Showing posts with label Cale Fleury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cale Fleury. Show all posts

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Player, family need our help ... Records for Harkins, Sandhu, Wotherspoon, Outhouse ... 'Hawks stun Rockets


F Blair Jones (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2002-06) has been released by the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). He had seven goals and 12 assists in 30 games.
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 Brevin Gervais, a fourth-round selection by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2015 bantam draft, underwent
BREVIN GERVAIS
emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops on Friday.
Gervais, a defenceman who also is a terrific baseball player, turned 17 on Jan. 15. From Prince George, he was playing with the junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. The 6-foot-2, 17-pounder had two goals and eight assists in 36 games.
According to a Facebook posting that included a link to a gofundme site, Gervais underwent a nine-hour operation. The posting indicated that he “has shown great signs since then but still faces a long road to recovery.”
His family indicated that he “has opened eyes for a longer period of time and responded on both sides of body moving both legs and both hands.”
If you would like to help out the family cover travel expenses, the gofundme site is right here.
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D Cale Fleury of the Kootenay Ice was named Saturday as an injury replacement for the Top Prospects Game that is scheduled for Monday in Quebec City. From Calgary, Fleury is in his third season with the Ice. He has eight goals and 22 assists in 49 games. . . . Fleury replaces D Jarret Tyszka of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who was injured in a game on Tuesday and hasn’t played since then.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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The WHL didn’t schedule any games for Wednesday and Thursday of last week, but is playing right through the Top Prospects Game that is scheduled for Monday in Quebec City.
So if one of your favourite players isn’t in the lineup for the next day or three, it may have nothing to do with an injury.
The WHLers who are scheduled to play in the TPG: D Cale Fleury, Kootenay Ice; D Cal Foote, Kelowna Rockets; F Cody Glass, Portland Winterhawks; D Henri Jokiharju, Portland; F Jake Leschyshyn, Regina Pats; F Kole Lind, Kelowna; F Stelio Mattheos, Brandon Wheat Kings; D Artyom Minulin, Swift Current Broncos; F Nolan Patrick, Brandon; F Nikita Popugaev, Prince George Cougars; F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City Americans; G Ian Scott, Prince Albert Raiders; G Stuart Skinner, Lethbridge Hurricanes; D Juuso Valimaki, Tri-City; and F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane Chiefs.
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I stopped being a typical fan a long time ago. That’s what more than 40 years in sports journalism does to you. I can sit at home and watch a game and talk to the TV screen. But I can’t go to a game and watch live with anything but a critical eye. . . . In a piece right here at seattlepi.com, Jim Moore explains all of that and more.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:


At Edmonton, F Jansen Harkins wrote his name in the Prince George Cougars’ record book during an 11-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Harkins drew three assists, the first of which allowed him to become
JANSEN HARKINS
Prince George’s all-time assists leader with No. 153. The previous record had been held by F Troy Bourke (2009-14). . . . F  Radovan Bondra gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 1:16 of the first period. . . . The Oil Kings tied it on D Will Warm’s eighth goal at 2:28. . . . The Cougars went back out front at 6:15 when F Jesse Gabrielle (23) scored, on a PP, at 6:15. . . . Edmonton tied it again, this time on a goal from F Tyler Robertson (12) at 14:14. . . . The Cougars then scored the next seven goals, including three more in the first period. . . . Bondra added another goal, giving him 25, while F Colby McAuley also scored twice. He’s got 18. D Tate Olson (6), F Brad Morrison (20), F Brogan O’Brien (9), F Kody McDonald (11) and D Josh Anderson (1) also scored. . . . The Cougars got two assists from each of D Sam Ruopp, McAuley, O’Brien, McDonald and F Jared Bethune. . . . Morrison picked up one assist, the 100th of his career. . . . F Graham Millar had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Nick McBride blocked 19 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Oil Kings started G Patrick Dea, who was beaten eight times on 29 shots in two periods. Josh Dechaine gave up three goals on 15 shots in one period. . . . The Cougars went 4-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-3. . . . According to Corey Graham, the radio voice of the Oil Kings, it was the third time in franchise history that they have allowed 11 goals in one game. . . . The Cougars (35-14-3) are tied with Regina atop the overall standings, but the Pats have six games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (18-27-4) have lost 10 in a row and haven’t won since the Jan. 10 trade deadline. They are six points out of a wld-card spot. . . . These same teams will meet again this afternoon in Edmonton. That may have had something to do with the teams combining for 106 penalty minutes, 65 to the Oil Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 9,321.
