Showing posts with label Brad Morrison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brad Morrison. Show all posts

Friday, June 2, 2017

Kootenay owners ice head coach ... Giants, Cougars make deal ... Warrant out for ex-WHLer


F Carter Ashton (Lethbridge, Regina, Tri-City, 2006-11) has been traded by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod to Lada Togliatti (both Russia, KHL) for cash considerations. This season, he had 18 goals and 10 assists in 59 games with Torpedo. . . .
F Spencer Edwards (Red Deer, Seattle, Moose Jaw, 2006-11) has signed a one-year contract with Bordeaux (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, with Dijon (France, Ligue Magnus), he had 15 goals and 13 assists in 42 games. He was an alternate captain. . . . 
F Tayler Thompson (Prince George, 2010-12) has signed a one-year contract with Brest (France, Division 1). This season, with the Fayetteville FireAntz (SPHL), he had 18 goals and 42 assists in 56 games. . . .
F Kyle Chipchura (Prince Albert, 2001-06) has signed a one-year contract with Kunlun Red Star Beijing (China, KHL). He had 13 goals and 16 assists in 59 games with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL) this season. . . .
D Ryan Button (Prince Albert, Seattle, 2007-11) has signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL), he had four goals and 18 assists in 49 games.
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 And now there are four . . . WHL teams without head coaches, that is.
The Kootenay Ice’s new owners fired head coach Luke Pierce on Friday morning, joining the Calgary Hitmen, Spokane Chiefs and Victoria Royals as teams in the market for a new leader.
“We are committed to a fresh start for the organization and this includes the business and hockey operations,” Matt Cockell, the president and general manager of the Ice, said in the second paragraph of
The Kootenay Ice has fired head coach Luke Pierce.
a news release. “We feel that this was a necessary decision to accomplish that objective.”
The third paragraph of the Ice’s four-paragraph news release read: “No further comment will be provided.”
Meanwhile, Pierce told Brad McLeod of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman that he didn’t see it coming.
“This is the first time that this has happened to me [and] you go through a lot of emotions,” Pierce told McLeod. “You go through it all: some anger, some disappointment, some embarrassment, you name it. We’re just trying to cope with it the best we can as a family.
“I think that when these things come about you can use hindsight a little bit to maybe look for reasons, but I really didn’t see it coming,” he said. “It was a shocker for me, for sure.”
McLeod’s story is right here.
Pierce spent two seasons as the head coach of the rebuilding Ice, going 14-46-12 this season after finishing 12-53-7 in 2015-16. The Ice had the WHL’s poorest record each season.
Pierce, who is from Merritt, B.C., replaced Ryan McGill on May 26, 2015. Pierce, 33, had spent the previous six seasons as the general manager/head coach of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials, going 168-111-21 and making the playoffs each season.
From 2004-09, Pierce attended the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., graduating with a bacher or arts with a psychology major and business minor. He also has an MBA with a concentration in strategic management.
Cockell and his partner, Greg Fettes, purchased the Ice from the Chynoweth family in a deal that was approved by the WHL’s board of governors on April 27.
The Hitmen are looking to replace Mark French, who will coach in Switzerland this season, while the Chiefs and Don Nachbaur went their separate ways after the season despite his having a year left on his contract, and the Royals lost Dave Lowry this week when he signed on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.
Last month, the Everett Silvertips named Dennis Williams their new head coach, replacing Kevin Constantine whose contract wasn’t renewed after the season.
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F Klim Kostin is NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked international skater for the 2017 draft, which is scheduled for Chicago, June 23-24. The Kootenay Ice hold Kostin’s CHL rights, having selected the Russian with the first overall pick in the CHL’s 2016 import draft. . . . However, Kostin chose not to report, preferring to stay and play in Russia. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in January and was limited to a total of 18 games — he was pointless in eight games with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva, had one goal in nine games with the VHL’s Dynamo Balashikha, which is one step below the KHL, and had one goal in one game with HK MVD Balashikha in the MHL, a junior league. . . . This week, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Kostin has been at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. On Thursday, he told Joe Yerdon of NHL.com that he plans on playing in North America in 2017-18, but that he “will never go there,” in reference to Kootenay holding his CHL rights. . . . Of course, the NHL team that selects Kostin in the draft will be able to sign him and assign him within its organization because he will have been drafted out of Europe.
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The Vancouver Giants have acquired F Brad Morrison, 20, from the Prince George Cougars for a selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.
According to the Cougars’ news release, it’s a second-round selection; the Giants’ news release referred
BRAD MORRISON
to it as a conditional second-round pick.
Morrison, who is from Prince George, was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft. In 260 regular-season games with the Cougars, he had 85 goals and 103 assists. He added 11 points, three of them goals, in 11 playoff games.
The New York Rangers selected Morrison in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL draft, but didn’t sign him by Thursday’s deadline, so he is eligible for the 2017 draft.
Morrison is one of six 20-year-olds on the Giants’ roster, the others being F Jack Flaman, F Ty Ronning, D Darian Skeoch, F Johnny Wesley and D Jordan Wharrie.
In Prince George, the Cougars still have 10 20-year-olds on their roster, including three who have signed NHL contracts — F Jesse Gabrielle (Boston Bruins), D Brendan Guhle (Buffalo Sabres) and F Jansen Harkins (Winnipeg Jets). Also there are F Jared Bethune, F Radovan Bondra, F Aaron Boyd, D Shane Collins, F Brodan O’Brien, D Tate Olson and F Tanner Wishnowski.
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Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week reported Friday that “a warrant has been issued” for Rudy Poeschek, “a former National Hockey League enforcer accused of breaching his probation.” . . . Poeschek didn’t show up for court on Friday where he was to have gone on trial in provincial court on allegations he missed meetings with his probation officer last summer. . . . Poeschek, who played junior hockey in Kamloops, is one of the former players who is involved in a concussion-related lawsuit against the NHL. . . . Petruk’s story is right here.
