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Like a monster in a horror movie, just when you thought the mumps had left the WHL, the illness may have raised its ugly head again.
The Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers and Swiift Current Broncos have dealt with mumps
However, the Victoria Royals, in Kamloops for a Wednesday/Friday doubleheader with the Blazers, isolated head coach Dave Lowry and one play before the second game after they showed symptoms of mumps.
Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, told Taking Note that no one was yet sure if it is the mumps, “but always better to be safe than sorry until test results (come) back.”
Hope added that the Royals had “isolated a player and coach as per protocol.”
Prior to Friday’s game in Kamloops, arena security posted warnings throughout the arena, asking fans to stay away from players. This is the same protocol that was followed last month.
With Lowry gone, assistant coach Dan Price controlled the bench with help from Hope, who ran the defence.
Price said prior to the game that he couldn’t remember the last time he had flown solo behind a bench, so was grateful to have Hope there.
Doug Bodger, the Royals’ other assistant coach, wasn’t in Kamloops with the team, but is expected to get to Kelowna in time for a Saturday game with the Rockets.
The Royals, playing their third game in four nights, lost 6-2 to the Blazers last night. Victoria will play its fourth game in five nights today in Kelowna.
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If you’re a hockey fan, this piece right here may be the best thing you will read in 2017. Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail explores how coaching in the NHL got from there to here, and it’s fantastic.
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The owners of the Elmira Jackals have informed the ECHL that they won’t return for another season. The ECHL’s board of governors already has approved the request for a voluntary suspension of operations. The Jackals have been in operation for 17 years. . . . This follows on the heels of an announcement by the Anchorage-based Alaska Aces that they won’t be back for another season. . . . At the moment, the ECHL includes 27 teams -- one in Canada and 26 scattered across the U.S. It once was known as the East Coast Hockey League but now simply is the ECHL.
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Mike Reagan will be back for an 11th season with the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers. It will be his 11th season as the team’s head coach. For the past five seasons, he also has been the general manager. The Bombers will make their 10th playoff appearance under Reagan this season. He was working under a one-year contract that was agreed to in May. A Toronto native, Reagan will turn 38 on March 18. He played two seasons (1998-2000) with the Bombers before spending four seasons at Sacred Heart University. . . . Reagan has a 316-206-48 regular-season record with the Bombers, who reached the championship final last season. This season, they finished 39-14-5 and atop the Sherwood Division.
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After 15 seasons, Walt Kyle is out as head coach of the Northern Michigan U Wildcats, who play out of Marquette. The school made the announcement early Friday.
Later in the day, the Marquette Country Sheriff’s Office arrested Kyle. He was charged with one count each of residential mortgage fraud and forgery of documents. He was released on bond. According to Sam Ali of ABC 10 Sports in Marquette, “The case alleges that Kyle committed forgery and fraud with River Valley Bank while obtaining a mortgage in 2014.”
George Hyde, Kyle’s attorney, released this statement on Friday night:
"These charges against my client, Mr. Walt Kyle, are extremely unfortunate and a prime example of misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the facts.
"The facts are the following: while married to his former wife, his former wife granted him a general power of attorney on her behalf, which authorized him to sign her name on her behalf on any financial documents. While still married, Mr. Kyle and his then wife, Ann Kyle, jointly decided to refinance an existing bank loan in order to complete certain home repairs. Mr. Kyle did nothing more than sign his wife's name to the loan documents, with his wife's full knowledge and consent. The home repairs were completed while Mr. Kyle and Ann Kyle were still married.
"During subsequent divorce proceedings, Ann Kyle sought to avoid responsibility for the loans by falsely claiming no knowledge of them. That didn't work, and the judge in the divorce correctly determined that the loan was a joint debt. This loan was paid in full during the divorce proceedings.
"Undeterred, Ann Kyle has since convinced a local sheriff deputy to seek charges against Mr. Kyle, despite the existence of the valid power of attorney that Ann Kyle had granted her husband.
"The bottom line is this: Mr. Walt Kyle did nothing wrong and broke no laws whatsoever. These charges are the unfortunate result of his former wife's campaign to disparage him, which is ironic given her criminal behavior during their divorce proceedings that until now Mr. Kyle has been reluctant to report to the authorities."