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At Kelowna, F Joachim Blichfeld scored at 19:56 of the third period to give the Portland Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Rockets. . . . Blichfeld, a freshman from Frederikshavn, Denmark, also had two assists.
JOACHIM BLICHFELD
The 18-year-old has 38 points, 16 of them goals, in 40 games. . . . The Rockets held a 4-1 lead early in the second period before Portland roared back. . . . F Nick Merkley (12) gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 2:53 of the first period, only to have F Colton Veloso tie it with his 12th goal, on a PP, at 3:58. . . . The Rockets got the next three goals, with D Gordie Ballhorn (2) scoring at 13:45 and F Kyle Topping (10) counting at 14:34. F Reid Gardiner got his third goal at 4:29 of the second period. . . . Merkley assisted on the last two of those goals. . . . F Skyler McKenzie started the comeback with his 31st goal, on a PP, at 8:34 of the second. . . . F Ryan Hughes (22) cut the deficit to one at 9:25 of the third period and F Jake Gricius (4) tied it at 12:51 of the third period. . . . McKenzie also had two assists, including one on the game-winner. The second one was his 100th career point. . . . McKenzie, who turned 19 on Jan. 20, has 59 points in 49 games. He went into this season with 41 points, including 12 goals, in 138 games. . . . G Shane Farkas, who turned 18 on Jan. 12, stopped 31 shots. The Penticton, B.C., native is 2-2-0. . . . The Rockets got 31 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Portland was 2-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-5. . . . The Winterhawks (25-21-3) have won three in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Rockets (27-19-4) have lost two straight and have fallen to fourth in the B.C. Division, two points behind the Victoria Royals. Kelowna does hold down the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,318.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jakob Stukel and D Jake Bean enjoyed four-point nights as the Calgary Hitmen
JAKOB STUKEL
dumped the Kootenay Ice, 8-3. . . . Stukel scored once, his 16th, and added three assists, while Bean recorded four assists. . . . The Hitmen actually fell behind 2-1 in the first period before opening the second period with four straight goals. . . . Calgary took a 1-0 lead when F Matteo Gennaro scored, on a PP, at 1:01. . . . F Vince Loschiavo and F Brett Davis (12) scored PP goals, at 9:20 and 11:18, to give the Ice that 2-1 edge. . . . Stukel tied it with another PP goal, at 1:19 of the second period and F Luke Coleman (10) gave Calgary the lead at 3:41. . . . Goals from F Andrew Fyten (5) at 4:23 and F Tyler Mrkonjic (5) at 10:50 put the visitors in control. . . . Loschiavo added another goal, his 18th, and also had an assist. . . . Gennaro ended up with two goals, giving him 31 this season. He has 21 goals in January. Last season, he totalled a career-high 18 goals in 42 games with the Prince Albert Raiders and 28 with Calgary. . . . F Beck Malenstyn (20) and F Mark Kastelic (9) also scored for the Hitmen. . . . Calgary got three assists from D Vladislav Yeryomenko, two from F Andrei Grishakov, and one each from Coleman and Mrkonjic. . . . F Colton Kroeker had two assists for the Ice, giving him five points in two games, while D Dallas Hines had two and Davis added one. . . . G Trevor Martin stopped 15 shots for Calgary. . . . Ice starter Jakob Walter allowed seven goals on 27 shots over 50:06, with Payton Lee stopping five of six shots over 9:54. . . . The Hitmen were 3-4 on the PP; the Ice was 3-6. . . . Calgary (18-21-9) had lost four in a row (0-1-3). It now is one point out of a wild-card spot. . . . The Ice slipped to 12-31-8. . . . Announced attendance: 1,783.
