Showing posts with label Brayden Pachal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brayden Pachal. Show all posts

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Scattershooting ... Blades Welcome the World with win ... Pachal, Raiders on fire

Scattershoot

 Scattershooting, while waiting for Milos Raonic to play Down Under . . .

I wish there was a way to find out how many junior A and major junior hockey players changed teams over the three or four weeks leading up to Jan. 10. I am guessing it was somewhere around 400 — and that may be low. Regardless, isn’t it time for Hockey Canada, if it really governs the sport in this country, to deliver ask operators if this really is necessary?
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One of the amazing things about junior hockey is the way junior A teams trade from one league to another. On Jan. 10, for example, the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzles acquired F Shawn O’Malley from the NAHL’s Shreveport Mudbugs. Yes, that Shreveport. O’Malley, 19, is from Ann Arbor, Mich.
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The Winnipeg Jets have had goaltending issues through a lot of this season, but brings one to wonder: Whatever happened to Eric Comrie, who was a second-round selection in the 2013 NHL draft?
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Is it just me or is Samuel L. Jackson in every movie trailer that shows up on TV?
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There isn’t a better promotion in all of junior hockey than the Welcome the World event that is staged by the Saskatoon Blades. They held the second annual on Sunday and it really is something else. If you haven’t seen the highlights — new citizens of our country, young and old, getting introduced to hockey and some of them getting their Canadian citizenship — check them out. And a tip of the fedora to all of those involved in this wonderful event.
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The Blades, if you haven’t noticed, have won five in a row and have seven of their next eight games on home ice. With them showing signs of turning things around, you are free to wonder if the fans will come back.
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There are 10 teams in the WHL’s Western Conference and only one of them, the Vancouver Giants, has a point percentage below .500. Thank you, loser point.
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There are a lot of people in and around the NHL who are grumbling about the shootout. Guy Boucher, the head coach of the Ottawa Senator, so despises it that he refuses to watch when his team is involved in one. “I never watch shootouts,” Boucher told James Mirtle of The Athletic (theathletic.com). “I never have. Two reasons: One, I hate it. I think it’s a team game, and it should be decided by team play. But I understand that the game has got to end. The other thing, two, is I got into a habit of not looking. It makes no difference if I look or not so I let the guys do their thing. I used to get involved and talk to the guys, ‘Eh you could do this and that.’ Now I stay out of it.” . . . Mirtle spoke with Boucher after Ottawa had beaten the host Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout on Saturday night.
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The best part of writing sports for newspapers for more than 40 years was the late nights, if only because a guy could easily make it through the late night/early morning Australian Open matches. No more. On Saturday morning, I stuck with Roger Federer until 2 a.m., then went to sleep assuming he was going to lose.
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Can you remember a season in which the NFL playoffs served up so much boredom? Of this season’s 10 playoff games, eight have been lop-sided and all but unwatchable. Will the Super Bowl be worth watching for anything other than NFL commish Roger Goodell presenting the championship trophy to Brady, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft?
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F Axel Blomqvist (Lethbridge, Victoria, Moose Jaw, 2012-15) has been released at his request by Södertälje (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He was pointless in seven games.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, D Brayden Pachal scoed at 1:52 of OT to give the Prince Albert Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s first two goals. . . . F Jordy Stallard, who had been acquired
BRAYDEN PACHAL
from the Hitmen earlier in the month, ran his goal-scoring streak to four games with his 14th goal, at 17:13 of the first period. . . . F Kolten Olynek’s 10th goal, on a PP, made it 2-0 at 5:15 of the second period. . . . The Hitmen tied it as F Jakob Stukel (14) scored on a PP, at 14:50 of the second, and F Matteo Gennaro (29) counted at 19:14 of the third period. . . . Stukel assisted on that goal. . . . Gennaro has at least one goal in six straight games. He has 11 goals in that stretch. . . . Pachal, who asked out of Victoria because wanted more playing time, has two goals in eight games since the Royals dealt him to the Raiders. His first goal gave the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the host Red Deer Rebels on Friday. Pachal had one goal in 75 games with Victoria. . . . G Nic Sanders stopped 30 shots to earn the victory over Trevor Martin, who made 23 saves. . . . Prince Albert was 1-2 on the PP; Calgary was 1-6. . . . D Jake Bean was among Calgary’s scratches. Bean played for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship and the Hitmen have given him a few days off. . . . Prince Albert got back F Tim Vanstone but F Simon Stransky and F Drew Warkentine remain out. . . . The Raiders (11-34-5) have won three in a row for the first time this season. They were playing their fourth game in five days, and their third in less than 48 hours. They still are last in the overall standings, but now are just three points behind the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Hitmen (17-21-8) have lost three straight (0-1-2) and are four points out of a playoff spot. They were playing their third home game in four nights. . . . Announced attendance: 7,722.
