Americans clinch West's last playoff spot with loser point

It’s your lucky day because if you click right here you will find the best essay you will read this week . . . this month . . . maybe this year. Written by Bryan Curtis at grantland.com, it’s all about the legendary Dan Jenkins. . . . At one point, Jenkins, referring to Tiger Woods, tells Curtis: “He is a hell of a talent. He just happens to be an asshole.”
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F Tyler Benson, the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft, joined the Vancouver Giants last week and was to play with them for the remainder of the season. However, it appears his season is over. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Benson was on crutches Tuesday and had a brace on his left leg. He won’t need surgery, but Benson’s season is over. . . . Ewen’s report is right here.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer/Prince Albert (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
(NOTE: Prince Albert and Red Deer are tied for eighth, each with 71 points. Each has three games left. A tie for a conference‘s final playoff spot will result in a tiebreaker game.)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Everett at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, the Wheat Kings got goals from eight players as they dumped the Saskatoon Blades, 8-5. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock scored his 22nd goal and added two assists, while F Richard Nejezchleb got his 31st goal and also had two helpers. . . . The Wheat Kings broke open a 1-1 game with four straight goals. . . . F Nikita Scherbak and D MacKenzie Johnston each had two assists for the Blades, while F Chase Clayton scored his 10th goal and added an assist. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Jayce Hawryluk, their leading scorer, who is serving a WHL suspension and won’t play again in the regular season. . . . Also missing was F Peter Quenneville. . . . F Nolan Patrick, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, played for Brandon. He was pointless but finished plus-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (32-29-9) moved into seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Blades (16-48-5) have lost nine in a row. . . .

In Calgary, F Brady Brassart drew three assists as the Hitmen dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-3. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini scored his 17th goal and added an assist, while F Jake Virtanen notched his 43rd goal. . . . F Riley Sheen scored twice for Lethbridge, giving him 18 goals. . . . Virtanen broke a 2-2 tie 7:56 of the second period, with D Kenton Helgeson scoring his 10th goal at 17:55. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner, the 17th overall pick in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, stopped 39 shots in his first WHL start. . . . Calgary (46-17-7) is tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings for first place in the Eastern Conference. . . . Lethbridge (12-53-5) has lost 12 straight. . . .

In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots to help the Oil Kings to a 1-0 victory over the short-staffed Kootenay Ice. . . . The Ice dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Among the Kootenay scratches were D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel. . . . Jarry, who leads the WHL with 42 victories, has eight shutouts this season and 14 in his career. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 29 shots. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson scored the game’s lone goal, his 33rd, just 15 seconds into the second period. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett picked up his 125th career assist, tying him with Mark Pysyk (2007-12) for the franchise record. . . . The Oil Kings (48-18-3) are tied with Calgary atop the Eastern Conference. Edmonton has the edge in victories (48-46), which is the first tiebreaker, and a game in hand. That game will be played tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice (39-26-4) is fifth in the conference, six points behind Medicine Hat and three in front of the Swift Current Broncos. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Jesse Forsberg, F Jack Rodewald and F Tanner Eberle each scored twice to carry the Warriors to a 6-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Forsberg’s second goal, his 10th this season, came on a PP and broke a 3-3 tie at 2:05 of the third period. . . . Eberle then scored twice, the second one shorthanded and into an empty net. He’s got 22 goals. . . . Rodewald has 27 goals. . . . Raiders F Leon Draisaitl scored his 36th goal and also had an assist. . . . Warriors F Brayden Point drew three assists. . . . The Warriors (21-40-9) have won four in a row. . . . The Raiders (33-31-5) had a four-game winning streak snapped. They are tied with Red Deer for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff berth. . . .

In Portland, the Tri-City Americans lost 3-2 in OT to the Winterhawks, but the visitors were celebrating as the loser point allowed them to clinch the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic won it with his 38th goal just 30 seconds into OT. . . . Portland D Mathew Dumba forced OT with his sixth goal at 11:07 of the third period. . . . F Parker Bowles scored twice for the Americans, giving him 13. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 46 shots as he set the franchise‘s single-season record for most saves. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke turned side 18 shots in his first appearance since Feb. 10. He had been out with mononucleosis. . . . F Beau McCue had two assists for Tri-City. . . . Portland has won four in a row, while the Americans have lost four straight. . . . The loser point that went to the Americans was enough to eliminate the idle Prince George Cougars, who now are five points behind with just two games remaining. . . . Portland (51-13-5) will be the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed and will meet the No. 7 Vancouver Giants in the first round. . . . The No. 8 Americans (28-32-9) will open against the No. 1 Kelowna Rockets. . . .