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At Medicine Hat, F Matt Bradley had a goal and two assists to help the Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Tigers had to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the latter part of the second p
MATT BRADLEY
eriod. . . . Medicine Hat took a 1-0 lead on F Mason Shaw’s 18th goal, at 2:13 of the first period. . . . Brandon took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Connor Gutenberg (11), on a PP, at 1:58 of the second and F Ty Lewis (23) at 13:05. . . . The Tigers tied it at 13:49 when F James Hamblin scored his 12th goal and took the lead at 19:33 on F Ryan Jevne’s goal. . . . Bradley upped the lead to 4-2 with his 21st goal, on a PP, at 3:46 of the third. . . . F Tanner Kaspick’s 16th goal, at 4:00, got Brandon to within a goal, but the Tigers put it away with goals from F Chad Butcher, his 22nd, at 16:50 and an empty-netter from Jevne, his second goal of the game and eighth of the season. . . . F Zach Russell (3) scored for Brandon at 19:08. . . . The Tigers got two assists from D Kristans Rubins. . . . The Tigers lost Hamblin and Shaw in the first period, both leaving while bleeding from facial injuries. . . . Hamblin, who was injured when he was checked and fell into the boards, returned. Shaw didn’t return after taking a skate to the face. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 18 shots for the Tigers, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson turned aside 29. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-4. . . . Medicine Hat (34-15-1) has won three in a row and is tied with the Everett Silvertips for third place in the overall standings. . . . The Wheat Kings (23-19-5), who play their third game in fewer than 48 hours today in Calgary, have lost two in a row. They are in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,732.
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At Prince Albert, F Cavin Leth tied the game and then set up the winning goal as the Raiders beat the Moose Jar Warriors, 5-4. . . . Moose Jaw overcame a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead, only to have Leth tie
CAVIN LETH
the score with his 15th goal, shorthanded, at 4:12 of the third period. . . . The Raiders won it when Leth set up F Cole Fonstand for his ninth goal, on a PP, at 13:35. . . . F Justin Almeida had given Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead at 4:12 of the first period. . . . Prince Albert responded with three straight goals. . . . F Parker Kelly (9) scored at 7:34 of the first period, with F Curtis Miske getting his 10th at 8:15. F Simon Stransky’s 14th goal, on a PP, 15 seconds into the second period gave the home said a 3-1 lead. . . . The Warriors skated to a 4-3 lead with goals from F Brayden Burke, his 16th, on a PP, at 4:03; Almeida, with his second of the game and sixth of the season, at 4:47, and F Thomas Foster (13), at 1:18 of the third period. . . . Stransky also had an assist. . . . Foster and Burke each had an assist for the Warriors. . . . The Raiders got 27 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . Moose Jaw starter Brody Willms allowed three goals on 11 shots in 20:15. Zach Sawchenko finished up by stopping 12 of 14 shots in 38:26. . . . Prince Albert was 2-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-5. . . . The Raiders improved to 12-35-5. . . . The Warriors (30-13-7) had a four-game winning streak come to an end. They are second in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 2,023.
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At Red Deer, G Tyler Brown stopped 31 shots in leading the Pats to a 4-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . Brown earned his 20th victory — he is 20-4-6 — in his first appearance since Jan. 13. . . . The Pats
TYLER BROWN
scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Filip Ahl got it started with No. 22, on a PP, at 7:40 of the first period. . . . F Adam Brooks made it 2-0 with another PP goal, this one at 19:43. . . . Regina had a 17-4 edge in first-period shots. . . . Brooks scored again, giving him 28, at 3:17 of the second period. . . . Red Deer’s goal game from F Adam Musil, his 18th, on a PP, at 5:49 of the second. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan got Regina’s last goal, his fifth, at 3:18 of the third. That was Sloboshan’s first goal in 11 games with the Pats since being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs on Jan. 2. . . . Sloboshan also had an assist. . . . The Rebels got 34 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Regina was 2-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-5. . . . The Rebels lost D Alexander Alexeyev with an injury to his right leg in the third period. Later, Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, told reporters that “he’s in quite a bit of pain right now. I’m not sure exactly what it is. It doesn’t look good, though.” . . . Regina (33-6-7) has won four in a row and remains tied with the Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . The Rebels (22-21-7) had won their previous two games. They are third in the Central Division, six points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 5,505.
