sports Curmudgeon, posted this as part of a brief Monday comment on the Florida State-Michigan game: “I also liked the fact that both coaches avoid histrionics on every possession and they also accept some of the calls that go against their team without making it seem as if they are suffering more than Job.” . . . Glad to know it wasn’t just me.

G Nolan Maier stopped 24 shots on Monday night, helping the Saskatoon Blades Bladesto a 4-0 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders in Regina. . . . This was the 11th shutout of this WHL season, but the first in the Regina hub. . . . Maier has eight career shutouts, all of them with the Blades, who are off to a franchise-best 8-0-1 start. He is one shutout shy of the franchise record held by Andrey Makarov. . . . This season, Maier is 6-0-0, 2.00, .913. . . . The victory was the 85th of Maier’s career, tying him with Tim Cheveldae for the franchise’s regular-season record. . . . Saskatoon got two goals and an assist from F Colton Dach (6). . . . The Raiders slid to 3-4-2. . . . The Blades were 2-for-5 on the PP. . . . The Raiders lost F Logan Linklater to a butt-ending major and game misconduct for a play involving Colton Dach at 3:20 of the third period. . . . Saskatoon F Chase Wouters got the ol’ heave-ho for cross-checking for a hit on Raiders F Ozzy Wiesblatt at 11:50 of the third. . . . The Raiders continue to play without D Kaiden Guhle and G Max Paddock, so again had only one goaltender — Carter Serhyenko — dressed. . . .

F Connor Bedard, the only player in WHL history to have been granted exceptional status to play at 15 years of age, had a goal and three assists as the Regina Pats dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 9-4. . . . Because of the pandemic, Bedard is hardly the only 15-year-old in the WHL, but he is at the head of the class with seven goals and 10 assists in nine games. . . . The Pats (3-4-2) got two goals and an assist from F Zack Smith, three assists from F Carter Chorney, and two more goals from F Carson Denomie (9). . . . D Mathew Ward had a goal, his first, and an assist for the Broncos (2-7-1). The 14th overall pick in the 2019 bantam draft has a goal and 12 assists in his first 10 games. . . . F Owen Williams of the Broncos scored once in his 200th regular-season WHL game. . . .

F Connor Bowie scored three times to spark the Prince George Cougars to a 5-3 PGvictory over the Victoria Royals in Kelowna. . . . This one was the Royals’ home-opener. . . . Bowie, who will turn 20 on April 10, went into this one with 17 goals in 137 regular-season games with the Cougars (1-1-0). That included three in 64 games as a freshman in 2018-19. . . . F Riley Heidt, the second overall pick in the 2020 bantam draft, scored his first goal in his second game. . . . Prince George F Ethan Browne (2) snapped a 3-3 tie at 6:55 of the second period and Bowie added insurance at 19:19. . . . The Royals (0-2-0) and Spokane Chiefs (0-4-1) are the only WHL teams without at least one victory.

Elliotte Friedman posted his weekly 31 Thoughts on Monday, and the top of it is terrific. He wrote about Ryan Fanti and his parents. Who? Fanti is a goaltender with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. He spent six periods on the bench Saturday night watching his guys play the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in a regional final game in Fargo, N.D. But when starter Zach Stejskal started cramping up early in the fourth OT, Fanti got the call. He finished with six saves and the Bulldogs won, 3-2. But it’s what happened right after the goal was scored that made an impression with Friedman and anyone else who saw it on TV. Fanti took time away from celebrating to console UND G Adam Scheel. . . . Friedman’s piece is right here.

The Montreal Canadiens were back on the practice ice on Monday, the first time they had skated since being shut down on March 22 because of COVID-19 protocol. F Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been removed from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, but F Joel Armia and newly acquired F Eric Staal remain. . . . General manager Marc Bergevin has said that one player had tested positive for a variant. That player wasn’t Armia or Kotkaniemi, but several players were identified as close contacts of the player so things were shut down. . . . The Canadiens, who haven’t played since March 20, are scheduled to return to game action tonight (Tuesday) against the visiting Edmonton Oilers.

Volcano

Selkirk College, which has is main campus in Castlegar, B.C., has dropped its men’s hockey program “due to budgetary constraints.” The Saints had been members of the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League since 2006. The Saints won four consecutive BCIHL championships (2013-16). . . . Selkirk College’s departure leaves the BCIHL with four teams — Simon Fraser U, Trinity Western U, the U of Victoria and Vancouver Island U. However, Trinity Western was to join Canada West for the 2020-21 season that ended up being scrubbed because of the pandemic. Presumably Trinity Western will make the move whenever the next season gets started.

The Vancouver Canadians announced Monday that they will at least open the 2021 baseball season by playing out of Hillsboro, Ore. They usually play out of Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, but that isn’t possible these days with the U.S.-Canada border closed to non-essential travel. The Canadians will share Ron Tonkin Field with the Hillsboro Hops. . . . Both the Canadians and Hops play in the High-A West; the Canadians are affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Hops with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:

Living Kidney Donor Program

St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

——

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

——

Or, for more information, visit right here.

Mitts