F Tanner MacMaster, a first-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2011 bantam draft, apparently has chosen to take the NCAA route. MacMaster, a Calgarian who turned 17 on Jan 8, indicated via his Twitter account (@TannerMacMaster) on Wednesday night that he has “committed to Boston College.”
MacMaster was selected 19th overall by the Chiefs.
He is playing his first season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, for whom he put up 47 points, including 24 goals, in 54 regular-season games.
Tanner is the younger brother of Nathan MacMaster, who played in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans (2007-12). Nathan, now 20, played this season at Mount Royal College in Calgary.
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G Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans, who was shot down earlier this year because of hip problems, has undergone two surgical procedures and is well on the road to recovery.
Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has that story right here.
———
Dr. James Andrews knows a thing or two about injuries and sports. In fact, he has co-written a book — Any Given Monday: Sports Injuries and How to Prevent Them, for Athletes, Parents and Coaches — Based on My Life in Sports Medicine. . . . Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has spoken with Dr. Andrews and his story is right here. . . . I’ll give you a hint. Dr. Andrews says he is seeing far too many injuries in young people that used to be restricted to older, more mature athletes.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Prince Albert (4) vs Red Deer (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
———
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, D Brycen Martin scored at 1:05 of OT to give the Swift Current Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings trailed 2-0 in the first period, but tied it on goals by F Quintin Lisoway, his second, at 8:07 of the second, and F Taylor Cooper, his ninth, at 14:26 of the third, on a PP. . . . Martin has two goals this season. . . . The night’s results mean the Wheat Kings won’t be in the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2000 and only the second time since 1992. . . . The Broncos, seventh in the Eastern Conference, are two points behind Medicine Hat and a point ahead of Kootenay. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Luke Siemens stopped 22 shots to lead the Raiders to a 7-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Siemens tied the franchise’s single-season shutout record, with six. He shares the record with Rejean Beauchemin (2003-04). . . . Siemens has 12 shutouts in his career. . . . F Carson Perreaux had a goal, his 12th, and two assists, while F Dakota Conroy scored his 20th goal. . . . Prince Albert F Tim Vanstone was back in the lineup after missing a month with a concussion. . . . The Raiders are fourth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Red Deer. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 42 shots as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Tigers, 2-0. . . . Skapski has seven shutouts this season, including two in a row. He put up four shutouts in February. . . . F Brock Montgomery scored his 28th goal at 4:07 of the first, on a PP, while F Levi Cable got his 12th into an empty net at 19:49 of the third. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 38 shots. . . . Skapski is tied for the WHL lead in shutouts with Portland’s Mac Carruth and Saskatoon’s Andrey Makarov. . . . The Ice, which at one time was last in the overall standings, has won 22 of its last 28 games. . . . The Tigers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Red Deer. . . . The Ice, eighth in the conference, stayed five points ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .

In Calgary, F Nathan Burns scored in the circus to give the Saskatoon Blades a 3-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . .  The Blades have won 17 straight games. . . . Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken now has 599 WHL coaching victories. Saskatoon is at home to Brandon on Friday. . . . Burns was the only one of 10 shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart scored his 27th goal at 13:11 of the third period to force OT. . . . F Brett Stovin scored twice for Saskatoon, giving him nine goals, while F Lukas Sutter had two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov made 46 saves. He leads the WHL with 34 victories. . . . This was Saskatoon’s 40th victory of the season, the fifth straight winter in which the Blades have gotten there. . . . The Blades lead the East Division by seven points over Prince Albert. In the overall standings, Saskatoon is two points behind Calgary, although the Hitmen hold a game in hand. . . .

In Portland, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game's last three goals and beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . It was the first meeting of these teams since the Oil Kings beat the Winterhawks in a seven-game championship final last spring. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck, who missed that series with an injury, got his side to within one, at 3-2, with his 20th goal at 19:57 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Trevor Cheek tied it with his 27th at 1:23 of the third. . . . The winner went to F Michael St. Croix, who got his 33rd, on a PP, at 18:57. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 26 shots, while Portland’s Mac Carruth turned aside 38. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski scored his 20th goal of the season, tying Saskatoon’s Darren Dietz and Spokane’s Brenden Kichton for the lead among defencemen. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists, giving him 97 points and moving him into third in the scoring race. Linemates Brendan Leipsic (111), Nic Petan (109) and Rattie are 1-2-3 in the points derby. . . . Petan scored his 44th goal, tying Leipsic for the league lead in that department. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson was ejected with a spearing major at 18:01 of the first. . . . D Derrick Pouliot (ankle) wasn’t in the Winterhawks’ lineup. I have been told that he will play Saturday in Everett. . . . Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal won a Memorial Cup with the Winterhawks in 1982-83. . . . Portland leads the overall standings by 10 points over Edmonton. . . .

In Kamloops, F Brendan Rouse scored twice as the Vancouver Giants beat the Blazers, 5-3. . . . The Blazers outshot the Giants 19-8 in the first period and took a 1-0 lead into the second. But the Giants held a 30-18 edge in shots the rest of the way. . . . Rouse broke a 2-2 tie at 5:53 of the third period and later added his 14th goal of the season on a PP. . . . F Cain Franson added his 26th goal for the Giants, who beat Kamloops for the first time in seven tries this season. . . . Vancouver G Jared Rathjen stopped 34 shots. . . . The loss prevented the Blazers from closing on the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets, who are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds in tonight’s only game. . . . The Rockets are five points ahead of Kamloops and hold a game in hand. . . . Kamloops and Kelowna will play each other three times next week. . . .

