Want to help save a team? . . . Tigers, Royals move on . . . Hitmen, Ice go 7

My dads first birthday since he has been gone.....why not get my first pro hatty! Happy birthday dad, hope you liked your present
— Adam Hughesman (@Hughdog17) April 5, 2015

The move to get hockey back into Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops is staring a hard deadline squarely in the face.
The B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League has given those working to save the program a deadline of May 3 to gain re-entry.
“It was our plan to get accepted by TRU at some level, then create a hockey operations department and begin fundraising,” Trevor Bast, who is heading up the drive to save the team, told Taking Note on Saturday. “With only 30 days to prove all requirements, I have to start asking for money.”
All along, Bast has planned on raising money through sponsorships and fundraising. Now, though, things have changed.
“Considering where we have come from and where we need to go, we need to have some guaranteed money to assure our survival for the next few years,” he explained. “In my opinion that needs to come from supporters or donors as opposed to sponsors.”
Bast has done a lot of work and research on this project; in fact, he has been working at it since the university pulled the plug on the WolfPack prior to the start of the 2014-15 season. He has calculated that the “minimum survival budget” is $70,000 per season.
As he put it: “That's what we can spend to survive, not thrive."
He added: “We can work on thriving down the road. The players, through player fees, will provide $45,000 of that $70,000.”
Each player will be on the hook for $1,800 per season to play and won’t receive help towards books, tuition or housing. Thus, Bast said, the players shouldn’t “be under any pressure to provide that next $25,000 to survive. As a team they will be responsible to fund raise, acquire sponsorships and be great ambassadors of TRU. But the year-to-year stress to survive as a team should not be on them.
“It is my goal to have that $25,000 provided for them,” Bast said. “Since TRU won’t provide that money, I must ask the private sector.”
It is that $25,000 that will allow the project to move ahead . . . or, on the other hand, to wither on the vine.
“That next $25,000 is critical to proving to the powers that be that we have a long term sustainable model,” Bast said. “It doesn't matter to us if one person offers that money or a combination of 10 people make up that amount. What is important is that we find that sort of support lasting over a three-to-five-year period to help this program get back on its feet and be around for many years to come.
“The hockey world within B.C. is vast and generous. This program needs help now. The BCIHL is a great league. There is potential to have an eight-to-10-team league similar to the ACAC in Alberta, but it needs an Okanagan presence now.”
This is Bast’s last-ditch effort. He knows that the door closes on May 3.
If you are able to help, would like to get involved, or have any questions, email him at trevorbast@gmail.com.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice forced a seventh game with a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . They’ll decide it Monday night in Calgary. The game will be televised by Shaw. . . . The Hitmen had won 7-2 in Cranbrook on Wednesday to take a 3-1 lead in the series. The Ice then won 5-4 in to in Calgary on Friday. . . . Last night, Ice F Jaedon Descheneau broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal at 14:55 of the second period. . . . That goal came after F Adam Tambellini pulled Calgary into a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal at 11:19. . . . F Tim Bozon had given the home side a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 13:40 of the first. . . . Ice F Luke Philp added insurance with his fifth goal at 17:45 of the third. . . . That goal was needed, too, because Tambellini got his seventh goal at 18:35 to make it a one-goal game. . . . Kootenay’s Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter at 19:59. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 25 shots. . . . Calgary starter Brendan Burke gave up one goal on 14 shots before leaving at 12:31 of the second with an apparent injury. He departed after stopping a shot by Ice F Ryan Chynoweth. . . . G Mack Shields came on to stop 11 of 13. . . . Burke is to be re-evaluated today before the Hitmen will be able to decide on their goaltending for Game 7. . . . The Ice was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 2,645. . . . BTW, the game-winning OT goal in the Ice’s 5-4 victory in Calgary on Friday has been changed to F Luke Philp, his fourth goal of the series. It had been credited to F Levi Cable. Philp finished the game with two goals and three assists. . . . Trevor Crawley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story from Saturday right here.

In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox broke a 3-3 tie at 18:14 of the third period as the Tigers beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-3. . . . The Tigers won the series, 4-1, and now await a winner between Calgary and Kootenay. . . . Medicine Hat has reached at least the second round in seven straight springs and 12 of the past 13. Yes, think about that for a moment or two. . . . Red Deer will be the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament. . . . The Rebels didn’t have an answer for the Tigers’ top line in this one as it accounted for all four goals. . . . F Steve Owre had two goals and an assist, while F Cole Sanford had his fourth goal and two helpers, and Cox had one of each. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei gave the Rebels a 3-2 lead at 3:29 of the second period, on the PP. . . . Owre tied it with his second goal of the game, and third of the series, at 18:03 of the second. . . . Cox had three goals in the series. . . . F Riley Sheen had a goal and an assist for the Rebels, with D Brett Cote adding two assists. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer turned aside 28 shots, while Red Deer’s Rylan Toth stopped 32. . . . Red Deer was 2-for-7 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 4,006.