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D Matt Sozanski, who played out his junior eligibility this season with the Moose Jaw Warriors, will attend Carleton U in Ottawa and play for the Ravens in 2017-18. Sozanski, from Calgary, played three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs before being dealt to Moose Jaw. This season, he had three goals and 33 assists in 63 games. In 207 career games, he had six goals and 55 assists.
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The Mount Royal U Cougars have added a pair of former WHLers for the 2017-18 season — F Mitch Lipon and D Kord Pankewicz. . . . Lipon (Kamloops, Saskatoon, Spokane, 2012-15) played this season with the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines, putting up 25 goals and 48 assists in 58 games. In 71 WHL games, he had eight goals and seven assists. . . . Pankewicz (Brandon, Lethbridge, 2012-17) started this season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and finished it with the AJHL-champion Brooks Bandits. He had six goals and 22 assists in 31 games with Brooks. In 243 WHL games, he had 13 goals and 99 assists.
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Coaching

 Former WHL D Barret Jackman (Regina, 1997-2001) has rejoined the St. Louis Blues, this time as the NHL’s team’s development coach. Jackman ended a 14-year NHL career by retiring in October. . . . Jackman, 36, got a feel for the position late this season when he spent time with the Chicago Wolves, who at the time were the Blues’ AHL affiliate, and some prospects. . . . Jackman played 803 games with the Blues before finishing up his NHL career with the Nashville Predators in 2015-16.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 8:07 PM
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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Now that's a lot of words, miles . . . Another hat for Gennaro . . . Krebs sparkles for Ice


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D Colton Jobke (Kelowna, Regina, 2009-12) has signed a one-year extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). He has three assists in 31 games.
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When the Medicine Hat Tigers met the Blades in Saskatoon on Wednesday night, you might say there was some experience in the broadcast booth. . . . The Blades were celebrating game No. 1,700 by Les Lazaruk, their radio voice. . . . Bob Ridley, the legendary voice of the Tigers, was in the other booth and Darren Steinke, who used to work at the Medicine Hat News, points out that ‘Rids’ was calling game No. 3,745. . . . Those two gentlemen, who are two of hockey’s really good guys, have travelled a few miles to bring us all of those games, too.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds were to have met the Chiefs in Spokane on Wednesday night, but horrible travel conditions resulted in the game being postponed. It has been rescheduled for Tuesday Jan. 24, 7:05 p.m. . . . Seattle, which has won five straight, would have been playing its fourth game in five nights. Now the Thunderbirds next play Friday when they visit the Everett Silvertips. The Thunderbirds beat visiting Everett, 3-1, on Tuesday. . . . It was the third time in recent days that a game has had to be postponed. Inclement weather forced the Portland Winterhawks to move two games. The Everett Silvertips were to have visited on Jan. 7, but now will play there on Jan. 31. The Kamloops Blazers will play in Portland on Jan. 24, rather than Jan. 8.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tops his weekly 30 Thoughts with a few memories of Boris Fistric, a former WHL defenceman and tough hombre who died last week at the age of 56. . . . That is right here.
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JUST NOTES:

The Kamloops Blazers have changed the starting time for a Saturday, March 11 game against the Vancouver Giants. Originally scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., it now will start at 5 p.m. The reason? The Blazers have had some success at the gate with recent 5 o’clock starts. . . .
When Victoria blanked the host Vancouver Giants 3-0 on Tuesday night, G Griffen Outhouse tied the Royals’ franchise record for career shutouts, with eight. He shares the mark with Coleman Vollrath, The Victoria/Chilliwack franchise record is held by Lucas Gore, who put up 10 with the Bruins. . . .
The Worcester, Mass., Railers will begin play in the ECHL next season. The ECHL’s board of governors, meeting in Glens Falls, N.Y., during all-star festivities, unanimously approved full membership status for the franchise. Worcester had been granted a tentative franchise on Feb. 8. . . .
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Matteo Gennaro scored three goals for a second straight game to lead the Hitmen to a 4-1
MATTEO GENNARO
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Gennaro, who has two career hat tricks in 242 regular-season games, has goals in eight of his past nine games. In that span, he has scored 14 times and added five assists. . . . This season, the 19-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., has 25 goals and 23 assists in 40 games. Last season, which he split between Calgary and the Prince Albert Raiders, he finished with career highs in goals (18), assists (25) and points (43). . . . F Jake Kryski (15) gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 5:44 of the first period. . . . Gennaro got the game’s next two goals, at 13:44 of the first and 14:36 of the second, the latter via the PP. . . . F Lane Zablock’s 12th goal got the visitors on the scoreboard at 4:15 of the third period. . . . Gennaro completed the scoring at 8:19. . . . D Jake Bean had two assists for the Hitmen. . . . Calgary G Trevor Martin stopped 22 shots, as did Red Deer’s Lasse Petersen. . . . Calgary was 1-6 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . The Hitmen (17-20-6) have won two in a row. They are two points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Rebels (20-19-7) have lost three straight (0-2-1) but remain a comfortable third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 5,324.
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At Kelowna, F Brayden Burke’s OT goal gave the Moose Jaw Warriors a 3-2 victory over the Rockets. . . .
BRAYDEN BURKE
Burke, who also had an assist, scored his 14th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the high slot at 3:05 of extra time. . . . The Warriors took a 2-0 lead on second-period goals from D Matt Sozanski, his second, at 2:30, and F Brett Howden, his 23rd, on a PP, at 14:39. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley’s 11th goal got his guys to within one, at 17:59. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf pulled the Rockets even with his 20th goal, at 4:16 of the third period. . . . D Lucas Johansen had two assists for Kelowna. . . . Sozanski added an assist to his goal. . . . G Brody Willms stopped 30 shots for Moose Jaw. . . . G Michael Herringer turned aside 25 shots for Kelowna. . . . The Warriors were 1-4 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-7. . . . F Reid Gardiner was among Kelowna’s scratches. He didn’t return to a Monday game in Everett after a collision with teammate Calvin Thurkauf. . . . The Warriors (27-12-7) had lost their previous two games. They remain second in the East Division, three points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. The Warriors are 2-2-0 on a five-game B.C. Division swing that wraps up Friday in Prince George. . . . The Rockets (26-16-4) have lost two in a row (0-1-1) and are third in the B.C. Division, one point behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Announced attendance: 5,271.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Peyton Krebs, the first pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal and added three assists to spark the Kootenay Ice’s 6-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .
PEYTON KREBS
He finished with the winning goal and a pair of PP assists. . . . Krebs, who is to turn 16 on Jan. 26, is from Okotoks, Alta. He went into last night with two assists in three earlier games with the Ice, so he now has a goal and five helpers in four games. . . . Krebs was brought in because the Ice has five players out with injuries. He plays for the midget AAA UFA Bisons and has 29 points, including 12 goals, in 23 games. . . . The Raiders actually scored the game’s first two goals, with D Zack Hayes getting his first WHL score at 1:48 of the first period and F Adam Kadlec scoring his fourth at 3:04 of the second. . . . The Ice came back with three second-period goals. . . . F Brett Davis (9) scored, on a PP, at 3:58. . . . F Noah Philp’s fifth goal tied the score, at 7:24. . . . F Max Patterson put the Ice out front, at 16:59. . . . The Raiders tied the score on F Jordy Stallard’s 11th goal, at 2:40 of the third period. . . . Krebs scored what turned out to be the winner at 9:29. . . . The Ice went up by two when F Colton Kroeker (8) scored at 10:20. . . . Patterson’s second goal, and fifth of the season, was an empty-netter, on a PP, at 18:32. . . . The Ice got two assists from D Kurtis Rutledge, while Kroeker, Davis and Patterson added one apiece. . . . D Max Martin had two assists for the Raiders. . . . G Payton Lee stopped 40 shots for the Ice. . . . At the other end, Ian Scott turned aside 21. . . . Kootenay was 2-7 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-5. . . . The Ice (11-27-8) had lost its previous three games. It is 12 points out of a playoff spot and nine points up on the Raiders. . . . The Raiders (8-34-5) have lost 11 in a row (0-8-3). . . . Prince Albert is playing without F Simon Stransky, F Tim Vanstone and F Drew Warkentine, all with undisclosed injuries. . . . Announced attendance: 1,631.
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At Lethbridge, F Ryan Vandervlis broke a 1-1 tie with back-to-back goals and the Hurricanes went on to
RYAN VANDERVLIS
beat the Swift Current Broncos, 5-1. . . . F Giorgio Estephan (24) gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 14:28 of the first period. . . . F Conner Chaulk (6) pulled the Broncos into a tie, on a PP, at 7:10 of the second period. . . . Vandervlis, who has four goals, snapped the tie at 17:09 of the second and added insurance at 6:43 of the third period. . . . F Jordy Bellerive scored his 21st goal at 11:01 and F Zak Zborosky got his 30th at 15:57. . . . F Zane Franklin had two assists for the winners, with Zborosky adding one to his goal. . . . G Stuart Skinner blocked 41 shots to earn the victory over Jordan Papirny, who made 33 saves. . . . The Broncos were 1-3 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-2. . . . The Hurricanes won the season series, 3-1-0; the Broncos were1-2-1. . . . Lethbridge (25-15-7) has points in seven straight games (5-0-2). The Hurricanes are second in the Central Division, four points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Broncos (25-14-8) are 1-1-1 in their past three games. They are third in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,588.
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At Prince George, F Radovan Bondra and F Jansen Harkins scored in a shootout to give the Cougars a 6-5 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . One night earlier, the Cougars had erased a 3-1 deficit as
BRAD MORRISON
they beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . Last night, the Winterhawks overcame 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4 deficits to get to OT. . . . The Cougars got started early when F Brad Morrison, who also had two assists, scored his 19th goal just 10 seconds into the game. . . . Portland F Ryan Hughes, who has goals in five straight games, tied it at 3:07. . . . Harkins (14) put the Cougars back out front at 3:48. . . . Portland F Brad Ginnell tied it with his third goal, on a PP, at 6:43. . . . Prince George went back out front on F Brogan O’Brien’s eighth goal, 35 seconds into the second period. . . . Hughes tied it with his 19th goal, at 8:08. . . . Bondra gave the home team a 4-3 lead with his 23rd goal, at 13:43. . . . The Winterhawks pulled even when F Alex Overhardt (8) scored, on a PP, at 4:33 of the third period. . . . F Colby McAuley put the Cougars back in front with his 15th goal, on a PP, at 8:39. . . . F Jake Gricius scored his third goal, at 14:06, to force OT. . . . McAuley, O’Brien and Bondra each added an assist. . . . Portland got two assists from F Colton Veloso and one from Ginnell. . . . Morrison has goals in three straight games. . . . G Nick McBride stopped 36 shots for the Cougars, while Portland G Cole Kehler blocked 48 shots. . . . Portland was 2-5 on the PP; Prince George was 1-6. . . . The Cougars were without D Sam Ruopp (undisclosed injury) and F Jesse Gabrielle (Game 2 of three-game suspension). . . . Among Portland’s scratches were D Caleb Jones and F Cody Glass, both of whom were ill, and F Keegan Iverson (undisclosed injury). . . . Prince George (33-12-2) has won five in a row. The Cougars are atop the overall standings, three points ahead of the Regina Pats. . . . Portland (22-20-2) has lost three straight (0-2-1). The Winterhawks hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 2,707.