Kyle was 265-263-68 as the Wildcats’ head coach, including 13-22-4 this season. Their season ended with a three-game loss to Bemidji State in the WCHA quarterfinals. . . . Kyle spent nine seasons (1981-92) as an assistant coach at NMU. . . . He played his junior and senior seasons with the Wildcats, captaining the team both seasons. . . . Kyle spent two seasons in the WHL (1992-94) as head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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Just visited the @SCBroncos Monument— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) March 10, 2017
Very very powerful Sculpture remembering Scott,Brent,Chris,Trent #NeverForget @TheWHL #RIP boys pic.twitter.com/VPEecPjA3M
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If the WHL playoffs began today . . .
Eastern Conference
Regina vs. Saskatoon
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Seattle vs. Portland
Prince George vs. Victoria
Kelowna vs. Kamloops
Everett vs. Tri-City
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
The @WHLHitmen swarm @CodyPorter31 as they pull off a 4-3 win over @WHLHurricanes. These 2 teams battle again tomorrow in #yql. #WHL #yyc pic.twitter.com/WCtwrbOHcZ— Joe McFarland (@JoeMcFarland) March 11, 2017
At Calgary, the Hitmen erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits en route to a 4-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . They meet again tonight in Lethbridge. . . . F Jakob Stukel pulled Lethbridge into a 3-3 tie
with his 22nd goal at 19:58 of the second period. . . . Calgary D Jaydan Gordon won it with his second goal of the season, at 5:10 of the third period. . . . Gordon has three goals in 167 regular-season games over three seasons, the first two with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hurricanes had taken an early 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Giorgio Estephan (31), at 2:14, and F Tanner Nagel (9), at 3:58. . . . The Hitmen moved into a 2-2 tie on second-period PP goals from F Matteo Gennaro (41), at 2:55, and F Beck Malenstyn, at 6:02. . . . Estephan put the visitors back in front, on a PP, at 18:59. . . . D Jake Bean, F Mark Kastelic and D Vladislav Yeryomenko had two assists each for Calgary. . . . F Tyler Wong drew two assists for Lethbridge. . . . Calgary got 21 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 18 shots for the Hurricanes. . . . Calgsry was 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-2. . . . F Matt Alfaro and F Zak Zborosky, who were acquired from the Kootenay Ice in January, were among Lethbridge’s scratches for a second straight game. . . . The Hitmen (26-31-10) closed to within a point of the Saskatoon Blades, who hold down the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes (43-18-7) had won their previous seven games. The now trail the Central Division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers by four points. . . . Announced attendance: 6,328.
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| JAYDAN GORDON |
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This picture says everything you need to know about this 3rd period @blazerhockey #kamloops @victoriaroyals pic.twitter.com/rxILws64ks— Jeremy Bosch (@JerBosch) March 11, 2017
At Kamloops, the Blazers scored a 6-2 victory over Victoria, completing a Wednesday/Friday doubleheader sweep of the Royals. . . . Kamloops had won 5-2 two nights earlier. . . . The Blazers scored
the game’s first four goals to lead 4-0 late in the second period. . . . F Garrett Pilon got it started with his 20th goal, at 15:10 of the first period. . . . F Nic Holowko (6) followed at 19:07. . . . F Erik Miller (5) made it 3-0 at 4:01 of the second period and F Rudolfs Balcers (38) upped it to 4-0 at 16:26. . . . The Royals got to within two on goals from F Matt Phillips (48), on a PP, at 19:35 of the second period, and F Blake Bargar (5), 27 seconds into the third. . . . The Blazers put it away on third-period goals by F Nick Chyzowski (16) and F Quinn Benjafield (15), on a PP. . . . Kamloops got two assists from D Luke Zazula and one each from Holowko, Chyzowski, Balcers and Benjafield. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram blocked 29 shots. . . . Victoria starter Griffen Outhouse surrendered six goals on 38 shots in 52:38. Dylan Myskiw finished up, stopping two shots in 7:22. . . . Kamloops was 2-7 on the PP; Victoria was 1-6. . . . These two teams don’t like each other. In this one, they combined for 100 penalty minutes, 54 to Kamloops. . . . F Jared Dmytriw of the Royals and F Deven Sideroff and D Ondrej Vala of the Blazers didn’t play after they came out of Wednesday’s affair with one-game suspensions. . . . Due to injuries, illness and a suspension, the Royals dressed only 16 skaters for their third game in four nights. . . . The Blazers (40-23-6) have won two in a row. They are third in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kelowna Rockets and seven ahead of Victoria, which has four games remaining. . . . The Royals (37-26-5) have lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,851.