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored at 1:42 of OT to give the Royals a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Royals won the series, 4-2, and will meet the Kelowna Rockets in the second round. That series will open with games Friday and Saturday nights in Kelowna. . . . Magee finished the series with six goals. . . . F Alex Forsberg, who was selected first overall by Prince George in the 2010 bantam draft, had the primary assist on Magee’s goal. . . . Prince George F Brad Morrison forced OT when he scored a PP goal with 1:14 left in the third period. . . . The Royals led 3-1 after one period and 4-3 late in the third period. . . . Victoria G Greg Chase scored three times, his third goal providing a 4-3 lead at 15:16 of the third. He’s got five goals in the series. . . . F Zach Pochiro scored the Cougars’ first three goals, giving him four. He cut Victoria’s lead to 3-2 at 15:14 of the second on a PP and then tied the game at 14:00 of the third. . . . F Jack Walker and F Tyler Soy each had two assists for Victoria. . . . F Jansen Harkins drew two assists for the Cougars. . . . Victoria G Coleman Collrath turned aside 34 shots, 12 more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Royals were 1-for-3 on the pp; the Cougars were 2-for-5. . . . Attendance was 5,839.

In Everett, F Riley Whittingham scored at 15:25 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Silvertips still lead the series, 3-2, with Game 6 set for Spokane on Tuesday night. . . . The goal was Whittingham’s first of these playoffs. . . . Spokane D Nick Charif’s first goal, at 17:42 of the third period, forced extra time. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml had broken a 2-2 tie at 12:44 of the second period. . . . F Markson Bechtold got the Chiefs on the board at 12:19 of the first period. . . . Everett took the lead on second-period goals by F Carson Stadnyk, at 2:59, on the PP, and F Brayden Low, his third, at 10:17. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart pulled his guys even at 11:14. . . . Chiefs F Garret Hughson turned aside 36 shots, three fewer than Carter Hart of the Silvertips. . . . Spokane D Evan Fiala was tossed at 2:28 of the second period with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Everett F Patrick Bajkov. . . . The Silvertips scored one goal on the five-minute PP. . . . Everett was 1-for-4 on the PP; Spokane was 0-for-1. . . . D Ben Betker was back in the Everett lineup after sitting out two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl sat out his second straight game with an undisclosed ailment. . . . Attendance was 4,249. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here.

In Portland, F Paul Bittner scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 3-2 lead in the series as the teams return to Kent, Wash., for Game 6 on Tuesday night. . . . Portland scored the game’s first two goals and Seattle never was able to equalize. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had a goal and two assists, was in on both goals, from F Keegan Iverson and Bittner. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor got his third goal, shorthanded, at 19:49. . . . The teams alternated goals from that point on. . . . Bittner’s goals were his first of the series. . . . Bjorkstrand, who led the WHL in goals and points in the regular season, has eight points in his last two games. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two assists. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Cory Millette. . . . Seattle F Matt Barzal scored his fourth goal of the series. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 27 shots, three fewer than Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Portland was 1-for-3 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-1. . . . Attendance was 7,119. . . . The game story Scott Sepich wrote for The Oregonian is right here.
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F Carter Rigby, who completed his junior eligibility with the Swift Current Broncos earlier this week, has signed on with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Rigby, from Penticton, B.C., started the WHL season with the Kelowna Rockets and finished in Swift Current, totalling 46 points, including 18 goals, in 62 games. . . . The Thunder is affiliated with the NHL’s Calgary Flames and New York Islanders and the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. . . . Rigby made his professional debut last night against the Ontario Reign. He had two shots in a 7-4 loss to the host Ontario Reign.
D David Musil, 21, made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers last night. Musil, whose father, Frank, also played for the Oilers, was a second-round selection in the 2011 NHL draft while he was playing for the Vancouver Giants. After playing three seasons with the Giants, he was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings 14 games into 2012-13. Musil, who has been with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, is the first ex-Oil Kings player in modern franchise history to play in a game with the Oilers. . . . The Oilers, of course, own the Oil Kings.
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D Justin Hamonic, who played out his eligibility with the Tri-City Americans, made his pro debut last night with the ECHL’s Anchorage Aces. He had one shot on goal in a 3-0 loss to the host Utah Grizzlies. . . .
F Colby Cave, who captained the Swift Current Broncos, is likely to join the AHL’s Providence Bruins after signing a three-year contract with the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Cave, 20, was an undrafted unrestricted free agent. . . . He previously had attended camps with the Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.
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“The Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association will be adopting new measures in their concussion protocol beginning in the 2015-16 season,” writes Brett Smith of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “PAMHA technical director James Mays said the matter was discussed at a recent board meeting in order to protect both the players and the coaches. . . . The information will be in the coaches’ and parents’ manuals handed out at the start of the year. . . . One of the changes to the protocol is that if a doctor diagnoses any player with a concussion, the player will have to follow up with the doctor before being cleared to get back on the ice.”
Smith’s complete story is right here.
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from the WHL website: Dewey beats Truman pic.twitter.com/01I6Inw2Pr
— Dylan Bumbarger (@dylandb) April 5, 2015

