THE MATCHUPS
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8) — Overall leaders face defending champs.
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Regina (7) — The Trans-Canada Rivalry heats up.
Calgary (3) vs. Brandon (6) — Brandon draws first blood.
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Saskatoon (5) — Will the Tigers Etem up? Or are Blades equal to the Trask?
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Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Everett (8) — Can Silvertips handle Ams’ all-star line?
Kamloops (2) vs. Victoria (7) — This one’s on Shaw TV.
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6) — To tell the Carruth, Portland’s favoured.
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5) — The battle of the two Dons.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Chad Bassen (Regina, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Everett, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract extension with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He had nine goals and 16 assists in 52 games for Augsburg this season.
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There was more than one full page of copy and photos dedicated to the Western Hockey League in Thursday’s edition of the Kamloops Daily News.
In fact, about half the editorial space that was provided to the sports department was filled with WHL-related copy.
In one story, the Victoria Royals were referenced on one occasion as the Victoria

Grizzlies. The Royals, of course, are the team that the WHL allowed RG Properties to purchase and move to Victoria after five seasons as the Chilliwack Bruins; the Grizzlies are the BCHL’s Victoria franchise.
And so it came to pass that Dave Dakers, the president and alternate governor of the Bruins, er, Royals, chose to get up on his hind legs during a Thursday news conference in Kamloops — he was the guy who someone suggested looked as though he’d slept on a Greyhound bus and arrived just before the talking started — and whined about the lack of respect his club was getting.
Yes, the Bruins, er, Grizz . . . ahh, Royals are in full ‘woe is me’ mode. Rodney Dangerfield never had it this bad.
Victoria, the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, got into the playoffs with 24 victories — the Bruins, er, Royals also lost 48 games, although they earned loser points for seven of those setbacks.
Were they in the Eastern Conference, they would have missed the playoffs by 27 points. (By the way, WHL commissioner Ron Robison spent part of his address yesterday talking about his league’s competitive balance. Ahh, we won’t go there, not when the final standings show 14 of 22 teams at better than .500, not when three Eastern Conference teams are out, despite having far superior records to three Western Conference teams that are in.)
But we digress . . .
So far the Royals have played the experts-are-picking-Kamloops-in-three card, the we-beat-Portland-twice-last-week-and-didn’t-get-any-respect card, the we-don’t-know-why-we’re-playing-this-series card, the nobody-knows-our-name card. . . .
All of which means the playoffs have arrived.
Here’s Marc Habscheid, the Bruins’, er, Royals’ GM/head coach, to the Victoria Times Colonist earlier in the week:
“Some people are picking them in three games, not just four. We shouldn't even go to Kamloops, the way it sounds. All I know is, we’ll show up Friday when the puck is dropped.”
Here’s Habscheid, to Travis Paterson of the Victoria News:
“We beat Portland and we’ve heard, ‘Well, they didn’t have (Sven) Baertschi.”
Here’s Dakers, at Thursday’s news conference:
“We’re not sure why we’re playing this series.”
One of the reasons the WHL held the news conference, as it put it in a news release, was to launch the 2012 playoffs.
The news conference was held in the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops, but only one team — the Blazers — had a coach and players in attendance.
Here’s hoping the Bruins, er, Grizzlies or whoever they are — the Salsa? — show up tonight and for five or six games after this one.
Hey, at least we didn’t call them the Cougars! Or did we?
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If you're looking for the Western Conference individual award winners and all-star teams that were announced yesterday, you will find them at www.whl.ca.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Calgary, F Mark Stone broke at 2-2 tie late in the second period and the Brandon Wheat Kings went on to a 6-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . This was the first game of a first round series, with Game 2 scheduled for tonight in Calgary. . . . The teams then head to Winnipeg for as many as three games, if necessary. With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon, the Wheat Kings have again had to take their first-round show on the road. . . . Stone, who is playing with a thumb injury, got his first playoff goal at 16:13 of the second period. . . . F Darian Dziurzynski scored twice for Brandon, which got two assists from F Paul Ciarelli. . . . After Brandon took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by F Jason Swyripa and Dziurzynski, Calgary tied it when F Brooks Macek scored at 19:01 of the first and F Alex Gogolev scored at 1:16 of the second, on a PP. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 34 shots. . . . Calgary was without F Cody Sylvester (undisclosed) and F Victor Rask (leg), two of its top three regular-season scorers.
Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun was at the game and filed this story.
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On the eve of opening a playoff series in Edmonton, Jeff Chynoweth, the president and general manager of the Kootenay Ice, talked with Chris O’Leary of the Edmonton Journal about what might have been. The Ice, you’ll recall, began life as the Edmonton Ice and spent two seasons there before relocating to Cranbrook.
That story is right here.
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has all but guaranteed the series between Don Hay’s Giants and Don Nachbaur’s Spokane Chiefs — it opens tonight in Vancouver — will be a goaltender’s nightmare.
Here’s some of what Ewen wrote:
“Hay is an old school guy. Don Nachbaur is  an old school guy. They are defence first guys and this is going to a series of 2-1 and 3-2 games. The regular season match-ups this year, which saw Vancouver win 2-1 in Spokane on Feb. 15 and 3-2 at home in a shoot-out on Oct. 5 certainly suggest that. The team that sticks with its plan the best should win. Another point to ponder? Vancouver is 11-1 in playoff series under Hay when it has home-ice advantage like it does in this one, and 1-5 when it does not.”
Ewen also has a piece today on Vancouver G Adam Morrison who, it turns out, has a relative on the Chiefs’ roster. Morrison and Spokane F Steven Kuhn are cousins.
For more from Ewen, scoot on over to The Province’s website.
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It has been almost 23 years since Duncan MacPherson, a former Saskatoon Blades defenceman, disappeared while traveling in Austria. You will recall that his body was found 14 years after his disappearance. His parents, Lynda and Bob, were convinced that there was more to this story than authorities were letting on. Now there’s a book about the case — Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery — and author John Leake has spoken about it with Kevin Mitchell, the sports editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
That story is right here.
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F Turner Elson of the Red Deer Rebels has signed an ATO with the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Elson, a free-agent signee of the Flames after their last training camp, had 46 points and 59 penalty minutes in 56 games with the Rebels. Elson turned 20 on Wednesday.
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Dave (Crash) Cameron of the Edmonton Sun writes that the bandwagon is filling up. Of course, that would be the Edmonton Oil Kings’ bandwagon. That piece is right here.
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If there is a model franchise in the CHL today, it very well may be the Tri-City Americans. The franchise is operated by general manager Bob Tory, who is profiled right here by Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald.
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Pat Conacher, the first-year head coach of the Regina Pats, is the Eastern Conference nominee as the WHL’s coach of the year. When he heard the news, he was surprised, honoured and uncomfortable.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that story right here.
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And finally . . . I’m sorry but this just slays me. Mac Engel, a writer with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, has a blog — The Big Mac Blog. . . . No, he isn’t related to Mac Engel, the Spokane Chiefs goaltender. . . . But Mac the Blogger is keeping tabs on Mac the Goaltender, “the greatest goalie in the history of hockey” as it says here. . . . The latest entry is right here.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
The Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL) announced that the club will not re-sign seven players, including F Duncan Milroy (Swift Current, Kootenay, 1998-2003), D Lawrence Nycholat (Swift Current, 1996-2000), and F Ben Ondrus (Swift Current, 1998-2003). Milroy had six goals and 22 assists in 45 games, Nycholat had one goal and five assists in 23 games, and Ondrus had three goals and seven assists in 47 games for the Penguins this season. . . .