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At Saskatoon, the Blades, with G Logan Flodell making 48 saves, jumped out to a 4-0 lead en route to a
LOGAN FLODELL
5-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Saskatoon scored its first four goals in the span of 7:25 over two periods. . . . F Braylon Shmyr started it on a PP at 14:37 of the first period. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk followed at 16:32. . . . Shmyr scored his second of the game and 24th of the season at 19:11. . . . F Logan Christensen (9) made it 4-0 at 2:02 of the second period. . . . The Tigers cut the deficit in half on goals from D Kristians Rubins (3), on a PP, at 9:49, and F James Hamblin (11), on a penalty shot, at 10:15. . . . Earlier, at 14:19 of the first period, Medicine Hat F Steve Owre came up short on a penalty shot. . . . Shynkaruk got his second goal, and 19th of the season, on a PP, at 15:45 of the second period for a 5-2 Saskatoon lead. . . . Medicine Hat got its last goal from F Ryan Jevne (6) at 2:25 of the third period. . . . Saskatoon got two assists from F Josh Paterson, with Shmyr and Christensen adding one each. . . . G Michael Bullion turned aside 23 shots for the Tigers. . . . Saskatoon was 2-7 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-6. . . . The Blades (18-22-6) have won three in a row and are in sole possession of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. . . . The Tigers (30-14-1) lead the Central Division by four points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Announced attendance: 2,608.
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THURSDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Victoria at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:10 PM
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Tuesday, January 17, 2017

CHL, teams file financials with court . . . Toigo into B.C. Hall . . . Outhouse with back-to-back shutouts


F Zdeněk Bahenský (Saskatoon, 2004-06) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Sterzing/Vipiteno (Italy, Alps HL). He was released last week released from a tryout contract with Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) that was signed on Jan. 10. He didn’t appear in a game for Mladá Boleslav. Earlier this season, he had two goals and nine assists in 22 games with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga). He was released on Dec. 31.
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 The CHL, along with 22 WHL teams and 20 from the OHL have obeyed a court order and turned over tax and financial statements dating back to 2011 as a potential class-action lawsuit continues to make its way through the courts. Rick Westhead of TSN reports that “the CHL has asked a judge to seal those records, which will be used to establish the profitability of teams and major junior leagues.” . . . There now are “at least 351 current and former players” involved in the lawsuit that asks that major junior players be paid at least minimum wage. . . . What’s next? Arguments over the sealing of the financial records are to be heard in Calgary on Jan. 24. . . . Westhead’s complete story is right here.
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Major junior operators have stated that if they were to pay minimum wage to players, some of their franchises would be forced out of business. If that’s the case, why not simply make all the tax and financial information available? That’s what Ken Campbell of The Hockey News wonders right here.
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They call it ‘Welcome to the World’ and it’s one of the best annual promotions in major junior hockey.
For a second straight season, the Saskatoon Blades are staging a ‘Welcome to the World’ promotion, with this one set for Jan. 22 as they play host to the Swift Current Broncos at 2 p.m.
The Blades and Ecologik, with help from the Open Door Society, will welcome newcomers to Canada to the game and will help turn it into a real experience.
From a Blades news release:
“Prior to the game, they will go through a ‘Hockey 101’ to learn all things about hockey. Then they will take in the Blades and Swift Current Broncos game, and afterwards they will all hit the ice with the Blades and try it out for themselves for the first time. There also will also be a citizenship ceremony taking place for 20 newcomers. This will mark the first time a junior hockey team has staged a citizenship ceremony in Western Canada.”
Last season, there were 400 newcomers on hand to take part in the event.
The Blades and Ecologik will take care of tickets and transportation for the newcomers. Bob Behari, Ecologik’s founder, arrived in Canada from India in 1977.
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John Diefenbaker was the prime minister of Canada when he rose in the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 29, 1966 and said: “I mention the historic nature of Prince Albert. I am not here for the purpose of advertising my constituency, but we are the only constituency in Canada that has ever been represented by three Prime Ministers.”
With 2017 being Canada’s 150th birthday, the Raiders will wear commemorative sweaters bearing the likenesses of Diefenbaker, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King during a game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Jan. 27.
The backs of the sweaters are the really neat part, as they contain quotes from each of those men.
Diefenbaker: “I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I think wrong and free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”
Mackenzie King: “A true man does not only stand up for himself, he stands up for those that do not have the ability to.”
Laurier: “We do not anticipate, and we do not want, that any individuals should forget the land of their origins or their ancestors. Let them look to the past, but let them also look to the future; let them look to the land of their ancestors, but let them look also to the land of their children.”
From a Raiders news release:
“The jerseys will be available through silent auction, beginning Wednesday, January 18 at 10 a.m. CT. Bids open at $250, but a jersey can be bought outright for $450. Online bidding will continue until 5 p.m. CT on Jan. 27. Any jerseys left unsold will be available through silent auction during the game. The winners will be declared five minutes into the third period.”
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Mark Cheyne, the owner of the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, is in talks with the junior A league’s board of governors as he hopes to get the OK to move his franchise to North Delta, B.C., where it would play out of the Sungod Arena.
BCHL
The governors’ two-day meetings wrap up today (Wednesday) in Richmond, B.C.
What makes Cheyne’s request so interesting is that the Warriors are the defending national champions.
“It’s about a chance to break even there because we just can’t break even here, you know,” Cheyne told Tom Zillich of Surrey Now. “It’s just a better move financially. With the Rockets here and everything, it’s just a case of (people) don’t support it here as well as they need to, that’s for sure, even with a national championship, a really good team last (season). I was told all along, for 10 years, that once we get over that hump, win the division, win something, things will change here drastically, but that’s just not the case.”
The Lower Mainland already is home to three other BCHL franchises -- the Coquitlam Express, Langley Rivermen and Surrey Eagles.
BCHL commissioner John Grisdale told Zillich before the meetings that “there may or may not be a decision on that. The league will look where it’s at, where its existing franchises are, to see what’s best for the league. We have 17 franchises, and we have to consider what’s best for them.”
It’s believed that the governors also would be talking about the possibility of a WHL franchise landing in Nanaimo in time for next season. Nanaimo has been home to a BCHL franchise, the Clippers, since 1972.
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The future of a new $86.6-million arena in Nanaimo will hinge on the outcome of a referendum that is likely to be held on March 11.
On Monday, Nanaimo city council approved a $130,000 budget for a referendum that it recommended be held on March 11.
Tamara Cunningham of the Nanaimo News Bulletin reports that the next steps are “for council to give the initial readings of a loan authorization bylaw, set the question for the vote, and for the chief election officer to formally give the election date.”
Cunningham’s story is right here.