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Cougars unable to contain Magee . . . Whistle still unbeaten . . . Malenstyn wants to help friend

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Adam Brooks broke a 2-2 tie in the third period to give the Pats a 3-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Pats, who won 4-2 on Friday, lead the series 2-0 as it heads to Swift Current for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Games 3 and 4 are scheduled to be televised by Shaw. . . . D Brett Lernout gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead at 5:00 of the first period. . . . Regina took the lead before the period ended, on goals by F Taylor Cooper, at 8:39, and F Jesse Gabrielle, at 14:24. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen pulled the Broncos even at 7:32 of the second. . . . Brooks scored the winner at 6:34 of the third. . . . It’s the first time the Pats have won back-to-back playoff games at home since the spring of 2001. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple turned aside 29 shots, eight fewer than Landon Bow of the Broncos. . . . F Braden Christoffer had two assists for the Pats. . . . Regina was 0-for-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-for-2. The second of those started with 53 seconds left in the third period. . . . Attendance was 5,377.

In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer stopped 30 shots to help the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . This was the series opener with Game 2 tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . Langhamer, a 20-year-old Czech, is the last European goaltender in the WHL. CHL teams no longer are allowed to use Euro goaltenders. . . . One goal was scored in each period of this game. . . . Tigers D Kyle Becker opened the scoring at 6:32 of the first. . . . F Cole Sanford, Medicine Hat’s 50-goal man, made it 2-0 at 14:29 of the second, on a PP. . . . Red Deer F Grayson Pawlenchuk got his guys to within a goal at 11:19 of the third. . . . F Trevor Cox had two assists for the Tigers. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-2 on the PP; Red Deer’s PP unit was never given even one opportunity. . . . Red Deer G Rylan Toth stopped 31 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . The Tigers have added F James Hamblin to their roster, but he didn’t play last night. He was a first-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He played this season with the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club.

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored two third-period goals to lead the Royals to a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . On Friday, Magee had three goals in Victoria’s 5-3 victory. . . . The series now moves to Prince George for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F Greg Chase gave the Royals a 3-1 lead at 15:11 of the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it on goals by F Zach Pochiro, at 18:28 of the second, and D Tate Olson, his second of the game, at 5:02 of the third, via the PP. . . . Magee put the Royals back in front at 11:51, only to have Cougars F Chase Witala tie it at 13:49. . . . Magee then scored the winner at 15:47. . . . That goal was Magee’s 20th career playoff point, allowing him to tie the franchise record that had been held by F Stephen Hodges. . . . F Brad Morrison, F Jansen Harkins and D Joe Carvalho each had two assists for the Cougars. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 30 shots, 10 more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 2-for-6 on the PP, giving them five PP goals in two games. The Royals were 0-for-2. . . . Attendance was 5,545.

In Kelowna, G Jackson Whistle turned aside 30 shots in posting his second straight shutout as the Rockets beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-0. . . . Whistle has made two career playoff starts and has yet to surrender even one goal. On Friday, the Rockets beat the Americans, 6-0, as Whistle made 18 saves. . . . The series now moves to Kennewick, Wash., for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . F Rodney Southam, who started this season with the Americans, opened the scoring for Kelowna at 7:42 of the second period. . . . F Leon Draisaitl added insurance at 15:54 of the third and F Tyson Baillie scored an empty-netter at 18:36. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 42 shots. . . . The Rockets held a 20-6 edge in shots after one period. . . . Each team was 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 5,639. . . . Craig West, the play-by-play voice of the Americans, called his 2,000th WHL game last night.

In Everett, the Spokane Chiefs scored four times in the first period en route to a 6-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Chiefs, 5-1 losers in Game 1, will play host to Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday. . . . F Adam Helewka had two goals and an assist for Spokane, while F Dominic Zwerger also scored twice. . . . Chiefs F Keanu Yamamoto had two assists. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped 29 shots. He lost his shutout at 14:21 of the third period when D Cole MacDonald scored. . . . Spokane was 3-for-9 on the PP; Everett was 1-for-7. . . . The game featured 30 minor penalties, 16 of them to the Silvertips. Ten roughing minors were handed out at the final buzzer. . . . Everett D Ben Betker left in the first period with an apparent arm injury and didn’t return. . . . Attendance was 4,339.

