Edmonton Oil Kings at Kamloops Blazers
Today, 7 p.m., at Interior Savings Centre (Radio NL 610)
EDMONTON (18-29-4-6): The Oil Kings haven’t played since Saturday when they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Raiders in Prince Albert. . . . Edmonton is tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, 24 points out of a playoff spot with 15 games to play. . . . This is Edmonton’s first season in the league and its first and only visit of the season to Kamloops. . . . The Oil Kings were owned by the Edmonton Investment Group, which also owned the NHL’s Oilers and recently sold its holdings to Daryl Katz, who controls, among other things, Rexall Pharmacies. . . . Swedish RW Robin Figren has a team-high 18 goals but is injured. He played extremely well for Sweden at the World Junior Championship, then returned to the Oil Kings and suffered a wrist injury that needed surgery. . . . Steve Pleau, the son of Larry Pleau, the senior vice president and GM of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, is the Oil Kings’ head coach. Steve was an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs last season. . . . Former WHL enforcer Rocky Thompson is Edmonton’s full-time assistant coach. . . . G Alex Archibald (14-20-4-4, 2.95, .913) is having a superb season. . . . Injuries: RW Robin Figren (wrist, out), D Cameron Cepek (shoulder, probable), C Brandon Lockerby (jaw, out), C Clayton Cumiskey (shoulder, out).
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KAMLOOPS (26-28-2-2): The Blazers last played Sunday when they dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . The Blazers are eighth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Chilliwack Bruins and 22 ahead of the Prince George Cougars, who have 14 games remaining. . . . The first six teams in the conference have clinched playoff spots. . . . G Justin Leclerc is likely to make his fifth straight start. He has a 20-20-2-1 record with a 3.20 GAA and .892 save percentage. . . . This is the weekend in which the Blazers bring in the players’ parents so there should be lots of excitement in the dressing room. . . . The coaching staff has experimented lately by moving RW Sasha Golin back to defence. It also chose to break up the high-scoring line of, left to right, Ivan Rohac, Alex Rodgers and Juuso Puustinen. LW Shayne Wiebe replaced Rohac, with the Slovakian sniper moving to a unit with C C.J. Stretch and RW Kenton Dulle against Everett. . . . Injuries: RW Tyler Shattock (broken leg, out).— GREGG DRINNAN
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