Thursday notes . . .

THE CRIME BEAT I: WHL referees Trevor Hrycuik and Graham Skilliter were in a Prince George restaurant Thursday afternoon when a 21-year-old man was shot to death in what RCMP spokesman Const. Gary Goodwin said was “a targetted shooting.” The shooting took place outside Moxie’s Classic Grill at about 3:45 p.m. "All of the shootings that we've had recently have been drug related and we are presuming this one is as well,” Goodwin told thme Prince George Citizen. One witness told the newspaper that five shots were fired, but the police hadn’t confirmed that. . . . Hrycuik and Skilliter were in Prince George to officate Thursday’s game between the Cougars and Everett Silvertips. . . .

THE CRIME BEAT II: According to the Red Deer Advocate, three Rebels players put the stops to a robbery on Wednesday afternoon. Brandon Sutter, Luke Egener and Brennen Wray, according to the paper, “were in a vehicle following a team practice when they noticed a person fleeing on foot from Visions in south Red Deer. The Rebels followed the thief in their truck and helped recover an iPod Touch — which they returned to the store manager — after cornering the thief in a parking lot. The robber, however, eluded their capture.” . . .
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Here, with thanks to Ron Jones, co-publisher of McKeen’s Hockey, are that publication’s top 30 mid-term rankings of players eligible for the 2008 NHL draft (www.mckeenshockey.com):
1. Steven Stamkos, C, Sarnia (OHL)
2. Luke Schenn, D, Kelowna (WHL)
3. Drew Doughty, D, Guelph (OHL)
4. Alex Pietrangelo, D, Niagara (OHL)
5. Zach Bogosian, D, Peterborough (OHL)
6. Nikita Filatov, LW, CSKA (Rus Jr)
7. Kyle Beach, L-C, Everett (WHL)
8. Mikkel Boedker, R-L, Kitchener (OHL)
9. Josh Bailey, C, Windsor (OHL)
10. Joe Colborne, C, Camrose (AJHL)
11. Colin Wilson, C, Boston University (HE)
12. Tyler Myers, D, Kelowna (WHL)
13. Cody Hodgson, C, Brampton (OHL)
14. Mikhail Stefanovich, R-C, Quebec (QMJHL)
15. John Carlson, D, Indiana (USHL)
16. Mattias Tedenby, LW, HV 71 (Swe Jr)
17. Corey Trivino, C, Stouffville (OPJHL)
18. Colten Teubert, D, Regina (WHL)
19. Zac Dalpe, C-R, Penticton (BCHL)
20. Michael Del Zotto, D, Oshawa (OHL)
21. Zach Boychuk, R-C, Lethbridge (WHL)
22. Tyler Cuma, D, Ottawa (OHL)
23. Aaron Ness, D, Roseau (USHS-MN)
24. Jordan Eberle, R-C, Regina (WHL)
25. Nicolas Deschamps, L-C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
26. Jake Gardiner, D, Minnetonka (USHS-MN)
27. Danny Kristo, R-L, NTDP (USA)
28. Jyri Niemi, D, Saskatoon (WHL)
29. David Toews, C, Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN)
30. Chet Pickard, G, Tri-City (WHL)
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THURSDAY CHATTER: The Kelowna Rockets are in Swift Current on Friday night and the Broncos, one would think, will be hard-pressed to put the stops on the WHL’s hottest line. Jamie Benn, Colin Long and Brady Leavold have put up 191 points this season, including 29 over their last two games. Long leads the WHL point parade, with 79. Benn has 60 and Leavold has 52. . . . Leavold, with 30 points during a 13-game point streak, will be especially pumped, having spent three seasons with the Broncos. . . . According to the Medicine Hat News, F Cole Penner, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 bantam draft, soon will join the Prince Albert Raiders for the remainder of this season. Penner, 16, started the season in the Raiders’ camp, joined the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits, played one game for a midget AAA team in Medicine Hat and then went home with broken ribs. Bruno Campese, the man running the show in P.A. these days, told The News that he hopes Penner will rejoin the team after a road trip that wraps up Feb. 2 in Kennewick, Wash.
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MORE THURSDAY CHATTER: The Tri-City Americans expect to have LW Colton Yellor Horn, the WHL’s leading goal scorer, and D Jarrett Toll back for a Friday-Saturday series with the Vancouver Giants. Both players missed a Sunday game in Calgary against the Hitmen as they nursed minor injuries, but expect to play Friday in Vancouver. The Giants are in Kennewick for a Saturday rematch. . . . Spokane LW Drayson Bowman (shoulder) is doubtful for the Chiefs’ three games this weekend. He was hurt in last Friday’s 5-4 shootout victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. Bowman wasn’t able to make it all the way through Thursday’s practice. The Chiefs are home to Seattle on Friday night and the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday before visiting the Bruins in Chilliwack on Sunday. . . . Bowman has 30 goals, which ties him with Regina Pats C Jordan Eberle for second in the WHL. They trail Tri-City Americans LW Colton Yellow Horn, who has 34.
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THURSDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Prince George, RW Dan Gendur, who had six points one night earlier, got the winner in the circus as the Everett Silvertips dumped the Cougars, 5-4. . . . The Silvertips (29-20-0-2), have won six in a row. They also have won six straight road games. . . . They beat the Cougars 6-0 on Wednesday night. . . . The Cougars (14-33-1-2) have lost six straight. . . . Gendur had three assists besides his shootout winner. He finished the two games with nine points — he originally was credited with two goals and three assists Wednesday, but was given another assist following the game. . . . LW Shane Harper scored twice for Everett. . . . The Cougars got two goals from LW Dana Tyrell, giving him 20 on the season. He forced overtime with a goal at 19:18 of the third period. . . . Everett G Shayne Barrie stopped 35 shots, six more than the Cougars’ Real Cyr. . . . Everett was 1-for-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-for-8. . . . Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster was at the game. The Lightning selected Tyrell with the 47th pick of the 2007 NHL draft. . . . Prince George F Jan Kupec left the game with an injury and had an arm in a sling after the game.