Hitmen trim two 20-year-olds ... Rasmussen joins Team Canada's camp ... Ex-Royals coach stays in NHL

The last rays of a setting sun bounce off a cloud over
the Monte Lake fire on Thursday night.

We woke up to a whole lot of smoke on Thursday, but it apparently was coming from the Elephant Hill fire, which is the one that has caused so much damage in the Ashcroft/Cache Creek area, and not the Monte Lake fire that started late Wednesday afternoon. However, by late afternoon on Thursday most of the smoke had moved away from our area, leaving behind a beautiful evening. . . . However, there was quite a bit of air traffic between Kamloops and Monte Lake at the same time, so they obviously aren't out of the woods there just yet. . . . With high winds and high temps forecast -- we've been around 35 and are headed for at least 37 in a day or two -- the summer of fire doesn't appear to be anywhere near its end.

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THE MacBETH REPORT . . .

F Taylor Stefishen (Prince George, 2010-11) has signed a one-year contract with the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, he had 12 goals and 23 assists in 44 games with Dijon (France, Ligue Magnus). He led his team in assists and points.

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A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

Cody Porter and Jaydan Gordon have cleared 20-year-old waivers and are now free agents. We wish them all the best in their junior careers! pic.twitter.com/HW9TTFODoW

— Calgary Hitmen (@WHLHitmen) July 27, 2017

The Calgary Hitmen are left with four 20-year-olds on their roster after G Cody Porter and D Jaydan Gordon cleared waivers. . . . That leaves the Hitmen with G Nick Schneider, F Jakob Stukel, F Matteo Gennaro and D Brady Reagan as the four remaining 20s on their roster. Each WHL team will have to declare a maximum of three 20s shortly after the new season begins. . . . Porter, from North Vancouver, was 14-16-3, 3.46, .888 in 34 appearances with the Hitmen last season. In 117 regular-season appearances, 42 with the Vancouver Giants and 75 with Calgary — he is 52-42-9, 3.30, .887. . . . Gordon, from Cochrane, Alta., had two goals and six assists in 70 games last season. He played his first two seasons with the Swift Current Broncos. In 172 career games, he has three goals and 13 assists. . . . Porter’s departure leaves Schneider as Calgary’s undisputed No. 1 goaltender. At the moment, veteran Kyle Dumba, 19, would appear to be No. 2 on the depth chart. Chance are, however, that the Hitmen won’t want to go into the season with a 19-year-old in a backup role. . . . Schneider, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers this summer, has signed an entry-level contract as a free agent with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, whose parent company also owns the Hitmen.

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F Michael Rasmussen has been added to Team Canada’s roster for the World Junior Showcase that is scheduled to begin today (Friday) in Plymouth, Mich. . . . Rasmussen, from the Tri-City Americans, had last season cut short by a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. His addition to the roster would seem to indicate that he now is healthy. . . . Rasmussen was added after F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants was forced to opt out. He apparently hasn’t yet fully recovered from sports hernia surgery in the spring. . . . F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has had at least two surgical procedures due to sports hernias, also isn’t able to take part. . . . Also unable to take part are F Gabe Vilardi of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and F Adam Mascherin of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.

Meanwhile, G Carl Stankowski, who backstopped the Seattle Thunderbirds to their first WHL championship last season, was scratched from Hockey Canada’s U-18 selection camp in Calgary due to an undisclosed injury. His spot was filled by Kevin Mandolese of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. . . . Team Canada, under head coach Brent Kisio of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, will leave next week for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia. The tournament opens on Aug. 7.

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F Kolten Olynek, who played out his junior eligibility last season, has decided to attend the U of Western Ontario and play for the Mustangs in 2017-18. Olynek, who is from Saskatoon, was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. . . . He split last season between the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades. During his career, he also played with the Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs. . . . In 253 regular-season games, he had 32 goals and 45 assists.

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D Austin Adam, who played four seasons in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and Moose Jaw Warriors, is transferring to Simon Fraser U after spending one season at the U of Western Ontario. . . . The 6-foot-6 Adam, 22, is from Surrey, B.C. He had a goal and two assists in 28 games with the Mustangs last season. . . . SFU plays in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League.