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At Edmonton, the Moose Jaw Warriors put the cap on a six-game road trip with a 2-0 victory over the Oil
ZACH SAWCHENKO
Kings. . . . The Warriors went 4-2-0 on the trip that included five games in the B.C. Division. . . . G Zach Sawchenko earned the shutout with 32 saves. That was his first shutout of the season and seventh of his career. . . . F Brayden Burke (15) scored the game’s first goal, on a PP, at 8:09 of the first period. . . . F Yan Khomenko (11) added insurance, at 11:08 of the third period. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine stopped 27 shots in his second career start. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-3. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky was among Edmonton’s scratches. He served a one-game suspension after taking a game misconduct late in a 5-2 loss to the visiting Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday. . . . The Warriors, who continue to be without F Noah Gregor, scratched F Brett Howden, their captain, due to illness. . . . Moose Jaw (29-12-7) has won three in a row and is second in the East Division, four points behind the Regina Pats, who hold four games in hand. . . . Edmonton (18-25-4) has lost eight straight and is six points away from a playoff spot. It hasn’t won since beating the visiting Calgary Hitmen, 4-3 in OT, on Jan. 1. . . . Announced attendance: 7,559.
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At Everett, F Riley Woods scored the only goal of a three-round shootout to give the Spokane Chiefs a 4-
RILEY WOODS
3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Everett took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from F Matt Fonteyne (15), at 0:51, and F Patrick Bajkov (20), at 6:57. . . . Bajkov had an assist on Fonteyne’s goal. . . . F Hudson Elynuik (17) halved the deficit for Spokane at 4:00 of the second and Woods tied it with his night goal, at 16:30. . . . D Lucas Skrumeda, who had been out since Jan. 6, gave Everett the lead at 16:42. He has three goals in 27 games after going into the season with two scores in 128 games. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto forced OT with his 30th goal just 31 seconds into the third period. . . . Yamamoto also had an assist. . . . Spokane got 24 saves from G Jayden Sittler, five of them in OT. . . . Everett G Carter Hart turned aside 17 shots. . . . The Chiefs were 0-2 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-3. . . . The Chiefs’ bus didn’t get to the arena until 45 minutes before game time and they were down 1-0 just 51 seconds into the first period. . . . The Silvertips were without D Noah Juulsen, but had Skrumeda and F Devon Skoleski back. . . . The Chiefs (20-20-7) have won two in a row and are tied with the Portland Winterhawks for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Silvertips (30-6-9) are 2-0-1 in their past three games, which they played in fewer than 48 hours. They are tied with the Regina Pats and Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,408.
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At Regina, F Dawson Leedahl scored twice to help the Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Tyler Coulter’s 21st goal gave Brandon a 1-0 lead at 19:20 of the first period. . . . The Pats
DAWSON LEEDAHL
took over with four second-period goals. . . . D Josh Mahura (11) scored on a PP at 2:02. . . . Leedahl scored his first goal at 11:38. . . . F Austin Wagner scored No. 20 at 12:14. . . . Wagner is the seventh player on the Pats roster with at least 20 goals. . . . Leedahl got his second of the game and 24th of the season, on a PP, at 15:49. . . . F Filip Ahl got Regina’s last goal, his 21st, at 19:01 of the third period. . . . Brandon got its final goal from D Schael Higson (3) at 19:16. . . . F Nick Henry had two assists for Regina. . . . Both teams were playing for a third time in less than 48 hours. The Pats had lost 8-5 to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday, then beat the Broncos 6-5 in Swift Current on Saturday. The Wheaties lost 3-2 in a shootout to the host Saskatoon Blades on Friday, returned home to beat Medicine Hat, 5-2, on Saturday, then hit the road for Regina. . . . Regina G Max Paddock, who plays for the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings, made 29 saves, with Kurtis Chapman of the MJHL’s Portage Terriers backing him up. . . . G Jordan Hollett was among Regina’s scratches. He made 23 saves in a 6-5 victory over the host Swift Current Broncos on Saturday, his first appearance since Nov. 20 when he suffered a high ankle sprain. Hollett is expected to start Friday against the host Calgary Hitmen. . . . Regina also is without starter Tyler Brown, who has an undisclosed injury. . . . The Wheat Kings got 42 saves from G Logan Thompson. . . . Regina was 2-2 on the PP; Brandon was 0-4. . . . The Wheat Kings were without D Dmitry Osipov, who drew a one-game suspension after taking a charging major and game misconduct during Saturday’s 5-2 victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. That was for a hit on Tigers F Chad Butcher. . . . The Pats (31-6-7) have won two in a row. Their .784 point percentage has them atop the overall standings. They have 69 points, as do the Everett Silvertips and Prince George Cougars. . . . The Wheat Kings (23-18-5) had been 3-0-1 in their previous four games. They are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,419.