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| RUDOLFS BALCERS |
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At Kelowna, the Rockets scored the game’s first eight goals en route to an 8-1 victory over the Vancouver
Giants. . . . The home team started with first-period goals from F Carsen Twarynski (17), on a PP, at 9:55, and F Dillon Dube, at 12:23. . . . Dube added his second of the game and 17th of the season, on a PP, at 7:20 of the second period for a 3-0 edge. . . . The Rockets also got goals from D James Hilsendager (5), D Cal Foote (6), F Leif Mattson (8), F Reid Gardiner (15) and D Devante Stephens (12). . . . The Rockets got three assists from F Calvin Thurkauf. F Nick Merkley and F Erik Gardiner had two assists each, with Hilsendager, Gwarynski, Dube and Foote adding one apiece. . . . Reid Gardiner ran his point streak to 14 games. He has nine goals and 11 assists during that stretch. . . . Vancouver’s goal came from F James Malm (18), on a PP, at 9:06 of the third period. . . . Kelowna G Brodan Salmond stopped 20 shots, 19 fewer than Vancouver’s David Tendeck. . . . Kelowna was 2-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-4. . . . The Rockets (42-21-5) have won six in a row; they are 15-2-1 since Feb. 1. They are second in the B.C. Division, two points behind Prince George. . . . The Giants (19-42-6) have lost seven straight (0-6-1). . . . Announced attendance: 5,006.
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| DILLON DUBE |
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Brandon Hagel scored twice to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 4-1 victory over the
Kootenay Ice. . . . The teams will meet again tonight, this time in Red Deer. . . . F Vince Loschiavo gave the Ice a 1-0 lead with his 27th goal, on a PP, at 9:00 of the first period. . . . Red Deer tied it on F Evan Polei’s 30th goal, at 3:32 of the second, and took the lead when Hagel sniped at 12:56. . . . F Michael Spacek (28) added insurance at 15:48 of the second, and Hagel got his 24th, on a PP, at 17:21. . . . Spacek and D Jared Freadrich had two assists each for the winners. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen stopped 32 shots, two more than the Ice’s Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-2 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-4. . . . The Rebels (27-28-12) have points in four straight (2-0-2). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Ice (14-42-11) has lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . The Ice has two home games remaining — the Edmonton Oil Kings are to visit on March 14, with the Hitmen there on March 17. Will those be the last two home games in the history of Cranbrook’s WHL franchise? . . . If voters in Nanaimo go YES in a referendum being held today that would lead to a new arena being built, it’s expected the Ice will be sold and relocated. . . . Announced attendance: 1,868.
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| BRANDON HAGEL |
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At Medicine Hat, F Matt Bradley and F Zach Fisher each scored three times as the Tigers rolled over the Edmonton Oil Kings, 9-3. . . . The Tigers are to visit Edmonton tonight. . . . Fischer and Bradley, each of whom has 33 goals, accounted for five of Medicine Hat’s first six goals. . . . Fischer opened the scoring at 8:13 of the first period, with Edmonton F Colton Kehler (16) tying it, on a PP, at 9:34. . . . Bradley scored twice before the period ended for a 3-1 lead. . . .Fischer got his second goal at 3:49 of the second period, with Bradley completing his hat trick at 4:36. . . . The Tigers completed an eight-goal outburst on goals from D David Quenneville (22), F Tyler Preziuso (5), F Chad Butcher (26) and Fischer, who filled his hat at 1:36 of the third period. . . . D Brayden Gorda (4) and F Kobe Mohr (6) added late Edmonton goals. . . . F Steve Owre and F Mason Shaw each had three assists for Medicine Hat, with D Brad Forrest, Quenneville and Butcher getting two apiece. . . . G Nick Schneider earned the victory with 18 saves. . . . Edmonton starter Josh Dechaine allowed seven goals on 30 shots in 32:15. Patrick Dea finished up with 19 saves on 21 shots in 27:45. . . . Edmonton was 1-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-5. . . . Gorda left at 18:30 of the third period with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on Medicine Hat F Ryan Chyzowski. Chyzowski was down for a bit but left under his own power. . . . The Tigers (48-19-1) have won two in a row. They are five points behind the Regina Pats, who lead the overall standings. . . . The Oil Kings (20-41-6) have lost 10 straight (0-8-2). . . . Announced attendance: 3,465.
