Ex-WHLer heads to Vegas ... 'Canes add assistant coach ... Ice gets forward from Rebels

ICYMI, former #Oilers gathered to share memories & honour good friend & loyal teammate Dave Semenko: https://t.co/iTbwDSZn73 pic.twitter.com/5Q3H69P2ab

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 30, 2017

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F Garry Nunn (Vancouver, Edmonton, 2007-10) has signed a one-year contract with Frisk Asker (Norway, GET-Ligaen). Last season, with the San Antonio Rampage (AHL), he had eight goals and 10 assists in 53 games. . . .

F T.J. Foster (Edmonton, 2008-13) has signed a one-year contract with Frisk Asker (Norway, GET-Ligaen). Last season, with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), he had two goals and three assists in 12 games. He also had 23 goals and 32 assists in 50 games with the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL). He led the Admirals in goals, assists and points. . . .

D Daine Todd (Medicine Hat, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Örebro (Sweden, SHL). Last season, he had four goals and 11 assists in 36 games with Luleå (Sweden, SHL). . . .

F Roberts Libsbergs (Seattle, 2012-15) has signed a one-year extension with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL). Last season, he had three goals and four assists in 31 games.

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#OHL: During the 2016-17 @OHLHockey season, there were 0 head coaching changes.  There's been 7 since (ER, GUE, KGN, OTT, OS, SBY, WSR).

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) June 29, 2017

RYAN McGILL
(Photo: attackhockey.com)

Ryan McGill, a former WHL player and coach, has left the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack to join the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights as an assistant coach. McGill, 48, spent two seasons as the Attack’s head coach and was the OHL and CHL coach of the year for 2016-17. With the Golden Knights, he joins head coach Gerard Gallant and fellow assistants Mike Kelly and Ryan Craig. . . . In the WHL, McGill began his coaching career as an assistant with the Edmonton Ice (1996-98), and took over as head coach during the 1997-98 season. . . . He was the head coach of the Kootenay Ice (1998-2002, 2012-15), guiding them to the 2002 Memorial Cup title. He played four seasons (1985-89) in the WHL, splitting that between the Lethbridge Broncos, Swift Current Broncos and Medicine Hat Tigers. He helped the Tigers to the 1988 Memorial Cup championship.

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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have added Jeff Hansen as an assistant coach. Hansen, 35, spent the previous four seasons as video coach with the Calgary Hitmen. For the first two of those seasons, Brent Kisio, the Hurricanes’ head coach, was an assistant coach with the Hitmen. . . . Before joining the Hitmen, Hansen was an assistant coach with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. He also has coached in the Alberta Major Midget Hockey League. . . . With the Hurricanes, Hansen fills the vacancy created when Mike Craig left the team in May. He had been on staff through four seasons. . . . The Hurricanes' staff also includes Darcy Wakaluk, a former goaltender coach with the Hitmen.

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Bruce Gordon played three seasons (1979-82) in the WHL, starting with the Medicine Hat Tigers (71 games) and finishing up with the Saskatoon Blades (112 games). A grinding, tough forward who played hard at home and on the road, he totalled 22 goals, 65 assists and 818 penalty minutes. . . . Gordon, 54, has been incredibly fit. He’s an Ironman triathlete. He lifts, he cycles, he does it all. He was a member of the Saskatoon Police Service, then, at 50, he decided to become a defence lawyer. . . . The other day, things changed when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. . . . Dan Zakreski of CBC News has the story right here.

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CAMERON HAUSINGER

The Kootenay Ice has acquired F Cameron Hausinger, 18, from the Red Deer Rebels for a fourth-round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft. . . . The Ice had gotten that fourth-round pick from Lethbridge on Jan. 8 in a deal that had F Zak Zborosky, F Matt Alfaro and a sixth-round pick in 2018 go to the Hurricanes for F Brett Davis, F Colton Kroeker and a 2018 second-round pick. . . . Hausinger, who is from Anchorage, had seven goals and eight assists in 61 games split between Red Deer and the Saskatoon Blades last season. . . . The Blades selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 bantam draft. He had six goals and five assists in 58 games with the Blades in 2015-16. . . . The Blades traded him to Red Deer on Nov. 25 for two draft picks — a seventh-rounder in 2017 and a fifth in 2018.

