Showing posts with label Aaron Hyman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron Hyman. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Blazers, Pats swing deal . . . Thunderbirds making changes . . . Cougars add coach

F Aki Kangasmäki (Chilliwack, 2006-07) has been loaned by KeuPa HT Keuruu (Finland, Mestis) to Lukko Rauma (Finland, Liiga). He started the season with Hokki Kajaani (Finland, Mestis), scoring three goals and adding three assists in nine games, before signing with KeuPa on Nov. 24. He had eight goals and seven assists in 12 games there. . . .
D Shaone Morrisonn (Kamloops, 1999-2002) has been traded by Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL) to Admiral Vladivostok (Russia, KHL) for cash compensation. Morrisonn had two goals and four assists in 33 games with Medveščak. The deal was completed on Christmas Day, which was the trade deadline in the KHL this season.
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The Kamloops Blazers had an extra defenceman and badly needed to add a veteran centre. The Regina Pats had extra forwards and wanted another defenceman. So the Blazers dealt D Dawson Davidson, 18, to the Pats for F Luc Smith, 18.
The trade was announced on Tuesday morning, although Davidson was told about it on Christmas night.
The Blazers will be without F Matt Revel, 20, for perhaps two months after he suffered an undisclosed injury during a game against the host Edmonton Oil Kings on Dec. 10. Revel, a veteran centre, was a key part of the Blazers, who are hoping that Smith is able to at least help make up for the absence.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Smith has six goals and five assists in 29 games with the Pats this season. In 154 career games, all with Regina, the native of Stony Plain, Alta., has 12 goals and 14 assists.
DAWSON DAVIDSON
Davidson, from Moosomin, Sask., is a puck-moving defenceman who should fit in well with the Pats’ high-powered offence. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder has three goals and 12 assists in 32 games this season. In 124 regular-season games, he had 12 goals and 51 assists. Last season, he finished with six goals and 33 assists in 59 games.
LUC SMITH
Davidson told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post that he is excited about joining a contender — the Pats went into last night at 22-3-6 — and a team that is in the running to be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup tournament.
“That’s why coming here is so special,” Davidson told Harder. “The Pats are very dangerous this year and, next year, if we can get the Memorial Cup that would be awesome. It’s an unbelievable opportunity.”
Interestingly, Davidson and Smith were both third-round selections in the 2013 bantam draft; in fact, they were taken two picks apart.
The Pats added Davidson almost a month after getting D Jonathan Smart, 17, from the Kelowna Rockets. Smart went into last night’s game with seven assists in eight games with Regina.
Kamloops also has brought in F Brodi Stuart from the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He has nine goals and 11 assists in 19 games with the Thunderbirds. He was pointless in two earlier games with the Blazers this season.
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The Spokane Chiefs have add F Alex Mowbray, 20, to their rsoter. Mowbray, who is from Calgary, had been playing with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, In 32 games, he had 10 goals and 10 assists. . . . Mowbray had played the previous three season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, putting up 22 goals and 20 assists in 177 games. Medicine Hat selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 bantam draft. . . . He joins G Jayden Sittler and F Keanu Yamamoto as Spokane’s three 20-year-olds.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have acquired D Aaron Hyman, 18, from the Calgary Hitmen for a third-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Hyman has a goal and seven assists in 28
AARON HYMAN
games this season. In 74 career regular-season games, he has two goals and 10 assists. The Thunderbirds, who lost a lot of size from their back end after last season with the departures of Jared Hauf and Jerret Smith, wanted to add some size and they have done that. . . . Calgary had been carrying nine defencemen, so something had to give. . . . The Hitmen selected Hyman in the third-round of the 2013 WHL bantam draft, using a pick acquired from Seattle for G Brandon Glover in 2012.
Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds have dropped D Bryan Allbee, 19, and F Layne Bensmiller, 19, from their roster, and are looking to trade D Brandon Schuldaus, who has asked out.
Allbee, from Prince George, was being used both on defence and as a fourth-line forward. This season, he had three assists in 33 games. In 146 career games, the first 88 with the Kootenay Ice, he had 11 goals and 28 assists. Seattle acquired Allbee from Kootenay on Jan. 4 for a fifth-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft.
“Allbee wants to play more and knows he won’t in our league so he is going to play in (junior A),” Seattle general manager Russ Farwell told Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle.
Bensmiller, from Red Deer, was limited to seven games by an undisclosed injury. In 119 career games, he has 18 goals and 24 assists. He also has played with the Hitmen and Prince Albert Raiders. Seattle acquired Bensmiller and a conditional seventh-round 2017 draft pick from Prince Albert on Sept. 15, with F Nic Holowko going the other way.
Schuldaus, a fifth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, has two goals and three assists in 33 games this season. Last season, as a freshman, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Calgary native had two goals and four assists in 57 games.
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The Victoria Royals have signed G Riley Mathieson, 19, to a WHL contract. Mathieson is playing for the junior B Saanich Braves of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League and will remain there. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Mathieson, who is from Port Hardy, B.C., will join the Royals, according to general manager Cam Hope, “on an as-needed basis.” . . . With the Braves, who are 21-9-1, Mathieson is 3.25, .902.
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Coaching
The Prince George Cougars have added Shawn Chambers, a two-time Stanley Cup winner as a player, to their staff as an assistant coach. A defenceman, Chambers played 625 regular-season and 94 playoff games in the NHL over 13 seasons. He won Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils (1995) and Dallas Stars (1999). He and Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk were teammates in Dallas. . . . In Prince George, Chambers, a native of Sterling Heights, Mich., will work alongside Matvichuk and assistant coach Steve O’Rourke. . . . Chambers played 28 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 1986-87, after leaving the U of Alaska-Fairbanks. . . . He retired after playing four games with Dallas in 1999-2000.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:12 PM
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Sunday, September 25, 2016