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Mike Fraser, a veteran WHL scout who now works for the Brandon Wheat Kings, also has been writing a column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. Those columns have mostly revolved around the world of WHL scouts and there adventures. However, there has been a change at the Journal and Fraser has chosen to end his column-writing career, at least for now. His last column is right here.

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Really . . . I mean, really . . . how are we doing in Kamloops in this summer of flames? Well, it seems that old friend Jack Knox of the Victoria Times Colonist paid us a recent visit and he quite liked what he saw, except for the fact that his volunteer services weren’t needed, that is. . . . His last column is right here.

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If you’re a regular here, and even you aren’t, feel free to contribute to the feeding of the Drinnan family by making a donation to the cause. You are able to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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THE CONCUSSION REPORT . . .

John Urschel sometimes was referred to as the smartest man in football. Urschel, 26, was in line to be the Baltimore Ravens’ starting centre in the upcoming season, that was before he surprised coaches, teammates and observers by announcing his retirement on Thursday. That decision came two days after researchers released the results of a study in which CTE was found in the brains of 110 of 111 deceased football players. . . . There’s more on Urschel’s decision right here.

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THE COACHING GAME . . .

Ben Cooper, a former WHL assistant coach, has signed on with the NHL’s Florida Panthers as their video coach. Cooper, 40, spent the past three seasons as the Vancouver Canucks’ video coach. Prior to that, he worked two seasons (2011-13) with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. . . . He also has experience with Hockey Canada, and was on the coaching staff of Canadian teams that won gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the 2009 World Junior Championship.

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TWEET OF THE DAY

What a night @theroadhammers @Country103CJKC @tjconnorstweets pic.twitter.com/s8xLOW0FLW

— Joe Hicketts (@Hicksy_2) July 27, 2017

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.

Doing some scattershooting ... Seattle's nightmare in Windsor continues ... Spitfires thrash WHL champs

Happiness is pic.twitter.com/bD1rxMOGxJ

— ken alpay (@ken19765) May 22, 2017

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I hope you caught at least the OT period in the IIHF World Championship game between Sweden and Canada from Cologne, Germany, on Sunday. The OT may have been the best hockey I have seen all of this season. There may not have been any goals, but there was a whole lot of action. It was hockey played the way it is meant to be played. It was wonderful.

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As for a tournament of such stature being decided by a shootout, let’s just say that in my mind Canada and Sweden shared the gold medal.

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RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com notes: “The wife of NFL cornerback Antonio Cromartie is pregnant. Currently Cromartie's offspring total 13 — or a dozen to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”

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Every year around this time, I mention a pet peeve of mine, and this year is no different: Some things shouldn’t have a price tag on them, and the Memorial Cup is one of them. To have sold naming rights to the Memorial Cup is just wrong.

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The host Windsor Spitfires whipped the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-1 at the Memorial Cup on Sunday, in front of a crowd announced at 5,237. Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun points out that “should be embarrassing for Memorial Cup organizers. The WFCU Centre can hold 6,500 for hockey, but one end of the building had rows of empty seats. All due respect to the players participating, but ticket prices — singles are being sold for $75 for games not involving the host Spits and $90 when they are playing — are too high for major junior hockey.”

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In an interesting move, the Arizona Diamondbacks have come up with a promotion that allows fans to watch all 25 June and July home games for $50. By my math that’s $2 a game.

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Bench coach Rob Thomson managed the New York Yankees on Friday as they lost 5-4 to the host Tampa Bay Rays. Manager Joe Girardi was attending daughter Serena’s high school graduation. This was Thomson’s fourth stint as a fill-in manager with the Yankees. Thomson is from Sarnia, Ont., and is the first Canadian to manage an MLB game since George Gibson with the 1934 Pittsburgh Pirates. Gibson was from London, Ont.

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Can the Toronto Blue Jays ever be Canada’s team when they make themselves so easy to dislike?

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Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon Express: “Last week, the Jays solidified their grip as being the most disliked team in baseball. I wish people would quit saying Jose Bautista is an emotional player. He’s a jerk.”

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A note from Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan has filed divorce papers in Rhode Island, but jurisdiction figures to be a heated issue. Her soon-to-be ex wants the case heard in California, while she’s insisting on a French judge.”