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At Saskatoon, F Jesse Shynkaruk and F Josh Paterson each scored twice as the Blades ran their winning streak to five games with a 6-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Shynkaruk scored two
JESSE SHYNKARUK
first-period PP goals, at 4:36 and 14:42, for a 2-0 lead. . . . Shynkaruk, who was a walk-on when the Blades opened training camp, has 21 goals in 35 games; he went into this season with 23 goals in 196 games. . . . The Broncos cut the deficit in half when D Dom Schmiemann scored his first goal, at 2:44 of the second period. . . . The Blades came back with two goals, from D Evan Fiala (3), at 5:31, and F Chase Wouters (5), on a PP, at 9:02. . . . Swift Current got back to within a goal when F Tyler Steenbergen scored No. 35, at 11:34, and F Aleksi Heponiemi got his 19th, at 19:31. . . . Paterson, who has 11 goals, put it away with third-period goals at 13:04 and 18:36. The latter was an empty-netter. . . . The Blades got three assists from F Braylon Shmyr and two assists from each of D Bryton Sayers and D Mark Rubinchik. Wouters and Paterson each had one. . . . Heponiemi had two assists for the Broncos, while Steenbergen had one. . . . The Blades got 28 saves from G Brock Hamm, while the Broncos’ Taz Burman blocked 20. . . . Saskatoon was 3-5 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-5. . . . The Broncos lost former Blades F Ryan Graham, who left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Blades (20-22-6) went 5-1-0 on a six-game homestand that ended with this game, and they will play seven of their next eight at home, too. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot by four points over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Broncos (25-16-8) have lost three in a row and remain third in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,224.

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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Prince George vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Portland, 7 p.m. (ppd. from Jan. 8)
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.

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Saturday, January 21, 2017

Take finances with grain of salt? ... Phillips fills hat again ... Milestone for Clouston as Tigers win


F Chris Langkow (Spokane, Saskatoon, Everett, 2005-10) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga), he had 10 goals and 18 assists in 41 games. He was granted his release for financial reasons this week. . . .
F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) has signed with Preussen Berlin (Germany, Oberliga). He had been on a tryout with Schönheide (Germany, Oberliga) in November. In four games, he had a goal and two assists.
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Like many of us, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News has looked over the financial information involving OHL and WHL teams that was released by the CHL on Thursday.
And what did he think?
“In an effort to get out in front of the story and win the case in the court of public opinion,” Campbell writes, “the Canadian Hockey League . . . released some of the financial information it had previously been trying to keep from the prying eyes of everyone outside its inner circle. It’s a curious move to say the least. And when you look at the numbers, you get the sense that the CHL is cherry picking on the same level as an out-of-shape beer leaguer who constantly hangs out at the opponent’s blueline.
“The CHL has crafted its message, complete with an expert opinion saying teams would have to consider ceasing operations if they had to pay players minimum wage, giving people just enough information to portray themselves as downtrodden philanthropists interested only in providing entertainment and helping young men realize their NHL dreams, without really telling us where the money trail actually leads. Well played.”
The releasing of these figures is part of the CHL’s attempts to neutralize attempts by around 370 present and former players to get the OK to move forward with class-action lawsuits in Alberta and Ontario aimed at forcing the major junior leagues to pay minimum wage, among other things.
“The WHL claimed revenues of just over $80 million in 2015,” Campbell notes. “The cost to pay the players minimum wage in that league would be about $300,000 per year per team for a total cost of about $6.6 million, which would amount to about 8.25 percent of total revenues.
“What business in any part of the real world would be able to claim revenues of more than $136 million, then try to convince people that it couldn’t afford to pay 850 of its employees minimum wage? Welcome to the world of junior hockey where it seems no matter how much money a team makes, its expenses seem to rise at the same rate. How the heck are these people ever expected to make a go of it?”
Campbell’s complete piece is right here. 
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Coaching Game
The ECHL’s Quad City Mallards have fired general manager/head coach Terry Ruskowski, who was in his fifth season on the job. Phil Axtell, an assistant coach for two years, was named interim head coach, while the search for a full-time head coach gets started. . . . The Mallards were 19-16-2 and in fourth place in the seven-team Central Division at the time of the firing. However, they had lost six of their past seven games. . . . The Mallards were 160-122-31 under Ruskowski. . . . "I was shocked a little bit because we were still over .500," Ruskowski told Bobby Metcalf of the Quad-City Times. "We played the last three weeks really shorthanded with guys out of the lineup, guys called up, I was trying to patch things together until everybody got healthy. I think I would have probably understood if we had a full lineup and were semi-successful, I probably would have understood more but it was their decision. They hired me and I appreciate what they've done for me the last four to five years." . . . Ruskowski, 62, is from Prince Albert. He played three sesaons (1971-74) with the Swift Current Broncos before going on to a 15-year professional career in the WHA and NHL. He also spent two seasons (1989-91) in the WHL as the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Matt Phillips, whose NHL rights belong to the Calgary Flames, scored three times and
MATT PHILLIPS
added an assist to help the Victoria Royals to a 7-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Phillips, who has 35 goals, had scored three goals on Thursday night as the Royals beat the host Edmonton Oil Kings, 6-3. He was a sixth-round pick by the Flames in the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Last night, the Royals jumped out to a 4-0 lead. F Vladimir Bobylev had a goal, his fifth, and two assists in that outburst, while Phillips scored twice and F Regan Nagy got No. 13. . . . F Beck Malenstyn (19) got the Hitmen on the scoreboard with a PP goal, at 5:01 of the second. . . . D Chaz Reddekopp (9) and D Ralph Jarratt (1) counted for Victoria at 7:14 of the second and 9:57 of the third period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro got his 26th for Calgary at 15:20. . . . Phillips completed his fifth career hat trick and third this season at 16:51. . . . Victoria F Tyler Soy had three assists, giving him seven in two games, while Bobylev also finished with three helpers. Reddekopp added one. . . . Gennaro and Malenstyn had an assist each. . . . The Royals got 25 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, who won for the 26th time. That ties him with Nick Schneider of the Medicine Hat Tigers for the WHL lead. . . . Calgary starter Kyle Dumba allowed five goals on 16 shots in 27:14, with Trevor Martin coming on to play 32:46 and stop 13 of 15 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals (26-18-4) have won four in a row. . . . The Hitmen (17-21-6) has won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 7,243.
