Thursday . . .

With more players missing than there are during the exhibition season, the WHL resumed play Thursday night after its Christmas break. For a list of players who are absent due to the World Junior Championship or the U-17 World Hockey Challenge, check out Alan Caldwell’s blog, Small Thoughts at Large. . . .

The WHL’s trade deadline is less than two weeks away – it arrives Jan. 10 at 3 p.m., Calgary time – and the hills will be alive with the sound of rumours between now and then. But you have to wonder how tough it is for teams to know where they’re at when there are more than 40 players missing. There are between 40 and 50 WHL players at the WJC and the WHC. Throw in some long-term injuries – RW Michal Repik and D Neil Manning in Vancouver, D Jeff May in Prince Albert, LW Andrew Clark in Brandon, C Brett Sonne in Calgary, C Ben Maxwell in Kootenay, LW Jared Jagow in Regina, and C Cody Eakin and D R.J. Larochelle in Swift Current – and it’s got to be tough for at least some general managers to decide which way to go. . . . Buy or sell? . . . Sell or buy? . . . There are a lot of WHL people in Calgary at the Mac’s midget tournament and that’s where a lot of trade talk will start. . . .

The Calgary Hitmen have released Slovakian LW Martin Stepan, 18, which could be a precursor to cutting a deal for another import player. Calgary’s other import is Slovenian LW Bostjan Golicic, 18. Stepan had four points, including three goals, in 18 games. . . . The Tri-City Americans have reassigned D Kevin Kraus, 18, to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. The Americans acquired Kraus and D Joel Woznikoski, 18, from the Kamloops Blazers earlier in the season. Woznikoski is with the BCHL’s Westside Warriors. . . . The Seattle Thunderbirds have assigned C Josh Lazowski, 16, to the midget AAA team in Leduc, Alta. He had two points in 13 games with Seattle. . . . The Lethbridge Hurricanes have assigned D Cam Stevens, 18, to the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers. Stevens, who has missed a lot of this season with a broken leg, was acquired earlier from the Chilliwack Bruins. . . .

Two former WHLers have been involved in a coaching change in the WHL. Geoff Courtnall (Victoria Cougars, 1980-83) has taken over as head coach of the Victoria Grizzlies, replacing Jackson Penney (Prince Albert/Victoria, 1987-90), who remains as general manager. The Grizzlies are 17-16-2-3 and are tied for fifth in the Coastal Conference. . . .

THURSDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Brandon, C Jordan Eberle’s 25^th goal of the season broke a 1-1 tie as the Regina Pats beat the Wheat Kings, 2-1. . . . The Pats (23-14-1-1) had lost three straight on the road. . . . The Wheat Kings (23-11-0-1) had won two straight and nine of 10. They also had taken three of four from Regina. . . . Brandon got its goal at 1:50 of the first period when D Keith Aulie scored his second of the season on the PP. . . . Regina outshot Brandon, 34-20. . . . The victory lifted Regina past Brandon and into first place in the East Division, meaning it is second in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Wheat Kings were without five players who have totaled 128 points, including 53 goals. Three players – Scott Glennie, Brodie Melnychuk and Brayden Schenn – are at the World Hockey Challenge, and LW Daniel Bartek is playing for Czech Republic at the World Junior Champions. C Andrew Clark (broken ankle) will miss another few weeks. . . . Brandon lost C Jay Fehr in the second period after he collided with Regina LW Todd Kennedy. Neither player returned and the Brandon Sun reports that “it’s believed (Fehr) was taken to hospital.” . . . Regina was without four regulars, with D Logan Pyett at the WJC, C Garrett Mitchell and D Alex Pym at the WHC and C Jared Jagow injured. . . . Regina LW Troy Ofukany, 20, played only two early shifts. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Calgary Hitmen broke a 1-1 tie with two second-period goals as they dumped the Hurricanes, 3-1. . . . The Hitmen (24-11-1-2) have won three straight and now lead the Central Division by three points over Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes (23-13-1-1) have lost three in a row. . . . Lethbridge went into the game having beaten Calgary twice, outscoring the Hitmen 9-1 in the process. . . . Calgary LW T.J. Galiardi scored his club’s first goal and set up its second. . . . C Brandon Kozun’s fifth goal, at 7:15 of the second period, stood up as the winner. . . . This was Lethbridge’s last home game before the Jan. 10 trade deadline. The Hurricanes play their next five games on the road. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead and went on to a 3-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The game featured 129 penalty minutes and a line brawl, meaning the WHL’s coffers will be enriched on Monday. . . . The Raiders (12-20-3-2) had lost five straight home games. . . . The Blades (12-21-2-0) have lost three in a row overall and five straight on the road. In fact, they have won just twice on the road this season. . . . C Max Brandl, with his ninth, and LW James Dobrowolski had the Raiders’ first-period goals. . . . C Justin McCrae pulled the Blades to within one on a late second-period PP. . . . LW Ashton Hewson’s first goal this season, an empty-netter, iced it for the Raiders. . . . Despite all the penalties, there were only five power plays – the Blades were 1-for-3, the Raiders were 1-for-2. . . . G Dustin Butler stopped 28 shots in earning the victory. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., LW Colton Yellow Horn ran his point streak to 18 games as the Tri-City Americans skated to a 5-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Americans (26-7-1-0) have won five straight. . . . The Silvertips (18-17-0-2) have won its previous two games, both against the Portland Winter Hawks. . . . Tri-City has won four of six games from Everett this season. . . . Yellow Horn has 34 points, including 18 goals, in his last 18 games. That is the longest point streak in the WHL this season. . . . Tri-City C Jason Reese broke a 1-1 tie at 2:20 of the second period, the first of four straight goals by the Americans. . . . Reese scored his club’s first two goals and has 15 on the season. . . . Everett was 0-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 2-for-5 . . . Everett had a 33-29 edge in shots, but Tri-City G Chet Pickard stood tall in running his record to 22-5-1-0. . . .

In Vancouver, C Garry Nunn scored his first two WHL goals to lead the Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Giants (25-7-1-3) have won seven straight. In those seven games, they have outscored the opposition 36-8. . . . Vancouver is 4-0 versus Kamloops this season and has outscored the Blazers 18-5 in the process. . . . The Blazers (16-18-1-1) have lost five of six. This was the first of four games in five nights for the Blazers, who meet the Rockets in Kelowna on Friday, play the Giants in Kamloops on Sunday and are in Everett against the Silvertips on Monday for a New Year’s Eve bash. . . . Nunn joined the Giants from the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. He has eight points in seven games with the Giants. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-7 on the PP; the Blazers were 1-for-5. . . . RW Kenton Dulle scored both Kamloops goals, twice pulling the Blazers to within one. . . . D Mike Berube’s fourth goal, at 10:47 of the third period on a PP, gave Vancouver a 3-1 lead and stood up as the winner.