Hockey Canada is expected to announce one of the these days that Don Hay, the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, will coach Canada’s entry in the IIHF’s U-18 world championship. That tournament is scheduled for April 18-28 in Sochi, Russia. . . . Last year’s tournament was held in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic, with the U.S., Sweden and Canada finishing in that order. . . . This year, Canada will be in a pool with Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia. The other pool is to comprise the U.S., Finland, Russia, Czech Republic and Latvia. . . . Canada opens April 13 against Slovakia.
Hay, of course, has extensive experience with Hockey Canada. The 59-year-old from Kamloops has twice coached the national junior team, winning gold in Red Deer in 1995 and bronze in Calgary/Edmonton in 2012.
———
We have word of another hockey team that uses a logo similar to that of the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Here is the logo used by the junior B Regina Capitals, of the Prairie Junior Hockey League.

———

 The WHL’s first-round situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Edmonton leads 1-0; Game 2 on Sunday in Edmonton)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary leads 2-0; Game 3 on Monday in Swift Current)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Prince Albert)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Series tied 1-1; Game 3 on Wednesday in Everett)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Seattle leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Kent, Wash.)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Victoria. Bear Mountain Arena)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Kennewick, Wash.)
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Red Deer, the Rebels jumped out to a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Rhyse Dieno gave the Rebels a 3-0 edge at 6:25 of the second. . . . The Raiders got in it on goals from F Jonas Knutsen, at 14:15 of the second, and F Shane Danyluk, at 10:05 of the third. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 36 shots, two fewer than Prince Albert’s Luke Siemens. . . . Red Deer F Joel Hamilton came up dry on a first-period penalty shot with his side up 1-0. . . . F Turner Elson had two assists for Red Deer. . . .

In Spokane, F Blake Gal broke a 4-4 tie at 16:31 of the third period and the Chiefs went on to a 6-4 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Jesse Mychan had pulled Tri-City into a 4-4 tie with a PP goal at 8:41 of the third. . . . The goal was Gal’s second of the game. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 15 shots. . . . The Chiefs have taken four straight games from the Americans, including two late in the regular season. . . . The next two games and a third, if necessary, will be played in Kennewick, Wash. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks held Everett to 11 shots on goal and beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski had a goal and two assists, while F Ty Rattie had one of each. . . . Portland D Shaun MacPherson scored his first playoff goal at 8:04 of the second. It gave Portland a 2-0 lead and ended up being the winner. . . . The game degenerated in the late going and by the end the visitors had taken 88 of 130 penalty minutes. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 30 shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 10 shots, including three in the first period and one in the second. . . . Everett had lost 16 consecutive games in Portland before winning Friday’s opener, 4-3. . . .

In Kamloops, D Joel Edmundson and F Tim Bozon each scored twice as the Blazers got past the Victoria Royals, 6-4. . . . The Blazers led 5-1 going into the third period. The Royals then scored three times and trailed 5-4 with 1:44 left. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick put it away with an empty-netter at 18:52. . . . Kamloops F JC Lipon drew four assists. . . . The Royals got a goal and an assist from each of F Jamie Crooks and F Austin Carroll. . . . Victoria lost D Ryan Gagnon in the first period when he lost an edge and crashed awkwardly into the boards. He eventually was helped off the ice but didn’t return. Head coach Dave Lowry said Gagnon will be “re-evaluated” when the Royals return home. . . . Royals general manager Cam Hope told play-by-play man Marlon Martens that he saw Gagnon in the dressing room after the incident. “He was walking and talking and quite upset that he had put himself in that position and was out of the game. But hopefully he’ll be back soon.” . . .

