Showing posts with label Beck Malenstyn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beck Malenstyn. Show all posts

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Ice close to new ownership? . . . Mumps not finished with WHL yet . . . Hitmen grab last playoff spot




F Kyle Beach (Everett, Lethbridge, Spokane, 2005-10) has signed a two-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had a team-high 30 goals, along with 15 assists, in 54 games. . . .
F Brandon Kozun (Calgary, 2006-10) has signed a one-year extension with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Russia, KHL). He led the team in scoring this season, with 56 points, 23 of them goals, in 59 games. Kozun was named the KHL’s forward of the week three times in the regular season and once during the playoffs.
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 Guy Flaming, the host of The PipeCast and the analyst on Edmonton Oil Kings broadcasts, tweeted Friday evening that the Kootenay Ice franchise was “very close” to being sold to “the local group in Cranbrook.”
That group is believed to include Colin Sinclair, a former Ice captain who has a business degree and an MBA. Among other things, he is the controller and co-founder of Spartan Scaffolding Ltd., a Cranbrook-based business.
A native of Brooks, Alta., Sinclair, 35, played five seasons (1998-2003) with the Ice. He attended the U of New Brunswick for four years, before going on to a brief professional career.
When news of this group first surfaced early this season, it was believed to also included two former WHL/NHL defencemen — Robyn Regehr and Rhett Warrener. Regehr spent three seasons with the Kamloops Blazers; Warrener played three seasons with the Saskatoon Blades. Regehr and Warrener were teammates with the NHL’s Calgary Flames from 2003-08.
The Ice played its final home game last night, losing 6-1 to the Calgary Hitmen before 2,139 fans. According to figures compiled by the WHL, the Ice averaged 1,754 fans per game this season. Last season, that figure was 1,957, down from 2,239 in 2014-15.
The WHL had hoped to have the Ice under new ownership and relocated to Nanaimo in time to start the 2017-18 season. But any hopes of that happening were dashed a week ago when Nanaimo voters resoundingly defeated a referendum by which the city asked for the OK to borrow $80 million in order to build an events centre that would include an arena. The WHL had gone so far as to enter into a memorandum of understanding through which it guaranteed a franchise to Nanaimo, along with a 20-year lease.
The Chynoweth family has been trying to sell the Ice since at least 2012.
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It seems the mumps virus isn’t through with the WHL just yet.
A source familiar with the situation told Taking Note on Friday night that G Jordan Papirny of the Swift Current Broncos has the WHL’s latest confirmed case of mumps.
JORDAN PAPIRNY
Papirny, 20, hasn’t played since March 7. He wasn’t in uniform again last night as the Broncos posted a 2-1 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.
Papirny, who was acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings in January, has 119 career victories, which may be one shy of the WHL record for regular-season victories by a goaltender. Unofficially, that record is shared by Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver Giants, 2004-09) and Corey Hirsch (Kamloops Blazers, 1988-92).
The Broncos close out their regular season tonight in Moose Jaw.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Thunderbirds haven’t yet released results of tests involving F Mathew Barzal. He took the warmup prior to March 10 game against the visiting Everett Silvertips but was feeling ill and went to the dressing room before the game started. He now has missed three games.
The Thunderbirds are scheduled to entertain the Portland Winterhawks tonight in Kent, Wash.
At the same time, the Edmonton Oil Kings have cancelled their traditional post-game autograph session that was to be held after Sunday’s game against the Red Deer Rebels. That move comes despite it being the last game of the Oil Kings’ season. They won’t be in the playoffs.
“Due to the number of recent cases of outbreaks of mumps in Canada and the United States, our organization is continuing to commit to refraining from any direct interaction with fans,” reads a news release from the Oil Kings. “While there is still an extremely low risk of spectators contracting the virus, our main concern is for the health and welfare of our fans and players.
“While we appreciate this is the final game of the season, with there being more cases as of late it unfortunately became necessary to cancel this event for the protection of the fans and players. While our team staff and players have shown no symptoms of the virus, confirmed cases within our league and other leagues have been reported as recently as this week.”
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Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, said Friday that the decision to move the franchise from the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver to the Langley Events Centre “was very good . . . the
RON TOIGO
team was not.”
Speaking on Vancouver radio station TSN 1040, Toigo added that “we identified we need to really build for the future and made that decision before the trading deadline. At the trading deadline, we went all-in.
“It’s been rough for the guys since then, but overall I think the (season) was successful for being at Langley. The building’s certainly going through a transition on how to manage events of this size. They’re certainly light years ahead of where they were at the beginning of the (season) and I think next (season) will even be that much better. We enjoy being there. We enjoy the ambience there, the fan interaction . . . it’s a lot of fun to be there, even the way the team’s been playing.”
The Giants were 16-23-3 at the Jan. 10 trade deadline. Since then, they are 4-21-3. 
The LEC seats 5,276, a figure that includes 24 suites. According to figures compiled by the WHL, the Giants go into their final home game averaging 3,831 fans per game. They will miss the playoffs for a third straight season and for the fourth time in five seasons.
Still, Toigo said, the response at the ticket office has been great.
“We’ve basically been sold out for the season,” he said, “even though there’s been a lot of no-shows. It’s been standing room only for the last couple months even with the way the team’s been playing.
“When we start winning, and we’ll be a lot better next (season), it’s going to be a lot of fun to be there.”
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed D Koletrane Wilson to a WHL contract. Wilson, 17, was a fourth-round selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. A native of Edmonton, Wilson, 17, played this season with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders, putting up one goal and 10 assists in 45 games. . . . The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is the younger brother of former WHL F Klarc Wilson (Brandon, Edmonton, Prince George, 2009-14).
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The WHL has honoured Herman Elfring, a longtime member of the Lethridge Hurricanes’ board of directors, with a 2016-17 Distinguished Service Award. Elfring was on the Hurricanes’ board for 23 seasons, including 21 (1994-2016) as governor. He also spent 10 years on the WHL’s finance committee. . . . Elfring retired as governor prior to this season.
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While two B.C.-based junior hockey teams — the WHL’s Kootenay Ice and the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers — have For Sale tags hanging from them, the junior B Port Moody Panthers have been sold.
The Panthers, who play in the Pacific Junior Hockey League, have been sold by a group led by Dennis Obcena and Frank Iantorno to a new ownership groups. Partners in the new group prefer to remain anonymous.