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At Saskatoon, F Jordy Bellerive scored two goals to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 3-1 victory over
JORDY BELLERIVE
the Blades. . . . The Hurricanes now have points in 10 straight games (8-0-2). . . . F Zak Zborosky’s 32nd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 16:21 of the second period. . . . Bellerive made it 2-0 at 17:49. . . . The Blades got to within a goal when D Jake Kustra scored his first goal at 18:14. . . . That was Kustra’s second career goal and came in his 85th game. . . . Bellerive put it away with a shorthanded goal at 12:14 of the third period. He’s got 23 goals. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 27 shots for the Hurricanes as he improved to 4-2-2 this season. With G Stuart Skinner away at the Top Prospects Game, the Hurricanes didn’t list a backup goaltender on the online game sheet. . . . The Blades got 27 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . Lethbridge was 0-4 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-7. . . . The Hurricanes (28-15-7) are a comfortable second in the Central Division. . . . The Blades (20-24-6) have lost two straight after winning five in a row. They are in the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot but hold only a one-point lead over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 4,124.
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At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear scored at 18:51 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie and give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Everett, the league’s least-penalized team,
ETHAN BEAR
surrendered a 2-1 lead on two PP goals in the second half of the third period. . . . The Silvertips took a 1-0 lead when F Dominic Zwerger scored his 21st goal at 16:00 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar tied it at 3:56 of the second period. . . . Everett went back out front when F Patrick Bajkov got No. 21 at 15:20. . . . That lead held until 12:54 of the third period when Kolesar got his second goal of the game, and 10th of the season, tipping in a Bear shot on a PP. . . . Bear then won it with his 16th goal of the season. . . . F Mathew Barzal had three assists, while Kolesar had one. . . . Bajkov also had an assist. . . . Seattle G Matt Berlin, in his first start since Dec. 28, stopped 21 shots. . . . The Silvertips got 27 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Seattle was 2-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-2. . . . The Thunderbirds (28-15-4) have won four straight. They are third in the U.S. Division, three points behind the Tri-City Americans and with five games in hand. . . . The Silvertips (30-8-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are tied for third in the overall standings, four points from the top rung. . . . F Dawson Butt, a 16-year-old from Buckley, Wash., played his second game with the Everett. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Dawson is the son of Jamie Butt, who played four seasons (1992-96) with the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets. . . . Announced attendance: 5,075.
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At Kennewick, Wash., D Dylan Coghlan and F Kyle Olson each had a goal and three assists as the Tri-City Americans skated to an 8-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Tri-City took control of this one with
TYLER SANDHU
three goals before the game was five minutes old. . . . Olson scored his 13th goal at 1:27 of the first period, with Coghlan getting No. 8 at 2:16 and D Parker Wotherspoon counting his eighth, while shorthanded, at 4:26. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 24th goal got Spokane on the scoreboard at 5:59, but the Americans got that one back when F Vladislav Lukin scored his 20th goal at 9:36. . . . F Hudson Elynuik (18) pulled the Chiefs to within two at 9:00 of the second period, but F Jordan Topping restored the three-goal margin with his 14th just three minutes later. . . . Spokane F Eli Zummack (7) made it 5-3 at 16:44. . . . The Americans put it away with three third-period goals. . . . F Tyler Sandhu got his 13th goal, and his 200th career point, at 13:25. He has split 298 regular season games between Tri-City, the Everett Silvertips and Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Morgan Geekie (27) and F Vladislav Lukin (21) added goals before the period ended. . . . Geekie also had two assists, with Topping, Lukin and Wotherspoon picking up one apiece. . . . Wotherspoon’s assist was No. 132 in his career, tying him for first in the franchise’s record book with Tyler Schmidt (2006-11). . . . Anderson-Dolan and Elynuik had an assist each for Spokane. . . . G Rylan Parenteau blocked 35 shots for the Americans. . . . G Dawson Weatherill gave up six goals on 19 shots in 42:16 for the Chiefs, with Jayden Sittler stopping two of four shots in 17:44. . . . The Americans were 0-1 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-4. . . . Tri-City (30-19-3) had lost its previous two games. It is second in the U.S. Division, six points behind the Everett Silvertips, who have five games in hand. . . . Spokane (20-22-8) has lost three in a row (0-2-1) and is five points from a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,015.