In Kelowna, F Alex Delnov scored at 2:41 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Cole Linaker gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 13:28 of the second period. . . . Seattle D Jared Hauf forced OT with a goal at 10:08 of the third. . . . Among the Rockets’ scratches was veteran F J.T. Barnett, who had played in Game 1. The Rockets inserted freshman F Austin Glover, who turned 17 on Jan. 15, in Barnett’s spot. . . . The Rockets were 31-5-0 at home in the regular season, but now have lost two straight playoff games, both in OT, at home. . . .
The Thunderbirds now are 6-2 against the Rockets in playoff OT games. Here’s a look, courtesy of Ian Henry, the Thunderbirds’ director of public and media relations:
March 30, 2001 — In Game 1 of the first round, Shane Endicott scored at 2:14 of overtime for a 5-4 Seattle victory.
April 6, 2001 — In Game 4 of the first round, Brad Tutschek scored at 2:20 of overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
April 8, 2001 — In Game 5 of the first round, Paul Hurd scored at 5:27 of overtime for a 2-1 Kelowna victory.
April 22, 2003 — In Game 3 of the Western Conference final, Tyler Metcalfe scored at 18:58 of the second overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
March 28, 2008 — In Game 3 of the first round, David Richard scored at 15:12 of overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
March 29, 2008 — In Game 6 of the first round, Lucas Bloodoff scored at 10:59 of overtime for a 4-3 Kelowna victory.
March 22, 2013 — In Game 1 of the first round, Luke Lockhart scored at 19:09 of overtime for a 5-4 Seattle victory.
March 23, 2013 — In Game 2 of the first round, Alexander Delnov scored at 2:41 of overtime for a 2-1 Seattle victory.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (5):
D Marco Mueller, Everett

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (2):
F Taylor Peters, Portland


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F Shane McColgan of the Saskatoon Blades returned home Wednesday after suffering a suspected concussion on Tuesday night during the Blades 5-2 loss to the Royals in Victoria. . . . McColgan was injured when he fell and struck his head on the ice after colliding with Victoria F Luke Harrison in the second period. . . . McColgan won’t play Friday in Kamoops or Saturday in Kelowna. . . . The Blades also have lost F Nick Zajac, who took a hit from behind from Victoria D Tyler Stahl. Zajac is day-to-day with — wait for it — an upper body injury. Stahl has drawn one of those tbd suspensions. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix also reports that D Matthew Pufahl is skating but his status for Friday is up in the air. Pufahl suffered an undisclosed injury Friday in Prince George. Cougars F Caleb Belter drew a three-game suspension for the hit on Pufahl. . . .
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Mark McNeill broke a 2-2 tie at 15:57 of the third period as the Prince Albert Raiders beat the Warriors, 3-2. . . .The Raiders led 2-0 late in the second period when the Warriors got back in it on F Sam Fioretti’s 16th goal at 19:07 on the PP. . . . F Jordan Messier tied it 45 seconds into the third period. He’s got three goals. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens, who was sent north by the Warriors over the summer, stopped 29 shots. . . . In their last nine games, the Warriors have lost six times by one goal. But four of those losses came in OT or the circus, so they picked up four loser points. . . . Moose Jaw now heads out o a seven-game road trip. . . .

In Calgary, F Jake Virtanen, the first overall pick in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft, scored with 27 seconds left to give the Hitmen a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Hitmen have won three in a row and eight of nine. . . . The Hurricanes are 1-5 in their last six. . . . On Tuesday, the Hitmen were outshot 44-20 in Lethbridge and won 3-2. Last night, Calgary held a 49-16 edge in shots. . . .

In Kamloops, G Teagan Sacher made 40 saves and F Lane Scheidl scored twice as the Regina Pats got past the Blazers, 2-1, in overtime. . . . Kamloops held a 41-13 edge in shots and, by the Blazers’ count, a 28-9 edge in scoring chances. . . . F Tim Bozon got a PP goal for the Blazers at 6:25 of the third, with Scheidl equalizing, on the PP, five minutes later. . . . In OT, the Blazers turned over the puck in the neutral zone, Kamloops F Colin Smith and D Tyler Hansen collided and fell down, and Scheidl found room on the left side to blast a shot past G Taran Kozun, who finished with 11 saves. . . . In a game that featured more holding than a high school dance, eight of the game’s 13 minors were for roughing. . . .

In Spokane, F Todd Fiddler scored twice to help the Chiefs to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Chiefs are 11-2-0 at home. . . . Spokane broke a 1-1 tie with two third-period goals. . . . D Reid Gow broke a 1-1 tie at 4:41 of the third, with Fiddler later adding an empty-netter. . . .