In Portland, F Mathew Barzal opened and closed the scoring as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight in Portland. . . . Barzal’s second goal, at 17:18 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie. . . . The Winterhawks went on the PP with 53.1 seconds left in the third period but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first period when Barzal scored, at 1:01, and F Cory Millette added a PP goal, at 15:43. . . . Portland D Blake Heinrich got his guys on the board at 19:55. . . . The Winterhawks tied it when D Adam Henry scored a PP goal at 8:37 of the second and took the lead on F Evan Weinger’s goal at 6:27 of the third. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor tied it at 11:41. . . . F Ryan Gropp drew an assist on both of Barzal’s goals. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 34 shots, five more than Portland’s Adin Hill. . . . Gropp came up short on a third-period penalty shot with the score 2-2. . . . Weinger scored 10 seconds later. . . . Seattle was 1-for-2 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-3. . . . Portland F Alex Schoenborn returned after not playing since Jan. 31. He missed 19 games. . . . Attendance was 7,072.
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The third game of the series between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Rebels in Red Deer will begin at 7 p.m. The game, which is scheduled for Wednesday, originally was scheduled for 7 p.m., but then was shifted to TBD in order to accommodate a possible Sportsnet telecast. But the Brandon-Edmonton series will go at least five games, with the fifth game set for Wednesday. Sportsnet will televise that game, with an 8 p.m. start time, allowing Game 3 in Red Deer to begin at 7 p.m.
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F Beck Malenstyn of the Calgary Hitmen has a friend in Penticton who is battling cancer. Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun reports that Kaylee Kozari-Bowland, 16, has “a rare, aggressive form of cancer” and “has exhausted all treatments available at the B.C. Children’s hospital, and now her desperate family is looking to a trial at the MD Cancer Center in Texas.” . . . Her family is looking at a bill of $200,000 or more, and Malenstyn wants to help. So he and the Hitmen are putting together a silent auction. . . . Fisher’s story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Brett Hopfe has resigned as director of hockey operations and head coach of the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys. Hopfe has filled both positions for more than three seasons. . . . Hopfe had signed a three-year contract extension on June 10. . . . The Grizzlys finished 24-27-9 this season, good for fifth place in the South Division. They were swept by the Drumheller Dragons in a best-of-five first-round playoff series.
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Happy 61st to @bdnwheatkings legend Ron Chipperfield who's one of few pros to go from playing in Calgary to Edmonton. pic.twitter.com/srONCeYoVm
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) March 29, 2015

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Wheaties even series . . . Ice get past Hitmen . . . Stadnyk sinks Chiefs

D James Bettauer (Chilliwack, Prince Albert, Medicine Hat, 2008-09, 2010-12) has signed one-year extension with Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). This season, with Augsburg, he had nine goals and 17 assists in 50 games. The contract contains a summer opt-out clause should Bettauer sign a North American contract. Bettauer has dual Canadian-German citizenship.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, F John Quenneville had a goal and three assists to lead the Wheat Kings to an 8-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton had won the series opener, 4-1, on Thursday night. . . . The next three games will be played in Edmonton, starting on Sunday. Games 4 and 5 are to be televised by Sportsnet. . . . On Friday, Brandon scored the game’s first seven goals. . . . F Tyler Coulter opened the scoring 36 seconds into the first period. One night earlier, Edmonton scored its first goal 11 seconds into the game. . . . F Tim McGauley had two goals and an assist for Brandon, with F Jayce Hawryluk scoring twice. D Ivan Provorov had three assists. . . . Brandon got a goal and an assist from each of D Eric Roy, F Rihards Bukarts and Coulter. . . . Brandon D Colton Waltz had one assist and was plus-4. . . . G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots for Brandon. Edmonton starter Tristan Jarry was beaten five times on 29 shots before being relieved by Patrick Dea with 14:08 left in the third. Dea gave up three goals on 12 shots. . . . Dea did turn aside Hawryluk on a penalty shot. . . . Brandon was 3-for-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-6. . . . Attendance was 4,102, which is 1,016 more than attended the opener.

In Regina, F Pavel Padakin scored two goals to help the Pats to a 4-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Game 2 of the series is scheduled for tonight in Regina. . . . Broncos F Glenn Gawdin got the game’s first goal, at 2:01 of the first period. . . . Regina F Patrick D’Amico tied it at 12:38. . . . Padakin gave the Pats a 3-1 lead with goals 59 seconds part late in the first period. . . . The Broncos got back to within one on F Jay Merkley’s goal at 10:53 of the second. . . . The score stayed at 3-2 until Regina F Braden Christoffer scored an empty-netter at 19:42 of the third. . . . Each team was 0-for-1 on the PP. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 35 shots, including 17 of 18 in the first period. . . . Swift Current’s Landon Bow turned aside 28 shots. . . . Attendance was 5,361.