F Petr Vala (Seattle, 1997-98) signed a one-year contract extension with Zell am See (Austria, Nationalliga). He had 13 goals and 23 assists in 26 games for Zell am See this season. . . .
F Brett McLean (Tacoma/Kelowna, Brandon, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract extension with Lugano (Switzerland, NL A). McLean started the season with the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL), getting seven goals and 14 assists in 36 games. After clearing NHL unconditional waivers with Chicago on Jan. 19, McLean joined Lugano, where he had five goals and one assist in 10 games. From the Lugano press release: "The 33-year-old Canadian has proven to be a valuable player both defensively and offensively, and displays strong leadership skills."
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F Sven Baertschi scored another goal Thursday night, helping the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Phoenix Coyotes. Baertschi, who was brought in from the Portland Winterhawks under emergency recall rules, has three goals in four games with the Flames. . . . Calgary head coach Brent Sutter said after last night’s game that he plans on playing Baertschi again tonight when the Flames meet the Oilers in Edmonton. . . . After last night’s game, Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald wrote: “Under the agreement between the NHL and Canadian Hockey League, the Flames must reassign Baertschi to his junior club the moment one of their injured forwards returns to the lineup. Lee Stempniak, Tim Jackman and Lance Bouma are all prime candidates to take Baertschi's spot.”
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Neate Sager, our pal at Yahoo! Sports, has put together in interesting look at some connections between junior hockey and Hollywood. That piece is right here. If you know of any more, email me at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca and we’ll start a list.
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The Kamloops Blazers have added G Taran Kozun, 17, to their roster. He joins Cole Cheveldave, 18, and Cam Lanigan, 19, as goaltenders on the Kamloops roster. Kozun opened the season with the Blazers before being assigned to the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks on Oct. 17. With Nipawin, he got into 16 games, going 5-10-0, 3.30, .904. . . . In Nipawin, Kozun found himself playing behind Davis Jones, 19, who went 26-12-0, 2.42, .920 and was named the SJHL’s goaltender of the year.
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F Austin Bourhis of the Prince Albert Raiders has drawn a six-game suspension for what the WHL calls a “one-man fight” against the Blades in Saskatoon on Tuesdsay night. The suspension will carry over to next season when Bourhis will miss the first three games. . . . As well, Kelowna Rockets F Shane McColgan was hit with a one-game suspension for accumulation of embellishment penalties. He won’t play tonight against the host Vancouver Giants but will be eligible to return for Saturday’s rematch in Kelowna.
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The NHL’s Boston Bruins have signed G Adam Morrison, 20, of the Vancouver Giants to a three-year contract. Morrison was an unrestricted free agent. The Philadelphia Flyers didn’t sign him after selecing him in the third round of the NHL’s 2009 draft. The Giants acquired Morrison from the Saskatoon Blades earlier this season. He is 35-17-3, 2.80, .900 this season. . . .
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D Alex Petrovic of the Red Deer Rebels will join the San Antonio Rampage, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, on Tuesday. He will play his final WHL games tonight and Saturday against the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes and Edmonton Oil Kings. The Panthers selected him in the second round of the NHL’s 2010 draft.
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Before he wraps up his WHL career, F Taylor Vause, the 20-year-old captain of the Swift Current Broncos, took the time to write a letter to the editor of the Prairie Post.
That letter is right here, and you should take time to read it.
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The Kelowna Rockets said Thursday that D Myles Bell (leg) and D Madison Bowey (shoulder) both are day-to-day after being injured in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Wednesday. . . . The Rockets are to play tonight in Vancouver. . . . Without Bell, Bowey and D Mitchell Chapman, who also is injured, the Rockets may use D Riley Stadel, a 2011 third-round bantam draft pick from Surrey, B.C., who spent the season at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Brian Curran, the AJHL’s coach of the year this season, has changed teams. Curran was named the coach of the year for his season with the Lloydminster Bobcats. On Thursday, however, he signed a five-year deal as GM and head coach of the Drumheller Dragons. . . . He replaces Barry Wolff, who had been general manager and interim head coach. Wolff had worked the bench for the season’s last four months.
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When the WHL playoffs approach and it gets close to the end of the regular season, I usually stay away from attempting to figure out all the possible permutations.
Why? Because I always screw it up and the mess always seem to sort itself out anyway.
But as the WHL heads into its final three days of the regular season, Garth MacBeth, who pens the MacBeth Report, has made some notes involving the Western Conference . . .
Standings now:
7. Victoria 53 (v. Portland tonight)
8. Everett 52 (at Tri-City tonight, at Seattle on Saturday)
9. Seattle 50 (at Spokane tonight, v. Everett on Saturday, at Portland on Sunday)
10. Prince George 48 (at Kamloops tonight, v. Kamloops on Saturday)
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If Victoria wins tonight, the Royals will clinch at least a tiebreaker game. That will give them 55 points after their final game. Everett and Seattle can both get to 56 points but not at the same time. One of them can only get to 55 since they play each other Saturday — by losing that game in OT. PG cannot catch Victoria, which has 53 points, so the best it can do is get into a tie for eighth place. For that tie to occur, here is what must happen:
1. PG wins both games against Kamloops. That would give it 52 points and 25 victories.
2. Everett must lose both of its games (at Tri-City and at Seattle) in regulation. Everett would then have 52 points and 21 victories.
3. Seattle, by virtue of its win over Everett on Saturday, would have 52 points and 25 victories. So it must lose in regulation tonight at Spokane and Sunday at Portland.
This is the only scenario for Prince George to make the playoffs. There is no other way. This would result in a three-way playoff for the eighth spot which, it seems, would result in two sudden-death playoff games.
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Neither Garth nor I could find anything with the rules for a three-team tie for a playoff spot. If two teams tie, they play a sudden-death game at the home of the team with the most overall victories. And that game would be played on the Tuesday before the playoffs begin.
Presumably, then, if three teams tied, there would be two sudden-death games in two different cities.
Prince George would get the bye on the basis of having the most victories. Seattle and Everett would play in the first game. It would be played in Kent, Wash., because the Thunderbirds would have the most victories.
Presumably, the winner of that game would then travel to Prince George.
And it all would have to be wrapped up in time for the teams to begin the first round of playoffs on Friday, March 23.
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Garth also pointed out that Victoria can still end up in a tiebreaker game and it could be a three-way affair, as well. If it's a tie with Everett, Victoria would have more victories than Everett and would play host to the tiebreaker. If it's a tie with Seattle, Seattle would have more victories than Victoria and would play host to the tiebreaker. If it's a three-way tie, Seattle would get seventh place with the most victories, and Victoria would play host to Everett in the tiebreaker.
Victoria could also miss the playoffs and a tiebreaker completely. If Victoria loses in regulation tonight, then Seattle needs three points and Everett two points to send Victoria to the sidelines. If Victoria loses in OT, Everett needs three points and Seattle four points. As I said earlier, if Victoria wins tonight, it gets at least a tiebreaker game. A Victoria victory and a Seattle or Everett loss in regulation tonight clinches a playoff spot for Victoria.
Whew . . .
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IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Brandon (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Kootenay (7)
Medicine Hat (3) vs. Saskatoon (6)
Calgary (4) vs. Regina (5)
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Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Victoria (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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TODAY’S GAMES:
Calgary at Kootenay
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert
Brandon at Regina
Saskatoon at Swift Current
Edmonton at Medicine Hat
Lethbridge at Red Deer
Prince George at Kamloops
Seattle at Spokane
Everett at Tri-City
Portland at Victoria
Kelowna at Vancouver

