Daily News Sports Editor
For what is believed to be the first time in franchise history, the Kamloops Blazers claimed both CHL player-of-the-week awards on Wednesday.
Left-winger Brendan Ranford was named the player of the week, while Jeff Bosch took goaltender-of-the-week honours.
Ranford had back-to-back three-point games as the Blazers won both their games last week. He had two goals and an assist in a 4-0 home-ice victory over the Kelowna Rockets and followed that up with a goal and two helpers in a 3-1 victory over the visitingEverett Silvertips.Ranford, 18, is in his third WHL season. He leads the WHL in goals, with 20, and is tied for third in points, with 33.
Ranford was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the seventh round of the NHL’s 2010 draft.
Meanwhile, Bosch was 2-0-0 with a 0.50 GAA and a .984 save percentage as he went the distance in both games. He stopped 23 shots against Kelowna, record his second shutout of the season, then made 38 saves in beating Everett.
Bosch, 20, is in his fourth WHL season. He was acquired earlier this season from the Moose Jaw Warriors for a sixth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft.
The last Kamloops player to be a CHL player or goaltender of the week was Justin Leclerc. He was named goaltender of the week on Nov. 20, 2007, after going 2-0-0, 0-.96, .961.
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The Blazers will lose two players off their roster to Team West, which will play in the U-17 World Hockey Challenge, right after the Christmas break.
D Brady Gaudet, who is from Redvers, Sask., and F Logan McVeigh, from Kenaston, Sask., are to play for Team West in the tournament that opens Dec. 29 and ends Jan. 4. It will be played in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Man.
The Blazers didn’t have anyone selected to Team Pacific, which represents Alberta and B.C.
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There weren’t any Blazers on NHL Central Scoutings early-season rankings that were released earlier this week.
However, G John Keeney, who is on the Blazers’ list and plays for the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, showed up on one list. He is ranked eighth among USHL goaltenders.
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JUST NOTES: The Blazers had hoped to have D Josh Caron back in their lineup this weekend, but now are thinking he won’t be ready until early in December. Caron suffered a broken collarbone on Sept. 25, in the second game of the regular season. . . . The Blazers will play the Silvertips in Everett on Friday and the Winterhawks in Portland on Saturday. They return home to face the Regina Pats on Tuesday. . . . The Vancouver Giants have added F Richard Vanderhoek, 19, to their roster. Vanderhoek, who had 43 points in 25 games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles, was a sixth-round pick by the Blazers in the 2006 bantam draft. He has joined the Giants and is expected to play Friday against the visiting Regina Pats. He was pointless, with two penalty minutes, in four games with the Blazers in 2007-08. . . . The AHL’s Houston Aeros have signed former Blazers D Bryce Lampman, 28, to a tryout. A fourth-round pick of the New York Rangers in the NHL’s 2001 draft, Lampman played with the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen last season, totaling 20 points in 57 games.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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