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NBA star LeBron James apparently has threatened to sue a brewery in Cleveland for using a photo of him holding one of their beers without permission. Noted Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Someone should remind King James that he never obtained legal permission from the people who make that Bible.”

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On the subject of the NBA, do you think the league has a problem with its competitive balance? Aside from Sunday’s victory by the Boston Celtics over the Cleveland Cavaliers, that is.

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F John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06) has signed a one-year extension with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 55 games, he had 22 goals and 36 assists. He led his team in scoring and was fifth in the league scoring race. . . . 

F Robin Soudek (Edmonton, Chilliwack/Victoria, 2008-12) has signed a one-year extension with Epinal (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, he had 19 goals and 12 assists in 43 games. He led Epinal in goals and was second on the team in points. . . . 

F Michal Poletín (Regina, 2009-10) has signed a one-year extension with Piráti Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had 19 goals and eight assists in 52 games. . . . 

D Juraj Valach (Tri-City, Vancouver, Regina, Red Deer, 2006-08 has signed a one-year extension with Piráti Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had five goals and 13 assists in 51 games. . . .

F Tyler Mosienko (Kelowna, 2000-05) has signed a one-year contract with Epinal (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite), he had a goal and four assists in six games, and he had three goals and 11 assists in 32 games with Frederikshavn (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). . . .

F Konstantin Pushkaryov (Calgary, 2004-05) has signed a one-year two-way extension with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). This season, he had three goals and nine assists in 32 games. . . . 

F Dylan Walchuk (Spokane, 2011-13) has signed a one-year contract with Odense (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). This season, he had eight goals and 14 assists in 28 games with the University of Calgary (CIS). . . .

D Nick Walters (Everett, Brandon, Lethbridge, 2010-15) has signed a one-year contract with Odense (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). This season, he had a goal and three assists in 34 games with the Rapid City Rush (ECHL).

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The host Windsor Spitfires exploded for three goals in a record-tying 38 seconds and went on to beat the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds, 7-1, at the Memorial Cup on Sunday. . . . The Spitfires improved to 2-0 in the four-team competition, with the Thunderbirds slipping to 0-2. . . . The victory assures the Spitfires of at least a spot in the tournament’s semifinal game. . . . 

The Thunderbirds were done in by horrid puck management. They were in possession of the puck in their zone on each of the first three goals, only to turn it over. Only on the play that led to the first goal was Windsor’s forecheck a real factor. . . . The Spitfires tied a tournament record for fastest three goals. They now share that record with the New Westminster Bruins, who did it in 1978 against the Trois-Rivieres Draveurs. . . . The Bruins got second-period goals from F Scott McLeod (6:03), F Ken Barry (6:21) and McLeod again (6:41) en route to a 6-3 victory on May 11, 1978 in Sudbury, Ont. The Bruins actually scored four times in 52 seconds. . . . 

On Sunday, Windsor scored those three goals on six shots, sending Seattle G Carl Stankowski to the bench in the process. Stankowski had played through all 20 of his club’s WHL playoff games without being hooked. . . . When Stankowski left, G Rylan Toth, 21, who last played on March 11, entered the game. He left that March 11 game following the first period with an undisclosed injury and hadn’t even dressed for a game until Saturday when he was on the bench as Seattle lost 4-2 to the OHL-champion Erie Otters. . . . 

F Graham Knott got Windsor’s first goal, at 4:48 of the first period. . . . F Julius Nattinen made it 2-0 just 21 seconds later. . . . F Logan Brown upped the lead to 3-0 at 5:26. . . . At that point, Seattle was being outshot, 6-0. . . . The Thunderbirds got on the scoreboard at 13:34 of the second period on a goal from F Keegan Kolesar. . . . Windsor responded with the game’s last four goals. . . . Nattinen, on a PP, restored the three-goal lead, at 18:24. . . . Knott, on another PP, added his second of the game, 33 seconds into the third period. . . . F Jeremiah Addison made it 6-1 at 3:48. He’s got two goals in the tournament. . . . Windsor F Jeremy Bracco completed the scoring with his second goal of the tournament, at 13:07. . . . Knott added an assist to his pair of goals, while Bracco had two helpers. . . .

