Oil Kings d-man gets NHL deal . . . Wheat Kings move to top . . . Rebels in title hunt

End of an era. @JamesShewaga takes a photo of his last page at @thebrandonsun. He'll be sorely missed. pic.twitter.com/tJoAOxE9DN
— Robert Henderson (@HendoRob) March 14, 2015

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F Tony Hand (Victoria Cougars, 1986-87) has announced his retirement from playing. This season, with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier), he had nine goals and 40 assists in 38 games. . . . He will continue as Manchester’s head coach, a position he has filled since 2006. Hand was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2004 for services to ice hockey in Britain. . . . Hand’s career numbers in Britain: 34 seasons, 1,320 games played, 1,221 goals, 2,340 assists, 3,561 points. . . . Now 47, he was 14 when he first appeared in the Scottish National League. . . . Hand put up eight points, four of them goals, in three games with Victoria in 1986-87. He eventually returned home to play for the Murrayfield Racers of the British Hockey League, totalling 216 points, including 105 goals, in 35 games that season.
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A note from The MacBeth Report about NCAA Division 1 hockey . . . 

There used to be Division 1 hockey west of the Rockies, and still is if you consider Anchorage and Fairbanks west of the Rockies. Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff) and United States International University (San Diego) were NCAA Division 1 in the 1980s.
There was a short-lived Div 1 conference, the Great West Hockey Conference. It ran just three seasons (1985-88) and was NAU, USIU, UA Anchorage, and UA Fairbanks. Otherwise, both schools played as independents.
NAU was active from 1981-82 through 1985-86, then the school dropped hockey after the ice plant failed at the school's domed stadium, Walker Skydome.
USIU ran its hockey program from 1979-80 through 1987-88 when it dropped it for financial reasons. The school went bankrupt three years later.
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The Vancouver Canucks and all of hockey lost a friend on Thursday when Mark Slavin, who was a rep for Easton Hockey, died in Vancouver. Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun has more right here.
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The No. 4 Université de Quebec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) scored the game’s last four goals and beat the No. 5 Acadia Axemen 6-5 in OT at the CIS men’s hockey championship in Halifax on Friday. In the other game, the No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears dropped the No. 8 StFX X-Men, the host team, 5-1. . . . Vincent Marcoux scored the winner for UQTR at 8:40 of OT. . . . Acadia had taken a 5-2 lead at 6:41 of the third period. . . . F Zach Franko had two assists for Acadia, while F Boston Leier had a goal and an assist, and F Taylor Makin had a goal. . . . In the other game, all six goals came from former WHL players. Kruise Reddick, Jordan Hickmott, T.J. Foster, Travis Toomey and Brennan Yadlowski scored for Alberta, which got 12 saves from G Kurtis Mucha. Blake Gal scored for the X-Men. StFX G Drew Owsley, a former WHLer like Mucha, stopped 29 shots. . . . In today’s semifinals, No. 3 Guelph meets No. 2 UNB, while No. 1 Alberta takes on No. 4 UQTR.
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D Ashton Sautner of the Edmonton Oil Kings has signed his entry-level deal with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Sautner, the Oil Kings’ captain, is an undrafted 20-year-old. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix broke the story and it’s right here. . . .
The 2016 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Jan. 28. This will be the eighth time that the game will have been played in a WHL city and the second time for it to be in Vancouver. It also was there in 2005. . . . Next season, the WHL will celebrate its 50th anniversary and playing host to the Top Prospects Game will be just one of a number of special occasions. . . .
Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail takes a look at the AHL and what has led it to form a Pacific Division. That piece is right here.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (4 games remaining) leads the overall standings by two points over Kelowna (4). . . . The Wheat Kings will play the conference’s second wild-card team in the first round. . . . Have won 50 games for the fifth time in franchise history and first time since 2009-10. . . . In Saskatoon tonight.
2. Regina (4) will finish second in division. Will meet third-place team in first round. . . . At home to Moose Jaw tonight.
3. Swift Current (4) leads Moose Jaw by four points and Prince Albert by seven. . . . At home to Prince Albert tonight.
4. Moose Jaw (4) now is four points behind Swift Current. . . . In Regina tonight.
5. Prince Albert (5) is 4-0-1 in its last five and is within three points of Moose Jaw and seven of Swift Current. . . . Visits Swift Current tonight. . . . Completes its first three-in-three of the season in Medicine Hat on Sunday.
6. Saskatoon (3) entertains Brandon tonight.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Medicine Hat (5) is tied with Calgary atop the division. Medicine Hat has more victories (41-40) at the moment. . . . At home to Edmonton tonight.
2. Calgary (5) completes franchise-record 11-game road trip tonight in Lethbridge.
3. Red Deer (4) is one point off the pace after winning last night while Medicine Hat and Calgary lost. . . . At home to Kootenay tonight.
4. Kootenay (4) holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of Edmonton. . . . The Ice has clinched a playoff spot for a 17th straight season, the longest active streak in the WHL. It also will finish above .500 for a WHL record 16th straight season. . . . In Red Deer tonight.
5. Edmonton (3) is in the second wild-card spot, one point behind Kootenay. . . . In Medicine Hat tonight.
6. Lethbridge (5) is at home to Calgary tonight.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (4) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and will play the second wild-card team in the first round. . . . Now trails Brandon by two points in the race for first place in the overall standings. . . . Entertains Kamloops tonight.
2. Victoria (4) will finish second and meet the division’s third-place team in the first round. . . . Faces visiting Vancouver tonight and Sunday afternoon.
3. Prince George (4) is tied for third with Kamloops. . . . In Portland tonight.
4. Kamloops (4) is tied with Prince George. . . . Will meet Prince George three times in the next while — March 18 and 20 in Prince George, and March 21 in Kamloops. . . . In Kelowna tonight.
5. Vancouver (4) has lost eight straight and is six points out of a playoff spot. . . . In Victoria tonight and Sunday afternoon.
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U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (4) leads the division by three points over Portland. . . . At home to Seattle tonight.
2. Portland (6) is on a 9-1-2 roll after losing last night in Spokane. . . . At home to Prince George tonight.
3. Seattle (5) trails Portland by eight points. . . . In Everett tonight.
4. Spokane (6) has clinched a playoff spot for a ninth straight season. . . . The Chiefs, seven points behind Seattle, hold the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . At home to Tri-City tonight.
5. Tri-City (5) is tied with Prince George and Kamloops for the second wild-card spot. Of course, Prince George and Kamloops are tied for third in the B.C. Division. This could get messy. . . . Tri-City is in Spokane tonight.
(NOTE: If two teams tie for a conference’s last playoff spot, those teams will have a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. . . . Should Prince George and Kamloops end up tied for third in the B.C. Division, the first tiebreaker is total victories. Prince George has a 28-27 edge at the moment.)
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IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

