Some Friday morning reading. . . .

The Spokane Chiefs are up to No. 2 in the latest CHL rankings, as selected by a panel of NHL scouts. Here’s this week’s rankings, with last week’s position in parentheses:
1. (1) Kitchener Rangers (OHL, 52-10-1-2)
2. (3) Spokane Chiefs (WHL, 49-14-1-5)
3. (4) Belleville Bulls (OHL, 46-13-4-2)
4. (2) Tri-City Americans (WHL, 50-16-2-2)
5. (5) Vancouver Giants (WHL, 46-15-2-6)
6. (8) Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL, 45-20-2-1)
7. (6) Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL, 44-18-2-4)
8. (9) Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL, 42-18-6-2)
9. (NR) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL, 42-18-2-4)
10. (NR) Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL, 43-21-2-3)
The Calgary Hitmen, ranked 7th a week ago, fell out of the rankings, as did the OHL’s Brampton Battalion, which was 10th a week ago.
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WHL GOALTENDERS WITH 40 VICTORIES IN ONE SEASON:
49:
Glen Hanlon, Brandon, 1976-77
48:
Corey Hirsch, Kamloops, 1989-90
Grant Fuhr, Victoria, 1980-81
47:
Trevor Kruger, Swift Current, 1988-89
46:
Milan Hnilicka, Swift Current, 1992-93
45:
Bart Hunter, Regina, 1979-80
44:
Chet Pickard, Tri-City, 2007-08
Kelly Guard, Kelowna, 2003-04
Tim Cheveldae, Saskatoon, 1987-88
42:
Matt Keetley, Medicine Hat, 2006-07
Matt Keetley, Medicine Hat, 2005-06
David Lemanowicz, Spokane, 1995-96
41:
Tyson Sexsmith, Vancouver, 2007-08
Norm Maracle, Saskatoon, 1993-94
Travis Laycock, Prince Albert, 1991-92
40:
Kevin Nastiuk, Medicine Hat, 2003-04
Cam Ward, Red Deer, 2002-03
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The Kamloops Blazers have recalled F Richard Vanderhoek, 16, from the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. Vanderhoek, the 122nd pick in the 2006 bantam draft, had 10 points in 55 regular-season games and went pointless in four playoff games. He played four games with the Blazers earlier in the season. . . . Kamloops C Alex Rodgers is day-to-day with facial lacerations. He tried to duck under a check by Justin Falk, one of the Spokane Chiefs’ twin towers on defence, and didn’t quite make it. . . . Falk and Jared Cowen both go 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds on the Spokane back end. . . . Kind of like having a couple of pterodactyls back there. . . . Tri-City Americans G Chet Pickard earned victory No. 44 on Wednesday when they beat the Silvertips 3-1 in Everett. He is one of only nine goaltenders in WHL history to have won that many games in a single season. . . . Vancouver G Tyson Sexsmith was missing from the Giants’ Thursday practice. Head coach Don Hay told the Vancouver Province’s Steve Ewen that with the playoffs approaching Sexsmith was given a “maintenance day.” G Jay Deo, an 11th round pick in the 2007 bantam draft, was on the ice with the Giants, along with backup G Kraymer Barnstable. Deo spent the season with the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs . . . .
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The Giants will play the Blazers in Kamloops on Saturday and Vancouver assistant GM/assistant coach Craig Bonner is certain to face a question or two. He has long been rumoured as the next general manager of the Blazers, who fired GM/head coach Dean Clark on Nov. 7. Right now, Brian Fortin, a long-time Blazers scout, is serving as GM, while Greg Hawgood is the interim head coach. As Ewen reports, “Bonner, a former Kamloops defenceman and assistant coach, is close with NHLer Darryl Sydor, one of the former Blazers who has an ownership stake in the team.” But will the speculation surrounding Bonner serve as a distraction to the Giants? Hay told Ewen: "It's not a question for the players, in my mind, because their major concerns are how they play as individuals and how we play as a team. The questions to Craig will be all fair. Craig is a really valuable member to our organization and our group. We'd hate to lose him, but if that's what he wants to do and he gets an opportunity, we'll all be there to support him." Tom Gaglardi, the Blazers’ majority owner, has permission from Vancouver majority owner Ron Toigo to speak with Bonner once the Giants’ season has ended.