G Michael DePietro blocked 24 shots for Windsor. . . . Stankowski gave up three goals on six shots, with Toth surrendering four on 22. . . . Windsor was 2-6 on the PP; Seattle was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 5,237. The facility holds 6,500. . . . OHL teams now have won 11 straight Memorial Cup games. The last time an OHL team lost in the tournament was in the 2014 final when the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Guelph Storm, 6-3. . . . On Monday, Erie (1-0) meets the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs (0-1), at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET). . . . The Thunderbirds (0-2) are scheduled to play the Sea Dogs on Tuesday.

Tim Pigulski of 710 ESPN Seattle had a piece right here on the goaltending decision facing Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk before Tuesday . . . 

Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle has a game story right here.

If you click right here, Tbird Tidbits explains the situation in which the Thunderbirds now find themselves.

Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun has a game story right here in which he points out that the Thunderbirds have played 94 games this season and this was the worst loss they have suffered.

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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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CHL fun fact: All of the American cities in the WHL are north of Windsor.

— Scott Sepich (@SSepich) May 21, 2017

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.

Otters bite Thunderbirds at Memorial Cup ... Stankowski solid in goal ... Spitfires next for Seattle

The OHL-champion Erie Otters opened the Memorial Cup with a 4-2 victory over the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday in Windsor, Ont., in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would seem to indicate. . . . G Carl Stankowski was Seattle’s best player, finishing with 31 saves and giving his side a chance to win a game in which Erie really was the better team. . . . In the first two periods, Erie outshot Seattle, 12-8 and 17-6. . . . Still, the teams were tied 2-2 going into the third period. . . . Erie F Alex DeBrincat opened the scoring, on a PP, at 5:40 of the second period. . . . Seattle tied it at 9:01 as F Scott Eansor scored. Eansor, a left-hand shot, beat G Troy Timpano off the rush from the right faceoff dot. . . . Erie went back out front at 17:59 as D Jordan Sambrook walked out of a corner, took the puck to the net and stuffed it past Stankowski. . . . At that point, Erie had a 16-4 edge in second-period shots. . . . The Thunderbirds tied it with 52.6 seconds left to play as D Austin Strand moved in from a point and scored over Timpano’s catching mitt. . . . Erie F Dylan Strome broke the tie at 1:36 of the third period, as he scored off the rush. He drove to the net, eluded the checking of F Keegan Kolesar and somehow backhanded a pass from F Taylor Raddysh past Stankowski. . . . F Christian Girhiny iced it with an empty-netter at 18:41. . . . Timpano finished with 18 saves. . . . Erie was 1-3 on the PP; Seattle was 0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 5,259, and there were a lot of empty seats. . . . G Rylan Toth, 20, was in uniform for Seattle for the first time since March 11. Toth, who led all WHL goaltenders in regular-season victories (36), played the first period against the Portland Winterhawks on March 11, stopped all 11 shots he faced and then was removed for what Taking Note was told at the time was precautionary reasons. He hasn’t played since then. . . . G Matt Berlin, who was on the bench for all 20 of Seattle’s WHL playoff games, was scratched to make room in the lineup for Toth. . . . F Haydn Hopkins, 20, was among Erie’s scratches. He has played 53 regular-season WHL games, split among the Saskatoon Blades, Prince George Cougars and Vancouver Giants. He had three goals and seven assists in those games. Hopkins, who is from Victoria, had a goal and three assists in 31 games with Erie last season. This season, he was pointless in four games, before adding two goals and an assist in 10 playoff games. . . . F Landon Quinney, who turned 19 on April 27, is on the Saint John Sea Dogs’ roster but hasn’t played since undergoing an appendectomy late in the regular season. He had a goal and seven assists in 35 regular-season games. Last season, he had three goals and 13 assists in 69 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Thunderbirds (0-1) are back at it today (Sunday) when they meet the host Spitfires (1-0) at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET). Windsor opened the tournament on Friday with a 3-2 victory over the QMJHL-champion Sea Dogs.

Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle has a game story right here.

Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun was there, too, and filed this story right here.

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Mike Babcock, the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, stopped by the Memorial Cup on Saturday. This right here is worth a watch/listen.

