D Dave Sutter (Seattle, 2010-12) has signed a two-year contract beginning next season with Biel (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland NL B), he has three goals and seven assists in 42 games. He was pointless in two games on loan to Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland, NL A).
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The situation involving Winnipeg Jets F Evander Kane has blown up over the last couple of days. It now is that the point where there is speculation that Kane, who starred with the Vancouver Giants, may never play for the Jets again. Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press takes a good look at the Kane saga right here.
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The queue of American cities hoping to play host to the 2018 World Junior Championship forms on the right. According to Kevin Allen of USA TODAY, the line will include bids backed by a number of NHL teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes “and others.” . . . Allen’s story is right here. . . . The 2016 WJC is to be held in Helsinki, with the 2017 tournament scheduled for Montreal and Toronto.
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An obituary in the Spokane Spokesman-Review on Thursday blames a man’s death on the “Seahawks lousy play call.” Seriously. . . . Take a look right here.
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The Prince George Cougars, mired in a 12-game losing skid (10-0-2), should get some help tonight as they expect to have F Zach Pochiro (ribs) and F Jari Erricson (concussion) back in their lineup against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. Pochiro has missed eight games; Erricson has sat out four games. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings are in Cranbrook for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Eastern Conference-leading Wheat Kings are expected to be without F John Quenneville and G Alex Moodie, both of whom are believed to have concussions, and F Jayce Hawryluk (undisclosed injury). D Kale Clague (wrist) may play this weekend. . . . The Ice may be without F Jon Martin (ill). . . .
The Saskatoon Blades visit the Regina Pats tonight. The Blades go in knowing that they haven’t beaten the Pats in almost two years (March 9, 2013). . . . That’s 11 straight losses. . . . Saskatoon F Ryan Graham (back) is questionable, as is F Mitch Skapski (undisclosed injury). . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors will honour Ryan Smyth tonight by retiring his number (28) as they entertain the Spokane Chiefs. Smyth played three seasons with the Warriors (1992-95), putting up 224 points, including 110 goals, in 188 games. . . . Tonight’s game will be shown on ShawTV with Dan Russell doing the play-by-play. . . .
Also on TV tonight: Roots Sports will do the game in Kent, Wash., between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks. Ian Furness will call the play. . . .
With the Medicine Hat Tigers hurting on the back end due to injuries and suspensions, F Blake Penner has taken some turns back there. But he left Wedneday’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings with an injury, so perhaps won’t be available tonight against the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. After Wednesday’s game, Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News: “He missed the second half of the game, but hopefully it won’t be anything major.” . . .
If the Prince Albert Raiders are to make the playoffs, you would think they absolutely have to win tonight’s game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos. The Broncos hold down the East Division’s third playoff spot, five points ahead of Moose Jaw and eight up on the Raiders. A loss tonight puts the Raiders 10 points off the pace with 19 games remaining. A hole like that at this time of the season is awfully deep. . . .
The chase for the B.C. Division’s third playoff spot continues tonight with the three teams involved separated by four points. The Kamloops Blazers, who are in Kelowna tonight and then play host to the Rockets on Saturday, are third, three points ahead of the Vancouver Giants and four ahead of Prince George. . . . The Giants are at home to Red Deer tonight; the Cougars open a double-dip with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
In the U.S. Division, the Portland Winterhawks will continue their attempt at tracking down the first-place Everett Silvertips tonight. The Winterhawks, who are three points behind the first-place Silvertips, visit the third-place Seattle Thunderbirds, while Everett is at home to the fifth-place Tri-City Americans. . . . As things rest right now, it appears that all five U.S. Division teams will make the playoffs. Spokane and Tri-City hold down the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots at the moment.
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From a news release that was issued on Thursday:
“James Hudziak, M.D., has two children who love ice hockey. His son skates for his college team and one of his daughters plays in high school.
“As a pediatric neuropsychiatrist and director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families at the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine, Hudziak believes in the benefits of ice hockey and other sports for kids. Athletic activities help a young person build organizational skills, improve motor and emotional control, reduce anxiety and boost confidence.
