Finally, Smith gets to play for Blazers

By MARK HUNTER
Daily News Sports Reporter
Colin Smith will have a couple of pretty good linemates when he suits up for the first time this WHL season.
Smith, a rookie with the Kamloops Blazers, is to make his return from injury tonight, 7 o’clock, against the Edmonton Oil Kings at Interior Savings Centre. The 5-foot-10 centre broke his right humerus in an Aug. 26 practice, and has been working to get back in the lineup since.
Being the Blazers’ first-round pick — seventh overall — in the 2008 bantam draft immediately puts pressure on the 16-year-old Smith. But having a pair of good linemates should help — Smith will line up between captain Tyler Shattock, who is in his fourth WHL season, and second-year winger Brendan Ranford, who, like Smith, is an Edmonton native.
“With those guys on a line, we’re expected to contribute,” said Smith, who had 55 points in 34 games for the midget AAA Edmonton CAC Canadians last season. “I have no problem with that.
“Tyler’s a great player — I’ll just try to get him the puck — and Ranford, we work well together. I think it will be a pretty good line.”
Smith’s return is good news for the Blazers, who are on a seven-game losing streak. Kamloops is 8-9-0-2 and tied for sixth in the Western Conference, while Edmonton is 7-10-0-3 and eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Tonight’s game also will mark the return of centre C.J. Stretch, who has finished serving a four-game WHL suspension he received for an unpenalized hit on Swift Current Broncos defenceman Eric Doyle on Oct. 21.
Blazers interim head coach Scott Ferguson said that he doesn’t want Smith to try to take the world on his shoulders in his first game of the season, but, since he is playing with Shattock and Ranford, he will have a chance to contribute.
“Those three guys work well together,” Ferguson said. “(Ranford) and Smith have played together in the past — they’re good friends, they’re roommates. We’re hoping there will be some chemistry.
“Shattock’s a big body, he’s going to be banging and crashing and creating some room for them.”
Smith played eight regular-season games in 2008-09, picking up four assists. He also played all four games in the playoffs — scoring one goal — when Kamloops was swept by the Kelowna Rockets.
He was hoping to come into Kamloops in August and really turn some heads.
“It’s definitely been a lot different than I expected,” Smith said. “I didn’t see myself getting hurt but, if anything, it just made me more eager to get into my first game. Hopefully it goes well.”
Smith resumed skating in mid-October, when the Blazers went on their East Division swing, and has been champing at the bit to get into a game.
His chance has finally come.
“I’m always a little nervous,” Smith said. “But playing with two really good players makes me a lot more confident.”
JUST NOTES: The Blazers will start Justin Leclerc in goal tonight, as Jon Groenheyde is day-by-day with a sore wrist. . . . G Jacob Mattes of the major-midget Thompson Blazers suited up at practice on Thursday, but Ferguson didn’t say who will serve as an emergency backup tonight. . . . If you were wondering, GM Craig Bonner said Thursday that the Blazers have yet to get their H1N1 vaccinations. . . . Blazers F Ryan Hanes (head) has been cleared to play, and has been practising, meaning Dalibor Bortnak (spleen) is the lone Kamloops player on the injury list.

EDMONTON OIL KINGS at KAMLOOPS BLAZERS
Today, 7 p.m., Interior Savings Centre (Radio NL 610)
EDMONTON (7-10-0-3): The Oil Kings gave up two goals in the last couple of minutes and lost 3-2 to the Hitmen in Calgary on Wednesday. . . . A 2-7-0-1 skid in its last 10 games has left Edmonton in eighth spot in the 12-team Western Conference. . . . The Oil Kings have scored only 48 goals in 19 games. Only the Prince George Cougars and Seattle Thunderbirds have been less offensive. . . . Edmonton last was here on Feb. 15, 2008, when it won 4-0 behind two goals form F Tomas Vincour and 23 saves from G Dalyn Flette, who now is with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Vincour, one of Edmonton’s top players, sat out Wednesday with the flu. . . . G Torrie Jung, likely Edmonton’s MVP, was in the building if needed Wednesday, but the flu kept him off the bench. . . . G Cam Lanigan went the distance in Calgary, the first time this season he has started back-to-back games. . . . D Mark Pysyk, the third overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft, is a potential top 10 NHL selection in the 2010 draft. . . . Injuries: F Devin Balness (finger, questionable), F Michael Burns (shoulder, questionable).
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KAMLOOPS (8-9-2-0): The Blazers, who once were 7-1-2-0, are 1-8-0-0 in their last nine outings and have lost seven straight games, including an 8-3 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans on Tuesday. . . . In their last three home games, the Blazers are 0-3 and have been outscored 27-9. . . . The Blazers have allowed 84 goals, more than any other team in the WHL aside from the Medicine Hat Tigers (85), who have played two more games and lead the league in goals for (93). Kamloops' 60 goals for is 14th of 22 teams. . . . Kamloops, which led the WHL in penalty minutes last season, is No. 1 again this season, with 436 minutes. . . . RW Jimmy Bubnick centred LW Shayne Wiebe and RW Tyler Shattock on Tuesday and was quite effective. But he likely will be back on the wing tonight as centres C.J. Stretch (suspension) and C Colin Smith (broken arm) return. . . . Still, Bubnick has only three goals in 19 games and hasn’t scored in nine. . . . C Jake Trask, who scored 10 goals in 65 games last season, leads the Blazers with 10 goals, in 18 games. . . . Injuries: C Dalibor Bortnak (spleen, out); G Jon Groenheyde (wrist, out); C Colin Smith (broken arm, probable).
-- GREGG DRINNAN