In Victoria, the Lethbridge Hurricanes jumped to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the Royals, 5-4. . . . F Sam Mckechnie’s 25th goal, at 7:11 of the first, via a PP, gave Lethbridge a 3-0 lead. . . . The Royals tie it on D Jordan Fransoo’s sixth goal at 9:32 of the second, also on a PP. . . . Lethbridge D Adam Henry broke the 3-3 tie with his fourth goal at 15:25 of the second and F Jamal Watson, with his second of the game and 16th of the season, scored shorthanded to stretch the visitors’ lead. . . . Victoria F Jamie Crooks got his 31st goal at 19:33. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 44 shots. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had two goals, giving him 10, and an assist. These were Nelson’s first goals since he returned from injury on Feb. 15. He has played six games after not playing since Dec. 28. . . . The Royals have lost seven in a row. . . . Victoria F Logan Fisher left the ice surface on a stretcher after taking a check from Lethbridge F Graham Hood in the second period. There was no word on Fisher’s condition immediately after the game. Later, the Royals’ Twitter account contained this:  “Coach (Dave) Lowry on Logan Fisher’s condition: ‘Logan was taken to hospital and is being evaluated as we speak.’ ”. . . Hood wasn’t penalized on the play. . . . The Royals are sixth in the Western Conference, seven points behind Spokane. . . . The Hurricanes remain five points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Everett, D Brenden Kichton scored twice to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Kichton has 20 goals this season. . . . His 19th goal broke a 1-1 tie on a PP with 0.5 seconds left in the first period. . . . Spokane F Todd Fiddler got his 40th goal in the second period. . . . Spokane F Blake Gal, who has been playing some defence to cover for injuries, had two assists. . . . Everett holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. It is five points ahead of the Prince George Cougars. . . . The fifth-place Chiefs are one point behind the Tri-City Americans.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tim Vanstone, Regina
D Keegan Kanzig, Victoria

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
———


From Saskatoon Blades F Josh Nicholls (@Jnicks20): “Shout out to my homie @nate_burns19 on scoring the shoot out winner tonight and keeping the #heeater alive #17Straight #wegood #scarygood”