Love this. True at the lower levels as well. Nothing wrong with slow and steady. pic.twitter.com/vEOcePco5B

— Cody Nickolet (@CodyNickolet) May 20, 2017

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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.

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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.

It's True: Thunderbirds win first WHL title ... Great Dane wins Game 6 in OT ... Stankowski caps off amazing run

SUNDAY’S GAME:

Centre @TheTrueAlex97 of @SeattleTbirds fires home the #WHLChampionship winning goal at 12:36 of OT. T-Birds win 4-3. pic.twitter.com/W9T6wWXIiP

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) May 15, 2017

At Regina, F Alexander True scored on his own rebound at 12:36 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Seattle won the WHL championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, 4-2, bringing the franchise the first title in its history. . . . The Thunderbirds move on to the Memorial Cup that opens Friday in Windsor, Ont. Also there will be the host Spitfires, the OHL-champion Erie Otters and QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs. . . . The Pats will be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup. . . . All three championship final games in Regina needed OT, with Seattle taking Game 1, 2-1, on a goal from F Donovan Neuls, and the Pats winning Game 2, 4-3, when D Josh Mahura scored. . . . Last night, True entered the Regina zone on the right side, got off a shot, went to the net and was able to tuck in his own rebound for his 12th goal of these playoffs. . . . Seattle was 3-2 in OT in these playoffs; Regina was 2-5.

Last 3 teams to clinch WHL championship in overtime, Kelowna 09 (Tyson Barrie), Medicine Hat 07 Brennan Bosch), Kootenay 02 (Duncan Milroy)

— Jeff Hollick (@JeffHollick) May 15, 2017

Regina F Sam Steel (11) opened the scoring, on a PP, at 7:18 of the first period, the third time in the series that he had scored the game’s first goal. . . . Seattle equalized at 8:55 of the second period as F Sami Moilanen scored his seventh goal. . . . The Pats went ahead 3-1 with two quick goals in the third period, D Josh Mahura (8) pounding in a rebound at 11:50 and F Austin Wagner scoring his playoff-leading 16th goal on a breakaway at 13:12. . . . The Thunderbirds got to within a goal at 14:38 as F Ryan

ALEXANDER TRUE

Gropp (7) scored on a wrist shot from the slot, giving him goals in three straight games. . . . Seattle forced OT as F Keegan Kolesar (12) scored on a slapshot from the left dot, on a PP, at 17:06. Regina D Chad Harrison had been penalized for holding Kolesar. . . . Seattle got two assists from D Ethan Bear, with Gropp and Kolesar adding one apiece. . . . Mahura had an assist for Regina. . . . True, a 19-year-old from Copenhagen, Denmark, put up 22 points, including 12 goals, in 20 playoff games. That followed a regular season in which he had 40 points, including 25 goals, in 66 games. . . . G Carl Stankowski stopped 28 shots for Seattle as he completed what was the No. 1 story of these playoffs. . . . G Tyler Brown made 39 saves for the Pats. . . . Each team was 1-4 on the PP. . . . In the six games, Seattle was 9-27 on the PP, with Regina going 8-24. . . . Seattle lost D Turner Ottenbreit at 9:11 of the second period when he was given a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Wagner, who missed the remainder of that period. Wagner returned for the start of the third period. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks, the captain, returned for the first time since Game 1 when he left with a suspected concussion after taking a hard check from Ottenbreit. Brooks was held pointless. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth (injured), F Elijah Brown, F Tyler Carpendale, F Dillon Hamaliuk, D Jake Lee and F Luke Ormsby. . . . Regina scratches: D Dawson Davidson and F Jake Leschyshyn, with injuries, F Kjell Kjemhus, G Max Paddock, F Duncan Pierce and F Owen Williams. . . . With Brooks back in the lineup, Kjemhus came out. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484, Regina’s 26th sellout of the season. . . . The game signalled the end of the line for the WHL on Shaw TV after a 13-year run.

And with that OT goal in the #WHLChampionship, sports on @ShawTV is no more. Thanks a lot, @CRTCeng. @WHLonShawTV @CWonShawTV

— Jim Mullin (@Jim_Mullin) May 15, 2017

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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.

Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, was on hand and posted this piece right here.