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At Everett, G Carter Hart stopped 33 shots as the Silvertips beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 1-0. . . . Hart
CARTER HART
posted his WHL-leading sixth shutout of the season and the 16th of his career. He was especially busy in the third period when the Thunderbirds held a 16-4 edge in shots. . . . The game’s lone goal came from F Orrin Centazzo, who scored No. 4, on a PP, at 9:14 of the first period. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth stopped 13 shots. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Seattle was 0-4. . . . The Silvertips had F Dominic Zwerger among their scratches, while Seattle continues without F Scott Eansor. . . . The Silvertips have added F Ethan Browne, 15, to their roster. He had been playing for the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. Everett selected Browne in the first round of the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Browne, who is from Sherwood Park, has 23 points, including seven goals, in 23 games with the Kings. Browne wasn’t in the lineup for this one. . . . The Silvertips (29-6-8) are second in the overall standings, two points behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Thunderbirds (24-15-6) had won their previous six games. They are third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Thunderbirds were fined $500 for a warm-up violation on Tuesday prior to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Silvertips. . . . Announced attendance: 6,867.
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At Kamloops, F Lane Bauer scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Blazers a 4-3 victory over
LANE BAUER
the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 33 shots through OT and made four more saves in the shootout. . . . Kamloops took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from F Garrett Pilon (11), at 1:21, and F Nic Holowko (3), at 10:31. . . . Portland tied it in the second period when D Keoni Texeira (9) scored at 6:48 and F Joachim Blichfeld got his 13th, at 8:22, on a PP. . . . Kamloops went back out front on F Rudolfs Balcers’ 25th goal, at 8:42. . . . The Winterhawks forced OT when F Colton Veloso (11) counted at 3:11 of the third period. . . . D Dallas Valentine had two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Cody Glass was outstanding for Portland and drew two assists. . . . G Cole Kehler, who was acquired from the Blazers prior to the season, stopped 30 shots. . . . Portland was 1-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-5. . . . The Winterhawks welcomed back D Caleb Jones and F Cody Glass, both of whom had been ill. . . . Kamloops (28-16-3) has won three in a row. It is second in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Portland (22-20-3) has lost four in a row (0-2-2), but still holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Winterhawks were fined $500 for “actions of team member” at Prince George on Wednesday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,630.
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At Prince George, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 34 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 2-1 victory
ZACH SAWCHENKO
over the Cougars. . . . Sawchenko turned aside all 12 shots he faced in the first period and all 14 in the third. . . . The game’s three goals came in a span of 3:47 in the second period. . . . F Spencer Bast (7) opened the scoring for Moose Jaw at 7:04. . . . F Brett Howden’s 24th goal, on a PP, at 9:32, gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . F Colby McAuley (16) scored for the Cougars at 10:51. . . . The Cougars got 20 saves from G Ty Edmonds. . . .  Moose Jaw was 1-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-2. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle of the Cougars sat this one out as he completed a three-game suspension. D Sam Ruopp is still out with an undisclosed injury. . . . The game drew a sellout crowd with a 50/50 promotion. Canadian Tire started it off with $25,000 and by draw time the total was $123,851, meaning one fan won $61,425. . . . The Warriors (28-12-7) went 3-2-0 in the B.C. Division. They wind up a six-game road trip in Edmonton on Sunday. Moose Jaw is second in the East Division, two points behind the Regina Pats, who hold five games in hand, and five ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Cougars (33-13-2) had won their previous five games. They lead the overall standings. . . . Announced attendance: 5,896.