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Hansen man on a mission

Defenceman Tyler Hansen (2) of the Kamloops Blazers is facing what is
a life-altering decision.
(Hugo Yuen / Kamloops Daily News)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
These are gut-wrenching times for Tyler Hansen, a defenceman who is nearing the end of his fourth season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
Hansen, 19, has one year of junior hockey eligibility remaining but hasn’t yet decided whether he will use it.
As a practising member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he has known all his life that he will be go on a two-year mission around the time of his 20th birthday.
“My church is very important to me. My faith and my religion . . . it’s something that I have very close to my heart,” Hansen, who turns 20 on March 17, said prior to his club’s 5-3 loss at the hands of the Vancouver Giants (17-45-2) at Interior Savings Centre on Wednesday night.
The Blazers (41-18-5) had beaten the host Giants 6-0 on Friday — Kamloops won the first six games of the season series — and looked to be headed in that direction again. After one period, the Blazers held a 19-8 edge in shots and a 1-0 lead, thanks to a Brendan Ranford pass that went in off one of Joel Edmundson’s skates on an early power play.
However, the tide turned in the second period as the Blazers, appearing frustrated with the lack of offensive success, ditched the game plan — get the puck in deep and work over the Vancouver defence with a cycle game — in favour of more individual play. Judging from head coach Guy Charron’s demeanour at the bench, he wasn’t pleased.
The Giants got goals from Dalton Sward and Cain Franson, allowing them to take a 2-1 lead into the third period.
Charron juggled his lines prior to the third, a move that included the reuniting of JC Lipon with Colin Smith and Tim Bozon. And the Blazers pulled even when Chase Souto scored at 2:04.
But the Blazers didn’t draw much energy from that and the Giants got the game’s next two goals, from Brendan Rouse and Travis McEvoy, to regain control.
The Giants, who got a 34-save effort from goaltender Jared Rathjen got a late goal from Rouse, while Lipon had the Blazers’ other goal.
And through it all Hansen played his usual strong-armed, shot-blocking game. But, he said, his future really is up in the air.
“I’m not exactly sure of my plans yet,”  he said. “I’ve been here for four years and I can go at the age of 19. . . . so I’m thinking I will probably go in the next year or two.
“I absolutely have plans to go on a mission.
Hansen is from Magrath, Alta., a community of 2,200 people located about 30 kilometres south of Lethbridge. Magrath was established in 1899 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who relocated from Idaho and Utah.
The Blazers have eight regular-season games remaining and, of course, are hoping for a deep playoff run. In all probability, Hansen will wait for it all to end before making a decision.
“Hockey has been good and I have really enjoyed it,” he said. “I’m still hoping something will open up, one of the doors, whether it’s a contract. . . . If things don’t go the way I want them to, I could see myself going on a mission anywhere from after this season to next year.”
This is not unfamiliar territory for the Blazers. Nathan Grochmal, a forward from Yorba Linda, Calif., played two seasons for them before going on an LDS mission to South Africa following 2004-05, which was his 19-year-old season.
Before being assigned a mission by the church, a young person must fill out the proper papers, something Hansen has yet to do. Those papers include questions that indicate personal interests and help those responsible make assignments.
“Part of it for me is that a lot of my friends are going, a lot of my lifestyle is changing that way,” Hansen stated. “It isn’t a reason to go because your friends are going, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. For the last year I’ve been pretty anxious, wanting to get ready for it.
“If I was to go, I would see what happens. If I really missed hockey while I was out there, I would keep the option of coming back and playing CIS.”
Russell Maxwell, a forward with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, is perhaps Hansen’s best friend. Maxwell’s older brother, Mitch, is in West Virginia on a mission, but is to return to Alberta in August and has said he will play hockey next season with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
“If I was to go this summer or next summer,” Hansen emphasized, “I wouldn’t just be giving up my hockey career. I would be going and seeing from there whether I want to play hockey again after or just move on with my life and go to school.”
Getting to that point, however, is proving to be a sleep-depriving experience.
“It’s hard,” Hansen said. “There’s been a lot of nights when I’ve been on the phone with my parents or Skype, or thinking myself.
“I’m just trying to make the best decision for myself. Obviously, I’m trying to take the team into consideration and what’s best for the team, but ultimately I have to look at myself and what’s best for me and my life.”
If that means, he doesn’t come back for a final season in the WHL, so be it.
“I think it’s a possibility,” he said. “I haven’t finalized anything . . . but it’s an option. I’m leaving every door open. After this season . . . if I feel that it’s my time to be done and go on my mission, I think I will do that.”
With the loss, the Blazers remain five points behind the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets, who will use up their game in hand tonight when they play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Blazers and Rockets will meet each other three times next week, starting Sunday night at ISC.
JUST NOTES: The attendance was 4,172. . . . Kamloops G Taran Kozun, making his first appearance since Jan. 29, stopped 33 shots. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Rouse: Two goals, leadership; 2. Rathjen: Kept his guys in it; 3. Franson: Quality player. . . . Vancouver D Reid Zalitach left in the first period with an injury to his right leg. By the third period, he was on crutches and watching from the press box. . . . The Blazers meet the Cougars in Prince George on Friday, then return home to face the Giants on Saturday. . . . Former Blazers radio voice Jeff Paterson was in the house, calling the play for the Giants’ broadcast. . . . Kamloops F Aspen Sterzer (concussion), who hasn’t played since Dec. 29, remains at home in Calgary. Charron isn’t hopeful that Sterzer will be back for the start of the playoffs.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Micki DuPont (Kamloops, 1996-2000) signed a one-year contract
extension with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). DuPont signed a three-year contract extension in January, so this extension keeps him under contract to Kloten through the 2015-2016 season. In 29 games this season, DuPont has five goals and 12 assists. DuPont led all NL A defencemen in assists (35) and points (41), was named to the league all-star team, and was named Defenceman of the Year last season.
———
Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune has a few questions for the WHL right here.
Yes, the questions have to do with WHL vs. Portland Winterhawks.
You have to read this if for no other reason than Eggers’ exchange, as brief as it was, with Cory Flett, the WHL’s director of communications.
There’s nothing wrong with ending your week with a good chuckle and this might do it for you. It also sums up the WHL’s approach to this entire mess.
portlandtribune.com/pt/12-sports/124492-no-appeal-yet-for-winterhawks;-good-luck-abby-chin;-a-big-honor-for-karen-gaffney;-and-more-notes
———
An apology to the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club for something that was posted here yesterday.
I read something on an Oregon Live blog that was posted by community blogger Samantha Meese and obviously misinterpreted it.
Samantha wrote, in part:
“I encourage other fans to join me in donating to the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club for the express purpose of financially supporting air travel for the families of our players.”
I took that to mean that the booster club was collecting money for that purpose.
Meese later tweeted that “this was my idea. I’m simply donating to the Booster Club and designating my funds to help families.”
Stuart Kemp, the booster club’s president, later offered this clarification, and also touched on the Free Mike J t-shirts the group is selling:
“First off, the shirts are not to pay for air tickets or anything else. Any profits from these will be designated for the Education Fund. We had a long time fan front the cost of the shirts to be paid back as we sold them. They are only sold at the Booster Club table which is not under the jurisdiction of the Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club or The Western Hockey League. There is no connection whatsoever. . . .
“As the Booster Club is a 501 (c)3 Registered Charity, we are authorized and do accept donations to the Booster Club. Anyone can earmark what they feel the money should go toward and we make every effort to see that this is accomplished. That said, we are also very aware of legalities and as such are checking whether if someone designates the use of the funds for flights or camps or whatever, that we can do so.
“In any case, on any disbursement, we must receive an application to access these funds and release such only based on merit and full approval of the Booster Club board and membership with the exception of the Player's Education Fund as that is mandated by the Booster Club charter.”
———
Obviously, the price of playing poker in the WHL this trading season is going to be awfully steep.
On Thursday, the Kamloops Blazers gave up their 2012 first-round bantam draft pick, F Jayden Halbgewachs, a 2015 first-round selection and D Tyler Bell, 18, in order to land D Joel Edmundson, a 19-year-old stay-at-home type, and a fourth-round pick in 2015.
Edmundson, 6-foot-4, 210-pounder from Brandon, has eight points in 29 games this season. He was a second-round selection by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL draft. He had been a sixth-round selection by Moose Jaw in the 2008 bantam draft.
Dave Hunchak, the Blazers’ associate coach, was the head coach in Moose Jaw when the Warriors drafted Edmundson. Hunchak also was the head coach in 2010-11, Edmundson’s first season in Moose Jaw. With the Blazers, Hunchak handles the defencemen.
In his third WHL season, Edmundson has eight goals, 43 assists and 256 penalty minutes in 156 games.
Bell, a sophomore from Regina, has two goals, 14 assists and 97 penalty minutes in 83 games. This season, he has four points and 36 penalty minutes in 29 games.
Halbgewachs, 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, was the 19th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He is with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He has 14 points, including eight goals, in 19 games after scoring twice and being named the away star in a 4-0 victory over the host Swift Current Legionnaires last night. (G Logan Flodell, who returned to Regina this week after a brief stint backing up with the Seattle Thunderbirds, stopped 28 shots for the shutout.)
While a lot of people around the WHL have been pointing a finger at Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, for driving up the price of poker, it’s likely that the bar for the Moose Jaw-Kamloops deal was set by a swap between the Vancouver Giants and Edmonton Oil Kings.
In that one, the Giants dealt D David Musil, 19, to Edmonton for D Mason Geertsen, 17, and the 2013 first-round draft pick. Musil was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the 2011 NHL draft.
In the Vancouver-Saskatoon deal, Molleken gave up F Travis McEvoy, 18, a third-rounder in 2013 and a first-rounder in 2014 for F Nathan Burns, 19.
The Blazers now have three 19-year-old shutdown defencemen, with Edmundson joining Tyler Hansen and Sam Grist, the latter acquired earlier in the season from the Tri-City Americans.
Some observers had thought the Blazers might make a pitch for Moose Jaw’s top defenceman, 18-year-old Morgan Rielly. However, after moving Edmundson yesterday, Moose Jaw general manager Alan Millar told a media scrum that he won’t be moving Rielly.
———
Former NHLer Todd Harkins, who has won two B.C. Major Midget League titles as head coach of the Vancouver-Northwest Giants, will join the Prince George Cougars as an interim assistant coach next week.
Harkins, the BCMML coach of the year for last season, will take over from assistant coach Jason Becker later this month and stay until early January. Becker will be leaving the Cougars as he is head coach of Team Pacific, the B.C.-Alberta team that will play in the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Drummondville and Victoriaville, Que.
Harkins’ is to join head coach Dean Clark behind the bench for the first time on Dec. 28 when the Cougars play in Victoria against the Royals.
Harkins’ son, Jansen, was selected second overall by the Cougars in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. Jansen made his WHL debut with the Cougars on Nov. 11 in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Giants in Vancouver. Harkins has 30 points in 17 games with the Northwest Giants this season.
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The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is moving into 100 Mile House, B.C. The Wranglers, who are finishing this season as the Penticton Lakers, will begin play in 100 Mile House in September. A group in 100 Mile House, which is about two hours north of Kamloops, is purchasing the franchise from the Okanagan Hockey Academy. If you’re wondering about the community’s name, it’s located 100 miles up the Cariboo Wagon Trail from Lillooet. The Wranglers will play out of the 700-seat South Cariboo Recreation Centre.
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In a story published today, Brad Brown of the Prairie Post, a Swift Current-based newspaper, has provided a thorough look at the life of a concussed WHL player. That player is F Shea Howorko of the Swift Current Broncos, who hasn’t played a game in a year.
This is a frightening story.
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Brian Toporek of Schooled in Sports has posted a story that should be ready by anyone who has anything to do with youth sports.
Here’s how he starts it:
“A sweeping new study has found evidence that long-term brain damage can occur after playing football for just a few years . . . in high school.
Released Monday by the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, the study found such injuries to six young men who played football in high school, but stopped before college, and did not play professionally.”
This is startling – really, really startling stuff – and his full report is right here.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that the Regina Pats dropped two players from their roster on Thursday. . . . F Ty McLean, 17, who had one assist in 24 games, has joined the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings. . . . F Henry Hardarson, 18, who was pointless in 24 games, is off to the U18 Phoenix Firebirds of the North American Prospects Hockey League. Hardarson is from Phoenix.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Kennewick, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s last six goals to erase a 4-2 deficit and double the Tri-City Americans, 8-4. . . . Seattle F Connor Sanvido had two goals and two assists, and was plus-4, while F Brendan Rouse drew three assists and was plus-6. . . . Seattle F Seth Swenson also scored twice, and F Robert Lipsbergs had a goal and an assist, running his point streak to 10 games. He has 12 goals and four assists over that stretch. He has scored in nine of his last 10 games. . . . The Americans had won 22 straight home games with the Thunderbirds, a streak that began in February 2008. . . . It was Teddy Bear Night and F Parker Bowles score the goal for the Americans.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
———






From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “So here's the deal WHL GM's. U want to pick up 19 year-old player, despite skill set, be prepared to cough over 1st rounder. #thanksMolleken”
———
More from Bartel: “If WHL team wanted to acquire Ryan Murray they would have had to give up first born, key to the city and this weeks winning lottery numbers.”
Bartel may be upset because just last week he all but had Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly ticketed for Kamloops. LOL!
———
And then there was this one from Prince Albert Raiders G Luke Siemens (@siems31), as he and his mates headed for Cranbrook: “well what do ya know our bus may have broke down again with a broken belt #thestreakisalive #4times”

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Blazers run streak to 13

Kamloops Blazers’ longest winning streaks:
13 games — 1986-87, 1989-90, 2012-13,
12 games — 1984-85.
11 games — 1989-99, 1985-86.
10 games — 1094-95, 1993-94 (twice), 1989-90, 1985-86, 1982-83.

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
And one more makes 13 . . .
The Kamloops Blazers erased a 2-0 second-period deficit and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-3 in overtime in a WHL game played in Kent, Wash., on Sunday.
Centre Colin Smith scored the winner just 25 seconds into the extra period, beating goaltender Brandon Glover through the legs.
The victory was the Blazers’ 13th in a row, equalling a franchise record that was set in 1986-87 and tied in 1989-90. The Blazers will attempt to break the record when they meet the Silvertips in Everett on Tuesday.
The Blazers also improved their record to 15-0-1 — they are 8-0-1 on the road — and remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost in regulation time.
Smith also had two assists as he ran his points streak to 16 games. He has had nine straight multi-point games.
Linemate JC Lipon scored twice and now leads the WHL in goals (15) and points (39). Smith is just one point back, while Tim Bozon, the third member of the line, is third, with 29 points. He had two assists last night. The three have combined for 106 points in 16 games.
After a scoreless first period, the teams combined for six second-period goals, with Seattle forwards Connor Honey and Brendan Rouse first to beat Kamloops goaltender Taran Kozun.
Lipon, on a power play, and defenceman Sam Grist pulled the Blazers even, only to have defenceman Shea Theodore go coast-to-coast and beat Kozun to put Seattle out front again.
Lipon scored at 13:32 of the second and, as it turned out, that goal forced OT.
Kozun finished with 26 saves, 10 fewer than Glover.
The Blazers had won their 12th straight game on Saturday, scoring four times in the first period, three of them via their No. 1-ranked power play, en route to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals at Interior Savings Centre.
One night earlier, the Blazers had struck for five first-period goals en route to an 8-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The Blazers got eight points from their big line as Smith and Bozon each had two goals and an assist, and Lipon added two assists.
Matt Needham and Jordan DePape also scored for the Blazers, while defenceman Marek Hrbas, who had a tremendous game, drew two assists.
Outshot 14-5 in the first period, the Royals came back with a vengeance, scoring twice in the second period when they held a 17-5 edge in shots.
“In that second period,” Kamloops defenceman Tyler Hansen said of goaltender Cole Cheveldave, “he really kept us in with three or four big saves to keep the score up by two instead of a tie game or worse.”
Veteran forwards Jamie Crooks and Brandon Magee scored for Victoria, which got 28 saves from goaltender Patrik Polivka.
JUST NOTES: Attendance on Saturday was 4,858. . . . Smith’s second goal on Saturday, his third point of the game, gave him 200 regular-season points in 215 games. . . . Hansen played in his 200th regular-season game. . . . Kamloops F Aspen Sterzer missed the three weekend games while attending a grandmother’s funeral in Calgary. He is expected to rejoin the team in time to play Tuesday. . . . D Austin Madaisky, 20, played his first professional game Saturday, going pointless as his Evansville Icemen dropped a 4-1 decision to the Wings in Kalamazoo. He had an assist, on the power play, and four shots on goal, and was minus-2 in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Gwinnett Gladiators. . . . Veteran D Tyler Stahl, 20, was named captain of the Royals last week but has yet to play while wearing the ‘C’. He suffered an injury on Oct. 18 has missed his club’s last three games. . . . F Drew Czerwonka, 20, the captain of the Kootenay Ice, announced his retirement on Friday. He has battled injuries for the last two seasons. Czerwonka called Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth on Thursday night and told him of his decision.

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The Vancouver Giants, with room for one 20-year-old player, have acquired F Kale Kessy from the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Giants gave up a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Kessy is serving a 12-game suspension for a headshot on Lethbridge Hurricanes D Ryan Pilon on Sept. 22. He has six games remaining and will be eligible to play for the Giants on Oct. 30 when they are in, yes, Lethbridge. . . . Kessy, a fourth-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2011 NHL draft, has been with the AHL’s Portland Pirates. However, he was told Thursday night that he would be returning to the WHL. . . . Last season, he had 16 points and 151 penalty minutes in 49 games. He had two goals in two games when he was suspended this season. . . . In 195 regular-season games, Kessy has 71 points and 422 penalty minutes.
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The Regina Pats have assigned D Cole Hamblin, 19, to an unspecified junior A team. Hamblin, 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, had two points in eight games with the Pats this season. He played last season with the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers. He also has six points in 19 games with the Spokane Chiefs over the last two seasons.
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F Zach Pochiro of the Prince George Cougars has been suspended for three games for a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct incurred on Wednesday night in a 5-4 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . Pochiro sat out Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge.
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Remember Joey Hishon? He was playing for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack at the 2011 Memorial Cup when he took a headshot from Kootenay Ice D Brayden MacNabb. Hishon, a first-round selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2010 NHL draft, has yet to return to action. Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post has more right here.
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The Vancouver, Wash., Vipers, who play in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NORPAC), had four hometown brothers on their roster until making a trade the other day. Now they have but one.
The Vipers dealt Joe Bordak, 19, Avik Bordak, 18, and Elijah Bordak, 17, to the Medford-based Southern Oregon Spartans of the Western States Hockey League. Daniel Bordak, at 20 the oldest of the brothers, remains with the Vipers. . . . Head coach Keith Bemis of the Vipers told the Vancouver Columbian that the Bordaks were traded because they couldn’t afford the US$5,500 per player registration fee. According to the newspaper, “Benis said Southern Oregon had sponsorship money to assist the Bordaks with the cost of playing.” . . . The Columbian also reported that “Bemis said the Vipers will receive between three and five players from Southern Oregon, with most expected to arrive next week.”
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FRIDAY’S STUFF:
G Jackson Whistle earned his second WHL victory — his first since Jan. 10 — as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Royals 4-1 in Victoria. . . . Whistle, who is from West Kelowna, was acquired from the Vancouver Giants last month. His only other victory came on Jan. 10 when the Giants beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . Last night, Whistle stopped 20 shots. . . .

The Red Deer Rebels snapped a 12-game home-ice losing streak against Medicine Hat by beating the Tigers, 2-1. . . . According to Greg Meachem, the sports editor at the Red Deer Advocate, the Tigers hadn’t lost in Red Deer since October 2009. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot stopped 32 shots. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak was scratched for undisclosed disclipinary reasons. The Rebels had Grant Naherniak, from the Red Deer midget ranks, backing up Pouliot. . . . F Turner Elson broke a 1-1 tie at 16:16 of the second period when his centring pass during a PP bounced in off a Medicine Hat player. . . . Red Deer takes a three-game winning streak into a game tonight in Calgary. . . .

F JC Lipon scored three times in a 5:39 span in the first period and the Kamloops Blazers went on to a 5-1 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs. . . . Lipon also had an assist, giving him a WHL-leading 18 points. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 36 shots, including 18 in the second period. . . . The Blazers left shortly after the game for a five-game swing into the Central Division. Kamloops (7-0-1) will open the trip Sunday afternoon in Calgary against the Hitmen (5-0-2). These are the only WHL teams not to have lost in regulation time this season. . . .

The Calgary Hitmen improved to 5-0-2 with a 5-4 shootout victory over the host Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Calgary is 3-0-0 against Edmonton (5-2-2) already this season. . . . The Hitmen won at home, 6-5 in OT, on Sunday. . . . “I didn’t mind the effort,” Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal told Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal. “I thought we played hard for 60 minutes and, obviously, a shootout is what it is.” . . . Calgary F Greg Chase, who is from Sherwood Park, Alta., scored the shootout winner. . . . Edmonton’s PP, which features five forwards, was 3-for-3 and now is 9-for-14 in its last four games. . . . With the Hitmen having won all three games with the Oil Kings and with two of them going to extra time, here’s another quote from Laxdal, who told Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun: “We’ve only got two points out of a possible six, and they’ve got six.” . . . That’s what the loser point does for you. Out of a possible six points, the teams split eight of them. . . .

The Seattle Thunderbirds scored six times on 21 shots in a 6-4 victory over the Giants in Vancouver. . . . F Brendan Rouse may have scored three times for the Thunderbirds. (The online scoresheet has him with three goals; a post-game news release from the Thunderbirds has him with two goals and an assist, with that other goal going to F Luke Lockhart.) . . . The Giants have lost six of eight games. . . . F Marek Tvrdon, a 31-goal man last season, scored his first goal of the season for the Giants. . . .

F Coda Gordon scored a PP goal in OT to give the Swift Current Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Pats in Regina. . . . The goal was Gordon's second of the game. . . . The Broncos, who finished 3-for-6 on the PP, started OT on the PP and then got another PP later in OT. . . . The Broncos have played nine games this season, with five of them going into extra time. . . . Regina F Chandler Stephenson tied the score 2-2 with 6:19 left in the third period. . . . Regina F Dryden Hunt (concussion) returned after missing the season’s first nine games. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders had their seven-game winning streak come to an end as they lost 5-2 to the visiting Portland Winterhawks. . . . Portland took control late in the second period when D Derrick Pouliot and F Taylor Leier broke a 1-1 tie with goals 1:33 apart. . . . Portland, which held a 40-28 edge in shots, has outshot its opponent in each of its games this season. . . . The Winterhawks wrap up their six-game East Division swing tonight in Swift Current. . . . F Dakota Conroy scored one of the Raiders’ goals. He has four goals in seven games since being acquired from the Victoria Royals. . . . The Raiders meet the Warriors in Moose Jaw tonight, then play nine of their next 10 at home. . . .

The Everett Silvertips, down 2-0 just 12 minutes into the first period, bounced back to beat the host Brandon Wheat Kings 3-2 in overtime. . . . D Landon Oslanski, 20, scored on a slapshot from the point at 1:17 of extra time. . . . Everett F Trent Lofthouse forced OT with his second goal of the season at 14:33 of the third. . . . Everett G Daniel Cotton recorded his first WHL victory. He spent most of two seasons backing up Calvin Pickard with the Seattle Thunderbirds before being dealt to the Silvertips on Sunday. Cotton was 0-8-0 with Seattle last season. . . . Cotton also earned an assist on the game-winner last night. . . . Everett had lost its last three games. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville scored his first WHL goal in the first period and got his first WHL stitches in the third, courtesy of a puck to the face. . . . The Silvertips play in Regina tonight, meaning Everett D Ryan Murray, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2012 NHL draft, gets to play in front of family and friends for the first time since Dec. 7, 2010. Murray is from White City, which is located on the eastern outskirts of Regina. . . .

F Sam Mckechnie’s goal late in the third period broke a 2-2 draw and gave the host Lethbridge Hurricanes a 3-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 27 shots. . . . F Russell Maxwell had two PP goals for Lethbridge. . . . Prince George F Colin Jacobs had an assist to run his point streak to eight games. . . . Prince George lost F Caleb Belter to an interference major and game misconduct late in the first period. . . .

F Brock Montgomery had two goals and a helper to help the Kootenay Ice to a 4-3 victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades. . . . Montgomery’s second goal, at 16:24 of the third, broke a 3-3 tie. . . . Montgomery has seven goals in as many games. . . . Saskatoon F Shane McColgan had tied the game at 15:16 with his first goal of the season. . . . F Sam Reinhart added a goal and an assist for the Ice, who had lost three in a row. . . . F Josh Nicholls had two goals and an assist for the Blades, who have lost five in a row. . . . The Blades are in Lethbridge tonight.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Josh Winquist, Everett
F Tim Bozon, Kamloops
D Tyler Stahl, Victoria
F Logan Nelson, Victoria
D Mitchell Wheaton, Kelowna

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Dan Gibb, Prince George
D Tyler Stahl, Victoria
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Seattle Thunderbirds G Brandon Glover (@BGlover31): “Nice win in front of my family tonight in Vancouver. #feelsgood On a side note: who was serving drinks to the shot clock guys tonight?”
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TWEET OF THE DAY II:
Rob Henderson (@HendoRob) of the Brandon Sun, getting ready to cover a game between the Wheat Kings and the visiting Everett Silvertips last night: “Either the TC Americans are here for a look before tomorrow’s game or it’s staff appreciation night at Tip Top. Pretty sure it’s the former.”
The Americans open their six-game East Division tour in Brandon tonight.