In Kelowna, the Victoria Royals scored two third-period goals and beat the Rockets, 3-2. . . . D Ryan Gagnon tied the game 2-2 with his second goal of the season at 5:04. . . . Victoria F Axel Blomqvist -- was there a better addition via trade this season than this guy? -- scored his 24th goal at 16:40 to win it. . . . Victoria G Patrick Polivka kicked out 34 shots, one more than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . . Kelowna F Tanner Wishnowski scored his first goal at 2:18 of the first period. Wishnowski, who is from Oakbank, Man., turned 17 on Jan. 28 and was playing his first WHL game. He played this season with the major midget Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee tied it with his 25th at 16:23 of the first period. . . . Kelowna F Cole Linaker scored his 11th goal, shorthanded, at 16:45 of the second. . . . The Royals have won six in a row. . . . The Rockets have lost just four home games this season, but three of those have come against the Royals. . . . Victoria penalty-killers were 35-for-35 as the Royals won the season series, 5-2-1. . . . The Royals (48-17-4) have 100 points for the first time in franchise history. They will finish third in the Western Conference. . . . The Rockets (54-11-4) lead the Western Conference by five points over Portland. Each team has three games left. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last three goals and beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-4. . . . F Hudson Elynuik tied the game 4-4 with his third goal of the season, via the PP, at 15:51 of the second period. . . . F Mike Aviani got his 37th at 14:34 of the third and F Connor Chartier added an empty-netter, his 13th goal of the season, at 18:37. . . . The Chiefs have won three in a row. . . . Aviani scored twice. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL scoring leader, had one assist. . . . Seattle won the season series, 7-1-0. . . . The Chiefs (39-24-6) are fifth in the Western Conference, two points behind Seattle (40-23-6).
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From Roger Shannon (@rogershannon): “Moncton Wildcats send well wishes and prayers to Kootenay Ice Forward Tim Bozon who is fighting for his life in his battle with Meningitis.”
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From Helene Barbier Bozon (@Helene Bozon), Tim Bozon’s mother: “RIP Terry Trafford. Sad.”


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Bozon in critical condition

TIM BOZON

Helene and Philippe Bozon, the parents of Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon, indicated Wednesday afternoon that their son is in critical condition in Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.
The WHL and the Ice issued a news release, stating that Bozon was admitted to RUH on Saturday and was “diagnosed with Neisseria Meningitis.”
His parents have been at his bedside since Sunday when they arrived from their home in Cureglia, Switzerland.
According to the news release: “Public health officials are in the process of reviewing the case to ensure all the necessary precautions are taken and anyone who had direct contact with the player receives appropriate treatment.
“The WHL requests the privacy of the family be respected during this most difficult time.”
According to a report by The Canadian Press, “While there are several varieties of meningitis, the particular type Bozon has, Neisseria meningitis, is bacterial and more contagious.”
Dr. Shovita Padhi, deputy medical health officer for the Saskatoon Health Region, told CP that “he way bacterial meningitis spreads is through spit. You need to have very close contact or direct contact with the nose and throat secretions of the individual who became ill.”
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Helene and Philippe Bozon also tweeted a message, via Tim’s account: “Thank you so so much to @WHLKootenayICE and@bladeshockey for the help provided us during our stay by Timmy's side.”
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Many, many messages of support were tweeted on Wednesday, with this one from Brian Cheeseman, the Edmonton Oil Kings’ head athletic therapist, pretty much saying it all: “Sending thoughts & prayers for a speedy recovery out to @timbozon94 and his family. In times like this we are all on the same team #getwell”
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G Patrik Bartosak of the Red Deer Rebels has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. Bartosak, 20, was a fifth-round selection by the Kings in the 2013 NHL draft. A native of Koprivnice, Czech Republic, Bartosak is 30-24-5, 2.81, .924 this season. In 140 appearances over three seasons, he is 77-48-11, 2.58, .927. . . .
D Cody Corbett of the Edmonton Oil Kings, an undrafted free agent, has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. According to cap geek.com, Corbett, 20, signed a contract that will pay him US$600,000, $625,000 and $625,000 each season in the NHL or $60,000 in the AHL. He also got a $150,000 signing bonus, payable over three years. . . . This season, Corbett has set Oil Kings’ records for most goals (16) and points (56) in a season by a defenceman. Corbett has been with Edmonton since the middle of the 2011-12 season. . . . He has 29 career goals, tying him with Griffin Reinhart for the club record, and has 124 points, which is one shy of Mark Pysyk’s franchise record. . . .
F Brady Brassart of the Calgary Hitmen, who signed earlier this week with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, will get US$742,500, $842,500 and $925,000 should he play in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL, again according to cap geek.com. . . . His signing bonus of $277,500 is payable over three years.
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The Portland Winterhawks have added F Skyler McKenzie and D Justin Greer to their roster. . . . McKenzie was an eighth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft, while Greer was taken in the fourth round in 2012. . . . McKenzie played this season with the midget AAA Sherwood Park, Alta., Kings, while Greer was with the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Boston Pizza Athletics.
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Judging from his Twitter account, Seattle Thunderbirds F Russell Maxwell has received the assignment for the mission he will go on at some point after this WHL season.
Late Wednesday night, Maxwell (@Russizzle7) tweeted: “I have been called to the Italy Rome mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints!!”
Maxwell, 19, is from Magrath, Alta. Tyler Hansen, one of Maxwell’s best friends, didn’t return to the Kamloops Blazers for his 20-year-old season, choosing instead to go on his mission on behalf of the church. Hansen now is in Argentina.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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THURSDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
No games scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Calgary at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Edmonton at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Everett at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Brayden Point and F Jack Rodewald enjoyed four-point outings as the Warriors dumped the Calgary Hitmen, 6-1. . . . Point had three goals, giving him 34, and an assist, while Rodewald had a goal, his 23rd, and three assists. . . . Rodewald, who had 13 points in 124 games over the past two seasons, has 49 points in 53 games this season. . . . Point has 83 points in 67 games after putting up 57 points, 24 of them goals, in 67 games last season. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 41 shots. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin, who left a Tuesday game in Brandon while favouring a shoulder, didn’t play in this one. . . . The Hitmen had picked up at least a point in 13 straight games going into this one. As well, Calgary F Brady Brassart had his point streak snapped at 16 games. . . . The Warriors (18-40-9) won’t make the playoffs. . . . Calgary (44-16-7) is tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings (46-17-3) atop the Eastern Conference. But Edmonton has the tiebreaker (most victories) and a game in hand. . . .

In Regina, F Edgars Kulda scored twice to help the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 5-2 victory over the Pats. . . . The Oil Kings were playing their fourth game in five nights. . . . Kulda broke a 2-2 tie at 4:30 of the second period and then extended the lead to 4-2 at 7:39 of the third. He’s got 28 goals. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar scored his 36th goal, a shorthanded empty-netter, at 19:04 of the third. . . .Lazar also had two assists. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner, whose father, Blaine, is a former head coach of the U of Regina Cougars hockey team, had two assists. . . . F Dryden Hunt scored both Regina goals, both via the PP, giving him 19. Hunt was back in the lineup for the first time after missing seven games with a brain injury. . . . F Boston Leier also returned to Regina’s lineup after being out with a brain injury. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple left the game at 4:49 of the second period after being wiped out in a goalmouth collision. He was later seen with a walking boot on one foot. Dawson MacAuley came on to finish up in goal. . . . Edmonton (46-17-3) is tied with Calgary atop the Eastern Conference, but the standings show the Oil Kings on top on the basis of more victories (46-44). . . . Regina (37-24-6) leads the East Division by three points over the Swift Current Broncos. Each team has five games remaining. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Conner Bleackley scored the only goal of the shootout as the Red Deer Rebels got past the Tigers, 2-1. . . . Medicine Hat had been 5-0 in shootouts this season. . . . F Anthony Ast scored for the Tigers, getting his 16th goal of the season at 7:23 of the second period. . . . Bleackley got his 28th at 17:46 of the second to pull the Rebels even. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 40 shots through OT and turned aside three shooters in the skills competition, while Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer turned aside 34 through OT. . . . Red Deer was 0-for-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat’s PP never got off the bench. . . . The victory moved Red Deer (32-30-5) into sole possession of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot, two points up on the Prince Albert Raiders (31-30-5), who hold a game in hand. . . . The Tigers (41-22-4) are headed to a fourth-place finish. They are eight points ahead of the Kootenay Ice (37-25-4). . . .

In Vancouver, F Joel Hamilton scored once and added an assist as the Giants got past the Kamloops Blazers, 2-1. . . . Hamilton broke a 1-1 tie with his 10th goal just 58 seconds into the third period. . . . F Cain Franson also scored for the Giants. He’s got 29 goals. . . . F Jackson Houck had two assists for the winners. . . . The Giants swept the season series, winning seven times in regulation and once in a shootout. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee lost his shutout bid when F Matt Bellerive scored his 18th goal of the season at 19:08 of the third period. . . . Lee finished with 17 saves, 18 fewer than Bolton Pouliot of the Blazers. . . . Kamloops is on the road because the Tim Hortons Brier (the Canadian men’s curling championship) has taken over Interior Savings Centre. The Blazers are 1-7-0 since leaving home, with a weekend doubleheader scheduled for Victoria. . . . The Giants (31-26-10) are seventh in the Western Conference, five points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Blazers (13-49-5) are last in the conference. . . .

In Kelowna, freshman F Nick Merkley scored two goals to lead the Rockets to a 3-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Merkley, a 16-year-old from Calgary, was the ninth overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He’s got 22 goals. . . . Merkley tied the game 1-1 on a PP at 19:57 of the first period and broke the tie at 1:25 of the third. . . . F Myles Bell and F Justin Kirkland each had two assists for Kelowna. . . . With the victory, the Rockets set franchise records for victories (53) and points (110) in a season. The 2012-13 Rockets won 52 games; the 2002-03 team put up 109 points. . . . The WHL record for most victories in a season is 60 (Victoria Cougars, 1980-81); the record for most points is 125 (Brandon Wheat Kings, 1978-79). . . . The Rockets have ?? games remaining, so those marks are out of reach. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 29 shots in winning for the 37th time this season. That equals his victory total from last season. This season, he is 37-6-4. In his career, he is 90-33-12. . . . The Rockets (53-10-4) lead the overall standings by 11 points over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Spokane (36-24-6) is fifth in the Western Conference, six points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and one ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 5-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Portland now has 101 points, the fourth straight season it has reached the 100-point barrier. Only two other franchises have put together four straight 100-point seasons -- the Vancouver Giants (2005-09) and Kamloops Jr. Oilers/Blazers (1983-86). . . . The Winterhawks got goals from five players, including D Anton Cederholm, who got his third of the season, and D Josh Hanson, who scored his second. . . . F Chase De Leo got No. 37 for Portland. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 27 shots. . . . Winterhawks F Nic Petan drew one assist and moved into a tie with Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg atop the WHL scoring race, each with 107 points. Holmberg was held pointless in the Chiefs’ 3-1 loss in Kelowna. . . . The Winterhawks (48-13-5) will win the U.S. Division and will be the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed. . . . The Americans (28-30-8) are eighth in the conference, eight points behind Vancouver.
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Please keep Tim Bozon (@timbozon94) and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
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Hitmen back in first; Raiders, Rebels in dead heat

There were a couple of backup goaltenders with ties to the WHL on NHL benches on Tuesday night. That’s Pat Conacher Jr. (top), who backed up Vancouver starter Eddie Lack in Phoenix after the Canucks traded Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers. Conacher is the son of Pat Conacher, who was an assistant coach with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) in 2010-11 and the Regina Pats’ head coach in 2011-12. He now is director of hockey operations with the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ AHL affiliate. Conacher Jr. also is a scout with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. Meanwhile, in Edmonton, former Portland Winterhawks/Kamloops Blazers G Kurtis Mucha backed up the Oilers’ Ben Scrivens after they sent Ilya Bryzgalov to the Minnesota Wild. Mucha now plays for the U of Alberta Golden Bears and is a second-team Canada West all-star. (Top photo: Sportsnet screen grab; bottom photo: Edmonton Oilers)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Josh Green (Medicine Hat, Swift Current, Portland, 1993-98) has signed a one-year extension with Tappara Tampere (Finland, Liiga). In 41 games, he has 29 points, including 20 goals. Seventeen of those 20 goals have come at even strength. Green made the announcement of the extension himself, in Finnish in a video posted on the Tappara website.
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F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice remains in a Saskatoon hospital, where he is being treated for meningitis.
On Tuesday morning, he parents, Helene and Philippe, posted this on their son’s Twitter account:
“Our Timmy is keeping fighting but...thank you so much for your wonderful wishes.helene and Phil Bozon”
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
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“We’re not for sale, nobody’s come, again, to talk to us about the sale of the hockey team. The board of directors of the hockey team are in charge of running the hockey team and that’s what we’re doing.” And, he added, the team hasn’t been sold. . . . That was Brian Wichers, the vice-president of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, in conversation with Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald. . . . Oh, Wichers also said the franchise still will be community-owned when next season gets here. . . . Purcell’s piece is right here.
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The Kamloops Blazers are nearing the end of their 10-game stint away from home. They returned to Kamloops on Sunday morning, following a three-game swing into Alberta. But they remain out of Interior Savings Centre because of the Tim Hortons Brier. The Blazers, who are 1-6-0 in their last seven games, are to play the Giants in Vancouver tonight. Kamloops is expected to be without D Sam Grist and F Chase Souto, both of whom left a Friday game in Calgary with undisclosed injuries and didn’t play Saturday in Medicine Hat. . . .
The Giants are likely to be without D Dalton Thrower (ankle), G Jared Rathjen and F Dominik Voley, the latter two with undisclosed injuries. Thrower, who skated on Monday but left the ice after tweaking the ankle again, was wearing a walking boot on Tuesday. Thrower will sit out for the 17th straight game tonight. . . .
Prospera Credit Union, the home of the Kelowna Rockets, will maintain naming rights to Prospera Place in Kelowna for five more years, through January 2019. The credit union and RG Properties Ltd. made the announcement Tuesday morning. Prospera Place, built by RG Properties, opened in 1999 and the credit union has held naming rights since 20-03.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Calgary (1) vs. Red Deer/Prince Albert (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Edmonton (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Calgary at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Regina, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s first five goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Calgary moved back into first place in the Eastern Conference with the victory. . . . The Hitmen have won three in a row and have points in 13 straight. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart had a goal, his 34th, and an assist as he ran his point streak to 16 games. . . . Calgary D Ben Thomas also had a goal, his sixth, and an assist. He has three goals in four games against Brandon. . . . F Connor Rankin of Calgary, who scored his 20th goal, via the PP, in the second period, left the game favouring a shoulder. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 23 shots. He lost his shutout bid at 18:31 of the third period when F Rihards Bukarts scored his 24th goal. . . . The Hitmen were 2-for-4 on the PP. They have at least one PP goal in each of their last 13 games. . . . Calgary (44-15-7) is atop the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Brandon (31-27-9) is seventh, four points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . .

In Swift Current, F Jay Merkley broke a 3-3 tie at 17:04 of the third period as the Broncos beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 4-3. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had two goals, giving him 32, and an assist for the Oil Kings, his second goal, at 6:50 of the third period, giving them a 3-1 lead. . . . F Nate Burns scored his 24th at 12:58 and F Colby Cave tied the score with his 31st at 13:21. . . . Merkley has 28 goals this season. . . . F Jake DeBrusk had two assists for the Broncos, who got 26 saves out of G Eetu Laurikainen. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 31 shots. . . . The Broncos (34-25-9) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Oil Kings (45-17-3) are two points behind Calgary and hold a game in hand. . . .

In Prince Albert, D Josh Morrissey and F Leon Draisaitl each scored twice to help the Raiders to a 9-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Draisaitl, who has 32 goals, also had two assists. . . . Morrissey, who has 25 goals, added one helper. . . . Raiders D Tomas Andrlik had three assists. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 27 shots. With Zach Sawchenko, their other goaltender, unavailable because of illness, the Warriors had Logan Morhart of the midget AA Prince Albert Raiders on their bench as an emergency backup. The only way they could have lifted Paulic was due to injury. . . . F Brayden Point scored twice, giving him 31, for the Warriors. . . . Prince Albert G Nick McBride, making his third start in the team’s last four games, made 19 saves. He stopped F Torrin White on a first-period penalty shot. . . . The Raiders last scored nine times in a game when they beat the visiting Regina Pats 9-4 on Jan. 9, 2013. . . . The Raiders (31-30-5) are tied with the Red Deer Rebels for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Warriors (17-40-9) are 2-7-1 in their last 10. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 32 shots as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-0. . . . Bartosak has seven shutouts this season and 13 in his career. He is tied with Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings for the WHL lead this season. . . . Three of Bartosak’s shut outs this season have been against the Ice, all of them in Cranbrook. . . . According to Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, it was the sixth time Kootenay has been shut out this season and the third time on home ice, both of which are franchise records. . . . F Aspen Sterzer and F Rhyse Dieno each had a goal and an assist. Sterzer has 26 goals, while Dieno, who got an empty-netter, has 23. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 28 shots. . . . The Ice dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Red Deer (31-30-5) is tied with Prince Albert for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. Each team has five games remaining. . . . The Ice (37-25-4) is fifth in the conference, one point ahead of Swift Current. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips scored two first-period goals 22 seconds apart and went on to a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . F Jujhar Khaira, with his 16th, and D Ben Betker, with his sixth, scored at 11:07 and 11:29 of the first period to get the home boys started. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored twice, giving him 41, and added an assist. . . . Khaira also had two assists. . . . Winquist is within one of the franchise records for goals in one season (Shane Harper, 2009-10). . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 23 shots, losing his shootout on goal by F Justin Kirkland, his 15th, at 4:49 of the third period. . . . Everett had a 38-24 edge in shots. . . . Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, called his 1,000th Kelowna game. Back in the day, he also did 360 games with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Silvertips, who have won four in a row, had lost eight straight to the Rockets. . . . Everett (34-23-9) is sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Kelowna (52-10-4) leads the overall standings.
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From Brad Robson (@BKCanes): “The @WHLHurricanes send their prayers to @timbozon94 , his family & to the @WHLKootenayICE organization. #keepfighting”
Robson, the general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, echoes the sentiments of the hockey world.

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Seattle derails Portland; rumours flying in Lethbridge

D Ty Wishart (Prince George, Moose Jaw, 2004-08) has signed a one-year extension with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). In 49 games this season, he has 16 points, including five goals. . . .
F Ashton Rome (Moose Jaw, Red Deer, Kamloops, 2002-06) has signed a one-year contract, with a club option for more, with the Schwenninger Wild Wings beginning next season. This season with Düsseldorf (Germany, DEL), Rome has 21 points, 12 of them goals, in 31 games. . . .
D Renat Mamashev (Moose Jaw, 2000-01) has been released by Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL) by mutual agreement. With Neftekhimik, he had 12 points, including five goals, in 32 games. Mamashev started the season with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL), going pointless in four games. He also played two games with Chelmet Chelyabinsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga), picking up one assist.
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Will they, or won’t they?
The Lethbridge Hurricanes, of course. Will the team that is owned by local shareholders be sold to private concerns before another WHL season gets here?
Only time will tell but, in the meantime, let the rumour mill start smoking. And you can bet that there is going to be a whole lot of rumour, speculation and innuendo in the next little while.
The only thing that will stop it will be for Hurricanes president Brian McNaughton to stand up and say that the franchise absolutely won’t be sold or that it has been sold. On second thought, that might not even stop the grist mill from churning.
In the meantime . . .
On Saturday, Darrell Romuld of CTV-Regina tweeted: “Hearing the cash strapped Leth Hurricanes will be forced to sell at seasons end. NHLer Kris Versteeg maintains his interest in buying it.”
Romuld followed that up with: “ ‘I don't deal in rumor but will say I still have a strong interest in (owning) the team’ - Versteeg on possibility Canes hit the market.”
After which, Fred Jack, the analyst on Hurricanes’ home radio broadcasts, tweeted: “Sources confirming for me this morning the Lethbridge Hurricanes will make one of their largest announcements in franchise history after end of season but by May 1.”
And then Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald chimed in with: “I'm pretty sure if you want to buy a WHL team, one's up for sale, @FreddieJack643. Unless they're already sold. League's paying bills now.”
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Versteeg, who played in the WHL with the Hurricanes, Kamloops Blazers and Red Deer Rebels (2002-06), spent Saturday night playing for the Chicago Blackhawks in an outdoor game against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.
Here’s a tweet from Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada: “With his goal tonight, betting Kris Versteeg is only player to score at United Center, Wrigley Field and Soldier Field.”
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If you choose to read one essay today, I would suggest you make it this piece right here that was written by Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. It is headlined: Celebrating a friend, hockey bonds. . . . It’s about rides and friends and late night hockey and life. It’s terrific.
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The Minnesota Wild announced Saturday morning that it has signed F Brady Brassart of the Calgary Hitmen to a three-year entry-level contract. . . . Brassart, 20, was an undrafted free agent. . . . This season, Brassart, who is from Vernon, B.C., has 75 points, including 33 goals. . . . In 315 career regular-season games, he has 259 points, including 110 goals. . . . Brassart was a second-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2008 bantam draft. On Aug. 18, 2011, he was dealt to the Hitmen for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. “Brady fell behind in his development with our forwards at the similar age,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said at the time of the trade. “That said, we felt it would be best for Brady to get a fresh start with another WHL team.” . . . Prior to this season, Brassart was in camp with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
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The Kamloops Blazers have added D Cam Reagan and F Deven Sideroff, both 16, to their roster for the remainder of this season. . . . Reagan, from Sherwood Park, Alta., played on Saturday night against the Tigers in Medicine Hat. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. This season, with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings, he had 25 points, four of them goals, in 35 games. Last night marked his fifth game this season with the Blazers. . . . Sideroff, a list player from Summerland, B.C., is expected to join the Blazers on Monday. He has three assists in six games with them this season. He spent the winter with the Okanagan Hockey Academy midget prep team in Penticton, B.C., putting up 66 points, including 30 goals, in 39 games.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Calgary (1) vs. Red Deer/Prince Albert (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Edmonton (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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SUNDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Saskatoon at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Everett at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, the Calgary Hitmen took over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . F Greg Chase had three assists for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen got off to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by F Elliott Peterson, his 11th, and F Connor Rankin, his 19th. . . . F Edgars Kulda got Edmonton on the board with his 26th, at 1:50 of the second, but Calgary D Kenton Helgeson restored the two-goal lead at 12:31 of the second. That was his ninth goal and came via the PP. . . . Edmonton F Mitch Moroz got his 32nd goal at 13:46 of the third. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 38 shots, seven more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart, who signed a three-year contract with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild earlier in the day, had one assist as he ran his point streak to 15 games. . . . According to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts), that is the longest streak by a Calgary skater since F Brandon Kozun strung together a 16-gamer in October-November 2009. . . . The Hitmen (43-15-7) lead the Oil Kings (44-16-3) by two points atop the conference. Edmonton has two games in hand. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders surrendered the first two goals and then roared back to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-2. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had his 22-game point streak and his 15-game assist streak come to an end. Both are franchise single-season records. . . . Raiders F Carson Perreaux tied the game 2-2, with his 16th goal, at 19:20 of the second period and F Leon Draisaitl scored his 30th at 3:25 of the third to put his guys out front. . . . D Landon Peel had two assists for the Ice. . . . Referees Jonathan Spurgeon and Colin Watt handed out only one minor penalty, that to Perreaux. . . . The Ice was able to dress only 16 skaters, two under the maximum. Included in the scratches was F Tim Bozon, as it went with nine forwards and seven defencemen. . . . The Raiders (30-30-5) are tied for eighth with the idle Red Deer Rebels (30-30-5) in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Ice (37-24-4) appears headed to a fifth-place finish. . . .

In Swift Current, D Julius Honka scored twice to help the Broncos to a 7-4 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos led 3-0 before the game was 13 minutes old, only to have the Hurricanes come back and tie it. . . . Swift Current then scored the next three goals to take control. . . . Honka, a freshman defenceman from Finland, has 16 goals. . . . F Graham Black and F Colby Cave each scored his 30th goal of the season for the Broncos. Black also had two assists. . . . The Broncos (32-24-9) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Kootenay and three points ahead of Brandon. . . . The Hurricanes (12-50-5) have lost nine straight games as they head towards the end of the poorest season in franchise history. The 1972-73 Winnipeg Jets finished with 42 points (16-42-10).  The 1987-88 Hurricanes went 20-48-4, for 44 points. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Jayce Hawryluk enjoyed a five-point outing to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to an 8-5 victory over the Blades. . . . Hawryluk, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, had two goals and three assists, giving him 62 points, including 22 goals, in 56 games this season. The sophomore from Roblin, Man., had 43 points, 18 of them goals, in 61 games last season. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock scored his 21st goal of the season. It was the 62nd goal of his career and broke the Wheat Kings’ record for most goals by a defenceman in a career that had been held by the late Brad McCrimmon. . . . “It’s an honour,” Pulock told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “It’s a pretty special record in the organization with Brad holding that record. I’m kind of emotional. I’m proud to be the holder of that record.” Pulock is the Wheat Kings’ captain, a position McCrimmon once held. . . . F Nick Zajac scored twice for the Blades, giving him 11. . . . Hawryluk broke a 3-3 tie with a shorthanded goal at 11:44 of the second period and F Tim McGauley, with his 19th goal, added a PP score at 15:55. . . . The Blades have lost five in a row; they also have lost eight straight home games. . . . Brandon was 3-for-4 on the PP and counted three times while shorthanded; the Blades were 0-for-6 on the PP. . . . Brandon (31-26-8) is three points behind the sixth-place Swift Current Broncos in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Blades (16-44-5) won’t appear in the playoffs. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Dmitry Sinitsyn and F Morgan Klimchuk, both of whom missed a game earlier in the week due to illness, scored two goals each to lead the Regina Pats to a 7-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . Sinitsyn, who also had two assists, has eight goals; Klimchuk has 28. . . . Regina scored four power-play goals to lead 5-1 before the second period was 13 minutes old. . . . The Pats went 4-for-8 on the PP; the Warriors were 2-for-10. . . . F Brayden Point scored his 29th goal and added an assist for the Warriors. . . . The Pats, who swept the season series from the Warriors 8-0-0, clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Regina (37-23-6) leads the East Division by seven points over Swift Current. . . . The Warriors (17-39-9) are 10th in the Eastern Conference. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk and F Trevor Cox each scored two goals and added two assists to help the Tigers to a 7-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Valk, who was plus-5, has 40 goals on the season. He has 81 points in 66 games. Last season, he finished with 91 points, including 46 goals, in 71 games. . . . Cox has 75 points, including 23 goals, in 64 games. Last season, as a sophomore, he had 39 points, 16 of them goals, in 72 games. . . . F Cole Sanford, the third member of that line, scored his 30th goal and added an assist. . . . Medicine Hat F Miles Koules had three assists. . . . Tigers G Nick Schneider stopped 30 shots. He lost his shutout at 18:51 of the third period when F Matt Bellerive scored his 17th goal. . . . Kamloops was without D Sam Grist and F Chase Souto, both of whom suffered undisclosed injuries in Friday’s 5-1 loss to the Hitmen in Calgary. Souto had missed eight games before playing in Calgary. . . . Kamloops D Connor Clouston, the son of Tigers’ GM/head coach Shaun Clouston, played his first game in his hometown. . . . The Tigers (41-22-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, six points behind Edmonton. . . . The Blazers (13-48-5) have lost four in a row. . . .