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At Red Deer, D Brayden Pachal scored on a PP at 14:51 of the third period to give the Prince Albert
BRAYDEN PACHAL
Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . The victory allowed the Raiders to snap an 11-game losing streak (0-8-3). . . . Pachal’s first goal of the season came in his sixth game with the Raiders since being acquired from the Victoria Royals. He went into the game with one career goal in 80 regular-season games. . . . F Jordy Stallard’s 12th goal gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead at 5:03 of the first period. . . . The Rebels took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from F Michael Spacek and F Evan Polei, each of whom scored his 20th goal. Spacek scored at 1:37, with Polei counting on a PP at 8:47. . . . The Raiders tied it when F Parker Kelly scored his eighth goal at 18:03 of the second period. . . . Stallard also had two assists, with Kelly getting one. . . . Spacek added an assist to his goal. . . . Prince Albert G Nic Sanders blocked 40 shots to earn his first victory with the Raiders. He had been 0-9-3 since being acquired from the Tri-City Americans on Oct. 13. . . . Red Deer’s Lasse Petersen stopped 24 shots. . . . Prince Albert was 1-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-5. . . . The Raiders continue to play without F Simon Stransky, F Tim Vanstone and F Drew Warkentine, all out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Raiders now are 9-34-5. . . . The Rebels (20-20-7) have lost four straight (0-3-1), but still are a comfortable third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,800.
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At Regina, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s first three goals and the last three as they beat the
STEVE OWRE
Pats, 8-5. . . . The Tigers (31-15-1) lead the Central Division; the Pats (29-6-7) are atop the East Division. . . . Medicine Hat got first-period goals from F Steve Owre, at 5:31, F Mark Rassell, at 10:03, and Rassell, again, at 11:14. Rassell has 20 goals. . . . Regina came back with PP goals from F Dawson Leedahl, at 14:22, and F Adam Brooks (25), at 18:54. . . . F John Dahlstrom restored Medicine Hat’s three-goal lead at 1:51 of the second period, but Regina’s Sam Steel (33) got that one back at 2:36. . . . Dahlstrom, who has 21 goals, scored again at 17:33 and the Tigers took a 5-3 lead into the third period. . . . Regina tied it on goals from F Jeff de Wit (6), at 4:57, and Leedahl (21), at 6:00. . . . Owre broke the tie with his 17th goal, at 8:44, and F Zach Fischer added two insurance goals, at 15:01 and 16:57. . . . Fischer has 26 goals. . . . Owre also had two assists, as did D Clayton Kirichenko, while F Chad Butcher drew three of them. . . . Steel added three assists for Regina, with D Dawson Davidson getting two. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 80 points, four more than Brooks. . . . Medicine Hat started with Nick Schneider in goal, but he left after giving up three goals on 13 shots in 22:36. Michael Bullion came on to get the victory with 26 saves on 28 shots. . . . The Pats got 25 saves from G Max Paddock, who lost for the first time in four decisions. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . These two teams have combined for 34 goals in three games — the Pats won 8-5 and 6-2 in Medicine Hat. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Saskatoon, F Josh Paterson’s shootout goal gave the Blades a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat
LOGAN FLODELL
Kings. . . . F Reid Duke scored for Brandon the first round of the skills competition, with F Jesse Shynkaruk tying it in the third round. Paterson scored in the fifth round. . . . The Blades got out to a 2-0 lead on goals from F Braylon Shmyr (25), at 7:32 of the first period, and F Caleb Fantillo (4), at 14:31 of the second. . . . F Stelio Mattheos scored his 16th goal, on a PP, at 4:08 of the third period to get Brandon to within one. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it with G Logan Thompson on the bench for the extra attacker as F Tanner Kaspick scored his 15th goal, at 18:57. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick missed a couple of shifts in the first period after taking an unpenalized hit from Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik. Patrick drew an assist on each Brandon goal. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 32 shots for the Blades. . . . Thompson made 32 saves for the Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon was 1-5 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-2. . . . The Blades (19-22-6) have won four in a row and are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points behind Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings (22-17-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 3,126.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Parker AuCoin had two goals and two assists to help the Tri-City Americans to a 7-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Tri-City led 4-0 at the game’s halfway mark. . . . AuCoin scored 41
PARKER AuCOIN
seconds into the first period to get it started. D Juuso Valimaki (13) made it 2-0 at 12:08. . . . F Brett Leason’s second goal of the season ran the lead to 3-0 at 3:35 of the second period and F Kyle Olson (11) upped it to 4-0 at 9:55. . . . Kootenay got on the scoreboard when F Brett Davis (10) counted at 14:30. . . . Tri-City answered that with two more goals, from F Nolan Yaremko (5) at 15:46 and F Morgan Geekie (26) at 18:59. . . . The Ice made a game of it by scoring the next three goals. . . . F Reed Morison (1) scored at 19:25 of the second period, with F Austin Wellsby scoring the next two, at 1:21 and 10:06. He’s got six goals. . . . AuCoin added insurance with his 17th at 15:38. . . . Yaremko and D Parker Wotherspoon each had two assists, with Olson, Geekie and Leason adding one apiece. . . . F Jake Elmer and D Dallas Hines each had two assists for the Ice. . . . Wotherspoon now has 130 career assists, moving him into second place on the Americans’ career list among defenceman. He passed Darrell Hay (128) on Friday night and now trails only Tyler Schmidt, who recorded 132 over five seasons (2006-11). . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou blocked 25 shots. . . . Ice starter Payton Lee gave up four goals on 12 shots in 29:55. Jakob Walter came on in relief and stopped 10 of 13 shots in 30:05. . . . The Ice was 1-1 on the PP; the Americans were 0-2. . . . The game featured a brother act — F Peyton Krebs of the Ice and D Dakota Krebs of the Americans — and both were in the starting lineups. Their sister, Maddison, a country music artist, also was in the house and handled both anthems. . . . The Krebs family is from Okotoks, Alta. . . . The Americans (29-17-3) have won seven in a row and are second in the U.S. Division. This was the Americans’ first home game since they completed a 6-0-0 run through the East Division. . . . The Ice is 11-28-8. . . . Announced attendance: 3,543.