In Calgary, F Jaedon Descheneau’s shorthanded goal stood up as the winner as the Kootenay Ice beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-3. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in Calgary and will be televised by Shaw. . . . Ice F Luke Philp broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal, at 17:17 of the second period. . . . Descheneau scored his shortie at 9:57 of the third. . . . Philp and D Tyler King gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before the first period was 15 minutes old. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean scored a PP goal at 19:44 of the first and F Kenton Helgesen tied it at 4:23 of the second. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin got his side’s final goal, at 13:07 of the third. . . . Bean was playing his first game since suffering a wrist injury on Feb. 28 in Kelowna. He missed the last nine games of the regular season. . . . Philp also had an assist, and F Austin Vetterl had two of them. . . . D Radel Fazleev had two assists for Calgary. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin turned aside 29 shots, two more than Calgary’s Brendan Burke. . . . The Ice was 1-for-3 on the PP; the Hitmen were 1-for-4. . . . The Hitmen had won their last five games of the regular season, the last two of which were against the Ice. . . . Attendance was 8,256.

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored three times in the second period as the Royals got past the Prince George Cougars, 5-3. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Victoria tonight. . . . The Cougars got first-period PP goals from D Tate Olson and F Chase Witala to take a 2-0 lead. . . . Magee tied it with goals at 4:59 and 5:59 of the second. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase gave his guys their first lead at 12:20 and Magee filled his hat at 18:44. . . . Cougars F Kody McDonald cut the deficit to one with a PP goal at 6:32 of the third. . . . Victoria F Taylor Crunk scored an empty-netter at 19:27. . . . D Joe Hicketts and F Alex Forsberg, who began his career with the Cougars, each had two assists. . . . F Brad Morrison had two assists for Prince George. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 28 shots, eight more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 3-for-4 on the PP; the Royals were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 4,629.

In Kelowna, G Jackson Whistle stopped 18 shots for the first shutout of these playoffs, as the Rockets dumped the Tri-City Americans, 6-0. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for Kelowna tonight. . . . Whistle’s shutout came in his first career playoff start. . . . F Rourke Chartier scored the game’s first goal, at 2:06 of the first period. . . . Chartier scored twice, getting the second one while shorthanded in the third period. F Nick Merkley also scored a shorthanded goal. . . . Chartier also had an assist, while Merkley had two of them. . . . Rockets D Madison Bowey had a goal and an assist, and was plus-4. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 24 shots. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-for-5. . . . Attendance was 5,369.

In Everett, F Carson Stadnyk scored three goals early in the third period as the Silvertips erased a 1-0 deficit and beat the Spokane Chiefs, 5-1. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Everett tonight. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart scored the game’s first goal, at 13:55 of the second period. . . . Everett scored five goals on 12 third-period shots. . . . Stadnyk tied it 17 seconds into the third, then gave his guys the lead at 1:34. He completed the hat trick at 4:03. . . . He scored three times in 3:46. The WHL playoff record for fastest three goals by one player is 2:39 by F Doug Saunders of the Kamloops Jr. Oilers. He did it on April 14, 1984, in the third period of a 10-5 victory over the host Portland Winter Hawks. . . . Stadnyk also drew an assist on F Ivan Nikolishin’s first of two PP goals in the latter half of the third period. . . . Everett was 2-for-8 on the PP; Spokane was 0-for-4. . . . The Chiefs took 87 of the 156 penalty minutes that were handed out, with 138 of those coming after Everett went ahead 3-1. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 22 shots, five fewer than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . Attendance was 3,358.
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Condolences to former Portland Winterhawks head coach Mike Johnston on the death of his mother. Johnston is in his first season as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
From a Penguins’ news release:
“Sheila Margaret (Mickey) Johnston . . . passed away Friday in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She was 81.
“Funeral services will be held Tuesday.
“Mike will coach both games this weekend, then travel to Nova Scotia for the funeral.”
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Former Brandon Wheat Kings D Don Dietrich has been to the top of the world — well, kind of — and back, and he loved every minute of it. There’s more right here from the Winnipeg Free Press.
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Tim Hunter, the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, has been named head coach of the Canadian U-18 team that will play in the IIHF World championship that runs April 16-26 in Lucerne and Zug, Switzerland. . . . Hunter, 54, has just completed his first season with the Warriors. A former NHL player and NHL assistant coach, he will be making his first appearance behind a Team Canada bench. . . . His assistant coaches will be Ian Herbers, a former WHLer who is the head coach of the CIS-champion U of Alberta Golden Bears, and Louis Robitaille, an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs.
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“As a former NHL player, Sheldon Kennedy spent eight years skating for three teams, but his true life’s work has been focused on being a champion for millions of abuse survivors,” reads a news release issued by the University of Guelph on Friday. “It is because of his ability to stand up in the face of adversity and create positive change that the University of Guelph and College of Business and Economics will recognize him with the Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leader Award on May 27.” . . . The complete news release is right here.
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Rudy Poeschek, a former NHLer who played in the WHL with the Kamloops Jr. Oilers/Blazers (1983-87) has been charged with assault, driving while prohibited and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. . . . Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has more right here.
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Fight in the first. Puck in the face in the second #hockey pic.twitter.com/g9eRIoW6gt
— Ryan Olsen (@rolsen94) March 28, 2015

