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Kévin Bozon's medal. |
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From Tim Bozon (@timbozon94): “@kevboz12 congrats to my bro on his silver medal! #proudbrother”
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From the Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds): “Big thanks to fans that did 50/50 raffle at Game 1. T-Birds Foundation able to donate $3,391.50 to Tim Bozon Trust. Way to go!”
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A trust fund has been established to assist the Bozon family with medical- and rehabilitation-related costs with which they now are faced.
You are able to make a donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch in Western Canada.
Should you live outside of that area and want to donate, please mail donations to:
Western Hockey League
c/o Tim Bozon
Father David Bauer Arena
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary AB
T2N 3Y9
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If there is any doubt in your mind about whether the Vancouver Giants will bid to play host to the 2016 Memorial Cup

Ron Toigo, the Giants’ majority owner, told Greg Douglas, who writes a Saturday column for the Vancouver Sun, that his team is all-in for 2016.
Which is just one of the reasons why Toigo really wants his Giants to be competitive in their first-round series with the Portland Winterhawks.
“In order to get the required 11 votes from the league governors to land a Memorial Cup date, ” Toigo told Douglas on Friday, “we have to convince them that as the host team we’ll be competitive enough to be considered a threat to win it. We’ve been building our roster of young talent through the draft these past couple of years with an eye set on 2016.”
The WHL’s board of governors is expected to hears expressions of interest in October.
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This wasn’t a good week for the WHL office.
First, the Edmonton Oil Kings scratched a handful of key players for a Sunday game with the visiting Red Deer Rebels. Without those players, and playing in front of more than 14,000 fans on Fan Appreciation Night, the Oil Kings were beaten,

Then, the Regina Pats, who play second fiddle to the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, so need all the media help they can get, closed an early-week practice as they prepared to open a playoff series with the Brandon Wheat Kings. (WHL commissioner Ron Robison told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post on Saturday night that the Pats have been fined an undisclosed amount. Too bad some of these disciplinary measures don’t show up on the discipline section of the WHL website.)
And, finally, the WHL announced Friday that if Game 1 between the Raiders and host Oil Kings needed to go past one OT period, it would be decided in a shootout because of building availability issues brought on by the NHL game that was to be played there Saturday night.
The Oil Kings saved the WHL from further embarrassment when they won the game, 5-3.
Earlier in the day Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice), the radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings, tweeted a few suggestions the WHL could consider in lieu of a shootout “when building availability an issue.”
Here they are:
1) Winnipeg minor hockey rule, game replayed entirely if tied after one OT;
2) Two 15-minutes periods of straight time, followed by 20-minutes of stop time;
3) Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, spock;
4) HR derby;
5) Team captains throw pucks from bench toward centre-ice dot curling style. Closest wins!;
6) 3-on-3 half-ice scrimmage;
7) Battle of Hockey Enforcers;
8) Alphabetically;
9) Hardest Shot; and
10) HC's in Sumo suits at centre ice. First takedown wins!!
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Meanwhile, Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff), a former radio voice of the Kamloops Blazers who now works for Team 1040 radio in Vancouver, tweeted: “Have never openly pulled for a shootout. But am today. #WHL playoffs.”
After the game, Paterson followed with: “5-3 final. League dodged big ol' bullet. Would have been a few suits squirming had it gone to O/T.”
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Bruce Luebke, in Regina to call the play of Game 1 between the Pats and the Brandon Wheat Kings, wasn’t impressed with home team early last night.
His tweets:
“The Pats, in their infinite wisdom, have decided not to post scratches and starting lineups until after pre-game warmup tonight.”
“As I understand it, this is another violation of the WHL's policies. I wonder if they'll get a free pass on this one as well.”
“1st time in 21 years of broadcasting WHL games (regular season, playoffs, League Final, Memorial Cup) I can remember this happened.”
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:








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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
(Graphics by Taking Note Graphics Department)
EASTERN CONFERENCE

Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.Saturday: Prince Albert 3 at Edmonton 5 (6,534)
Sunday: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite.
Prince Albert: D Graeme Craig, indefinite.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.Saturday: Brandon 6 at Regina 3 (6,200)
Sunday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Regina at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Friday: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Regina vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: G Kord Pankewicz, day-to-day.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite; G Daniel Wapple, day-to-day; F Dyson Stevenson, day-to-day.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.Thursday: Kootenay 5 at Calgary 2 (6,649)
Saturday: Kootenay 0 at Calgary 5 (9,019)
Monday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Calgary: F Cal Babych, day-to-day; F Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, day-to-day; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 2-2-0; Swift Current, 2-2-0.Friday: Swift Current 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,512)
Saturday: Swift Current 2 at Medicine Hat 4 (3743)
Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, indefinite; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Steve Owre, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE

KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Regina, 0-3-1.Saturday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,827)
Sunday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
Season series: Portland, 4-0-0; Vancouver, 0-3-1.Friday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 4 (9,756)
Saturday: Vancouver 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Tuesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Portland at Vancouver, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite; F Ty Ronning, day-to-day.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.Saturday: Spokane 1 at Victoria 2 (OT) (6,615)
Sunday: Spokane at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, March 30: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
Spokane: D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett 1 at Seattle 2 (4,650)
Sunday: Seattle at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite.
Everett: F Kohl Baum, indefinite; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
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From Jeff Hollick (@JHollick_ICE), the radio voice of the Kootenay Ice, before Saturday’s game in Calgary: “Already has been a great day for the ICE as all the players & coaches had a chance to Face Time with Tim Bozon this morning.”
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