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At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning broke a 4-4 tie at 16:35 of the third period as the Vancouver Giants beat the Kelowna Rockets, 5-4. . . . Ronning’s 19th goal of the season was his second of the game. . . . The
JAMES MALM
Giants held 2-0 and 4-1 leads. . . . First-period goals from F Tristyn DeRoose (1), at 9:23, and F Brayden Watts (6), on a PP, at 16:22, provided the 2-0 lead. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf cut it to 2-1 at 18:36. . . . The Giants went up 4-2 on second-period goals from F James Malm (15), at 4:17, and Ronning, at 10:18. . . . The Malm goal actually was an own-goal scored by Kelowna F Carsen Twarynski, who hit the vacated net with a pass intended for a point man who wasn’t there while there was a delayed penalty being signalled against the Giants. . . . The Rockets then got goals from D Cal Foote (5), shorthanded, at 12:28 of the second and F Kyle Topping (9), just 1:05 later, to get to within one. . . . The Rockets tied it when F Rod Southam scored his 10th goal, on a PP, at 7:15 of the third period. . . . Malm added three assists to his goal, with Watts getting one. . . . Malm, a 17-year-old from Langley, had two assists in 25 games last season. This season, he’s got 15 goals and 22 assists in 43 games. . . . Foote had an assist for Kelowna. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 32 shots to earn the victory over Brodan Salmond, who blocked 20. . . . Kelowna was 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-6. . . . The Giants had F Dawson Holt (shoulder) and F Johnny Wesley (shoulder) back in their lineup after 13-game absences, but still are missing D Darian Skeoch and F Tyler Benson. Skeoch missed his 16th game; Benson missed his eighth straight game. . . . F Dillon Dube and F Reid Gardiner were among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . Vancouver (17-26-3) had lost its previous six games and is 10 points out of a playoff spot. . . . Kelowna (26-17-4) has lost three in a row (0-2-1) and is third in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Announced attendance: 4,366.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (Teddy Bear Game)
Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:26 AM
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Thursday, August 28, 2014

We're back and we're catching up . . .

Allow me to do some catching up after spending a few days in the Rocky Mountains, where the Internet connection was so slow that it gave me dial-up nightmares . . .
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F Kris Hogg (Kamloops, Lethbridge, 2002-07) signed a one-year contract with the Tilburg Trappers (Netherlands, Eredivisie). Last season, with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL), he had 12 goals and 10 assists in 55 games. . . .
F Vitali Karamnov (Everett, 2007-08) has been assigned to Yermak Angarsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga) by Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL). Last season, he had one assist in 49 games with Sibir. Karamnov is in the last year of a two-year contract with Sibir.
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Mark Lamb and the Swift Current Broncos have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension. Lamb was entering the last year of a three-year deal. . . . According to a news release, “That year has been expunged in favour of this new contract.” That means he is signed through 2016-17. . . . Lamb spent seven seasons as an NHL assistant coach, one with the Edmonton Oilers and six with the Dallas Stars, before signing with the Broncos. He has been the GM/head coach since the summer of 2009. . . . The Broncos are 164-165-31 in five seasons under Lamb, including 38-25-9 last season when they finished fifth in the 12-team Eastern Conference. They have make the playoffs in three of his five seasons, but haven’t been able to get out of the first round. Last spring, they lost in six games to the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Lamb, one of the WHL’s straightest shooters, has brought stability to the Broncos organization. This season, led by a strong defence, they should be one of the conference’s top four teams.
