finished playing for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia, early in January. . . . Bertaggia, 19, had 34 points, including 16 goals, in 29 games this season. . . . EV Zug announced the signing on its website yesterday. . . . Bertaggia likely wouldn’t have returned to the WHL next season because he would be a 20-year-old import – aka a two-spotter. “That‘s been my expectation all along,”?Brandon owner and general manager Kelly McCrimmon told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. “… I think with European players, (in) the 20-year-old season it’s not real common that they play major junior, so it’s not a total shock for us.”———
After six games last night, the WHL now goes dark until Dec. 27 when it returns to action with games in Edmonton (Red Deer), Kelowna (Kamloops) and Regina (Moose Jaw).
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, F Adam Lowry scored twice as the Broncos dumped the Saskatoon Blades, 3-1. . . . Lowry, who has 23 goals, ran his point streak to 12 games and his goal streak to seven as the Broncos snapped the Blades’ six-game winning streak. . . . Saskatoon F Matej Stransky had his goal-scoring streak end at seven games, while F Josh Nicholls’ point steak ended at seven games. . . . Saskatoon G Alex Moodie had a four-game winning streak halted. . . .
In Calgary, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Hitmen 4-1 to win the latest episode in the Battle of Alberta. . . . Trailing 1-0 after one, the Oil Kings scored three times in the second period. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson scored twice, both shorthanded, for the Oil Kings, giving him 18 on the season. He also drew an assist. . . . Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald reports that it was the sixth time in franchise history the Hitmen have been burned for two shorties in the same game. . . . Edmonton’s other goals, from D Cody Corbett and F Curtis Lazar, both came via the PP. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 15 shots. He faced just one shot in the third period. . . . The Oil Kings, who have won five in a row, moved past Calgary into first place in the Eastern Conference. Edmonton (23-7-5) has 51 points, one more than Calgary (23-8-4). . . . From your department of poor scheduling: These two teams won’t meet again in this regular season. Seriously! . . . The Hitmen won the first four games in the series, then dropped the last two. . . .
In Lethbridge, F Morgan Klimchuk scored with 32 seconds left in the third period to give the Regina Pats a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . F Craig Leverton had pulled Lethbridge into a 2-2 tie at 16:01. . . . Klimchuk’s 17th of the season won it just 3:18 later. . . . F Jaimen Yakubowski scored his 21st of the season, just 19 seconds into the game. . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl had two assists. . . .
In Red Deer, F Rhyse Dieno had a goal and an assist to lead the Rebels to a 5-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Rebels scored five times in the first period. . . . Dieno has 15 points, including seven goals, in 14 games since joining the Rebels from the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. He also is plus-8. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot stopped 27 shots. He was backed up by Grant Naherniak, a 16-year-old from Moose Jaw who was a fifth-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He plays for the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. Patrik Bartosak, Red Deer’s No. 1 goaltender, is with the Czech national junior team, while Spencer Tremblay, who was going to play alongside Pouliot, is out with a knee injury. . . . Red Deer freshman F Jesse Miller, who had been out since Nov. 18 with a concussion, returned with two assists, his first points this season. . . . Ice D Jordan Steenbergen, a third-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft, made his WHL debut. Steenbergen, 16, is from Sylvan Lake, Atla. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Ryan Chynoweth’s first goal of the season broke a 1-1 tie and the Tri-City Americans went on to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent. . . . Chynoweth, 17, was acquired from the Everett Silvertips early in the season. It was his first goal in 18 games with Tri-City and his third in 89 regular-season games. . . . F Beau McCue scored twice for Tri-City. He’s got 11. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser added two assists, giving him 288 career regular-season points. That has him in seventh place on the franchise’s all-time list. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 29 shots. . . . Seattle has lost five in a row. . . . The victory was Tri-City’s 20th of the season, marking the fifth time in six seasons it has gotten there by Christmas. . . .
In Spokane, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to six games with a 4-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . F Adam (Samuel) de Champlain broke a 3-3 tie at 10:40 of the third. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 37 shots. . . . Portland (29-5-1) leads the WHL’s overall standings by five points over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . F Nic Petan scored twice for Portland, giving him 24, and now is second in the WHL scoring race, with 60 points, just two behind Kamloops F Colin Smith. . . . Last season, in 61 games, Petan put up 35 points, including 14 goals. . . . Portland has won 25 of its last 27 games.———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Griffin Mumby, Regina
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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From former WHLer Benn Olson (@BennyOlson), who now plays for the Coventry Blaze in Great Britain’s Elite League: “30p to use the toilet at Euston station. What will I have to pay for next. I think I got my money's worth.”
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From Swift Current fan Robert Thomas (@Rhino_Bob): “Wife caught me wearing my new @SCBroncos t-shirt I bought, she doesn't know anything about hockey but she did say it was top notch quality”
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From Portland F Chase De Leo (@Dels9): “Xmmmmaaaaassssssss!!!! Wheeeuuu #Home #Cali #Christmas”
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