Tuesday . . .

Jordan Mistelbacher, who was reassigned by the WHL’s Everett Silvertips to the MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints on Saturday, has died.
Details remained sketchy late Tuesday night but a Silvertips spokesperson confirmed to the Everett Herald that Mistelbacher, who turned 19 on Sunday, had died.
Mistelbacher played parts of three seasons with the Silvertips, was selected by the Swift Current Broncos with the 63rd pick in the 2005 bantam draft.
From Winnipeg, he had one assist in three games with Everett in 2006-07 and 20 points in 67 games last season. This season, he had six points and 41 penalty minutes in 26 games.
During the exhibition season, Mistelbacher was sent home for disciplinary reasons. Shortly after, he was brought back but never really lived up to expectations. In fact, he had played in just one of the team’s seven games since the Christmas break when he was reassigned on Saturday.
Silvertips general manager Doug Soetaert told the Herald then that the decision to reassign Mistelbacher on Saturday was not related to his problems in camp.
"We've got 15 forwards and that's one too many," Soetaert told the Herald’s Nick Patterson at the time. "We tried to move Jordan and there were no takers. We just felt he wasn't going to be a very happy person not playing, and we thought it would be better if he plays."
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The Toronto Star is reporting that the OHL will announce today a new rule aimed at forcing players to keep their helmets on during a fight. Under the new rule, any player removing his helmet or even undoing the chinstrap during a fight will receive at least a one-game suspension.
“It’s just the evolution of the game and our league,” OHL commissioner David Branch told the newspaper. “It’s a great message to send to other players and leagues below us.”
The move comes after Don Sanderson, who played in an Ontario senior league, died after falling during a fight and striking his helmetless head on the ice.
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F Kirt Hill, 20, of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars will play in that league’s all-star game on Feb. 4 in Sioux Falls, S.D., home of the Stampede. Hill began this season with the Regina Pats but got caught up in the 20-year-old numbers game and ended up being released. He joined the Stars and is their leading scorer, with 35 points, including 13 goals, in 27 games. He also has 52 penalty minutes and is plus-9. The Stars (20-8-1) are first in the USHL’s West Division. . . . Hill is on a five-game point streak after earlier putting together six- and nine-game streaks.
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Catch up with former Everett Silvertips favourite Mitch Love right here in a piece by Prince George Citizen sports editor Jim Swanson.
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Married life would seem to be agreeing with Vancouver Giants F Casey Pierro-Zabotel. The WHL scoring leader struck for four goals Tuesday night as the Giants beat the Tigers 6-2 in Medicine Hat and ran their record to 35-3-0-3. . . . Pierro-Zabotel, 20, married his longtime girl friend, Levi Gottfriedson, over the Christmas season in Kamloops. Levi is the daughter of Kamloops Indian Band chief Shane Gottfriedson. . . . Pierro-Zabotel leads the WHL in assists (50) and points (73). He has 19 points in eight games since the Christmas break. . . . The Tigers were without F Wacey Hamilton (foot). . . . D Bo Montgomery, acquired by the Tigers from the Portland Winter Hawks for a draft pick on Saturday, is in Medicine Hat and is practising. He hasn’t played all season, however, so won’t play for a while. . . . Vancouver was without F Evander Kane, who is at the Top Prospects Game, and D Craig Schira, who is sore after blocking a shot in Lethbridge on Saturday.
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G Chet Pickard returned to the Tri-City Americans’ lineup Tuesday and helped them to a 5-1 victory over the Bruins in Chilliwack. Pickard, who had been with the Canadian national junior team, finished with 19 saves. . . . C Taylor Procyshen scored his 12th goal in 11 games, a shorthanded effort in the third period that was his 25th of the season. . . . The Americans have won three in a row. . . . The Bruins have dropped four in a row.
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In Moose Jaw, F Kyle Beach scored twice to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 6-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday. . . . The Hurricanes went into the game winless in nine. They hadn’t won since Dec. 16. . . . Beach has four goals in three games since being acquired by Lethbridge from the Everett Silvertips last week. . . . The Warriors are winless in their last four games. . . . The Hurricanes continue to play without F Zach Boychuk, who returned from Team Canada with a high ankle sprain. . . . Moose Jaw has added G Brandon Glover, 16, from the major midget Victoria-South Island Breakers. He will fill in for G Jeff Bosch, who is out indefinitely with a hip injury.
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F Walker Wintoneak scored one goal and set up two others as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Pats 5-4 in Regina on Tuesday. . . . Saskatoon jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and the Pats were in catch-up mode for the rest of the game. . . . Regina outshot the visitors 43-26 but Saskatoon G Braden Holtby was sharp in winning for the 23rd time this season. . . . D Victor Bartley scored twice for the Pats, as did C Jordan Weal, who ended a 17-game goal drought. . . . Regina scored all four of its goals on the PP. . . . Saskatoon had F Brent Benson, the sixth overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft, in the lineup. He filled in for D Stefan Elliott, who is at the Top Prospects Game. Benson is from Weyburn, Sask. . . . Regina still is without C Rudolf Cerveny, who returned home to Czech Republic after playing for his homeland in the World Junior Championship. He is scheduled to return in time for a Friday game against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.