Tuesday . . .

The Regina Pats will be without F Garrett Mitchell for five or six weeks with a broken thumb. He was injured while blocking a shot from D Jyri Niemi last week in a 4-3 victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades. X-rays showed a fracture near the base of the thumb and he will have surgery in order to have a pin put in place. The pin will be removed after about four weeks. . . . He was a sixth-round pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2009 NHL draft. . . . Meanwhile, F Killian Hutt practised with the Pats on Tuesday but it’s not known if he will play Wednesday night against the Raiders in Prince Albert. Hutt was acquired Monday from the Portland Winterhawks. . . . With G Damien Ketlo (groin) having recovered, G Derek Tendler, 17, was returned by the Pats to the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have also lost a forward to a broken thumb. F Mark Stone, 17, will be out indefinitely after breaking a thumb on Friday. Unlike Regina F Garrett Mitchell, Stone won’t need surgery so might be back in four weeks. . . . Brandon F Toni Rajala still isn’t involved in contact drills so isn’t likely to play until next week at the earliest. . . . Brandon F Jordan DePape (bruised foot) didn’t practise Tuesday.
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G Thomas Heemskerk, 19, of the Everett Silvertips has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Heemskerk, who was acquired from the Kootenay Ice in December, attended the Sharks’ rookie camp as an undrafted free agent.
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The Vancouver Giants have added Russ Smart, who is based in Red Deer, to their scouting staff. Smart spent 18 years working with the Prince George Cougars and was their director of scouting until being released in July.
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TUESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Vancouver, the Giants beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-1 in a game that featured 175 penalty minutes. . . . Referees Ryan Benbow and Sean Raphael had their hands full in a game that included one line brawl and post-whistle scrum after scrum after scrum. . . . Attendance was 5,533. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had a goal and two assists for the Giants, who were 3-for-12 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-for-5. . . . The Hurricanes are 0-5 on the season, the only winless team in the league. . . . Lethbridge meets the Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday. . . . Vancouver F J.T. Barnett had his five-game goal-scoring streak snapped when he got tossed for his part in the second-period line brawl. . . . Vancouver held a 41-18 edge in shots. . . . F Cass Mappin, acquired by Vancouver from t he Red Deer Rebels earlier in the day, made his Giants debut. He had one assist and one minor penalty. It turns out, too, that Mappin asked the Rebels to trade him. “I believed it was time for new scenery, for both me and the Rebels,” Mappin told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province. “I believe it would make me a better player and the Red Deer Rebels a better hockey team. I wish the best for them.”
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With the NHL on the verge of opening its regular season, four underage WHLers remain in the show. When camps opened, there were 138 WHL players with NHL teams. . . . D Tyler Myers (Kelowna Rockets) is with the Buffalo Sabres. D Luca Sbisa (Lethbridge Hurricanes) is with the Anaheim Ducks. F Evander Kane (Vancouver Giants) is with the Atlanta Thrashers and F James Wright (Vancouver) is with the Tampa Bay Lightning.