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At Victoria, F Dante Hannoun and F Matt Phillips had two goals each to help the Royals to a 7-1 victory
DANTE HANNOUN
over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals had beaten the Giants, 3-1, in Langley, B.C., on Friday night. . . . They’ll play again today, 5:05 p.m., in Victoria. . . . F Jordan Borstmayer’s fourth goal gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 12:58 of the first period. . . . Victoria scored the next seven goals. . . . Phillips tied it with No. 36 at 17:52 and Hannoun gave the home team a 2-1 lead with his 16th at 6:03 of the second period. . . . Phillips later got No. 37. He’s second in the WHL, one behind F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Royals also got goals from D Scott Walford (4), F Ethan Price (6) and F Carter Folk (4). . . . Victoria got two assists from each of D Chaz Reddekopp and F Regan Nagy, with Walford and Phillips adding one apiece. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots to pick up his WHL-leading 28th victory, one more than Nick Schneider of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He has started a franchise record 23 straight games. He broke the previous record (21), that had been held by Lucas Gore (Chilliwack Bruins, 2010-11). . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck turned aside 26 shots. . . . Victoria was 1-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Royals (28-19-4) have won two straight and have moved into third in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kamloops Blazers and two ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Giants (17-29-4) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) and seven of eight since the trade deadline. . . . Announced attendance: 5,604.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Brandon at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Prince George at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Kamloops at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 4 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2017

CHL, teams file financials with court . . . Toigo into B.C. Hall . . . Outhouse with back-to-back shutouts


F Zdeněk Bahenský (Saskatoon, 2004-06) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Sterzing/Vipiteno (Italy, Alps HL). He was released last week released from a tryout contract with Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) that was signed on Jan. 10. He didn’t appear in a game for Mladá Boleslav. Earlier this season, he had two goals and nine assists in 22 games with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga). He was released on Dec. 31.
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 The CHL, along with 22 WHL teams and 20 from the OHL have obeyed a court order and turned over tax and financial statements dating back to 2011 as a potential class-action lawsuit continues to make its way through the courts. Rick Westhead of TSN reports that “the CHL has asked a judge to seal those records, which will be used to establish the profitability of teams and major junior leagues.” . . . There now are “at least 351 current and former players” involved in the lawsuit that asks that major junior players be paid at least minimum wage. . . . What’s next? Arguments over the sealing of the financial records are to be heard in Calgary on Jan. 24. . . . Westhead’s complete story is right here.
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Major junior operators have stated that if they were to pay minimum wage to players, some of their franchises would be forced out of business. If that’s the case, why not simply make all the tax and financial information available? That’s what Ken Campbell of The Hockey News wonders right here.
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They call it ‘Welcome to the World’ and it’s one of the best annual promotions in major junior hockey.
For a second straight season, the Saskatoon Blades are staging a ‘Welcome to the World’ promotion, with this one set for Jan. 22 as they play host to the Swift Current Broncos at 2 p.m.
The Blades and Ecologik, with help from the Open Door Society, will welcome newcomers to Canada to the game and will help turn it into a real experience.
