Tuesday . . .

F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the first overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft, will be in the Red Deer Rebels’ lineup this weekend. Nugent-Hopkins, who has a B.C. major midget league-leading 54 points in 25 games with the Vancouver-North West Giants, already has two assists in two games with the Rebels. He is expected to play home games against the Calgary Hitmen on Friday and the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday. . . . F Landon Ferraro (groin) is listed as day-to-day by the Rebels but the Red Deer Advocate reports he could be out for two weeks.
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Mark Mistelbacher, the father of former Everett Silvertips F Jordan Mistelbacher, who was found dead on Jan. 13, has been speaking out against binge drinking.
Here is an excerpt from a recent story in the Winnipeg Free Press:
Mistelbacher and his wife, Lynne, are awaiting results of the medical examiner's report, but believe from accounts shared with them by health officials, police and Jordan's friends their son died accidentally due to overconsumption of alcohol.
Hours before a friend tried unsuccessfully to rouse the teen after he went out partying for his birthday, someone apparently saw him passed out.
“He got sick and nobody thought anything of it,” Mistelbacher said. “He vomited and they thought he was OK, and he wasn’t. . . . If your friends do get sick and they’re drinking large amounts, then just step in and help them, just don’t think it’s nothing.”
Mistelbacher said his son had been stressed out from hockey, but excited about his return to Winnipeg.
“Parents out there, and athletes out there, and kids in general: Know when to stop,” Mistelbacher said.
“They have to know the limits of how much to drink, even if it’s in bars or at parties or wherever it might be.”
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That story, in its entirety, is right here.
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RW Colton Sceviour of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. They selected him in fourth round, 112th overall, of the NHL’s 2007 draft.
The 19-year-old Sceviour, who is from Red Deer, was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Portland Winter Hawks last season. This season, he leads the Hurricanes in assists (31) and points (52) inn 45 games.
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Giants, who played their first 36 games in 101 days, will play their last 36 in just 72 days.
“There are several factors why it has happened,” Ewen writes. “(Head coach Don) Hay was keen on some extra practice days at the front of the schedule. The Giants front office people know that it’s easier to sell tickets to games in February and March. There were inevitable conflicts with other events at the Pacific Coliseum. And every team in the league wants to play its home games on Friday and Saturday nights, leading to a give and take.”
Buried in Ewen’s story is an interesting quote from Giants majority owner Ron Toigo, one that indicates, if every so lightly, that perhaps the WHL’s board of governors will take a serious look at shortening the regular-season schedule.
“In the end,” Toigo told Ewen, “I think we play too many games. We could knock out two games right away and probably four. The more awkward this becomes, the more I think people are starting to come around to that think. There are always two games that don’t fit anywhere on your schedule and you wish you didn’t have. Take them away, and it would make it so much easier.”
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The Giants, by the way, have yet to decide where they’ll play home games next season while the 2010 Olympic Winter Games are in Pacific Coliseum. Ewen reports that the Giants won’t — that’s WON’T — play in the new facility in Abbotsford or at Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria. But still on the list are the Langley Events Centre and GM Place, the home of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. . . . The Giants won’t have access to Pacific Coliseum for about two months.
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The Giants are in Kelowna on Wednesday to face the Rockets, who lost both ends of a doubleheader to the Cougars in Prince George last weekend. The Giants are 4-0 against the Rockets this season. . . . At practice Tuesday, the Rockets had Swedish newcomer Mikael Backlund on a line with Ian Duval, who was acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Jan. 10, and Cody Almond, while another unit featured Jamie Benn, Colin Long and Stepan Novotny. . . . The Rockets remain without RW Kyle St. Denis, who hasn’t played since breaking a scaphoid on Oct. 24.
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In Calgary, F Brett Sonne scored three times to help the Hitmen to a 7-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Sonne has 29 goals on the season. . . . The victory was the 40th of the season for Calgary (40-7-2-1). . . . Three Calgary defencemen — Paul Postma, Keith Seabrook and Michael Stone — each had three assists. . . . Postma has 52 points, more than any other WHL defenceman. . . . F Kris Foucault, who was acquired from the Kootenay Ice earlier this month, scored his first regular-season WHL goal. He scored two playoff goals for the Ice last season. . . . Calgary G Martin Jones stopped 14 shots for his WHL-leading 29th victory. . . .
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In Medicine Hat, F Tyler Ennis scored twice in the second period and once in the shootout as the Tigers got past the Chilliwack Bruins, 6-5. . . . Medicine Hat led 5-2 after 40 minutes, only to have the Bruins tie it on a goal from F Ryan Howse (6:53) and two from F Andy Smith (10:47, 13:30). . . . The Tigers were 3-for-7 on the PP; the Bruins were 0-for-3. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 28 shots through OT. That included four OT saves on a Medicine Hat PP in OT. . . . F Chris Collins, 16, had his second goal in two games and an assist for the Bruins. He plays for the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes. . . .
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In Swift Current, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s last four goals, three of them in the third period, and beat the Broncos, 5-4. . . . The Broncos led this one 4-1 after F Matt Tassone’s 28th goal at 13:32 of the second period. . . . D Colby Robak scored for Brandon at 15:30 of the second period. . . . D Keith Aulie (6:17), F Jay Fehr (9:58) and F Scott Glennie (10:25) scored third-period goals for Brandon, which has been the Broncos five times this season. . . . Fehr’s goal wsa his 20th of the season. He has 23 points in his last 14 games. . . . Brandon F Matt Lowry drew assists on three of the last four goals. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Aaron Lewadniuk for the last two periods. He didn’t return after hitting his head on the ice and is to be re-evaluated Wednesday before Wheat Kings meet the Blades in Saskatoon.