Sunday . . .

Former WHL player and coach Drew Schoneck has his Tri-City Storm back in the USHL playoffs after a three-year absence. The Storm, which plays out of Kearney, Neb., scored a 5-2 victory over the visiting Sioux Falls Stampede on Saturday to clinch a playoff spot. Schoneck, in his first season with the Storm, and his squad will open a best-of-five first-round series against the Lancers in Omaha on Wednesday. . . . Storm F Jaden Schwartz had three assists Saturday to become the first player in franchise history to win the USHL scoring title. He finished with 83 points. Schwartz is the first 17-year-old to win the title since Thomas Vanek (Sioux Falls, 2001-02, 91 points).
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It seems that the dispute between the Central Hockey League and the Arizona Sundogs, who are based in Prescott, isn’t over, after all. On Friday, the CHL issued a release saying it was taking over the operation of the franchise, which is owned by Bill Yuill, who also owns the WHL’s Everett Silvertips.
On Sunday, the Sundogs issued this press release:
“Prescott Valley Hockey Club, LLC and the parent company Consolidated Sports Holdings (USA) Inc. are stunned and appalled by the actions taken by Global Entertainment Corporation and their subsidiary, the Central Hockey League, and question the timing behind the press release (Friday).
“We are in the process of resolving issues with the Central Hockey League and have had no response to numerous requests for a face to face meeting to deal with these matters since February, 2010. At present we are current with our obligation for our lease and have informed Global Entertainment Corporation we will honor the remaining terms of the lease.
“We will be dealing with these matters on Monday, after the holiday weekend.
“At this time we will be providing no further comment.”
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The New York Rangers have recalled F Dale Weise, 21, from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Weise (Swift Current, 2005-08) was riding a seven-game point streak with the Wolf Pack and had 49 points, 28 of them goals, and 114 penalty minutes in 73 games. Weise was a fourth-round pick by the Rangers in the NHL’s 2008 draft. . . . Weise may make his NHL debut on Tuesday when the Rangers play the Sabres in Buffalo.
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There will be seven WHL players on the team that will represent Canada at the IIHF U-18 world championship in Minsk and Bobruisk, Belarus, April 13-23. . . . The WHL players named to the team are G Calvin Pickard (Seattle), G Kent Simpson (Everett), D Ryan Murray (Everett), F Brett Connolly (Prince George), F Max Reinhart (Kootenay), F Jordan Weal (Regina) and F Quinton Howden (Moose Jaw). . . . The head coach is former NHL head coach Guy Carbonneau, while George Burnett of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls and Rob Sumner of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds are the assistant coaches. . . . The roster comprises 13 OHL players, seven from the WHL and two from the QMJHL. . . . Team Canada will gather in Toronto on Monday (April 5) and fly to Europe on Tuesday. Canada will play an exhibition game against Finland in Minsk on Friday and open the tournament April 13 in Bobruisk against Switzerland. . . . TSN will televise Canada’s last round-robin game, against Sweden, on April 18, as well as a quarterfinal (April 20), semifinal (April 21) and the final (April 23). If Canada ends up in the third-place game, TSN also will show it.
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WHL PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
(Best-of-7)
(x — if necessary)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Medicine Hat (5)
(Calgary leads series 2-0)
Friday: Medicine Hat 2 at Calgary 5 (8,431)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 0 at Calgary 4 (6,976)
Tuesday: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 6 p.m.
Wednesday: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 6 p.m.
x-Friday: Medicine Hat at Calgary, 6 p.m.
x-Sunday: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 5 p.m.
x-April 13: Medicine Hat at Calgary, 6 p.m.
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Brandon (2) vs. Saskatoon (3)
(Brandon leads series 2-0)
Friday: Brandon 6 at Saskatoon 5 (6,418)
Saturday: Brandon 4 at Saskatoon 1 (5,353)
Wednesday: Saskatoon at Brandon, 5 p.m.
Friday: Saskatoon at Brandon, 5:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Saskatoon at Brandon, 5:30 p.m.
x-April 12: Brandon at Saskatoon, 6 p.m.
x-April 14: Saskatoon at Brandon, 5 p.m.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Kelowna (6)
(Series tied 1-1)
Friday: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 5 (3,977)
Saturday: Kelowna 4 at Tri-City 1 (3,812)
Tuesday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 5 p.m.
x-April 13: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
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Portland (5) vs. Vancouver (2)
(all Portland games at Memorial Coliseum)
(Vancouver leads series 2-0)
Saturday: Vancouver 9 at Portland 6 (5,849)
Sunday: Vancouver 7 at Portland 4 (3,757)
Wednesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Friday: Portland at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-April 13: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-April 14: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
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SUNDAY:
In Calgary, G Martin Jones stopped 19 shots to help the Hitmen to a 4-0 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . It was Jones’ first shutout of these plays and his third career postseason blank job. He also has 16 regular-season shutouts. . . . In his WHL career, Jones is 12-0 against Medicine Hat. . . . F Tyler Shattock scored twice, giving him four goals in these playoffs, and added two assists as he figured in all four Calgary goals. Shattock, who was acquired from Kamloops in January, hadn’t won a playoff game in 12 starts with the Blazers. He has 12 points in nine games with the Hitmen, who have won six of thoses games. . . . F Brandon Kozun got his fifth of the playoffs, a PP score in the third period, just one day after signing with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. . . . D Michael Stone scored the game’s first goal, at 5:14 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 17 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-for-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-for-5. . . . Calgary was outshot 9-3 in a scoreless first period, but held an 18-10 edge over the final 40 minutes. . . . Attendance was 6,976. . . . Calgary takes a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 in Medicine Hat on Tuesday.
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In Portland, the Vancouver Giants dumped the Winterhawks, 7-4. . . . Vancouver, which has a 2-0 series lead, scored 16 goals in the first two games. . . . The Winterhawks are 0-5 in playoff games at home this season. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel opened the scoring at 1:35 of the first period, but Vancouver scored the game’s next four goals, driving G Mar Carruth to the bench in the process. . . . F James Wright got it started at 10:19 and the Giants scored four times in a span of 7:29. . . . F Craig Cunningham, with two, and F James Henry also scored during that explosion. . . . Carruth left having stopped 16 of 20 shots. Ian Curtis came on to make 27 saves on 29 shots. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal turned aside 44 shots. . . . Portland D Eric Doyle scored a PP goal early in the second period, getting his side to within two, but Vancouver put it away with goals from D David Musil and F Milan Kytnar before the period ended. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher, who had four goals and an assist in Game 1, was held pointless in Game 2. But linemates Lance Bouma and Cunningham combined for six points. Bouma had a goal and two helpers, while Cunningham added an assist to his two goals. . . . Cunningham leads the WHL playoff scoring race, with 16 points, one more than Gallagher and F Brandon Kozun of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Vancouver was 1-for-4 on the PP; Portland was 2-for-4. . . . Attendance was 3,757. . . . The teams combined for 74 penalty minutes, with 46 of those going to the Winterhawks. . . . Vancouver F Brett Breitkreuz left the game in the second period and didn’t return. . . . A note from Scott Sepich of The Oregonian: “Including Saturday's 9-6 loss, the Winterhawks have allowed 16 goals in the first two games of the series. That's the most goals the Winterhawks have allowed in consecutive playoff games since giving up 19 in Games 5 and 6 of the 1986 Western Division final against the
Kamloops Blazers — a stretch of 179 postseason games.”