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Ron Toigo, the majority owner and president of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, is among those who will be inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame on July 28 in Penticton.
Thomas Gradin and Tony Tanti, a pair of former Vancouver Canucks forwards, also will be inducted, while Dave Nonis, a former Canucks general manager, Brad Lazarowich, a one-time WHL on-ice official who went on to a lengthy career as an NHL linesman, and John Shannon of Rogers Sportsnet will join Toigo in the builders’ category.
Toigo was first involved in the WHL as the owner of the Tri-City Americans, a franchise he sold in 2000 when he purchased the Giants as an expansion franchise. He has been instrumental in bringing numerous events to Vancouver, including two World Junior Championships and a Memorial Cup tournament.
Also being inducted will be the Powell River Regals, who captured the 1997 Allan Cup title as Canada’s senior men’s champions.
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Former WHL star Joe Sakic will be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame on May 21 in Cologne, Germany. That is the final day of the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
During his playing career, Sakic helped Team Canada win the 1988 World Junior Championship, 1994 World championship and 2002 Winter Olympic Games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
Sakic, 47, played two seasons (1986-88) with the Swift Current Broncos. He was the Eastern Division’s most valuable player in 1986-87 and the league’s MVP for 1987-88. In 139 regular-season games, Sakic put up 293 points, including 138 goals.
Sakic now is the executive vice-president of hockey operations and general manager with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
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JUST NOTES:

Ryan Flaherty of Global TV in Saskatoon reports that Blades F Mason McCarty has “had a setback in his rehab” and will be out 3-4 more weeks. . . . McCarty last played on Nov. 25. He has 23 points, including 14 goals, in 26 games. . . . 
The Kootenay Ice has brought in F Peyton Krebs, who will turn 16 on Jan. 26, from the midget AAA UBA Bisons. From Okotoks, Alta., Krebs has 29 points, including 12 goals, in 23 games with the Bisons. He was the first-overall pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He has two assists in three earlier games with Kootenay. . . . 
The Ice has named D Cale Fleury as team captain. F Vince Loschiavo, F Austin Wellsby and D Kurtis Rutledge are the alternate captains. The Ice played the first half of the season without a captain. 
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Kamloops, G Connor Ingram made his first start for the Blazers since Dec. 4 and they beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 4-1. . . . Ingram stopped 24 shots, losing his shutout bid at 11:24 of the third period when F
CONNOR INGRAM
Thomas Foster (12) scored on a PP. . . . Ingram spent the better part of a month with Canada’s national junior team and then got to spent a few days relaxing at his family’s home in Imperial, Sask. In his absence, G Dylan Ferguson made 15 straight starts. . . . F Garrett Pilon gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead with his 10th goal, at 9:50 of the first period. . . . D Joe Gatenby’s sixth goal, on a PP, 45 seconds into the second period would prove to be the winner. That was Gatenby's sixth goal in 45 games with Kamloops. He played his first 174 games with the Kelowna Rockets and have five goals. . . . F Deven Sideroff added his 26th goal, on another PP, at 1:31 of the third period, and F Rudolfs Balzers got his 24th goal at 10:09. . . . F Lane Bauer had two assists for Kamloops, with Pilon, Gatenby and Sideroff adding one apiece. . . . The Warriors got 32 saves from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Kamloops was 2-4 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-3. . . . It was the 705th regular-season victory of Don Hay’s WHL head-coaching career. . . . With Ingram back, the Blazers returned G Max Palaga to the Kamloops-based Thompson Blazers of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . Kamloops (27-16-3) has won two in a row and is second in the B.C. Division, two points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets, who are at home to the Warriors tonight. . . . Moose Jaw (26-12-7) has lost two in a row and is 1-2-0 on a B.C. Division swing. The Warriors are second in the East Division, a point ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 3,295.
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At Prince George, the Cougars erased a 3-1 third-period deficit and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . The teams are scheduled to meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . F Radovan Bondra got the
BRAD MORRISON
comeback started just 22 seconds into the third period with his 22nd goal. . . . F Kody McDonald tied the score with No. 10 at 9:15. . . . F Brad Morrison (18) broke the tie at 11:45. . . . F Jansen Harkins had given the home team a 1-0 lead with his 13th goal, at 9:07 of the first period. . . . Portland scored the next three goals. . . . F Ryan Hughes ran his goal streak to four games with No. 17, at 13:21 of the first. . . . F Skyler McKenzie got his 29th, shorthanded, at 4:03 of the second. . . . F Alex Overhardt made it 3-1 with a PP goal at 6:37. He’s got seven goals. . . . Harkins and McDonald added an assist. . . . D Henri Jokiharju had two assists for Portland. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 33 shots for the Cougars. . . . G Shane Farkas, making his first WHL start for the Winterhawks, made 34 saves. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Prince George was 0-3. . . . D Sam Ruopp and F Jesse Gabrielle were among the Cougars’ scratches. Ruopp has an undisclosed injury. Gabrielle sat out Game 1 of a three-game suspension. That was for a cross-checking major and game misconduct he incurred at the final buzzer of a game in Calgary on Jan. 14. . . . The Winterhawks are without F Keegan Iverson, their 20-year-old captain, who was hurt on Friday in a game against the visiting Spokane Chiefs and didn’t play Saturday in the rematch. Iverson isn’t on this four-game road trip. . . . Portland also scratched D Shaun Dosanjh, their other active 20-year-old. . . . Portland had F Ty Westgard in their lineup. Westgard, who turned 19 on Jan. 1, has been playing with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. The Winterhawks acquired his rights from the Victoria Royals earlier this season. . . . The Cougars (32-12-2) have won four in a row. They are back atop the overall standings, one point ahead of the Regina Pats, who do hold five games in hand. . . . The Winterhawks (22-20-1) have lost two straight. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 2,555.
