Blazers scouting report

VANCOUVER GIANTS at KAMLOOPS BLAZERS
Today, 7 p.m., Interior Savings Centre (Radio NL 610)

VANCOUVER (1-0-0-0): The Giants haven’t played since opening the season with
a 4-0 victory over the Silvertips in Everett on Saturday. . . . Vancouver
plays its home-opener Friday against the Prince George Cougars. . . .
Tonight is the start of a stretch of four games in five nights for the
Giants. . . . D Brent Regner was returned by the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets
earlier this week, but D Jon Blum (Nashville Predators) and G Tyson Sexsmith
(San Jose Sharks) still are away. Word is that Sexsmith may be back today. .
. . G Jamie Tucker, a Victoria native who put up a shutout in his WHL debut
on Saturday, was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 bantam draft,
using a pick acquired from the Red Deer Rebels in a deal for former Blazers
RW Cam Cunning. . . . Tucker, 17, stopped 30 shots in winning 4-0 in
Everett. . . . Vancouver’s other goaltender is sophomore Kraymer Barnstable.
. . . The Giants’ roster includes F Todd Kennedy, an 18-year-old tough
cookie who was acquired earlier in the month from the Regina Pats. A native
of Lillooet, his family now lives in Kamloops. The Blazers actually selected
him in the sixth round of the 2005 bantam draft. . . . Injuries: D Curtis
Kulchar (knee, out); D Bronson Maschmeyer (ankle, probable).
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KAMLOOPS (1-0-0-1): The Blazers split weekend games, beating visiting
Everett 4-3 in overtime and falling 5-4 to the Bruins in Chilliwack in a
shootout. . . . LW Shayne Wiebe and RW Jimmy Bubnick each had his first
career two-goal game in Chilliwack. . . . Freshman G Jon Groenheyde gets the
start tonight after veteran G Justin Leclerc went the distance in each of
the first two games. . . . Groenheyde, a 6-foot-3, 174-pounder from
Abbotsford, started one game last season, beating the visiting Tri-City
Americans 3-2 on Jan. 4. He stopped 33 shots that night. . . . With RW Tyler
Shattock back from the San Jose Sharks and in the lineup tonight, FJake
Trask, 17, will come out. . . . Shattock will play on a line with C Scott
Wasden and LW Alex Rodgers. Cole Grbavac, who had been in that spot, will
slide on to a unit with Devon Kalinski and Matt Wray. . . . D Nick Ross, who has been with the Phoenix Coyotes, is expected to return today and should play tonight. . . . C Mark Hall had
the first of two operations on his injured right knee yesterday morning and
was on crutches at practice in the afternoon. . . . After tonight, the
Blazers play home-and-home with the Kelowna Rockets. The teams are here
Friday and in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . Injuries: C Mark Hall (knee, out).
— GREGG DRINNAN