Tuesday's notes . . .

SCATTERSHOOTING AS THE PLAYOFF OPENERS DRAW CLOSER: The Chilliwack Bruins are in their second WHL season and will meet the Vancouver Giants in the first round for a second straight season. Over the last two seasons, including regular-season and playoff games, the Giants hold a 20-1-1-1 edge over the Bruins (flip it around the Bruins are 3-18-0-3 against the Giants). . . If you take a look around the WHL, you will notice that there aren’t many goaltenders with a great deal of playoff experience. Vancouver’s Tyson Sexsmith, who went 43-11-2-6 this season, has a Memorial Cup ring on one hand and just may provide the Giants with something of an edge this spring. . . . The Lethbridge Hurricanes haven’t won a playoff series since the spring of 1997. In fact, their last series victory came in the WHL’s championship final that spring when they swept the Seattle Thunderbirds. Since then, Lethbridge missed the playoffs four times and lost out in the first round on six occasions. . . . The Hurricanes, the Eastern Conference‚s third seed, open at home to the No. 6 Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday. . . . Brandon D Daryl Boyle, 20, is a product of the Lethbridge minor hockey system so you have to think he is really excited about the beginning of what will be his final WHL playoff season.

The Kamloops Blazers last won a series in the spring of 1999 when they got to the WHL final and lost in five games to the Calgary Hitmen. Since then, Kamloops has bowed out in the first round seven times and missed the playoffs once. The Blazers, with the poorest record of any of the 16 playoff teams, meet the No. 1 Tri-City Americans. That series opens in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday. . . . Here is what I absolutely despise about today’s hockey with OT and shootouts. The Calgary Hitmen and Moose Jaw Warriors will meet in a first-round series. In the just-completed regular season, the Hitmen won the season series 4-1-0-0. Except that the Warriors were 1-2-1-1 against the Hitmen. . . . All of which makes absolutely no sense and makes an observer yearn for the days of ties. . . . Did you realize that if a team wins a regular-season game in a shootout, even if it’s a 10-rounder with seven goals, it gets credit for one goal scored and one shot on goal? However, no individual statistics are awarded. . . . The Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos, two more first-round combatants, also had quite a regular season. Regina went 2-1-2-1 in the season series; the Broncos were 4-2-0-0.

Obviously, the Medicine Hat Tigers are going to have to find a way to contain Kootenay Ice F Steve Da Silva, who had 10 points in six games during the season series. And note that it’s Da Silva (there is a space in there). . . . Interestingly enough, the Tigers and Ice have never before met in the postseason. . . . Hockey Canada is likely to make an announcement early next week dealing with the coaching staff of the under-18 team that will play in the IIHF championship at Kazan, Russia. Kazan is a city of 560,000 located 800 km south east of Moscow. . . . Might the Portland Winter Hawks be on the move? Jim Goldsmith, the franchise’s principal owner and CEO has told Boaz Herzog of The Oregonian that he is looking for a potential new home for the team. According to Herzog, “With talks to renegotiate the (Memorial) Coliseum lease stalled, Goldsmith said he has begun to examine other venuees within 60 miles of Portland where the Winter Hawks can play profitably.” Goldsmith told Herzog the team has lost between $250,000 and $300,000 each of the last five seasons. “We can’t come (to the Coliseum) to lose money every year,” Goldsmith told Herzog. “If the deck is stacked against you every year, maybe you need a new deck of cards.” . . . Goldsmith also said he will step down as director of hockey operations, as requested by WHL commissioner Ron Robison. The position will be left vacant, with Goldsmith having final say and working closer with Mark Janssens, the former WHLer who is a special assistant to the CEO. Ken Hodge will remain the team’s general manager but will spend more time concentrating on scouting duties. . . .

