A number of the signed banners and photos that were sent to Tim Bozon at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon are adorning walls there. Helene Bozon, Tim’s mother, tweeted the above photos on Thursday. They are from the Edmonton Oil Kings (top), Kamloops Blazers (middle) and Moose Jaw Warriors.
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A trust fund has been established to assist the Bozon family with medical- and rehabilitation-related costs that they face because of Tim’s battle with meningitis.
You are able to make a donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch in Western Canada.
Should you live outside of that area, 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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The WHL may be coming to Dauphin, Man. Should the first-round series between the Regina Pats and Brandon Wheat Kings get to a Game 6, it would be played in Dauphin’s Credit Union Place on March 31, 7:30 p.m. . . . Brandon’s usual home arena, Westman Communications Group Place, will be occupied by the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair from March 31 through April 5. . . . The arena in Dauphin, which opened on April 7, 2006, is home to the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. It has 1,763 seats and room for 752 standees. . . . Three players on Brandon’s roster grew up in that area of Manitoba. D Ryan Pulock is from Grandview, while F Jayce Hawryluk and D Rene Hunter are from Roblin. . . .
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The WHL announced its all-star teams and some of its award winners. A complete list is available right here.
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The WHL has updated its bantam draft lottery coverage to include a look at the first two rounds that points out selections that have been traded. . . . You will find that right here.
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The Vancouver Giants may not have freshman F Ty Ronning available for Game 1 of their first-round series with the Portland Winterhawks. Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province tweeted Thursday morning that Ronning was ill and not at practice. “Doubtful for Game 1 in Portland,” Ewen reported. . . . Game 1 is scheduled for tonight in Portland.
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The Kelowna Rockets expect to have F Tyson Baillie in their lineup Saturday when the open a first-round series against the visiting Tri-City Americans. Baillie hasn’t played since Feb. 10 when he suffered a leg injury. Baillie, who put up 55 points in 56 games, returned to full-contact practice this week.
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The immediate future of the remaining members of the Saskatoon Blades’ coaching staff could be decided today as majority owner Mike Priestner is to meet with head coach Dave Struch. Struch just completed his first season as head coach, with the franchise undergoing an ownership change in mid-stream. . . . Goaltending coach Tim Cheveldae has told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he will join the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers if the Blades don’t have him back. . . . There’s more on that story right here.
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WHL commissioner Ron Robison was in Kelowna on Thursday to attend a pre-playoff news conference. Later in the day, Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, tweeted: “Had good talk with WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. Biggest take away from interview was league seriously looking at reducing number of games.”
Each of the WHL’s 22 teams plays 72 regular-season games; in the 20-team OHL and 18-team QMJHL, they play 68-game schedules.
Bartel also tweeted: “Belief is owners will lose revenue, but attendance per game may actually go up. When Kelowna plays PG 3 straight times, fans lose interest.”
It seems that reducing the number of games in the regular-season schedule has been discussed but, as one owner put it last night, “not seriously this time yet.”
The owner also said reducing the schedule was “looked at a few years ago. There wasn’t the support (then), don’t think there is at this time, either.”
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Calgary, F Sam Reinhart scored two goals and set up another and F Zach Franko had two goals as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Hitmen, 5-2. . . . The Ice was 3-for-7 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-for-1. . . . F Greg Chase of the Hitmen scored the game’s first goal, at 4:06 of the first period. . . . The Ice scored the game’s next four goals. . . . Reinhart tied it at 10:28 of the first, on the PP. . . . F Luke Philp, on another PP, gave the Ice its first lead at 4:52 of the second and Franko upped the lead to 3-1 at 17:01. . . . Reinhart gave his guys a 4-1 lead at 8:31 of the third and Franko added his second of the game, on a PP, at 16:17. . . . . F Brady Brassart had Calgary’s other goal, a shorthanded effort at 19:00 of the third. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 27 shots, two fewer than Calgary G Chris Driedger. . . . In seven regular-season games against the Hitmen, Reinhart had 17 points, including 14 assists. . . . The Hitmen went into the game having won their last four games, while the Ice had lost four in a row. . . . Calgary F Radel Fazleev returned to the lineup after being out since Jan. 2. He missed 34 games. . . . Calgary F Linden Penner was ejected with a cross-checking major at 16:49 of the third period after his stick came into contact with the face of Ice F Zach McPhee. McPhee left and didn’t return. . . . The Ice played a lot of the game with only four defencemen. Already without the injured Tanner Faith and Landon Cross, the Ice lost Tyler King at 5:12 of the first period after he was checked by Calgary F Brady Brassart, who was given a boarding minor. . . . Ice D Landon Peel, who hasn’t played since March 8, was dressed but saw limited, if any, playing time. That left Kootenay with Troy Murray, Jordan Steenbergen, Jagger Dirk and Rinat Valiev to eat up the minutes. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau was awarded a penalty shot at 15:06 of the second period with his side up 2-1. He went forehand, backhand, forehand and was beaten by Driedger’s left toe. . . . According to Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, this was the first playoff penalty shot in franchise history. This was playoff game No. 152.
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.
Saturday: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 1:30 p.m.
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, March 29: 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 at Regina, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Regina at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 28: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Regina vs. Brandon, site TBA, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: None.
Regina: D Kyle Burroughs, day-to-day; D Tye Hand, indefinite; G Daniel Wapple, indefinite; D Colby Williams, day-to-day; F Dyson Stevenson, day-to-day.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 1-0)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.
Thursday: Kootenay 5 at Calgary 2 (6,649)
Saturday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Monday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Thursday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: 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, 1 week; 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 at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: 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 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 at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
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, March 28: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: 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: F Tyson Baillie, day-to-day; D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Phil Tot, day-to-day; 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 at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, March 28: 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: F Adam de Champlain, day-to-day.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; G Jared Rathjen, day-to-day; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite; F Cain Franson, day-to-day; 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 at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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, March 29: 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: F Jacob Cardiff, day-to-day; 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 at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Seattle at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, March 28: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: 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.
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From Helene Barbier Bozon (@HeleneBozon), Tim Bozon’s mother: “Thank you all the @TheWHL @WHLFacts teams for sending amazing banners to decorate @timbozon94 bedroom. Big support,thankful hockey family.”
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From F Jake Doty (@dotes_28) of the Medicine Hat Tigers: “Great news hearing @timbozon94 is awake, moving and out of the icu. #keepfighting”
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From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “Liked @TCAmericans GM Bob Tory's comment. ‘Make no mistakes this is David vs. Goliath. We are looking for 20 sling shots.’ ”
The Americans are in Kelowna to open a first-round series on Saturday.
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