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Thank you @MapleLeafs for this banner to honour one of our greatest citizens! #loveJohnny #paproud pic.twitter.com/2IB1JUJCWK— City of PA (@cityof_pa) March 11, 2017
At Prince Albert, F Cole Fonstad snapped a 1-1 tie at 17:18 of the third period as the Raiders posted a 3-
1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Fonstad has 10 goals. . . . Raiders F Parker Kelly had a chance to break a 1-1 tie when he was awarded a penalty shot at 15:34 of the third period. However, Brandon G Travis Child turned aside a backhand attempt. . . . D Zack Hayes’ second goal of the season put the home team ahead 1-0 at 12:10 of the first period. . . . F Tanner Kaspick (18) pulled Brandon even at 18:22 of the second period. . . . F Curtis Miske (19) iced it with an empty-netter at 19:29 of the third period. . . . F Cavin Leth had two assists for the Raiders. . . . G Ian Scott earned the victory with 29 saves, one fewer than Child. . . . Prince Albert was 0-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-2. . . . With the return of Kaspick from the injured list, the Wheat Kings had all players on deck for the first time this season. . . . The Raiders improved to 19-42-7. . . . Brandon (29-28-10) lost for the 10th straight time on the road. It is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . The Raiders will play in Brandon tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 2,168.
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| ZACK HAYES |
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At Regina, F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL in points, had two goals and two assists to lead the Pats to a 5-0 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Pats clinched first place in the East Division with the
victory as they set a franchise record for points (102) in one season. The previous record (100) was established in 1980-81. . . . The rematch goes tonight in Moose Jaw, with the Pats holding a 4-3-0 edge in the season series. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown turned aside 26 shots to earn his fifth shutout of the season. He has seven in his career. . . . F Adam Brooks gave Regina a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 11:44 of the first period. . . . D Josh Mahura got No. 16 at 2:19 of the second and F Nick Henry scored his 33rd at 3:27. . . . Steel scored Regina’s last two goals, at 12:50 of the second, on a PP, and at 12:41 of the third. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 123 points, including 48 goals. . . . Brooks, who also had an assist, is second, with 114 points, including 37 goals. . . . D Connor Hobbs recorded two assists. . . . The Warriors got 38 saves from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Regina was 2-5 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-6. . . . Regina (47-12-8) has won three in a row. It continues to lead the overall standings, by five points over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Warriors (41-18-9) had a nine-game winning streak end. They will finish second in the East Division and meet the third-place Swift Current Broncos in the first round of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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| TYLER BROWN |
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The #SCBroncos are in good spirits after @T_Steener scores his second of the night and 49th of the season. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/bJHbxZNRHA— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) March 11, 2017
At Saskatoon, the Swift Current Broncos erased a 2-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat
the Blades, 5-3. . . . The rematch goes tonight in Swift Current. . . . The home team took a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by F Braylon Shmyr, who has 34, at 11:43 and 13:23 of the first period. The second one came via the PP. . . . The Broncos tied it with the only goals of the second period, F Aleksi Heponiemi (27) scoring at 12:37 and F Tyler Steenbergen counting, on a PP, at 17:27. . . . The Broncos took the lead when F Conner Chaulk (8) scored at 2:06 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen followed with his 49th, at 7:47. . . . Saskatoon got back to within a goal when D Evan Fiala (4) scored at 9:48, but the Broncos put it away on F Lane Pederson’s 23rd goal, on a PP, at 14:21. . . . Heponiemi added two assists, with Pederson getting one. . . . Fiala and Shmyr had one each for the Blades. . . . The Broncos got 33 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . G Brock Hamm turned aside 23 shots in his 100th appearance with the Blades. . . . Swift Current was 2-4 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-4. . . . The Broncos (36-21-10) will finish third in the East Division and meet Moose Jaw in the opening round. . . . The Blades (27-32-9) had points in each of their previous four games (3-0-1). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point up on the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 4,285.