Jason Hills of the Edmonton Sun did an interview with Edmonton GM Bob Green now that the Oil Kings’ first season is over. Perhaps the most interesting question from Hills was: “You've spent one season now as the Oil Kings general manager. Who is the toughest general manager to make a deal with?” . . . Green replied: “They are all pretty good guys. Obviously, they have their own interests at heart but they certainly treat you with respect which is all you can ask for.” . . . In other words, Green’s phone was ringing all the time but no one tried too hard to take him to the cleaners. . . . By the way, Green picked Calgary and Vancouver to reach the WHL final. He likes Calgary’s depth. . . . Chilliwack RW Evan Pighin is the CHL player of the week. He had eight points in four games last week. . . . Tri-City’s Chet Pickard is the ADT CHL goaltender of the week. He was 3-0-0-0 with a 1.33 GAA and .953 save percentage last week. . . . The WHL holds its draft lottery today to determine the first six picks in the bantam draft, which is scheduled for May 1 in Calgary. The teams taking part in the lottery and the numbers of balls they will have in the drum: 1. Portland (6), 2. Red Deer (5), 3. Saskatoon (via Prince George) (4), 4. Edmonton (3), 5. Prince Albert (2), and 6. Saskatoon (1). Keep in mind that a team can move up a maximum of two spots. No matter, because the Blades will have two picks in the top six no matter how it turns out. . . . The Blades acquired Prince George’s first-round pick and D Stefan Elliott for RW Devin Setoguchi during the 2006-07 season. Setoguchi was the top gun as the Cougars got into the third round of playoffs a year ago before moving on to the pro ranks. Elliott was the Blades’ rookie of the year this season. . . .

The AHL’s Manitoba Moose has signed LW Mark Derlago, 22, who played with the Brandon Wheat Kings. A nephew of former WHL sniper Billy Derlago, Mark has been playing with the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. He had 32 goals in 63 games with the Condors. With the Moose, Derlago is expected to be used on the top line, alongside former WHLers Brad (Bugsy) Moran and Jannik Hansen. An injury to Jason Jaffray, yet another former WHLer, opened up a roster spot, which is why the Moose reached out for Derlago. . . . Jaffray is likely to sit for the remainder of the regular season. . . . The Moose is at home to the San Antonio Rampage on Wednesday night. . . . Craig Heisinger, the Moose’s GM, is a former trainer/equipment manager with the Wheat Kings. . . . C Chris Durand, 20, who just completed his last WHL season with Saskatoon, also has joined the Moose. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers outscored the Kootenay Ice 19-18 in the regular season despite the Ice holding a 181-143 edge in shots on goal. . . . The Tigers’ first home playoff date will mark the franchise’s 229th consecutive sellout of 4,006. . . . The Ice has sent home F Joe Antilla, a rookie from Madeira Park, B.C., for what the club has said was “conduct detrimental to the team.” Antilla, the 76th pick in the 2006 bantam draft, had three points and 35 penalty minutes in 56 games. . . .

D Kalvin Sagert, who completed his WHL career with the Prince George Cougars on Sunday, has joined the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. Sagert, who began his career with the Kamloops Blazers and also played for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, had planned on joining the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. But that deal fell through and he now is with the Salmon Kings. He turned 21 on Jan. 20. . . . D Mark Louis and LW Troy Ofukany, a pair of 20-year-olds who finished their WHL careers with the Red Deer Rebels, have joined the Central league’s Rocky Mountain Rage, which plays out of Broomfield, Colo. They aren’t eligible to play in the final three regular-season games but are hopeful of getting some playoff action. Former WHLer Tracy Egeland is the Rage’s head coach and director of hockey operations. . . . D Mike Berube was missing in action when the Vancouver Giants practised Tuesday. Head coach Don Hay told The Province’s Steve Ewen that it was a “maintenance day” for Berube, who is expected to practise Wednesday. D Craig Schira, injured in a 3-1 victory in Kamloops on Saturday, practised Tuesday but wore a yellow jersey. He is expected to be ready for Friday’s opener against Chilliwack. . . . While Schira did take part in some contact drills, F Garry Nunn didn’t. Nunn, who also wore a yellow jersey, has missed eight games with a rotator cuff problem. . . . Also missing from Vancouver’s practice was F Adam Basford. He has the flu.

D Tyson Newell, the 147th pick in the 2006 bantam draft, has joined the Medicine Hat Tigers and is practising with them. But he’s unlikely to play for them, at least not in the short term, as he was suspended after his Prince Albert Mintos and the Regina Pat Canadians engaged in a series-ending brawl March 10. The fighting took place after the Mintos had won the series. Newell, 16, and Regina’s Drew Czerwonka, a first-round pick of the Kootenay Ice in 2007, both drew seven-game sentences. Newell sat out all three games as the Mintos were swept from the second round by the Notre Dame Hounds of Wilcox, Sask. . . . The Tigers had D Cody Carlson and D Pat Kozyra, both of whom have been nursing injuries, back skating Tuesday. D Shayne Brown and F Tyler Ennis, both of whom also are nicked, took part in off-ice workouts. . . . Medicine Hat LW Colton Grant avoided serious injury when he was checked into an open penalty box door on Friday. He sat out a Saturday game but as back skating Tuesday and will be ready for Friday.