“Now, though, Hudziak is looking into the potential dangers of ice hockey for young athletes. He and UVM colleagues Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., Catherine Orr, Ph.D., and Richard Watts, Ph.D., have published a groundbreaking study in the February issue of The Journal of Pediatrics that shows a relationship between concussions sustained by young ice hockey players and subtle changes in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain that controls higher-level reasoning and behavior.”
The complete news release is right here.
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Good start to the roadie for the @EdmOilKings. Bus stuck in parking lot at CN Centre #teambuilder pic.twitter.com/y592nhQk9P
— Corey Graham (@CoreyGraham) February 6, 2015
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F Nolan Volcan, a second-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft, has joined the Seattle Thunderbirds. Volcan played for the midget AAA Maple Leaf Athletic Club United Cycle Maple Leafs, whose season has ended. . . . Volcan’s father, Marty, is a former WHLer, having played for the Portland Winterhawks, Seattle Breakers and Victoria Cougars (1984-86).
The Portland Winterhawks will be chasing their 21st straight victory when they meet the Chiefs in Spokane on Friday night. The WHL record for longest winning streak in one season (22 games) belongs to the Estevan Bruins of 1967-68. . . . The Winterhawks have won all seven games with Spokane this season; in fact, Portland has won its last 15 meetings with the Chiefs. . . . The Winterhawks are scheduled to play the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Saturday and then visit the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on Wednesday.
In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk scored twice and set up another to lead the Wheat Kings to a 6-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Brandon broke a 1-1 tie with four second-period goals. . . . Hawryluk has 57 points, including 20 goals, in 55 games. Last season, he totalled 43 points, 18 of them goals, in 61 games as a freshman. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pilon, playing at home against his former club for the first team, drew two assists, as did D Ryan Pulock and F John Quenneville. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong, playing his second game after being out since Jan. 11, scored his 14th goal. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 36 shots, four fewer than Jonny Hogue of Lethbridge. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy picked up 29 penalty minutes in one foul sweep, as he got nailed with minors for instigating and unsportsmanlike conduct, a fighting major, a misconduct and game misconduct at 3:51 of the third period. . . . The Hurricanes took 24 minutes in penalties. . . . Brandon (30-26-8) is seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hurricanes (12-48-5) have lost seven in a row. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Reinhart scored twice and added an assist as the Kootenay Ice dropped the Warriors, 5-1. . . . The teams were tied 1-1 going into the third period. . . . Reinhart is on a 21-game point streak and a 14-game assist streak, both the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Reinhart, who has 34 goals this season, has tied the franchise record (F Mike Comrie, Sept. 23 to Nov. 10, 2000) for longest point streak in one season. . . . F Tim Bozon also had two goals and an assist for the Ice. He’s got 32 goals. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau added his 39th goal and also had an assist. . . . Reinhart has 93 points, while Descheneau has 88. . . . Bozon has 68 points, with 61 of those coming in 49 games with the Ice after he came over from the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 22 shots. . . . G Zach Sawchenko of the Warriors turned aside 37. . . . The Ice dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum, then lost F Zach Franko in the second period. . . . The Ice (36-23-4) is a comfortable fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers and six ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Warriors (16-38-9) are 10th in the 12-team conference. . . .
In Swift Current, F Jake DeBrusk scored twice to help the Broncos to a 6-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . DeBrusk, a 17-year-old freshman from Edmonton, has 27 points, 12 of them goals, in 63 games. This was his first multi-goal game. . . . F Coda Gordon had a goal, his 23rd, and two assists for the Broncos, who scored the game’s first five goals, three of them in the first period. . . . Swift Current got two assists from each of F Graham Black and F Nathan Burns. . . . The Broncos were 3-for-7 on the PP; the Pats were 0-for-5. . . . F Rykr Cole, a third-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Pats. He has 45 points, including 23 goals, in 41 games with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . . Regina scratched F Morgan Klimchuk and D Dmitry Sinitsyn, both of whom were ill. They still are without injured F Boston Leier. . . . The Broncos have won all five games with the Pats this season. . . . Regina (35-23-6) went into this one leading the East Division by eight points over the Broncos (31-24-8). That lead, of course, now is six points. . . . While the Pats, as East Division leaders, are the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed, the Broncos are sixth. . . .