In Portland, G Brendan Burke recorded his first WHL shutout as the Winterhawks beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-0. . . . Burke stopped 18 shots in putting up Portland’s four shutout in 23 games this season. Three different goaltenders have shutout with Portland, as Mac Carruth has two and Cam Lanigan one. The latter now is with the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic had three assists as he ran his point streak to 11 games. He also has 11 straight multi-point games. . . . F Ty Rattie scored Portland’s first goal, his 15th, while F Nic Petan got the other two, giving him 13. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Alex Delnov and and F Riley Sheen each had a goal and three assists as the Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Kootenay Ice, 7-4. . . . F Roberts Lipsbergs scored his sixth goal for Seattle, running his goal streak to four games. . . . The Ice trailed 3-2 early in the third period when Seattle F Luke Lockhart scored twice, at 7:20 and 8:34, to all but put it away.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Dawson Leedahl, Everett

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None

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With Internet problems in the press box at Interior Savings Centre, veteran
sportscaster Earl Seitz of Kamloops TV station CFJC had time to pose for
a photo with the gals from the station on Friday night. There's more from
Seitz further down in this report.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Johnny Boychuk (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 1999-2004) signed a lockout contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had five goals and ten assists in 77 games with Boston Bruins last season. . . .
F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1996-2001) was released by Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had two goals and six assists in 21 games with Pardubice this season. . . .
F Evander Kane (Vancouver, 2006-09) was released from his lockout contract by Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). He had one goal and 47 PIM in 11 games with Minsk.
———
Brent Sutter, the owner, president, general manager and, since Tuesday, interim head coach of the Red Deer Rebels continued to reshape his roster Friday. He released D Jan Bittner, a 19-year-old Czech who didn’t have a point in 14 games. . . . Sutter also released F Austin Ferguson, who was pointless in four games with the Rebels after having been acquired from the Kelowna Rockets. Ferguson, 17, is from Abbotsford, B.C.
———
The Kamloops Blazers have acquired F Joey Kornelsen, 19, from the Calgary Hitmen for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Kornelsen, in his fourth WHL season, also played for the Moose Jaw Warriors. In 187 regular-season games, he has 62 points, including 24 goals. This season, he has four assists in 18 games. . . . With the Hitmen getting F Victor Rask back from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, Kornelsen may have had trouble getting playing time in Calgary. . . . The Blazers, meanwhile, are without two 20-year-old forwards. Dylan Willick (broken ankle) likely won’t play until after Christmas, while Jordan DePape (shoulder) continues to be evaluated by medical staff. . . . Kamloops associate coach Dave Hunchak coached Kornelsen while both were with the Warriors. Moose Jaw selected him with its first pick, 33rd overall, in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Alan Caldwell, over there at Small Thoughts At Large, notes that the Hitmen now hold 10 selections in the first six rounds of the 2013 bantam draft. As Caldwell tweeted: “Lots of trade bait there, if they want to make a move later.”
———
Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun reports that D Martin Gernat is back in Edmonton, although he’s still a while from getting back into the Oil Kings’ lineup. Gernat, who watched his teammates practise on Friday, had shoulder surgery in the Czech Republic in September. If all goes well, Gernat could begin light skating in a couple of weeks. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Gernat had 55 points, including nine goals, as a freshman last season. The Edmonton Oilers selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2011 draft.
The Oil Kings return to action tonight as they play host to the Prince Albert Raiders. The Oil Kings will be without F Travis Ewanyk, who suffered a knee injury during Team WHL’s 1-0 Super Series shootout victory over a Russian side in Vancouver on Wednesday. He was to undergo an MRI on Friday and there already is speculation that he will be out for at least a month.
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Victoria, G Patrik Polivka stopped 20 shots as the Royals beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-0. . . . It was Polivka’s first WHL shutout. . . . He had help as the Silvertips hit three posts. . . . It also was the Royals’ first shutout since the franchise relocated from Chilliwack prior to last season. . . . The big story, however, may have come in the second period when Everett D Ryan Murray left the game after taking a check from Victoria F Logan Nelson. There were reports that Murray was taken to hospital with what is believed to be an injury to his left arm or shoulder. . . . Murray, taken second overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL draft, is one of the league’s top defencemen. If healthy, he will play for Canada’s national junior team and may be the captain. . . . F Jamie Crooks had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist for the Royals, who have won two in a row. . . . Everett F Manraj Hayer was back after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers got 14 points from their big line as they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . RW JC Lipon had two goals and two assists, while C Colin Smith had a goal and four assists and LW Tim Bozon was two and two. . . . Lipon leads the WHL in goals (19) and points (48), while Smith leads in assists (31) and is second in points (47). . . . The three had combined for just seven points in the previous six games, five of which were losses. . . . Portland had its 12-game winning streak snapped and fell four points back of the WHL-leading Blazers. . . . F Brendan Leipsic had a goal and two assists for the Winterhawks, his seventh straight multi-point game. He is on a nine-game point streak. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford and Portland D Troy Rutkowski both played in their 300th regular-season games and each scored a goal. Each player is with his original team. . . . Kamloops D Sam Grist was pointless but finished plus-5. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth suffered his first loss in 10 decisions. He has given up 10 goals in his last four periods at Interior Savings Centre. That goes back to Game 6 of a second-round series last spring when the Blazers came back from a 5-2 deficit to win, 7-6. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Alex Delnov had two goals and an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Delnov, who has eight goals, played for Russia in the Super Series-clinching victory over Team WHL on Thursday in Victoria. . . . Seattle F Robert Lipsbergs broke a 3-3 tie 15:57 of the third period. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored twice for the Tigers, giving him 17. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored three times in the game’s first 7:30 and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes gave up four goals on 15 shots but last just one period. Curtis Honey came on to stop 17 of 18. . . . Kootenay G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 32 shots. . . . The teams meet in Cranbrook again tonight. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Logan McVeigh broke a 2-2 tie at 2:03 of the third period as the Prince Albert Raiders beat the Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . The victory lifted the Raiders past the idle Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton Oil Kings, into first place in the Eastern Conference. . . . F Leon Draisaitl had two goals for the winners. . . . F Russell Maxwell got his 14th goal of the season, in his 24th game, for Lethbrige. Lst season, he finished with 15 goals in 72 games. . . . Draisaitl, a German freshman who turned 17 on Oct. 27, has 18 points, five of them goals, in 22 games. . . . The Raiders are 6-0-0 against Alberta teams this season. They play in Edmonton tonight. . . .