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MASSIMO RIZZO

The Kamloops Blazers have yet to sign F Massimo Rizzo, their first pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. But he hasn’t yet turned them down, either. . . . Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week reports that “the Blazers brought the heavyweights — (majority) owner Tom Gaglardi, part-owner Shane Doan, general manager Stu MacGregor and head coach Don Hay” to a meeting with Rizzo and his father in Vancouver on Wednesday. . . . Last season, Rizzo put up 84 points in 48 games with the midget prep team at the Burnaby Winter Club. Rizzo also played in a few games with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. He was pointless in three regular-season games and had one goal in seven playoff games. But he really hit is stride at the Western Cup, where he had a goal and four assists in five games and got some power-play time. He also had a goal in five games at the RBC Cup. . . . Hastings’ story is right here.

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The OHL-champion Erie Otters have signed Chris Hartsburg as their new head coach. He takes over from Kris Knoblauch, who now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. . . . Hartsburg, a former assistant coach with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips 2009-13), has been the head coach of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars for the past three seasons. . . . He spent 2013-14 as an assistant under Knoblauch with the Otters. . . . From Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., he is the son of former NHL player/coach Craig Hartsburg, who also did a stint (2009-11) as Everett’s head coach. . . . The Otters also signed GM Dave Brown to a three-year extension through 2019-20, and promoted assistant coach B.J. Adams to associate coach. Adams and assistant coach Wes Wolfe were extended through 2019-20.

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The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have signed Sylvain Favreau as an assistant coach to work alongside head coach Jim Midgley. Favreau, 39, had been the director of hockey operations and head coach with the CCHL’s Cumberland Grads. From Orleans, Ont., he has been coaching in the CCHL, with Cumberland the Gloucester Rangers, since 2009.

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D Jordan Wharrie, who has played the past three seasons in the WHL, has decided to play for the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers in 2017-18. Wharrie, 20, is from Port Moody, B.C. . . . The Everett Silvertips selected him in the fifth round of the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. . . . He played seven games with Everett in 2013-14, then spent 2014-15 with the Silvertips. In 2015-16, he played for the Victoria Royals. He split last season between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Vancouver Giants. . . . In 162 regular-season games, he had eight goals and 10 assists.

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The junior B Creston Valley Thunder Cats of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have signed Brad Tobin as their new general manager and head coach. He takes over from Jeff Dubois, who has signed on as assistant GM/assistant coach with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. . . . Tobin joined the Thundercats a year ago as assistant GM/associate coach. He had been an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles (2010-16). . . . Creston also promoted assistant coach Jeff Wagner to assistant GM/associate coach. . . . Dubois had been the head coach in Creston for three seasons, going 97-42 with four ties. He is the KIJHL’s reigning coach of the year.

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Very Happy to see former @WHLPats  @adambrooks77 sign with the @MapleLeafs Quality player and quality person!

— Brent Parker (@Patguy65) June 29, 2017

F Adam Brooks, who completed his junior eligibility with the Regina Pats last season, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. They selected him in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Brooks, who is from Winnipeg, won the WHL scoring title in 2015-16 when he put up 120 points. In 2017-18, he totalled 130 points and finished second to teammate Sam Steele in the scoring race. . . . Brooks finished his WHL career with 335 points, including 119 goals, in 317 regular-season games. He added 49 points, 33 of them assists, in 42 playoff games.

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The SPHL’s Knoxville Ice Bears have named Jeff Carr as their new head coach. He had been an assistant coach with the Ogden, Utah, Mustangs of the Western States Hockey League for the previous two seasons. . . . Carr replaces Mike Craigen, whose contract wasn’t renewed after the 2016-17 season ended. Craigen had been the Knoxville head coach for seven seasons.

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Blazers waive d-man ... Rebels acquire forward from Blades ... Tigers' win streak at eight

The Kamloops Blazers have placed D Shaun Dosanjh on 20-year-old waivers. The Blazers had to make a move because D Dallas Valentine, 20, returned Friday after missing 19 games with an elbow injury. . . . Dosanjh started the season with the Prince George Cougars, but lost out in the 20-year-old game there, too. . . . In 18 games with the Blazers, he had a goal and three assists. . . . “I thought Shaun was really good for us,” Kamloops head coach Don Hay said. “He’s a real good person. He worked hard here and he really helped our young guys. . . . We’ve had a couple of teams call about him.” . . . The Blazers’ other 20-year-olds are F Collin Shirley and F Matt Revel.