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| ALEKSI HEPONIEMI |
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You've heard of Where's Waldo? @SeattleTbirds fans wondering "Where's Barzal?"— Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning) March 11, 2017
At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear broke a 2-2 tie at 7:45 of the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat
the Everett Silvertips, 3-2. . . . The victory lifted Seattle (43-19-6) back atop the Western Conference and the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Everett (40-15-11). . . . Seattle has won two in a row. . . . Everett had points in its previous three games (2-0-1). . . . F Mathew Barzal of the Thunderbirds took part in the pregame warmup, but took ill and left for the dressing room before the anthem. He didn’t return. . . . Everett F Sean Richards (7) gave his side a 1-0 lead at 1:38 of the second period. . . . Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit (7) tied it just 48 seconds later. . . . F Alexander True’s 22nd goal, shorthanded, at 4:18 gave the home team a 2-1 lead. . . . Everett tied it at 19:11 when F Connor Dewar got his 13th goal. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Sami Moilanen, but F Keegan Kolesar had a 15-game point streak end. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 16 shots for Seattle, including a second-period penalty shot by Richards. . . . Everett got 19 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Seattle was 0-2 on the PP; Everett was 0-3. . . . D Aaron Irving was among Seattle’s scratches. . . . A mid-game tweet from Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle: “Have confirmed with T-Birds that Wyatt Bear has left the team and gone home.” . . . Announced attendance: 5,204.
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| ETHAN BEAR |
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At Spokane, F Cody Glass scored two goals as the Portland Winterhawks skated to a 4-2 victory over the
Chiefs. . . . Glass, with 31 goals, opened the scoring at 4:38 of the first period. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto tied it with No. 38, at 4:44 of the second period. . . . The Winterhawks went back out front when D Caleb Jones (8) scored at 11:34 of the third period. . . . Glass got his second of the night, on a PP, at 14:04. . . . The Chiefs got to within a goal when F Taylor Ross scored his sixth goal, shorthanded, at 16:33. . . . Portland iced it when F Skyler McKenzie put his 39th goal into an empty net at 19:30. . . . McKenzie also had an assist, while F Keegan Iverson had two of them. . . . Glass, a certain first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, has 91 points in 65 games. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 27 points, 10 of them goals, in 65 games. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 23 shots for Portland. . . . Spokane got 45 stops from G Jayden Sittler. . . . Portland was 1-6 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . The Winterhawks (37-26-4) have won five in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Victoria. The Winterhawks also are fourth in the U.S. Division, one point behind the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Chiefs (26-31-10) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . Announced attendance: 5,759.
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| CODY GLASS |
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At Kennewick, Wash., FJesse Gabrielle scored twice to help the Prince George Cougars to a 6-1 victory
over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Gabrielle got the Cougars started, on a PP, at 4:06 of the first period. . . . The Americans tied it at 6:28 when F Kyle Olson scored his 19th goal. . . . Prince George F Jared Bethune (21) broke the tie at 6:39, with Gabrielle adding insurance with his 33rd goal, on another PP, at 2:01 of the second period. . . . The Cougars added second-period goals from D Sam Ruopp (4) and F Radovan Bondra (32), before F Jansen Harkins added his 21st, on a PP, in the third period. . . . Bondra also had one assist. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 29 stops. . . . Tri-City starter Rylan Parenteau gave up four goals on 23 shots in 26:32. Evan Sarthou finished up with 23 stops on 25 shots in 33:28. . . . The Cougars were 3-3 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-1. . . . The Americans remain without F Vladislav Lukin, while F Michael Rasmussen (wrist) may not play again this season. . . . The Cougars are still without F Brad Morrison (ankle). . . . Prince George (43-21-5) leads the B.C. Division by two points over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Americans (38-26-3) have lost three in a row. They remain third in the U.S. Division, but now are just two points ahead of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Announced attendance: 4,035.
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| JESSE GABRIELLE |
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Prince Albert at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Kamloops, 5 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 6 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Saskatoon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
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players.
