1. (2) Vancouver Giants (8) 344; 2. (1) Tri-City Americans (8) 342; 3. (4) Spokane Chiefs 318; 4. (3) Calgary Hitmen 307; 5. (5) Lethbridge Hurricanes 289; 6. (7) Kootenay Ice 262; 7. (12) Seattle Thunderbirds 240; 8. (6) Regina Pats 239; 9. (8) Medicine Hat Tigers 230; 10. (11) Brandon Wheat Kings 201;
T11. (10) Swift Current Broncos 191; T11. (9) Kelowna Rockets 191; 13. (13) Moose Jaw Warriors 169; 14. (14) Everett Silvertips 149; 15. (15) Chilliwack Bruins 126; 16. (16) Kamloops Blazers 97; 17. (18) Saskatoon Blades 95; 18. (17) Edmonton Oil Kings 83; ;19. (19) Prince Albert Raiders 78; 20. (20) Red Deer Rebels 48;
21. (21) Prince George Cougars 32; 22. (22) Portland Winter Hawks 16.
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Former WHL G Gavin McHale has been named the MJHL’s top goaltender after putting up a 2.58 GAA in 43 games with the Portage Terriers. The 6-foot-7 McHale, 20, led the MJHL with a .928 save percentage as he put up a 27-11 record. . . . McHale, a native of Winnipeg, has played for the Seattle Thunderbirds and Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .————————
C Jim O’Brien of the Seattle Thunderbirds is the CHL player of the week for the period ending Feb. 24. He had eight points, including six assists, as the Thunderbirds won three times. . . . O’Brien, 19, is from Maplewood, Minn. The Ottawa Senators selected him with the 29th pick of the 2007 NHL draft. He is the first Seattle player to be named CHL player of the week this season. . . .————————
Jim Swanson, the sports editor of the Prince George Citizen, has an enlightening look at Edmonton Oil Kings assistant coach Rocky Thompson in Wednesday’s paper. You should check it out because it isn’t what you might expect. . . . That story is right here. . . .————————
TUESDAY IN THE WHL:In Swift Current, C Levi Nelson scored three times as the Broncos whipped the Kamloops Blazers, 7-4. . . . The Broncos (36-22-1-5) went in having lost three of their last five games. They now are within two points of the East Division-leading Regina Pats. . . . The Broncos won 2-1 in Kamloops on Oct. 5. . . . The Blazers (26-33-2-2) have lost six straight and 10 of 12, including three in a row on this East Division swing. They are eighth in the Western Conference and need just one point to clinch a playoff spot. . . . C Levi Nelson scored three times for the Broncos, giving him 22 this season. C Zack Smith got his 20th — the Broncos have six 20-goal men. . . . The Broncos were 3-for-10 on the PP. Kamloops has given up 30 power-play opportunities over its last three games. . . . Kamloops also has surrendered 128 shots over the last three games. . . . Swift Current took a 5-0 lead into the third period. . . . The Blazers, who had 12 shots through two periods, fired 18 at G Travis Yonkman in the third. . . . Kamloops starter Justin Leclerc stopped 27 of 32 shots before James Priestner took over for the third period. Priestner, in his first appearance since Feb. 1, stopped eight of 10 shots. Priestner, who didn’t dress for the first two games of the trip because of a sore hamstring, is expected to start Wednesday in Regina. . . . The Broncos, who dressed just 18 players, two under the maximum, were without D Jesse Dudas (knee), RW Dale Weise (shoulder), RW Mike Brown, D Derek Claffey and LW Jan Dalecky. The latter three all have concussions. . . . The Blazers visit Regina tonight in the first meeting between the teams since they got together on a four-defenceman trade on Jan. 4. Kamloops sent Ryan Bender, 20, and Victor Bartley, 19, to Regina for D Spencer Fraipont, 19, D Nick Ross, 18, and a fourth-round draft pick. . . .
In Medicine Hat, F Sean Ringrose’s goal at 14:59 of the third period stood up as the winner as the Tigers dumped the Red Deer Rebels, 3-1. . . . The Tigers (37-19-5-2) have won four in a row and are tied for fourth with the idle Kootenay Ice in the Eastern Conference. The Tigers visit the Ice in Cranbrook on Wednesday. . . . Medicine Hat is 5-0 versus Red Deer this season. . . . The Rebels (17-40-4-3) have lost 40 games for the second time in three seasons. . . . The Tigers held a 33-12 edge in shots. . . . Red Deer was without C Brandon Sutter (flu) and F Landon Ferraro (ribs). . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Jason Bast’s two goals helped the Warriors double the Chiliwack Bruins, 4-2. . . . The Warriors (32-18-6-6) are tied for seventh with the idle Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Bruins (26-29-4-4) have lost three straight to start an East Division swing. . . . Bast has 28 goals this season. . . . Moose Jaw captain Riley Holzapfel returned from a five-game absence due to an abdominal strain and had a goal and an assist. . . . Chilliwack held a 16-3 edge in shots in the third period but was outscored 2-1. . . . Chilliwack was 2-for-10 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 2-for-7. . . .
In Saskatoon, F Zach Boychuk scored three times to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 7-4 victory over the Blades. . . . Lethbridge (40-17-2-3), which has won five straight, has won 40 games for the first time since 1996-97. . . . The Hurricanes are 4-0 against the Blades and have outscored them 23-9. . . . The Blades (24-34-3-4) had a three-game winning streak snapped. They also had won five straight at home. . . . Saskatoon led 4-1 in the second period before Boychuk took over to run his total to 29 goals this season. . . . D Jyri Niemi had one of Saskatoon’s goals. He has scored four times in his last three games. . . . Lethbridge was 3-for-6 on the PP; the Blades were 2-for-7.
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