D Stefan Ulmer (Spokane, 2007-10) has been assigned on loan by Lugano (Switzerland, NL A) to Ticino (Switzerland, NL B). The length of the loan wasn’t announced. He had three assists in 13 games with Lugano this season.
A LITTLE OF THIS . . .
Chris Dilks (@Chris Dilks), who closely follows U.S. college hockey, tweeted Saturday afternoon that “on the NTDP line chart . . . Erik Middendorf is no longer showing a commitment to Denver.” . . . Middendorf, a 17-year-old forward, is from Scottsdale, Ariz. The Moose Jaw Warriors selected him in the fourth round of the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. . . . Middendorf, who is in the U.S. National Team Development Program, committed to the U of Denver on Sept. 20, 2016. . . . He is a nephew to former NHL F Max Middendorf.
The Los Angeles Ramblers played in the Western International Hockey League in 1946-47, flying to road games in Trail, Nelson, Kimberley and Spokane. Greg Nesteroff has more on the Ramblers right here, and if you care at all about hockey history you don’t want to miss this story.
SUNDAY:
At Regina, F Aleksi Heponiemi had a goal and two assists to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 4-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Swift Current (35-12-4) had won two in a row. It 
is second in the overall standings, seven points behind Moose Jaw. The Broncos are 4-0-0 in the season series with the Pats, including a 3-1 victory on home ice on Saturday afternoon. . . . Regina (25-22-5) has lost two in a row. It holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . The Broncos scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Beck Malenstyn (5) and F Matteo Gennaro (31), who were acquired in a pre-Christmas deal with Calgary, got the first two. Malenstyn scored at 18:45 of the first period. Gennaro counted at 9:00 of the second. . . . Heponiemi (24) added a PP goal at 5:31 of the third. . . . D Cale Fleury (9) got Regina’s goal at 16:02 of the third. . . . Broncos F Glenn Gawdin (40) closed out the scoring, on a PP, at 16:02. . . . Gennaro also had an assist. . . . Heponiemi now has 93 points, three shy of F Brayden Burke of Moose Jaw, who leads the scoring derby. . . . Swift Current was 2-4 on the PP; Regina was 0-3. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 41 shots for Swift Current, while G Ryan Kubic turned aside 31 at the other end. . . . Swift Current scratched F Kaden Elder, F Kole Gable and D Sahvan Khaira. . . . To complete Swift Current’s grand weekend, Jamie LeBlanc’s wife won the 50/50 draw. He is the Broncos’ athletic trainer. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
At Red Deer, F Jordy Bellerive tied the game in the third period and won it in OT as the 
Lethbridge Hurricanes beat the Rebels, 2-1. . . . Lethbridge (23-21-6) had lost its previous four games (0-2-2). The Hurricanes are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat and three in front of Kootenay. . . . Red Deer (12-25-12) had won its previous two games. . . . F Reese Johnson (17) put the home side ahead 1-0, while shorthanded, at 10:16 of the second period. . . . Bellerive tied it at 9:42 of the third period and won it with his 33rd goal of the season at 2:57 of OT. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . G Logan Flodell earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . Red Deer G Ethan Anders stopped 42 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 4,382.
At Everett, F Connor Dewar scored the game’s last two goals as the Silvertips beat the Spokane Chiefs, 6-5, in overtime. . . . Everett (32-16-3) has points in 10 straight games (9-0-
1). The Silvertips lead the Western Conference by one point over Kelowna. . . . The Silvertips were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours, having split with Seattle, winning 3-1 at home and losing 3-2 in a shootout on the road. . . . Spokane (26-19-5) has points in six straight (4-0-2). It is tied with Tri-City for the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . The Chiefs scored two goals early in the third period — F Kailer Yamamoto (9), on a PP, at 2:16, and F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (27), at 4:38 — to take a 5-3 lead. . . . Everett got to within a goal when D Wyatte Wylie (5) scored at 5:08. . . . Dewar tied it at 19:36, then won it with his 27th goal at 1:10 of OT. Wylie had the primary assist on the winner for a three-point evening. . . . Dewar enjoyed a five-goal weekend. . . . F Jake McGrew had given Spokane a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 10:15 of the first period. . . . F Matt Fonteyne (30) pulled Everett event at 15:07. . . . F Luke Toporowski (4) put the Chiefs back out front at 17:22. . . . F Spencer Gerth scored for Everett at 2:52 of the second period, but Anderson-Dolan put the Chiefs back out front at 5:58. . . . Wylie, on a PP, tied it at 10:30. . . . The Silvertips got two assists from F Patrick Bajkov, who now has 262 career points, tying F Zach Hamill (2003-08) for the franchise record. . . . F Garrett Pilon also had two assists for Everett, with Dewar adding one. . . . Yamamoto also had three assists, with Ty Smith getting two, and Anderson-Dolan one. . . . Spokane was 2-3 on the PP; Everett was 1-3. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 37 shots for the Silvertips. . . . The Chiefs got 42 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Announced attendance: 4,187.
At Portland, Mike Johnston got his 300th regular-season coaching victory as the Winterhawks beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-2. . . . Johnston is the 23rd coach in WHL 
history to get 300 victories. . . . Portland (29-17-4) had lost two games — 5-2 and 3-1 — in Kamloops earlier in the weekend. It is second in the U.S. Division, five points behind Everett. . . . Kamloops (23-24-3) had won its previous five games. It is eight points away from a playoff spot. . . . The teams played in Kamloops on Friday and Saturday nights. They left for Portland immediately after Saturday’s game. . . . Last night, the Winterhawks had a 3-0 lead early in the third period on goals from D Henri Jokiharju (8), on a PP, at 4:46 of the second; F Jake Gricius (12), on a PP, at 14:32; and D Keoni Texeira (7), at 3:28 of the third. . . . Portland lost F Joachim Blichfeld to a cross-checking major and game misconduct at 4:12 of the third period. That was for a hit on Kamloops D Nolan Kneen, who wasn’t injured on the play. . . . The Blazers scored twice on the ensuing power play, with F Luc Smith (15) and F Quinn Benjafield (18) getting the goals. . . . Portland iced it when F Mason Mannek (8) got the empty-netter at 19:43. . . . Blichfeld, Gricius, Texeira and Jokiharju each added an assist. . . . Kamloops was 2-3 on the PP; Portland was 2-4. . . . G Cole Kehler earned the victory with 33 saves, five more than Max Palaga of the Blazers. . . . Portland again was without F Kieffer Bellows and F Cody Glass. . . . D Matthew Quigley of the Winterhawks completed a two-game suspension from a Friday night hit on F/D Tylor Ludwar of the Blazers. Ludwar was injured on the play and now has missed two games. . . . Announced attendance: 7,818.