In Brandon, G Jordan Papirny stopped 22 shots to lead the Wheat Kings to a 4-0 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Papirny has two shutouts this season and three in his career. . . . F Tim McGauley scored twice, giving him 20 this season. He now is riding an 11-game point streak, with 12 goals and nine assists over that stretch. . . . F John Quenneville scored the game’s first goal, his 11th, on a PP, at 10:15 of the first period. . . . McGauley’s second goal, at 14:43 of the third, was shorthanded. . . . Wheat Kings F Ty Lewis, who is from Brandon, made his WHL debut. A third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, he had been on the shelf with a broken arm. . . . Among Brandon’s scratches were F Jayce Hawryluk and F Jesse Gabrielle, both out with undisclosed injuries. . . . D Nelson Nogier and F Austin Adamson, acquired earlier in the day from the Saskatoon Blades, weren’t in Red Deer’s lineup. . . . The Wheat Kings (24-7-3) are 3-0-1 in their last four games. They lead the East Division by 12 points over the Regina Pats. . . . The Rebels (18-12-4) had a four-game winning streak end. They are third in the Central Division, one point behind Calgary. . . . 
In Calgary, the Hitmen ran their winning streak to five games with a 4-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Hitmen scored the game’s first three goals, two of them coming in the second period following a scoreless first. . . . F Beck Malenstyn scored his fifth at 6:13 of the second period and F Layne Bensmiller got his first at 19:28. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini made it 3-0 with his 19th goal at 6:02 of the third. He is on a five-game goal-scoring streak. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube scored his fifth on a PP at 15:46 of the third. . . . D Jake Bean of the Hitmen, a 16-year-old from Calgary, ran his point streak to seven games with an assist. He has 11 of his 12 assists in those seven games. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields, who made 17 saves, drew his fifth assist this season, breaking the franchise record of four that he set last season. . . . D Keegan Kanzig, a healthy scratch the night before, was back in Calgary’s lineup. . . . The Hitmen improved to 19-11-3 and jumped past Red Deer into second place in the Central Division. . . . The Rockets (26-5-3) lead the B.C. Division by 19 points over the Victoria Royals. . . . 
In Lethbridge, the Kamloops Blazers broke open a scoreless game with three goals in 46 seconds and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . F Collin Shirley scored his 10th and 11th goals, at 18:58 and 19:44 of the first period, with F Cole Ully getting No. 16 at 19:30. The first two of those goals came via the PP. . . . Lethbridge F Zane Jones scored twice, giving him 15, as the Hurricanes cut into the lead in the second period. . . . Kamloops D Ryan Rehill got his third goal, at 12:35 of the second, for insurance. . . . Blazers D Josh Connolly had his third straight two-assist game. He’s got 28 points, including 24 assists, in 33 games. . . . Lethbridge D Lenny Hackman was among the Lethbridge scratches. He had played in 174 consecutive games. . . . The game was the first behind the Hurricanes’ bench for new head coach Peter Anholt. . . . The Blazers (13-18-5) snapped a five-game losing skid and moved back into fourth place in the B.C. Division, a point ahead of the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Hurricanes (6-20-5), with one victory in their last 16 games, have lost six in a row. . . . 
In Kennewick, Wash., F Evan Weinger broke a 2-2 tie at 11:15 of the second period and the Portland Winterhawks went on to a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Weinger has five goals. . . . Tri-City F Jordan Topping had tied it 2-2 with his second goal at 18:31 of the first. That goal came 43 seconds after F Alex Overhardt had scored his first goal to give Portland the lead. . . . Earlier, the teams shared goals 20 seconds part, F Dominic Turgeon scoring his 11th for Portland and F Beau McCue getting his 13th for the Americans. . . . Portland F Alex Schoenborn gave his side a 4-2 lead with an empty-netter at 18:51 of the third. . . . McCue then got his second of the game at 19:44. . . . Winterhawks F Chase De Leo had an assist to run his point streak to 12 games. . . . Portland F Skyler McKenzie had two assists. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 45 shots, 15 more than Tri-City’s Evan Sarthou. . . . Portland was 0-for-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-for-1. . . . The Winterhawks (19-14-3) have won two straight and are one point behind the U.S. Division-leading Everett Silvertips, who hold five games in hand. . . . The Americans (17-15-1) have lost two straight and are tied for third with the Spokane Chiefs in the U.S. Division.
have, for a second time, come up with Spokane Chiefs Wine -- aka Top Shelf Red.