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The Red Deer Rebels have acquired F Cameron Hausinger, 17, from the Saskatoon Blades for two bantam draft picks — a seventh-rounder in 2017 and a fifth-rounder in 2018. . . . Hausinger, from Anchorage, has three assists in 20 games with the Blades this season. In 78 career games, he has six goals and eight assists. . . . Hausinger was a seventh-round selection by the Blades in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . He made his Rebels’ debut last night by scoring two goals against the visiting Kootenay Ice.

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The Prince George Cougars have dropped two defencemen from their roster. Jonas Harkins, who will turn 16 on Dec. 26, will play for the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League, while Cole Moberg, 16, will join that league’s Vancouver Northwest Giants. . . . Harkins was a second-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He was pointless in one game with Prince George. He already has played 10 games with the major midget team, also going pointless. Harkins is the son of Prince George general manager Todd Harkins and a younger brother of Cougars F Jansen Harkins. . . . Moberg had one goal in three games with Prince George. Earlier in the season, he had five goals and two assists in eight games with the Giants. . . . The Cougars now are carrying 24 players, including 15 forwards and seven defencemen.

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Tretiak showing Castro how to hold a goalie stick pic.twitter.com/u0XKJXpZRo

— RM (@daftpuck) November 26, 2016

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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, the Moose Jaw Warriors built up a 4-1 second-period lead and hung on to beat the Hitmen, 5-

JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS

4. . . . D Vladislav Yeryomenko scored his first goal, on a PP, to give Calgary a 1-0 lead at 8:22 of the first period. . . . The Warriors took control with four goals in 6:53 in the middle part of the second period. . . . F Brayden Burke (5) scored his first goal with Moose Jaw since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 5:37. F Nikita Popugaev got his 18th goal at 8:39. F Brett Howden, back after a 10-game absence, scored his 10th at 10:06. F Jayden Halbgewachs made it 4-1 at 12:20. . . . Calgary F Carsen Twarynski (7) scored shorthanded, at 17:34 to cut the deficit to 4-2. . . . Halbgewachs, who has 17 goals, counted again at 1:46 of the third. . . . The Hitmen made it a one-goal game when F Jakob Stukel (6), on a PP, at 9:35 and F Andrew Fyten (2), at 12:44, found the range. . . . Moose Jaw got three assists from F Tanner Jeannot, while Howden and F Noah Gregor had two apiece. Popugaev, Burke and Halbgewachs added one each. . . . F Jordy Stallard had two assists for Calgary, with Stukel and Fyten getting one each. . . . G Brody Willms stopped 36 shots for the Warriors, while Calgary’s Cody Porter turned aside 16. . . . The Hitmen were 2-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-2. . . . The Warriors now are 14-5-4, while Calgary (8-11-2) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 9,945, the largest crowd for the Hitmen this season.

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At Everett, F Matt Fonteyne broke a 2-2 tie with a PP goal at 13:51 of the second period and the

MATT FONTEYNE

Silvertips went on to a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . F Connor Dewar (2) gave Everett a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 4:35 of the first period and D Lucas Skrumeda (2) made it 2-0 at 8:46. . . . The Oil Kings pulled even on goals from F Lane Bauer, his 13th, at 6:25 of the second period and F Branden Klatt (3), on a PP, at 11:34. . . . F Davis Koch assisted on both Edmonton goals. . . . Fonteyne’s sixth goal stood up as the winner. . . . Everett got insurance from F Orrin Centazzo (3) at 14:25 of the second and F Bradly Goethals (1), on a PP, at 6:21 of the third period. . . . D Noah Juulsen and F Brian King each had two assists for the winners. . . . G Mario Petit blocked 23 shots for Everett, while G Patrick Dea stopped 22 for Edmonton. . . . Everett was 2-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-7. . . . The Silvertips (17-3-4) have won two in a row. . . . The Oil Kings (10-13-2) have lost three in a row. . . . Everett head coach Kevin Constantine was given the ol’ heave-ho at 17:51 of the third period. Ch-ch-ching! . . . Announced attendance: 4,178.