The transfer of ownership has been approved by the nine other PJHL governors.
The Panthers’ new owners have already brought in a new general manager, with Peter Zerbinos taking over from Obcena.
Zerbinos isn’t a stranger to the PJHL, having spent eight seasons with the Delta Ice Hawks, six as director of hockey operations and two as general manager. Under Obcena, the Ice Hawks won the PJHL title in 2012 and also reached the championship final in 2010.
This season, the Panthers finished 16-27-0-1, leaving them fifth in the five-team Tom Shaw Conference. They didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
The 2017-18 season with be the Panthers’ 12th in Port Moody.
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If the playoffs began today . . . 
Eastern Conference
Regina vs. Calgary
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Everett vs. Victoria
Prince George vs. Tri-City
Kelowna vs. Kamloops
Seattle vs. Portland
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Kamloops, F Jesse Gabrielle scored two goals to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 victory over
JESSE GABRIELLE
the Blazers. . . . The teams will meet again tonight in Prince George, with the Cougars (45-21-5), who have won three in a row, needing one point to clinch first place in the B.C. Division. They go into the game with a two-point lead over the Kelowna Rockets, who will finish up against the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. If the Cougars and Rockets end up tied for first place, Kelowna will win it on the third tiebreaker. Each will have 45 victories and they split the season series, 4-4-0. The Rockets will end on having a better goals-for minus goals-against ratio. . . . The Blazers (41-24-6) have won their previous three games. They will meet the second-place finisher in the first round of playoffs. . . . Last night, the Cougars, who dominated the neutral zone and forced an untold number of turnovers, scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Kody McDonald scored his 17th goal at 18:08 of the first period. . . . Gabrielle, who has 35 goals, scored at 3:47 and 7:36 of the second period, with F Nikita Popugaev getting the primary assist on both goals. . . . F Nic Holowko (7) scored for Kamloops at 9:37 of the second. . . . The Cougars got two assists from D Josh Anderson. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 24 shots to earn his 100th career regular-season victory. . . . The Blazers got 35 stops from G Connor Ingram. . . . Prince George was 0-2 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 4,973.
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At Kelowna, F Kole Lind had a goal and three assists to help the Rockets to a 7-0 victory over the
KOLE LIND
Vancouver Giants. . . . The Rockets (44-22-5) are second in the B.C. Division, two points behind the Prince George Cougars. If the Cougars lost at home to the Kamloops Blazers tonight and Kelowna beats Vancouver in Langley, B.C., the Rockets will finish atop the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants (43-23-5) have lost two in a row. . . . Kelowna is 6-1-0 in the season series. In winning the last four games, the Rockets have posted three shutouts and outscored the Giants 26-1. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 21 shots to record his second shutout this season and the fifth of his career. . . . The Giants got 31 saves from G David Tendeck. . . . F Reid Gardiner gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead with his 17th goal just 52 seconds into the game. . . . F Nolan Foote upped it to 2-0 with No. 18, on a PP, at 12:15. . . . F Rod Southam added two goals, giving him 19, with F Kyle Topping (14), D James Hilsendager (6) and Lind (29) also scoring. . . . F Nick Merkley and F Calvin Thurkauf each had two assists, with Gardiner and Foote each picking up one. . . . Kelowna was 3-8 on the PP; Vancouver never got even one opportunity. . . . The Giants took 52 of the game’s 78 penalty minutes. . . . Announced attendance: 5,438.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Beck Malenstyn scored three times, sparking the Calgary Hitmen to a 6-1 victory
BECK MALENSTYN
over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Hitmen (29-32-10) clinched the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card playoff spot with the victory and will meet the Regina Pats in the first round. . . . The Ice (14-45-12) has lost nine in a row (0-7-2). . . . Calgary took control with three goals in a span of 1:48 early in the second period. . . . F Jake Kryski scored his 20th goal at 4:16. . . . F Tyler Mrkonjic (8) made it 2-0 at 5:12. . . . Malenstyn upped it to 3-0 at 6:04. . . . F Max Patterson (8) scored for the Ice, on a PP, at 15:03. . . . Calgary put it away with three third-period goals. Malenstyn scored at 3:59. F Matteo Gennaro got No. 43, on a PP, at 5:15. Malenstyn completed the hat trick with his 32nd goal, shorthanded, at 11:59. . . . D Jake Bean had three assists for Calgary, with Kryski and Gennaro adding one each. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter stopped 20 shots. . . . G Payton Lee turned aside 32 shots for Kootenay. Lee, 20, is from Cranbrook so was playing the final game of his WHL career at home. . . . Kootenay was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-5. . . . D Sam Huston and F Keenan Taphorn, both out with shoulder injuries, were among the Ice’s scratches. Taphorn was injured on Tuesday during a 3-2 OT loss to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. In the second period, with the Ice on the long change, Edmonton G Josh Dechaine was headed to the bench on a delayed penalty when he collided with Taphorn, who obviously got the worst of it. . . . Announced attendance: 2,139.
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At Lethbridge, F James Hamblin scored two goals as the Medicine Hat Tigers skated to a 5-1 victory over
JAMES HAMBLIN
the Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F John Dahlstrom (30) got it started with a PP goal at 12:52 of the first period. . . . Hamblin scored at 18:30. . . . F Chad Butcher made it 3-0 with his 27th goal at 3:30 of the second period. . . . F Ryan Bowen (11) got Lethbridge’s goal, shorthanded, at 7:33 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat got that one back when F Mark Rassell (35) counted at 9:31. . . . Hamblin’s 21st goal closed out the scoring at 12:08 of the third period. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko had three assists for the winners, while Butcher had one. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 32 shots for the Tigers. They were without G Nick Schneider (personal), so had Duncan McGovern backing up Bullion. . . . Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News later tweeted that Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, had “confirmed that Schneider has gone home for medical reasons but is (expected) to return for playoffs.” . . . The Hurricanes got 37 stops from G Stuart Skinner. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-8. . . . The Tigers lost F Matt Bradley to a spearing major and game misconduct at 19:56 of the first period. . . . The Hurricanes continue to play without F Matt Alfaro and F Zak Zborosky. . . . The Tigers (50-20-1) have won at least 50 games for the fourth time in franchise history. . . . The Hurricanes (44-20-7) will finish second in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 5,203.