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The Kootenay Ice was short two veteran defencemen when training camp began earlier this week in Cranbrook. Landon Cross and Landon Peel, a pair of 20-year-olds, didn’t show up on Monday. . . . Cross, who was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers last season, had concussion issues. From Brandon, he has decided he would rather finish his junior career in the MJHL and hopes to play for the Steinbach Pistons. . . . “As a parent, not as a general manager, I was concerned about him and what he was going through,” Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president and general manager, told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. Cross informed Chynoweth of his decision on June 9. . . . Peel, from Virden, Man., had been expected in camp. “He told me at the end of (last season) he was definitely coming back and wanted to compete for one of the 20-year-old spots,” Chynoweth said. “He caught us a little bit off-guard.” . . . Peel wants to play for the MJHL’s Portage Terriers, who will host the RBC Cup tournament next spring. . . . For now, Cross and Peel are on the Ice’s suspended list. . . . Rocca’s story is right here. . . . The defections leave the Ice with two 20-year-olds on its roster -- F Levi Cable and F Austin Vetterl.
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Rudy Poeschek (Kamloops, 1983-87) is “facing assault and driving charges after an alleged incident in Kamloops” on July 5. Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has more right here.
---The Victoria Royals have promoted Jeff Harris and Grant Armstrong to assistant GM positions. . . . Harris, formerly the director of hockey operations and communications, now is AGM, hockey operations and communications. He spent four seasons with the now-defunct Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL, as AGM and director of media and community relations, before joining the Royals for their first season in Victoria. . . . Armstrong, the Royals’ director of player personnel for two seasons, now is AGM, player personnel. Armstrong joined the Royals in 2012 after working for four seasons as the Portland Winterhawks’ head scout.
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The Victoria Royals have signed D Scott Walford, the 18th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He will play this season at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C. Walford, from Coquitlam, B.C., played with the OHA bantam prep team last season, putting up 48 points, including 12 goals, in 56 games. . . . The Royals also signed 1997-born G Evan Smith, who is from Parker, Colo. Smith played last season with the Pikes Peak Miners U18 team in the North American Prospects Hockey League. The 6-foot-5 Smith went 1.95/.921 in 13 appearances. The Royals had placed him on their protected list in July 2012. . . . The Royals also signed F Ryan Peckford, a second-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. From Stony Plain, Alta., Peckford played last season for the Parkland Athletic Club Saints of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. He had 60 points, 28 of them goals, in 33 games. . . . D Brayden Pachal, a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, also signed with the Royals. From Estevan, Sask., he had 27 points, including 14 goals, in 31 games with the bantam AA Estevan Bruins last season. . . . Victoria also signed Slovakian F Kristian Ferletak, its first-round selection in the CHL‘s 2014 import draft. From Trstena, he played last season with the Slovakian U-18 team, putting up 32 points, including nine goals, in 44 games. At the IIHF World U-18 championship, he had two goals and an assist in five games.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Jesse Zaharichuk, 17, to a WHL contract. From Sherwood Park, Alta., the 5-foot-8, 150-pound Zaharichuk was placed on the Blazers’ protected list in September 2012. Last season, with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons, he had 14 points, four of them goals, in 48 games. He added nine points, five of them goals, in 15 playoff games. . . . He likely will see some playing time tonight against the visiting Vancouver Giants or Saturday against the Rockets in Kelowna.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed D Jantzen Leslie, the 15th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Last season, he captained the bantam AAA Lloydminster Heat, which won the provincial championship. He had 40 points, 15 of the goals, in 30 regular-season games. In 12 playoff games, he added two goals and 10 assists. . . . The Silvertips also have signed F Bryce Kindopp, a teammate of Leslie’s who was a third-round pick by Everett.
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WHLThe Swift Current Broncos signed five players -- F Tyler Adams, 17; D Jaydan Gordon; D Matthew Parsons, 16; F Owen Seidel, 16; and D Colby Sissons, 16. . . . Adams, from Regina, had 50 points, 13 of them goals, in 58 games with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians last season. . . . The 1997-born Gordon, from Cochrane, Alta., had 35 points, including 31 assists, in 36 games with the midget AA Bow Valley Timberwolves last season. He is the younger brother of Broncos F Coda Gordon. . . . Parsons, from Middle Lake, Sask., was a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He had a goal and 11 assists in 54 games with the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos last season. . . . Seidel, from Richmond, B.C., was a seventh-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He had 36 points, 10 of them goals, in 40 games with the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians last season. . . . Sissons, from Edmonton, had 31 points, including nine goals, in 37 games with the minor midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Bulldogs last season.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have signed three players -- F Parker Kelly, F Sean Montgomery and D Curtis Roach. . . . Kelly, from Camrose, Alta., was a seventh-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Last season, he had 58 points, including 35 goals, in 31 games with the Camrose Red Wings of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. . . . Montgomery, from Calgary, was taken in the sixth round of the 2013 bantam draft. He had 37 points, 19 of them goals, in 35 games with the Calgary Royals of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. . . . Roach,
from Saskatoon, will turn 17 on Oct. 22. He was invited to the Raiders’ camp and ended up with a spot on their protected list. He had 28 points, including 26 assists, in 44 games with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts last season. . . . The Raiders also have signed F Simon Stransky, a 2014 CHL import draft selection from Czech Republic. He is the younger brother of former Saskatoon Blades F Matej Stransky, who is under contract to the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Simon will turn 17 on Dec. 21.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed three players from the 2013 bantam draft -- D Mark Drohan, a third-round pick; F Jordan Roy, who was a fifth-round selection; and G Nicholas Sanders, who was taken in the sixth round. . . . Drohan, from Calgary, had 17 points, six of them goals, with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes last season. . . . From Kimberley, B.C., Roy will turn 16 on Sept. 9. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder had six points, two of them goals, in 26 games with the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes last season. . . . Sanders, from Calgary, was 3.65/.890 in 39 games with the minor midget Calgary Rangers last season.