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Bob Ridley for the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Yes, without doubt.
If anyone in the world of hockey today can be called legendary, it is Ridley, the radio voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Tigers have played 3,000 regular-season games since entering the WHL for the 1970-71 season.
Ridley has been at the microphone for 2,999 of those games. In all that time he has missed one game, that being in the spring of 1973 when his boss assigned him to cover the Canadian women’s curling championship in Saskatoon. (The boss’s wife was on the rink that was representing Alberta.) With Ridley away, Larry Plante, who rode shotgun as Ridley’s analyst for 25 years, called the play.
Ridley will call his 3,000th regular-season game on Wednesday when the Tigers are at home to the Kootenay Ice.
Throw in playoff and Memorial Cup games, and Ridley will be calling game No. 3,353 for the Tigers.
Oh, and did we mention that he also drives the bus? Yes, he does.
Hockey Hall of Fame?
Why not?
After all, it's the Hockey Hall of Fame, not the National Hockey League Hall of Fame.
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The big news on Sunday involved Connor Crisp, who made his OHL goaltending debut with the Erie Otters by allowing 13 goals and being named the game’s first star in a 13-4 loss to the host Niagara IceDogs.
Crisp, 17, underwent shoulder surgery and had yet to play a game this season, but he was designated as the backup goaltender on Sunday. Erie had lost G Devin Williams after he stopped a shot with his head on Friday. Then, on Sunday, starter Ramis Sadikov was run over by F Alex Friesen of the IceDogs at 1:45 of the first period. Friesen received a charging major and game misconduct.
For more, check out this story right here.
And if you click on right here, Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports offers up his take on the situation.
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Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that the Moose Jaw Warriors set a single-season franchise record for home victories on Saturday, when they beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-2 on Saturday. The Warriors are 28-3-3 at home, which betters the record (27-6-3) set in 2005-06. . . . The Warriors have won 14 straight at home. . . . Moose Jaw is 23-1-2 at home since Oct. 7. . . . And everyone thought the Warriors had a home-ice advantage when they played in the Crushed Can. Mosaic Place has turned out to be even tougher.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Portland, F Justin Feser scored with 51.2 seconds left in the third period to give the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 48 shots, 30 more than Portland’s Mac Carruth. . . . Feser, who has 35 goals, also had two assists. . . . The winning goal was the only even-strength score for Tri-City, which was 3-6 on the PP. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin ran his point streak to 17 games with his 54th goal, one off the WHL lead that is held by Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem. . . . Shinnimin leads the WHL with 120 points. He is the first WHL skater to that mark since Red Deer F Justin Mapletoft won the 2000-01 scoring title with 120 points. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman scored his 40th goal at 3:42 of the second for a 3-1 lead. . . . F Patrick Holland picked up an assist for his 199th career point. He has at least one assist in 14 straight games. . . . Portland tied it on goals by F Brad Ross, his 39th, at 9:43 of the second and F Sven Baertschi, his second of the game and 33rd of the season, at 2:20 of the third. . . . Baertschi now has 94 points in 47 games. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists; he is second to Shinnimin, at 110 points. . . . Tri-City was without F Jordan Messier, who was suspended ‘tba’ under supplemental discipline from Saturday’s 4-1 loss in Everett. . . . Last night’s victory moved the Americans to within one point of the Winterhawks, who lead the WHL’s overall standings. . . . Portland will play its next five games on the road, starting with a Wednesday night date in Kamloops. . . .

In Victoria, G Adam Morrison stopped 18 shots to help the Vancouver Giants to a 6-0 victory over the Royals. . . . This was Morrison’s first shutout this season and the fifth of his career. The first four all came with the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Vancouver F Riley Kieser scored his fifth goal just 15 seconds into the first period and the Giants never looked back. D Tyler Vanscourt, F Matt Bellerive, F Cain Franson and Kieser each had a goal and an assist. . . . Victoria G Jared Rathjen gave up five goals on 31 shots through two periods. Keith Hamilton played the third period, stopping five of six shots. . . . The Giants moved into a tie for fourth with the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Conference. Spokane has seven games remaining; the Giants have six left to play. . . . They will meet in the first round. All that is left to decide is who will have home-ice advantage. . . .

In Regina, D Brandon Davidson scored the game-winner at 19:39 of the third period as the Pats beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-3. . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl tied the game, with his 27th, at 12:01 of the third. Davidson, the Pats’ captain, drew an assist on what was a PP goal. . . . Davidson has 13 goals this season. . . . Scheidl had two goals and an assist in this one. . . . Prince Albert had taken a 3-2 lead on F Mark McNeill’s 29th goal, shorthanded, at 4:22 of the third. . . . Prince Albert F Mike Winther scored his 30th goal of the season. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal had three assists. One night earlier, he set up four goals as the Pats erased a 4-0 third-period deficit and beat the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-4. . . . Weal now has 378 career points, which is good for fourth on the Pats’ all-time list. He has two more points than former F Len Nielsen. . . . Weal, with 246 assists, is third on the Pats’ career list, five ahead of F Mike Sillinger. . . . Regina now is sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Saskatoon Blades and one behind the Kootenay Ice. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game’s first two goals and went on to a 3-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . F T.J. Foster got his 26th goal of the season for Edmonton at 10:34 of the first period and F Michael St. Croix added his 41st at 16:31 of the second. . . . Saskatoon F Jake Trask, with his 19th, got his side to within one at 17:58 of the third. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar put it away with his 16th, a PP goal, at 19:39 of the third. . . . Saskatoon was 0-8 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-5. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 16 shots, 15 fewer than Saskatoon’s Adam Todd. . . . The Oil Kings have won five in a row. . . . The Oil Kings are one point behind the Portland Winterhawks, who lead the overall standings. . . . Edmonton, which leads the Central Division by 10 points over Medicine Hat, is six points ahead of the Moose Jaw Warriors, the East Division leaders. The Warriors will visit Edmonton on Wednesday. The Warriors first play in Lethbridge on Tuesday, needing just one point to clinch the division.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Taylor Crunk, Victoria.
D Joe Morrow, Portland.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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MONDAY’S GAMES
None scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES
Moose Jaw at Lethbridge
Calgary at Red Deer
Kootenay at Swift Current
Seattle at Prince George
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Mike Davies covers the OHL’s Peterborough Petes for the Peterborough Examiner, even though he has retinitis pigmentosa and his eyesight is deteriorating. That, however, doesn’t stop him from getting and telling the stories.
Steve Ladurantaye of  The Globe and Mail has that story right here.
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F Brennan Bosch (Medicine Hat, 2005-09) scored on a power play in OT on Sunday to give the U of Saskatchewan Huskies a 4-3 victory over the host U of Alberta Golden Bears. The Huskies won the best-of-three semifinal 2-1, meaning the Golden Bears won’t be in the Canada West final for the first time since 1996. Bosch had two goals in the game. . . . The Calgary Dinos, who swept the Manitoba Bisons, will travel to Saskatoon for the best-of-three Canada West Final. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday. . . . For more on the Huskies’ victory, click right here.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail talks with David Johnston, the Governor-General of Canada, about the state of hockey today. It turns out that the Governor-General was once a grinder with the Harvard Crimson, who at one time considered turning pro with the Boston Bruins. Today, however, he is concerned about the state of the game. That piece is right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite) announced that F Brad Voth (Medicine Hat, 1996-2002) has been forced to retire due to injury. He had eight goals and 12 assists in 33 games this season for the Devils. This season was Voth's seventh with the Devils. You can read the retirement announcement right here.
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
From a reader of the blog . . .
I had the pleasure of attending a game Friday night between the Winterhawks and Silvertips. I saw you deliver a video message to Brent Peterson, which was nice.
At 0:17 of the 3rd period, the puck apparently entered the Portland net, but play continued. At the end of this portion of play, a high-sticking double minor was assessed to (Portland defenceman) Joe Morrow as play was reviewed by the replay booth. A goal was awarded to the Silvertips, and the clock was rewound to the time of the goal.
My question is this: Why did the high-sticking penalty stand?
If Team A scores a goal, but play goes on and Team B scores an apparent goal at the other end, the first goal counts and all play between that point and the next whistle (and review) is treated as void — but not a penalty? This doesn't seem to make sense.
In this case, the scoresheet reads as though Morrow high-sticked a player, then Everett scored on the delayed call. What actually took place on the ice is that Morrow was found guilty of high-sticking sometime after the Everett goal, yet at a point of the game that was played twice.
It is unclear to me how Everett is awarded the goal AND the power play in this situation.
Thank you for your time.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Quinton Howden scored three goals to lead the Warriors past the Prince Albert Raiders, 7-2. . . . The Warriors opened a 2-0 first-period lead on two Howden goals, only to have the Raiders tie it early in the second. . . . F Mark McNeill had a goal and an assist for the Raiders, the goal coming on a penalty shot. . . . The Warriors then scored the game’s last five goals. . . . F Kenton Miller got his 20th, Howden got his 20th and F Cam Braes got his 30th. . . . The victory lifted the Warriors, who lead the East Division, to within four points of the Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .

In Regina, the Lethbridge Hurricanes opened up a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Pats. . . . F Nick Buonassisi gave the visitors a 3-0 ledge at 6:04 of the third period. . . . The Pats closed the gap to 3-2 when F Dominik Volek scored at 19:12 of the third. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo stopped 45 shots, while Regina’s Adam Beukeboom turned aside 10. . . . Regina held a 16-3 edge in shots in the first period and 22-3 in the third. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Hunter Shinkaruk reached the 40-goal plateau to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Blades. . . . Shinkaruk scored three times, once in each period, with two of them on the PP. . . . He also had an assist. . . . Tigers F Curtis Valk added two goals, giving him 21, and an assist. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem had two assists. . . . The Tigers lost F Brendan Hurley to a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 19:10 of the first period. Saskatoon D Duncan Siemens, who was on the receiving end, didn’t return to the game. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Dylen McKinlay scored three times to carry the Kootenay Ice to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . McKinlay has 14 goals. . . . Ice F Max Reinhart (foot) missed his fourth straight game. . . . Ice F Jesse Ismond had three assists. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 28 shots. . . . McKinlay has 35 points in 46 games, including 10 in his last four outings. . . .

In Swift Current, F Mark Stone scored two goals, including the 100th of his career, and added three assists as the Brandon Wheat Kings bounced the Broncos, 6-3. . . . F Michael Ferland and D Ryan Pulock each added a goal and two assists for Brandon. . . . The Broncos led 2-1 in the first period and 3-1 in the second, but gave up the last five goals. . . . The loss dropped the Broncos 10 points behind Brandon, which holds the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . Brandon D Brodie Melnychuk played in his 300th regular-season game, all with the Wheat Kings. He had a goal, his fourth this season and the 21st of his career, and was plus-4. . . .

In Red Deer, Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick had perhaps the best night of his career as the Hitmen beat the Rebels, 6-2. . . . Bubnick, 20, scored twice and added three assists, while going plus-5. . . . He has 24 goals. . . . Bubnick is one goal and three assists from career highs. He has 53 points in 53 games. . . . Calgary D Kenton Helgesen, who had one assist, also was plus-5. . . . F Trevor Cheek also scored twice for Calgary. He’s got 18 goals. . . . The Hitmen have won 15 of their last 17 games. . . .

In Portland, F Jordan Martinook broke a 2-2 tie at 19:31 of the third period as the Vancouver Giants beat the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . The loss ended Portland’s franchise-record home-ice winning streak at 19 games. . . . Martinook has 30 goals in 53 games, after scoring 11 in 72 last season. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 47 shots. . . . Vancouver F Marek Tvrdon scored twice, including his 20th goal at 12:59 of the third to give his side a 2-1 lead. . . . Portland F Taylor Peters got that one back just 55 seconds later. . . . The teams play again Monday in Portland. . . . Vancouver is 3-0-0 against Portland this season. . . . Jim Beseda of the Oregonian reports that the Winterhawks sat F Brad Ross “for the second consecutive night for disciplinary reasons.” . . . Portland F Ty Rattie wasn’t on the bench for the third period after taking a hit to the head. . . . Rattie has a WHL-leading 87 points, one more than Brandon F Mark Stone and Regina F Jordan Weal. . . .

In Prince George, F Shane McColgan had a goal and two assists to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 4-1 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Rockets, who beat the host Cougars 2-1 on Friday with McColgan scoring the winner, scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Prince George G Devon Fordyce stopped 45 shots, 31 more than Kelowna’s Adam Brown. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Kamloops Blazers scored one goal in each period and beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . The Blazers swept the four-game season series from Seattle. . . . Seattle F Colin Jacobs opened the scoring at 7:26 of the first period. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford tied it with his 29th goal at 13:22. . . . F Cole Ully gave the Blazers the lead at 19:40 of the second period. . . . Kamloops G Cam Lanigan stopped 38 shots, two fewer than Seattle’s Calvin Pickard. . . . Seattle has lost five in a row. . . . The Blazers continue to lead the overall standings, two points ahead of the Tri-City Americans and four up on the Edmonton Oil Kings, who didn’t play Saturday. . . . The Americans are scheduled to play in Kamloops on Wednesday. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans erased a 2-0 deficit in the second period and beat the Victoria Royals, 6-3. . . . The victory was Tri-City head coach’s Jim Hiller’s 200th as a WHL head coach. He has 128 of those with the Americans, the rest with the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . F Jamie Crooks, with his 29th, and F Brandon Magee, with his 18th, gave the Royals a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. . . . The Americans scored three times before the second was over and added three more early in the third. . . . F Adam Hughesman had two goals and two assists for the Americans, while F Brendan Shinnimin added a goal and three assists. They each have 31 goals. . . . The Americans won the season series, 3-1. . . .
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Cody Beach, Moose Jaw.
F James Henry, Moose Jaw.
F Brendan Hurley, Medicine Hat (major).
F Patrick Holland, Tri-City.
D Keegan Kanzig, Victoria.
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SATURDAY’S CHECK-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Cody Beach, Moose Jaw.
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The Seattle Times is reporting today that talks are ongoing that could result in NBA and NHL franchises for Seattle, if a facility is built south of Safeco Field. The complete story is right here.


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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Justin Kirsch had a goal and three assists as the Warriors scored a 5-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Moose Jaw F Cam Braes broke a 1-1 tie with his 29th goal 41 seconds into the second period. . . . Kirsch then drew assists on three straight goals and scored a fourth before the period ended. . . . Freshman F Coda Gordon got his 20th goal of the season for the Broncos. . . . The Warriors were 3-6 on the PP; the Broncos were 2-4. . . . Moose Jaw has points in seven straight games (6-0-1). . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades scored the game’s last seven goals and beat the Regina Pats, 8-1. . . . F Josh Nicholls had two goals and an assist for the Blades, who also got two goals from each of F Brett Stovin and D Darren Dietz. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal picked up an assist to run his point streak to 13 games. . . . Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken won his 549th game, moving him past Ernie (Punch) McLean and into second place on the WHL’s all-time list. Only Ken Hodge (742) has more WHL coaching victories than Molleken. . . . Molleken also has coached in 972 games. He is one shy of tying Peter Anholt for third spot on the WHL’s all-time list. . . .

In Edmonton, G Adam Morrison turned back 28 shots as the Vancouver Giants scored a 3-2 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . The Giants opened up a 3-0 lead early in the third period and hung on after the Oil Kings closed the gap. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher scored his first goal for the Giants since missing almost two weeks with a shoulder injury. He’s got 29. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson scored his 20th goal. . . . F Thomas Foster, the Giants’ first pick in the 2011 bantam draft, made his WHL debut. He played against his brother T.J., who plays for the Oil Kings. . . . Oil Kings D Griffin Reinhart, in his third game since missing a couple of weeks with an undisclosed injury, left in the second period and didn’t return. . . .

In Lethbridge, D Josh Morrissey scored twice to help the Prince Albert Raiders to a 6-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Morrissey, 1 16-year-old from Calgary, has 29 points, including seven goals, in 46 games. He also is plus-11 on a team that has struggled defensively. . . . F Anthony Bardaro had four assists for the Raiders, while F Mike Winther and F Shane Danyluk each had a goal and two assists. . . . Raiders G Cole Holowenko stopped 34 shots. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last three goals, all in the third period, and beat the Tigers, 5-2. . . . F Alex Gogolev broke a 2-2 tie at 1:28 of the third on a PP. It was his 20th goal of the season. . . . The Hitmen led 2-0 after one period; the teams were tied 2-2 after two. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem had two assists, but had his goal-scoring streak end at 11 games. . . . The Hitmen have won five in a row and 13 of 14. They are at home to the Tri-City Americans today. . . . The Tigers had won six in a row. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover stopped 28 shots. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz missed in his first opportunity to set the franchise record for career victories. He has tied Matt Keetley’s record of 105. . . . The Hitmen were 3-3 on the PP; the Tigers went 2-5. . . . The games’ first five goals were scored on the PP. . . . Calgary D Alex Roach was back after serving a three-game suspension. He had a first-period PP goal. . . .