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At Kent, Wash., Seattle’s big line accounted for six points as the Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp, playing on a line with Mathew Barzal and Keegan Kolesar, had two
RYAN GROPP
assists, giving him 200 career points. He has 93 goals and 107 assists in 228 games. . . . Barzal (4) scored the game’s first goal, at 12:42 of the first period. . . . Everett F Matt Fonteyne tied it with his 14th goal, on a PP, at 15:59. . . . Kolesar’s eighth goal, at 12:28 of the second period, would prove to be the winner. . . . Seattle F Alexander True put his 13th goal into an empty net at 19:29 of the third period. . . . Barzal and Kolesar each had an assist. . . . G Rylan Toth turned aside 23 shots for the Thunderbirds. . . . The Silvertips got 30 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Seattle was 0-2. . . . The Silvertips were playing their fourth game (3-0-1) in five nights and their fifth in seven. They now get two days off before going into a three-game weekend. When that’s over, they will have played eight games in 12 days. . . . The Thunderbirds had beaten the host Silvertips, 4-3 in OT, on Saturday night. . . . Everett was without F Devon Skoleski, who didn’t finish Monday’s 5-4 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets. . . . Linesmen Zach Brooks left in first period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Seattle (24-14-5) has won six straight and is a comfortable third in the U.S. Division, seven points behind the Tri-City Americans and seven ahead of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Everett (28-6-8) had points in each of its previous five games (3-0-2). The Silvertips are third in the overall standings, one point behind the Regina Pats and two in arrears of the Prince George Cougars. . . . Announced attendance: 5,019.
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At Langley, B.C., G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots to lead the Victoria Royals to a 3-0 victory over
GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
the Vancouver Giants. . . . Outhouse has four shutouts this season and eight in his two-season career. He has posted back-to-back shutouts, stopping 61 combined shots, since giving up seven goals in a 9-2 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday. . . . D Ryan Gagnon gave the Royals a 1-0 lead at 6:35 of the first period and that was the only goal Outhouse would need to post his 24th victory this season. . . . The Royals got insurance from F Tyler Soy (19), at 4:32 of the second period, and F Matt Phillips (29), on a PP, at 11:45 of the third. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic stopped 39 shots. . . . Victoria was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-2. . . . These teams will meet again later this month when they clash on Jan. 27, 28 and 29. The first of those is scheduled for Langley, with the last two in Victoria. . . . Including this game, eight of Victoria’s final 27 games will be against Vancouver. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson missed his seventh straight game with an undisclosed injury. . . . Victoria (24-18-4) has won two in a row. The Royals are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kelowna Rockets. Victoria is in possession of the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Vancouver (16-26-3) has suffered six straight losses and is 10 points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,675.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:26 PM
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Saturday, November 5, 2016

WHL comes down on Cougars . . . Changes to Team WHL . . . Pats' offence really on fire

The Prince George Cougars got hit with suspensions totalling 11 games and fines totalling $1,500 for silliness that occurred at the end of a 6-4 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night. . . . D Sam Ruopp, the team captain, drew an eight-game suspension for engaging in what was a one-man fight “with an unsuspecting opponent.” That opponent was F Steve Owre of the Tigers. Eight games is believed to be the longest suspension handed out by the WHL since April 11, 2014, when Victoria F Brandon Magee got 12 games after being hit with a match penalty — he twice cross-checked opponents in the head — during a playoff game with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Kody McDonald got three games for a slashing major and game misconduct that he took as the game ended. He viciously hacked at Medicine Hat F Chad Butcher at a faceoff. . . . The Cougars were fined $1,000 and head coach Richard Matvichuk got touched for $500 “for actions of players at end of game,” according to the WHL.
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The WHL has scratched F Dillon Dube of the Kelowna Rockets, F Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors and F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings from the team that will meet a touring Russian side next week in Prince George (Monday) and Edmonton (Tuesday). . . . All three veterans are out with injuries. . . . Added to Team WHL’s roster were F Brad Morrison (Prince George Cougars), F Lane Pederson (Swift Current Broncos) and F Mason Shaw (Medicine Hat Tigers). . . . For whatever reason, the pooh-bahs have chosen to snub Matt Phillips of the Victoria Royals, who may be the best forward in the WHL. . . . Patrick, the consensus No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2017 NHL draft, hasn’t played since Oct. 11 and has skated in only six of Brandon’s 16 games. He has sports hernia surgery in July and missed most of training camp.
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F Ethan Leyh of Anmore, B.C., has committed to attend the U of Wisconsin where he will play for the Badgers. Leyh, 15, was an eighth-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He is playing for the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs. Leynh had 13 points, including eight goals, in six games going into the weekend.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, D Kale Clague’s third goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie at 9:57 of the third period and the
KALE CLAGUE
Wheat Kings beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . This was a rematch of last season’s championship final, which the Wheat Kings won in five games. . . . Last night, F Ty Lewis got Brandon on the board with his ninth goal, at 8:51 of the first period. . . . Seattle took the lead with two third-period goals, F Nolan Volcan scoring his sixth just 28 seconds in, and D Turner Ottenbreit getting his second, on a PP, at 1:51. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos, with his seventh, forced OT at 3:48 of the third. Clague drew the primary assist on the goal. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 36 shots, nine more than Rylan Toth of Seattle. . . . Seattle was 1-10 on the PP; Brandon was 0-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (7-6-3) had lost their previous four games (0-4-1). . . . The Thunderbirds (6-7-1) had won two in a row. They are 3-2-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Seattle lost D Ethan Bear with a spearing major and game misconduct at 8:28 of the first period. Chances are that he will be suspended at least for tonight’s game against the Warriors in Moose Jaw. . . . Announced attendance: 3,640.