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New arena in Regina? . . . Wheat Kings on top of WHL . . . Americans get last playoff spot

Congrats Pops on outlasting two arenas. I hope you outlast the third one too. @tigershockey pic.twitter.com/BOSLkbloIc
— Bob Ridley (@bob_ridley) March 21, 2015

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It was only fitting that the final regular-season game in the Medicine Hat Arena should have featured two of the WHL’s longest-tenured play-by-play men — Bob Ridley, the voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers, and Les Lazaruk, who calls the play for the Saskatoon Blades.
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Might the Regina Pats, at some point in the not-too-distant future, have a new home? And might that new home be in downtown Regina? Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has the goods on that story right here. And if you read between the lines . . .
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The Vancouver Giants dropped a 4-3 OT decision to the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday night. You may have been watching on Sportsnet when the Rockets were gifted a PP in OT and won it shortly thereafter. It turns out that Vancouver head coach Claude Noel wasn’t happy with the officiating. Ch-ch-ching! . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more right here.
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Steve Nash, the greatest of all Canadian basketball players, made it official on Saturday — he has retired, done in by a body that just won’t allow him to continue. Lee Jenkins of si.com takes a terrific look at Nash and the impact he had on the game right here. . . . While you read, ask yourself if Nash had as much impact, or more, on basketball than Wayne Gretzky had on hockey.
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Terry Bonner, the Vancouver Giants’ scouting director, has been honour with a WHL Distinguished Service Award. Bonner has been with the Giants since Day 1, in 2001. All told, he has been involved in scouting in the WHL since 1991 when he worked for the Tri-City Americans. He is the father of Scott Bonner, the Giants’ GM, and Kamloops Blazers GM Craig Bonner.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (0 games remaining) won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the first time since 1995-96. It beat visiting Moose Jaw last night to finish atop the overall standings. . . . The Wheat Kings will meet Edmonton in the first round with the series opening in Brandon on Thursday.
2. Regina (0) will finish second in division and will meet Swift Current in the first round. That series opens Friday in Regina.
3. Swift Current (0) won in Lethbridge last night to clinch third place.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Medicine Hat (0) is one point ahead of Calgary after beating visiting Saskatoon last night in The Arena’s final regular-season game. . . . The Tigers have one more victory than the Hitmen, 45-44.
2. Calgary (1) trails Medicine Hat by one point. . . . At home to Kootenay this afternoon. . . . If Calgary wins, it gets Kootenay in the first round; a loss and the Hitmen draw Red Deer. A loser point doesn’t do the Hitmen any good.
3. Red Deer (0) will finish third in the division and meet the second-place team in the first round.
4. Kootenay (1) has wrapped up the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Will meet the division’s first-place team in the first round. . . . In Calgary this afternoon.
5. Edmonton (0), the defending Memorial Cup champion, will finish in the conference’s second wild-card spot, meaning a first-round series that opens Thursday in Brandon.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (0) finished first in the Western Conference. . . . The Rockets will open the first round at home against Tri-City on Friday.
2. Victoria (0) will finish second and meet Prince George in the first round. . . . In the regular season, the Royals sent 5-3-0; the Cougars were 3-3-2. . . . That series opens in Victoria on Friday.