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

In Brandon, F Tim McGauley had a goal and two assists to lead the Wheat Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . McGauley scored his 42nd goal at 3:54 of the first period to run his point streak to 24 games, the longest in the WHL this season. He’s got 51 points, including 17 goals, in that stretch. . . . McGauley also took over the WHL scoring lead. He’s got 103 points, two more than F Trevor Cox of the Medicine Hat Tigers and three more than Portland Winterhawks F Oliver Bjorkstrand. . . . The last Wheat Kings skater to win a WHL scoring title was F Eric Fehr, with 111 points, in 2004-05. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored Brandon’s second goal, breaking a 1-1 tie, to run his point streak to 12 games. . . . Klimchuk finished with two goals, giving him 32. . . . Wheat Kings D Ivan Provorov scored his 15th goal. . . . F Peter Quenneville had two assists for Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings had F Kirklan Lycar in their lineup. Lycar, a 17-year-old from Elma, Man., played this season with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. He had 20 goals and seven assists in 53 games. . . . Brandon, already without F Nolan Patrick, F Reid Duke, D Kale Clague and F Quintin Lisoway, also scratched F John Quenneville. . . . Brandon G Alex Moodie stopped 19 shots in beating his former club. . . . Brandon was 3-for-7 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (50-11-7) have won three in a row. . . . The Blades (19-46-4) have lost six straight. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels erased a 2-0 deficit with three second-period goals and beat the Calgary Hitmen, 3-2. . . . D Travis Sanheim, with his 13th goal, and D Ben Thomas, with his seventh, scored 44 seconds apart late in the first for Calgary. . . . Red Deer F Riley Sheen got his guys on the board with a PP goal, his 21st, at 1:17 of the second. . . . F Preston Kopeck tied it with his 20th at 9:08 and D Brett Cote broke the tie with his ninth, on a PP, at 14;15. . . . Red Deer was 2-for-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-2. . . . Rebels G Rylan Toth made 28 saves. . . . Calgary started Brendan Burke, who was beaten three times on 12 shots. Mack Shields played the third period, stopping seven shots. . . . Attendance was a season-high 7,058. . . . The Rebels (37-21-10) have won five straight. . . . The Hitmen (40-22-5) have lost three in a row. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Regina Pats scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Warriors, 4-3. . . . Moose Jaw took a 3-0 lead when F Axel Blomqvist scored his 24th goal at 14:19 of the first. . . . Regina F Patrick D’Amico got his 19th goal at 14:48 of the first. . . . Pats D Colby Williams got his side to within a goal with his 10th goal at 19:19 of the second. . . . Regina F Rykr Cole scored his ninth goal to tie it at 1:03 of the third. . . . F Pavel Padakin got the winner, his 26th, shorthanded, at 15:12. . . . The Pats thought D’Amico had scored just before that, but he ended up with a penalty instead. . . . After the game, Regina head coach John Paddock told reporters. “I got whacked once already this year, but all I know is that there were two game-winning goals.” . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point, celebrating his 19th birthday and playing in his 200th game, scored his 34th goal. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 33 shots, three more than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . Warriors F Jaimen Yakubowski, just off a stint on the injury list with a shoulder injury, didn’t finish the game. He left after taking a check from Regina F Austin Wagner. . . . The Pats (37-22-9) have won two in a row. . . . The Warriors (29-34-5) have lost two straight. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story right here. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Jaedon Descheneau and F Matt Alfaro each scored twice as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Medicine Hat Tigers, 7-1. . . . Ice F Austin Vetterl snapped a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 8:49 of the first period and the home side took it from there. . . . Descheneau, who has 32 goals, also had an assist. . . . Alfaro has 12 goals. . . . D Tanner Lishchynsky, D Tyler King and F Levi Cable each had two assists for the Ice, while F Luke Philp scored his 30 goal and added two helpers. . . . Vetterl added two assists to his goal. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart scored his 18th goal. . . . The Tigers’ goal came from F Trevor Cox, his 26th. He scored while shorthanded at 8:20 of the first period. . . . Kootenay G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 32 shots, setting a franchise single-season record in the process. That record (1,724) had been held by Tim Winters (1996-97). . . . The Tigers were missing D Ty Stanton and D Tommy Vannelli. . . . The Ice (35-29-4) has won two straight. . . . The Tigers are 41-23-3. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Swift Current Broncos scored two shootout goals and beat the Raiders, 2-1. . . . F Glenn Gawdin and F Jake DeBrusk scored for the winners in the shootout; F Reid Gardiner scored for the Raiders. . . . D Brendan Guhle gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 5:18 of the first period. He’s got four goals. . . . Broncos F Coda Gordon got his 24th goal at 9:38 of the second period. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 46 shots, six fewer than Prince Albert’s Nick McBride. . . . The Raiders were without F Austin Glover, who isn’t likely to play tonight or Sunday either. . . . The Broncos (31-32-5) ended a seven-game losing skid. . . . The Raiders (28-35-4) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Mads Eller had a goal and two assists to help the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 5-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Oil Kings D Jake Kohlhauser broke a 1-1 tie with his first WHL goal at 2:59 of the second period. . . . Kulda upped the lead to 3-1 with a PP goal, his 13th, at 17:41. . . . F Jamal Watson, with No 24, and F Tyler Wong, with No. 26, scored for Lethbridge. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots. . . . The Oil Kings (33-29-7) have won three in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (20-39-8) have lost three straight. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers snapped an 18-game losing streak against Kelowna as they beat the Rockets, 5-1. . . . Yes, Kelowna had beaten Kamloops in 18 straight regular-season games. . . . Kamloops F Collin Shirley scored his side’s first two goals, at 0:33 and 15:59 of the second period. The second goal came via the PP. . . . Kelowna F Gage Quinney got his 16th goal at 19:30 of the second, via the PP, but the Blazers scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully and F Jesse Zaharichuk each had two assists. . . . Among the Rockets’ scratches were F Tyrell Goulbourne, F Rourke Chartier, F Justin Kirkland and D Josh Morrissey. . . . With the injury situation, the Rockets have familiarity and communication issues on the ice, and that leads to players going 1-on-1 a lot. They were thoroughly outplayed by the Blazers in this one. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 22 shots in winning for the 20th time in his freshman season. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle turned aside 31 shots. . . . Kamloops was 1-for-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-for-4. . . . The Blazers (27-34-7) have won two in a row. . . . The Rockets (50-13-5) have lost two straight. They have been beaten twice in a row in regulation time for only the first time this season. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans erased a 2-0 second-period deficit and beat the Prince George Cougars, 7-4. . . . F David Soltes, with his 11th, and D Josh Connolly, with No. 13, gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead. . . . The Americans stormed back to lead 3-2 on second-period goals by F Ty Comrie, his seventh, F Brian Williams, No. 16, and F Max James, his third. . . . Cougars F Chase Witala got his 35th at 16:19 of the second, to tie it 3-3, only to have F Jordan Topping score his 10th goal at 17:55 for a 4-3 Tri-City lead. . . . Americans F Justin Gutierrez, who also had two assists, scored his 10th goal at 3:35 and F Lucas Nickles added his 23rd at 8:45 for some insurance. He later scored into an empty net. . . . The Americans got two assists from each of D Justin Hamonic, F Richard Nejezchleb and D Parker Wotherspoon. . . . Cougars F Zach Pochiro scored his 17th goal and added two assists, while F Brad Morrison had two assist. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie made 36 saves. . . . The Americans (29-35-3) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Cougars (28-35-5) have lost three straight (0-2-1). . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has a game story right here. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs blew a 3-0 lead but then scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . The Chiefs held a 3-0 first-period lead on goals by F Adam Helewka, his 39th, on a PP, F Riley Whittingham, his 15th, and F Kailer Yamamoto, his 20th, shorthanded. . . . Portland D Anton Cederholm got his guys going with his eighth goal at 9:43 of the second. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand got his WHL-leading 55th goal at 19:47 of the second, via the PP, and F Chase De Leo tied the game with his 34th at 5:29 of the third. . . . Whittingham broke the tie at 9:39 of the third period, while on the PP, and F Dominic Zwerger added an empty-netter. . . . Bjorkstrand’s goal was his 100th point of the season. He now has back-to-back 100-points seasons. . . . Chiefs D Jason Fram had two assists. . . . Portland F Nic Petan drew one assist, giving him 350 career regular-season points in 246 games. . . . Spokane was 3-for-7 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-4. . . . The Chiefs (33-29-4) have won two in a row. This victory was head coach Don Nachbaur’s 200th with the Chiefs. . . . The Winterhawks (40-21-5) are 9-1-2 in their last 12 games and 17-2-2 in their last 21. . . .

In Vancouver, G Coleman Vollrath stopped 25 shots to lead the Victoria Royals to a 2-0 victory over the Giants. . . . Vollrath has five shutouts this season. He now shares the franchise’s single-season record with Lucas Gore (2009-10, 2010-11) and Patrik Polivka (2013-14). . . . F Brandon Magee scored his 21st goal, shorthanded, at 7:49 of the first period. . . . F Alex Forsberg got No. 26 at 2:11 of the second. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter stopped 23 shots. . . . F Parker Smyth, a 16-year-old from Red Deer, made his Vancouver debut. He was a second-round selection by Saskatoon in the 2013 bantam draft. The Giants acquired him in January for a 2016 sixth-round pick. He played this season with the midget AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs. Smyth is the son of former NHLer Kevin Smyth, who played with the Moose Jaw Warriors (1990-93). . . . The Royals (37-27-4) have won three straight. . . . The Giants (26-39-3) are on an eight-game skid. . . .

In Kent, Wash., D Jerret Smith scored in the seventh round of a shootout to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Roberts Lipsbergs scored for Seattle in the second round after Everett F Carson Stadnyk had scored in the first round. . . . Lipsbergs scored both of Seattle’s regulation-time goals, the first on a PP at 14:11 of the first period for a 1-0 lead. That goal followed a diving call against Everett F Ivan Nikolishin. . . . Lipsbergs’ second goal, and 14th of the season, gave Seattle a 2-1 lead at 9:57 of the third. . . . D Noah Juulsen scored his eighth goal for Everett at 15:13 of the first and Stadnyk’s 26th, at 17:59 of the third, forced OT. . . . F Kohl Bauml and D Cole MacDonald each had two assists for Everett. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 21 shots, one fewer than Everett’s Carter Hart. . . . Seattle (34-24-9) has won two in a row. . . . The Silvertips (40-27-8) have lost two straight.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Calgary at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Prince George at Portland, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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Tonight marks the 10th straight road game. Although the boys returned home for several days this week, the team has logged 4,290km. #BusLife
— Calgary Hitmen (@WHLHitmen) March 14, 2015

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Provorov shines for Wheaties . . . Oil Kings win on road . . . Thunderbirds fly high at home

As you will be aware, the WHL’s trade deadline slipped by on Saturday. . . . Alan Caldwell, the blogmaster at Small Thoughts At Large, sat down and took a trade-by-trade look at things. . . . That analysis is right here.
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The Red Deer Rebels have dropped D Austin Shmoorkoff, 17, from their roster. He is expected to join the junior B Beverly Warrior, who play in the Edmonton-based Capital Junior Hockey League. From Edmonton, he had gotten into only one game with the Rebels this season. Last season, he played in six games with Red Deer.
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Mark Rogers, a co-worker at the late Kamloops Daily News, now writes a regular column for The Armchair Mayor News, a Kamloops-centric website operated by Mel Rothenburger, a former KDN editor and a two-term mayor of the city. In his latest column, Rogers writes of the pressures faced by journalists and he points out that it doesn’t always involve violence. . . . That column is right here.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, the Brandon Wheat Kings erased a 2-0 second-period deficit and went on to beat the Hitmen, 5-4. . . . F Peter Quenneville pulled Brandon into a 2-2 tie at 16:14 of the second with his 10th goal. . . . Wheat Kings D Ivan Provorov gave his guys the lead with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 5:57 of the third. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin tied it with his 21st goal at 7:02 of the third. . . . Brandon then took a 5-3 lead on goals from F John Quenneville, his 14th, at 8:11 and F Rihards Bukarts, his 15th, at 15:12 on a PP. . . . Provorov also had two assists, as did Patrick. . . . Rankin also had two assists for the Hitmen. . . . Brandon was 2-for-4 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (30-9-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Hitmen (23-16-4) had points in each of their previous four games (3-0-1). . . .

Seen thousands of junior hockey goals in my life but Provorov's for wheat kings today one of the best. #justlikeorr
— Bruce Penton (@Bruceomin) January 11, 2015

WATCH: #BWK Defenceman Ivan Provorov scored an end to end beauty tonight --> http://t.co/jnyTT2lNF0 #goprovogo #bdnmb
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) January 12, 2015

In Swift Current, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s first four goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the Broncos. . . . F Tyson Gruninger got Edmonton the board with his second goal at 3:19 of the first period. . . . It was the ninth straight game in which the Broncos surrendered the first goal. . . . Shawn Mullin, the Broncos’ radio voice, points out that they are 3-5-1 in those games. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer’s 13th goal, at 15:33 of the first, proved to be the winner. . . . D Ashton Sautner had two assists for the Oil Kings, giving him 101 career points, including 22 goals, in 236 regular-season games. . . . F Brett Pollock also had two assists for the Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 31 shots, losing his shutout when D Max Lajoie scored his sixth goal, on a PP, at 15:30 of the third period. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk was unsuccessful on a second-period penalty shot. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 21-17-5. . . . The Broncos (20-19-5) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds took a 4-0 lead into the third period and went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . Originally, this game was to have been played on Saturday night. It was rescheduled to avoid a conflict with the Seattle Seahawks’ playoff game. . . . D Shea Theodore scored his fifth goal and added an assist for Seattle, which was 2-for-6 on the PP. . . . Tri-City was 0-for-1 on the PP. . . . F Cory Millette scored his ninth goal and added an assist for Seattle. He was playing his first game since being acquired from Prince Albert prior to the trade deadline. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 31 shots, 11 fewer than Tri-City’s Evan Sarthou. . . . F Justin Gutierrez had two assists for the Americans. . . . A tweet from Thom Beuning, the radio voice of the Thunderbirds: In their last 9 games, the Thunderbirds have scored the first goal eight times, going 7-0-0-1.  The one game they didn't score first, they lost. . . . The Thunderbirds (20-16-5) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Americans (20-20-2) had won their previous two games.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
This actually was from a Saturday game, but it's so good to see some fire that it's worth seeing a day late . . . 

.@SCBroncos bench boss Mark Lamb was not a fan of a few of the calls/non-calls during tonight's 3-1 loss to Everett pic.twitter.com/gAdQxp6wOw
— swbooster (@swbooster) January 11, 2015

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A WHL first in Kamloops . . . Hunt, Sautner fill their hats . . . Kolesar thrills family in Brandon

F František Mrázek (Red Deer, 1997-99) signed a four-game tryout contract with Weiden (Germany, Oberliga). This season, with David Servis České Budějovice (Czech Republic, Krajské Hokejové Přebory), he had six goals and nine assists in four games. Last season, with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), he had a team-high 26 goals, along with 20 assists, in 46 games. . . .
D Logan Pyett (Regina, 2003-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). This season, with Admiral Vladivostok (Russia, KHL), he had four goals and three assists in 21 games. He was released by Admiral on Oct. 31 by mutual agreement.
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There was some WHL history in Kamloops on Friday night as the Blazers played host to the Spokane Chiefs.
For the first time, the opposing head coaches were members of the 600-victory club.
Don Hay of the Blazers went into the game with 618 victories, while Spokane's Don Nachbaur was at 606. The Chiefs came out of the game with a 4-2 victory.
Hay and Nachbaur trail only the retired Ken Hodge, who put up 742 victories as the head coach of the original Edmonton Oil Kings and Portland Winterhawks.
Hay, now 60 years of age, began his WHL coaching career with the Blazers. He also has been the head coach of the Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants. He spent the past 10 seasons with the Giants, before returning to the Blazers during the off-season.
Nachbaur, 55, also has coached the Americans and Seattle Thunderbirds. He went into this season with 598 victories, which had him in fourth place, also trailing Lorne Molleken (603).
After Hay and Nachbaur, the winningest active WHL head coach is Mike Williamson, now with the Americans. Williamson, who also has coached the Portland Winterhawks and Calgary Hitmen, has 442 victories after the Americans beat the visiting Victoria Royals 4-1 last night. Williamson is 11th on the all-time list. He needs nine victories to pass Peter Anholt (450) and get into the top 10.
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F Connor Chartier, 20, who was released by the Spokane Chiefs earlier in the week, had his BCHL rights dealt by the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the Penticton Vees on Friday. The Vees gave up F Josh Laframboise, 18, in the exchange. . . . Meanwhile, Brian Wiebe, who keeps a close eye on the BCHL, tweeted Friday that F Dakota Conroy, 20, “has decided to join” the Vees “but is waiting on his WHL release.” Conroy left the Prince Albert Raiders late in October.
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In the OHL, the Erie Otters, playing their first game without F Connor McDavid, dropped a 2-1 decision to the host Niagara IceDogs in St. Catharines, Ont. . . . McDavid, the OHL scoring leader, is out for up to six weeks with a broken hand suffered in a fight on Tuesday. . . . The Otters (16-2-1) have two regulation-time losses this season, both to the IceDogs (6-13-0), who have won four in a row. . . . Earlier in the day, the IceDogs acquired F Josh Ho-Sang, a first-round selection by the New York Islanders in the NHL’s 2014 draft, from the Windsor Spitfires. He had one assist last night.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, F Brayden Point and F Tanner Eberle each scored twice and added an assist to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 5-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . Point finished plus-5; Eberle was plus-1. . . . F Jack Rodewald had three assists and also was plus-5 for Moose Jaw (9-10-2). . . . Point and Eberle have 11 goals each. . . . Moose Jaw D Tyler Brown scored his third goal at 15:07 of the second period to break a 2-2 tie. . . . F Reid Gardiner scored his eighth goal of the season for the Raiders, who have lost four in a row. . . . The Raiders (8-13-0), who are in Swift Current tonight, are 2-4-0 since firing head coach Cory Clouston. They are 1-4-0 under new head coach Marc Habscheid. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a story right here. . . .

In Regina, F Dryden Hunt scored three times to help the Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Hunt, who has nine goals, gave his side a 3-1 lead at 16:35 of the second period and 4-2 and 5-2 leads at 5:54 and 10:06 of the third. It was his first career hat trick. . . . Regina F Connor Gay helped out with his seventh goal and two assists. . . . The Pats are 10-9-1. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple, who was acquired from Medicine Hat on Jan. 10, stopped 39 shots. . . . G Nick Schneider, who went the other way in that deal, turned aside 29 shots for the Tigers (14-4-1), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . Schneider had been 11-0 with the Tigers, including 5-0 this season. . . . Each side was 2-for-9 on the PP. . . . Earlier in the week, the Pats brought back G Tyler Brown, 17, from the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues. He’ll back up Wapple, 19, while the Pats look for a junior A club where Tyler Fuhr, 19, will play. . . . The Pats are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight. . . .

In Brandon, F Keegan Kolesar, who is from Winnipeg, had a goal and two assists to spark the Seattle Thunderbirds in a 6-4 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon (16-4-1) had won six in a row. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore scored his first goal of the season to break a 3-3 tie at 7:21 of the third period. The goal came via the PP. . . . Theodore was playing his second game since being returned by the NHL's Anaheim Ducks. He had been with their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. . . . Kolesar, who had family on hand for this one, has six goals this season. . . .Seattle (9-8-3) is 2-2 on its East Division swing. . . . F Ryan Gropp scored his 10th goal for the Thunderbirds, while F Jesse Gabrielle got his 12th for Brandon. . . . Wheat Kings G Logan Thompson stopped 27 shots in his first home-ice start. . . . Seattle G Danny Mumaugh made 29 stops. . . . "I thought Seattle was better than our team in every regard," Brandon GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. "Their work ethic was superior to ours, they were way more physical than we were. We were not engaged in the game fully at any point." . . . The Wheat Kings had D Ryan Pilon back after a four-game absence with an undisclosed injury. . . . Brandon D Kale Clague is out with an undisclosed injury suffered during the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . The Eastern Conference’s top two teams, the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Wheat Kings, meet tonight in Brandon. . . .

In Edmonton, D Ashton Sautner struck for three goals as the Oil Kings beat the Saskatoon Blades, 7-1. . . . Sautner, who has seven goals this season, is the first defenceman in the modern history of the Oil Kings to score three goals in a game. . . . According to a story on the Oil Kings’ website, Sautner had told his billet mom earlier in the day that he needed to get going offensively. “We were at breakfast and we were talking about how we were having a hard time scoring, and I said, ‘Maybe I could step up,’” said Sautner, who last recorded a hat trick as a 16-year-old in midget. “It just happened tonight was a good night.” . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 26 shots, losing his shutout when F Cory Millette scored his fifth goal at 18:16 of the third. . . . Edmonton D Dysin Mayo, Sautner’s partner on the back end, scored twice, giving him four, and added two assists. . . . Oil Kings F Brett Pollock had two assists. He has three straight two-point games to his credit. . . . Edmonton now is 11-8-2, while the Blades slid to 6-14-0. . . . D Adam Henry (concussion) was back in Saskatoon’s lineup after a four-game absence. . . . Blades G Nik Amundrud, 17, has been out with a concussion since Oct. 31. When he returns, either Alex Moodie, 19, or Trevor Martin, 18, will be kept as the second goaltender. Martin, who stopped 24 shots last night, was brought back from the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires when Amundrud was injured. . . . The Blades decided earlier in the week that D Nolan Reid, 16, will stay on their roster. Reid, from Deer Valley, Sask., had been playing midget AAA at Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask., when he was brought up by the Blades to help them through some injuries. He has played well enough that the decision was made to keep him. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored four third-period goals and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . The Hurricanes (5-11-4) took a 1-0 lead into the third period on F Zane Jones' 10th goal, at 3:07 of the third. . . . F Tyler Sandhu tied it at 4:16 and gave the Rebels the lead at 9:24. He's got seven goals. . . . F Grayson Pawlenchuk and F Wyatt Johnson each had two assists for Red Deer. . . . With referee Tyler Adair working solo, the Hurricanes didn't take any penalties in this one, while the Rebels took two minors. . . . The Rebels (10-8-3) have points in nine of their last 10 games. . . . Lethbridge is 0-2-3 in its last five. . . . The Rebels entertain the Saskatoon Blades tonight. . . . The Kootenay Ice visit Lethbridge tonight. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Luke Philp scored with 14.3 seconds left in OT to give the Kootenay Ice a wild 7-6 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon forced OT with a shorthanded goal at 17:52 of the third period. The Ice had been penalized for too many men as they tried to get G Wyatt Hoflin off the ice for the extra attacker. . . . Bozon has a goal in each of his last three games. . . . The Hitmen led 2-0 in the first period, trailed 3-2 in the second, and led 5-4 and 6-5 in the third. . . . Philp finished with two goals, giving him eight, and two assists. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart drew four assists, including one on the equalizer and another on the winner. . . . The Hitmen got two goals from F Taylor Sanheim, who has three. . . . Calgary spent the first 59 seconds of OT on the PP after Ice D Rinat Valiev was penalized for delay of game. . . . Kootenay (7-13-0) has won four in a row. . . . The Hitmen (10-8-3) have points in each of their last five games (3-0-2). . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . .

In Kamloops, the Spokane Chiefs opened up a 4-0 lead and hung on for a 4-2 victory over the Blazers. . . . F Liam Stewart scored twice for the Chiefs. Playing a point on the PP, he scored both goals with the man advantage. He's got nine goals this season. . . . Chiefs F Kailer Yamamoto had a goal, his third, and an assist as he figured in the game's first two goals. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka had two assists, both on the PP. . . . Spokane D Jason Fram, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, picked up an assist to run his point streak to 11 games. He has two goals and 12 assists during that stretch. Only Swift Current F Coda Gordon, who takes a 12-game streak into a game against visiting Prince Albert tonight, has had a longer run this season. . . . The Chiefs were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-for-4. . . . Chiefs G Tyson Verhelst stopped 29 shots, 18 of those coming over the last two periods. . . . The Chiefs (9-6-3) moved into a tie with Kamloops for sixth in the Western Conference. Spokane is at home to the Tri-City Americans tonight. . . . The Blazers (9-10-3) have lost six in a row (0-4-2) and are in Everett tonight. . . .

In Prince George, F Rourke Chartier scored two more goals to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-3 victory over the Cougars. . . . Chartier, who has goals in nine straight games, leads the WHL with 22 goals. . . . He also had an assist, and now is tied for the WHL scoring lead with teammate Nick Merkley, who had one assist. Each has 37 points. . . . F Tyson Baillie also scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 15. . . . Chartier's second goal, at 10:15 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie. Prince George F Aaron Boyd had tied the game with his first goal, shorthanded, at 8:42. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 20 shots in earning his WHL-leading 16th victory. . . . The Rockets were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Cougars (11-10-0) were 1-for-5. . . . Kelowna (19-1-1) is 9-0-1 in its last 10. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Prince George. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Beau McCue had a goal and three assists as the Tri-City Americans dropped the Victoria Royals, 4-1. . . . McCue, who enjoyed his first career four-point outing, scored the game's first goal and assisted on the next three, two of those by F Richard Nejezchleb. . . . McCue has nine goals; Nejezchleb has four. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie, who is 7-0-0 on home ice, stopped 24 shots. He lost the shutout when F Tyler Soy scored his fifth goal at 11:17 of the third. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 31 shots. . . . Nejezchleb scored both goals on the PP as the Americans (13-9-0) went 2-for-6; the Royals (10-10-2) were 0-for-4. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee had a nine-game point streak end. . . . The Royals are in Vancouver to face the Giants tonight. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips scored two shootout goals and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . F Ivan Nikolishin and F Graham Millar both scored for Everett in the shootout, while Portland’s first two shooters were blanked. . . . Nikolishin, who also drew two assists, had tied the game 3-3 with his sixth goal at 13:39 of the second. . . . The Winterhawks led 3-1 on F Paul Bittner’s eighth goal at 8:35 of the second. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen got his second goal, from Nikolishin, at 9:43. . . . F Chase De Leo scored his 12th goal of the season for Portland (8-11-3). . . . D Layne Viveiros had two assists for Portland. . . . The Silvertips (13-2-3) are at home to Kamloops tonight and then will play in Portland on Sunday night.

Instead of "helping" and "motivating" your son, you are actually forcing 60 scouts to write "dad: nut-job, don't draft".
— Colin Priestner (@colinpriestner) November 14, 2014

Three trades for which to give thanks . . . Oil Kings snap losing skid

F Marcel Noebels (Seattle, Portland, 2010-12) signed a three-year contract with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) after his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) was dissolved. That deal had one year remaining on it. Last season, with the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL), he had three goals and eight assists in 52 games.
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The Victoria Royals have dealt D Jake Kohlhauser, 18, to the Edmonton Oil Kings for a conditional eighth-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. Kohlhauser, from St. Albert, Alta., had been acquired by the Royals from the Vancouver Giants prior to last season for an undisclosed conditional draft pick. Vancouver selected him in the second round of the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Kohlhauser had three assists in 47 games with the Royals over parts of two seasons. He was pointless in seven games this season. . . . The Royals, who meet the Rebels in Red Deer tonight, might see Kohlhauser on Wednesday when they play in Edmonton.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have traded D Scott Allan to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a fifth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Allan, 18, is from Thornton, Colo. He was pointless in three games with the Tigers this season. Last season, he was pointless in 34 games. . . . “We are down to five defencemen heading into a very busy time in our schedule,” Seattle general manager Russ Farwell said in a news release in explaining the move. “We feel there is huge potential with Scott and look forward to adding him to our team.” . . . Shea Theodore (elbow), who was hurt while in camp with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, is injured. As well, Ethan Bear took a hard hit late in a weekend game and may also be out. As well, Evan Wardley would appear to be facing a WHL suspension for a weekend hit on Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan. Wardley was given a charging major and game misconduct on the play in question.
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The Spokane Chiefs have acquired F Devon McAndrews, 19, from the Tri-City Americans for an undisclosed conditional pick in the 2015 bantam draft. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound McAndrews, from Edmonton, played 54 games over two seasons with the Americans, recording three goals and five assists. The Americans, who now are carrying 14 forwards, had acquired him from the Medicine Hat Tigers early in 2012-13 for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . He was pointless in two games this season. . . . "With our current injury situation, we have an opportunity for Devon to come in and help us and our group of forwards," explained Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz in a news release. "Devon plays the left side and has good size which fills two needs for our team right now." . . . The Chiefs also released F Spencer Meyer, 18, who was pointless in three games this season. Last season, he was pointless in 26 games with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He also went pointless in three games with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2012-13. . . . Meyer, from Surrey, B.C., was a fourth-round pick by Prince Albert in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, the 14th overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft, remains with the Chiefs and is likely to stay through Friday. He is pointless in three games.
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The host Edmonton Oil Kings snapped a three-game home-ice losing streak wit a 5-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings in Monday's lone WHL game. . . . (It was a holiday in Canada, so perhaps one might have thought there would be more than one afternoon game. No?) . . . F Mads Eller had a goal and two assists for Edmonton, with F Cole Benson scoring twice, the second multi-goal game of his career. Benson, 19, was playing in his 169th regular-season game. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner played in his 200th career regular-season game, all with the Oil Kings.
Brandon D Eric Roy (shoulder) played his first game on Saturday and was in the lineup again on Monday. He picked up an assist in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Hitmen in Calgary. Roy returned to Brandon from the camp of the NHL’s Calgary Flames with the injury. . . . The Red Deer Rebels have lost F Brayden Burke for at least two months with an undisclosed injury. Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that Burke, who is pointless in one game this season, was injured in a practice last week. Burke, a 17-year-old from Edmonton, was a seventh-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Meachem also reports that freshman D Hugo Jansons, who has yet to play this season due to injury, is back at practice. However, there is no date set for his regular-season debut. Jansons, 17, is from Riga, Latvia.

1. It was entirely predictable that, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes off to a horrid start, someone would express interest in purchasing the community-owned WHL team.
That has happened with former WHLer Kris Versteeg, who began his career with the Hurricanes, having written a letter to the Lethbridge Herald stating his interest in getting involved.
That letter, which is right here, begins: "I would like to stress the purpose of this message is not to kick this organization while it is down, but simply to express my strong interest in wanting to be a part of it."
Judging by the contents of the letter, Versteeg is aligned with a number of partners, none of whom is named, and is prepared to move forward.
Of course, this isn't the first time someone has expressed interest in purchasing a franchise that has stumbled through a lot of the most recent seasons. Twin brothers Rich and Ron Sutter have long stated that they are interested in the franchise.
It seems, however, that the Lethbridge franchise isn't for sale.
“Well, the board’s position is that the team is not for sale,” team president Brian McNaughton told Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald in reacting to Versteeg's letter. “And that’s been our position for a long, long time. We believe that the board is committed to running the hockey team and keeping the hockey team in Lethbridge and we believe that’s the most viable option.”
Purcell's story is right here.

2. Tweet from Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) of Yahoo! Sports: "Kris Versteeg's letter mentions 2 goals: Win Stanley Cup with Panthers & take Hurricanes to next level... I bet goal 3 is broker world peace."

3. A few words from Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:
"How long will it be before fan support, or lack thereof, becomes a major issue surrounding the Regina Pats? The Pats drew only 3,254 spectators for Wednesday’s WHL East Division first-place showdown with the Prince Albert Raiders, who won 3-1.
"The poor attendance is partially attributable to the fact that the Pats have missed the playoffs for four of the past five seasons. However, they carried a six-game winning streak into Wednesday’s game, and they are playing an entertaining brand of hockey. What will it take to entice more people to buy in?
"Once upon a time, disenchanted fans were heard to declare that they would not set foot inside the Brandt Centre as long as Brent Parker was involved with the Pats organization. Well, guess what? Parker, a one-time lightning rod for criticism, is no longer part of the team (which is owned by his father, Russ). So where is everyone?"
The Pats drew a season-high 5,432 fans to their Friday night game with the Edmonton Oil Kings, who got off to a 7-0 lead en route to a 7-2 victory.

4. In light of the headshot delivered by John Scott of the Buffalo Sabres the other night, John Shannon of Sportsnet weighs in right here with his thoughts on the situation. Yes, more food for thought. . . .

5. F Matt Anholt, the son of long-time WHL coach Peter Anholt, has committed to attend the U of Alaska-Anchorage and play for the Seawolves. From Prince Albert, Matt is in his second season with the BCHL's West Kelowna Warriors. This season, he is the Warriors' captain. . . . Peter, who now scouts for the Seattle Thunderbirds, has 450 coaching victories to his credit. He coached Prince Albert, Seattle, Red Deer and Kelowna.



Brent Sutter of the Red Deer Rebels will be the head coach of Team WHL when it plays a Russian side in the Subway Series next month. Ryan McGill of the Kootenay Ice will serve as Sutter's assistant coach. Games are scheduled for Nov. 27 in Red Deer and Nov. 28 in Lethbridge. . . . The WHL has suspended Prince Albert Raiders F Mike Winther for four games after he took a headshot major during a 3-1 victory over the Pats in Regina on Wednesday night. . . . After Friday's games, the WHL, thanks to loser points, has 15 of its 22 teams playing at .500 or better. That includes seven of 10 teams in the Western Conference. . . . The OHL's Erie Otters are riding a nine-game winning streak. At 11-2-1, their .821 winning percentage is second only to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (10-1-2, .846). The Otters’ head coach is Kris Knoblauch, a former WHL player and coach.

FRIDAY NIGHT:
D Ashton Sautner, with two goals in each of the last two seasons, scored twice and added an assist as the Edmonton Oil Kings scored a 7-2 victory over the Pats in Regina. . . . Sautner went into the game with four goals in 121 career regular-season games. From Wolseley, Sask., which is a few slapshots east of Regina on No. 1 Highway, he has three goals this season. . . . Sautner's father, Blaine, is a former head coach of the U of Regina Cougars. . . . The Oil Kings have won three in a row. . . . The Pats have followed a six-game winning streak with two losses. . . .

F Oliver Bjorkstrand drew three assists and G Jarrod Schamerhorn earned his first WHL victory in his second start as the visiting Portland Winterhawks got past the Kootenay Ice, 6-3. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo added two goals on his 18th birthday. . . . The Winterhawks, who wrap up a five-game road trip in Spokane tonight, have won seven in a row. . . .

In Red Deer, F Nikita Scherbak had a goal and two assists as the Saskatoon Blades edged the Rebels, 4-3. . . . Scherbak broke a 3-3 tie with a PP goal at 17:56 of the third period. . . . There was a bizarre play in this one, at 2:49 of the third period, as Saskatoon F Collin Valcourt drove to the Red Deer net, scored a goal and was given a major and game misconduct for goaltending interference after colliding with G Patrik Bartosak. The puck was ruled to have crossed the goal line before Valcourt made contact with Bartosak. That goal gave Saskatoon a 3-2 lead and knocked Bartosak out of the game. He was replaced by Taz Burman. . . . After opening the season with five losses, the Blades are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. . . . The Rebels have lost four in a row, all at home. . . .

D Reid Gow picked up four assists as the Spokane Chiefs dropped the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, 7-1. . . . Gow is from Killarney, Man., which is located about an hour's drive south of Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings were playing the first of a six-game road swing that includes five stops in the U.S. Division. . . . Spokane Mitch Holmberg had a goal and two assists. He leads the WHL in goals (17) and points (35). . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart, who missed two weeks with an undisclosed injury, scored once in his return, as did F Adam Helewka, who hadn't played since suffering a back injury in the season's third game. . . . The Chiefs (11-3-0) lead the U.S. division by a point  over the Portland Winterhawks (10-3-1). Portland visits Spokane tonight. . . .

F Jessey Astles, who has eight goals in 192 regular-season games, scored the only goal of the shootout as the host Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . Astles, 20, is in his fifth season. Playing with the Kelowna Rockets, Saskatoon Blades and Tri-City, he has had seasons of 1, 3, 2 and 1 goal. He has one goal in 13 games this season. . . . F Ryan Gropp, who left the BCHL's Penticton Vees earlier this month to join Seattle, scored on his first WHL shift. Gropp, from Kamloops, was the sixth overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Thunderbirds didn't have F Jaimen Yakubowski and F Sam Mckechnie in their lineup. They were acquired Thursday from the Lethbrige Hurricanes. . . .

In Prince George, Slovakian F David Soltes scored in the shootout to give the Cougars a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . With the loser point, the Hitmen have at least a point in each of their last nine games. . . .

F Manraj Hayer scored three times as the visiting Everett Silvertips got past the Vancouver Giants, 6-5. . . . Hayer, who is from Vancouver, broke a 5-5 tie at 18:01 of the third period to complete his first WHL hat trick. . . .

In Victoria, G Jordon Cooke stopped 28 shots, including two penalty shots, as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Royals, 4-1. . . . Cooke stopped F Logan Nelson on a penalty shot at 11:36 of the second period to preserve a 2-0 lead, and then beat F Luke Harrison at 10:22 of the third. . . . Cooke is 7-0-0 this season. . . . The Royals had won five straight home games. . . . D Riley Stadel was scratched by Kelowna. Head coach Ryan Huska told Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier that Stadel underwent a "minor procedure" in Vancouver and should be back with the team next weekend.

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