In Red Deer, G Corbin Boes stopped 39 shots to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Turner Elson scored twice for Red Deer, including the game’s first goal at 9:01 of the first period. . . . D Ryan Pulock pulled Brandon even at 11:31 of the first and F Mark Stone put the visitors out front at 19:58. Stone has 32 goals. . . . Referees Matt Kirk and Matt Thurston handed out three minor penalties, all to Brandon. . . . Red Deer F Adam Kambeitz, who left Friday’s game with an ankle injury, will be out at least six weeks. The Rebels captain joins D Justin Weller and G Patrik Bartosak on the long-term injury list. . . .

In Prince George, F Josh Winquist scored twice to help the Everett Silvertips to a 4-3 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Silvertips swept the doubleheader, having won 5-2 on Friday night. . . . This is Everett’s first winning streak of the season. . . . The victory lifted Everett past the Cougars and into ninth place in the 10-team Western Conference. . . . Everett now is four points out of a playoff spot. . . . Winquist, who has 12 goals, scored twice in the second period to stretch Everett’s lead to 4-1. . . . F Spencer Asuchak scored for the Cougars in his 200th WHL game. . . . Prince George D Daniel Gibb, who left Friday night’s game, didn’t play last night. . . . The Cougars, who have lost five straight, will play in Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the first time the team has played in the B.C. capital since it left for Prince George after the 1993-94 season. . . .

In Victoria, linemates Tim Bozon, Colin Smith and J.C. Lipon each scored once as the Kamloops Blazers dumped the Royals, 5-1. . . . The Royals had beaten the Blazers 4-2 on Friday. . . . The Blazers, who haven’t lost three straight all season, had lost their previous two games. . . . F Brendan Ranford’s shorthanded goal broke a 1-1 tie at 14:38 of the second. He’s got 26 goals. . . . The Blazers lead the WHL with 15 shorthanded goals. . . . D Landon Cross had two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Tim Traber scored his second goal of the season for the Royals, opening the scoring at 11:01 of the first period. . . . Kamloops G Cam Lanigan stopped 26 shots. . . . It was Pink in the Rink Night and the Royals wore pink uniforms to support cancer research. The promotion-filled evening drew 7,006 fans. . . . The victory lifted the Blazers back into first place overall. They went into the night tied with the Tri-City Americans and Edmonton Oil Kings. The Americans were idle; the Oil Kings lost at home. . . . The Americans are in Calgary today. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Marcel Noebels earned three assists as the Portland Winterhawks beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 8-3. . . . The Winterhawks acquired Noebels from Seattle on Jan. 10. . . . He now has seven points in nine games with Portland. . . . F Sven Baertschi and F Brendan Leipsic each had two goals and an assist for Portland. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 51 shots in earning his 30th victory of the season. . . . The Winterhawks have won three in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds held their Teddy Bear and collected 4,832 stuffed toys. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs came back from a three-goal deficit to beat the Kootenay Ice 5-4 in OT on D Brenden Kichton’s goal at 3:10. . . . Chiefs F Darren Kramer forced OT with his 18th goal at 17:16 of the third. . . . D Corbin Baldwin had gotten the Chiefs to within one with his fourth goal at 14:31 of the third, via the PP. . . . The Ice scored three first-period goals on six shots. . . . The Chiefs then outshot the Ice 18-4 in the second and cut the deficit to 3-2. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams came on to start the second period and stopped 18 of 19 shots. . . . F Joe Antilla had two goals for the Ice. . . . The Chiefs are 5-0-1 in their last six and are in a fourth-place tie with Vancouver in the Western Conference. Spokane holds three games in hand. . . .
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Ryan Olsen, Saskatoon.
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in the BCHL, the Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 28 games with an 8-1 victory over the SilverBacks in Salmon Arm. . . . That is one shy of the BCHL record that is held by the 1989-90 New Westminster Royals. . . . The Vees are next scheduled to play Friday against the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs. As Fraser Rodgers, the radio voice of the Vees, mentioned on his blog, Harvey Smyl, the Chiefs' head coach, was an assistant with the Royals in 1989-90.
———
Today’s good read comes from Jim Matheson at the Edmonton Journal. Matty’s Hockey World is right here and, as usual, it’s full of all kinds of good stuff, including an update on former WHLer Brantt Myhres, who seems to have found some peace.
 
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JUST NOTES:
The Vancouver Giants will be busy today getting the injuries of at least three players re-evaluated. G Adam Morrison, F Brendan Gallagher and F Dalton Sward all were injured on Friday, either prior to or during an 11-4 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans. Those three, along with D David Musil (wrist), sat out Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
I’m told that Morrison actually was injured before Friday’s game, when he was struck on the chin by a soccer ball that players kick around as part of their pregame warming-up process. Morrison was yanked in the second period after giving up five goals in 10:04 and then wasn’t on the bench for the third period. . . . He is believed to have a concussion. . . . The Giants had Alexander Ahnert, 18, from the junior B Delta Ice Hawks backing up Jackson Whistle, 16, on Saturday. The Giants are expected to bring in G Payton Lee, 15, from Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna today. Lee was a second-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . .
Gallagher, meanwhile, is believed to have suffered a separated shoulder when he slid hard into the end boards during Friday’s first period. He had one arm in a sling while he watched Saturday’s game. He is expected to be out for up to six weeks. . . . Sward also is believed to have a separated shoulder. He, too, was sporting a sling and is looking at being out for up to six weeks. . . .
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F Brett Connolly played 7:08 as the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 6-3 decision to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon. . . . Connolly played 10 shifts — three in each of the first two periods (2:43 and 1:54), four in the third (2:31). . . . All of his playing time was at even strength. . . . It was the Lightning’s seventh straight loss, the first time that has happened since 2008-09. . . . Hello, Steve, this is Bob Tory calling . . .
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, F Cody Sylvester broke a 3-3 tie at 11:27 of the third period to give the Hitmen a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen have won seven in a row. . . . It was Calgary’s first victory over Edmonton in four tries this season. . . . Sylvester has 17 goals. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick scored twice for Calgary, giving him 19. . . . Oil Kings F Henrik Saumuelsson, playing in his third game, was ejected with a charging major at 2:51 of the second period. . . . The Hitmen struck for one PP goal on the Samuelsson goal, but weren’t able to score on a 5-on-3 that lasted 1:24. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar later scored his 12th goal on a 5-on-3 PP early in the third period to forge a 3-3 tie. . . .

In Regina, the Saskatoon Blades scored the game’s first five goals and went onto a 7-4 victory over the Pats. . . . The Blades scored four times on 10 first-period shots. . . . Saskatoon, which has won five in a row, won for the third time in as many nights. . . . F Nick Zajac scored his first WHL goal, in his 38th game, in the opening period, with F Lukas Sutter getting his 20th of the season. . . . F Matej Stransky scored Saskatoon’s last two goals, giving him 25. . . . Saskatoon G Alex Moodie, who would have been returned to the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild had starter Andrey Makarov not ended up concussed on Jan. 7, made his fourth straight start for the Blades and stopped 34 shots. He has started eight of their last 10 games and is 7-2-0. Yes, he started Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. . . . Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, reports that Makarov is expected to be out at least another, and also that F Josh Nicholls, who has missed 15 games with a knee injury, may return this weekend. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored five times in the third period and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 8-2. . . . The Warriors took a 3-2 lead into the third period. . . . F Justin Kirsch had two goals and an assist for Moose Jaw, which got a goal and two assists from F James Henry and a goal and two assists from F Cam Braes. The latter two were acquired earlier in the week prior to the trade deadline. . . . F Quinton Howden chipped in three assists for the Warriors. . . . Brandon has lost four in a row and seven of its last eight. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-for-4 on the PP, ending an 0-for-20 stretch. . . . This was Moose Jaw’s first home gme since Dec. 28. . . . Brandon D Ryley Miller left in the first period with an apparent leg injury. . . .