From a Blades news release:
“Prior to the game, they will go through a ‘Hockey 101’ to learn all things about hockey. Then they will take in the Blades and Swift Current Broncos game, and afterwards they will all hit the ice with the Blades and try it out for themselves for the first time. There also will also be a citizenship ceremony taking place for 20 newcomers. This will mark the first time a junior hockey team has staged a citizenship ceremony in Western Canada.”
Last season, there were 400 newcomers on hand to take part in the event.
The Blades and Ecologik will take care of tickets and transportation for the newcomers. Bob Behari, Ecologik’s founder, arrived in Canada from India in 1977.
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John Diefenbaker was the prime minister of Canada when he rose in the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 29, 1966 and said: “I mention the historic nature of Prince Albert. I am not here for the purpose of advertising my constituency, but we are the only constituency in Canada that has ever been represented by three Prime Ministers.”
With 2017 being Canada’s 150th birthday, the Raiders will wear commemorative sweaters bearing the likenesses of Diefenbaker, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King during a game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Jan. 27.
The backs of the sweaters are the really neat part, as they contain quotes from each of those men.
Diefenbaker: “I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I think wrong and free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”
Mackenzie King: “A true man does not only stand up for himself, he stands up for those that do not have the ability to.”
Laurier: “We do not anticipate, and we do not want, that any individuals should forget the land of their origins or their ancestors. Let them look to the past, but let them also look to the future; let them look to the land of their ancestors, but let them look also to the land of their children.”
From a Raiders news release:
“The jerseys will be available through silent auction, beginning Wednesday, January 18 at 10 a.m. CT. Bids open at $250, but a jersey can be bought outright for $450. Online bidding will continue until 5 p.m. CT on Jan. 27. Any jerseys left unsold will be available through silent auction during the game. The winners will be declared five minutes into the third period.”
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Mark Cheyne, the owner of the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, is in talks with the junior A league’s board of governors as he hopes to get the OK to move his franchise to North Delta, B.C., where it would play out of the Sungod Arena.
BCHL
The governors’ two-day meetings wrap up today (Wednesday) in Richmond, B.C.
What makes Cheyne’s request so interesting is that the Warriors are the defending national champions.
“It’s about a chance to break even there because we just can’t break even here, you know,” Cheyne told Tom Zillich of Surrey Now. “It’s just a better move financially. With the Rockets here and everything, it’s just a case of (people) don’t support it here as well as they need to, that’s for sure, even with a national championship, a really good team last (season). I was told all along, for 10 years, that once we get over that hump, win the division, win something, things will change here drastically, but that’s just not the case.”
The Lower Mainland already is home to three other BCHL franchises -- the Coquitlam Express, Langley Rivermen and Surrey Eagles.
BCHL commissioner John Grisdale told Zillich before the meetings that “there may or may not be a decision on that. The league will look where it’s at, where its existing franchises are, to see what’s best for the league. We have 17 franchises, and we have to consider what’s best for them.”
It’s believed that the governors also would be talking about the possibility of a WHL franchise landing in Nanaimo in time for next season. Nanaimo has been home to a BCHL franchise, the Clippers, since 1972.
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The future of a new $86.6-million arena in Nanaimo will hinge on the outcome of a referendum that is likely to be held on March 11.
On Monday, Nanaimo city council approved a $130,000 budget for a referendum that it recommended be held on March 11.
Tamara Cunningham of the Nanaimo News Bulletin reports that the next steps are “for council to give the initial readings of a loan authorization bylaw, set the question for the vote, and for the chief election officer to formally give the election date.”
Cunningham’s story is right here.
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Ron Toigo, the majority owner and president of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, is among those who will be inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame on July 28 in Penticton.
Thomas Gradin and Tony Tanti, a pair of former Vancouver Canucks forwards, also will be inducted, while Dave Nonis, a former Canucks general manager, Brad Lazarowich, a one-time WHL on-ice official who went on to a lengthy career as an NHL linesman, and John Shannon of Rogers Sportsnet will join Toigo in the builders’ category.