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At Regina, F Adam Brooks scored two goals and added two assists, while F Sam Steel scored his 50th goal, as the Pats beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 7-1. . . . Steel, who leads the WHL with 131 points,
BRAYDON BUZIAK
became the league’s third 50-goal man. . . . Brooks, who won the scoring title with 120 points last season, has 127 points, including a WHL-leading 85 assists. . . . Regina scored the game’s first three goals. . . . Brooks got it started just 34 seconds into the game. . . . Steel got No. 50, on a PP, at 8:29 of the first period. . . . F Braydon Buziak (11) made it 3-0 with a shorthanded goal at 6:23 of the second period. . . . D Daniel Bukac (2) scored for Brandon at 9:05. . . . F Austin Wagner (29), who also had two assists, Brooks and F Filip Ahl (27) added second-period goals for Regina, with F Wyatt Sloboshan finishing the scoring with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 16:15 of the third period. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs had two assists, while Ahl had one. . . . G Tyler Brown record the victory with 21 saves, eight fewer than Brandon’s Travis Child. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Brandon was 0-4. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick left in the first period favouring a knee, but returned for the second period. . . . Brandon later lost F Reid Duke with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Wheat Kings were without D Kale Clague and F Tanner Kaspick, with undisclosed injuries, D Garrett Sambrook (ill) and F Tyler Coulter (suspended). . . . The Pats (51-12-8) have won seven in a row. They will finish atop the overall standings and open the playoffs against the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Bruce Luebke, the former longtime radio voice of the Wheat Kings, tweeted that Brandon (31-30-10) finished the season with nine road victories, its lowest such total since 1991-92. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484. . . . That was Regina’s 14th sellout of the season. The Pats set a franchise record with an average attendance of 5,456. The previous record (5,095) was set in 2007-08.
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At Saskatoon, G Logan Flodell turned aside 36 shots in leading the Blades to a 5-3 victory over the
CHASE WOUTERS
Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Despite the victory, the Blades (28-24-9) will miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season. They haven’t qualified since being the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup tournament. . . . The Raiders (20-44-7) won’t be in the playoffs, either. . . . F Cavin Leth (23) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 8:13 of the first period, but the Blades responded with the next four goals. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk, a 20-year-old from Saskatoon, scored his 31st goal at 13:49 in his final home game. . . . F Braylon Shmyr (35) scored on a PP at 2:05 of the second period to give Saskatoon the lead. . . . F Michael Farren (8) made it 3-1 at 6:21 and F Gage Ramsay (9) scored shorthanded at 10:21. . . . The Raiders made it interesting with third-period goals from F Parker Kelly (21), shorthanded, at 4:53, and F Spencer Moe (6), at 8:39. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Paterson (17) put it away with an empty-netter at 19:59. . . . F Chase Wouters had three assists for Saskatoon, with Shmyr getting one. . . . G Nic Sanders started for the Raiders and allowed three goals on 14 shots in 26:21. Ian Scott finished up by stopping 10 of 11 shots in 31:27. . . . Saskatoon was 1-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 10,030. . . . Darren Steinke, the wandering blogger, was in attendance and filed an emotional piece that is right here.
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At Swift Current, F Aleksi Heponiemi broke a 1-1 tie at 17:35 of the third period as the Broncos beat the
ALEKSI HEPONIEMI
Moose Jaw Warriors, 2-1. . . . These teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs. They also will play again tonight in Moose Jaw. . . . The Broncos (39-22-10) will finish third in the East Division, while the Warriors (41-21-9), who are 0-4-1 in their last five games, in second spot. . . . D Matt Sozanski gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead with his third goal at 8:09 of the first period. . . . The Broncos tied it on F Glenn Gawdin’s 26th goal, at 5:58 of the second period. . . . Heponiemi won it with his 28th goal. . . . F Ryley Lindgren had two assists for the Broncos. . . . G Taz Burman earned the victory with 34 saves. . . . The Warriors got 21 stops from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Broncos had F Logan Barlage, who turned 16 on Jan. 12, in their lineup. Barlage, from Humboldt, Sask., was the fourth-overall pick in the 2016 bantam draft. He was pointless in two earlier games with the Broncos. With the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos, he had 76 points, including 37 goals, in 44 games this season. . . . D Josh Brook was among Moose Jaw’s scratches, while the Broncos were without, among others, G Jordan Papirny (ill), D Colby Sissons, F Kaden Elder and D Max Lajoie. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Morgan Geekie scored his second goal of the game 28 seconds into OT to give
MORGAN GEEKIE
the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The victory lifted the Americans (39-28-3), who had lost their previous five games, into the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of the Victoria Royals. Tri-City is fourth in the U.S. Division, one point behind the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Chiefs (26-33-11) have lost eight in a row (0-7-1). . . . Geekie, who has 34 goals, gave the Americans a 4-3 lead at 15:13 of the third period. . . . The Chiefs tied it as F Kailer Yamamoto, who had three goals, counted at 18:58 and again at 19:24. He’s got 42 goals. . . . F Vladislav Lukin, back after missing eight games with an undisclosed injury, got his 25th goal at 19:35 of the first period to give Tri-City a 1-0 lead. . . . Yamamoto tied it at 16:52 of the second. . . . Yes, the teams combined for six third-period goals. . . . Tri-City D Dylan Coghlan (14) scored at 0:22 and F Tyler Sandhu (22) gave the home side a 3-2 lead at 7:31. . . . F Hudson Elynuik had Spokane’s other goal, his 28th, on a pp, at 12:28. . . . D Jordan Topping had two assists for the Americans, with Coghlan, Geekie and Lukin each getting one. . . . Elynuik, D Ty Smith and F Keanu Yamamoto had two assists each for the Chiefs. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 32 shots for the Americans. . . . The Chiefs got 27 stops out of G Jayden Sittler. . . . Spokane was 2-5 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-4. . . . The Americans also had F Max James back from a three-game absence. . . . Announced attendance: 4,579.