In Everett, F Zach Franko scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Kelowna Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . It was the third game in three nights for both teams. . . . Everett F Reid Petryk forced OT with his eighth goal of the season at 6:18 of the third period. . . . F Brett Bulmer had two assists for Kelowna. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 39 shots.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Ryan Olsen, Saskatoon.

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Tri-City forward Justin Feser unleashes a shot in the direction of Regina
goaltender Matt Hewitt on Saturday night in Kennewick, Wash.
The Americans won the game, 6-1.
(Photo courtesy Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

F Jesse Mychan of the Everett Silvertips had his junior A rights dealt from the Flin Flon Bombers to the Kindersley Klippers in an SJHL trade that was put together late Friday. . . . The Klippers acquired Mychan, 19, F Connor Gay, 16, and cash in exchange for F Jesse Mysiorek, 20. . . . Mychan, who played the last two seasons in Flin Flon, is serving a 10-game suspension. It is his third suspension this season; he earlier sat out a pair of two-game sentences. . . . Earlier, the Klippers picked up G Brandon Stone, 18, from the Estevan Bruins for future considerations. Stone got into 15 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season and started this season there, although he was gone before getting into any games. . . .
If you missed it, and if you like reading good rants, you should skip over to Regan Bartel’s blog and the entry titled ‘One call proves costly.’ . . . Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, didn’t like the performance turned in by a referee on Friday night. . . . I guess that’s why Bartel calls his blog Regan’s Rant. . . . There is a link over there on the right, and I’m thinking that Bartel’s name has been stroked off the Christmas card list by every zebra in the world . . .
If you are looking for some interesting reading, head over to the Regina Leader-Post’s website and check out Greg Harder’s series on Headshots and Hockey. . . . Of special interest are stories on Colton Stephenson, who retired from the Edmonton Oil Kings earlier this season, because of concussion-related problems, and Brayden Cuthbert of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who has yet to play this season for the same reason. . . . If you read only one part of this series, though, make it Part 4 in which Harder writes about Dr. Patrick Neary who “has dedicated several years of meticulous research to unlocking the concussion enigma.”
The entire series may be found right here.
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JUST NOTES: D Stefan Elliott (Saskatoo, 2007-11) scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game on Saturday and it came on Hockey Night in Canada. He scored his side’s third goal in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . He finished plus-1 with two shots in 19 minutes 36 seconds of playing time over 25 shifts. . . . Elliott, a second-round pick, 49th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2009 NHL draft is 20, so he still could be playing with Saskatoon. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Eric Arnold scored twice, including the winner at 11:41 of the third period, as the Warriors beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3. Arnold, who has four goals, had last scored on Sept. 30. . . . The Warriors swept the home-and-home series, having won 7-6 in Brandon on Friday. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost three in a row. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone, the WHL’s leading scorer, was held pointless for the second time this season. His eight-game goal streak also ended. . . . Moose Jaw was without F Justin Kirsch (concussion), as well as D Dylan McIlrath and F Tanner Eberle, both of whom are serving suspensions. . . .
In Prince Albert, F Brady Brassart had two goals and an assist to help the Calgary Hitmen to an 8-2 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Hitmen broke open a 1-1 game with three goals in a span of 3:01 in the second period. . . . The Hitmen went 4-0 on their swing into the East Division. . . . Each team took 51 penalty minutes. . . .
In Saskatoon, G Adam Morrison stopped 27 shots in leading the Vancouver Giants to a 4-1 victory over the Blades. The Giants acquired Morrison, 20, from the Blades earlier in the season. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson had two goals. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls wasn’t able to beat Morrison on a late first-period penalty shot with the Blades leading 1-0. . . . Saskatoon F Lukas Sutter took two checking-to-the-head minors, one at 17:49 of the first and the other just 54 seconds into the second. . . .
In Edmonton, F Tyler Maxwell scored twice as the Oil Kings dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-2. . . . Maxwell, who has 13 goals, was acquired Thursday from the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Michael St. Croix had two goals and two assists, while F Dylan Wruck added a goal and two helpers. They are Maxwell’s linemates. . . . Edmonton D Martin Gernat had two assists and was plus-3 with his parents, who are here from Slovakia, among the crowd of 8,759 on Minor Hockey Night. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Mark Pysyk and F Kristians Pelss (both undisclosed). . . .
In Red Deer, the Medicine Hat Tigers went 2-for-11 on the PP and beat the Rebels, 4-1. . . . Red Deer took 56 of 103 penalty minutes. . . . Tigers F Emerson Etem scored his WHL-leading 27th goal, into an empty net. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy picked up a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct at 11:10 of the first period. . . .
Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 29 shots. . . .
In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford reached the 200-point plateau as his Blazers dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 8-2. . . . Ranford, playing in his 230th game, got there with a second-period goal, his 13th of the season. He also had an assist and a scrap, for the third Gordie Howe hat trick of his career. . . . He also served an early double minor for high-sticking after hitting Seattle F Brendan Troock. After the collision, Ranford’s stick came around and the blade struck Troock in the back of his neck, directly under his helmet. Troock, who missed all of last season with a head injury, left on a stretcher and was taken to hospital as a precaution. When the Thunderbirds left the arena, they planned on stopping at Royal Inland Hospital and picking up Troock for the trip home. . . . Kamloops D Brady Gaudet had three assists. . . . Seattle was outshot 50-19, including 19-3 in the first period. Two of those shots were dump-ins that preceded line changes, with the other a soft shot from the point by D Brad Deagle. . . . The Thunderbirds gave starter Calvin Pickard a rest — he had started 20 of 22 — and gave Daniel Cotton his third career start. . . . Seattle D Cason Machacek was ejected with a major for checking to the head in the third period. . . .
In Everett, the Swift Current Broncos got two goals from F Taylor Vause and beat the Silvertips, 3-1. . . . The Broncos are 1-2 on their U.S. Division trip. . . . They are in Portland today. . . . Broncos G Jon Groenheyde stopped 32 shots. . . . Vause has 15 goals. . . . Everett has lost four in a row. . . .
In Kelowna, F Brett Bulmer scored three times to spark the Rockets to a 6-5 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Bulmer has six goals in 10 games since returning from the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . . Victoria D Zach Habscheid scored his first goal of the season. It was his second in 113 regular-season games. . . .
In Spokane, the Prince George Cougars surprised the Chiefs, 5-4, on D Linden Springer’s first goal. He broke a 4-4 tie at 2:23 of the third period. . . . The goal came in Springer’s 23rd game, 20 of which he has played this season. . . . It also was his first point. . . . The Chiefs are 0-7 on the road as they head out on a five-game trip into the Central Division. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Patrick Holland had a goal and two assists as the Tri-City Americans beat the Regina Pats, 6-1. . . . G Eric Comrie stopped 20 shots for the victory. . . . The Americans have won four in a row and are one point behind the Kootenay Ice, who top the WHL’s overall standings. The Americans, at .760, do have the league’s best winning percentage. . . . Regina finished its U.S. Division trek at 1-3-1. . . . The Pats next play Friday against the visiting Vancouver Giants.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Matej Stransky, Saskatoon
F Eric Walker, Vancouver
D Brady Gaudet, Kamloops
F Taylor Crunk, Victoria