At Kennewick, Wash., F Riley Sawchuk scored twice to help the Tri-City Americans to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Tri-City (25-16-7) has points in five straight 
games (3-0-2). The Americans and Spokane are tied for fourth in the U.S. Division, one point behind Seattle. . . . Seattle (26-18-6) was playing for the third time in fewer than 48 hours, having split a home-and-home series with Everett. The Thunderbirds are third in the U.S. Division, four points behind Portland. . . . The Thunderbirds took a 1-0 lead on F Matthew Wedman’s 11th goal at 3:43 of the second period. . . . The Americans scored three times in the third period. . . . Sawchuk tied the score at 7:16, and F Morgan Geekie (17) gave the home side the lead, on a PP, at 12:50. . . . Sawchuk (8) added an empty-netter at 18:51. . . . F Zack Andrusiak (23) got Seattle to within a goal at 19:32. . . . Tri-City was 1-5 on the PP; Seattle was 0-4. . . . G Patrick Tea stopped 29 shots for the Americans. . . . G Dorrin Luding turned aside 32 at the other end. . . . Announced attendance: 2,848.
At Victoria, the Royals erased a 1-0 deficit with four goals en route to a 7-3 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Victoria (30-17-4) has won three in a row, including a 4-1 victory 
over Calgary on Saturday night. . . . Calgary (15-28-6) is 0-2-0 on a seven-game road trip. . . . F Luke Coleman (11) scored while shorthanded to give the Hitmen a 1-0 lead at 3:38 of the first period. . . . Victoria F Noah Gregor (17) tied it at 16:57, then drew the primary assist one minute later as D Kade Jensen (3) broke the tie. . . . F Lane Zablocki (12) made it 3-1 at 2:30 of the second period with his first goal since being acquired from Lethbridge. . . . The Royals went ahead 4-1 at 6:14 when F Tyler Soy (23) scored on a PP. . . . Calgary got to within two goals, at 10:46, when F Tristen Nielsen (9) scored. . . . The Royals put it away with the next three goals — from F Braydon Buziak (4), F Andrei Grishakov (16) and F Dante Hannoun (21). . . . F Jakob Stukel (23) had Calgary’s third goal. . . . Soy, Hannoun and Zablocki had an assist each for the winners. . . . Coleman also had an assist for Calgary. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Calgary was 0-3. . . . Victoria G Dean McNabb stopped 28 shots. . . . Calgary starter Nick Schneider stopped 15 of 19 shots in 26:14. Matthew Armitage finished up with 18 saves on 21 shots in 33:45. . . . Announced attendance: 5,785.
MONDAY (all times local):
No Games Scheduled.
TUESDAY (all times local):
Red Deer at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(4-0-1). The Raiders are four points behind Saskatoon, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Edmonton (13-29-7) has lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . F Cole Fonstad gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 9:25 of the first period. . . . F Parker Kelly (21) made it 2-0 at 10:12. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky got Edmonton on the scoreboard 28 seconds into the second period. . . . Fonstad (15) got that one back at 4:38 and Budik (8) made it 4-1, on a PP, at 9:23. . . . Fix-Wolansky (20) cut into the deficit at 19:07. . . . The Raiders put it away with five third-period goals, two of them from F Kody McDonald, who has 25 goals, and one each from F Justin Nachbaur (5), D Zack Hayes (2) and F Nikita Krivokrasov (1). . . . The Raiders got two assists from each of D Brayden Pachal and D Max Martin, with Hayes, Fonstad and Nachbaur getting one each. . . . F Tomas Soustal had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Prince Albert was 2-5 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-2. . . . G Ian Scott recorded the victory with 18 saves. . . . Edmonton starter Todd Scott allowed six goals on 25 shots in 44:00. Josh Dechaine finished up with six saves on nine shots in 16:00. . . . Raiders F Regan Nagy (knee) took the pregame warmup but didn’t play in this one. . . . Announced attendance: 1,865.
and now is two points behind Regina, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Prince George (18-24-8) is 0-1-1 on its East Division swing and now is 11 points out of the playoffs. . . . Paterson had given the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 25th goal at 11:39 of the first period. . . . The Cougars took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Joel Lakusta (6), at 18:18 of the second period, and F Ilijah Colina (5), at 0:53 of the third. . . . Saskatoon F Braylon Shmyr (26) got the Blades even, on a PP, at 6:50. That was his 100th career goal in his 279th game. He has 70 goals in 151 games with the Blades, who acquired him from Brandon. . . . D Ryan Schoettler (4) gave the visitors a 3-2 lead at 14:05. . . . The Blades thought they had tied it, 3-3, with 56 seconds left in the third period when F Caleb Fantillo tipped a point shot from D Evan Fiala. But it was ruled that the puck was contacted by a high stick. . . . F Max Gerlach (24) tied it for real just 16 seconds later. . . . F Chase Wouters had two assists for the winners, with Shmyr adding one. . . . The Blades were 2-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-4. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 35 shots through OT for Saskatoon. At the other end, Isaiah DiLaura blocked 36 shots. . . . The Blades had Fiala back after he served a one-game WHL suspension. D Dawson Davidson also returned after missing one game due to illness. . . . Announced attendance: 3,817.