In Prince George, F Axel Blomqvist broke a 1-1 tie at 12:34 of the second period as the Victoria Royals beat the Cougars, 2-1. . . . One night earlier, the Royals beat the Cougars, 5-3. . . . Blomqvist, who was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier in the season, has 22 goals. . . . F Todd Fiddler got the Cougars on the board with his 45th goal at 8:52 of the first. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker tied it with his sixth goal at 6:50 of the second. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 31 shots, 12 more than the Cougars’ Ty Edmonds. . . . Fiddler ran his point streak to 18 games, the longest active streak in the WHL. . . . The Royals will have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. . . . The Royals (45-17-4) are third in the Western Conference, five points behind the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Cougars (26-24-8) are four points out of a playoff spot with four games remaining. . . .

In Vancouver, F Marek Tvrdon broke a 1-1 tie at 6:19 of the second period and the Kelowna Rockets went on to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. . . . Tvrdon, who has 10 goals, was acquired from the Giants in January. . . . On Friday, before Kelowna scored a 6-0 home-ice victory over the Giants, Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, tweeted: “ ‘If he figures it out he may play in the NHL. If he doesn't figure it out he may be playing back in Slovakia.’ - Don Hay on Marek Tvrdon. . . . Gee, do you think Tvrdon was aware of the comments from the Giants’ head coach? . . . The Rockets tied the franchise record for most victories in a season (52) set by last season’s club. . . . Kelowna also clinched the B.C. Division title. . . . F Cain Franson scored his 28th goal, via the PP, to give the Giants the lead at 12:51 of the first period. . . . F Rourke Chartier got his 21st, at 5:15 of the second, to tie it. . . . Tvrdon, who scored on the PP, has 21 points in 22 games since joining the Rockets from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 32 shots in winning for the 36th time this season. He is 36-5-4 after going 37-14-3 last season. . . . The Rockets (52-9-4) lead the overall standings. . . . The Giants (30-26-10) clinched a playoff spot when Prince George lost at home to Victoria. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks’ winning streak ended at 21 games, thanks to a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Portland fell one game short of tying the WHL single-season record that is held by the 1967-68 Estevan Bruins. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first goal, by F Chase De Leo, his 36th, at 2:43 of the first period. However, they weren’t able to beat G Taran Kozun again. He finished with 41 saves. . . . Kozun is 13-4-1, 1.80, .944 with the Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore tied the game at 6:55 of the first, getting his 18th goal on the PP. . . . Seattle F Alexander Delnov broke the tie with his 27th goal at 11:16. . . . F Justin Hickman, with his 21st, and F Branden Troock, with his 22nd, later added insurance. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 21 shots as he lost for the first time (12-1-1) in regulation time since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Seattle (39-19-6) last won 40 games in 2007-08 when it finished 42-23-7. It is fourth in the Western Conference, six points ahead of Spokane. . . . Portland (47-13-5) is nine points behind Kelowna in the conference. . . .

In Spokane, G Eric Comrie stopped 34 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 3-0 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Comrie has three shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . The Chiefs have been blanked in back-to-back games since they scored nine times in beating the visiting Kamloops Blazers 9-4 on Feb. 23. . . . F Parker Bowles scored the game’s first goal, his 11th, at 3:30 of the first period, via the PP. . . . D Brandon Carlo, with his third, and F Brian Williams, with his 36th, also scored. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 26 shots. . . . Tri-City (28-29-8) holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot, four points up on Prince George. . . . Spokane (36-23-6) is fifth, five points ahead of the Everett Silvertips.
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From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “17 - The number of points recorded by @MJWARRIORS Jack Rodewald (@_JRodey) this February, which is 3 more than he had in all of 2012-13.”
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From Mark Edwards (@MarkEdwardsHP): “Ref tosses fan in Sarnia for heckling. He comes back wearing a wrestling mask and sits in a different seat. Just another night in the #OHL.”


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