Toigo was first involved in the WHL as the owner of the Tri-City Americans, a franchise he sold in 2000 when he purchased the Giants as an expansion franchise. He has been instrumental in bringing numerous events to Vancouver, including two World Junior Championships and a Memorial Cup tournament.
Also being inducted will be the Powell River Regals, who captured the 1997 Allan Cup title as Canada’s senior men’s champions.
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Former WHL star Joe Sakic will be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame on May 21 in Cologne, Germany. That is the final day of the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
During his playing career, Sakic helped Team Canada win the 1988 World Junior Championship, 1994 World championship and 2002 Winter Olympic Games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
Sakic, 47, played two seasons (1986-88) with the Swift Current Broncos. He was the Eastern Division’s most valuable player in 1986-87 and the league’s MVP for 1987-88. In 139 regular-season games, Sakic put up 293 points, including 138 goals.
Sakic now is the executive vice-president of hockey operations and general manager with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
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JUST NOTES:

Ryan Flaherty of Global TV in Saskatoon reports that Blades F Mason McCarty has “had a setback in his rehab” and will be out 3-4 more weeks. . . . McCarty last played on Nov. 25. He has 23 points, including 14 goals, in 26 games. . . . 
The Kootenay Ice has brought in F Peyton Krebs, who will turn 16 on Jan. 26, from the midget AAA UBA Bisons. From Okotoks, Alta., Krebs has 29 points, including 12 goals, in 23 games with the Bisons. He was the first-overall pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He has two assists in three earlier games with Kootenay. . . . 
The Ice has named D Cale Fleury as team captain. F Vince Loschiavo, F Austin Wellsby and D Kurtis Rutledge are the alternate captains. The Ice played the first half of the season without a captain. 
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Kamloops, G Connor Ingram made his first start for the Blazers since Dec. 4 and they beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 4-1. . . . Ingram stopped 24 shots, losing his shutout bid at 11:24 of the third period when F
CONNOR INGRAM
Thomas Foster (12) scored on a PP. . . . Ingram spent the better part of a month with Canada’s national junior team and then got to spent a few days relaxing at his family’s home in Imperial, Sask. In his absence, G Dylan Ferguson made 15 straight starts. . . . F Garrett Pilon gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead with his 10th goal, at 9:50 of the first period. . . . D Joe Gatenby’s sixth goal, on a PP, 45 seconds into the second period would prove to be the winner. That was Gatenby's sixth goal in 45 games with Kamloops. He played his first 174 games with the Kelowna Rockets and have five goals. . . . F Deven Sideroff added his 26th goal, on another PP, at 1:31 of the third period, and F Rudolfs Balzers got his 24th goal at 10:09. . . . F Lane Bauer had two assists for Kamloops, with Pilon, Gatenby and Sideroff adding one apiece. . . . The Warriors got 32 saves from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Kamloops was 2-4 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-3. . . . It was the 705th regular-season victory of Don Hay’s WHL head-coaching career. . . . With Ingram back, the Blazers returned G Max Palaga to the Kamloops-based Thompson Blazers of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . Kamloops (27-16-3) has won two in a row and is second in the B.C. Division, two points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets, who are at home to the Warriors tonight. . . . Moose Jaw (26-12-7) has lost two in a row and is 1-2-0 on a B.C. Division swing. The Warriors are second in the East Division, a point ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 3,295.