games. . . . Kelowna (31-14-4) has points in four straight (3-0-1). This was the third straight game in which it went to OT. It went 2-0-1. . . . The Rockets lead the Western Conference by one point over Everett. . . . F Leif Mattson (17) put the Rockets out front at 14:41 of the second period. . . . Red Deer took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Mason McCarty (25), at 17:33, and F Josh Tarzwell (5), shorthanded, at 1:25 of the third period. . . . The Rockets forced OT when F Kole Lind (26) struck at 19:27. . . . Reichel (17) won it at 2:46 of extra time. . . . Red Deer was 0-2 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-4. . . . The Rebels got a big game from G Ethan Anders, who stopped 41 shots. . . . G Cole Tisdale stopped 19 shots for the Rockets as the 15-year-old made his third WHL start. . . . Kelowna had F Dillon Dube back after a two-game absence. He picked up one assist. . . . Announced attendance: 4,644.
a 6-2 victory over Brandon on Friday night. It is third in the Central Division, one point behind Lethbridge. . . . Brandon (28-17-5) has lost eight straight (0-5-3). The Wheat Kings were 0-5-2 on a seven-game road trip that ended with this one. They are third in the East Division, 11 points behind Swift Current. . . . Krebs gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 19:29 of the first period. . . . F Cameron Hausinger (15) made it 2-0 at 12:46 of the second. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos (33) cut into the lead at 12:56. . . . Krebs, who has 13 goals, made it 3-1 at 18:18. . . . The Wheat Kings got back to within a goal on F Luka Burzan’s eighth score, shorthanded, at 5:47 of the third period. . . . Burzan also had an assist. . . . Brandon was 0-1 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-2. . . . G Matt Berlin stopped 19 shots for Kootenay, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson turned aside 32. . . . Before the game, the Ice announced that it had returned D Nolan Orzeck to the midget AAA Calgary Northstars. Orzeck, 16, got into two games this time, after making his WHL debut in October. . . . Announced attendance: 3,474. That’s the largest announced crowd of the season. The announced attendance for their home-opener was 3,392.
in three in a row (2-0-1). It leads the Central Division by eight points over Lethbridge. . . . Moose Jaw (39-8-3) had won its previous four games. It leads the overall standings by nine points over Swift Current. . . . F Brayden Burke (24) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 18:41 of the first period. . . . The Tigers tied it when F Ryan Chyzowski (16) scored at 3:55 of the second period. . . . F Tanner Jeannot (33) put the Warriors out front just 34 seconds later. . . . At 12:11, Moose Jaw F Barrett Sheen was given a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Tigers D Joel Craven, who had to be helped off the ice. . . . The Tigers scored twice on the ensuing PP, with D David Quenneville counting at 13:07, and F James Hamblin (15) making it 3-2 at 16:25. . . . The Tigers went up 4-2 at 1:57 of the third period as F Mark Rassell (42) scored. . . . F Ryan Peckford (18) got the visitors back to within a goal at 12:11. . . . Quenneville, who has 21 goals, iced it with the empty-netter at 19:58. . . . The Tigers got three assists from F Ryan Jevne, with Hamblin, Rassell, Chyzowski and Quenneville adding one each. . . . D Kale Clague drew two assists for the Warriors, with Jeannot adding one. . . . The Tigers were 2-7 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-0 as the Tigers weren’t assessed even one penalty. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 33 shots to earn the victory. . . . The Warriors got 19 stops from G Adam Evanoff. . . . The Tigers scratched F Tyler Preziuso, who left Friday’s 4-3 OT loss to visiting Kelowna after being struck on the head by a puck. . . . Moose Jaw D Jett Woo remains out of the lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 3,268.
743 regular-season victories, one more than Ken Hodge, who retired as Portland’s head coach after 1992-93. . . . Kamloops (23-23-3) has won five in a row. It remains six points away from a playoff spot. . . . Portland (28-17-4) has lost two straight. It dropped a 5-2 decision in Kamloops on Friday. The Winterhawks are third in the U.S. Division, five points behind Everett. . . . The teams headed for Portland immediately after this one. They’ve got a date there today at 5 p.m. . . . The Winterhawks got first-period goals from F Skyler McKenzie (37), shorthanded, at 4:29, and F Jake Gricius (11), at 12:06. . . . The Blazers tied it in the second period as F Connor Zary (6), at 5:37, and F Luc Smith (13), at 11:31, found the range. . . . F Quinn Benjafield (17) broke the 2-2 tie 43 seconds into the third period. . . . F Luc Smith (14) got the empty-netter at 18:56. . . . D Nolan Kneen had two assists for the Blazers. . . . Kamloops was 0-2 on the PP; Portland was 0-4. . . . G Dylan Ferguson earned the victory with 32 saves. . . . G Shane Farkas stopped 32 shots for Portland. . . . The Winterhawks were without D Matthew Quigley, who drew a two-game suspension for an elbow to the head that took out Kamloops F/D Tylor Ludwar on Friday. Quigley wasn’t penalized on the play, but was suspended after the Blazers filed for supplementary discipline. . . . These teams will play again today in Portland, so Quigley will sit out that one, too. . . . It’s safe to assume that Ludwar is in the concussion protocol and won’t play today, either. . . . The Winterhawks again were without F Cody Glass and F Kieffer Bellows, both out with undisclosed injuries. No word on whether either one might return today. . . . Announced attendance: 3,651.
dropped a 3-1 decision in Everett on Friday. It is third in the U.S. Division, two points behind Portland. . . . The Silvertips (31-16-3) have points in nine straight (8-0-1). They are second in the Western Conference, one point behind Kelowna. . . . Everett took a 1-0 lead when F Connor Dewar scored at 3:44 of the first period. . . . F Blake Bargar (10) tied it at 7:34 of the second period. . . . Dewar, who has 25 goals, put the visitors back out front at 7:41 of the third period. . . . F Matthew Wedman (10) scored on a PP at 10:25 as Seattle pulled even again. . . . Strand was the first shooter of the third round. . . . F Garrett Pilon had two assists for Everett. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-2. . . . G Liam Hughes earned the victory with 34 saves through OT. . . . G Carter Hart turned aside 29 shots for Everett. . . . Seattle was in a shootout for the third straight home game and it won all of them. . . . F Sami Moilanen was among Seattle’s scraches after leaving Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Payton Mount, who turned 16 on Jan. 19, made his debut with the Thunderbirds. From Victoria, he was a first-round pick in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. He plays at the Delta Hockey Academy. . . . Announced attendance: 5,476.