In Prince George, G Andrey Makarov stopped 42 shots to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-0 victory over the Cougars. . . . One night earlier, Makarov backstopped a Russian team to a 5-2 victory over Team WHL in a Super Series game in Victoria. He also played in Wednesday’s 1-0 shootout loss to the WHL in Vancouver. . . . This was Makarov’s first shutout this season and the third of his career. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls got his 19th goal, one of the league lead held by Kamloops F JC Lipon. . . . Prince George F Caleb Belter drew a boarding major and game misconduct at 12:10 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon D Matthew Pufahl, who was hit by Belter, needed help getting off the ice and didn’t return to the game. . . . The Cougars lost D Rinalds Rosinskis, who left in the second period after blocking a shot with his left leg. . . . The Blades continue their B.C. swing in Vancouver on Sunday. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that the Blades are expected to bring up F Nick Gomerich, 16, from the major midget North Island Silvertips for the game. . . .

In Vancouver, F Thomas Foster scored in the circus to give the Giants a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Foster was the 13th shooter in a seven-round shootout. . . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk forced OT with his 12th goal at 19:06 of the third period. It came via the PP. . . . Pats F Lane Scheidl, who began his WHL career with the Giants, notched his 11th goal and added two assists. . . . F Kale Kessy scored twice for Vancouver, including a shorthanded score at 7:16 of the third period that gave his side  3-2 lead. . . . Regine D Kyle Burroughs, who is from Langley, B.C., scored his first goal of the season in front of family and friends. . . . The Giants have back-to-back victories for the first time this season. Ironically, both victories have come in shootouts, a part of the game that Vancouver head coach Don Hay doesn’t enjoy. . . . Vancouver remains without F Cain Franson, who is believed to have a concussion. He has missed eight games. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Kelowna Rockets, 3-2. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser won it with his 15th score this season at 14:44 of the third period. . . . Americans G Eric Comrie stopped a season-high 41 shots. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke returned from an undisclosed injury — speculation had him with a concussion incurred in a practice — to stop 19 shots. . . . The same teams meet in Kennewick again tonight.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Trevor Cheek, Vancouver
D Mirco Mueller, Everett
F Manraj Hayer, Everett

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, Vancouver
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Tri-City F Philip Tot (@totter19) with some advice for the ladies: “Women’s make up should come with a warning. Do not exceed entire bottle in one night. Know your limits #naturalbeauty #seriously”
———
TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Earl Seitz (@EarlCFJCsports), veteran Kamloops sportscaster: “We can put men on the moon, land rovers on Mars and fly drones to get the enemy. These days the enemy is the internet at the ISC #needdrone”
Oh, does he get my support on this one. It’s 2012 (almost 2013) and we have nothing but Internet grief, night after night, at Interior Savings Centre.