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What is Steve Pleau doing these days?

The Prince George Cougars got down to the mandated limit of three 20-year-olds on Saturday by placing G Morgan Clark on waivers. . . . That leaves them with D Sena Acolatse, F James Dobrowolski and F Taylor Stefishen. . . . Clark, who was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos over the summer, got into two games with the Cougars. He was 1-1 with a 3.01 GAA and a .875 save percentage.
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The WHL got some pub on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night when the Brendan Shinnimin hit from behind on Josh Nicholls was shown during the second intermission of the game between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks. . . . They combined for 459 points with the bantam AAA Penticton, B.C., Vees last season. F Matthew Needham was selected by the Kamloops Blazers with the eighth pick of the 2010 WHL bantam draft after putting up 253 points, including 94 goals, in 57 games. The Everett Silvertips took linemate Cody Depourg in the 10th round. He had 206pints, 116 of them goals, in 64 games. The Silvertips weren’t able to get a commitment from Depourg so dropped him from their 50-player list. The Blazers have added him to their list. . . . Everett has reassigned F D Jay McGrath to junior A in Saskatchewan. McGrath, 18, had five points in 53 games with Everett last season, but was pointless in five games this season. He was a third-round bantam draft pick in 2007. . . . Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports that “former Oil Kings coach Steve Pleau, who had time left on his junior contract when he was let go, is living in the New England area and doing some amateur scouting for the (Calgary) Flames.”
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SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
TRI-CITY 3 at BRANDON 1: F Mike Brown set up two goals for the Americans. He sat out Friday’s 6-4 victory over the Pats in Regina because the Americans (6-2-1-0) are carrying four 20-year-olds. . . . This time, G Alex Pechurskiy was the odd-man out. . . . Brandon (4-4-0-0), which trailed 2-0 and 2-1 at the breaks, has lost four in a row after opening with four victories. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley stopped 29 shots. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes turned aside 17 shots. . . . F Jordan Messier got the game’s first goal, his sixth. . . . The Americans have seven Winnipeggers on their roster, while D Brock Sutherland is from Brandon. . . . F David Conrad, who is from Winnipeg, scored his first goal for the Americans and it stood up as the winner. . . . F Adam Hughesman, who also is from Winnipeg, added another goal for Tri-City. . . . Tri-City has five victories in 17 trips to Brandon. . . . Tri-City was 1-for-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-for-4. . . . Tri-City F Kruise Reddick left in the first period after taking a hit from Brandon F Mark Mieritz. . . . Attendance was 4,421. . . . Checking-from behind count: Two minors, one to Brown and the other to Brandon D Ryley Miller. . . . Tri-City F Neal Prokop, 20, who suffered a badly broken leg during the playoffs last season, rejoined the Americans in Brandon and will continue his rehabilitation with the team. Because he is on the long-term injury list, he doesn’t count as a roster player.
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SWIFT CURRENT 3 at EDMONTON 4: F Stephane Legault set up two goals as the Oil Kings improved to 4-2-0-0. . . . The Broncos (2-6-0-0), who have lost five of six, got the game’s first goal, from F Justin Dowling, but then surrendered three in a row to trail 3-1 early in the third period. . . . F Taylor Vause scored twice for the visitors. . . . Edmonton D Mark Pysyk and D Griffin Reinhart each was plus-4. . . . Reinhart’s first career WHL goal was the winner. . . . The Broncos were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-2. . . . Edmonton G Cam Lanigan stopped 23 shots, five fewer than Swift Current’s Mark Friesen. . . . Attendance was 2,654. . . . Edmonton F Jordan Hickmott was tossed early in the second period with an interference major and the automatic game misconduct. The league will take a look into that situation. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Edmonton F Cameron Abney.
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KOOTENAY 6 at LETHBRIDGE 3: F Drew Czerwonka led the Ice (3-2-0-0) with two goals. . . . Lethbridge (3-3-0-1) scored first but the Ice got the next six. . . . D James Martin and F Steele Boomer each had two assists for Kootenay. . . . The Ice was 1-for-3 on the PP and now is 2-for-23 on the season. . . . The Hurricanes were 0-for-2. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 19 shots. . . . Lethbridge G Brandon Anderson stopped 18 of 22 but left at 5:26 of the second with his side trailing 4-1. Dylan Tait came on to turn aside 22 of 24. . . . Attendance was 2,912. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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RED DEER 3 at MOOSE JAW 0: G Darcy Kuemper stopped 25 shots for his second shutout of the season and the eighth of his career. . . . The Rebels (7-2-0-0) went 4-0 on their trip into the East Division. . . . D Colin Archer, who was plus-3, provided the eventual winning goal with his first of the season at 8:30 of the first period. . . . The Warriors slipped to 2-6-0-0. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkings had his eight-game point streak snapped. . . . Moose Jaw G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 26 shots. . . . Attendance was 2,730. Yes, the Crushed Can, which has 2,705 seats, was hopping. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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PRINCE GEORGE 5 at MEDICINE HAT 3: F Spencer Asuchak led the Cougars (3-4-0-0) with two goals. He also was plus-3. . . . Asuchak, who had 12 goals in 68 games split between the Cougars and Tri-City Americans last season, has six goals this season. He turns 19 on Nov. 22. . . . Prince George F Brett Connolly scored the game’s first goal, his fourth. He has at least one point in each of the Cougars’ seven games. . . . D Jace Coyle had two assists for the Tigers (2-3-0-0) but was minus-2. F Emerson Etem was pointless and minus-3. . . . G James Priestner stopped 20 shots for the Cougars, while Deven Dubyk turned aside 30 for the Tigers. . . . Prince George F Charles Inglis had the Gordie Howe hat trick with an empty-net goal. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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SEATTLE 6 at CHILLIWACK 3: F Brendan Rouse scored three goals as Seattle (4-2-0-0) erased a 2-1 deficit with four straight goals. . . . Last season, Rouse totalled six goals in 73 games -- six with the Brandon Wheat Kings and 67 with Seattle. He is a nephew of former WHL/NHL D Bob Rouse, who also is a former Bruins assistant coach. . . . The Bruins (3-2-0-0) had won three in a row. . . . F Colin Jacobs had a goal and two assists for Seattle, which has won three straight, while F Tyler Alos had two helpers. . . . F Roman Horak scored twice for the Bruins. He has 11 points, five of them goals, in four games. . . . F Ryan Howse had a goal, his eighth, and two assists for Chilliwack, which also got two assists from D Jesse Pauls. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 29 shots, seven more than Chilliwack’s Lucas Gore. . . . Chilliwack had an 18-4 edge in shots in the first period. . . . The Bruins were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 1-for-4. . . . Attendance was 3,099. . . . The game featured 10 fighting majors. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One, a minor to Horak.
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PORTLAND 2 at SPOKANE 1: F Sven Bartschi scored both goals for the Winterhawks (6-1-0-1), who had won 3-2 in Spokane on Friday night. . . . Bartschi also scored twice in that victory. . . . Portland has won four in a row. . . . Including last season and its playoffs, the Winterhawks have won 10 straight games in Spokane. . . . F Blake Gal gave the Chiefs (2-5-0-0) a 1-0 lead at 7:53 of the second period. . . . Bartschi, who has six goals, tied it at 14:10 of the second and won it at 18:03. . . . G Ian Curtis, in his first start of the season after returning from offseason shoulder surgery, stopped 34 shots, including 17 in the first period. . . . G James Reid made 22 saves for the Chiefs. . . . Portland had Mac Carruth backing up Curtis. Keith Hamilton, who went 4-1-0-1 (2.63, .925) while Curtis and Carruth were out with injuries, didn’t dress. . . . Portland was 0-for-5 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-8 for the second straight game. . . . Attendance was 5,917. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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PRINCE ALBERT 2 at KELOWNA 3 (OT): F Brett Bulmer won it at 3:33 of overtime with, yes, his third goal of the season. . . . The Rockets (1-4-0-0) are the last of the WHL’s 22 teams to record a victory. . . . They had scored just six goals in four losses. . . . The Raiders slipped to 3-5-0-0. . . . F Jonathan Parker gave the visitors a 1-0 first-period lead, with Kelowna F Max Adolph, who is from Saskatoon, equalizing at 19:38 of the second. . . . F Evan Bloodoff gave the Rockets a 2-1 lead at 11:04 of the third period. . . . Prince Albert F Brandon Herrod forced OT with his seventh goal at 11:38. . . . Bulmer scored 30 seconds after the Raiders killed off a tripping penalty to G Jamie Tucker, who made 46 saves. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 29 shots. . . . Prince Albert was 0-for-4 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-for-9. . . . Attendance was 6,086. . . . The Rockets were without D Tyson Barrie (hamstring). He had played in a 4-1 loss to the Giants in Vancouver on Friday night. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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KAMLOOPS 5 at VANCOUVER 4 (OT): D Linden Saip’s second goal of the season, at 3:23 of OT, was the winner. Saip began his WHL career with the Giants and his uncle, Dale, is the Giants’ vice-president of business development. . . . F Chase Schaber and F Brendan Ranford each had a goal and two assists for Kamloops (3-3-0-1), which as won two in a row. . . . The Giants (4-3-1-0) had won three straight. . . . The teams play again Monday afternoon, this time in Kamloops. . . . D Corey Fienhage, who left the U of North Dakota to join the Blazers, had one assist and was plus-3. . . . The Giants got a goal and two helpers from F Craig Cunningham. . . . Schaber, with his fourth, and Ranford, with his sixth, gave Kamloops a 2-0 first-period lead. . . . The Giants then got three straight goals -- from F Matt MacKay, Cunningham and F Marek Tvrdon, his sixth. . . . F JT Barnett, acquired by Kamloops from Vancouver over the summer, tied it at 9:44 of the third. . . . The Giants felt that Barnett should have been penalized for goaltender interference as he ran into G Mark Segal on the play. “The ref's explanation was that I was out of the crease,” Segal told Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun. “I watched the replay and I was in the crease. It's frustrating when that call happened but you can't let it get to you and I struggled with that. I let it get me off my game. Calls like that happen. It's part of hockey. The refs make mistakes and you have to deal with it and I did a poor job tonight.” . . . Cunningham, the Giants’ captain, told Pap: “I don't really want to comment on their third goal. I asked the ref if he saw the replay and he said 'I can't look up.' It's over and you can't go back on it.” . . . F Brendan Gallagher, with his seventh, gave Vancouver the lead at 12:53. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick forced OT with his third goal at 13:46. . . . Kamloops G Jeff Bosch stopped 34 shots, nine more than Vancouver’s Mark Segal. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-for-4. . . . Attendance was 5,537. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.

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