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At Kamloops, F Deven Sideroff scored once and drew three assists to lead the Blazers to a 5-2 victory
DEVEN SIDEROFF
over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Sideroff has 10 goals and seven assists in 17 games. . . . The Blazers took control of a 0-0 game with two second-period goals and one early in the third. Sideroff got the game’s first score, at 5:54 of the second, with F Collin Shirley making it 2-0 at 9:04. His eighth goal came via the PP. . . . Kamloops D Ondrej Vala’s fourth goal, at 7:03 of the third period, turned out to be the winner. . . . D Dylan MacPherson got his first goal, at 11:49, to get the Tigers to within two, but Kamloops F Rudolfs Balcers put it away with two goals, giving him nine. . . . F Mark Rassell later scored his 11th for the Tigers. . . . Balcers added an assist to his goals, while F Nick Chyzowski and F Garrett Pilon each had two helpers. . . . The line of Pilon between Sideroff and Balcers totalled nine points. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram, who went into the game first in the WHL in save percentage (.936) and second in GAA (2.01) stopped 36 shots. He really was sharp again, this time with Hockey Canada goaltending consultant Fred Brathwaite looking on. . . . The Tigers got 38 saves from G Duncan McGovern. . . . The Blazers (10-8-1) are 2-0-1 in their last three outings. . . . The Tigers (11-5-1) have won their previous three games, all on the road. . . . The Blazers had beaten the Tigers 5-1 in Medicine Hat on Oct. 8. . . . The Tigers were 1-2 on the PP; the Blazers were 1-4. . . . Kamloops was without three injured veteran defencemen — Dawson Davidson, Shaun Dosanjh and Dallas Valentine. . . . The Blazers added D Tylor Ludwar, 17, to their roster for this game — he acquitted himself quite well — and Saturday’s in Prince George. A native of Regina, he has eight points, including five goals, in six games with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. . . . Announced attendance: 3,749, the second-largest crowd this season.
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At Moose Jaw, F Tanner Jeannot broke a 1-1 tie at 4:12 of the third period as the Warriors beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Jeannot has five goals. . . . F Noah Gregor gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 17:10 of the first period, with his sixth goal, on a PP. . . . Edmonton F Davis Koch got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 16:01 of the second period. . . . The Warriors got an insurance goal from F Ryan Bowen, his fifth, at 8:38 of the third. . . . F Nikita Popugaev had two assists for the Warriors. . . . G Zach Sawchenko had another strong game for the Warriors, with 36 saves. . . . The Oil Kings got 22 stops from Patrick Dea. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-4. . . . The Warriors (11-3-2) have won four straight. . . . Edmonton now is 5-9-2. . . . F Tate Popple, 16, made his WHL debut with the Warriors. From Brandon, Popple has 18 points, including 10 goals, in 11 games with the midget AAA Wheat Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 3,019.
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At Prince Albert, G Ian Scott stopped 22 shots to earn the shutout as the Raiders beat the Kootenay Ice,
IAN SCOTT
6-0. . . . It was Scott’s first shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . The game featured the two teams with the league’s poorest records. As a result of the outcome, the Raiders (5-11-1), who had lost their previous four games, moved a point ahead of the Ice (3-10-4), which has lost two straight. . . . F Tim Vanstone scored the game’s first goal, his fourth, at 9:35 of the first period. . . . F Sean Montgomery, scored twice, giving him five goals, with F Cavin Leth (2), F Cole Fonstad (2) and F Adam Kadlec (2) adding one each. . . . F Simon Stransky had two assists, with Vanstone adding one. . . . Ice G Payton Lee stopped 33 shots. . . . The Raiders were 2-4 on the PP; the Ice was 0-3. . . . The Raiders scratched F Luke Coleman with an undisclosed injury. He has been hot, too, having scored three of the team’s last six goals going into this game. . . . Announced attendance: 2,109.
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At Regina, the Pats scored six first-period goals, including two shorthanded scores on the same penalty kill, en route to a 9-6 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Regina (12-0-3) has won eight in a row, the franchise’s longest winning streak since it won nine straight in 2001-02. . . . The Pats, the WHL’s highest-scoring team, were coming off a 10-goal game, having beaten the visiting Kootenay Ice, 10-2, on Wednesday. . . . The Blades (7-9-1) have lost two in a row. . . . The Pats came out of the first period with a 6-2 lead, with F Sam Steel in on three of those goals. He had two goals, giving him 14, and a league-high 28 points. . . . The Blades got to within two, at 6-4, on second-period goals from F Michael Farren (3) and F Gage Ramsey (2). . . . Regina F Filip Ahl’s 10th goal, on a PP at 15:57, gave his guys a three-goal lead. . . . F Logan Christensen (4) scored for Saskatoon, on a PP, at 17:52. . . . Regina put it away with third-period goals from Ahl, on a PP, at 4:15, and F Adam Brooks (6) at 7:29. . . . Saskatoon F Caleb Fantillo closed out the scoring with his first goal at 16:22. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn scored his ninth goal and had three assists for Regina, with D Chase Harrison scoring his third goal and adding one assist and F Austin Wagner getting No. 3 and an assist. . . . Ahl ended up with the winner, his WHL-leading fifth, while Wagner now has a league-leading four shorthanded goals. . . . Brooks added three assists to his goal, with D Connor Hobbs also getting three assists. . . . Fantillo also had an assist, while D Nolan Reid had two of them. . . . G Tyler Brown turned aside 34 shots for Regina. . . . Saskatoon starter Brock Hamm gave up six goals on 17 shots in the first period. Logan Flodell played the last two periods, stopping 27 of 30 shots. . . . Regina was 4-8 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-6. . . . Regina took 78 of the game’s 155 penalty minutes. Ch-ch-ching! There was a line brawl at 17:11 of the third period that resulted in 107 penalty minutes. . . . The teams don’t play each other again until Dec. 10 in Regina. . . . Announced attendance: 5,658.
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At Spokane, F Michael Spacek’s 10th goal, on a PP at 4:31 of OT, gave the Red Deer Rebels a 4-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Red Deer held 2-0 and 3-2 leads before Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto forced extra time with his 11th goal at 16:32 of the third period. . . . Two Rebels — F Jordan Roy and D Ethan Sakowich — scored their first goals to give the visitors a 2-0 lead after one period. . . . Spokane tied it on goals from F Hudson Elynuik (5) and F Keanu Yamamoto (4), the former at 4:32 of the second and the latter 57 seconds into the third period. . . . D Austin Pratt gave Red Deer a 3-2 lead, with his sixth goal, at 7:59. . . . Spacek also had two assists. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from F Curtis Miske. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 29 shots for the Rebels, with Jayden Sittler stopping 26 for the Chiefs. . . . The Rebels were 1-3 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-5. . . . Red Deer (9-7-2) had lost four in a row. . . . The Chiefs (6-6-4) are 3-0-2 in their last five games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,603.