What to read into openers? Not much . . . Silvertips add a veteran import . . . Child blanks Blades . . . Winterhawks on fire




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Two days after the third anniversary of her kidney transplant, Dorothy took part in the Kamloops Kidney Walk for a third time on Sunday.
Dorothy with friends who walked with her on Sunday: Mark
Hunter, Sue and Ron Burt, Tanya Hunter, and Jenn Ruemper,
with Logan and Brooklyn. Dorothy is holding Charlie Hunter
and his brother, Max, is in the stroller.
This one really was special as Dorothy and her friend, Margaret Thompson, were co-honourees. As such, they got to address the crowd before the Walk began. They also were presented with plaques by the Kamloops chapter of the Kidney Foundation of Canada (B.C. and Yukon Branch) in recognition of their “commitment to supporting others dealing with kidney disease and transplantation.” Both women have been instrumental in getting the Kamloops Kidney Support Group off the ground.
Now here’s where you come in . . . 
Organizers also presented Dorothy with a certificate recognizing her as the top fund-raiser in Kamloops. Thanks to all of you — family, friends and all of our friends in the hockey crowd — she raised $2,486, pushing her three-walk total to almost $8,000.
Thank you all so much for being with us over the past three years. Your support really means a lot.
Since Sept. 23, 2013, I can’t tell you how many hockey games I have been at during which someone has approached me and asked about Dorothy. I come home and tell her that (insert name here) asked about her and her face absolutely lights up. It means a lot to know that people care.
Again, thanks so much.
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Whatever you do, don’t read a whole lot into the first bunch of games in the WHL’s regular season.
At a guess, the WHL’s 22 teams played through the first weekend with as many as 80 of their best players in NHL camps.
The Kelowna Rockets, for example, had six players away as they played a home-and-home series with the Kamloops Blazers, who were missing three players. The Blazers won at home, 9-2, on Friday; the Rockets went home and won, 5-1, on Saturday.
Chatting about it after Friday’s game, Kamloops head coach Don Hay looked ahead to the next time, after opening weekend, the Rockets and Blazers will meet, which will be Nov. 1 in Kelowna.
“I think there are going to be a lot of changes. Both teams will look a whole lot different,” Hay said with a chuckle.
That is pretty much the story across the league.
The Calgary Hitmen, with seven players away, had 10 freshmen in their lineup, six of them playing their first WHL game, when they played host to the Kootenay Ice on Friday.
The Prince George Cougars, with six players away, swept a doubleheader from the Royals in Victoria. The Royals were without five skaters who likely will return sometime in the next few days.
“I’m not going to lose too much sleep because of starting 0-2,” Victoria head coach Dave Lowry said to Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist. “If we’re 0-15, give me a call.”
The Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders split two games. Each team was missing five top-end players.
Perhaps the most interesting development came prior to a home-and-home series between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Red Deer Rebels.
The Oil Kings had two players — D Aaron Irving and F Lane Bauer — in camp with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who happen to own that city’s WHL franchise.
The Oilers returned both players in time for them to play in Red Deer on Friday. Irving scored 26 seconds into OT — Bauer had the secondary assist — to give Edmonton a 3-2 victory.
One night later, before 18,102 fans at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Bauer’s shootout goal gave the Oil Kings a 4-3 victory. In regulation time, Bauer had a goal and an assist, while Irving drew two assists.
The Rebels, meanwhile, were without five of their top players, none of whom are in camp with the Oilers.
Of course, that begs the question: Would the Oilers have returned Red Deer players to the Rebels in time for the opening weekend had there been any in their camp?
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There was news late Sunday of at least five WHLers on their way back from NHL camps.