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The Chilliwack Bruins go into the final weekend of the regular season in seventh place in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers. Both of those teams will play three games over the next three nights, starting with a clash Friday in Chilliwack. These two teams have combined for one victory in their last 21 games. The Bruins managed just 11 shots on goal in losing 5-4 to the Rockets in Kelowna on Wednesday, including just three in the third period. And the Bruins’ goaltending problems continued, with freshman Mark Friesen getting the hook after two periods and Matt Esposito finishing up. “We keep looking for saves,” Bruins head coach Jim Hiller told Eric J. Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress. “. . . I think Esposito did a fair job in the third period. But he didn’t come in and close the door either. He had an opportunity to do that, and it didn’t happen.” . . . “We need one of them to get hot,” Hiller added. “The clock is ticking, and they know that. But if one of them starts the playoffs with a 40-save effort, no one’s going to remember how this final month went.”
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The Bruins will meet the Giants at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Sunday to close out the regular season. And this one will be special because the night also will serve as an 80th birthday celebration for Gordie Howe. Mr. Hockey actually turns 80 on March 31, but this promises to be a terrific night. . . . C Tim Kraus of the Regina Pats, who has missed two games with tonsillitis, may not play again until the playoffs. The Pats, who have won the East Divison pennant, close out the regular season with a home-and-home series against the Brandon Wheat Kings. They play tonight in Regina and Saturday in Brandon. . . . Kraus ha 61 points in 65 games this season. Scott Doucet has moved into Kraus’s spot between Jordan Eberle and Michael MacAngus. The three have 11 points over the last two games. . . .
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Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Wheat Kings, has an interesting take on the playoffs this season. Of course, the WHL is using a conference playoff format, rather than the divisional format of recent seasons. McCrimmon, who wasn’t in favour of the switch, told the Brandon Sun’s Rob Henderson that the new format may work in the Wheat Kings’ favour in the playoffs. “We like travel so I don’t see that having any bearing on things at all,” McCrimmon told Henderson. “And I think the other thing too that I’ve always felt (is) this is the only time of year where the travel is even for the Brandon Wheat Kings because the team we’re playing is traveling also. I think that through 72 games, we have a different challenge than a lot of teams in that we travel more than they do and when we get to this time of year, we’re used to travelling. We enjoy traveling and a lot of times our playoff opponent isn’t as used to it.” . . . The Wheat Kings were without C Brayden Schenn (groin) and RW Scott Glennie (ill) at Thursday’s practice. F Cale Jefferies (shoulder), who has missed three games, took part in a full session. . . . Brandon D Theran Yeo (knee) and D Chad Erb (broken wrist) are out indefinitely. . . . The Sun reports that should the Wheat Kings draw 5,829 fans to Saturday’s game, they will break the franchise attendance record that was set last season. . . . By the way, here’s Phoenix Coyotes scout Barry Trapp talking to The Sun about a couple of Brandon players: “We always notice the good things the underage players do and then we zero in on them next year and try and find faults with them, but (Schenn is) an outstanding prospect and (linemate Scott) Glennie, too. They’re both outstanding prospects and Schenn obviously, I mean, gawd, he’s playing like a veteran. He’s playing like he’s been in the league for three years. I haven’t seen many faults, really. He’s been having a tremendous year and there’s no reason he can’t play as well (next season). I expect him to be even better next season.” . . .
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F Greg Gardner, the captain of the Prince George Cougars, will equal a franchise record Friday in Vancouver when he plays in his 336th game. That will tie the record for games played in a career held by Chris Falloon. If all goes according to plan, Gardner will break that record Saturday in Kelowna and run it to 338 when the Cougars wrap up their season in Kamloops. . . . The results of this blog’s first poll are in and talk about a split vote! The question was: Should the WHL make the wearing of neck guards compulsory? . . . All told, 147 votes were cast, with 75 voting yes and 72 voting no. . . . A new poll is up now and will be there for a week. . . . Dan Russell’s SportsTalk radio show out of Vancouver on Thursday night included a segment on former NHL centre Larry Popein. Larry lives in Kamloops these days and I have the distinct pleasure of having lunch with him on occasion. He was 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds in his playing days, which included 449 games in the Original Six NHL. He also had a lengthy career in the old Western league. And he did some scouting and coaching, as well. During his days on the Calgary Flames’ staff, he worked with centres Joel Otto and Joe Nieuwendyk, who arguably gave that team the NHL’s best faceoff tandem. Which makes me ask: Couldn’t WHL teams find a way to use veteran hockey men like Popein in their organizations?