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At Swift Current, F Tyler Steenbergen scored at 3:53 of OT to give the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the
TYLER STEENBERGEN
Calgary Hitmen. . . . Steenbergen, who has 13 goals, including three in OT, also scored in OT on Saturday as the Broncos beat the visiting Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. . . . Steenbergen has four goals and two assists over his last three games. . . . F Carsen Twarynski, who has six goals, scored twice for Calgary, giving it a 1-0 lead 50 seconds into the game tying the game 2-2 at 19:33 of the third period. The second one came with G Cody Porter on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Broncos F Aleksi Heponiemi’s fifth goal pulled the Broncos into a 1-1 tie at 1:15 of the first period. . . . Broncos D Max Lajoie got his second goal, on a PP, at 15:44 of the second period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro and F Jordy Stallard each had two assists for Calgary. . . . G Travis Child earned the victory with 25 saves, three more than Porter. . . . The Broncos were 1-4 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-3. . . . Swift Current (10-5-3) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . The Hitmen (5-5-2) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 1,858.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Michael Rasmussen scored twice and added an assist to help the Tri-City
MICHAEL RASMUSSEN
Americans to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Rasmussen, who has 14 goals, opened the scoring at 1:11 of the first period. . . . Portland F Ryan Hughes got his fifth goal at 4:15. . . . The Americans took control with the next three goals in a span of 5:04. F Morgan Geekie (7) scored on a PP at 11:21, Rasmussen counted at 13:34 — he’s got eight goals in four games against Portland — and F Parker AuCoin (6) got a shorthanded score at 16:25. . . . The Winterhawks got to within a goal when D Carter Czaikowski got his first goal at 12:39 of the second period and F Keegan Iverson (7) scored at 17:36. . . . Geekie got the empty-netter at 19:49. . . . G Rylan Parenteau blocked 31 shots for the Americans. . . . Tri-City D Juuso Valimaki had two assists. . . . Portland starter Cole Kehler was beaten three times on five shots in 13:34. Michael Bullion finished up with 25 saves on 26 shots in 44:51. . . . Tri-City was 1-7 on the PP; Portland was 0-5. . . . The Americans (10-6-1) have won two straight. . . . The Winterhawks (8-9-0) have lost six in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,909.
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At Langley, B.C., F Nick Merkley had two goals and an assist to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-4
NICK MERKLEY
victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Rockets enjoyed 2-1 and 4-2 leads but it was a goal by F Kole Lind, his seventh, that broke a 4-4 tie at 16:50 of the third period. . . . F Alec Baer, who had two goals and an assist, gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 6:56 of the first period. . . . Kelowna took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Calvin Thurkauf (7) and Merkley, at 10:09 and 12:46 of the first. . . . Vancouver D Darian Skeoch tied it with his first goal, at 17:15. . . . The Rockets took a 4-2 lead when F Tomas Soustal (7) and D Braydyn Chizen (1) struck for shorthanded goals just three seconds apart — yes, three seconds — at 14:15 and 14:18 of the second period. . . . Baer’s second goal, and second of the season, at 15:49 of the second cut the deficit to one, and F Johnny Wesley’s fourth goal, at 8:42 of the third period, tied it. . . . Merkley got the empty-netter at 18:44. . . . The WHL record for quickest two goals is two seconds. F Pavel Brendl and F Brad Moran set that record with the Calgary Hitmen on Oct. 3, 1998. Brendl’s goal came into an empty net as the Hitmen beat the Red Deer Rebels, 6-4. . . . Soustal and Thurkauf each had two assists. . . . F James Malm had two assists for Vancouver. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 30 shots for the victory. . . . The Giants got 31 stops from Ryan Kubic. . . . Kelowna was 2-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-5. . . . The Rockets improved to 10-8-0, while the Giants are 7-11-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,286. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Curtis Hunt, the Prince Albert Raiders’ general manager, was in the building.
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At Victoria, F Kaid Oliver’s goal ended an 11-round shootout and gave the Royals a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker scored two goals, at 1:39 and 18:46 of the first period. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Lethbridge got two goals from F Jesse Zaharichuk, who has eight, at 13:55 of the second period and 16:27 of the third. . . . The Royals scored four times in the shootout, with the Hurricanes getting three. . . . Kaid, a 16-year-old from White Rock, B.C., has one goal and one assist in 19 games. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse stopped 36 shots. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner turned aside 25 shots. That included stopping Victoria F Matt Phillips on a penalty shot at 1:23 of OT. . . . The Royals were 1-3 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-1. . . . Victoria (10-7-2) is 2-0-2 in its last four games. . . . Lethbridge (7-7-3) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,494.
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LEADERS

POINTS: F Sam Steel, Regina, 28; F Mason Shaw, Medicine Hat, 27; F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane, F Nikita Popugaev, Moose Jaw, F Cody Glass, Portland, each 24.
GOALS: Steel, F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City, each 14; F Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current, 13; F Zak Zborosky, Kootenay, 12; Yamamoto, 11.
ASSISTS: Shaw, 22; F Brayden Burke, Lethbridge, 18; F Chad Butcher, Medicine Hat, Glass, each 17; D Chase Harrison, Regina, 16.
VICTORIES: Nick Schneider, Medicine Hat, Griffen Outhouse, Victoria, each 10; Carter Hart, Everett, Ty Edmonds, Prince George, Michael Herringer, Kelowna, each 9.
GAA: Hart, 1.89; Connor Ingram, Kamloops, 2.01; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, 2.31; Logan Flodell, Saskatoon, 2.38; Cody Porter, Calgary, 2.46.
SAVE %: Ingram, .937; Flodell, .931; Hart, .926; Logan Thompson, Brandon, .922; Outhouse, .920.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Edmonton at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Lethbridge vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:23 AM
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