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At Victoria, F Matt Fonteyne scored two goals to help the Everett Silvertips to a 4-2 victory over the
MATT FONTEYNE
Royals. . . . The Silvertips (43-16-11) moved back into first place in the Western Conference standings, one point ahead of the idle Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Royals (37-28-6) have lost six in a row (0-5-1) and slipped a spot into the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . F Jack Walker’s 30th goal, on a PP, gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 5:56 of the first period. . . . The visitors took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Kevin Davis (9), on a PP, at 8:24, and Fonteyne, at 11:44. . . . Walker scored again, 22 seconds into the second period, to get the Royals even. That was his 100th career regular-season goal. . . . F Eetu Tuulola (18) restored the Everett lead at 1:32 and Fonteyne’s 19th goal added insurance at 2:59. . . . Everett got two assists from each of F Dominic Zwerger and F Patrick Bajkov. . . . D Scott Walford had two assists for Victoria. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 25 shots for Everett, while Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse turned aside 18. . . . Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . F Tyler Soy returned to Victoria’s lineup after missing 13 games with an undisclosed injury, while head coach Dave Lowry was back behind the bench after sitting out three games with the mumps. With assistant coach Dan Price running the bench, the Royals went 0-2-1. . . . Victoria D Mitchell Prowse also was back after recovering from the mumps. . . . D Ryan Gagnon set a Royals franchise record for career regular-season games played, with No. 319. That is one more than F Brandon Magee (Chilliwack/Victoria, 2009-15). . . . Announced attendance: 7,006.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

Red Deer at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 5 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:53 AM
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Friday, December 9, 2016

Guhle returns from NHL . . . Royals add some firepower . . . Pats, Brooks keep rolling


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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have returned D Brendan Guhle, 19, to the Prince George Cougars. Guhle
BRENDAN GUHLE
played three games with the Sabres after they recalled him on an emergency basis due to injuries. . . . The Sabres had D Josh Gorges and D Dmitry Kulikov back for a Friday night game with the visiting Washington Capitals, so they had to return Guhle. Kalikow (back) missed 13 games, while Gorges (foot) sat out three games, all of which Guhle played in. . . . Buffalo D Nicolas Deslauriers (knee) is skating but not yet ready to return after already missing 19 games. . . . While with the Sabres, Guhle played a regular shift, averaging 16 minutes 21 seconds of playing time. . . . Guhle, who has three goals in four games with the Cougars since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 18, didn’t play against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday night. He could be in the lineup tonight (Saturday) for the second game of the doubleheader.
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F Vladimir Bobylev is expected to rejoin the Victoria Royals next week for the remainder of this WHL season. Bobylev, 19, had 67 points, including 28 goals, in 72 games with the Royals last season. . . . The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL draft. . . . Bobylev, who is from Lipetsk, Russia, signed with Spartak Moscow of the KHL over the summer. He had a goal and two assists in 20 games with Spartak, before being sent down to Voskresensk of the VHL, where he had one goal and one assist in three games. . . . The Royals have room for Bobylev on their roster as they only had one import — Russian D Marsel Ibragimov — on their roster. . . . Bobylev could be in Victoria in time for the Royals’ next home game -- they are scheduled to play host to the Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday night. . . . Last season, Bobylev played a lot with linemates Jack Walker and Tyler Soy. You can look for them to be reunited once Soy returns from an undisclosed injury. Those three combined for 236 points, including 110 goals, last season.
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JUST NOTES:

Brent Dodginghorse, 38, who played two seasons (1997-99) with the Calgary Hitmen, has been re-elected to a fifth term as a councillor with the Tsuut’ina Nation near Calgary. The election was held last week and had a voter turnout of more than 70 per cent. .
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Beck Malenstyn forced OT and then scored in the extra session to give the Hitmen a 3-2
BECK MALENSTYN
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The visitors took a 1-0 lead when F Michael Spacek scored his 15th goal at 4:40 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on a PP score by F Jakob Stukel (7) at 17:58. . . . The Rebels went back in front on F Evan Polei’s 12th goal, at 6:57 of the third period. . . . Malenstyn, who has 11 goals, tied it at 14:41 and won it at 2:02 of OT. . . . The winner came as Red Deer G Lasse Petersen, who once played for the Hitmen, skated out near the blue line after a loose puck. Malenstyn got their first and was able to score into the vacated net. . . . “Lasse wasn’t here for a super-long time last (season),” Malenstyn told Postmedia’s Scott Fisher, “but in the time he was here, we got to know each other pretty well. We were pretty good friends when he was here so maybe I’ll have to thank him for this one after the game.” . . . The Hitmen got 33 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . At the other end, Petersen made 27 saves. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . The Hitmen (11-14-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Rebels (15-12-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 9,631.
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At Edmonton, F Lane Bauer scored twice and added an assist to help the Oil Kings to a 5-1 victory over
LANE BAUER
the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Bauer, who has 21 goals, ran his goal-scoring streak to six games. He’s got eight goals over that time. . . . D Aaron Irving gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his 10th goal at 3:25 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke (17) tied it on a PP at 7:55. . . . Irving scored again at 10:58 to put his mates out front for good. . . . Bauer made it 3-1 with his 20th goal at 13:31. . . . Edmonton D Brayden Gorda (3) added insurance at 17:02 of the second period, with Bauer getting his second goal at 14:56 of the third. . . . Gorda also had an assist, while F Davis Koch had two of them. . . . Gorda and Koch each finished plus-5. . . . The Oil Kings got 19 saves from G Patrick Dea, while Brandon’s Jordan Papirny, playing in his hometown, blocked 29. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-1. . . . Edmonton and Brandon are tied for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots, each with 30 points. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 14-14-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (13-13-4) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They are 1-5-1 on an eight-game trip that ends in Red Deer tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 8,148.
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At Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estephan broke a 2-2 tie at 14:56 of the third period as the Hurricanes beat the
GIORGIO ESTEPHAN
Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Hurricanes (16-11-4) have points in 10 straight games (9-0-1). . . . The Tigers (21-10-1) have lost five in a row. . . . D David Quenneville (16) scored both Medicine Hat goals. He gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 13:19 of the first period and pulled them into a 2-2 tie at 10:13 of the third. Both goals came via the PP. . . . Lethbridge F Jordy Bellerive (11) tied the score 1-1 at 10:22 of the second period. . . . D Brennan Riddle scored his first WHL goal at 11:39 of the second to get the Hurricanes into a 2-2 tie. . . . Lethbridge got two assists from each of F Tyler Wong and F Colton Kroeker. . . . F Steve Owre had two assists for the Tigers. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 37 shots for Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider turned aside 20 shots as he made his fifth start in search of his 20th victory this season. He leads the WHL with 19. . . . Medicine Hat 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,854.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s last two goals to beat the Victoria Royals, 5-4, in OT. . . .
RYAN HUGHES
Portland D Henri Jokiharju forced OT when he scored with with 54.6 seconds left in the third period and G Cole Kehler on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . The Winterhawks won it when F Ryan Hughes scored his 13th goal at 4:05 of extra time. . . . D Caleb Jones, who finished with three assists, had the primary assist on each of the last two goals. . . . The Winterhawks held a 3-1 lead early in the second period but watched as Victoria scored three straight goals. . . . F Brett Clayton’s first goal put Portland out front at 2:43 of the first period. . . . Victoria D Chazz Reddekopp (4) tied it at 11:01. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Colton Veloso (8), at 18:20 of the first, and F Cody Glass (16), on a PP, 30 seconds into the second period. . . . The Royals got the next three goals, with F Dante Hannoun (12) scoring at 0:53 of the second, F Ryan Peckford (9) counting at 6:06 and F Regan Nagy (9) scoring at 5:52 of the third period. . . . Glass added two assists to his goal, while D Keoni Texeira also had two helpers. . . . The Royals got two assists each from Hannoun and F Matt Phillips. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Kehler finished with 33 saves in earning the victory over Griffen Outhouse, who turned aside 46 shots. . . . Portland (17-13-1) had won two in a row. . . . Victoria (16-13-3) has points in its last three outings (2-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 4,231.
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At Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 7-3 victory
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
over the Raiders. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs had two goals and two assists for the Warriors, taking over the WHL goal-scoring with 24, in the process. He scored the first two goals, at 9:41 and 13:09 of the first period as he ran his goal-scoring streak to seven games, the best in the WHL this season. . . . F Tanner Jeannot, who also scored twice, upped the lead to 3-0 at 17:28. . . . F Austin Glover (9) scored the Teddy Bear Goal just 32 seconds into the second period and F Tim Vanstone (5) got the Raiders to within one at 3:38. . . . However, F Noah Gregor, who has 15 goals, scored his first of two at 10:48, on a PP, and Jeannot upped it to 5-2 at 2:25 of the third period. . . . Raiders F Spencer Moe’s first goal got them to within two at 11:02. . . . The Warriors put it away on goals from Gregor, at 15:03, and F Brett Howden (14), at 16:24. . . . Howden and Gregor had an assist each. . . . Halbgewachs went into this season with 19 goals and 31 assists in 133 career regular-season games. This season, he has 24 goals and 17 assists in 28 games. He has tied his career-high with 41 points in 28 games; he finished last season with 41 points in 69 games. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko blocked 41 shots, 16 more than Prince Albert’s Ian Scott. . . . The Warriors were 1-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-6. . . . Moose Jaw (17-6-5) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . Prince Albert (6-23-1) has lost three straight. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Moose Jaw and it’s another Teddy Bear Game. . . . F Brayden Burke (ill) and D Matt Sozanski (hangnail/shoulder) were among the Warriors’ scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 2,171.
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At Prince George, F Donovan Neuls broke a 2-2 tie at 1:33 of the third period and the Seattle
DONOVAN NEULS
Thunderbirds went on to a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . Neuls has eight goals this season. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle’s 19th goal, shorthanded, got the Cougars on the scoreboard first, at 3:07 of the first period. . . . F Sami Moilanen (8) tied it at 10:23. . . . The Cougars went back out front on F Yan Khomenko’s ninth goal, at 11:29. . . . The Thunderbirds tied it on F Keegan Kolesar’s second goal, at 2:22 of the second period. . . . Neuls and Kolesar also had an assist each. . . . Khomenko has nine goals and six assists in 28 games. Last season, he finished with five goals and three assists in 46 games with Everett. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle, two more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 0-4 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds improved to 16-10-3. . . . The Cougars are 21-8-2. . . . The two teams meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 2,758.
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At Regina, F Dawson Leedahl scored two goals and drew three assists to lead the Pats to an 8-1 victory
DAWSON LEEDAHL
over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . It was Leedahl’s first five-point game in the WHL. . . . Leedahl, 20, has 12 goals and 25 assists in 28 games this season. Last season, he finished with 12 goals and 15 assists in 48 games with the Everett Silvertips. He already has career single-season highs in assists and points. . . . F Riley Woods scored the Teddy Bear Goal, his fifth goal this season, giving the Pats a 1-0 lead at 11:45 of the first period. . . . F Nick Henry, who scored twice and added two assists, got his13th at 13:57 of the first for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Kaden Elder (7) pulled the Broncos to within a goal at 16:15, but Regina went on to score the next six goals. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs had two goals, giving him 13, and an assist, while F Sam Steel and D Sergey Zborovskiy each had two assists. . . . Zborovskiy has three goals and 13 assists over his past five games during which time he is plus-17. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks ran his point streak to 22 games with one assist. Brooks, who is tied with Steel atop the WHL scoring race (48 points), has at least a point in each game in which he has played this season. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown, making his eighth straight start with backup Jordan Hollett hurt, made 26 saves. . . . Swift Current starter Taz Burman gave up four goals on 16 shots in 23:17. Travis Child came on to allow four goals on 29 shots in 36:43. . . . The Pats were 2-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . Regina (21-2-5) is 5-0-2 in its last seven games. It remains tied with Everett (21-3-5) atop the overall standings. . . . Swift Current (15-10-6) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,128.
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At Spokane, F Markson Bechtold’s fifth goal, at 18:52 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie as the Chiefs
MARKSON BECHTOLD
beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto scored the Teddy Bear Goal, giving his guys a 1-0 lead at 4:01 of the first period. . . . Ice F Barrett Sheen (6) tied it at 9:03. . . . The Chiefs took a 3-1 lead on second-period goals from F Kailer Yamamoto (18), on a PP, at 1:02, and F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (14), at 14:22. . . . Kootenay tied it with a pair of PP goals. F Zak Zborosky scored No. 23 at 18:18 of the second period and F Vince Loschiavo got his ninth at 3:50 of the third period. . . . The Yamamoto brothers each had an assist, as did Anderson-Dolan. . . . The Ice got two assists from D Cale Fleury, with Loschiavo and Zborosky adding one each. . . . G Dawson Weatherill got the victory with 27 saves, four more than the Ice’s Jakob Walter. . . . Kootenay was 2-6 on the PP; Spokane was 1-5. . . . The Chiefs (12-11-6) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Ice (6-18-8) had points in its previous three games (1-0-2). . . . The Ice had F Kaeden Taphorn back after an 18-game absence. Taphorn was injured on Oct. 7 on a hit by Regina Pats F Austin Wagner, came back for two games on Oct. 21 and 26, and didn’t play again until last night. . . . Announced attendance: 8,322.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Kole Lind struck in OT as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2.
KOLE LIND
. . . Lind scored his 16th goal at 3:17 of extra time. . . . F Nolan Foote’s fifth goal, on a PP, gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead at 18:54 of the first period. . . . The Americans scored the next two goals, both via the PP. . . . F Michael Rasmussen got No. 22 at 2:12 of the second period. . . . D Juuso Valimaki, who spent the early part of the week at home in Finland where he took part in Independence Day celebrations (for more, see blog entry from Tuesday night of this week), gave the home side a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal, at 6:02. . . . The Rockets forged a 2-2 tie when F Calvin Thurkauf got his 13th goal at 8:44 of the second. . . . The Americans got two assists from each of F Tyler Sandhu and F Vladislav Lukin. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots for the victory. . . . G Evan Sarthou of the Americans blocked 41 shots. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-3. . . . The Rockets (18-11-1) are 5-0-1 in their past six games. . . . The Americans (18-11-3) are 2-0-1 in their last three. . . . Announced attendance: 2,609.
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At Langley, B.C., F Eetu Tuulola’s shootout goal gave the Everett Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the
EETU TUULOLA
Vancouver Giants. . . . F Thomas Foster (7) gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 8:25 of the first period and the teams alternated goals the rest of the way, meaning that the Silvertips didn’t hold a lead until game’s end. . . . Everett F Sean Richards (5) tied it at 3:14 of the second period. . . . Vancouver F Radovan Bondra, who missed a week with a leg injury, put the Giants back out front with his 18th goal, just 25 seconds later. . . . Tuulola tied it with his seventh goal, just eight seconds after Bondra had scored. . . . Yes, the teams scored three times in 33 seconds. . . . Vancouver took the lead again when F Jack Flaman (9) scored at 14:45. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen’s ninth goal tied it again, at 2:52 of the third period. . . . Vancouver went back out front at 9:05 as F Tyler Benson notched No. 9. . . . The Silvertips forced OT with F Dominic Zwerger’s 11th goal, at 9:57. . . . Everett got two assists from each of F Patrick Bajkov and Jake Christiansen. . . . Juulsen tied his single-season for goals, matching the nine he scored in 68 games in 2014-15. He had seven last season and has nine in 25 games this season. . . . F Alec Baer had two assists for Vancouver, with Foster and Benson adding one each. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 17 shots for Everett, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic blocked 48. . . . The Silvertips set a franchise record by recording 27 shots on goal in the second period. The previous record of 26 came at Seattle on Sept. 18, 2009. . . . Everett was 0-3 on the PP; Vancouver’s PP unit never got off the bench. . . . The Silvertips (21-3-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) and are tied with Regina (21-2-5) atop the overall standings. . . . The Giants (11-17-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,015.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Kelowna vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m. (TBG)
Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m. (TBG)
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Everett at Portland, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Brandon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Spokane vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.
Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3. 
Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.
Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kelowna at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Saturday, November 19, 2016

Memorial Cup contender in P.G.? . . . Ex-WHLer hospitalized after collapsing . . . Pats' streak meets Royal end

F Bud Holloway (Seattle, 2003-08) has been released by CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL). He had three goals and six assists in 12 games.
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So . . . did D Brendan Guhle win a game or lose one on Friday night in Prince George?
Moments after the host Cougars had beaten Guhle and the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-2, the veteran was informed that he had been traded to Prince George.
In fact, once the Raiders had been informed of the trade — the Cougars gave up D Max Martin, 18, F Kolby Johnson, 17, a 2017 first-round bantam draft pick and a 2019 third-round pick — Guhle walked into the Cougars’ dressing room and met his new teammates.
“Obviously I’m excited,” Guhle, who was selected as the game’s third star, told Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen. “It was mixed emotions at first when I found out, but they’re obviously a great team, looking at their record they’re 17-4 and I’m excited to join a team that’s already very good.”
Talk about going from the outhouse to the penthouse.
The Raiders have the WHL’s poorest record; the Cougars, after Friday’s victory, were alone atop the 22-team league’s overall standings.
“I was obviously a little upset at first,” Guhle continued. “I got drafted by Prince Albert and have been there 4½ years and it was tough. They were great to me and the coaching staff is awesome.
“But I’m excited to hopefully win a championship here in Prince George. My No. 1 goal coming back from Buffalo this year was to win a championship. It didn’t happen in Prince Albert and they were generous enough to let me go to a place where they felt I could win and put me in a good position here and I’m excited about that.”
The Raiders selected Guhle with the third-overall pick in the 2011 WHL bantam draft. The Buffalo Sabres picked him in the second round of the NHL’s 2015 draft and has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with them.
While Guhle didn’t find out about the trade until after the game, the other two players involved — D Max Martin, 18, and F Kolby Johnson, 17 — were told before the game that they had been dealt to Prince Albert. Neither played in the game.
“It was a weird situation,” Johnson told Clarke, “because I came to the rink and my old team was battling my new team and I was just wondering who to cheer for.
“It’s hard because every year since I was 14 I’ve been coming to this camp and I’ve been putting on that jersey for a few years now. These are the only guys I know and we’re so close together. It’s such a unique experience here because we travel so much and we’re always together.”
This is a huge deal for the Cougars, who have erased any doubts anyone may have had about their intentions this season. Their roster features 26 players, including nine defencemen and 15 forwards. The oldest team in the WHL, they are carrying 10 1997-born players and three 20-year-olds.
Before leaving Prince George, Martin took time to mention the MC. Yes, he did.
Guhle, Martin said, is “the real-deal defenceman and he’ll just put this team over the top. They’re a Memorial Cup contender if not one of the favourites . . . he’ll just really boost them that much.”
Guhle is expected to be in the Cougars’ lineup on Tuesday when they play host to the red-hot Regina Pats.
The Raiders, who went 0-5-0 on their B.C. Division tour, next play Wednesday when they entertain the Swift Current Broncos.
When you are a community-owned team and play in a smaller arena as do the Raiders, it never is easy for management to make the decision to trade a player like Guhle in an attempt to solidify the future. It will be interesting to see the impact of the decision on the Raiders’ attendance.
