THE MacBETH REPORT: F Frank Banham (Saskatoon) has signed with Malmö in Sweden’s Allsvenskan for the rest of this season. Banham has played the past three seasons with Red Bull Salzburg. This year, he had nine goals and 13 assists and was +1 in 30 games for Salzburg. Recognizable names on Malmö include ex-NHLers G Jani Hurme, F Lasse Pirjetä (also ex-Tacoma Rockets), and F Ville Nieminen. . . .
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PORTLAND PAYS: Two weeks after leaving the U.S. National Team Development Program, F Colin Reddin, 17, made his WHL debut Friday with the Portland Winter Hawks. It took that long for the Winter Hawks to get Reddin’s release from USA Hockey. A deal was struck with the Winter Hawks paying what they are calling “a significant release fee.” The exact amount wasn’t specified, but Portland president Jack Donovan called it "unprecedented" in a release. "We pay substantial release fees for our European players and Colin's release is more than double," Donovan said. "It was a high price to pay.” . . . A third-round pick, 51st overall, by Portland in the 2005 bantam draft, Reddin, from Corona Del Marca, Calif., was in the Winter Hawks’ 2005 training camp but later chose the USNTDP. The 51st pick in the 2005 bantam draft, he decided over the Christmas break to join the Winter Hawks and played Friday night against the Hitmen in Calgary. . . . The Winter Hawks had two other new faces in their lineup Friday -- LW Brad Ross of Lethbridge and D Daniel Johnston of Calgary, a pair of 2007 bantam picks. Ross, the younger brother of Kamloops D Nick Ross, was the fifth overall pick and was playing his second WHL game. Johnston, a fifth-round selection, made his WHL debut.
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The CHL Mosaik MasterCard top 10, as selected by an panel of anonymous NHL scouts (ranking, team, record, last week, weeks in rankings):
1. Kitchener Rangers (37-6-1-2) 1 15
2. Spokane Chiefs (33-10-1-3) 2 12
3. Vancouver Giants (32-10-1-5) 3 14
4. Calgary Hitmen (33-13-1-3) 4 13
5. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (33-14-2-1) 5 12
6. Belleville Bulls (32-9-3-2) 8 4
7. Tri-City Americans (33-11-1-2) 6 17
8. Saint John Sea Dogs (31-12-1-3) 10 4
9. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (31-12-1-3) 7 17
10. Baie Comeau Drakkar (33-13-1-4) 9 10
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FRIDAY’S CHATTER: The WHL trade deadline is two weeks back in the rear-view mirror but the Kootenay Ice is going to get a real boost, perhaps as soon as next weekend. C Ben Maxwell, who has missed more than 30 games with a thigh injury, is skating and says he may be back for a home-and-home series with the Spokane Chiefs next weekend. Maxwell had 53 points in 39 games last season. . . . The Ice also is without G Kris Lazaruk (groin), but he may return Tuesday against the Hitmen in Calgary. . . . Earlier this season, Saskatoon Blades F Mike Reich, who was then with the Vancouver Giants, took a slapshot in the face from Kamloops Blazers D Mike Gauthier. Reich ended up losing a tooth and taking more than 50 stitches. “I had a four-hour surgery with the dentist and then went to a gum specialist,” Reich told Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “I got a concussion out of it, too, so it was pretty rough. But it’s made my mouth a little stronger, so I guess I can take a few more punches there.” . . . Vancouver RW Garet Hunt and LW Cody Esposito of the Red Deer Rebels went into the weekend leading the WHL in fighting majors, each with 15. Reich, with his newly toughened mouth, had 14. . . . Lorne Molleken goes into the weekend with 289 victories as the Blades’ head coach. Two more and he equals the franchise record that is held by Jack McLeod (1970-78). . . .
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FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Medicine Hat, C Scott Doucet’s goal 19 seconds into OT gave the Regina Pats a 3-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Pats (32-15-3-1) have won seven in a row and six of seven on the road. They also are 3-0 versus the Tigers this season. . . . Regina is atop the Eastern Division and is second in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Medicine Hat (27-17-5-1) had won its previous two games. The loser point lifted it into a tie with the idle Moose Jaw Warriors and the Brandon Wheat Kings for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. . . . Tigers C Brennan Bosch tied the game 2-2 at 1:18 of the third period. . . . The Tigers were 1-for-9 on the PP; the Pats were 1-for-6. . . .
In Calgary, G Martin Jones stopped 16 shots to help the Hitmen to a 6-0 victory over the Portland Winter Hawks. . . . The Hitmen (34-13-1-3) have 72 points, good for top spot in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Winter Hawks (9-39-1-1) have lost five straight. They are 3-20-1-0 on the road. . . . Jones, who turned 18 on Jan. 10, put up his first career shutout. . . . C Ryan White had a goal and two assists for Calgary, with LW T.J. Galiardi scoring twice. F Brock Nixon and C Brandon Kozun each had two assists. . . . Jordan White went the distance in goal for Portland, which was outshot, 65-16. Shots by period: 20-3, 20-7, 25-6. . . . Calgary has posted four shutouts this season; Portland has been blanked a WHL-leading seven times. . . . Calgary set a franchise record for shots in a game, breaking the old record (55) set Sept. 30, 1995, in a 7-5 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . .
In Chilliwack, RW Brady Calla, D Nick Ross and C Alex Rodgers each had a goal and an assist as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Bruins, 7-2. . . . The Blazers (23-24-1-2) halted a two-game losing slide and moved past the Bruins into seventh place in the Western Conference. . . . Kamloops is 5-3-0-0 against the Bruins with a rematch Saturday in Kamloops. . . . The Bruins (22-21-3-1) hadn’t played since a 3-2 circus victory over the Blazers on Jan. 19. . . . Kamloops, which got goals from seven players, was 3-for-6 on the PP; the Bruins were 1-for-2. . . . LW Michael Proudley pulled the Bruins even at 1-1 at 17:17 of the second period. . . . However, Rodgers scored 10 seconds later and the Blazers were off to the races. . . . Kamloops had lost six straight road games. . . . C C.J. Stretch (concussion) returned to the Blazers’ lineup after missing five games. . . . Kamloops G Justin Leclerc, starting his season-high sixth straight game, stopped 28 shots. . . . The Bruins, a flu bug going through the dressing room, dressed 17 skaters. . . .
In Cranbrook, forwards Andrew Bailey, Steve Da Silva and Kevin King scored twice each as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 8-3. . . . The Ice (29-15-4-1) had lost its previous two games. It pulled into a tie with the idle Lethbridge Hurricanes for third place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Regina Pats. . . . The Raiders (16-29-3-2) have lost four of five and are 18 points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Raiders held a 2-1 lead late in the first period but were outscored 7-1 the rest of the way. . . . Da Silva has 28 goals, Bailey 23 and King six. . . . Da Silva also had two assists, while C Steele Boomer and C Arnaud Jacquement each had a goal and two helpers. . . . Kootenay G Nathan Lieuwen, a 16-year-old who is likely to be returned to the BCHL’s Westside Warriors after the weekend as Kris Lazaruk returns from a groin injury, stopped 29 shots to earn his first WHL victory. . . . LW Drew Czerwonka, the 20th player taken in the 2007 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Ice. He plays for the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. . . .
In Red Deer, the Brandon Wheat Kings outscored the Rebels 2-1 in the circus to beat the Rebels, 3-1. . . . The Wheat Kings (29-17-0-2) had lost two straight and now are 3-0 against Red Deer this season. . . . Brandon is tied with Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat for fifth in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Rebels (13-32-4-2) have lost five in a row and are 23 points out of a playoff spot. . . . F Matt Lowry gave Brandon a 1-0 lead at 19:13 of the second period. He has 21 goals. . . . C Brandon Sutter, with his 16th, tied it for the Rebels on an early third-period PP. . . . Brayden Schenn and Tyler Dittmer scored circus goals for Brandon, with Troy Ofukany counting for the Rebels. . . . G Morgan Clark stopped 33 shots for Red Deer, seven more than Brandon’s Joe Caligiuri. . . .
In Spokane, G Dustin Tokarski stopped 30 shots as the Chiefs bounced the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . The Chiefs (34-10-1-3) are tied for first place overall with the Calgary Hitmen. Spokane is 6-0 versus Seattle this season. . . . Seattle (22-17-5-2), which had won three in a row, is sixth in the Western Conference. . . . Seattle D Scott Jackson scored once in what was his 300th regular-season game. . . . Spokane, which scored the game’s last three goals, got three assists from C Chris Bruton. . . . Spokane LW Drayson Bowman (left arm) didn’t play and could be out for up to two weeks. He leads the Chiefs with 30 goals. . . .
In Swift Current, G Mark Guggenberger, in his fourth WHL appearance, earned the shutout as the Broncos dumped the Kelowna Rockets, 4-0. . . . Guggenberger, acquired from the Portland Winter Hawks prior to the Jan. 10 trade deadline, stopped 30 shots in his first appearance with the Broncos. He got into three games with Portland early in the season. . . . The Broncos (25-20-0-5) have won two straight. They are eighth in the Eastern Conference, five points out of fifth. . . . The Rockets (30-15-2-4) had won three in a row and 11 of 12. They are fourth in the Western Conference. . . . C Cody Eakin scored the game’s first goal, his fifth, and added an assist. D Jesse Dudas drew two assists. . . . The Rockets were 0-for-11 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-4. . . . The Kelowna line of Colin Long, Jamie Benn and Brady Leavold, that had combined for 29 points over its previous two games, was a combined minus-5. . . . It was the third shutout of the season for Swift Current and the second time Kelowna has been blanked. . . .
In Vancouver, Tri-City G Chet Pickard stopped 35 shots to lead the Americans to a 3-1 victory over the Giants in front of 11,899 fans. . . . The Americans (34-11-1-2) have won six of seven and now have one more point than the Giants. . . . As the B.C. Division leader, Vancouver (32-11-1-5) is the Western Conference’s second seed, although it has one fewer point than Tri-City. The Americans are a point behind the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Giants visit Kennewick, Wash., on Saturday night. . . . LW Colton Yellow Horn scored the game’s first goal at 15:52 of the first period, his WHL-leading 35th, for the Americans. . . . C Mason Wilgosh made it 2-0 at 11:34 of the second period with his first WHL goal. . . . Vancouver C Casey Pierro-Zabotel pulled his side to within one at 4:46 of the third period. . . . Tri-City F Kruise Reddick iced it with an empty-netter at 19:19 of the third period. . . . Vancouver G Tyson Sexsmith stopped 16 shots. . . . Tri-City was 0-for-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-for-5. . . . Vancouver has drawn at least 9,000 fans to each of its last six home games.
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