F Lauris Darzins (Kelowna, 2004-06) was released by mutual agreement by Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL). He had three goals and three assists in 19 games. . . .
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has signed with the Fife Flyers (England, UK Elite). This season, he has played with three teams — he had seven points, including two goals, in 10 games with the Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asia HL); he was pointless in one game with the Bakersfield Condors; and he had two goals in nine games with the Reading Royals (ECHL).———
“Former baseball star and Jacksonville native Ryan Freel was suffering from a degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy when he committed suicide last year,” reports Justin Barney of the Florida Times-Union, “his family announced Sunday at a private mass remembering the Englewood graduate.” . . . Barney’s story is right here.
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SUNDAY:
In Calgary, D Kenton Helgesen had a goal and two assists to lead the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Helgesen, who has been playing as a forward for a few weeks, was back on defence with Jaynen Rissling out with an undisclosed injury. . . . Calgary is 8-0-1 in its last nine games, while the Broncos have lost four in a row. . . . Calgary D Travis Sanheim, a 17-year-old from Elkhorn, Man., scored his first WHL goal in his 28th game of this season. . . . Calgary F Calder Brooks had two assists. He’s got six points over his last three games. . . . Calgary has won all four games with the Broncos this season. . . . The Hitmen stayed even with the Edmonton Oil Kings atop the Eastern Conference, each with 47 points. . . . 
In Moose Jaw, F Brayden Point had two goals and an assist to help the Warriors to a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Point has 13 goals. . . . The Warriors, who had lost seven in a row, led 3-0 in the second period. . . . The Blazers had a three-game winning streak ended. . . . D Ryan Rehill drew two assists for the Blazers. . . . Moose Jaw is 2-6-2 in its last 10 and is 12 points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Blazers are 3-2-0 on an East Division swing that ends Tuesday in Swift Current. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story right here.
In Lethbridge, the Victoria Royals scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 6-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . D Brett Cote and D Chaz Redekopp each had two assists for the Royals. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 30 shots, losing his shutut bid at 7:20 of the second when F Tyler Wong got his 14th goal on a PP. . . . Victoria D Ryan Gagnon scored his first goal of the season on a first period PP. It also was the first goal of the sophomore’s career; he has played 85 regular-season games. . . . The Hurricanes have lost four straight. . . . Victoria, with points in three straight (2-0-1), is tied with the Everett Silvertips for third in the Western Conference. . . . 
In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry turned aside 27 shots as the Oil Kings dropped the Saskatoon Blades, 4-0. . . . Jarry has four shutouts this season and 10 in his career. . . . The Oil Kings held a 21-2 edge in shots in the first period. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci opened the scoring with his first goal of the season at 2:11 of the first period. It came in his 30th game this season. . . . Bertolucci also had an assist. . . . D Chance Patterson, 16, and F Davis Koch, 15, both made their WHL debut with the Oil Kings. Patterson was taken in the fifth round of the 2012 bantam draft; Koch was a second-round selection in 2013. . . . The Oil Kings have won nine in a row and are atop the Eastern Conference, tied with the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Blades have lost 10 straight. . . . 
In Everett, G Eric Williams kicked out 29 shots to spark the Spokane Chiefs to a 2-0 victory over the Silvertips. . . . He’s got two shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . Spokane D Tyler King got the game’s opening goal, his first in 35 games this season, at 9:22 of the first period. . . . This was Everett’s fourth straight loss. . . . Spokane has won three straight and is tied with the Seattle Thunderbirds for fifth in the Western Conference, just two points behind Everett and Victoria. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, D Tommy Vannelli scored the only goal of the shootout as the Tigers beat the Regina Pats, 4-3. . . . Regina held 2-0 and 3-2 leads in this one. . . . F Trevor Cox forced OT with his 10th goal at 1:30 of the third. . . . Regina got its first two goals from F Austin Wagner and F Dane Schioler, both of whom scored their first WHL goals. . . . Wagner, a 16-year-old from Calgary, was playing in his 21st game this season; Schioler, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, was playing in his second game. . . . Regina G Nick Schneider stopped 39 shots through OT, 13 more than Medicine Hat’s Daniel Wapple. . . . The Tigers have won their last two to stay within two points of Edmonton and Calgary. . . . Regina has points in six straight (3-0-3) and is fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Tigers. . . . Prior to the game, Dave Dawson of Shaw TV Sports tweeted: “Defenceman Spenser Jensen has reportedly left the @tigershockey to pursue schooling. #whl” . . . Jensen, an 18-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., had three assists in 28 games. He was in his third season with the Tigers.. . . 
In Prince Albert, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Raiders, 5-3. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley tied the score 3-3, with his ninth goal at 2:17 of the third. . . . Rockets F Tyson Baillie gave his side its first lead with his 14th goal at 9:44. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 28 shots. He faced two penalty shots, with F Tim Vanstone unable to score in the first period and F Shane Danyluk coming up empty in the second. . . . Kelowna has won 11 in a row (20 of its last 21) and is 5-0-0 on its East Division swing. The Rockets wrap up the trip on Tuesday in Saskatoon. . . . The Rockets also tied a franchise record with their 12th straight road victory. Gord McGarva, the analyst on Rockets' broadcasts, reports that the 2003-04 team also won 12 in a row on the road. . . . The Raiders now have lost six in a row. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot, two points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Dave Leaderhouse of the Prince Albert Daily Herald has a game story right here.
In Vancouver, G Ty Edmonds turned aside 41 shots to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. . . . F Carter Popoff opened the scoring for Vancouver, getting his 10th goal at 7:02 of the first. . . . F Jordan Tkatch pulled the Cougars even, with his ninth goal, at 3:38 of the second. F Zach Pochiro, with his 11th, gave the visitors the lead just 25 seconds later. . . . Vancouver lost D Dalton Thrower to a headshot major and game misconduct 48 seconds into the third. . . . F Tyler Benson, the first pick in the 2013 bantam draft, played his second game of the season with the Giants. . . . The Cougars closed to within four points of the Tri-City Americans, who hold down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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