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Not even a broken right ankle is able to keep
Kamloops forward Dylan Willick from smiling.
(Melissa Willick photo)

Guy Charron, the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers, confirmed earlier reports Saturday evening that veteran F Dylan Willick, 20, is expected to miss up to six weeks with a broken right ankle.
Willick was injured during a 2-1 shootout victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars on Friday night.
Willick doesn’t need surgery and the ankle will be placed in a cast at some point next week, once swelling subsides.
The Blazers were nearing the end of their sixth game in eight days, and their 11th in 20 days, when Willick went down in overtime. While killing a penalty, he got knocked down and caught up in traffic during a scramble in the Kamloops crease.
Willick is the most versatile of the Blazers' forwards, able to play any forward position. He also is perhaps their top penalty-killing forward and gets some power-play time. In his fourth season with the Blazers, he played 71, 72 and 72 games in his first three.
This season, he has 14 points, six of them goals, in 19 games.
A six-week absence would cost Willick close to 20 games and take him almost to the Christmas break. Should he not play again until after Christmas, he would miss his team's next 19 games.
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F Mathew Barzal, the first selection in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft, says he has yet to make up his mind whether he will sign with the Seattle Thunderbirds or take the NCAA route.
"The WHL is a great league and that's where I hope to play," Barzal, who is from Coquitlam, B.C., told Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald during the Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup. "But right now, I'm still talking with my family and my agent about my decision.
"I know what I want to do and I think the WHL is the best route. But I want to look at every avenue possible."
Barzal is the captain of Team BC at the Challenge Cup.
He plays for the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs for whom he has 30 points, including 10 goals, in 11 games.
(We will assume that someone will tell Barzal that he doesn’t have an agent, but he does have a family advisor. Wink! Wink!!)
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
F Marek Tvrdon scored two goals and added two assists as the visiting Vancouver Giants beat the Kootenay Ice, 6-3. . . . G Payton Lee, who is from Cranbrook, got the victory with 21 saves. Lee, 16, left the junior B Richmond Sockeyes on Friday and joined the Giants in Cranbrook. . . . F Kale Kessy added a goal and two assists for the Giants. . . . The Giants meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., tonight, while the Ice is in Medicine Hat to play the Tigers. . . .

F Greg Chase picked up three assists to help the Calgary Hitmen to a 4-2 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . The Hitmen led 3-0 when F Brooks Macek got his 10th goal at 16:00 of the first period. . . . The Hitmen, who beat the Pats 4-1 in Regina on Friday, meet the Warriors in Moose Jaw tonight. . . .

The Seattle Thunderbirds got two goals in the circus and beat the host Moose Jaw Warriors, 4-3. . . . F Alex Delnov and F Riley Sheen had Seattle shootout goals, while F Brayden Point scored for the Warriors. . . . Seattle F Brendan Rouse forced OT with a PP goal at 14:43 of the third. . . . Rouse also had two assists. . . . Seattle G Brandon Glover, who played in 32 games with the Warriors (2008-11), got the victory. . . . D Kendall McFaull, who missed a Friday game in Brandon with the flu, was back, but F Justin Kirsch, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Brandon, didn’t dress. . . .

F Jay Merkley scored the only goal of the circus to give the host Lethbridge Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Merkley was the fifth shooter and the game ended when Saskatoon F Matej Stransky was unable to beat G Ty Rimmer, who has played every minute of Lethbridge’s season to this point. . . . He stopped 24 shots in this one, 16 fewer than Saskatoon’s Andrey Makarov. . . . The Hurricanes forced OT with two goals late in the third period — F Remi Laurencelle scored at 15:13 and F Craig Leverton equalized at 17:59. . . . F Josh Nicholls scored his 15th goal for the Blades, while F Adam Kambeitz got his first. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Justin Feser and F Brian Williams each scored twice as the Tri-City Americans beat the Red Deer Rebels, 5-2. . . . Feser just happens to be from Red Deer. . . . The Americans had lost three in a row to the Rebels. . . . The Americans are at home to the Vancouver Giants tonight. . . . Red Deer F Charles Inglis (flu) didn’t play. . . .

G Eric Williams stopped 26 shots as the host Spokane Chiefs beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-0. . . . Williams has one shutout this season and three in his career. . . . The Silvertips, who were playing their fourth game in five nights, have lost five in a row. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton got Spokane’s fifth goal, meaning the fans got coupons for a free Doritos Locos Taco. . . . Everett is back in Spokane on Tuesday and the Silvertips are staying there until that game. . . . The Chiefs were without F Mitch Holmberg, D Tanner Mort and D Reid Gow, all out with undisclosed injuries. Gow was hurt Friday night. “I’m not sure when we’re getting anyone back,” Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur told Steve Christilaw of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “Some of (the injuries) are long-term.” . . .