straight (2-0-2). It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Spokane. . . . Spokane (26-19-4) has points in five straight (5-0-1). . . . The Americans overcame a 4-1 deficit by scoring the game’s last four goals. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (25), at 5:37 of the first period, and F Ethan McIndoe (15), at 1:15 of the second, gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. . . . Coghlan halved the deficit on a PP, at 2:43. . . . The Chiefs then got two quick goals to go up 4-1. D Ty Smith (7) scored at 3:46 and F Zach Fischer (22) counted at 4:39. . . . F Michael Rasmussen started the comeback at 10:26, and F Riley Sawchuk (6) cut the deficit to a goal at 14:11. . . . Rasmussen (18) tied it at 19:00 of the third. Coghlan then won it with his 15th goal at 1:14 of extra time. . . . The tying goal originally was credited to Coghlan, which would have meant the winner gave him a hat trick. But the Americans said after the game that the goal will be credited to Rasmussen. . . . F Jordan Topping drew three assists for the Americans, while Rasmussen, in his first game since Dec. 16, added one, as did F Isaac Johnson. . . . Rasmussen had wrist surgery before Christmas. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from D Filip Kral, with Anderson-Dolan getting one. . . . Tri-City was 1-1 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . G Patrick Tea recorded the victory with 33 saves, seven more than Spokane’s Dawson Weatherill. . . . Tri-City remains without D Juuso Valimaki, D Roman Kalinichenko and F Kyle Olson. . . . Announced attendance: 5,022.
two in a row and continues to lead the overall standings by eight points over Swift Current. . . . Regina (24-20-4) had points in each of its previous five games (4-0-1). It holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . The Warriors took control with four first-period goals, two of them via the PP, as they outshot their hosts, 22-8. . . . Halbgewachs got it started, on a PP, at 5:46. . . . F Vince Loschiavo (14) made it 2-0 at 7:30, and D Dmitri Zaitsev (5) scored, on a PP, at 14:37. . . . F Tanner Jeannot (32) upped it to 4-0 at 19:34. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle (4) scored for Regina, on a PP, at 5:59 of the second period, but the Warriors got that one back when Halbgewachs got No. 50 at 3:35 of the third. . . . Halbgewachs joins F Theo Fleury and Kent Hayes as the only players in Warriors history to enjoy two 50-goal seasons. Halbgewachs finished last season with 50 goals in 71 games. Fleury had 61 in 1986-87 and 68 the following season. Hayes had 56 goals in 1984-85 and 50 in 1985-86. . . . The Pats’ last two goals came from D Josh Mahura, who has 16, at 8:53 and 19:09. . . . F Brayden Burke and D Kale Clague each had two assists for the Warriors, with Loschiavo adding one. . . . Mahura also had an assist to go with his two goals. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-3 on the PP; Regina was 2-4. . . . G Brody Willms earned the victory with 42 saves, 21 of them in the third period when his guys were outshot 23-5. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 32 shots for the Pats. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn was among Regina’s scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
Albert Raiders to a 5-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . Prince Albert (17-20-8) is five points behind Saskatoon, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Red Deer (10-24-11) has lost 12 in a row (0-6-6) and has fallen into the league’s basement. . . . Budik, who has six goals, scored at 1:50 and 11:00, the latter via the PP, of the first period, then drew an assist on D Jeremy Masella’s fourth goal at 16:01. . . . F Jordy Stallard (31) made it 4-0, on a PP, at 4:55 of the second period. . . . D Alex Alexeyev (6) scored for Red Deer, on a PP, at 19:06. . . . The Raiders got their last goal from F Parker Kelly (19), shorthanded, at 7:00 of the third period. . . . Kelly also drew two assists. . . . The Raiders were 2-3 on the PP; the Rebels were 1-5. . . . Prince Albert got 29 saves from G Ian Scott. . . . Red Deer starter Ethan Anders allowed two goals on seven shots in 11:00. Riley Lamb came on in relief to stop 24 of 27 shots in 49:00. . . . Announced attendance: 3,987.
. . Edmonton (13-26-6) had lost its previous two games. . . . Kootenay (20-23-3), which opened a seven-game homestand, had won its past two games. It is third in the Central Division, five points behind Lethbridge. . . . Semchuk opened the scoring at 3:37 with his first goal since being acquired from Vancouver at the trade deadline. . . . Kehler, who has 20 goals, made it 3-0 with goals at 4:27 and 8:19, the latter via the PP. . . . Semchuk got his 10th goal at 14:54. . . . F Sebastian Streu (6) got the Ice’s goal, on a PP, at 4:43 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Carter Souch (2) closed out the scoring at 13:49. . . . F Tomas Soustal had two assists for Edmonton, with Kehler adding one. . . . The Oil Kings were 1-2 on the PP; the Ice was 1-6. . . . Edmonton got 43 saves from G Todd Scott, 20 of those in the second period. . . . G Matt Berlin allowed five goals on 19 shots in his first start for the Ice since being acquired from Seattle at the trade deadline. He hadn’t played since Dec. 29 due to an undisclosed injury. . . . Announced attendance: 2,431.
It is second in the Central Divison, four points behind Medicine Hat. . . . Prince George (17-23-7) has lost three in a row and is eight points from a playoff spot. . . . Bellerive, who has a career-high 29 goals in 44 games, picked up his first WHL hat trick. He scored 27 goals in 70 games last season. This season, he also career highs in assists (34) and points (63). . . . F Owen Blocker (2) gave Lethbridge a 1-0 lead at 5:32 of the first period. . . . The Cougars tied it at 8:14 as F Josh Curtis scored. . . . The Hurricanes scored the next three goals, all in the second period. . . . Bellerive scored at 1:46, with F Brad Morrison (16) counting at 4:08 and F Jake Elmer (13) at 4:33. . . . Morrison, who also had an assist, is from Prince George and played the first 260 regular-season games of his WHL career with the Cougars. They traded him to Vancouver prior to the start of this season, and he dealt to Lethbridge earlier this month. . . . Curtis (7) cut into the lead at 14:46. . . . Bellerive completed his hat trick with goals at 15:20 of the second period and 17:09 of the third. . . . Lethbridge got three assists from D Igor Merezhko. . . . D Joel Lakusta had two assists for the Cougars. . . . Lethbridge was 0-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-5. . . . G Logan Flodell earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . G Taylor Gauthier started for the Cougars. He gave up four goals on 13 shots in 24:33 before being lifted in favour of Isaiah DiLaura, who stopped 13 of 15 shots in 35:27. . . . Announced attendance: 5,138.
(23-16-6) had lost its previous five games (0-4-1). It and Seattle are tied for third in the U.S. Division, four points behind Portland. . . . Brandon (28-13-4) has lost three straight (0-1-2) and is 0-1-1 on its swing into the U.S. Division. Still, the Wheat Kings are third in the overall standings. . . . The Americans took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from Topping, on a PP, at 10:07, and F Isaac Johnson (12) at 11:26. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it on PP goals from F Baron Thompson (13) at 3:01 of the second period and F Stelio Mattheos (31) at 7:19 of the third. . . . Topping put Tri-City back out front at 12:28. . . . Brandon forced OT when F Evan Weinger (20) scored at 19:18 with the extra attacker on the ice. . . . Topping won it with his 26th goal at 2:49 of extra time. . . . Tri-City got three assists from D Dylan Coghlan and two from F Morgan Geekie. . . . F Ty Lewis had two helpers for Brandon, with Mattheos and Thompson getting one each. . . . Brandon was 2-2 on the PP; Tri-City was 2-3. . . . The Americans got 35 saves from G Patrick Dea, who was making his 150th regular-season appearance. . . . G Dylan Myskiw stopped 32 shots for Brandon. . . . The Americans had F Max James back from a four-game absence, the first three of which were due to a WHL suspension, but remain without D Juuso Valimaki, F Michael Rasmussen, F Kyle Olson and D Roman Kalinichenko. Rasmussen, who had pre-Christmas wrist surgery, is back skating, but he’s wearing a non-contact sweater and isn’t shooting the puck especially hard. . . . Earlier in the day, the Wheat Kings named D James Shearer, who is from Brandon, as the team captain. He takes over from F Tanner Kaspick, who was traded to the Victoria Royals on Jan. 10. . . . Announced attendance: 3,463.
tied with Tri-City for third in the U.S. Division. . . . Kelowna (28-14-3) leads the Western Conference by one point over Victoria and Everett. . . . Seattle scored the game’s first three goals. F Zack Andrusiak (20) got it started 59 seconds into the first period. Volcan made it 2-0 at 8:01. . . . F Noah Philp (9) upped it to 3-0 at 6:07 of the second period. . . . F Dillon Dube (20) got the Rockets on the scoreboard, on a PP, at 10:20. . . . The Thunderbirds reply with three more goals, from Volcan, at 12:00, D Turner Ottenbreit (6), at 13:40, and F Blake Bargar (9), at 6:43 of the third period. . . . F Conner Bruggen-Cate (13) got Kelowna’s second goal at 10:34. . . . Volcan, who has 23 goals, completed his hat trick, on a PP, at 17:33. . . . Seattle got three assists from each of D Jarret Tyszka and F Sami Moilanen. . . . The Thunderbirds were 2-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-4. . . . G Dorrin Luding blocked 27 shots for Seattle. . . . The Rockets opened with G Brodan Salmond, who was beaten five times on 16 shots in 33:40. Cole Tisdale, 15, came on in his WHL debut and stopped 15 of 17 shots in 26:20. . . . Announced attendance: 6,057.
Struch, the assistant GM and assistant coach, and assistant coach Brad Herauf to multi-year contract extensions. . . . No further details were released, but Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post reported that all three extensions were “for three-plus years.” . . . Paddock joined the Pats prior to the 2014-15 season. In three-plus seasons, he has a regular-season record of 149-83-31 and the Pats have reached at least the second round of playoffs each season. In 2016-17, the Pats set a franchise record with 52 regular-season victories, before losing out in the WHL’s championship series. He has twice been named the WHL’s coach of the year. . . . Struch is in his 12th season as a WHL coach. Like Paddock, he came to Regina prior to the 2014-15 season. . . . Herauf, a former head coach of the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians, is in his third season with the Pats.
Regina Pats season-ticket holders today (Thursday).
junior hockey career is over. According to the report, Child has a “season-ending” upper-body injury. Child, 20, is from Killam, Alta. He also played with the Swift Current Broncos and Brandon Wheat Kings. This season, with Edmonton, he was 6-13-2, 4.21, .868, but last played on Dec. 15. . . . Edmonton acquired him from Brandon on May 31, giving up a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft in the swap. . . . In 107 regular-season appearances, Child was 33-39-10, 3.39, .893.
Vancouver on Wednesday, 10 days after being acquired by the Giants. . . . The Broncos selected Sexsmith ninth overall in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. He refused to sign with the Broncos and observers thought he might be taking the NCAA route. Instead, he signed with the Giants, who gave the Broncos a first-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft for his rights. . . . This season, he has two goals and nine assists in eight games with the Calgary-based Edge School elite 15s. . . . Sexsmith is the last of the 22 first-round selections from the 2017 bantam draft to sign a WHL deal.
games (24) than it has lost (23). The Pats are fourth in the East Division, seven points behind Brandon. . . . Prince Albert (16-20-8) is seven points away from a wild-card spot. . . . D Vojtech Budik (4) gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 5:02 of the first period. . . . Regina tied it when F Jake Leschyshyn (15) scored at 19:55. . . . F Curtis Miske (14) put the Raiders back out front at 17:47 of the second period. . . . Bradley tied it at 18:12. . . . The Pats opened the third period by surviving a 5-on-3 disadvantage for 1:02, then scored two PP goals. . . . The first two came from Bradley, at 5:19. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle (3) gave the Pats a two-goal lead, at 6:54. . . . Prince Albert got to within a goal when F Jordy Stallard (30) scored while shorthanded at 15:07. . . . F Cam Hebig had two assists for Regina. . . . Prince Albert got two assists from F Regan Nagy, with Miske adding one. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 1-5. . . . G Ryan Kubic earned the victory with 34 saves, five more than the Raiders’ Curtis Meger. . . . F Cole Fonstad of the Raiders came up short on a penalty shot at 1:48 of the first period. . . . Regina leads the season series, 5-0-0; Prince Albert is 0-3-2. . . . Announced attendance: 2,045.
Kootenay (20-22-3) has won two in a row. The Ice is third in the Central Division, three points behind Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat (24-18-4) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). The Tigers lead the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . The Ice went ahead 1-0 when D Martin Bodak scored, on a PP, at 6:04 of the first period. . . . The Tigers scored the next three goals, all of them in the first period. . . . F Mark Rassell (38) got it started at 7:17. . . . F James Hamblin (14) gave the home side a 2-1 lead at 9:59. . . . F Ryan Chyzowski (15) upped the lead to 3-1 at 13:00. . . . Bodak (3) got the Ice to within a goal at 16:51 of the second period. . . . Kootenay F Michael King (7) tied the score at 11:20. . . . Davis snapped the tie with his 14th goal of the season. . . . Ice F Colton Veloso, playing in his 250th regular-season game, had two assists, but missed on a first-period penalty shot. . . . F Peyton Krebs also had two assists for the Ice. . . . Hamblin added an assist for Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice was 1-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-3. . . . G Duncan McGovern stopped 34 shots and picked up an assist for the Ice. . . . The Tigers got 19 saves from G Jordan Hollett. . . . In its previous nine games in Medicine Hat, the Ice had lost nine times and been outscored 54-20. . . . Announced attendance: 2,817.
night. The Thunderbirds are tied with Tri-City for third in the U.S. Division. . . . Prince George (17-22-7) has lost two straight and is eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . Seattle F Mike MacLean scored his first WHL goal at 7:53 of the first period, but Prince George F Aaron Boyd (9) tied it one minute later. . . . F Matthew Wedman (8) gave the Thunderbirds a 2-1 lead at 9:36. . . . The Cougars took a 3-2 lead on goals by F Max Kryski (5), at 11:11, and F Josh Maser (21), on a PP, at 13:53. . . . Seattle followed with the next three goals for a 5-3 lead. . . . F Jaxan Kaluski (3) scored at 7:14 of the second period, with F Sami Moilanen (18), on a PP, counting at 11:29. F Dillon Hamaliuk (11) got the fifth goal at 4:55 of the third period. . . . Hamaliuk, who had one goal in 17 games last season, has 29 points in 44 games this season. He’s got four goals and five assists in his past four games. . . . D Jack Sander (2) pulled the Cougars to within a goal, on a PP, at 7:47. . . . The Thunderbirds iced it on goals from F Zack Andrusiak (19), on a PP, at 16:31, and F Nolan Volcan (20) at 17:39. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Donovan Neuls, and one each from Andrusiak, Wedman, Hamaliuk, Volcan and MacLean. . . . The Cougars got two assists from D Ryan Schoettler. . . . The Cougars were 2-5 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 2-6. . . . Seattle got 18 saves from G Darrin Luding. . . . G Taylor Gauthier blocked 37 shots for the Cougars. . . . Announced attendance: 2,454.
Conference’s second wild-card spot, but is only one spot out of third in the U.S. Division. . . . Brandon (28-13-3) opened a U.S. Division swing with its first regulation loss in six games. It had been 3-0-2 in its previous five games. The Wheat Kings are third in the East Division, eight points behind Swift Current. . . . Brkin stopped 21 shots. The 18-year-old was acquired from the Kootenay Ice on Jan. 8 for a 2019 eighth-round bantam draft pick. He has been with the Chiefs with Dawson Weatherill out with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto (4) scored the game’s first goal, at 14:40 of the first period, then set up F Ethan McIndoe (12) at 18:34. . . . F Milos Fafrak (6) rounded out the scoring at 17:57 of the second. . . . Yamamoto has two goals and four assists in three games since returning from the WJC where he played for the U.S. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . Brandon got 32 saves from G Logan Thompson. . . . Announced attendance: 3,113.
home game since the franchise moved from Pacific Coliseum to the Langley Events Centre prior to last season. . . . Malm, who also had an assist, has 17 goals. . . . F Ty Ronning scored his 40th goal of the season for Vancouver, which has points in nine straight (7-0-2). . . . The Rockets had won their previous three games. . . . The victory lifted the Giants to within one point of the Western Conference-leading Rockets. . . . Announced attendance: 4,753.
a multi-player deal this week, you may have wondered how that all went down. Well, it seems that Cougars GM Todd Harkins, who happens to be Jonas’s father, was under pressure from his wife, Kirsten, and from Newport Sports at the time. In a revealing interview, Harkins, who is in the last year of a four-year contract, also talked about what it was like having sons on his team’s roster. Hint: It wasn’t easy. . . . There’s lots more from Hartley Miller 
also got three goals and two assists from F Jayden Halbgewachs. . . . The Warriors (35-6-3) have points in 10 straight (9-0-1). They continue to lead the overall standings by 10 points over Swift Current. . . . The Oil Kings (12-25-6) were coming off OT victories in Brandon and Regina. . . . Howden, in his first game since winning gold with Team Canada at the WJC in Buffalo, opened the scoring at 13:27 of the first period. . . . F Branden Klatt (2) made it 2-0 at 15:37, with Howden upping it to 3-0 at 16:21. . . . Halbgewachs scored his first of three 34 seconds into the second period. . . . Edmonton got its first goal from F Colton Kehler at 1:36. . . . Moose Jaw responded with the next three goals — from F Justin Almeida (26), Howden, who has 16 goals, and Halbgewachs. That goal was the 100th of Howden’s career. He has played 220 games, and also has 227 assists. . . . Kehler, who has 18 goals, scored again for Edmonton in the third period, before Halbgewachs completed his hat trick with his WHL-leading 47th goal at 4:38. He’s played 44 games. Last season, he finished with 50 goals in 71 games. . . . Halbgewachs now has 84 points, one fewer than teammate Brayden Burke, who leads the WHL scoring derby. Burke had one assist in this game. . . . Moose Jaw got three assists from F Ryan Peckford. . . . F Brett Kemp had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-3. . . . G Adam Evanoff stopped 17 shots for the Warriors. . . . Edmonton starter Josch Dechaine was beaten five times on 12 shots in 24:35. Todd Scott came on in relief, making his Oil Kings debut by stopping 24 of 27 shots in 35:25. He had been acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Howden and Halbgewachs each was plus-6. D Kale Clague, in his first game with the Warriors, had one assist and was plus-4. He came over from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,639.
guys to a 3-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Kubic was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades at the trade deadline. . . . Regina (22-19-4) has points in three straight (2-0-1). It holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Saskatoon. . . . The Tigers (23-17-3) lead the Central Division by eight points over Lethbridge. . . . D Josh Mahura gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 12:03 of the first period. . . . The forwards tied it at 6:37 of the second period on F Mark Rassell’s 35th goal. . . . F Cam Hebig (31), who came over from the Blades with Kubic, scored at 3:48 of the third period and that goal stood up as the winner. . . . F Sam Steel (15) got the empty-netter at 19:53 of the third period. . . . Mahura and Bradley each had an assist. . . . The Tigers got 28 saves from G Jordan Hollett. . . . Announced attendance: 6,033.
over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings (28-12-2) have points in four straight (3-0-1). They are third in the overall standings, five points behind Swift Current. . . . The Hitmen (13-24-6) have lost three in a row. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from D Zach Wytinck (4), at 3:59, and F Caiden Daley (5), at 7:27. . . . F Connor Gutenberg (13) made it 3-0 at 6:03 of the third period. . . . Calgary F Vladislav Yeryomenko (9) scored Calgary’s goal, on a PP, at 8:28. . . . F Linden McCorrister (13) got Brandon’s last goal at 13:29. . . . Dailey and Wytinck added an assist each. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 36 shots for the Hitmen. . . . D Chase Hartje and F Luka Burzan made their Brandon debuts after being acquired from Moose Jaw. Burzan had an assist. . . . Calgary was 1-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 3,825.
row. It is second in the Central Division, two points ahead of Kootenay. . . . The Rebels (10-23-10) have lost 10 straight (0-5-5). . . . Barlage had one goal in 38 games with the Swift Current Broncos this season. The fourth-overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft, he was part of a multi-player swap on Tuesday. That night, Barlage scored the shootout winner as the Hurricanes beat the visiting Rebels, 5-4. . . . Last night, D Colin Paradis (2) gave Red Deer the lead 26 seconds into the game. . . . F Brad Morrison (14) tied it at 2:57. . . . The Rebels took a 3-1 lead before the period ended, on goals from F Grayson Pawlenchuk (14), at 16:27, and F Reese Johnson (16), at 17:48. . . . The Hurricanes tied it on two second-period PP goals, from F Jordy Bellerive (25), at 11:56, and F Taylor Ross (11), at 16:51. . . . Earlier in the day, Bellerive was name the Hurricanes’ new captain, taking over from Giorgio Estephan, who now is with the Broncos. . . . Barlage snapped the tie with goals at 8:54 and 12:02 of the third. . . . F Mason McCarty (21) got Red Deer to within a goal at 13:23, but F Dylan Cozens (13) got it back at 18:51. . . . Bellerive and Morrision also had two assists each, with Ross and Cozens each adding one. . . . Lethbridge was 2-5 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-3. . . . F Kristian Reichel had two assists for Red Deer, with Pawlenchuk, McCarty and Paradis getting one each. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel had one assist in his first game since Dec. 1. . . . G Logan Flodell earned the victory with 23 saves, two fewer than Riley Lamb of the Rebels. . . . Announced attendance: 4,179.
down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Prince George (16-20-7) is seven points out of a playoff spot. . . . Brkin was acquired from the Kootenay Ice on Tuesday, although the Chiefs said at the time he was “expected to report to the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits.” . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto, in his return from a stint with the U.S. at the WJC, opened the scoring at 1:11 of the first period. . . . The Chiefs went ahead 3-0 on goals from F Jake McGrew, at 4:39,a nd F Riley Woods (19), at 9:27. . . . F Liam Ryan (1) got the visitors on the scoreboard at 14:10 and F Aaron Boyd (8) pulled them to within a goal, while shorthanded, at 0:26 of the second period. . . . But the Chiefs took back control with two second-period goals, from McGrew (8), on a PP, at 5:11, and F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (24), while shorthanded, at 17:49. . . . F Ethan McIndoe (11) added a third-period goal for the Chiefs. . . . Anderson-Dolan added two assists to his goal, with Elynuik also getting two, and McIndoe and Yamamoto one each. . . . F Ilijah Colina had an assist for the Cougars in his first game since moving over from Portland. . . . Spokane was 1-5 on the PP; Prince George was 0-7. . . . G Taylor Gauthier stopped 22 shots for the Cougars. . . . Announced attendance: 4,354.
Division by three points over Vancovuer. . . . Seattle (20-15-6) had points in each of its previous nine games (7-0-2). It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s first five goals to lead 5-0 before the third period was half over. . . . They got first-period PP goals from F Carsen Twarynski and Jack Cowell (8), then added second-period scores from F Colum McGauley (2) and F Leif Mattson (12). . . . Twarynski (29) scored again in the third period, before F Dillon Hamaliuk (8) and D Austin Strand (14) scored for Seattle. . . . Mattson (13) got the empty-netter at 18:12 of the third period. Actually, he was awarded a goal after Strand threw his stick at the puck while trying to thwart a breakaway on the open net. . . . The Rockets got three assists from D Cal Foote, two from F Kyle Topping, and one from Mattson. . . . Hamaliuk added an assist to his goal. . . . Kelowna was 4-8 on the PP; Seattle was 0-5. . . . G James Porter Jr. earned the victory with 21 saves. . . . Liam Hughes stopped 37 shots for the Thunderbirds. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube (ill) didn’t play. . . . Announced attendance: 4,259.
