Thursday . . .

The Red Deer Rebels have cut F Ryan Fuller, 20. From Morgan Hills, Calif., the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Fuller will join the NAHL’s Texas Tornado. He had 58 points in 59 games there last season. His departure leaves the Rebels with two 20-year-olds on their roster but both RW J.D. Watt and C Brett Sutter are in camp with the NHL’s Calgary Flames and are eligible to play in their organization. . . . Red Deer may also get back Russian LW Kirill Starkov, 20, who is in camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets. But if he comes back he would be a two-spotter. . . . The Rebels now have 24 players on their roster, including three goaltenders — James Reimer, 19, Travis Rolheiser, who will turn 18 on Dec. 7, and Morgan Clark, 17. . . .

C Jason Reese, 19, has returned to the Moose Jaw Warriors from the camp of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Reese, from Gresham, Ore., was acquired a year ago from the Vancouver Giants and put up 46 points in 46 games. . . . Other players returned by NHL clubs include Kelowna Rockets D Tysen Dowzak (Philadelphia Flyers) and Vancouver Giants G Tyson Sexsmith (San Jose Sharks). . . .

D Stefan Schneider, 17, has a wonky knee and the Vancouver Giants will have him undergo an MRI before deciding their next move. Schneider, from Vernon, is a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder whom the Giants were hoping would crack their roster. He spent last season with the junior B Beaver Valley Nitehawks. . . . The Giants will have Kraymer Barnstable and Jamie Tucker split the goaltending in their final exhibition game, tonight against the Chilliwack Bruins in Ladner. One of those two will stick around to backup Sexsmith. . . .

Chilliwack remains without RW Oscar Moller (Los Angeles Kings) and C Mark Santorelli (Nashville Predators), but got back D Nick Holden (Edmonton Oilers) and D Matt McCue (Minnesota Wild). . . . The Bruins are expected to open the season with Matt Esposito as the starting goaltender, with either Lucas Gore or Mark Friesen backing him up. After meeting the Giants on Friday, the Bruins are in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . The Bruins assigned C Kevin Sundher, their first pick in the 2007 bantam draft, to the Valley West Hawks, a B.C. major midget team, and D Scott Ramsey, 16, to the junior B Princeton Posse. . . .

The Calgary Hitmen got three players back from NHL camps — C Ian Duval (Tampa Bay Lightning), RW Carson McMillan (Minnesota Wild) and C Brett Sonne (St. Louis Blukes). . . . The Hitmen still are missing D Karl Alzner (Washington Capitals), D Alex Plante (Edmonton Oilers) and C Ryan White (Montreal Canadiens). . . .

THURSDAY’S GAME
Saskatoon 2, Prince Albert 1 — Finnish D Jyri Niemi had a goal and an assist to lead the Blades, who won for the first time after three losses by going 2-for-13 on the power play. Dustin Cameron scored the winner, breaking a 1-1 tie early in the third period. The Raiders, who got their goal from Ryan DePape, lost their second straight game after opening with three victories. . . . Prince Albert goaltender Steven Stanford stopped 41 shots, while the Blades’ Garrett Zemlak turned aside 26. . . . The Raiders were 0-for-6 on the PP. . . . The game featured a mild line brawl at 6:58 of the third period. Look for both teams to be fined $250 and perhaps some suspensions issued. . . . Prince Albert’s bench was run by assistants Craig Bedard and Dave Manson as head coach Bruno Campese was in Nelson, B.C., on a family matter. . . .

The Blades and Raiders play again Friday night, this time in Lloydminster. Lazaruk, on his blog on the Blades’ website, writes: “There will be no radio coverage of that game. (It’s) my call as I made a policy a few years back (to) only broadcast exhibition games from WHL rinks where the facilities are up to WHL standards.” . . . Which is a great point. The WHL won’t allow a team to call a facility home unless that building meets certain standards, so why does it allow preseason games to be played in substandard facilities?