Friday

At the same time that the Spokane Chiefs dealt D Patrick Kozyra to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2008 fifth-round bantam pick, the teams made a second deal. In that one, the Chiefs traded the rights to D Andrew MacWilliam, a ninth-round pick in 2005, to the Tigers for future considerations (which is really interesting because in commissioner Ron Robison’s WHL it is against the rules to trade futures). MacWilliam is with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. . . .

A couple of items of note from our man with his eye on the scene in Europe . . . F Chris Bright (Moose Jaw), released earlier this season by Jesenice (Slovenia), has signed with Hannover Scorpions of Germany’s DEL. Bright, who holds Canadian and Japanese citizenship, joins F Chris Herperger (Swift Current/Seattle), F Mike Green (Edmonton/Kootenay) and D Dan Lambert (Swift Current) on the Scorpions roster. Lambert is the team captain. . . . F John Lammers (Lethbridge/Everett) has been assigned to Ässät Pori in Finland’s SM-Liiga by Dallas, who has a working relationship with Ässät. He joins F Masi Marjamäki (Red Deer/Moose Jaw). . . . As a side note, it’s too bad that Lambert never got the opportunity to run an NHL power play. No one in the history of the WHL has ever done that any better. . . .

And another one bites the dust. . . . The AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder
canned head coach Blaine Gusdal after starting 5-10-1. Larry Moberg is the new head coach, with Jim Knight as GM. . . .

It’s as official as it could be, considering that NHL teams have been known
to change their minds. But the Boston Bruins told LW Milan Lucic, 19, on
Friday that he will be spending the season with the NHL team and not
returning to the Vancouver Giants. . . . Boston GM Peter Chiarelli told
bostonbruins.com: "I talked to Milan this morning and I told him he would be with the team for the rest of the year. I told him to get a place. He was
elated. I told him he still has some things to work on, and he agreed, but
we like what he's brought so far and he's progressed...he's something the
Bruins were looking for.” . . . The best part of this for Lucic is that can
vacate whatever hotel he has been living in. . . .

FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

In Vancouver, a controversial overtime goal by Spencer Machacek gave the Giants a 4-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . After referee Matt Kirk ruled it a goal, the Warriors didn’t leave their bench area and eventually were asked by officials to clear the area. . . . After seeing the video, Moose Jaw head coach Dave Hunchak agreed with the official, telling the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “I believe it hit the crossbar, it took an awkward bounce inside the goal line, and bounced right back out again.” . . . Moose Jaw G Joey Perricone was credited with 53 saves. . . . Vancouver’s Tyson Sexsmith stopped 22 shots. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice dumped the Medicine Hat Tigers 2-1 on D Chad Greenan’s goal at 1:30 of extra time. . . . The Tigers (10-3-2-0) got 27 saves from G Ryan Holfeld. . . . The teams meet again Saturday in Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice has picked up C Jason MacDonald, 18, who was released
earlier in the season by the Kelowna Rockets. They had picked him up in a
three-for-three deal with the Regina Pats last season. He was pointless in
three games with the Rockets. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips dumped the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . Brandon (7-6-0-1) led 2-0 before Everett (7-6-0-0) roared back. Everett is above .500 for the first time this season. . . . F Brandon Regier, 15, made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings. Regier, who plays for the B.C. major midget league’s Fraser Valley Bruins, was the 17th overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft. . . . Brandon D Daryl Boyle has his streak of having played in 202 consecutive games come to an end as he sat out a one-game suspension. . . . Brandon is winless in its last five and plays in Portland on Saturday. . . . Everett G Shayne Barrie, making his first start, was beaten twice in the first three minutes but composed himself, stopped 16 shots the rest of the period and went on to earn the victory. He finished with 27 stops. . . . Everett D Jonathan Harty (hip) missed his third straight game. . . .

In Seattle, the Thunderbirds dumped the struggling Saskatoon Blades, 5-1. . . . Seattle freshman F Josh Lazowski, who separated a shoulder on the second shift of his WHL career, scored on his first shift back, just three minutes into the first period. . . . Seattle F Prab Rai had three assists. . . . Seattle improved to 6-1-2-1. . . . The Blades (3-10-1-0) have lost six in a row, including five straight on a U.S. Division swing that now is over. . . . Seattle D Thomas Hickey picked up an assist to run his points streak to 10 games. . . . Seattle G Riku Helenius is 5-1-2-0 after a 30-save performance. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels fell to 1-6 on home ice as they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Swift Current Broncos. . . . David Stieler’s two goals led the Broncos. . . . Red Deer head coach Brian Sutter told the Red Deer Advocate: “They scored their goals rather easily from the front of the net. They surprised us. That’s why bank robbers rob banks, because that’s where the money is. If you want to score goals you go to the other team’s net, and if you want to stop them you sure as hell better have some urgency in front of your own net.” . . .

In Prince Albert, the Regina Pats beat the Raiders for the fifth time this season, this time by a 5-1 count. . . . The teams meet again Saturday in Regina. . . . Regina also has won five in a row overall and is 12-4-0-0. . . . The Raiders have lost seven of eight. . . . Regina G Jeff Bosch, who backs up Linden Rowat, stopped 33 shots for his third straight victory. . . . The Raiders had C Jorden Iron, 16, from the midget AAA Beardy’s Blackhawks in their lineup. . . . Only Raiders D Jeff May wore a letter (an A), the third straight game in which this has been the case. Captain Ryan DePape and alternates Ryan McDonald and Mike Gauthier lost their letters after violating curfew. Gauthier was later dealt to the Kamloops Blazers. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Jason Reese had three goals and an assist as the high-flying Tri-City Americans dumped the Portland Winter Hawks, 5-1. . . . Reese has four goals this season. . . . He scored one goal at even strength, one shorthanded and one on the power play. . . . The Americans, who are on a five-game winning streak, have won 20 in a row at home.