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@gdrinnan longtime buddies. Bragging rights at stake. For fathers Dan and Jeff too. #rangergreats

— Bruce Penton (@Bruceomin) November 26, 2016

At Kamloops, F Adam Brooks had a goal and two assists but it was the goaltenders who stole the show as the Regina Pats beat the Blazers, 3-0. . . . G Tyler Brown earned the shutout with 37 saves. Brown,

TYLER BROWN

who is 10-2-2 this season, has one shutout this season and three in his career. He gave up three goals in the first period of a 5-2 loss to the Cougars in Prince George on Tuesday — the other two goals were empty-netters — so has gone five periods without allowing a score. . . . At the other end, Connor Ingram blocked 32 shots. Fred Brathwaite, Hockey Canada’s goaltending consultant, was in the house watching Ingram again. . . . “Our goaltender was good,” Kamloops head coach Don Hay said. “Their’s was really good.” . . . Regina F Austin Wagner used his speed to get to a loose puck and ended up scoring the first goal, his 11th, at 17:05 of the second period. His shot from the high slot through traffic got through without Ingram seeing it. . . . Wagner was the best skater on the ice and would have had at least three goals if not for Ingram’s catching mitt. . . . Brooks (9) and D Sergey Zborovskiy (3) later scored empty-net goals. . . . Brooks, the WHL’s reigning scoring champion, has at least one point in the 16 games in which he has played this season. He has 36 points, including 27 assists. . . . Regina D Chad Harrison had his 16-game point streak come to an end. . . . FYI: F Jeremy Bracco of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers is riding a 21-game point streak. . . . Regina was 0-1 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-8. . . . F Sam Steel, the WHL’s leading scorer, was among Regina’s scratches. He suffered a shoulder injury during a 5-2 loss to the Cougars in Prince George on Tuesday night. That means that Steel’s appearance in Kamloops as a 16-year-old two seasons ago is likely to have been his only game there. A first-round selection by the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL’s 2016 draft, you can bet he won’t be back in the WHL for his 20-year-old season (2018-19), which is when the Pats next would visit Kamloops. . . . The Blazers had D Dallas Valentine, 20, back after he missed 19 games with an elbow injury. . . . The Pats (17-2-3) are 2-2-0 in a B.C. Division tour that concludes tonight against the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Blazers (14-12-1) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,653.

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At Lethbridge, F Jordy Bellerive broke a 3-3 tie at 18:27 of the third period to give the Hurricanes a 4-3

JORDY BELLERIVE

victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hurricanes actually led 3-1 before the game was 13 minutes old. . . . F Colton Kroeker (3) and F Ryley Lindgren (10) scored for the Hurricanes at 2:42 and 5:38 of the first period, with F Tyler Steenbergen getting his 19th for the Broncos at 10:01. . . . F Egor Babenko (6) restored the home team’s two-goal lead at 12:30. . . . Swift Current F Ryan Graham pulled his guys even with goals at 19:30 of the first and 4:21 of the second. . . . He’s got five goals and four assists in three games with Swift Current since being acquired from the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Bellerive won it with his sixth goal. . . . Lethbridge got two assists from Kord Pankewicz, a defenceman by trade who played up front in this one, while Bellerive and Lindgren each had one. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner made 22 saves. . . . Broncos starter Travis Child was beaten three times on 18 shots in 12:30. Taz Burman came on in relief and stopped 24 of 25. That included stopping Babenko on a second-period penalty shot. . . . The Broncos were 2-4 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 1-7. . . . Lethbridge (10-11-3) has won three in a row. . . . The Broncos (13-8-6) had points in their previous three games (2-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,389.