3. Prince George (0) is in the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2011.
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U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (1) lost in a shootout to visiting Victoria last night, while Portland lost to host Seattle. That allowed Everett to clinch first place for its fourth divisional banner in its 12 seasons, but its first in eight years. . . . The Silvertips will meet Spokane in the first round, starting Friday in Everett. . . . Everett will conclude the regular season in Spokane tonight.
2. Portland (1) trails Everett by three points but only has one game remaining. . . . Portland will meet Seattle in the first round, the first time they have met in the playoffs since 2006. That series will start Saturday in Portland. . . . The Winterhawks visit Tri-City tonight.
3. Seattle (0) will finish third in the division, so will meet second-place Portland in the first round.
4. Spokane (1) has been locked into the conference’s first wild-card spot, so gets the division winner, Everett, in the first round.
5. Tri-City (1) beat visiting Spokane so clinched the conference’s second wild-card spot. The Americans get Kelowna in the first round. That series opens in Kelowna on Friday. . . . The Americans are at home to Portland today.
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IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings clinched first place overall with a 9-2 victory over Moose Jaw, a loss that ended the Warriors’ playoff hopes. . . . The Warriors are out of the playoffs for a third straight season. . . . Brandon D Reid Gow broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal, at 18:52 of the first period, and the Wheat Kings went from there. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick scored his 30th goal. He is the first 16-year-old to reach that mark since F Brett Connolly of the Prince George Cougars in 2008-09. F Patrick Marleau of the Seattle Thunderbirds did it in 1995-96. . . . Patrick also had three assists. He finished with 56 points in 55 games. . . . F Stelio Mattheos, a 15-year-old from Winnipeg, made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings and scored his first goal. He was the first overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. This season, with the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild, he had 25 points, 14 of them goals, in 27 games. An undisclosed injury kept him out of the Canada Winter Games and the Wild’s playoff games. . . . F Duncan Campbell was among Brandon’s scratches. He suffered an undisclosed injury during Friday’s game in Moose Jaw. . . . D Eric Roy played his 322nd regular-season game with the Wheat Kings, leaving him in second place on the franchise’s all-time games played list. Only D Dwayne Gylywoychuk played more games (323) in a Wheat Kings uniform. . . . Roy also picked up an assist for his 200th regular-season point. . . . Attendance was 5,312, the largest crowd in Brandon this season. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk scored his 30th goal. . . . Warriors F Brayden Point ran his goal streak to nine games. He finishes with 38 goals this season. . . . F Jack Rodewald got his 35th goal for the Warriors. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 26 shots as he won his WHL-leading 44th game of the season. He was 4-0-0 against Moose Jaw. . . . The Wheat Kings (53-11-8) are 6-0-1 in their last seven games. . . . The Warriors (32-35-5) had won their previous three games. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . .

In Swift Current, F Colby Cave scored twice to help the Broncos to a 6-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Cave finished with 35 goals. . . . All three of the Broncos’ 20-year-olds scored in this one. Cave, of course, had two, while F Coda Gordon got his 25th and F Carter Rigby scored No. 18. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 22 shots in his 66th appearance of the season. That tied the franchise’s single-season record for goaltenders. He now shares the record with Mark Friesen (2002-07). . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk had three assists and D Griffin Foulk had two. . . . F Tyler Wong scored his 27th goal for the Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos (34-33-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (20-44-8) finished on an eight-game losing skid. . . . Interestingly, the WHL online scoresheet has this game having been played at Credit Union Place in Dauphin, Man. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored the game’s first five goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau stopped 22 shots. He lost his shutout when F Adam Brooks scored his 30th goal at 19:45 of the third period. . . . Raiders F Craig Leverton scored his 20th goal. . . . Regina head coach John Paddock was on a scouting mission, so assistant coach Dave Struch ran the bench. D Colby Williams, the Pats’ player of the year, was scratched. Instead, he was on the bench as an assistant coach. . . . The Raiders (31-37-4) won their last two games. . . . The Pats (37-24-11) have lost four in a row (0-2-2). . . .

In Red Deer, F Mads Eller broke a 2-2 tie at 6:52 of the second period as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Rebels, 3-2. . . . F Brett Pollock gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his 32nd goal at 4:20 of the first. . . . Red Deer F Preston Kopeck tied it with No. 21 at 5:16, on a PP. . . . Edmonton F Davis Koch got his 11th goal at 7:02 of the first. . . . Red Deer F Adam Musil tied it with his 15th at 17:58. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots, 11 fewer than Red Deer’s Rylan Toth. . . . Red Deer F Brooks Maxwell had two assists. . . . F Conner Bleackley, the Rebels’ captain, was back in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 6. . . . The Oil Kings (34-31-7) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rebels (38-23-11) went 1-1-1 in their last three games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers defeated the Saskatoon Blades 6-2 in what was the final regular-season game at The Arena. . . . The Tigers will move into the brand new Regional Event Centre next season. . . . The teams combined for 135 penalty minutes, with the Tigers taking 86 of those. . . . That included 32 to D Ty Lewington, their captain. At 13:03 of the third period, he was hit with an instigating minor, two fighting majors, a misconduct and a game misconduct. That’s enough to make one wonder if he might be suspended when the playoffs open. . . . Lewington also had a goal, his ninth, and two assists. . . . F Steve Owre scored his 20th goal for the Tigers, while F Trevor Cox got No. 29. . . . F Brett Stovin, the Blades’ captain, scored his 29th goal in his final junior game, while F Ryan Graham got No. 20. . . . According to Blades radio voice Les Lazaruk, the game “was nasty, chippy . . . at times dirty. Like old days!” . . . The Blades again scratched D Brycen Martin with an undisclosed injury. He could be assigned to the AHL’s Rochester Americans as soon as Monday. Martin was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . The Tigers (45-23-4) are 4-0-1 in their last five. . . . The Blades (19-49-4) lost their last nine games. . . .