F Hudson Elynuik, who will turn 19 on Dec. 10, will be rejoining the Spokane Chiefs after being with the Carolina Hurricanes, who selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . The Calgary Flames returned four players to their WHL teams. . . . F Brayden Burke, 19, is returning to the Lethbridge Hurricanes after being with the Flames as a free-agent invitee. . . . D Aaron Hyman, 18, is rejoining the Calgary Hitmen after being with the Flames on a free-agent basis. . . . F Matt Phillips is headed back to the Victoria Royals. Phillips, 18, was a sixth-round pick by the Flames in 2016. . . . G Nick Schneider, 19, who signed with the Flames a year ago, has been returned to the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Even later on Sunday came word that the Detroit Red Wings had returned three free-agent skaters to WHL teams. . . . F Luke Coleman, 18, is on his way back to the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .  D Dylan Doghlan, 18, has been returned to the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Jeff de Wit, 18, will be rejoining the Red Deer Rebels.
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The Everett Silvertips have acquired Austrian F Dominic Zwerger, 20, from the Spokane Chiefs for a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. . . . Zwerger played in 189 regular-season
DOMINIC ZWERGER
games with the Chiefs, putting up 60 goals and 59 assists. He led the Chiefs with 27 goals last season. . . . However, Zwerger is a two-spotter — a 20-year-old import. Moving him out allows the Chiefs to get down the maximums of two imports and three 20-year-olds. They now are prepared to go with Czech freshmen forwards Ondrej Najman and Pavel Kousal. Najman is 18; Kousal is to turn 18 on Nov. 14. . . . Spokane’s 20s now are G Jayden Sittler, F Markson Bechtold and F Keanu Yamamoto. . . . Spokane’s roster now is at 26, including two goaltenders and 15 forwards. . . . Acquiring Zwerger left Everett with three imports, the other two being Slovakian F Mario Mucka, who turns 18 on Nov. 10, and Finnish F Eetu Tuulola, 18. Because of a rule prohibiting the trading of first-year import players, the Silvertips had to release one and the odd man out was Mucka, who had one assist in one game after recording one assist in six exhibition games. Tuulola had two goals and an assist in four exhibition games. A sixth-round pick by Calgary in the NHL’s 2016 draft, Tuulola is in camp with the Flames. . . . The acquisition of Zwerger also gets the Silvertips to three 20-year-olds, the others being F Graham Millar and F Lucas Skrumeda.
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The Kootenay Ice got its roster down to 25 players on Sunday by releasing three 16-year-olds — F Eli Lieffers, D Bobby Russell and D Loeden Schaufler. . . . Lieffers, 16, from Saskatoon, will return to the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Russell, 16, is from Langley, B.C. A sixth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft, he will go back to the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League. . . . Schaufler, from Dewinton, Alta., was a third-round pick in 2015. He played last season with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, but the Ice hasn’t yet found a place for him this season.
——
The Saskatoon Blades all wore jerseys in honour of Gordie
Howe during Sunday's pregame warmup.(Photo: Darren Steinke)
It was Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day in Saskatoon on Sunday as the ashes of Gordie Howe and his wife, Colleen, were interred near a statue of Howe at SaskTel Centre, the home of the Blades. Steve Hogle, the Blades’ president, is to be commended for all that went into this celebration of lives that included bringing in the legendary Bob Cole to be the event’s host.
Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, who is a wonderful wordsmith and one of Canada’s best-kept secrets, has his take right here. There is a photo gallery at the bottom of Mitchell’s piece.
——
With Vin Scully nearing the finish line, Mark Whicker of the Orange County Register writes:
“The sad irony is that baseball clubs have learned nothing from Scully. He stands for nothing they want.
“He is rigidly non-partisan and, most nights, discusses opposing players more than Dodgers. Scully finds anecdotes that you’ve never heard before, even in the information age. When someone mentioned that he must have great researchers, Scully shook his head. He does it all himself, right to the finish line.
“Nor is Scully interested in umpiring. He doesn’t like the superimposed strike zones that networks use. ‘The umpire has a hard enough job as it is,’ he said.”
Whicker’s piece — and it’s a good read — is right here.
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JUST NOTES:

Prior to Saturday’s home-opener, the Kelowna Rockets dedicated the game to the memory of Norbert Heinzelmann and his family. Heinzelmann, a longtime off-ice official, died on Sept. 2 at the age of 57. He had been a volunteer with the Rockets since the team’s first game in Kelowna in 1995. The Rockets beat the Kamloops Blazers, 5-1, in the Saturday game. . . . 
You may recall that the start of Saturday’s game between the Red Deer Rebels and Oil Kings in Edmonton was delayed 90 minutes after an hydraulic lift malfunctioned on the ice surface. You may be wondering what that machine was doing on the ice. A tweet from Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun: “Reason there was a hydraulic cherry picker on the ice before warm up? Photographer putting camera in scoreboard.”
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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SUNDAY GAMES:

At Saskatoon, G Travis Child stopped 28 shots in recording his first WHL shutout as the Swift Current Broncos beat the Blades, 6-0. . . . Saskatoon had gone into Swift Current and dumped the Broncos 5-1 on Friday night. . . . The shutout came in Child’s 52nd appearance over three seasons, all with the Broncos. He’s a 19-year-old from Killam, Alta. . . . The Broncos got two goals and an assist from Calvin Spencer, while Finnish F Aleksi Heponiemi had four assists. F Brandan Arnold and F Tyler Steenbergen each had a goal and an assist. . . . Saskatoon G Brock Hamm stopped 25 shots. . . . The Broncos were 2-5 in the PP; the Blades were 0-5. . . . Announced attendance: 6,359.
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At Portland, F Skyler McKenzie scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 7-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . It was the second time in two nights that the Winterhawks (2-0-0) scored seven goals on home ice. They beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-3 on Saturday night. . . . Portland scored the game’s first three goals and led 3-0 at 13:24 of the first period. The Americans got it to 3-2 by 11:10 of the second, but Portland took control with the next two goals. . . . D Henri Jokiharju, F Evan Weinger and F Ryan Hughes each had a goal and an assist for Portland, while Ty Kolle and F Cody Glass had two assists apiece. . . . Tri-City (1-1-0) got a goal and an assist from F Tyler Sandhu and two assists from each of Dalton Yorke and Juuso Valimaki. F Michael Rasmussen scored his fifth goal in two games. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 26 shots for Portland, four fewer than Tri-City’s Beck Warm. . . . The Winterhawks were 1-2 on the PP; the Americans were 1-3. . . . Announced attendance: 4,836.
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MONDAY GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
——

TUESDAY GAME (all times local):


Prince George vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:14 PM
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Friday, September 9, 2016

Seattle defenceman retires . . . Giants, Raiders deal . . . KC shows sense of humour!

F Matt Fraser (Red Deer, Kootenay, 2006-11) has signed a one-year contract with Rögle Ängelholm (Sweden, SHL). Last season, with the Manitoba Moose (AHL), he had five goals and nine assists in 44 games. He also played 21 games with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL), recording two goals and five assists.
-——

D Jared Pelechaty of the Seattle Thunderbirds has retired from hockey. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Pelechaty, 17, is from Winnipeg. He had yet to play in an exhibition game this training camp. News of his retirement got out Friday. Andy Eide, who covers the Thunderbirds for ESPN, tweeted that Pelechaty’s retirement wasn’t “due to a current injury; rather to congenital issue, playing further not recommended.” . . . Last season, Pelechaty had seven points, including two goals, in 39 games with the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. In nine games with the Thunderbirds, he had one goal. . . . Seattle brought him in late in the season when it ran into injuries on its back end.
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The Vancouver Giants have acquired F Cal Babych, 19, from the Prince Albert Raiders for an undisclosed conditional selection in the 2018 bantam draft. He was dropped by the Raiders earlier in the week. . . . Babych, a fourth-round pick by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2012 bantam draft, also has played with the Prince George Cougars. . . . Last season, the North Vancouver native had five goals and nine assists in 56 games with the Raiders. In 149 regular-season games, he has 15 goals and 20 assists. . . . He is the son of former WHL/NHL D Dave Babych. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Giants are without F Alec Baer, F Brendan Semchuk and F Dawson Holt, all with undisclosed injuries.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have signed F Baron Thompson, 17, to a WHL contract. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Thompson is from Lakeville, Minn. He and his brother, Tyler, were acquired last week from the Victoria Royals. They selected Baron in the third round of the 2014 bantam draft. . . . He had two goals and two assists in 26 games with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints last season.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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On Thursday, the Everett Silvertips came from behind for a 5-4 shootout victory over the Portland Winterhawks, all of which resulted in today's chuckle:

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Kennewick, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-1. The Cougars (2-3-0) were wrapping up a nine-game preseason road trip by playing their third game in less than 72 hours. F Colton Veloso had a goal and an assist for Portland (4-0-1). G Cole Kehler stopped 16 shots in going the distance for the winners. . . . F Nick Holowko scored the only goal of a shootout as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. F Peyton Krebs gave the Ice a 3-2 lead with a shorthanded goal at 18:53 of the third period, only to have Seattle F Matthew Wedman force OT with a PP goal at 19:41. Wedman also had an assist, with F Nolan Volcan also getting a goal and an assist for Seattle. . . . F Brandon Hagel’s goal at 13:00 of the third period snapped a 3-3 tie as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-3. Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen had tied the game at 11:49. F Michael Spacek had a goal and two assists for the winners, while D Josh Mahura and F Akash Bains each had two assists, and F Grayson Pawlenchuk had a goal and an assist. D Parker Wotherspoon drew three assists for Tri-City, with F Morgan Geekie getting two. . . . 

In Brandon, F Nikita Popugaev scored twice to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. Popugaev, coming off knee surgery, has three preseason goals. . . . This was Brandon’s first exhibition game; the Warriors are 2-1-1. . . . They’ll play again tonight, this time in Moose Jaw. . . .

In St. Albert, Alta., the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last two goals, both in the third period, to score a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . D Micheal Zipp pulled Calgary into a tie at 9:29 of the third period and F Aaron Hyman got the winner two minutes later. . . . Zipp and Hyman each added an assist, while D Vladislav Yeryomenko had a goal and an assist. . . . Edmonton got a goal and an assist from each of F Jesse Roach and F Tyler Robertson, with F Carter Souch drawing two assists. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba stopped 28 shots. . . . The teams play again tonight, this time in Calgary. . . .

In Kelowna, G Michael Herringer stopped 23 shots to earn the shutout as the Rockets beat the Kamloops Blazers, 1-0. . . . They’ll go at it again tonight in Kamloops. . . . F Dillon Dube scored the game’s only goal, taking a pass from former Blazers F Jake Kryski and putting the puck over G Dylan Ferguson, at 4:09 of the third period. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson stopped 39 shots. . . . 

In Lethbridge, F Aleksi Heponiemi had a goal and two assists to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes. The WHL’s Finnish Flash, who is preparing for his first WHL season, continues to be perhaps the biggest story of the exhibition season, with 10 points, including five goals, in four games. . . . The Broncos (3-1-1) got a goal and an assist from each of F Glenn Gawdin and D Max Lajoie. . . . F Colton Kroeker scored twice for Lethbridge (2-1-0), with F Brayden Burke drawing two assists. F Egor Babenko had a goal and an assist. . . . G Travis Child stopped 23 shots for Swift Current, with Stuart Skinner turning aside 26 at the other end. . . . Lethbridge F Carter Folk left at 18:35 of the second period with a headshot major and game misconduct. . . . 