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Congrats to our captain @iverke on his 150th career @TheWHL point! #Hawks pic.twitter.com/kbBWFnLz2h

— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) November 26, 2016

At Portland, F Skyler McKenzie scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 4-2 victory over the Victoria

SKYLER McKENZIE

Royals. . . . McKenzie has 31 points, including 15 goals, in 25 games. In his first two seasons, he totalled 41 points, including 12 goals, in 133 games. . . . McKenzie broke a 1-1 tie with his first goal, at 18:49 of the first period, then added an empty-netter 1t 19:59 of the third. . . . F Matt Phillips scored his 16th goal of the season for the Royals. . . . F Colton Veloso (6) gave Portland a 3-1 edge with a PP goal 59 seconds into the second period. . . . The Royals got to within one when F Regan Nagy (6) got a PP marker at 13:40 of the third. . . . F Keegan Iverson had two assists for Portland. He has 30 points, including 20 assists, in 23 games. Last season, he finished with 29 points, 18 of them assists, in 55 games. . . . F Spencer Gerth, acquired by Victoria from the Everett Silvertips earlier in the week, made his Royals debut and picked up an assist. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 33 shots to earn the victory. . . . Victoria got 39 saves from Griffen Outhouse. . . . Victoria was 1-6 on the PP; Portland was 1-7. . . . The Winterhawks lost D Keoni Teixeira at 1:47 of the third period with a major for checking to the head and a game misconduct. . . . The Winterhawks (12-12-1) are 4-0-1 in their past five games. . . . The Royals now are 14-10-2. . . . Announced attendance: 5,305.

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Tigers 7-1 winners over P.A tonight.  Not since 2010-11 season have they won 8 in a row.

— Bob Ridley (@BobRidley_CHAT) November 26, 2016

At Prince Albert, F Max Gerlach scored once and added two assists to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a

MAX GERLACH

7-1 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Tigers (19-5-1) have won eight in a row. . . . The Raiders (5-18-1) have dropped seven straight. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s first three goals, taking control as F Mark Rassell (15) made it 2-0 while shorthanded 25 seconds into the second period, and then going ahead 3-0 on a PP goal from F Steve Owre (6) at 4:00. . . . Gerlach has 15 goals. . . . F Matt Bradley added a goal (14) and an assist for the visitors, while D David Quenneville had two assists. . . . G Duncan McGovern turned aside 22 shots for the Tigers, losing his shutout bid to F Cole Fonstad at 4:30 of the second period. . . . G Nic Sanders started for the Raiders and gave up five goals on 17 shots. Ian Scott played the final 24:54, stopping 12 of 14. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 2,289.

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The @Rebelshockey Lasse Petersen shuts the door on a @WHLKootenayICE 2nd period #powerplay pic.twitter.com/VZfEGX17g9

— Rob Wallator (@wallygator88) November 26, 2016

At Red Deer, F Brandon Hagel scored three teams as the Rebels dumped the Kootenay Ice, 9-2. . . . The

BRANDON HAGEL

Ice had beaten the visiting Rebels 6-5 in a shootout on Wednesday night. . . . Hagel has 12 goals. He opened the scoring at 11:49 of the first period, made it 3-0 at 7:49 of the second and completed the hat trick at 9:01 of the third. . . . F Cam Hausinger, acquired earlier in the day by the Rebels from the Saskatoon Blades, scored his first two goals of the season. . . . D Colton Bobyk and F Michael Spacek each had two assists for Red Deer, with D Jared Freadrich and F Jordan Roy each picking up a goal and an assist. Each has two goals this season. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 27 shots for the winners. . . . Kootenay starter Payton Lee gave up eight goals on 42 shots. Jakob Walter came on in relief to stop seven of eight. . . . Red Deer was 1-6 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-3. . . . The Rebels (12-10-4) are 2-0-1 in their last three games. . . . The Ice now is 5-14-6. . . . The Rebels were without F Evan Polei, who served a one-game suspension after taking a charging major on Wednesday in Cranbrook. . . . Announced attendance: 4,500.