In Kamloops, F Cole Ully set up three goals as the Blazers dumped the Prince George Cougars, 5-2. . . . The Blazers took a 3-0 lead into the second period. Kamloops had a 25-5 edge in shots in the first period. . . . The Blazers were eliminated from the playoff chase moments after their game ended when the host Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs, 2-1. . . . It’s the first time in franchise history that Kamloops has missed the playoffs in two straight seasons. . . . F Matt Needham scored his 25th goal for Kamloops and also had an assist, while F Logan McVeigh, playing his last WHL game, got his 10th goal and added an assist. . . . Ully finished with 94 points, including 34 goals, in 69 games. He has signed with the NHL’s Dallas Stars so may end up with their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, next week. . . . The Cougars scratched G Ty Edmonds, F Zach Pochiro and D Tate Olson, all of whom had played in a 3-1 victory over the visiting Blazers on Friday night. . . . The Blazers (28-37-7) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Cougars (31-36-5) had a three-game winning streak end. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brian Williams snapped a 1-1 tie at 19:31 of the second period and the Tri-City Americans went on to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 2-1. . . . The victory clinched the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot for the Americans, eliminating the Kamloops Blazers from the chase. . . . D Brandon Carlo gave Tri-City a 1-0 lead with his fourth goal at 15:02 of the first period. . . . Spokane F Keanu Yamamoto tied it with No. 12 at 10:23 of the second. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb had two assists for Tri-City. . . . Williams’ 17th goal came via the PP. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie made 29 saves, four more than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . The Americans were 1-for-9 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-4. . . . F Hudson Elyniuk was among Spokane’s scratches. He had returned to the lineup Friday night after being out since Dec. 28. . . . The Americans (31-37-3) have won two in a row. . . . The Chiefs (34-33-4) have lost four straight. . . .

In Kelowna, F Leon Draisaitl scored two goals and added an assist as the Rockets got past the Vancouver Giants, 5-2. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s first four goals. . . . Draisaitl, who joined the Rockets from the NHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings in January, finished with 53 points, 19 of them goals, in 32 games. . . . F Gage Quinney had four assists for Kelowna. . . . Giants F Zane Jones scored his 29th goal. . . . Rockets G Jackson Whistle stopped 21 shots, 25 fewer than Vancouver’s Payton Lee. . . . D Mason Geertsen, 19, was among Vancouver’s scratches. A fourth-round selection by Colorado in the NHL’s 2013 draft and is believed close to signing with the Avalanche. Should that happen, chances are he would finish the season with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, who are coached by former WHL player/GM/coach Dean Chynoweth. . . . The Rockets (53-13-6) are 3-0-1 in their last four outings. . . . The Giants (27-41-4) went 1-1-1 in their last three games. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Ryan Gropp scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 6-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The result set up a first-round playoff meeting between these two teams. . . . Gropp, who scored three goals on Friday night, wound up with 30 goals. . . . Seattle erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals, but the Winterhawks got back to within one, at 4-3, when F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored on a penalty shot at 12:50 of the third period. . . . Seattle D Jerret Smith provided insurance with a PP goal at 13:11. He’s got 11 goals. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore got his 13th into an empty net at 18:41. . . . Bjorkstrand scored three times. He leads the WHL in goals (61) and points (115), all in 58 games. With one game remaining, he is assured of winning the WHL scoring race. . . . Bjorkstrand is the first Portland skater with 60 goals since F Lonny Bohonos scored 62 in 1993-94. . . . Thunder birds G Logan Flodell stopped 35 shots, six more than Portland’s Adin Hill. . . . Seattle was without D Sahvan Khaira. He drew a one-game suspension for a kneeing major and game misconduct he incurred on Friday in Spokane. . . . Attendance was 6,220, the largest crowd in Kent this season. . . . The Thunderbirds got a scare in the third period when F Mathew Barzal took a shot off the right ankle and needed help getting to the bench. He was back in action shortly afterwards. . . . Barzal and F Roberts Lipsbergs each had two assists. . . . Seattle (38-25-9) has won four straight. . . . The Winterhawks (42-23-6) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Everett, F Brandon Magee scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Victoria Royals a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker and Everett F Ivan Nikolishin exchanged goals in the first round. . . . Victoria D Joe Hicketts scored his 12th goal, on a PP, at 17:46 of the second to tie it 2-2. . . . Everett F Matt Fonteyne got his seventh goal at 19:50 of the second. . . . F Taylor Crunk of the Royals tied it with his 10th goal at 9:57 of the third. He finished with two goals and an assist. . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic stopped 23 shots. Everett F Kohl Bauml came up short on a penalty shot at 17:02 of the third period. . . . G Carter Hart, 16, made his eighth straight start for Everett and stopped 24 shots. . . . The Royals (39-29-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . Everett (42-20-9) has points in its last four games (2-0-2).
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SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Kootenay at Calgary, 2 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.
Everett at Spokane 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON
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The fog lingers on the ice of the arena. A fitting send off for the old girl. #07championship pic.twitter.com/sHi2WMFkOr
— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) March 22, 2015

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.