In Edmonton, F Blake Penner’s goal at 3:00 of OT gave the Medicine Hat Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . The Tigers, who clinched a playoff spot with the victory, erased a 3-1 deficit with two third-period goals. . . . F Chad Butcher scored his fifth goal at 3:20 and F Curtis Valk tied it, with his 37th, at 6:36. . . . Penner has 10 goals this season. . . . Valk had two goals, while D Dylan Bredo had two assists. . . . Edmonton F Edgars Kulda had a goal, his 25th, and an assist. He scored shorthanded at 1:33 of the second to give his guys a 1-0 lead. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 37 shots, eight more than Tristan Jarry of Edmonton. . . . Edmonton had won 5-2 in Medicine Hat on Tuesday. . . . The Tigers were without F Markus Eisenschmid. The German freshman drew a ‘tbd’ suspension for a boarding major and game misconduct he incurred against the visiting Oil Kings on Tuesday. . . . The Tigers (39-22-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, eight points behind the Calgary Hitmen and five in front of the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Oil Kings (44-15-3) are atop the Eastern Conference, two points in front of the Hitmen. . . . 
In Red Deer, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 32 shots as the Rebels blanked the Kamloops Blazers, 2-0. . . . Bartosak has six shutouts this season, but this was the first on home ice. He also has 12 in his career. . . . Red Deer F Vukie Mpofu scored his eighth goal at 12:12 of the first period and F Rhyse Dieno got his 22nd at 14:24. . . . Kamloops G Bolton Pouliot stopped 34 shots. . . . The Blazers are 3-16-2 since Guy Charron replaced Dave Hunchak behind the Blazers’ bench. . . . The Blazers are 1-4-0 as they play 10 in a row away from the home. The Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian men’s curling championship, begins in Interior Savings Centre on Saturday. . . . The victory lifted the Rebels (30-30-4) back into eighth in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Blazers (13-46-5) need seven points in their last eight games to avoid the worst record in franchise history (Kamloops Jr. Oilers, 18-53-1, 1981-82). . . .
In Everett, the Silvertips scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-1. . . . F Shane Danyluk gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with his seventh goal at 4:58 of the first, but it was all Silvertips after that. . . . F Brayden Low tied it at 12:13 of the first, with his seventh goal, and D Noah Juulsen, a 16-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., scored his first WHL goal at 16:15. The goal came in his 52nd career game, 51 of which have been played this season. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored his 39th goal, while F Ivan Nikolishin had two assists. . . . Everett was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . The Raiders went 3-2-1 on this road swing. . . . The Silvertips (31-23-9) moved into sixth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Raiders (29-30-5) slid into ninth in the Eastern Conference, a point behind the Red Deer Rebels. . . . 
In Kennewick, Wash., F Myles Bell scored the only goal of the shootout as the Kelowna Rockets bet the Tri-City Americans, 4-3. . . . The Rockets led this one 2-0 after one period, but had to come back from a 3-2 deficit to force OT. . . . F Marek Tvrdon, with his eighth goal, and Bell, with his 40th, shorthanded, gave the Rockets the first-period lead. . . . F Brian Williams, with his 35th, got the Americans on the board in the second period. . . . F Beau McCue scored his 19th to get Tri-City even at 2:19 of the third and D Michal Plutnar, with his third, tied it at 3:35, on the PP. . . . Tvrdon forced OT at 14:45 of the third. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 25 shots, 14 fewer than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . The Rockets, who were 52-16-4 last season, have won 50 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history. The WHL record is three, held by the 1989-92 Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Americans are without F Taylor Vickerman, 17, whose season is over, thanks to a knee injury. He was scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. Vickerman, a native of Kennewick, was acquired from the Vancouver Giants but played just 30 games as a shoulder injury cut into the first half of his season. . . . Also missing from Tri-City lineup last night were F Jessey Astles, who has three games left on a seven-game WHL suspension, and F Phil Tot, who hasn’t played since Feb. 1. . . . The Rockets (50-9-4) lead the overall standings by seven points over the Portland Winterhawks. Each team has nine games remaining. . . . The loser point lifted the Americans (27-28-8) two points clear of the ninth-place Prince George Cougars in the Western Conference. 
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