To this point, through nine home games, they are averaging an announced attendance of 2,140 fans. Last season, their final figure was 2,369, which was down from 2,431 in 2014-15.
Clarke’s complete trade story is right here.
www.princegeorgecitizen.com/sports/hockey/cougars-get-guhle-in-trade-from-prince-albert-1.2943570
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The Saskatoon Blades have released F Luke Gingras, 18, while signing F Dryden Michaud, 18, and adding him to their roster. . . . Gingras, from Langley, B.C., was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He had two goals and an assist in 15 games this season. He was in his third WHL season. In 109 games, he put up 13 points, six of them goals. . . . Michaud has been skating with the Blades for two weeks and made his debut in a 6-3 loss to the host Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday night. From Maple Ridge, B.C., he started this season with the junior B Abbotsford Pilots, scoring four goals and adding four assists in five games. Last season, he had 40 points, 18 of them goals, in 43 games with the Pilots.
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Former WHL F Craig Cunningham, the captain of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, is in hospital today after collapsing on the ice prior to a game against the visiting Manitoba Moose on Saturday night.
Cunningham received medical attention, including CPR, on the ice before being removed and taken to hospital.
The game subsequently was postponed.
Later Saturday, John Chayka, the general manager of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, released this statement:
“Craig Cunningham suffered a medical emergency on the ice prior to the start of tonight’s game . . . at the Tucson Convention Center. Cunningham was taken to a local hospital where he is receiving medical treatment. Our thoughts and prayers are with Craig and his family. We will provide a medical update once we receive more information.”
Cunningham went into Saturday’s game with 13 points, including four goals, in 11 games.
Cunningham, 26, is from Trail, B.C. He played five seasons in the WHL, four-plus with the Vancouver Giants and 35 games with the Portland Winterhawks. In 330 regular-season games, he had 264 points, including 103 goals. He added 63 points, 25 of them goals, in 79 playoff games.

——
Before going on to a life loaded with small arenas, minor hockey games and penalty of Starbucks product, Mike Fraser was an ink-stained wretch. Well, perhaps he wasn’t ink-stained, newspapers having been taken over by computers by the time he started writing in Brandon. . . . These days, between scouting assignments and his day job, Fraser writes a highly readable column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. . . . His last two columns have involved anecdotes from the scouting trail. The latest one is right here and the first one also is available on the paper’s website. . . . Enjoy, and try not to snicker or raise your eyebrows, especially while reading Part 2.
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JUST NOTES:

G Shannon Szabados, who once was in camp with the Tri-City Americans, has signed with the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs of the Chinook Hockey League. The Chiefs are a senior AAA team that competes for the Allan Cup. Szabados was released by the SPHL’s Peoria Rivermen last month. Szabados, 30, played the previous two seasons with the SPHL’s Columbus Cottonmouths.
———

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, F Ty Lewis scored twice and added an assist as the Wheat Kings skated to a 6-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . One night earlier, the Wheat Kings scored five PP goals in beating the visiting Blades, 8-1. . . . Brandon (12-7-3) has won five in a row. . . . The Blades (9-14-1) have lost three straight. . . . This time, Brandon was 0-3 on the PP; the Blades were 1-6. . . . The Wheat Kings led 3-0 before the game was seven minutes old, with F Rylan Bettens (1) scoring at 2:10, Lewis getting No. 13 at 3:46 and F Tyler Coulter (9) counting at 6:53. . . . The Blades got to within one when F Braylon Shmyr (7) scored at 10:26 of the first and D Bryton Sayers (3) added another at 9:09 of the second period. . . . However, Lewis stretched the lead to two at 16:15. . . . F Lukus MacKenzie (1) pulled the visitors close again, at 18:34. . . . Brandon put it away with third-period goals from F Reid Duke (13) at 3:53 and F Tanner Kaspick (10) at 5:37. . . . Brandon got two assists from F Stelio Mattheos, while Kaspick added one to his goal. . . . G Jordan Papirny earned the victory with 30 saves, two more than Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell. . . . The Wheat Kings continue to play without F Nolan Patrick. . . . Announced attendance: 3,742.
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At Everett, F Tyler Wong’s breakaway goal broke a 1-1 tie as the Lethbridge Hurricanes got past the Silvertips, 2-1. . . . Wong scored his 11th goal of the season, off a pass from D Brennan Menell, at 11:35 of the third period. . . . F Ryan Vandervlis (1) gave Lethbridge a 1-0 lead at 19:17 of the first period. . . . D Lucas Skrumeda (1) pulled Everett into a tie at 3:52 of the second period. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 30 shots for the visitors, with Carter Hart making 22 saves for Everett. . . . The Silvertips were 0-1 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-2. . . . The Hurricanes (8-11-3) had lost their previous five games (0-4-1). . . . Everett (15-3-4) had been 7-0-3 in its last 10. . . . Announced attendance: 5,322.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Beck Malenstyn scored twice as the Calgary Hitmen snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Malenstyn, who has five goals, opened the scoring at 11:00 of the first period. . . . The Hitmen, who have won 12 straight games from the Ice, went up 3-0 on goals from F Lucas Cullen (2) at 14:39 of the first period and F Mark Kastelic (3), on a PP, at 2:31 of the second. . . . F Matt Alfaro’s seventh goal got the Ice on the board at 5:19. . . . Malenstyn got that one back at 14:04. . . . F Zak Zborosky scored his 18th goal for the Ice, on a PP, at 12:58 of the third period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro had two assists for Calgary. . . . Alfaro added an assist to his goal. . . . Calgary got 29 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . Ice starter Jakob Walter blocked eight of 10 shots in the first period. Payton Lee finished up, giving up two goals on 17 shots. . . . Each team was 1-4 on the PP. . . . F Bryce Bader, a second-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, made his WHL debut with Calgary. From Sherwood Park, Alta., he plays for the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . The Hitmen, who were playing their fourth road game in five nights, improved to 8-9-2. All told, it was a six-game road trip; Calgary went 2-4-0. . . . The Ice slipped to 4-13-6. . . . Announced attendance: 1,809.