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The losing streak is over. @BladesHockey win 3-2 over the Brandon Wheat Kings. @braylon7shmyr gets the winner. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/7vxp0byqy4

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) November 26, 2016

At Saskatoon, F Braylon Shmyr scored two goals as the Blades skated to a 3-2 victory over his former

BRAYLON SHMYR

club, the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Shmyr was dealt to the Blades on Jan. 4, along with D Colton Waltz, for D Mitchell Wheaton, D Schael Higson and a second-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Shmyr, who has nine goals, gave Saskatoon a 1-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk upped the lead to 2-0 with his seventh goal at 7:10 of the second period. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it on second-period goals from F Tyler Coulter (10) at 7:43 and D Schael Higson (2) at 16:49. . . . The game appeared headed to OT when Shmyr won it at 19:18 of the third period. . . . Shynkaruk assisted on the winner. . . . G Logan Flodell earned the victory with a 31-save performance. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson turned aside 25 shots. . . . Brandon was 0-1 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-2. . . . The Blades (10-15-1) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Wheat Kings (12-9-3), who beat the visiting Blades twice last weekend, have lost two in a row. . . . The Wheat Kings swept a doubleheader from the visiting Blades last weekend — 8-1 and 6-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,929.

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At Spokane, F Jaret Anderson-Dolan and F Hudson Elynuik each scored three goals and F Keanu

KEANU YAMAMOTO

Yamamoto drew six assists to help the Chiefs to a 10-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The record for most assists in one game *(8) was set by F Brian Sakic of the Tri-City Americans on Oct. 3, 1990, in a 19-3 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Elynuik also had two assists, while Anderson-Dolan had one. . . . Elynuik, who has nine goals, gave Spokane a 1-0 lead at 5:08 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Ty Ronning (8) tied the score at 7:42. . . . F Hayden Ostir scored his third goal at 15:45, giving Spokane a 2-1 lead and the Chiefs were off to the races. . . . D Tyson Helgesen and D Dalton Hamaliuk had two assists each for Spokane. . . . The Chiefs remain without injured F Kailer Yamamoto. . . . G Jayden Sittler made 22 saves for Spokane. . . . Vancouver starter David Tendeck allowed four goals on 12 shots in 22:52. Ryan Kubic came on to stop 11 of 17. . . . Spokane was 5-7 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Chiefs (10-8-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Giants (10-16-0) have lost four straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,867.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Mathew Barzal drew three assists as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the host Tri-

MATHEW BARZAL

City Americans, 5-2. . . . The Thunderbirds took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from F Nolan Volcan (10) just 43 seconds in and F Sami Moilanen (6) at 19:00. . . . D Dylan Coghlan (10) pulled the Americans to within a goal at 1:14 of the second period, but Seattle got that one back just 1:23 later when D Ethan Bear scored his sixth goal. . . . Tri-City D Juuso Valimaki’s 10th goal, at 10:48, made it a one-goal game again. . . . Seattle put it away with two third-period goals, from F Keegan Kolesar, who got his first goal at 12;32, and F Ryan Gropp, who scored his fourth, on a PP, at 16:57. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Scott Eansor, while Bear and Volcan each had one. . . . Tri-City F Tyler Sandhu had an assist to run his point streak to 11 games. . . . G Matt Berlin got the victory with 23 saves. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 26 shots for the Americans. . . . Each team was 1-4 on the PP. . . . Seattle (12-9-2) is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind the Americans with three games in hand. . . . The Americans (15-9-2) had points in their previous two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,691.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Calgary, 2 p.m.

Prince George at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Regina at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Swift Current vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Victoria vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Edmonton at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Braes hot for UNB . . . Moving day in AHL, OHL . . . Hitchcock wins; Bechard snaps

At least four schools, some of them likely in California, are close to deciding whether to add NCAA Division 1 hockey to their athletic departments. A report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday indicated that a number of schools would love to emulate the success of the Penn State Nittany Lions, a program in contention for the Big 10 title in only its third season of existence. As well, Arizona State is preparing to ice a Division 1 team. . . . Jason Gonzalez of the Star Tribune has more right here. . . . The WHL, of course, recruits heavily in California, and having Division 1 teams in the state would no doubt make things a bit more difficult. Keep in mind that there haven’t been any Division 1 teams west of the Rocky Mountains.
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The Guelph Gryphons and UNB Varsity Reds advanced on the first day of play at the CIS men’s hockey championship in Halifax. . . . F Cam Braes (Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, 2007-12) scored four times to lead the No. 2 Varsity Reds to a 6-2 victory over the No. 7 Windsor Lancers. Braes, from Shawnigan Lake, B.C., tied a CIS record for most goals in a national championship tournament game. “I pride myself on being a playoff performer when the chips are down. I always want to elevate my game,” Braes said. . . . In the day’s other game, the No. 3 Gryphons dumped the No. 6 Calgary Dinos, 3-1. F Teal Burns (Portland, Vancouver, Prince Albert, Everett, 2009-2012) and F Seth Swenson (Portland, Seattle, Lethbridge) had goals for Guelph. Calgary got its goal from F Chris Collins (Chilliwack, Saskatoon, 2007-2012). . . . Today, the host StFX X-Men, the eighth seed, meet the No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears, the defending champions, and the No. 4 UQTR Patriots meet the No. 5 Acadia Axemen.
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It was moving day on Thursday as three teams — two in the AHL and one in the OHL — announced that they will have new homes next season. . . . The NHL’s Winnipeg Jets made it official — they are moving the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps from Newfoundland to the MTS Centre in Winnipeg where they likely will play as the Manitoba Moos. . . . The Montreal Canadiens then revealed that their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, will be moving to St. John’s. They will play as the IceCaps. In another couple of years, the franchise is likely to end up in Laval, Que., where a new arena is being built. . . . In the OHL, the board of governors announced that it had approved the sale of the Belleville Bulls, who will be moving to Hamilton and will be renamed the Bullodgs. . . . Michael Andlauer sold the Bulldogs to the Canadiens, then purchased Belleville’s OHL franchise. . . . The OHL hasn’t been in Hamilton since the Dukes played there (1989-91).
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Ken Hitchcock, the head coach of the St. Louis Blues, became the fourth head coach in NHL history with 700 career victories last night. When the Blues beat the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 in a shootout, Hitchcock joined Scotty Bowman (1,244), Al Arbour (782) and Joel Quenneville (745) as members of the 700 club.
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Jerome Bechard, the head coach of the SPHL’s Columbus Cottonmouths, got a little excited in the first period of a game last night. How excited? Well, Bechard (Moose Jaw, 1986-89) actually ended up on the ice. . . . There’s video right here.
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Ch-ch-ching! Peter Anholt, the general manager and head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has been fined $500 after he was hit with a game misconduct late in a 4-1 loss to the host Kootenay Ice on Tuesday night. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings, with 49 victories, are at home to the Saskatoon Blades tonight. They may get D Kale Clague back from an undisclosed injury. He played three games since Oct. 28. . . . F Nolan Patrick has missed 10 games and is skating, but hasn’t been cleared for contact. . . . F Reid Duke and F Quinton Lisoway remain week-to-week. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets continue to show that three of their top players aren’t about to come off the injury list in a day or two. The Rockets, who go home-and-home with the Kamloops Blazers this weekend, show F Rourke Chartier and F Justin Kirkland as being week-to-week, while D Josh Morrissey is out for two to three weeks. That would indicate that the Rockets are hoping to have them, along with F Gage Quinney and D Mitch Wheaton, ready for the start of playoffs. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks have won 40 games for a sixth straight season. That ties a franchise record set from 1978-83. . . .
F Dawson Holt has joined the Vancouver Giants and could play at some point this weekend. Holt, 16, was a first-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He was free to join the Giants once his team, the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts, had its season end. . . .
F Taylor Crunk of the Victoria Royals has been charged with assault causing bodily harm after an incident that occurred at a New Year’s Eve party. . . . The Victoria Times Colonist has more right here. . . .
Regina Pats F Sam Steel isn’t expected to play this weekend after suffering a leg injury on Tuesday during a game in Prince Albert. The Pats play in Moose Jaw tonight and then are at home to the Warriors on Saturday. . . . While Steel may not play until the playoffs, Regina F Austin Wagner (concussion) is likely to return this weekend after missing eight games. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors expect to have F Jaimen Yakubowski in the lineup when they play host to the Regina Pats tonight. He has missed six games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more on the Warriors right here. . . .
F Cameron Hausinger, a 17-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, says the Saskatoon Blades are very much on his radar, especially after he wasn’t one of the 50 players invited to the U.S. National Team Development Camp. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here. ———

THE COACHING GAME:

The junior B Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League are looking for a general manager and head coach. The Posse announced earlier this month that they wouldn’t be extending the contract of GM/head coach Bill Rotheisler. . . . He had been in that position since June 27, 2013. . . . This season, the Posse went 22-24-3-2 and finished fourth in the Okanagan Division. It then lost a first-round best-of-seven series to the Osoyoos Coyotes in five games.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (5 games remaining) — Will finish atop the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1995-96. They will play the conference’s second wild-card team in first round. . . . Tied with Kelowna (5) for first place overall. . . . At home to Saskatoon tonight.
2. Regina (5) clinched second in division. Will meet third-place team in first round. . . . Goes home-and-home with Moose Jaw this weekend. They’re in Moose Jaw tonight and in Regina on Saturday.
3. Swift Current (5) has lost seven in a row. Leads Moose Jaw by two points and Prince Albert six. . . . In Prince Albert tonight then play host to the Raiders on Saturday.
4. Moose Jaw (5) remains two points behind Swift Current. . . . At home to Regina tonight and in Regina on Saturday.
5. Prince Albert (6) has won four in a row to get within four points of Moose Jaw and six of Swift Current. . . . Entertains Swift Current tonight and then visits Swift Current on Saturday. . . . Completes its first three-in-three of the season in Medicine Hat on Sunday.
6. Saskatoon (4) is in Brandon tonight.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Medicine Hat (6) is tied with Calgary atop the division. Medicine Hat has more victories (41-40) at the moment. . . . Tigers meet the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook tonight.
2. Calgary (6) has two games left in a franchise-record 11-game road trip. . . . Plays in Red Deer tonight and Lethbridge on Saturday.
3. Red Deer (5) is three points off the pace. . . . At home to Calgary tonight.
4. Kootenay (5) holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of Edmonton. . . . At home to Medicine Hat tonight.
5. Edmonton (4) is in the second wild-card spot, one point behind Kootenay. . . . In Lethbridge tonight.
6. Lethbridge (6) is at home to Edmonton tonight.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (5) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and will play the second wild-card team in the first round. . . . Tied with Brandon for first place in the overall standings. . . . In Kamloops tonight. The Blazers visit Kelowna on Saturday.
2. Victoria (5) will finish second and meet the division’s third-place team in the first round. . . . In Vancouver tonight then goes home to face the Giants Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Seriously!
3. Prince George (5) is third, two points ahead of Kamloops. . . . Will visit Tri-City tonight and Portland on Saturday.
4. Kamloops (5) trails Prince George by two points. . . . Will meet Prince George three times in the next while — March 18 and 20 in Prince George, and March 21 in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers are tied with Tri-City (6) for the conference’s second wild-card berth. . . . At home to Kelowna tonight and in Kelowna on Saturday. The Blazers have lost 18 straight regular-season games to the Rockets.
5. Vancouver (5) has lost seven straight and is four points behind Kamloops and Tri-City. . . . Plays host to Victoria tonight, then it’s off to Victoria for games Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
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U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (5) leads the division by two points over Portland (7) but Portland has a higher winning percentage — .654-.649. . . . Into Kent, Wash., to meet Seattle tonight.
2. Portland (7) is on a 9-0-2 roll and just two points out of first place. It has seven games left, three with Spokane. The first of those is in Spokane tonight.
3. Seattle (6) trails Portland by 10 points. . . . At home to Everett tonight.
4. Spokane (7) is in the first wild-card spot, seven points behind Seattle and nine ahead of Tri-City (6). . . . At home to Portland tonight.
5. Tri-City (6) is tied with Kamloops for the second wild-card spot, four points ahead of Vancouver. . . . Entertains Prince George tonight.
(NOTE: If two teams tie for a conference’s last playoff spot, those teams will have a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. So . . . if Kamloops and Tri-City were to end up tied for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, a play-in game would be held. At the moment, Tri-City has more victories — 28-26.)
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IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City/Kamloops
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
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THURSDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled
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FRIDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Prince George vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Calgary at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Prince George at Portland, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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“@funnyordie: Sorry, Cody. But there's no crying in baseball. #FerrellTakesTheField pic.twitter.com/gxgXKMb475” - 😢......
— Cody Decker (@Decker6) March 13, 2015

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