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

The story involving hockey, concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has taken another turn.
Researchers in Boston have revealed that the brain of Richard Martin, who was a member of the famed French Connection with the Buffalo Sabres, contained CTE.
Martin, who died of a heart attack in March at the age of 59, played 11 NHL seasons, mostly without a helmet. He is the third former NHLer — but the first who wasn’t a fighter — whose brain has been found to have had CTE. The other two were Reggie Fleming and Bob Probert.
Robert Stern, a professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Boston University and co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the university’s school of medicine, told James Christie of The Globe and Mail that Martin’s “CTE was definitely there and likely caused by repetitive blows to the head, received in hockey over the years.”
It is interesting that Martin, despite the presence of CTE, hadn’t shown any of the symptoms of the chronic brain disease that so many other diagnosed athletes had shown. That only goes to show how this research really is in its infancy and how much researchers continue to learn about the brain.
Dr. Ann McKee, who has done so much work in this area, examined Martin’s brain.
“Someone who wasn’t a fighter, by playing the game of hockey for the number of years that (Martin) did . . . it put him at risk for developing this disease,” Stern told Christie.
“We can speculate symptoms would have gotten worse. The message is that we need to take brain trauma in hockey and in all sports much more seriously than we have before.”
Researchers also are examining the brain of Derek Boogaard, who died earlier this summer. Results of that examination have yet to be released.
Christie’s complete story is right here.
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“The WHL's decision to modify its injury report is hardly a life-or death issue,” writes Greg Harder in the Regina Leader-Post. “Perhaps no one outside the media even noticed. However, it does point to a larger issue of credibility, raising legitimate questions about what the WHL is trying to hide.”
Harder’s complete column is right here.
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Things weren’t very pretty in Swift Current on Wednesday as the Broncos held their annual general meeting.
According to a team-issued news release: “The Broncos announced a financial loss of $197,226. The loss on the Hockey Operations side was $882,587, but additional revenues in Corporate Sponsorship, Corporate Suites and Fundraising closed the gap partially.”
A year ago, the Broncos announced a loss of $58,927 for 2009-10.
Jordan Wall, the Broncos’ director of business operations, told Steven Mah of the Southwest Booster after Wednesday night’s meeting: “It is very startling. I mean, it is not completely unexpected. We understood there were certain factors that led to it and we understood that we were probably going down that road this season, especially with a rough second half. But it is not a number you want to see and it is very scary for the long-term viability of the franchise.”
Think about the last part of that quote for a moment . . . “It is very scary for the long-term viability of the franchise.”
And thinks don’t look any better for this season, not with season-ticket sales somewhere south of 1,500. The Broncos have played two home games this season, drawing 2,023 fans to their home-opener (a 4-2 loss to the Regina Pats) and 1,812 (a 6-5 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings).
Mah reported: “Ticket sales, per game attendance, and season-ticket sales all decreased during (2010-11). Per game attendance dropped for the second straight season, from 2,197 to 2,135.”
Mah’s complete story is right here.
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JUST NOTES: The host Saskatoon Blades won the Brodsky Bowl on Wednesday night, beating the visiting Prince George Cougars, 6-1. Jack Brodsky is the governor and president of the Blades; his brother Rick owns the Cougars. . . . The Cougars had six 16-year-old players, five of them forwards, in their lineup. . . . F Brett Connolly, who played the last three seasons with the Prince George Cougars, will open the season with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. In the preseason, Connolly, the sixth overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft, skated on a line with NHL stars Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis. When the Lightning opens against the host Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, Connolly likely will be on the third line, alongside Dominic Moore and Ryan Shannon. . . .
The Medicine Hat Tigers are the first Central Division team to visit the Victoria Royals. They’ll play there tonight and Friday. Before leaving Medicine Hat, the Tigers assigned G Dawson MacAuley, 17, to the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos and D Ryan Aasman to the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. MacAuley’s departure leaves Kenny Cameron, 18, to back up starter Tyler Bunz. Aasman, who from Medicine Hat, was selected by the Prince Albert Raiders with the eighth overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft. . . . G Luke Siemens, acquired Tuesday from the Everett Silvertips, stopped 19 shots on Wednesday night to help the host Moose Jaw Warriors to their fourth straight victory, a 3-2 triumph over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . D Collin Bowman, 20, has returned to the Warriors from the camp of the AHL’s Connecticut Whale. He is expected to be in the Warriors’ lineup Friday against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
In Edmonton, the Reinhart brothers staged something of a family reunion, although Griffin, a defenceman with the Oil Kings, wasn’t around for the finish against the Kootenay Ice. He took a kneeing major and game misconduct in the third period, so missed the end of what was a 2-1 shootout victory for the Oil Kings. . . . Kootenay F Brandon Hurley, who took the knee from Reinhart, is believed to have suffered a charleyhorse. . . . The Ice’s roster includes F Max Reinhart and F Sam Reinhart, both of whom came up empty in the shootout. All three are sons of former NHL D Paul Reinhart. . . .
In Vancouver, newly acquired G Adam Morrison stopped 25 shots through OT as the Giants scored a 3-2 shootout victory over the Spokane Chiefs. Vancouver F James Henry scored the only goal of the shootout to make a winner out of Morrison, who was acquired Tuesday in a four-player deal with the Saskatoon Blades. F Levi Bews, who also came to Vancouver in that deal, scored the Giants’ first goal. . . . The Red Deer Rebels have traded D Brad Deagle, 19, to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a conditional seventh round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. A third-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft, Deagle had 12 points, all of them assists, in 62 games last season. Deagle’s departure leaves the Rebels with nine defencemen still on their roster. . . .
The host Kelowna Rockets ran their winning streak to nine games with a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. The Rockets, who went 6-0 in the exhbition season, have won their first three regular-season games. They will meet again Friday, this time in Kennewick, Wash., at the Toyota Center. . . . Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, reported on his blog yesterday that F Austin Fyten, 20, is scheduled to have knee surgery later this month and likely won’t play again for six months. Fyten was injured on his final shift of an exhibition game in Taber, Alta.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Jason Hills of the Edmonton Sun has spoken with Dr. Michael Czarnota, the consulting neurophysiologist for the WHL and OHL.
Here is part of what Hills wrote:
Czarnota worries about what the future may hold for some players down the road.
"I haven't worked with these guys long enough to see the true impact yet, but I have to be honest, it's something I worry about," said Czarnota.
"I'm almost obsessed to do everything I can to make it least likely to occur as possible. But I would be deluding myself in feeling I can keep that from happening completely, but we're going to do everything we can to try and eliminate these terrible head injuries."
Hill’s complete story is right here.
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The WHL released the second injury report of the new season on Tuesday and, as in the first, injuries are categorized as lower body or upper body.
Why?
“One of the reasons we’re doing that is just the competitiveness of the game, nobody wants other players targeting areas of injuries,” Spokane Chiefs GM Tim Speltz told Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “Nobody is trying to hide anything, we’re just trying to protect the players. It’s not something the opposition needs to know.”
That being the case, it sounds as though a league that has outlawed headshots — and so far as issued seven- and 10-game suspensions for same — is concerned about players targeting other players’ heads.
Perhaps the headshot problem runs deeper than we thought.
Besides, with the manner in which hockey players at all levels use social media these days, you can bet there no longer are any secrets involving injuries.
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Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s disciplinarian, dropped the sledge hammer on Tuesday, suspending F Charles Inglis of the Prince George Cougars for 10 games.
Inglis picked up a major and game misconduct for delivering a check to the head of Victoria Royals D Tyler Stahl, who left the Saturday game and is out indefinitely with a concussion.
“These are the types of hits all leagues are trying to get out of the game,” Prince George general manager Dallas Thompson said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we had an incident. Now the suspension has come down. We move on.”
Inglis, who had 32 goals last season and has three in as many games this season, will be eligible to return Oct. 26 when the Cougars meet the Rockets in Kelowna.
The Cougars, in their first game without Inglis, opened an East Division swing Tuesday night with a 6-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders.
Inglis now holds the dubious distinction of owning the longest suspension handed out by Doerksen this season. F Cody Beach of the Moose Jaw Warriors is serving a seven-game suspension for an opening night hit on F Bruno Mraz of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Meanwhile, Doerksen also doled out four other suspensions on Tuesday.
F Brendan Leipsic of the Portland Winterhawks got five games under supplemental discipline for an incident against the visiting Tri-City Americans on Sept. 30. (Already this season, the Americans have plucked a player off the Winterhawks’ roster via waivers and the Winterhawks asked for, and received, supplemental discipline against Tri-City’s Jordan Messier – he was suspended for two games – after an earlier game. Some rivalry!)
F Marcus Messier of the Tri-City Americans will sit out four games for a checking from behind incident in a game at Spokane on Saturday. Tri-City D Justin Hamonic was given a double minor at the time, but it turns out the culprit was Messier.
D Cason Machacek of the Seattle Thunderbirds got a two-game sentence for “one man fight and repeat offender” in a game at Portland on Saturday.
F Klarc Wilson of the Edmonton Oilers will miss one game for a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct in a game at Medicine Hat on Saturday.
(The OHL handed out three suspensions Tuesday, each of them for a check to an opponent’s head. Those suspensions were for 15, 10 and eight games. For details, and video, check out the OHL’s website. The OHL already has dished out four suspensions of at least 10 games.)
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It would seem the goaltending shuffle is in high gear in the WHL.
On Monday, the Moose Jaw Warriors acquired G Luke Siemens, who turns 19 in November, from the Everett Silvertips. That move prompted the Warriors to waive G Deven Dubyk, 20, and release G Brandon Stone, 19.
On Tuesday, two more veteran goaltenders were on the move, Jon Groenheyde  shifting from the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Swift Current Broncos and Adam Morrison going from the Saskatoon Blades to the Vancouver Giants.
Groenheyde and Morrison both are 20 years of age.
Groenheyde was acquired by Edmonton last season, with G Cam Lanigan going to the Kamloops Blazers in exchange. This season, Groenheyde has gotten into just one game with Edmonton, which is going with Laurent Brossoit, 18, as its starter. Tristan Jarry, 16, now backs up Brossoit.
In exchange for Groenheyde, the Broncos gave up F Jordan Peddle, 20, who has spent three seasons in Swift Current. Peddle has 64 points in 198 regular-season games.
Groenheyde is expected to play Saturday when the Lethbridge Hurricanes visit Swift Current.
The Giants, meanwhile, acquired G Adam Morrison, 20, and F Levi Bews, 17, from the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for F Michael Burns, 20, D Zach Hodder, 18, and a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft.
The Giants are trying to plug what has been a leaky defence – they have given up 22 goals over their last four games – and are hoping Morrison, who is from White Rock, B.C., will be at least part of the answer.
Morrison, a third-round pick by the Blades in the 2006 bantam draft, was in his fourth season in Saskatoon and has a career record of 44-22-6. His acquisition leaves the Giants with three goaltenders, the others being Brendan Jensen, 18, who has been starting, and freshman Jackson Whistle, 16. The Giants now are expected to move Jensen and keep Whistle to back up Morrison.
Bews, 17, had seven points in 52 games with the Blades last season.
The Giants are at home to the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday night and expect to have Morrison and Bews available. Morrison, in fact, is expected to get the start.
The Giants remain with three 20-year-olds on their roster, the others being F James Henry and D Neil Manning.
The Blades, meanwhile, also are carrying three 20-year-olds, with Burns joining F Jesse Paradis and F Jake Trask. Saskatoon also shows F Darian Dziurzynski on its roster but he is with the AHL’s Portland Pirates, at least for now.
The Giants had acquired Burns from the Edmonton Oil Kings last season, while Hodder, the 20th overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft, had been at home in Delta., B.C., awaiting a trade.
The departure of Morrison left the Blades with Russian freshman Andrey Makarov, 18, as the only goaltender on their roster. However, they later recalled G Adam Todd from the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Todd was a fourth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft.
Burns, Hodder and Todd all are expected to be in uniform Wednesday night against the visiting Prince George Cougars.
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D Matt MacKenzie, 20, has signed a three-year contract with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. MacKenzie, who was acquired by the Tri-City Americans from the Calgary Hitmen, remains with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, at least for now. He was a third-round selection by Buffalo in the 2010 NHL draft. He has 98 points and 180 penalty minutes in 225 regular-season WHL games.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings, already without veteran D Brodie Melnychuk (broken wrist), have lost F Dominick Favreau and D Rene Hunter to injuries.
Favreau has a lower-body injury and the team says he could miss three weeks.
Here’s Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun on Hunter’s situation:
Meanwhile, the club’s injury report lists Hunter, 18, as out one week after he took a hit to the head from Saskatoon Blades forward Nick Zajac on Saturday.
When asked whether Hunter sustained a concussion, Wheat Kings head coach Cory Clouston would only tell the Sun that it was an “upper body” injury.
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JUST NOTES: The WHL website now includes the transaction involving D Braeden (Bunny) Laroque, 19. It turns out he was dealt by the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a fourth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . The Portland Winterhawks have assigned D Matthew Franczyk, 18, to the MJHL’s Winnipeg South Blues. He was pointless in one game with Portland this season. Last season, he played one game with the Swift Current Broncos and 12 with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . .
F Brett Connolly, 19, has made the season-opening roster of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Connolly played the last three seasons with his hometown Prince George Cougars, although injuries limited him to 16 games in 2009-10. In order to keep Connolly, the sixth overall pick in the NHL’s 2010 draft, on its roster, the Lightning sent F Dana Tyrell to the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Tyrell and Connolly once were linemates with the Cougars. . . . F Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the CHL’s player of the week. He had nine points, including four goals, in three games last week. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels have lost freshman F Brooks Maxwell, 17, for up to six weeks with a broken wrist. He was injured Saturday in a 7-2 loss to the Raiders in Prince Albert.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Tuesday . . . early