In Brandon, F Adam Brooks broke a 2-2 tie at 8:56 of the third period as the Regina Pats got past the Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . The Pats had lost seven straight games in Brandon. . . . Brooks scored twice, giving him 12 goals. . . . His first goal, at 1:18 of the second period, gave the Pats a 2-0 lead. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it on third-period scores by F Nolan Patrick, his ninth, and D Reid Duke, also his ninth. . . . Regina D Kyle Burroughs was plus-3. He leads the WHL at plus-31. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 32 shots in winning his eighth straight decision. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny made his ninth consecutive start. He has appeared in 26 of the team’s 30 games this season. . . . Papirny turned aside 35 shots, including a second-period penalty shot attempt by F Austin Wagner, who had two assists. . . . On Wednesday, the Pats beat the visiting Wheat Kings, 4-2. . . . The sweep moved them to within seven points of the East Division-leading Wheat Kings. . . . Regina (18-10-1) has won five in a row and 10 of 11. . . . Brandon (21-7-2) has lost two straight. . . . The Pats are off tonight, while Brandon travels to Swift Current. . . . 
In Cranbrook, F Sam Reinhart broke a 1-1 tie at 5:39 of the third period as the Kootenay Ice beat the Spokane Chiefs, 2-1. . . . Reinhart, who has seven goals, scored the winner on the PP. He has seven goals and now is riding a 12-game point streak. Reinhart has 24 points, including 17 assists, during that streak. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau extended his point streak to 11 games when he scored the Teddy Bear goal just 41 seconds into the game. . . . He's got 19 points, including eight goals, in that stretch. . . . Descheneau also scored the Teddy Bear goal two years ago. . . . Chiefs D Jason Fram got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 19:11 of the second. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 31 shots, 12 more than Spokane's Garret Hughson. . . . The Ice (14-15-0) will meet the Chiefs (14-10-3) tonight in Spokane. . . . The Ice has won three in a row; the Chiefs have dropped three straight. . . . 
In Kamloops, F Jayden Hart broke a 4-4 tie with 25.9 seconds left in the third period to give the Prince Albert Raiders a 5-4 victory over the Blazers. . . . Hart's goal, his 15th, came via the PP as Kamloops D Ryan Rehill had gone off for cross-checking at 18:11. . . . The Raiders, who have won seven straight road games, scored the game's first two goals, outshooting their hosts 13-1 to that point, but were forced to come back from a 4-3 deficit. . . . WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) tweeted that this is the Raiders' longest road winning streak in at least 18 years. . . . Kamloops F Matt Revel tied the game with his second goal, and 11th of the season, at 4:43 of the third. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully made it 4-3 on the PP at 8:06. He's got 13 goals. . . . The Raiders got even at 11:53 when F Simon Stransky got his fourth goal. . . . In its last four home games Kamloops has fallen behind 6-0, 3-0, 3-0 and 2-0. It is 1-3 in those games. . . . Kamloops has been outscored 43-23 in first periods this season. They are 1-11-2 when they trail after the first. . . . The head coaches in this one have 970 WHL victories between them. Don Hay of the Blazers is at 621, while this was victory No. 349 for Prince Albert's Marc Habscheid. He's 8-5-0 with the Raiders. . . . The Raiders (15-14-0) are to play in Kelowna tonight, while the Blazers (12-14-5) play host to Prince George. . . . 
In Kelowna, the Prince George Cougars erased a 2-0 deficit with four second-period goals and beat the Rockets, 4-3. . . . Cougars F Chase Witala had two goals and two assists in that second period. He's got 15 goals. . . . Prince George G Ty Edmonds stopped 37 shots and was especially strong in the third period when the Rockets enjoyed some 5-on-3 time. . . . F David Soltes had three assists for Prince George. . . . Cougars F Colby McAuley left at 1:35 of the third period with a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Kelowna F Kris Schmidli. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier scored his WHL-leading 32nd goal at 18:45 of the third period, via the PP. The Rockets finished the game on the PP as Cougars D Tate Olson was penalized for delay of game at 19:26. During that PP, Edmonds made a game-saving stop on Chartier. . . . The Rockets were 1-for-8 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-for-3. . . . Garry Davidson, the general manager of the Everett Silvertips, was spotted in attendance at this one. . . . The Cougars (14-15-0) had lost their previous two games. They are in Kamloops tonight. . . . The Rockets (23-4-3) are at home to Prince Albert tonight. . . .