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At Medicine Hat, F Matt Bradley scored in the shootout to give the Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Max Gerlach also scored for the home side in the circus, with F Aleksi Heponiemi scoring for the visitors. . . . F James Hamblin had two goals and an assist for the Tigers, his second goal, and sixth of the season, providing them with a 4-2 lead at 2:20 of the third period. . . . Broncos D Max Lajoie (3) trimmed the lead at 3:14 and Heponiemi forced OT with his sixth goal at 12:38. . . . F Max Gerlach had a goal (13) and an assist for the Tigers. . . . The Broncos got two assists from F Tyler Steenbergen. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 21 shots for the Tigers, while the Broncos got 44 saves from Travis Child. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . .The Broncos are 0-4 in shootouts this season. . . . The Tigers (16-5-1) have won five in a row. . . . The Broncos (11-7-6) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,015.
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At Portland, F Ryan Hughes scored twice, his second goal coming in OT and giving the Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Hughes, who has nine goals, won it at 2:17 of extra time. . . . F Colton Veloso (5) and Hughes gave Portland a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals at 14:41 and 19:50. . . . Seattle roared back and took a 3-2 lead in the second period, with F Scott Eansor (10) scoring, on a PP, at 3:53; D Turner Ottenbreit getting his third at 10:25; and F Nolan Volcan (9) counting on another PP, this one at 15:55. . . . Porlland F Joachim Blichfeld (7) tied it at 19:30. . . . F Alexander True (10) put Seattle back out front at 5:16 of the third period, only to have Portland F Keegan Iverson (10) tie it, on a PP, at 7:00. . . . F Cody Glass had two assists for Portland, with Hughes, Iverson, Blichfeld and Veloso each getting one. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Sami Moilanen, while True, Ottenbreit and Volcan each had one. . . . G Cole Kehler came up with 42 saves for Portland, while Seattle got 23 from Rylan Toth. . . . Seattle was 2-5 on the PP; Portland was 2-7. . . . The Winterhawks (10-12-0) have won two in a row. They had been 1-9-0 in their past 10. . . . The Thunderbirds (10-8-2) had won three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,457.
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At Spokane, F Garrett Pilon had a goal and two assists to lead the Kamloops Blazers to a 6-4 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Spokane scored the game’s first two goals, but the Blazers took control with the
GARRETT PILON
next five. . . . F Spencer Bast (3) got the visitors into a 2-2 tie at 18:42 of the first period and F Collin Shirley’s 11th goal, on a PP, broke the tie at 19:55. . . . D Joe Gatenby (3) and Pilon (4) upped that lead to 5-3 with goals at 6:11 and 7:25 of the second. . . . The Chiefs got to within one on two goals from F Keanu Yamamoto (7), at 15:51 of the second and 2:01 of the third. . . . Blazers F Rudolfs Balcers iced it with his 14th goal at 6:22. . . . Kamloops continues to be led by Pilon’s line, which has Balcers and Deven Sideroff on the wings. Sideroff had two assists and Balcers had one. . . . Kamloops also got a goal and an assist from F Nick Chyzowski, who has nine goals. . . . F Hudson Elynuik had two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram was sharp, with 42 saves. . . . Spokane starter Dawson Weatherill gave up four goals on nine shots in 26:11. Jayden Sittler finished up, allowed two goals on 13 shots. . . . Kamloops was 3-9 on the PP; Spokane was 1-4. . . . Spokane received the game’s first two and last two PP opportunities. In between, the Blazers had nine in a row. . . . The Blazers (14-10-1) have won three in a row, all against U.S. Division opponents. . . . The Chiefs (8-8-5), who are scheduled to play in Kamloops on Wednesday, have lost seven straight to the Blazers. . . . The Chiefs lost F Kailer Yamamoto and F Ethan McIndoe to undisclosed injuries in the first period. Neither returned to the game. . . . Announced attendance: 5,336.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Kobe Mohr scored two goals, including the OT winner, as the Edmonton Oil Kings got past the Tri-City Americans, 5-4. . . . Edmonton took a 4-2 lead into the last half of the third period, only to watch it disappear. . . . D Juuso Valimaki (6) cut the home team’s deficit to one at 12:59 and F Michael Rasmussen tied it with his WHL-leading 20th goal, at 16:28. . . . Rasmussen, who is in his draft season, has 20 goals in 24 games. Last season, he finished with 18 goals in 63 games. . . . F Adam Berg had a goal and an assist for Edmonton, which got three assists from F Lane Bauer and two from F Trey Fix-Wolansky. . . . Valimaki finished with two goals and an assist, while F Tyler Sandhu had two assists and Rasmussen had one. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 27 shots for the Oil Kings, with Evan Sarthou blocking 36 at the other end. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP. . . . The Oil Kings (10-10-2) have won two in a row. . . . The Americans (14-8-2) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 3,754.
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At Victoria, it took 19 games but the Regina Pats finally lost in regulation time as they dropped a 5-3 decision to the Royals. . . . The Pats (15-1-3) had won their previous 10 games. . . . The Royals (13-8-2) have won two in a row. . . . Victoria F Tyler Soy opened the scoring with his 12th goal, on a penalty shot, at 6:16 of the first period. That gave him the Royals’ career goal record, with 102, breaking the mark he had shared with F Brandon Magee. Soy got there in 234 games, while Magee played in 252. The franchise record, which incorporates the Royals and Chilliwack Bruins, is held by F Ryan Howse, who put up 140 goals in 262 games, all with the Bruins. . . . F Dante Hannoun upped Victoria’s lead to 2-0 with his ninth goal, on a PP, at 19:01 of the first. . . . D Connor Hobbs scored a PP goal at 10:39 of the second period to get Regina started. . . . Victoria D Chaz Reddekopp (3) restored the Royals’ two-goal lead at 12:45. . . . The Pats got back to within one when D Chase Harrison, who also had an assist, got his sixth goal at 19:46. That ran his point streak to 14 games, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Victoria F Carter Folk, with his first goal of the season, gave the Royals a 4-2 edge at 17:06 of the third period. . . . Hobbs got his ninth goal at 17:36. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker (12) iced it with the empty-netter at 19:56. . . . Walker and Hannoun each had an assist. . . . The Pats got two assists from F Adam Brooks, who has at least a point in each of the 13 games he has played this season. . . . G Griffen Outhouse sparked the Royals with 43 saves, while Tyler Brown made 20 saves for Regina. . . . Victoria was 1-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 6,619.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Portland, 5 p.m.
Regina vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 4 p.m.
Kelowna at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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