 The Portland Winterhawks don’t seem likely to get back LW Luke Walker, 20, now that he has signed with the Colorado Avalanche. He was selected by Colorado in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL draft. Walker signed a three-year, entry-level deal, with a US$140,000 signing bonus, and was assigned the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters. Walker already has reported to the Cleveland-based team. . . . In 202 regular-season games with Portland, Walker, who is from Castlegar, B.C., had 130 points, including 65 goals, and 271 penalty minutes. . . . He is the son of former WHLer Gord Walker (Portland, Kamloops, 1982-85) and is represented by Carlos Sosa, who is based in Auburn, Wash.

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The Kelowna Rockets have assigned F Colton Heffley, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, to the midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires. He had one assist in six preseason games. . . . That gets the Rockets’ roster down to 25 players as they prepare for a Wednesday night visit by the Tri-City Americans.
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The Vancouver Giants had only five defencemen dressed for Monday’s 7-2 loss to the Winterhawks in Portland. Tanner Sohn (knee) was injured in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Silvertips in Everett. D Zach Hodder and F Connor Redmond are out with long-term shoulder injuries.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings are down to 31 players after designating G Andrew Hayes, 20, for assignment. Hayes holds the franchise record for career GAA, having put up a 2.79 mark in 111 regular-season games. From Sherwood Park, Alta., he also has 11 career shutouts, behind only Tyler Plante (12) in Wheat Kings history. . . . Brandon still is carrying four goaltenders -- Jacob DeSerres, 20, Ty Rimmer, 18, Corbin Boes, 17, and Liam Liston, 17. . . . F Scott Glennie, 19, was to return to practice with the Wheat Kings on Tuesday after a stint with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. He is expected to play Wednesday against the Warriors in Moose Jaw.
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The Kamloops Blazers have designated F Rhyse Dieno, 17, for assignment, likely to an SJHL team. He had one assist in 16 games last season and didn’t dress for either of the team’s first two games this season. . . . The Blazers now are at 24 players, including two goaltenders and eight defencemen.
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G Adam Morrison, 19, is back with the Saskatoon Blades after being in camp with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. They selected him in the third round of the 2009 NHL draft. The Blades now have three goaltenders on their roster, the others being Steven Stanford, 20, and Adam Iwan, 17. . . . Stanford is one of six 20-year-olds on the Blades’ roster, although one of those (F Gaelan Patterson) is in camp with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
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F Quinton Howden, 18, returned to the Moose Jaw Warriors from the camp of the NHL’s Florida Panthers on Monday. He is likely to play Wednesday against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Panthers selected Howden with the 25th overall pick of the 2010 NHL draft.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter