Segal moving on

MARK SEGAL

G Mark Segal won’t be returning for his 20-year-old season with the Vancouver Giants.
Segal has informed the Giants that he is leaving to attend McGill University in Montreal, where he will play for the Redmen.
Segal, a Vancouverite who turns 20 on Aug. 31, played in 91 regular-season and 20 playoff games with the Giants over the last two seasons. This season, he went 27-18-4, 3.07, .891 in 55 games.
Brendan Jensen, an 18-year-old from El Granada, Calif., played in 30 games with the Giants, going 8-13-1 in support of Segal.
The Giants’ website shows three goaltenders on their list who are eligible to play in 2011-12 — Jackson Whistle, who turns 16 on June 9, of Kelowna; Scott legault, who will be 17 on Sept. 25; and, Stephen Heslop, who turns 16 on Sept. 15, of Victoria.
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Today’s good read comes from Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News.
It’s almost a week old, but I just discovered it Sunday morning.
Yes, it is about pro hockey and the impact of concussions.
Gleason leads with the difficulties faced by former NHL tough guy Matthew Barnaby, who now wonders how badly he damaged his brain during this playing career and whether that is the reason for the changes he has noticed in his personality.
It isn’t all about Barnaby, though. At one point, Dr. Robert Cantu is quoted on the subject of former Buffalo Bills great O.J. Simpson:
"There's a brain I would love to study. I don't know, but I really wonder. With his inability to handle frustrating circumstances, violence and all that stuff, it could be.
"It's hard to know. I'm not suggesting I know the answer, but if and when the time comes I would give anything for him to be on our registry."
Dr. Cantu is a clinical professor neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine, which is home to Sports Legacy Institute, where a lot of the research into CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is taking place.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and sit down for today’s good read. It’s long and worthwhile. And it’s right here.
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THE COACHING GAME: Wanting experience as a head coach, former WHLer Brad McCrimmon, 52, has signed on with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League. McCrimmon, an all-star defenceman with the Brandon Wheat Kings (1976-79) and the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades (1998-2000), was an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings for the last three seasons. . . . Cole Zahn has signed on as assistant coach with the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Keith Cassidy, the Bruins’ new GM/head coach, worked together on the coaching staff of the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers and got that squad to the RBC Cup in 2007. Zahn will continue to scout for the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ron Holloway, the head coach of the junior B Ochapowace Thunder of the Prairie Junior league, has signed on as an assistant coach with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. He will work alongside head man Bob Beatty as the Ice Wolves chase a third straight SJHL championship.
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F Byron Froese, who turned 20 on March 12, has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Capgeek.com reports that his salaries will be US$67,500 in the AHL and $590,000 in the NHL. . . . He got a $195,000 signing bonus over three years. . . . Froese was selected in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL draft off the Everett Silvertips’ roster. They traded him to the Red Deer Rebels last summer for F Landon Ferraro.
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Michael Traikos of the National Post writes about the week that was at the Memorial Cup. The headline sums it up: Memorial Cup a flop everywhere but the box office. . . . Of course, the CHL knew that would happen when it awarded the tournament to Mississauga, which makes one ask: Why did they award it to Mississauga? . . . That piece is right here.
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You have to feel good for G Jacob DeSerres, who backstopped the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs to a 3-1 victory over the host Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in the final game of the Memorial Cup on Sunday evening. . . . DeSerres, who played in the Memorial Cup with the host Brandon Wheat Kings a year ago and then was waived through the WHL, stopped 34 shots in what was his final game of major junior hockey. . . . He wasn’t named to the tournament all-star team, nor was he selected as the tournament’s top goaltender. No matter, though. He got the ring. . . . The Sea Dogs, the CHL’s top-ranked team through much of the regular season, are the first team from the Maritimes to win major junior hockey’s top prize.
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By the way, a fan of the Portland Winterhawks has a request: Would members of the media please stop referring to the Memorial Cup as a national championship. . . . There are eight Americans teams in the CHL so, as this fan points out, it is more than a national championship. . . . The fan asks: “Had Portland somehow advanced and won the Cup this year, would the Winterhawks have been national champions of Canada . . . or the U.S.?”
Joe Fan has a point, eh? 
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Dave Cameron, Mississauga’s head coach, and Majors’ captain Casey Cizikas have suffered three heart-breaking losses in a five-month period. . . . Both were on Canada’s national junior team when it surrendered a 3-0 lead and lost 5-3 to Russia in the championship game at the World Junior Championship in Buffalo in January. . . . The Majors lost the OHL championship series in seven games to the Owen Sound Attack. Mississauga held 2-0 and 3-2 leads in that series, then lost Game 7 in OT. "They say losing toughens you," Cameron said Sunday night. "Well, right now, I feel like a 10-cent steak, to tell you the truth.” . . . Cameron is almost certain to land on the coaching staff of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Eugene Melnyk, who owns the Senators, also owns the St. Michael’s Majors.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Monday . . .

MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Winnipeg, F Shayne Wiebe and F Matt MacKay had a goal and two assists each as the host Brandon Wheat Kings doubled the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-3. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Winnipeg on Thursday. . . . With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Westman Place in Brandon, the Wheat Kings were forced to move first-round games to the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. It is the home of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. . . . The Tigers got a goal and two helpers from F Cole Grbavac. . . . Attendance was 5,063. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy sat out this one. He was suspended for one game after taking a double minor for checking from behind in Saturday’s Game 2. . . . The Tigers also were without G Tyler Bunz (concussion), F Tyler Pitlick (ankle) and D Dylan Busenius (foot). . . . Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun has a story on the game right here. Included is a bit on a third-period hit by Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk on Brandon F Brenden Walker. The hit went unpenalized, but Walker left the game. . . . Interesting. Penton’s father, Bruce, covered the Wheat Kings for the Brandon Sun in the early 1970s. . . .
In Edmonton, the Red Deer Rebels erased a 1-0 deficit with three third-period goals and beat the Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . F Byron Froese, with two, and F Daulton Siwak scored for Red Deer. Siwak broke a 1-1 tie at 18:08 and Froese provided insurance 20 seconds later. . . . F T.J. Foster had given Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 1:45 of the third. . . . The Rebels lead the series 3-0 with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday in Edmonton. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists, giving him a WHL-high seven points in the series. . . . There were something like 23 NHL scouts on hand for the game.
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MONDAY’S CFB COUNT:
None.
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JUST NOTES: The 50/50 draw in Saskatoon on Sunday night was won by former WHL players Dan Hulak (Swift Current, Portland, 1997-2001) and Scott McQueen (Red Deer, Saskatoon, 1997-99). They ended up splitting around $44,000. Hulak is the brother of former Blades captain Derek Hulak. . . . F Brett Ferguson of the Red Deer Rebels is the WHL’s player of the week. He had a goal and four assists in the first two games of the Rebels’ series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks is the WHL’s goaltender of the week after going 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .972 save percentage in the first two games of a series with the Everett Silvertips. . . . The NAHL is adding a franchise in Minot, N.D., and there are some former WHLers involved. The Minot Daily News has more right here.
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Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun speculates on whether the Vancouver Giants will have F James Henry (knee) back for Game 3 of their series with the Tri-City Americans. That game goes tonight in Vancouver; the Americans hold a 2-0 lead. . . . The Giants haven’t allowed Henry to chat with the media. . . . Pap’s story is right here.
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The best play-by-play man in the history of sports is about to start another season. To get you prepped, here’s a column on Vin Scully by T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times. Don’t miss the good read of the day.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

There would seem to be ominous news for fans of the Chilliwack Bruins in a Chilliwack Times story written by Tyler Olsen that appeared Tuesday.
In that story, Olsen writes that “owners of the Western Hockey League franchise are considering multiple offers to buy the club, Bruins president Darryl Porter told the Times.”
That, of course, is something that has been public knowledge since last week.
But in the next paragraph Porter tells Olsen that, even though season-ticket holders have been wondering where the renewal forms are, “they're not going to be coming right away because the owners have decided to look into these inquiries."
Olsen’s complete story is right here.
One WHL governor questioned the strategy of waiting to send out season-ticket renewals, noting that it should have been done a month ago, even if the franchise may well be on the move.
“What happens if the franchise doesn’t move?” wondered the governor. “How do you sell season-tickets then?”
Unless, of course, a deal has been cut and is to be announced at season’s end.
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Someone has set up a Facebook page titled Bring Back the WHL to Victoria. If you’re interested, it’s right here.
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If you missed it, Rich Preston, the GM and head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, drew a one-game suspension and a $750 fine for his water bottle-, clipboard- and Gatorade jug-tossing display on Saturday night in Kelowna.
You would have to hope that the manner in which Preston carried this out, with a great degree of calmness seldom, if ever, seen in these situations, saved him a game and at least $250.
It was Preston’s second brush with the long arm of the WHL law this season. He was fined $500 for a game misconduct he incurred during a Nov. 20 game with the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
Preston will miss a visit to Lethbridge by the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight.
The last WHL coach to be suspended?
Marc Habscheid of the Chilliwack Bruins and Don Hay of the Vancouver Giants sat out a game for a line brawl during an exhibition game prior to this season.
The last WHL coach to be suspended for a regular-season game?
Hay got hit with a one-game sentence in January of last season after the Giants were involved in their third line brawl of the season during a game in Prince George.
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There also was an interesting note about the Preston outburst on Regan Bartel’s blog. Bartel, of course, is the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, so had a great seat for the show.
If you have seen the video, you will understand what Bartel is writing:
“I understand the camera crew in the building are getting a bad wrap for the video coverage of Preston's outburst. During the altercation, the camera crew often move away from the Hurricanes bench and show pictures of the goaltenders, the Rockets bench and even the crowd. I am told the video crew has a long document that they must adhere too when 'shooting the game' and when incidents like this occur. I don't have all the details of those guidelines, but not to embarrass the opposition team is roughly part of those requirements. If the camera/video crew had free reign, can you imagine what type of damage they could do with additional graphics?”
So there you have it. Now you know why you were watching a laughing goaltender while Preston was putting on the best coaching show seen in the WHL this season.
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C Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning upon his return from a two-game swing to Prince George on the weekend. Johnson, 20, was a free agent. . . . According to cap geek.com, the contract calls for him to be paid $67,500 in the AHL, with NHL salaries of $690,000, $740,000 and $840,000. . . . The signing bonus is $270,000, paid over three years.
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F Wacey Hamilton, 20, of the Medicine Hat Tigers has signed a three-year NHL deal with the Ottawa Senators. Hamilton was in camp last fall with the Colorado Avalanche but never signed. . . . Allen Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen reports that at least 10 other NHL teams were in the hunt for Hamilton. That story is right here.
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If you’re into collecting jerseys, you should know that the Swift Current Broncos are auctioning off their 2010-11 game-worn retro third jerseys. They wore them in Saturday games this season.
According to a release from the Broncos:
“Bidding will start at $50 and additional bids will be accepted in $10 increments. Fans may bid online right here, over the phone at 306-773-1509 or at any home games leading up to and during the March 19 game with the Prince Albert Raiders.”
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Dylan Bumbarger, who blogs mostly about the Portland Winterhawks, checked out some numbers supplied by the Winterhawks’ front office and takes issue with some of them.
There’s more right here.
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Five brothers playing on the same hockey team? That’s the case in the Whitemud Hockey League in Saskatchewan where the Hunter brothers — Brock, Dusty, J.J., Luke and Ty — all play for the Shaunavon Badgers. There’s more right here from the Shaunavon Standard.
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The WHL lost a friend on Feb. 7 when Louise Kruger died at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital at the age of 68. Fanner, as she was known to anyone who had the good fortune to come into contact with her, and her late husband, Scoof, watched three sons — Darren, Scott and Trevor — play in the WHL, all with the Swift Current Broncos. Scott, of course, died in the accident that involved the Broncos’ bus. . . . Fanner also was a sister to Lorne Frey, who now is the Kelowna Rockets’ assistant GM, director of player personnel and head scout. . . . If you are so inclined, donations may be made to the Swift Current Broncos Hockey Association Memorial Fund, Box 2345, Swift Current SK, S9H 4X6.
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JUST NOTES: G Jim Watt (Spokane, Saskatoon, 2002-06) has signed with the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. He had been with the U of Windsor Lancers, who were eliminated from the playoffs late in February. Watt, 24, is from Edmonton. . . . The Vancouver Giants are home to the Chilliwack Bruins tonight, but are likely to be missing six or seven regulars. F Spencer Bennett (hand), D Darren Bestland (back), F Teal Burns (shoulder), F Brendan Gallagher (head), D Tyler Hart (shoulder), F Connor Redmond (shoulder) and D Joel Rogers (concussion) all are on the limp. Of that bunch, only Bestland is possible for tonight. . . . Vancouver has brought in D Dalton Olsen, 17, from the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles, whose season is over. Olsen, from Calgary, is the younger brother of D Dylan Olsen, who played for Canada’s national junior team in Buffalo and now is with the AHL‘s Rockford IceHogs. . . . The Giants also have added D Blake Orban, 16, who was a third-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft. He was with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes. . . .
Also tonight, the Brandon Wheat Kings are expecting a big crowd as they entertain F Brayden Schenn and the Saskatoon Blades, while the Regina Pats hope to keep their playoff push moving forward as they visit the Raiders in Prince Albert. . . .
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In Prince George on Tuesday night, Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper earned his 12th shutout of the season as the Rebels beat the Cougars, 7-0. . . . Kuemper is one shutout shy of tying the WHL’s single season record that is shared by Bryan Bridges (Seattle, 2004-05) and Kelly Guard (Kelowna, 2003-04). . . . The Cougars have been blanked five times this season. . . . Red Deer F Byron Froese scored four times, giving him 40 goals this season. He had a career-high 29 last season with the Everett Silvertips. Froese is the first Rebels skater to get to 40 since F Matt Ellison scored 40 times in 2002-03. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and three helpers. . . . The victory allowed the Rebels to stay three points ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the race for the Central Division pennant, which brings with it the Eastern Conference’s second seed. . . . Prince George has lost four in a row. . . .
The Tigers were beating the visiting Calgary Hitmen 6-2. . . . F Linden Vey had two goals for the Tigers, while F Emerson Etem had one. . . . Vey has 44 goals and a WHL-leading 112 points, six more than Spokane F Tyler Johnson. . . . Etem has 42 goals, 10 of them over his last 11 games. . . . The loss officially eliminated the Hitmen from the playoffs. The Hitmen, the WHL’s defending champions, had a run of 13 straight playoff appearances come to an end. . . .
In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored the game’s last six goals and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-2. . . . Attendance was 2,282. . . . Ice D Brayden McNabb scored his 20th goal and added two assists. . . . F Cody Eakin and F Matt Fraser also had a goal and two assists each for the Ice. . . . Kootenay is fourth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind Medicine Hat. . . .
In Spokane, the Chiefs unleashed 50 shots as they opened a five-game homestand by beating the Everett Silvertips, 4-2. . . . Spokane won the season series 7-1-0 and gave up just 10 goals in the process. . . . Everett G Luke Siemens, starting in place of the injured Kent Simpson (ankle), stopped 46 shots. . . . The Chiefs were ahead 3-0 before Everett got goals from F Tyler Maxwell, his 40th, and F Manraj Hayer, his third. . . . Everett scored on the game’s only power play. Referees Sean Raphael and Shane Warschaw handed out only one minor penalty, that to Spokane F Darren Kramer for instigating. Kramer was involved in his WHL-leading 44th fight. He has 11 points, including six goals, and 290 penalty minutes in 62 games. Kramer, who joined the Chiefs early in October from the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm, also has representation. He has signed with Carlos Sosa and Darcy Tucker of Turning Point Sports Management. . . . F Jake Doty of the Seattle Thunderbirds is a distant second, with 24 fighting majors, while F Ryan Hanes of the Kamloops Blazers has 21. . . . The Chiefs, who have won five in a row, are one point behind the Western Conference- and U.S. Division-leading Portland Winterhawks. Each team has six games remaining, including a season-ending meeting in Portland on March 20. . . . The Silvertips, who have lost five in a row, are tied for sixth with the Chilliwack Bruins, three points ahead of the Prince George Cougars and Kamloops Blazers. . . .
In Kamloops, F Justin Feser, playing his 200th regular-season game, scored with 55.4 seconds left in the third period to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Blazers. . . . Tri-City D Zach Yuen had two goals and an assist, and was plus-4. . . . It was Yuen’s first WHL two-goal game. . . . Kamloops lost F J.C. Lipon with a suspected separated shoulder in the first period. . . . The Americans are eight points behind Spokane so appear headed for a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference. . . . The victory was No. 40 for Tri-City which has won at least that many each of the last five seasons. . . . The Blazers, who have lost four in a row, remain tied with Prince George for the conference’s last playoff spot. Kamloops has four games remaining; the Cougars have five left. . . . They close out the season with a home-and-home set, playing in Kamloops on March 19 and in Prince George on March 20. . . . If they are tied for the last playoff spot at that point, they would play a sudden-death game in the home of the team with the most regular-season victories. At present, each team has 29 victories. The second tiebreaker is the record in games between the teams; the Cougars are 5-1-0 against the Blazers this season.

If you are wanting to watch today’s game from Whitehorse between the Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers, it will be streamed at cbc.ca and whl.ca. . . . The game has a starting time of 4 p.m. PT, but may start as late as 4:30 p.m. . . . The WHL wants to maximize its exposure on Hockey Night in Canada, so has told the TV people that it is prepared to delay the faceoff up to 30 minutes in order to get the best fit with HNIC’s schedule. . . . Perhaps the thinking is this: The NHL game between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs also is to start at 4 p.m., so if the WHL game starts a bit later, its first period might still be in progress during the NHL’s games first intermission. If that is the case, Coach’s Corner could be shown while the WHL game is being played in the background. . . . Just a thought. . . .
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When the Portland Winterhawks exploded for five goals in 1:59 during a 10-5 victory over the host Spokane Chiefs the other night, it got Todd Vrooman to thinking. Vrooman, the son of former Portland play-by-play voice Dean (Scooter) Vrooman, now is the analyst on Winterhawks’ broadcasts. After that game, Todd blogged about the way things used to be, such as the night when Portland pulled its goaltender while leading Spokane 18-2. . . . The franchise in Spokane was called the Flyers in those days.
Vrooman’s piece is right here.
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Neate Sager, over at Yahoo! Sports, takes a look at the challenges facing commissioner Ron Robison, who has been given a five-year contract extension by the WHL’s board of governors. The biggest challenge? Decreasing attendance in some key markets. That piece is right here.
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The Central league’s Dayton Gems have come up with a neat Valentine’s Day promotion, all in the aid of a good cause. They are auctioning off a date with their tough guy. Tom Archdeacon of the Dayton Daily News has the story right here.
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The OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds fired head coach Denny Lambert, who had two years left on his contract, on Jan. 11. Dave Torrie, the general manager, now is also the interim head coach.
Obviously, then, the Greyhounds will have a new head coach for next season.
Craig Hartsburg is a former Soo player and head coach, but he has two seasons left on his contract as head coach of the Everett Silvertips.
So . . . might Hartsburg be interested in returning to the Greyhounds? After all, he spends his summers in the Soo.
"My only focus is here (in Everett)," Hartsburg told Peter Ruicci of the Sault Star. "I can't be thinking, let alone talking, about other things. I wouldn't. It's not fair to Everett. I would say I feel badly for Dave and for Denny and the organization. I hope it all gets straightened out."
Ruicci’s complete column is right here.

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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Sebastian Svendsen scored the lone goal of the shootout as the Warriors beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-4, to halt a four-game losing skid. . . . Earlier, Svendsen had opened the game’s scoring with his 22nd goal, shorthanded, at 2:10 of the first period. . . . The Oil Kings held a 15-4 edge in shots in the third period and forced OT on F Colton Stephenson’s sixth goal at 1:43 of the third. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck had two assists, giving him a team-high 60 points and leaving him three points shy of the franchise’s modern-day single-season record. . . . Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden had a goal, his 32nd, and two assists, while F Dylan Hood had two helpers and Spencer Edwards, the third player on that line, had a goal and an assist. . . . F T.J. Foster had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Moose Jaw D Joel Edmundson, a 17-year-old freshman from Brandon, scored his first WHL goal in his 55th game. He also has 18 assists this season. . . . Attendance was 2,663. . . . The Warriors continue to be without D Dylan McIlrath (knee). . . . Edmonton is in Brandon tonight, while the Warriors are home to Saskatoon. You may have read here earlier about Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken and Moose Jaw head coach Dave Hunchak volleying a few words at each other. Interestingly, Hunchak once played for Molleken with the Blades. As well, Hunchak’s mother, Irene, is an usher during Blades’ games at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon. . . .
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In Regina, F Cody Eakin scored three times to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 5-1 victory over the Ice. . . . There only were four assists awarded on the five Ice goals. Eakin has 28 goals. . . . He also set up one goal. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 34 shots, losing his shutout at 14:38 of the first period when D Myles Bell scored his 12th goal of the season. . . . Attendance was 3,912. . . . Eakin has 10 goals and 10 assists in 10 games since joining the Ice in that trade from the Swift Current Broncos. . . . On the season, he has 59 points in 40 games. . . . The Ice on the season series with Regina, 4-0, outscoring the Pats 21-9 in the process. . . . The Ice has won three in a row and is tied for third in the Central Division with Medicine Hat. . . . Kootenay plays in Swift Current tonight. . . . The Pats, who play visiting Medicine Hat tonight, are four points out of a playoff spot and will have to climb over three teams to get there. That’s a tall order in this era of loser points. . . .
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In Saskatoon, the Blades dropped the Prince Albert Raiders 7-2 as they ran their winning streak to 10 games. . . . The Blades’ franchise record for longest winning streak (13) was set in 1987-88. . . . F Marek Viedensky and F Josh Nicholls each had three assists for Saskatoon, which got two goals from F Chris Collins, who has 17, and two more from F Brayden Schenn. . . . Schenn scored the game’s first two goals, both via the PP. He’s got 11 goals on the season. Schenn has 23 points, including 10 goals, since being acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Jan. 10. . . . On the season, Schenn has 27 points in 12 games. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 25 shots to run his record to 31-3-0. . . . Saskatoon won the season series, 7-1. . . . The Blades were 3-for-5 on the PP. . . . Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken was honoured in a pregame ceremony for having won his 500th game on Jan. 26 in Edmonton. . . . Attendance was 5,833. . . . Blades G Adam Morrison (mononucleosis) has been given the OK to practise. . . . Saskatoon is in Moose Jaw tonight. . . .
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In Brandon, F Michael Ferland completed his first WHL hat trick with a penalty shot score at 3:23 of OT to give the Wheat Kings a 6-5 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Brandon F Matt MacKay, who played last season with the Tigers, scored with 11.9 seconds left in the third period to force OT. . . . Ferland has 16 goals. . . . F Mark Stone had three assists for Brandon. . . . F Linden Vey scored his 37th and 38th goals for the Tigers. He leads the WHL scoring race with 90 points, one more than Spokane F Tyler Johnson. . . . The Tigers trailed 4-3 when Vey scored at 16:25 of the second and again at 3:24 of the third. . . . Brandon F Shayne Wiebe got his 31st and 32nd goals. He scored the first goal of the game for the 10th time this season. . . . In a game that featured 11 goals, there were only four minor and two major penalties. . . . The Tigers scratched F Tyler Pitlick and lost D Matthew Konan after a first-period hit by Wiebe. . . . Attendance was 4,288. . . . Medicine Hat moves over to Regina tonight, while Brandon meets visiting Edmonton. . . . The Wheat Kings now are seventh in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Prince Albert and Swift Current. . . .
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In Lethbridge, F Brett Connolly and F Charles Inglis each scored twice, leading the Prince George Cougars to a 7-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Cougars scored the game’s last four goals. . . . Cougars G Ty Rimmer stopped 31 shots. . . . Connolly has 32 goals, while Inglis has 23. . . . Prince George F Nick Buonassisi had a goal and two assists. . . . Attendance was 3,423. . . . The Cougars are in Calgary tonight, while the Hurricanes are at home to Red Deer. . . . Prince George is sixth in the Western Conference, just four points behind Kelowna and three in front of Everett. . . . The Hurricanes are two points out of a playoff spot. . . .
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In Red Deer, the Rebels scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-1. . . . Red Deer F Byron Froese scored the game’s last two goals, both on the PP. He has 33 goals. . . . Red Deer F Brett Ferguson got his 19th goal and added two assists in running his point streak to 12 games. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins drew two assists. He leads the WHL with 62 helpers. . . . Calgary F Brooks Macek scored on the PP at 6:17 of the second period. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 shots. . . . The Rebels were 3-for-3 on the PP. . . . Red Deer D Alex Petrovic had a goal and an assist before being ejected in the second period with a checking-from-behind major for a hit on Calgary F Danny Gayle. . . . The Rebels already were without injured defencemen Matt Dumba and Justin Weller. . . . With three d-men gone, head coach Jesse Wallin moved Froese to the back end. . . . Attendance was 5,973. . . . The Rebels are in Lethbridge tonight and home to Prince George on Sunday. . . . Prince George is in Calgary tonight. . . .
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In Kelowna, the Chilliwack Bruins scored three times in the shootout and beat the Rockets, 5-4. . . . F Kevin Sundher, F Robin Soudek and F Jamie Crooks scored for the Bruins in what was a six-round shootout. . . . The Rockets held 2-0 and 3-1 leads in the second period. . . . F Ryan Howse pulled the Bruins into a 3-3 tie with two goals, giving him 37. . . . F Colton Sissons restored Kelowna’s lead at 6:29 of the third. . . . Chilliwack F Robin Soudek forced with his 18th goal at 16:52 of the third. . . . The last three third-period goals all came via the PP. . . . The Bruins were 2-for-12 on the PP, while the Rockets were 2-for-4. . . . Kelowna took 55 of the game’s 103 penalty minutes. . . . Rockets F Colton Jobke was tossed late in the second period with an interference major and a game of misconduct. . . . Attendance was 6,089. . . . The loser point lifted the Rockets to within two points of the B.C. Division-leading Vancouver Giants and Kelowna has two games in hand. . . . The Bruins moved to within a point of the Kamloops Blazers, who hold down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Rockets are in Chilliwack tonight for the rematch. . . .
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In Everett, G Mac Engel stopped 23 shots for his second WHL shutout as the Spokane Chiefs blanked the Silvertips, 2-0. . . . Engel is starting in place of the injured James Reid. Earlier, Engel blanked Everett, 3-0, making 18 saves. . . . The Silvertips have been blanked a WHL-high eight times. . . . F Dominik Uher scored the game’s first goal, at 15:20 of the first period, on a PP. . . . F Mitch Holmberg added an empty-netter at 18:51 of the third. . . . Spokane F Tyler Johnson had one assist. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 37 shots. . . . Attendance was 6,112. . . . The Chiefs stayed one point ahead of third-place Tri-City in the U.S. Division, although the Americans hold three games in hand. . . . Everett is seventh in the Western Conference, three points behind Prince George and three ahead of Kamloops. . . . The Chiefs are at home to the Americans tonight. . . .
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In Portland, G Drew Owsley stopped 30 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-0 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Owsley, who won his 30th game of the season, has four shutouts this season and nine in his career. . . . Owsley won 33 games last season. . . . Portland, which had won four straight, was blanked for the first time this season and was the last team to experience that feeling. . . .The Winterhawks had dropped the Americans 8-2 a week earlier. . . . The Americans are 5-2-1 against Portland and will win the season series for a seventh straight season. . . . F Adam Hughesman opened the scoring with his 36th goal of the season, on the PP at 8:35 of the first. . . . Hughesman also had an assist. . . . F Kruise Reddick had a goal and two assists, while F Brendan Shinnimin had two assists and F Connor Rankin had a goal and an assist. . . . The Americans were 2-for-15 on the PP. Yes, 2-for-15. . . . Portland took 51 of the 76 penalty minutes that were handed out. . . . The Winterhawks were 0-for-6. . . . Attendance was 6,352. . . . Portland continues to lead the Western Conference. It is five points ahead of Spokane and six up on Tri-City; the Chiefs hold two games in hand and the Americans five. . . . Portland is in Kent, Wash., to play the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight, while the Americans are in Spokane.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Five minors:
Calgary F Kris Foucault
Portland F Tayler Jordan
Portland D Taylor Wotherspoon (double minor)
Tri-City F David Conrad
One major:
Red Deer D Alex Petrovic

The QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens fired GM/head coach Richard Martel on Wednesday.
Martel is the QMJHL’s winningest head coach, with 589 career victories.
Assistant coach Marc-Étienne Hubert and assistant GM Carl Bouchard were to run the bench for Wednesday’s game against the visiting Rimouski Oceanic.
The Sagueneens went into the game with an 18-22-10 record, good for 13th in the 18-team league. They were fifth in the East Division, four points behind Rimouski.
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D Brodie Melnychuk of the Brandon Wheat Kings will be out indefinitely after having been found to have a fractured left leg.
Melnychuk is the most experienced player on the Brandon roster, having played 249 games.
He was injured Jan. 11 but the fracture wasn’t discovered until it showed up in X-rays this week. In fact, Melnychuk played four games with a sore leg, thinking it was bruised, before the fracture showed up.
Melnychuk, 19, was one of seven defencemen on the Brandon roster. Of the six left, one (Ryley Miller, 18) is a veteran, while the other five are in their freshman seasons — Ryan Pulock (16), Eric Roy (16), Jordan Fransoo (17), Spencer Galbraith (17) and Rene Hunter (17). . . . The Wheat Kings are at home to the Swift Current Broncos tonight, with the Regina Pats in the Wheat City on Friday.
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Former WHL G Kelly Hrudey (Medicine Hat, 1978-81) and two partners — Paul Colborne and David Moir, both of Calgary — have purchased one-third of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers. These three join Bill Gallacher, the Calgary-based businessman who owns the Portland Winterhawks, Ken Wagner, another Alberta-based businessman, and Bill Bestwick, the team’s GM and head coach, in the Clippers’ ownership group.
From a release on the BCHL website:
“Colborne’s background is in the oil-and-gas industry and he is currently on the board of directors for firms including Crescent Point Energy Corp., Legacy Oil & Gas Ltd. and Surge Energy. He was instrumental in the 2006 purchase of the Calgary Stampeders Football Club, helping put the team back into local hands. Colborne is also the creator of the National Sports Development Program that trains young athletes in all sports in the Calgary area.
“Moir has been involved in the NHL for 30 years and worked for the Calgary Flames organization in the 1980s, including the Stanley Cup-winning team of 1989. Since 1990 he has been a key part of the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast team as well as the TSN broadcast team in both the NHL and CFL. David has worked at seven Olympic Games, including the men's hockey games at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.”
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JUST NOTES: F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans is the Husky WHL player of the month for January. Shinnimin, 19, had 29 points in 13 games in January. . . . Darcy Kuemper of the Red Deer Rebels is the Vaughn WHL goaltender of the month. Kuemper, 20, went 9-1-1, 1.74, .937 in January.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, F Shayne Wiebe’s goal at 11:32 of the third period gave the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Wiebe, who has eight goals over his last seven games, has 29 goals this season, three shy of his career high. . . . The Wheat Kings led 2-0 in the first period. . . . The Broncos tied it on F Justin Dowling’s 17th goal at 18:04 of the first period and D Reece Scarlett’s fifth at 9:30 of the second. . . . Broncos G Mark Friesen stopped 43 shots. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone, Brandon D Ryan Pulock and Swift Current F Jordan Peddle each had two assists. . . . Attendance was 3,298, the smallest crowd in Brandon this season. . . . Brandon, which dressed only 16 skaters, lost D Spencer Galbraith when he took a charging major and game misconduct at 2:24 of the second period. . . . The Wheat Kings have won five of seven and now are alone in eighth in the 12-team Eastern Conference, a point behind the Broncos, who have lost seven in a row, and one up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that Broncos F Ryan Bloom, who absorbed the hit from Galbraith, Peddle and F dillong Wagner “all left the game with injuries.” . . .
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In Saskatoon, the Blades got two goals from F Jake Trask as they won their seventh straight game, this one 6-2 over the Regina Pats. . . . It also was Saskatoon’s WHL-leading 40th victory of the season. . . . Saskatoon is 23-2-1 at home. . . . F Brayden Schenn had four assists for the Blades. . . . Trask also had one assist. He’s got 17 goals on the season. . . . Saskatoon D Darren Dietz had two assists and was plus-4. . . . The season series is 2-2. . . . The Blades scored three goals in the game’s first five minutes. . . . Attendance was 3,546. . . . The Pats are 11th, three points behind the eighth-place Brandon Wheat Kings. The Pats are scheduled to play in Brandon on Friday. . . .
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In Prince Albert, F Byron Froese scored three times to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 7-4 victory over the Raiders. . . . Red Deer trailed 3-1 in the first period and 4-2 in the second before scoring the game’s last five goals. . . . Froese, who was acquired from the Everett Silvertips over the summer, has 30 goals this season. . . . F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and three assists for the Rebels, while F John Persson had a goal and two assists. . . . F Igor Revenko scored three times for the Raiders, giving him 16 goals. . . . The Raiders were 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Red Deer G Dawson Guhle stopped 28 shots, seven fewer than the Raiders’ Jamie Tucker. . . . Attendance was 2,122. . . .
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In Lethbridge, the Vancouver Giants scored twice in the shootout and beat the Hurricanes, 5-4. . . . The Giants led 4-2 late in the second period before the Hurricanes forced OT with goals from F Brody Sutter, at 16:50 of the seocnd, and D Mike Reddington, at 7:12 of the third. . . . F Brendan Gallagher and F Andrej Stastny scored for Vancouver in the shootout. . . . Gallagher had a goal, his 34th, and three assists in regulation time. . . . Vancouver F Spencer Bennett had a goal and an assist, as did F Brendan Rowinski. . . . Lethbridge F Austin Fyten (upper body) didn’t play. . . . Attendance was 3,990. . . . Gordie and Marty Howe, both of whom played with Lethbridge GM/head coach Rich Preston with the WHA’s Houston Aeros, were in the house. . . .
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In Kamloops, F Tyler Maxwell broke a 2-2 tie at 16:29 of the third period to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Blazers. . . . Everett has won four in a row for the first time since the first four games of the season. . . . Maxwell scored twice, giving him 35 of Everett’s 133 goals this season. . . . The winner came on the PP. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 36 shots, including 21 in the first period. . . . Everett D Ryan Murray had a goal and an assist. . . . Everett F Parker Stanfield made two key plays that led to Maxwell’s goals. First, he tried a wraparound and the rebound went to Maxwell, who whipped it home. Then, on the winner, Stanfield set a great screen that allowed Maxwell to pick the longside corner on G Jeff Bosch. . . . Attendance was 4,428. . . .
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In Kelowna, F Evan Bloodoff scored twice to lead the Rockets to a 6-4 victory over the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . The Rockets have won seven straight, while the Bruins have lost six in a row. . . . Bloodoff has 14 goals. . . . D Tyson Barrie had three assists for the Rockets. . . . The Bruins got two goals from F Roman Horak, who has 21. . . . The teams were tied 3-3 midway through the second period. . . .Bloodoff broke the tie at 14:38 on a PP, and F Geordie Wudrick made if 5-4 with his 30th goal of the season at 15:12, on another PP. . . . Bloodoff’s first goal, at 8:40 of the second period, was a shorthanded effort. . . .. Kelowna was 2-for-10 on the PP, while Chilliwack was 1-for-6. . . . Attendance was 6,037. . . .
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In Calgary, the Hitmen halted a six-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . One night earlier, the Ice had beaten the visiting Hitmen, 8-0. . . . . The Ice also had beaten the Hitmen seven straight times this season. . . . Kootenay G Nathan Lieuwen, who left Tuesday’s game after a collision with Calgary F Cody Sylvester, wasn’t dressed. Jeff Holick, the radio voice of the Ice, reports that Lieuwen has neck and back spasms and is day-to-day. . . . G Mackenzie Skapski, 16, stopped 25 shots in his second career WHL start. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover made 32 saves, losing his shutout bid on F Matt Fraser’s 23rd goal at 18:02 of the second. . . . F Kris Foucault and F Jimmy Bubnick each notched his 16th goal for Calgary. . . . Attendance was 7,222. . . . The Ice has returned D Mike Simpson to the junior B Port Moody, B.C., Black Panthers and F Levi Cable to the midget AAA Yorkton, Sask., Harvest. At the same time, according to Holick, the Ice is bringing in D Jeff Hubic, a fourth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, from the midget AAA Tisdale, Sask., Trojans for the next four games. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., D Matt MacKenzie’s OT goal gave the host Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton oil Kings. . . . MacKenzie scored his fifth goal just 53 seconds into OT. It came on the PP. . . . Tri-City F Jordan Messier forced OT with his 23rd goal, on the PP, at 15:39 of the third period. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck had given his side a 3-2 lead with his 30th goal at 11:38 of the third. . . . Wruck, who scored twice in a 4-2 victory over Seattle on Tuesday, set the Oil Kings’ modern day franchise record for goals in a season. F Brenden Dowd scored 29 in 2008-09. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin had two assists for Tri-City, running his point streak to 20 games. He has 44 points over that stretch. . . . Tri-City G Chris Driedger stopped 23 shots to earn his second victory in his third WHL start. It was his ninth appearance of the season. . . . Edmonton G Jon Groenheyde stopped 42 shots. . . . Edmonton D Braeden Laroque left at 7:02 of the first period with a boarding major and a game misconduct. . . . Tri-City was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 3,588. . . . The loser point was big for the Oil Kings, who are sixth in the Eastern Conference and now are five points ahead of the seventh-place Swift Current Broncos. Edmonton, which is in Portland on Friday, opened its U.S. swing with that 4-2 victory over Seattle on Tuesday.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Four minors:
Prince Albert D Harrison Ruopp
Kamloops D Austin Madaisky
Edmonton F Kristians Pelss (double minor)

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