G Jackson Whistle earned the shutout as the host Kelowna Rockets dumped the Prince George Cougars, 5-0. . . . Whistle has two career shutouts, both against the Cougars. The first one came last season while he was with the Vancouver Giants. In three games with the Rockets, Whistle is 3-0-0, 0.82, .971. . . . Jordon Cooke, Kelowna’s other goaltender, blanked the visiting Kamloops Blazers 3-0 on Thursday. Cooke apparently suffered an undisclosed injury in Friday’s practice, so sat out last night. . . . G Cole Holowenko, released earlier by the Everett Silvertips, served as Kelowna’s emergency backup. He is from Penticton. . . . Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, notes that the Rockets have put up four home-ice shutouts already this season, as opposed to none all of last season. . . . Kelowna hasn’t allowed a goal in 175 minutes 21 seconds. . . . The Rockets have outscored opponents 12-1 in their last three games. . . . Kelowna next plays Wednesday when it entertains the Edmonton Oil Kings, who first play in Kamloops on Tuesday. . . .

The Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to eight games with a 6-2 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals. . . . The Winterhawks (12-3-1) swept a home doubleheader with the Royals, having won 6-2 on Friday, as well. . . . Victoria led this one 2-0 halfway through the first period. . . . Portland has a 44-12 edge in goals scored over its last eight games. . . . D Troy Rutkowski had two goals and an assist for Portland. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie ran his point streak to 10 games with his 11th goal, while F Nic Petan and F Brendan Leipsic each had a goal and two assists. . . . Petan has 17 points in a seven-game point streak. . . .

F Colten Mayor broke a 1-1 tie in the second period and the Regina Pats went on to beat the visiting Prince Albert Raiders, 4-1. . . . Mayor scored his sixth goal of the season at 6:54 of the second period. . . . The Pats iced it with goals 36 seconds apart, by F Dyson Stevenson and F Jack Rodewald, early in the third period. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 36 shots. . . . The Raiders had won three straight. . . .

In Swift Current, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the last two goals and beat the Broncos, 2-1. . . . F Luke Bertolucci scored his first WHL goal in his ninth game to tie the score at 13:53 of the second period. . . . F Michael St. Croix got the winner, his 11th, at 8:17 of the third. . . . The  Broncos were 0-for-7 on the PP.
———
BTW, 15 of the WHL’s 22 teams are at .500 or better, thanks to the loser point, after Saturday’s games. That’s down from 17 after Friday’s games.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Cody Fowlie, Kelowna
F Zach Pochiro, Prince George
F Dylen McKinlay, Kelowna
F Mike Aviani, Spokane

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Dalton Thrower, Saskatoon
F Mitch Deacon, Victoria
D Michal Plutnar, Tri-City
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Seattle Thunderbirds G Brandon Glover (@BGlover31), who did a stint with the Moose Jaw Warriors a couple of seasons ago: “Awesome win in #moosejaw . . Sad to go thru town and notice that a certain building is missing on the left side of main st. #crushed can”
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TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Prince Albert Raiders G Luke Siemens (@siems31): “Bus breaking down on way back to PA . . . classic #anybodyamechanic #funtimes”
A question: Does a team’s bus ever suffer a breakdown after a victory? The Raiders lost 4-1 to the Pats in Regina last night.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Kris Russell (Medicine Hat, 2003-07) has returned to Finland and TPS Turku (SM-Liiga) after recovering from an undisclosed injury suffered in the first shift of his second game with TPS on Sept. 30. Video highlights showed that he had a shot go off the inside of his right foot. Russell was expected to arrive in Turku on Tuesday and will play in Friday's game against Jokerit Helsinki. He has one goal and one assist in the two games he has played with TPS this season. . . .
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He started the season with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), where he had one goal and three assists in nine games. Ross is scheduled to join Augsburg in time for practice today.
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The Swift Current Broncos have assigned F Dakota Odgers, 16, to the midget AAA Yorkton Harvest. Odgers was the 24th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He had 12 penalty minutes in six games with the Broncos. Last season, in 43 games with the Harvest, he had 36 points, including 19 goals, and 35 penalty minutes.
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According to Brian Wiebe, who keeps close tabs on the BCHL, G Adam Todd, 18, who got into 11 games last season with the Saskatoon Blades, was involved in a trade on Tuesday as he moved from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs to the Trail Smoke Eaters. . . . The Smokies then dropped G Braden Krogfoss, 17, from their roster. Krogfoss was an eighth-round selection of the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. He had a good camp with the Blazers prior to this season before going to Trail.
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TUESDAY’S STUFF:
The Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s last three goals as they opened a seven-game road trip with a 7-6 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock got his side to within one, at 6-5, at 8:38 of the third and D Ryley Miller tied it at 10:28. . . . Pulock got the winner just 22 seconds after that and that was the first time Brandon led in this one. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia also scored twice for Brandon. . . . F Elgin Pearce had two goals for the Tigers. . . . Brandon trailed 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4 in this one. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-2. . . . F Torrin White had two goals and two assists, with three of his points coming via the PP. . . . White, a 17-year-old sophomore from Balzac, Alta., has eight points in 10 games. He had 17 points in 62 games last season. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers remained the only WHL team not to have lost in regulation time as they dumped the Rebels 4-0 in Red Deer. . . . Freshman G Taran Kozun stopped 32 shots for his first WHL shutout. . . . F Colin Smith had a goal and two assists. F Tim Bozon added two goals and F JC Lipon had two assists, giving that line a seven-point night. . . . The Blazers improved to 9-0-1 as they ran their winning streak to seven. They meet the Oil Kings in Edmonton tonight. . . . Lipon, who has won back-to-back WHL and CHL player of the week honours, now has a WHL-leading 24 points, three more than Smith. . . . The Smith-Bozon-Lipon line has combined for 60 points in 10 games. . . . With 19 points, the Blazers are off to the best 10-game start in franchise history. . . . The Rebels have followed a three-game winning streak with two straight losses. . . .