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At Prince George, the Cougars erased a 3-1 third-period deficit and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . The teams are scheduled to meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . F Radovan Bondra got the
BRAD MORRISON
comeback started just 22 seconds into the third period with his 22nd goal. . . . F Kody McDonald tied the score with No. 10 at 9:15. . . . F Brad Morrison (18) broke the tie at 11:45. . . . F Jansen Harkins had given the home team a 1-0 lead with his 13th goal, at 9:07 of the first period. . . . Portland scored the next three goals. . . . F Ryan Hughes ran his goal streak to four games with No. 17, at 13:21 of the first. . . . F Skyler McKenzie got his 29th, shorthanded, at 4:03 of the second. . . . F Alex Overhardt made it 3-1 with a PP goal at 6:37. He’s got seven goals. . . . Harkins and McDonald added an assist. . . . D Henri Jokiharju had two assists for Portland. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 33 shots for the Cougars. . . . G Shane Farkas, making his first WHL start for the Winterhawks, made 34 saves. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Prince George was 0-3. . . . D Sam Ruopp and F Jesse Gabrielle were among the Cougars’ scratches. Ruopp has an undisclosed injury. Gabrielle sat out Game 1 of a three-game suspension. That was for a cross-checking major and game misconduct he incurred at the final buzzer of a game in Calgary on Jan. 14. . . . The Winterhawks are without F Keegan Iverson, their 20-year-old captain, who was hurt on Friday in a game against the visiting Spokane Chiefs and didn’t play Saturday in the rematch. Iverson isn’t on this four-game road trip. . . . Portland also scratched D Shaun Dosanjh, their other active 20-year-old. . . . Portland had F Ty Westgard in their lineup. Westgard, who turned 19 on Jan. 1, has been playing with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. The Winterhawks acquired his rights from the Victoria Royals earlier this season. . . . The Cougars (32-12-2) have won four in a row. They are back atop the overall standings, one point ahead of the Regina Pats, who do hold five games in hand. . . . The Winterhawks (22-20-1) have lost two straight. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 2,555.
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At Kent, Wash., Seattle’s big line accounted for six points as the Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp, playing on a line with Mathew Barzal and Keegan Kolesar, had two
RYAN GROPP
assists, giving him 200 career points. He has 93 goals and 107 assists in 228 games. . . . Barzal (4) scored the game’s first goal, at 12:42 of the first period. . . . Everett F Matt Fonteyne tied it with his 14th goal, on a PP, at 15:59. . . . Kolesar’s eighth goal, at 12:28 of the second period, would prove to be the winner. . . . Seattle F Alexander True put his 13th goal into an empty net at 19:29 of the third period. . . . Barzal and Kolesar each had an assist. . . . G Rylan Toth turned aside 23 shots for the Thunderbirds. . . . The Silvertips got 30 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Seattle was 0-2. . . . The Silvertips were playing their fourth game (3-0-1) in five nights and their fifth in seven. They now get two days off before going into a three-game weekend. When that’s over, they will have played eight games in 12 days. . . . The Thunderbirds had beaten the host Silvertips, 4-3 in OT, on Saturday night. . . . Everett was without F Devon Skoleski, who didn’t finish Monday’s 5-4 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets. . . . Linesmen Zach Brooks left in first period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Seattle (24-14-5) has won six straight and is a comfortable third in the U.S. Division, seven points behind the Tri-City Americans and seven ahead of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Everett (28-6-8) had points in each of its previous five games (3-0-2). The Silvertips are third in the overall standings, one point behind the Regina Pats and two in arrears of the Prince George Cougars. . . . Announced attendance: 5,019.
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At Langley, B.C., G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots to lead the Victoria Royals to a 3-0 victory over
GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
the Vancouver Giants. . . . Outhouse has four shutouts this season and eight in his two-season career. He has posted back-to-back shutouts, stopping 61 combined shots, since giving up seven goals in a 9-2 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday. . . . D Ryan Gagnon gave the Royals a 1-0 lead at 6:35 of the first period and that was the only goal Outhouse would need to post his 24th victory this season. . . . The Royals got insurance from F Tyler Soy (19), at 4:32 of the second period, and F Matt Phillips (29), on a PP, at 11:45 of the third. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic stopped 39 shots. . . . Victoria was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-2. . . . These teams will meet again later this month when they clash on Jan. 27, 28 and 29. The first of those is scheduled for Langley, with the last two in Victoria. . . . Including this game, eight of Victoria’s final 27 games will be against Vancouver. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson missed his seventh straight game with an undisclosed injury. . . . Victoria (24-18-4) has won two in a row. The Royals are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kelowna Rockets. Victoria is in possession of the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Vancouver (16-26-3) has suffered six straight losses and is 10 points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,675.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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