Jan. 5 game against the visiting Vancouver Giants, who won that contest, 5-2.
WHL’s overall standings, have guaranteed a victory over the No. 2 Broncos.
Sunday, and Calgary on Tuesday. . . . Robins, who turned 16 on Nov. 15, is from Brandon and plays at the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg. He is the son of former Blades G Trevor Robins. Tristen was acquired from the Regina Pats earlier in the week. They had selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Crnkovic, the Blades’ first-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft, played two WHL games earlier this season. He is playing for the Northern Alberta X-Treme prep team in the CSSHL. . . . The Blades won’t have F Kirby Dach on this trip. Dach, who is to turn 17 on Jan. 21, has four goals and 19 assists in 23 games. However, he hasn’t played since Dec. 27 and is sidelined on a weekly basis with an undisclosed injury.
season. In 155 career games, all with Calgary, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has 14 goals and 21 assists. . . . Martini is in his second BCHL season with his hometown Trail Smoke Eaters after playing at the Edge School in Calgary. He has six assists in 40 games this season. Last season, he had a goal and four assists in 58 games.
and a conditional third-round pick in 2019.
Medicine Hat Tigers for a seventh-round pick in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.
junior team that won the World Junior Championship in Buffalo. He is expected back on the bench Wednesday when the Warriors are scheduled to play host to the Hitmen.
for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card playoff berths. . . . Prince Albert (15-18-8) had points in its previous three games (2-0-1). The Raiders are seven points behind Regina and Saskatoon. . . . F Robbie Holmes (10) scored Regina’s first goal. . . . In the third period, the Pats opened up a 4-0 lead on goals from F Jake Leschyshyn, at 3:12; F Bryan Lockner (7), at 9:56; and Leschychyn (14), into an empty net, at 13:32. Yes, 13:32. . . . F Parker Kelly (18) scored Prince Albert’s goal, on a PP, at 17:08. . . . Leschyshyn added an assist to his two goals. . . . Prince Albert was 1-6 on the PP; Regina was 0-6. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 28 shots for the winners, seven fewer than the Raiders’ Ian Scott. . . . The Raiders were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours. The first two games were played at home. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle, acquired by Regina from Prince George on Friday, officially has been assigned to the Pats by the NHL’s Boston Bruins, but he didn’t play on Sunday. . . . Announced attendance: 6,310.
moved back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Portland and Tri-City. . . . Victoria (23-16-4) had won its past two games. It is third in the B.C. Division, a point behind Vancouver. . . . Everett got out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Connor Dewar at 0:24 and F Bryce Kindopp at 11:40. . . . The Royals tied it as D Jared Freadrich (10) scored, on a PP, at 12:30, and D Chaz Reddekopp (6) counted 52 seconds into the second period. . . . F Kyle Walker’s first goal, at 7:10, put Everett back out front, but Victoria F tyler Soy (19) tied it, shorthanded, at 10:12. . . . The Silvertips then scored the next six goals, with Kindopp (13), F Sean Richards (16) and Dewar (16) making it 6-3 before the second period ended. . . . F Matt Fonteyne added two third-period goals — he’s got 22 — and Bakjov got No. 21. All three of those goals came via the PP. . . . F Andrei Grishakov (13) scored Victoria’s last goal, on a PP. . . . Bajkov’s goal was the 100th of his career. He is in his fifth season with Everett; the goal came in game No. 312. . . . Everett got three assists from D Kevin Davis, two each from Fonteyne and D Wyatte Wylie, and one from Richards. . . . Reddekopp, Freadrich and Soy had an assist each for Victoria. . . . Soy’s assist was the 151st of his career, tying the Victoria/Chilliwack record that had been set by F Brandon Magee. . . . The Royals took 91 of the game’s 136 penalty minutes. . . . Everett was 5-9 on the PP; Victoria was 2-6. . . . G Dustin Wolf earned the victory with 30 saves. . . . The Victoria duo of starter Dean McNabb and Griffen Outhouse combined to stop 50 of 59 shots. . . . Both teams were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours. The Royals played at home Friday and in Kamloops on Saturday, while the Silvertips were in Victoria and then at home. The Royals, who beat visiting Everett 5-0 on Friday, went 2-0-0, while the Silvertips were 1-2-0. . . . Announced attendance: 3,958.
tied with Portland for second in the U.S. Division, one point behind Everett. . . . Kamloops (17-20-3) is 1-1-1 in its last three and now is eight points out of a playoff spot. The Blazers were playing their first game without F Garrett Pilon, their leading scorer, who was traded, along with D Ondrej Vala, to Everett earlier in the day. . . . The Americans got out to a 3-0 lead. . . . AuCoin (11) opened the scoring, on a PP, at 9:42 of the first period. . . . D Tyler Jette, playing in his first WHL game, made it 2-0 at 5:03 of the second period, and F Jordan Topping (21) upped it to 3-0, on a PP, at 14:56. . . . F Quinn Benjafield (11) scored for Kamloops at 18:22. . . . F Sasha Mutala (6) iced it with an empty-netter at 19:32. . . . Tri-City F Max James, 20, had two assists and was the game’s second star. He is from Kamloops and this likely was the last WHL game he will play in his hometown as the Americans aren’t scheduled there again this season. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-5. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 32 shots for the Americans, while the Blazers got 23 stops from Dylan Ferguson. . . . The Americans completed a three-game weekend that began with two games in Prince George. They wound up 2-1-0. . . . The Americans were without F Kyle Olson (hamstring), F Morgan Geekie, who took a high hit on Saturday in Prince George, D Juuso Valimaki (undisclosed injury), F Michael Rasmussen (wrist) and D Jake Bean, who was acquired Saturday from Calgary, so brought in D Tom Cadieux, 15, and Jette, 19. . . . Cadieux, from Saskatoon, was a second-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. He has three goals and eight assists in 20 games with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. . . . Jette, from Farmington, Minn., was with the Americans in training camp prior to 2016-17 but suffered a concussion and sat out the season. He recently returned to playing, now with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders with whom he has one assist in four games. . . . Announced attendance: 3,215.
TAKING NOTE 