What if each game was worth three points? . . . Edmonds picks a school . . . Winterhawks in mourning

So . . . you’re Les Lazaruk, the long-time radio voice of the Saskatoon Blades.

Les Lazaruk, the voice of the Saskatoon Blades.

On Thursday, you climbed on the team’s bus and took a 900-kilometre ride to Cranbrook, B.C., where the Blades and Kootenay Ice will clash tonight (Friday).

Hey, Les, how did you handle this trip?

“I went to work on different standings formulas — current, baseball-style, just wins and losses, old-style hockey with ties, and new-style hockey with three points handed out in all games.”

And what did you discover?

“Not much changes.

“Straight wins and losses makes for MUCH different winning percentages than today.

“Old-style hockey shows how many games would end up tied, which I hate.

“And new-style with three points for every game means bigger gaps between teams for the most part.”

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Here’s a look at the standings by straight winning percentage, with the numbers in parentheses the points percentages that the WHL uses in its standings:

Central Division: 1. Medicine Hat, .707 (.716); 2. Lethbridge, .596 (.658); 3. Red Deer, .397 (.474); 4. Calgary, .357 (.446); 5. Edmonton, .351 (.386); 6. Kootenay, .211 (.298).

East Division: 1. Regina, .745 (.809); 2. Moose Jaw, .569 (.638); 3. Swift Current, .518 (.598); 4. Brandon, .474 (.544); 5. Saskatoon, .411 (.473); 6. Prince Albert, .259 (.302).

B.C. Division: 1. Prince George, .644 (.678); 2. Kelowna, .579 (.614); 3. Kamloops, .576 (.627); 4. Victoria, .534 (.569); 5. Vancouver, .310 (.353).

U.S. Division: 1. Seattle, .632 (.675); 2. Everett, .607 (.696); 3. Tri-City, .559 (.585); 4. Portland, .544 (.570); 5. Spokane, .421 (.500).

The order remains the same except in the B.C. Division, where Kelowna would move ahead of Kamloops,.579-.576, and in the U.S. Division, where Seattle would be ahead of Everett, .632-.607.

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Here’s a look at the standings if ties weren’t played out, meaning wins-losses-ties (no overtime, no shootouts, no loser points), with the numbers in parentheses the points each team has in today’s WHL standings:

Central Division: 1. Medicine Hat, 79 (83); 2. Lethbridge, 68 (75); 3. Red Deer, 49 (55); 4. Calgary, 41 (50); 5. Edmonton, 34 (44); 6. Kootenay, 31 (34).

East Division: 1. Regina, 83 (89); 2. Moose Jaw, 65 (74); 3. Swift Current, 60 (67); 4. Brandon, 53 (62); 5. Saskatoon, 47 (53); 6. Prince Albert, 30 (35).

B.C. Division: 1. Prince George, 75 (80); 2. Kamloops, 67 (74); 3. Kelowna, 65 (70); 4. Victoria, 63 (66); 5. Vancouver, 33 (41).

U.S. Division: 1. Everett, 74 (78); 2. Seattle, 66 (77); 3. Tri-City, 62 (69); 4. Portland, 58 (65); 5. Spokane, 52 (57).

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Here are the standings with each game worth three points — a regulation winner gets 3, loser gets 0; OT and SO wins get 2, with 1 to the loser:

Central Division: 1. Medicine Hat, 114 (83); 2. Lethbridge, 102 (75); 3. Red Deer, 72 (55); 4. Calgary, 60 (50); 5. Edmonton, 54 (44); 6. Kootenay, 43 (34).

East Division: 1. Regina, 124 (89); 2. Moose Jaw, 98 (74); 3. Swift Current, 89 (67); 4. Brandon, 80 (62); 5. Saskatoon, 70 (53); 6. Prince Albert, 45 (35).

B.C. Division: 1. Prince George, 111 (80); 2. Kamloops, 101 (74); 3. Kelowna, 98 (70); 4. Victoria, 94 (66); 5. Vancouver, 59 (41).

U.S. Division: 1. Everett, 108 (78); 2. Seattle, 107 (77); 3. Tri-City, 95 (69); 4. Portland, 89 (65); 5. Spokane, 76 (57).

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G Ty Edmonds, who now is playing for the Prince George Cougars, has committed to attend the U of Lethbridge and play for the Pronghorns next season. Edmonds, a 20-year-old from Winnipeg, is 26-13-3, 2.51, .914 with the Cougars this season. He has 95 career victories, giving him a share of the Prince George franchise record with Scott Myers 1996-2000). . . . The Pronghorns, who didn’t make the playoffs this season, are looking at a goaltending tandem of Edmonds and Garret Hughson, 21, who just completed his freshman season. Hughson, 21, played three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs before losing out in the 20-year-old game last season and moving on to the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. 

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Not enough characters to describe him, here's his obit: https://t.co/k5lOl3Mpj9

— Todd Vrooman (@ToddVrooman) February 17, 2017

The Portland Winterhawks family — indeed, the entire Portland sporting community — is mourning the death of John Kirby. He died on Monday at the age of 63. Kirby was a veteran of the Winterhawks’ broadcast team and was really popular with co-workers.

Shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of John Kirby, a man I knew my whole life and who was on Winterhawks Radio for 30+ years pic.twitter.com/uRUb8SA4bE

— Todd Vrooman (@ToddVrooman) February 17, 2017

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Glen Gulutzan's homage to Flames coaches past outside his office: Bob Johnson, Terry Crisp, Al MacNeil & Dave King. pic.twitter.com/7YgInzy5rh

— George Johnson (@GeorgejohnsonCH) February 16, 2017

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Edmonton at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Saskatoon vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Victoria at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Portland, 7 p.m.

Everett at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Seattle vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Kamloops vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

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