The Tri-City Americans won their fourth straight game, beating the host Prince Albert Raiders 2-1 in a shootout. . . . According to the WHL’s online scoresheet, Tri-City F Jesse Mychan pulled the visitors into a 1-1 tie at 2:02 of the third period. However, according to an Americans news release, F Connor Rankin got the equalizer. . . . F Brian Williams and Rankin then scored in the circus, while Prince Albert was blanked. . . . Tri-City D Brodie Clowes (shoulder) played his first game with the Americans. He was acquired from the Victoria Royals on Sept. 12. . . . However, the Americans were without D Mitch Topping (undisclosed) and F Ryan Chynoweth (shoulder). Topping was injured Saturday in Brandon. Chynoweth went down Sunday in Moose Jaw. . . . The Americans, who have won three in a row on their East Division swing and five straight on the road, face the Blades in Saskatoon tonight. Tri-City is 1-14 in Saskatoon, with that lone victory in 1995-96. . . . The Raiders are off until Friday when they play host to the Everett Silvertips. . . .

G Chris Driedger stopped 30 shots to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 5-0 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Driedger has one shutout this season and four in his career. . . . F Zane Jones scored twice for Calgary. . . . G Mac Engel, acquired by the Cougars from the Spokane Chiefs on Monday, came in at 13:59 of the second period, with his side trailing 5-0, and stopped all 20 shots he faced. . . . Prince George started G Brett Zarowny, meaning G Devon Fordyce was a scratch. In fact, he is headed home to Cochrane, Alta., to await a move. . . . Calgary F Brooks Macek drew three assists, running his point streak to 10 games. . . . The Hitmen set a franchise record for shots in one period, when they had 27 in the second. . . .

Russian F Alex Delnov had two goals and two assists to lead the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 6-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Delnov has four goals. . . . Seattle has won three in a row and four of five. . . . F Connor Sanvido, with his first two goals of the season, and F Luke Lockhart also had two goals for Seattle. Lockhart’s second was an empty-netter. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored his 10th of the season for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton had two assists, giving him a career total of 147 points. That broke the Chiefs’ franchise record of 146 assists by a defenceman that had been held by Frank Evans (1988-92). Kichton also holds the franchise career records for goals (48) and points (195) by a defenceman.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Joey Santucci, Prince Albert
F Matt Needham, Kamloops

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F JC Lipon, Kamloops
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Portland Winterhawks G Brendan Burke (@bburke_1): “First time ever watching a debate not gonna take sides on twitter because I don’t feel like being criticized right now #debate”


