
F Jeff Smith (Red Deer, 1998-2002) has signed for season with the Melbourne Ice (Australia, AIHL). The AIHL season starts April 12. Smith also will coach in the Melbourne Ice Academy. This season, with the Hull Stingrays (England, UK Elite), he had 15 points, five of them goals, in 57 games. He was the team captain.
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George Johnson, the Calgary Herald’s sports columnist, is one of the best-kept secrets in Canadian writing circles. He’s good . . . really good. Johnson was at Thursday’s game between the host Calgary Hitmen and Kootenay Ice. His column is right here. Enjoy!
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It seems that Bruno Campese, the general manager of the Prince Albert Raiders, didn’t go quietly into the night as his club was swept from the first round with a Game 4 loss to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday night. According to the WHL website, Campese has been fined $500 “for comments to WHL Supervisor.”
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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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The Kootenay Ice sold more than 500 tickets on Friday for their game tonight against the Calgary Hitmen in Cranbrook. The Ice, the Eastern Conference’s No. 6 seed, takes a 3-2 edge over the No. 3 Hitmen into tonight’s sixth game of the best-of-seven series. . . . The series is being televised by Shaw TV, and Games 3 and 4 in Cranbrook drew 1,992 and 2,102 fans, respectively. . . . “The people who are here are loud and passionate,” Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth said on Friday. “There’s no scoreboard that says ‘NOISE’ here.” . . . F Tim Bozon, who was released from hospital in Saskatoon on Friday after being there for a month with meningitis, is scheduled to be in the house and take part in a ceremonial faceoff. “With what our kids have gone through in the last month . . . it’s going to be a big lift to have Timmy here,” Chynoweth said. “It’ll be emotional.”
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According to a Friday night tweet from Darryl Wolski (@darrylwolski): “Vancouver Giants overage forward Cain Franson agrees to terms to finish the season with the Allen Americans.” . . . The Americans play in the Central league. Franson had 63 points, including 30 goals, in 66 with the Giants this season, his third in Vancouver. He improved his goal total in each of his seasons, going from 27 to 29 to 30.
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D Josh Morrissey of the Prince Albert Raiders is expected to join the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps for the end of their regular season and the playoffs. Morrissey was selected 13th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL’s 2013 draft. Morrissey, a Calgarian who turns 19 on March 28, ha3 73 points, including 28 goals, in 59 games this season. . . . He improved his offensive numbers (goals and assists) in each of his three seasons, going from 10-28 to 15-32 to 28-45.
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The junior B 100 Mile House, B.C., Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have hired Dale Hladun as their new general manager and head coach. . . . Hladun, who replaces Doug Rogers, has ample KIJHL experience as he also has coached the Princeton Posse and Fernie Ghostriders. He spent this season in Fernie. . . . The Wranglers are coming off their first season in the KIJHL. They qualified for the playoffs at 23-21-0-8, then beat the Chase Heat in a first-round series before being eliminated by the Kamloops Storm.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings, the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed, completed a sweep of the Regina Pats, who finished atop the East Division, thus earning the No. 2 seed, on Friday night. . . . That sets up a second-round series between the No. 1 Edmonton Oil Kings and the Wheat Kings. The last time these teams met, in the spring of 2012, the Oil Kings swept a conference semifinal series en route to winning the WHL championship. . . . The Eastern Conference’s other semifinal will feature the winners of the other two series. The No. 4 Medicine Hat Tigers and No. 4 Swift Current Broncos are 2-2 going into tonight’s game in The Hat, while the No. 6 Kootenay Ice are at home tonight with a 3-2 lead on the No. 3 Calgary Hitmen.
In the Western Conference, the Kelowna Rockets, who finished atop the overall standings in the regular season, advanced to the second round with a ?? victory over the visiting No. 8 Tri-City Americans last night. The Rockets will meet the winner of a series between the No. 4 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 5 Everett Silvertips in the second round. Seattle leads that series 3-1 after dropping a ?? decision in Everett last night. . . . The conference’s other second-round series will feature the No. 2 Portland Winterhawks against the No. 3 Victoria Royals, both of whom completed first-round sweeps on Thursday night. That series will open with games in Portland on Friday and April 5.
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
(Edmonton wins, 4-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.
Saturday: Prince Albert 3 at Edmonton 5 (6,534)
Sunday: Prince Albert 1 at Edmonton 3 (6,584)
Tuesday: Edmonton 4 at Prince Albert 3 (2,881)
Wednesday: Edmonton 6 at Prince Albert 2 (2,727)
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite; F Reid Petryk, day-to-day.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Brandon wins, 4-0)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.
Saturday: Brandon 6 at Regina 3 (6,200)
Sunday: Brandon 8 at Regina 4 (5,014)
Wednesday: Regina 4 at Brandon 5 (3,547)
Friday: Regina 1 at Brandon 5 (4,705)
INJURIES
Brandon: None.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 3-2)
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 7 at Kootenay 6 (OT) (1,992)
Tuesday: Calgary 4 at Kootenay 5 (2,102)
Thursday: Kootenay 6 at Calgary 5 (6,826)
Saturday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: 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 Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
(Series tied, 2-2)
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 1 at Swift Current 3 (2,840)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 2 at Swift Current 3 (OT) (2,890)
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: 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)
(Kelowna wins, 4-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Tri-City, 0-3-1.
Saturday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,827)
Sunday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,041)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 4 (2,010)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Tri-City 3 (2,189)
Friday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 4 (4,875)
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, day-to-day; D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
(Portland wins, 4-0)
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 6 at Vancouver 3 (5,680)
Wednesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 1 (5,142)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
(Victoria wins, 4-0)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.
Saturday: Spokane 1 at Victoria 2 (OT) (6,615)
Sunday: Spokane 3 at Victoria 4 (OT) (4,629)
Wednesday: Victoria 6 at Spokane 1 (3,412)
Thursday: Victoria 4 at Spokane 2 (3,711)
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
(Seattle leads, 3-1)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett 1 at Seattle 2 (4,650)
Sunday: Seattle 3 at Everett 1 (4,150)
Tuesday: Everett 3 at Seattle 4 (OT) (5,176)
Friday: Seattle 1 at Everett 6 (4,908)
Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday: 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; D Noah Juulsen, day-to-day; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
Dates to be announced.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 5: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Monday, April 7: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday, April 8: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Thursday, April 10: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday, April 12: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, April 14: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:



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From Brandon Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk (@JayceHawryluk): “Brandon regional hospital, first class service all the way. Thank you once again!”
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From Christian Laughland (@ChristianCKDM): “It will go down in history as the most anticipated game never to be played in Dauphin. Congrats @bdnwheatkings #WHL #Round2”
Had Brandon’s first-round series gone deep enough, Game 6 would have been played in Dauphin, Man., the home of radio station CKDM.
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