In Wainwright, Alta., the Medicine Hat Tigers scored a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F Mason Shaw, who is from Wainwright, scored his second preseason goal for the Tigers. . . . F Nick Henry scored his third goal for the Pats (2-2-0).
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:29 PM
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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Marquette left his mark . . . Rebels captain close to return . . . Warriors stay alive



Dale Marquette, a former WHL coach and player who died on the weekend, definitely left an impression.
“Sorry to hear about the passing of Dale Marquette,” Greg Hutchings wrote on Facebook. “I played one game with him and did not know him well. I remember him for being real good to me at WK training camps.”
Hutchings played three WHL seasons (Brandon, Lethbridge, 1988-91).
Marquette, 47, died of complications from diabetes. He played four seasons in the WHL (Lethbridge, 1984-86; Brandon, 1986-88). He had 103 points, including 51 goals, in 1987-88.
Marquette was head coach of the Prince George Cougars in 1995-96.
In 2000-01, he was the head coach of the BCHL’s Quesnel Millionaires.
In an email, Aaron Wilbur, the managing director of The Coaches Site Ltd., wrote: “Was really sad to read about the passing of Dale Marquette. Dale gave me my break in coaching. He hired me to be his assistant in Quesnel when I was 20 years old and had zero experience. We ended up having the best season in franchise history that season. It was a fun ride. Have more stories from that season than the rest of my hockey career combined. . . . Dale was a good guy with a big heart.”

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The Red Deer Rebels hope to have F Conner Bleackley, their captain, back for their last two regular-season games, a home-and-home series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Bleackley (groin) hasn’t played since Feb. 6 in Vancouver. He won’t play tonight in Calgary, meaning he will have missed 18 games. . . . “We’ve been really careful with how we’ve handled this just because of the type of injury it is,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ GM and head coach, told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “He skated for 25 minutes (Monday) and today (Tuesday) we’ll try to get him to go longer. If that goes well then (Wednesday) he’ll skate on his own and on Thursday he can go full practice. If all goes well, then hopefully we can have him for the weekend. That’s our goal.”
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The Calgary Hitmen have added D Aaron Hyman, 16, and G Kyle Dumba to their roster for the remainder of the season. . . . The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Hyman was a third-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. From Calgary, he spent the last two seasons with the midget AAA Calgary Flames. . . . Dumba was a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. The younger brother of Minnesota Wild D Matt Dumba, who played in the WHL with Red Deer and Portland, Kyle played this season at the Edge School in Calgary. He was named the Canadian Sport School Hockey League’s top goaltender. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors have added D Josh Brook to their roster for the rest of this season. Brook, from Roblin, Man., was the fourth overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He had 36 points, including nine goals, in 32 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Wilcox, Sask.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (2 games remaining) won in Regina last night and now leads the overall standings by four points over Kelowna (3). The Wheaties last finished first overall in 1995-96. . . . The Wheat Kings will play the conference’s second wild-card team, likely Edmonton, in the first round. . . . In Moose Jaw on Friday.
2. Regina (2) will finish second in division. Will meet third-place team in first round. . . . At home to Prince Albert on Friday.
3. Swift Current (2) lost in Moose Jaw last night and now leads the Warriors by two points. . . . In Lethbridge on Friday night.
4. Moose Jaw (2) now is two points behind Swift Current. . . . Should the Broncos and Warriors end up tied, there would be a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. Swift Current has a 32-31 edge. . . . Moose Jaw entertains Brandon on Friday.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Calgary (3) completed a franchise-record 11-game road trip with a one-point lead over second-place Medicine Hat. . . . At home to Red Deer tonight.
2. Medicine Hat (3) trails Calgary by one point. Each team has 42 victories. . . . In Prince Albert tonight.
3. Red Deer (3) got to within one point of first place, but now is four points behind Medicine Hat and five in arrears of Calgary. . . . In Calgary tonight.
4. Kootenay (3) holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Edmonton. . . . In Lethbridge tonight.
5. Edmonton (2) is in the second wild-card spot, three points behind Kootenay. . . . At home to Red Deer on Friday.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (3) has clinched first place in the Western Conference. . . . Trails Brandon by four points in the race for first place in the overall standings. The first tiebreaker is victories and Brandon has the edge (52-51) at the moment. . . . At home to Seattle tonight.
2. Victoria (2) will finish second and meet the division’s third-place team in the first round. . . . At home to Everett on Friday.
3. Prince George (3) is two points ahead of Kamloops. . . . All three of its remaining games are against Kamloops, starting tonight and Friday in Prince George.
4. Kamloops (3) has two playoff options. It is two points behind third-place Prince George in the division and is tied with Tri-City (3) for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Will meet Prince George three times this week — tonight and Friday in Prince George, and Saturday in Kamloops.
5. Vancouver (2) has one victory in its last 10 games and is hanging on by a hangnail. It is four points out of the conference’s second wild-card spot but has only two games remaining, both against Kelowna. . . . At home to the Rockets on Friday.
——
U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (3) leads the division by two points over Portland. . . . In Victoria on Friday.
2. Portland (4) is two points off the pace with a game in hand. . . . In Spokane tonight as it closes with four games in five nights.
3. Seattle (3) trails Portland by nine points so won’t finish second. . . . Is seven points ahead of Spokane. . . . In Kelowna tonight.
4. Spokane (4) is seven points behind Seattle and has clinched at least the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . At home to Portland tonight.
5. Tri-City (3) is tied with Kamloops for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . At home to Portland on Friday.
(NOTE: If two teams tie for a conference’s last playoff spot, those teams will have a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. . . . That scenario could play out in the East Division. It also may happen in the B.C. Division and/or Western Conference. For example, should Tri-City and Kamloops end up tied for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, a play-in game will be played at the home of the team with the most victories. Tr-City leads, 29-27. . . . Should Prince George and Kamloops finish tied for third in the B.C. Division, the first tiebreaker is total victories. Prince George has a 29-27 edge. However, if one of those two teams would miss the playoffs in that situation, a play-in game would be held. . . . Clear as mud. Right?)
——

IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Calgary vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer
——
Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City/Kamloops
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
———

TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Moose Jaw, F Torrin White broke a 1-1 tie at 2:17 of the second period and the Warriors went on to a 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Brett Howden scored twice for Moose Jaw, giving him 21, while D Tyler Brown had three assists and was plus-5. . . . White, who has 17 goals, also had two assists, while F Jesse Shynkaruk and F Jiri Smejkal each had a goal and an assist. D Austin Adam helped out with two assists. . . . Smejkal has 12 goals; Shynkaruk has nine. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point scored his 36th goal after undergoing concussion protocol following a first-period collision with teammate Tanner Jeannot. . . . F Jake DeBrusk got No. 39 for the Broncos. . . . Warriors G Zach Sawchenko was sharp, with 41 saves. . . . F Tanner Eberle, listed as day-to-day on the injury report that was released earlier in the day, was back in Moose Jaw’s lineup. . . . F Jaimen Yakubowski didn’t play for the Warriors. . . . The Warriors (31-34-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Broncos (32-33-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story right here. . . .

The Regina Pats were the St. Pats last night as they wore special uniforms
for a St. Patrick's Day game with visiting Brandon.
(Terry Massey photo)
In Regina, F Nolan Patrick returned to Brandon’s lineup and scored twice, leading the Wheat Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Pats. (Actually, they were the St. Pats for one game only). . . . F Braden Christoffer opened the scoring, getting his 26th goal for the Pats just three minutes into the first period. . . . Patrick, who hadn’t played since Feb. 15, tied it at 6:41. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville broke the tie with his 27th goal at 5:03 of the second. . . . Patrick got his 28th goal at 5:39 of the third. . . . Former Pats F Morgan Klimchuk got his 33rd goal into an empty net at 18:13. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny made 24 saves, three fewer than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-for-6. . . . The Wheat Kings (52-11-7) have won five in a row. . . . The Pats (37-23-10) are 2-1-1 in their last four games. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 3-3 tie with four third-period goals as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 7-3. . . . The Americans, trailing 3-1, tied the score with two shorthanded goals late in the second period. . . . F Beau McCue scored his 25th goal of the season at 16:10 and F Justin Gutierrez got No. 11 at 18:46. . . . Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs broke the tie with his 15th goal at 6:15 of the third and D Shea Theodore added his 12th, shorthanded, at 7:35. . . . Lipsbergs provided more insurance with a goal at 13:36. . . . Seattle also got three goals from F Scott Eansor. He scored twice in the first period, at 0:13 and 9:27, then filled his hat for the first time with an empty-netter at 15:09 of the third. he’s got 14 goals. . . . That was Seattle’s first three-goal game this season. . . . Eansor also had an assist, giving him his first four-point game. . . . F Nolan Volcan assisted on each of Eansor’s goals for his first three-point game. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Calvin Spencer each had two assists for Seattle. . . . F Alexander True, listed as day-today on the injury report earlier in the day, returned to the Thunderbirds’ lineup. . . . Seattle (35-25-9) had lost its previous game. . . . The Americans (29-37-3) have lost two in a row.
——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Medicine Hat at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
——

THURSDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled.
——

FRIDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
——

SATURDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
——

SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Kootenay at Calgary, 2 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.
Everett at Spokane 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON
———




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