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The Seattle Thunderbirds should have Russian forward Alex Delnov
in their lineup on Friday when they play the Blazers in Kamloops.
(Kyle Scholzen / Seattle Thunderbirds)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
While the Kamloops Blazers prepare to play two weekend home games, defenceman Tyler Hansen can only sit in the Interior Savings Centre stands and watch.
Hansen, 19, suffered a concussion during a 3-2 victory over the host Kelowna Rockets on Sept. 22. He hasn’t yet shown that he is symptom free, so hasn’t been cleared to return to practice and is questionable for weekend home games against the Seattle Thunderbirds and Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Magrath, Alta., native, who is in his fourth season, is the Blazers’ No. 1 shutdown guy on the back end. He started the season paired with sophomore Tyler Bell.
Associate head coach Dave Hunchak, who runs the defencemen at the bench, said “the young guys” really played well during a doubleheader in Victoria on the weekend. The Blazers (3-0-1) dropped a 4-3 overtime decision on Friday, then beat the Royals 3-0 on Sunday.
Freshmen Josh Connolly, Ryan Rehill and Jordan Thomson, Hunchak said, “gave us real good minutes.”
“The more they play,” he said, “the better they get.”
At the same time, Hunchak said, the Blazers “have to play defence by committee. And the way we played on Sunday is a telling sign that we can do it when we play that way.”
In Sunday’s victory, the Blazers gave up only 13 scoring chances as they surrendered only six shots in the second period and three in the third.
A big part of that was that the Kamloops forwards “did a good job getting pucks in deep and keeping them there, so we didn’t have to play in our zone,” Hunchak said.
Hunchak and assistant coach Ed Patterson ran Tuesday’s practice, with head coach Guy Charron nursing sore ribs. Charron stopped an errant puck in practice on Monday and was feeling it yesterday.
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The Blazers have assigned F Devon Oakes, 17, to the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Oakes had offseason shoulder surgery and has been skating with the Blazers while awaiting medical clearance to return to contact drills. That clearance came this week and the Prince Rupert native could play for the Storm on Friday when it visits the Sicamous Eagles.
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The Thunderbirds (2-2-0), who are here Friday night, last played on the weekend when they split with the Cougars in Prince George, losing 4-3 and winning 2-1 in overtime.
Granted, it’s early, but Seattle boasts the WHL’s best penalty-killing unit, having given up just one power-play goal in 18 opportunities.
The Thunderbirds got some good news on Tuesday when Russian F Alex Delnov, 18, finally got clearance to play. He played in three exhibition games and the first two regular-season games, but then missed two games waiting for paperwork to be completed.
A 6-foot-0, 180-pounder from Moscow, Delnov had 22 points in 47 games with Mytischi Atlanti, an under-22 team, last season. He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2012 draft.
The Thunderbirds selected him with the eighth overall pick in the CHL’s 2012 import draft. He had two goals in two exhibition games, then added a goal and two assists in two season-opening games against the Portland Winterhawks. He definitely has shown that he is capable of being among Seattle’s top six forwards.
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The Tigers (3-1-0) open a three-game B.C. Division swing tonight in Victoria against the Royals. The trek continues Friday in Vancouver against the Giants and concludes in Kamloops on Saturday.
The Tigers have scored 17 goals this season, with a WHL-leading 10 of those coming from the power play.
Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk, who turns 18 on Oct. 13, is the WHL’s reigning player of the week, having picked up six points, five of them assists, as the Tigers went 2-0-0 last week. He had two assists in a 5-4 victory over the host Red Deer Rebels on Friday and followed that up the next night with a goal and three assists in a 5-1 victory over the visiting Regina Pats.
Shinkaruk, from Calgary, is expected to be a top 10 selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft.
Also on the Tigers’ roster is F Chad Butcher, a 16-year-old freshman from Kamloops. A third-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft, the 5-foot-9, 155-pound Butcher is pointless in three games.
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JUST NOTES: This is the start of a four-game homestand for the Blazers as they entertain the Victoria Royals on Oct. 10 and the Spokane Chiefs on Oct 12 before heading into the Central Division for five games in seven nights. . . . The first goal in the Blazers’ 3-0 victory in Victoria on Sunday has been changed from D Brady Gaudet to F Cole Ully, who had two goals in Friday‘s 4-3 OT loss to the host Royals. That gives Ully three goals in four games this season; he had nine in 55 games last season. . . . Kamloops D Austin Madaisky, who is in camp with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, is scheduled to play in an exhibition game tonight in Providence against the Bruins. . . . Former Blazers head coach Troy Mick, the general manager and alternate governor with the Salmon Arm SilverBacks, told the BCHL’s board of governors Tuesday that the franchise is for sale.

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