In Victoria, F Axel Blomqvist scored three times to help the Royals to a 6-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Blomqvist tied the game 1-1 at 3:53 of the second period and 3-3 on a PP 30 seconds into the third period. . . . He got Victoria's fifth goal at 16:29 of the third for his 13th goal this season. . . . Victoria D Chaz Reddekopp broke the 3-3 tie with his first goal, on a PP, at 3:56 of the third. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase helped out with his sixth goal and two assists. . . . F Dante Hannoun and F Austin Carroll also had two assists for the Royals. . . . Saskatoon D Ryan Coghlan scored his second goal of the season at 2:31 of the first period. He's from Nanaimo and had lots of family and friends in the crowd. . . . F Sam McKechnie who has been fighting the flu bug, had two assists for Saskatoon. . . . The Blades are 0-3 on their B.C. Division swing, despite opening the scoring in each game. . . . Victoria (16-14-2) doesn't play tonight, while Saskatoon is in Vancouver. . . . The Blades (7-21-2) have lost six straight and 14 of 16. . . . 
In Vancouver, F Jackson Houck scored twice and added an assist as the Giants opened the Claude Noel era with a 3-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . This was Noel’s first game as head coach of the Giants. He was introduced Monday as the replacement for Troy Ward, who was fired after 25 games. . . . One of Noel's first moves was to take the captaincy away from F Dalton Sward. Last night, Sward, D Mason Geertsen and Houck were alternates. . . . Houck has 10 goals this season. . . . The Giants never trailed, leading 2-0 in the first period and 3-1 in the third. . . . F Tyler Benson had three assists for Vancouver, two of them on the PP. . . . The Giants were 2-for-5; the Winterhawks were 0-for-6. . . . F Chase De Leo had two assists for Portland. . . . According to the on-line score sheet, the Giants had 20 skaters dressed. Uhh, that would be two over the maximum. . . . The Giants honoured the memory of the late Pat Quinn, who owned a piece of the team, with a banner raising prior to the game. . . . The Giants (11-18-0) have won two in a row and are at home to Saskatoon tonight. . . . The Winter hawks (15-13-3), who meet visiting Everett tonight, had a six-game winning streak snapped. . . . 
In Kent, Wash., the host Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s first three goals en route to a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Ryan Gropp scored his 13th goal and added an assist as the Thunderbirds won their second straight game. . . . Seattle limited Tri-City to 18 shots -- six, five and seven, by period. . . . Thunderbirds G Taran Kozun lost his shutout when F Jordan Topping scored his first goal at 14:49 of the second period. . . . The Thunderbirds (12-12-4) are at home to Medicine Hat tonight. . . . The Americans (15-13-0) have lost two in a row. They won’t play tonight. . . . 
In Everett, F Trevor Cox scored three times and set up another to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Cox, who has eight goals, scored the game’s last two goals after Everett had gotten to within one, at 3-2. . . . F Remi Laurencelle scored twice for Everett, giving him six goals. Both came on second-period PPs. . . . D Tommy Vannelli and D Tyler Lewington each had two assists for the visitors. . . . Medicine Hat F Cole Sanford scored the game’s first goal, his 18th. It was shorthanded. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 29 shots, 18 more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . Down 4-2, Everett head coach Kevin Constantine pulled Lotz for the extra attacker with 5:33 to play. Cox scored an empty-netter with 33.7 seconds left to play. . . . F Jake Mykitiuk was pointless in his debut with the Silvertips. He apparently didn't get to Everett in time for the game day skate, so the pregame warmup was his first time on the ice with his new teammates. . . . The Tigers (20-6-2), who have won four straight, will meet Seattle in Kent, Wash., tonight. . . . Everett (17-6-4) is in Portland tonight.
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