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The Regina Pats have signed four players -- D James Hilsendager, D Ryan Krushen, D Brady Pouteau and F Kyle Westeringh. . . . Hilsendager, from Lloydminster, Alta., was a ninth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder played last season for the Lloydminster Bobcats of the Alberta Midget Hockey League, putting up 14 points, three of them goals, in 33 games. . . . Krushen, a list player from Sherwood Park, Alta., had 16 points, four of them goals, in 37 games with the Sherwood Park Squires of the Alberta Minor Midget Hockey League last season. . . . The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Pouteau, a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, is from Oak Bluff, Man. He played last season with the Pembina Valley Hawks of the Manitoba Midget Hockey League, earning 14 points, including four goals, in 40 games. . . . Westeringh, an 18-year-old list player from Rosedale, B.C., had 19 points, including 10 goals, in 55 games with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs last season.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed five players -- F Wyatt Bear, D Reece Harsch, F Nick Holowko, F Luke Osterman and F Mackenzie Wight. . . . Bear, from Hodgson, Man., was a fifth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He had 51 points, 18 of them goals, in 33 games with the bantam Interlake Lightning last season. . . . Harsch, from Grande Prairie, Alta., was an eight-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He had 14 points, two of them goals, for a bantam team in Grande Prairie last season. . . . Holowko, from Burnaby, B.C., was added to Seattle’s list after its 2012 camp. He had two goals and nine assists in 33 games with the junior B Delta, B.C., Ice Hawks last season. . . . Osterman, from Stillwater, Minn., was an eighth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. He had 13 points, six of them goals, with a team from Omaha, Neb., that played in the NAPH16 League last season. . . . Seattle has seven of its 10 selections from the 2012 draft under contract. . . . Wight, from Burnaby, B.C., was a seventh-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He played for the bantam A1-T1 team at Burnaby Winter Club last season.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Cody Glass, a Winnipegger who was the 19th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He had 77 points, 31 of them goals, in 32 games with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Hawks. He added 17 points in 11 playoff games.
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The Lethbrige Hurricanes have signed D Connor Rokosh and F Ryan Vandervlis, both of whom are on the club’s preseason roster. . . . The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Rokosh was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. From Edmonton, he played last season for the minor midget Edmonton South Side Athletic Club Bulldogs, putting up 16 points in 36 games. . . . The 1998-born Vandervlis, from Red Deer, has been on the Hurricanes’ protected list since October. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder captained the minor midget Red Deer Chiefs last season, earning 26 points, including 14 goals, in 37 games.
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According to the Twitter account of G Tavin Grant, he has signed with the Prince George Cougars. Grant, 16, is from Burnaby. He played last season with the major midget Northwest Vancouver Giants. . . . F Sam Steel, the second overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, had two goals and two assists Thursday as the Regina Pats opened their exhibition tournament with a 9-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Pats, who had an older roster, held a 65-27 edge in shots on goal. The tournament is being played in the 1,000-seat Co-operators Centre. . . . It seems the WHL has ordered its referees to give a misconduct to any player who doesn’t have his mouth guard fully in his mouth. . . . D Michael Mylchreest, a 19-year-old from Gilroy, Calif., is in camp with the Brandon Wheat Kings. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder played two seasons (2011-13) with the Prince George Cougars. Last season, he played for the NAHL's Springfield Jr. Blues, putting up 12 points in 56 games. . . .
The Vancouver Giants have signed F Gage Ramsay, who turns 16 on Oct. 15. A 5-foot-8, 160-pounder from Saskatoon, he was a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . According to a Twitter report, the Giants also have signed D Brennan Menell, 17, from Woodbury, Minn. He had 27 points, including 10 goals, in 25 games with the U16 Chicago Young Americans last season. . . . A note from Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “Brandon Kegler and Nathan Alalouf, two goaltenders who spent time as the Blades’ backup last season, are on the ice with the Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans, respectively, at training camp. Both were removed from Saskatoon’s protected list in the off-season.” . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors signed D Colin Paradis, a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He broke his collarbone last season, thus was limited to 30 games with the minor midget Sherwood Park, Alta., Squires. . . . F Aspen Sterzer, 20, who didn’t show up for the Red Deer Rebels’ training camp, has chosen to attend the U of Calgary and play for the Dinos.

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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:23 PM
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