Tuesday . . . .

The Evan Pighin saga has come to an end, following a hearing involving Hockey Canada on Monday.
Pighin, 20, chose to join the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies without gaining his release from the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins and without clearing WHL waivers. The Bruins placed him on their suspended list but the Grizzlies, with permission from B.C. Hockey, chose not to honour the suspension.
One thing led to another and a hearing was held Monday.
Chilliwack GM Darrell May refused comment when asked about the hearing by Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier on Tuesday.
WHL president Ron Robison, meanwhile, told Potenteau: “We filed an appeal, a complaint, a protest, call it what you want with respect to the arbitrary release by B.C. Hockey.
“The ruling by Hockey Canada clearly found that B.C. Hockey’s actions were inappropriate, and that (Pighin) was returned to the WHL suspended list.
“But what we wanted to do ultimately is not hold up a player from playing;
we wanted to make sure that, as hockey leagues and associations in the province, we make sure this kind of situation doesn’t occur again.”
Robison told Potenteau that officials at the meeting also dealt with ongoing issues between the WHL and BCHL. Although not providing specifics, he also said there now is a process in place to deal with a situation such as this, such another arise.
The WHL and BCHL have long been at loggerheads about various things and this meeting may have been the first step in releasing some of the tension.
“It was an opportunity to not only discuss the Evan Pighin situation but, also, in our view more importantly, the relations between the WHL, B.C.
Hockey and BCHL,” Robison said. “Hockey Canada conducted the meeting, and it was important to review the Western Branch agreement and the direction we’re going to take with that, as well as discuss the relations between the key hockey constituents.”
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THE MacBETH REPORT: F Boris Leckovic (Saskatoon/Swift Current/Everett) and F Jovan Matic (Swift Current/Everett/Regina/Vancouver) signed with HK Crvena Zvezda Belgrad (Serbia). Matic had six goals and one assist in 17 games at UBC last season. I don't know where Leckovic played, although a WHL press release shows he was enrolled at Kwantlen University College in Vancouver last year.
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After acquring D Matt McCue, 20, from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Thursday, the Medicine Hat Tigers have assigned D Scott Brkich, 18, to the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. . . . Former Kamloops Blazers D Tyler Sloan played 9:03 and was plus-1 with two penalty minutes in his NHL debut with the Washington Capitals last night. The Caps lost 2-1 to the Flames in Calgary, Sloan’s hometown.
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TUESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Kamloops, LW Adam Hughesman’s shootout goal gave the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 shootout victory over the Blazers. . . . The Americans (9-3-0-0) erased a 4-1 deficit with three third-period goals as they won for the fourth straight time and the sixth time in seven games. . . . The Blazers (4-8-0-2) have lost five in a row and nine of 11. . . . Hughesman and C Jason Reese scored for the Americans in the shootout; only C C.J. Stretch counted for Kamloops. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser’s goal at 19:27 of the third period forced OT.
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In Cranbrook, Czech LW Dominik Pacovsky scored the shootout’s only goal to give the Kootenay Ice a 3-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Ice (7-5-1-3) has won four in a row and five of six. . . . The Rebels (4-5-0-5) are 0-7 on the road. . . . Red Deer LW Cass Mappin forced OT with a goal at 14:22 of the third period.
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In Lethbridge, F Zach Boychuk scored in his return to the WHL to help the Hurricanes to a 6-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . .The Hurricanes (8-4-0-0) learned Monday that Boychuk was on his way back from the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. His travel day Tuesday began at 5 a.m. . . . The Cougars (7-6-0-0) are 1-5 on a nine-game road swing. . . . Lethbridge got goals from six players as it took a 6-0 lead. . . . F Brett Connolly scored for Prince George on a PP with 1:47 left in the third period. . . . Prince George had just 11 shots on goal. . . . Cougars captain Dana Tyrell, who had three goals in a 6-4 loss in Red Deer on Saturday, was minus-6, while D Cody Hobbs and D Art Bidlevskii each was minus-4. . . . Prince George will be without sophomore C Cory Tyrell (kneecap) for up to six weeks.
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In Prince Albert, sophomore G Steven Stanford stopped 24 shots as the Raiders blanked the Portland Winter Hawks, 7-0. . . . It was Stanford’s first career shutout. . . . The Raiders (7-7-0-0) were playing their first home game after a 2-4-0-0 swing through B.C. . . . The Winter Hawks (1-10-0-0) have lost nine in a row. . . . The Winter Hawks, who have scored 12 goals in 11 games, have been shutout five times. . . . RW Brandon Herrod had a goal and two assists. . . . The Raiders were 4-for-7 on the PP.
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In Regina, D Stefan Elliot, F Gaelan Patterson and F Walker Wintoneak each scored twice as the Saskatoon Blades whipped the Pats, 8-1. . . . Saskatoon (9-4-0-0) has won eight in a row. It also is riding a six-game road winning streak. . . . The Pats (6-5-1-2) had been 3-0-1-2 at home. . . . Saskatoon G Braden Holtby, who signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals on Monday, lost his shutout bid at 16:56 of the third period. . . . Saskatoon LW Darian Dziurzynski had only one assist but was plus-5, while D Sam Klassen and Patterson each was plus-4. . . . Regina D Victor Bartley was minus-4. . . . The Blades scored five times in the second period. . . . Saskatoon had a 38-36 edge in shots.