Tim Pigulski of 701 ESPN Seattle has a gamer right here.

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The Seattle Thunderbirds with the biggest win for an American team in Regina since the 1995 Baltimore Stallions. pic.twitter.com/uRd7o0YP4k

— Lucas Punkari (@lpunkari) May 15, 2017

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The Seattle Thunderbirds began life as the Vancouver Nats (1971-73), then moved to Kamloops and played four seasons (1973-77) as the Chiefs. They relocated to Seattle as the Breakers for the 1977-78 season. After eight seasons, they became the Thunderbirds for 1985-86.

Prior to last season, the closest Seattle had come to winning a WHL title was in 1996-97 when they were swept from the championship final by the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Last season, the Brandon Wheat Kings took out Seattle in the final, 4-1.

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At game’s end, F Mathew Barzal of the Thunderbirds was saluted as the playoff MVP.

However, you could make a pretty good case for Seattle G Carl Stankowski, who is the first starting

CARL STANKOWSKI

goaltender to win a WHL championship in his 16-year-old season since Dan Blackburn did it with the Kootenay Ice in the spring of 2000. Blackburn played in 51 regular-season games and 21 in the playoffs.

Stankowski, who turned 17 on March 9, is from Calgary. The 5-foot-9, 160-pounder played in only seven regular-season games, going 3-0-1, 2.18, .910. Starter Rylan Toth, 20, who led the WHL in regular-season victories (36), went down late in the regular season.

Stankowski stepped into the starter’s role and went 16-4, 2.50, .911. He set franchise records for most victories by a goaltender in one playoff season and most career playoff victories.

Stankowski’s performance brings back memories of Blackburn and Randy Petruk.

In 1995, Petruk was 16 when he took over the Kamloops Blazers’ starting role during Game 2 of the championship final against the Brandon Wheat Kings. Petruk, who had appeared in 27 regular-season games, remained in that role for the remainder of the season as the Blazers won their third Memorial Cup in four seasons.

And then there was the 1971-72 Edmonton Oil Kings. They went 44-22-2 to finish second in the West Division, before winning the playoff title by taking out the New Westminster Bruins, 4-1; the Calgary Centennials, 4-2; and the Regina Pats, 4-1.

Edmonton’s goaltenders were Doug Soetaert, who was 15, and Larry Hendrick, 16. In the regular season, Hendrick played in 46 games, with Soetaert getting into 37. In the playoffs, Soetaert played in six games, while Hendrick’s total seems to have been lost in the shuffle. The WHL Guide was first published prior to the 1972-73 season and doesn’t include any playoff goaltending stats from the spring of 1972.

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F Keegan Kolesar of the Seattle Thunderbirds led the WHL playoff scoring race, his 31 points leaving him one ahead of Regina F Sam Steel. F Reid Gardiner of the Kelowna Rockets, who lost to Seattle in the third round, was third, at 28. . . . F Austin Wagner of Regina led in goals (16), one more than Gardiner. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear was No. 1 in assists, with 20, one more than Kolesar and Steel.

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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.

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Thunderbirds one win from first title ... Game 6 in Regina on Sunday ... Otters, Knoblauch win OHL

F Jordan Hickmott (Medicine Hat, Prince Albert, Edmonton, 2005-11) has signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had 23 goals and 30 assists in 56 games. He led his team in goals and was fifth in the league’s scoring race. . . . 

F Štěpán Novotný (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) signed a one-year extension with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, in 11 games, he had two goals and five assists. Novotný started this season with Žilina (Slovakia, Extraliga), scoring six goals and eight assists in 20 games. He was traded to Nové Zámky on Feb. 7.

D David Turoň (Portland, 2002-03) has signed a one-year extension with Polonia Bytom (Poland, PHL). This season, he had two goals and six assists in 15 games. He started the season with the Fife Flyers (Scotland, UK Elite), scoring three goals and five assists in 30 games. He signed with Bytom on Jan. 31.

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WATCH THIS: @TBLightning prospect @acirelli22 is the OT hero!

His goal at 2:41 gives @ErieOtters their first #OHLPlayoffs title in 15 years pic.twitter.com/nfckbRRt4p

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) May 13, 2017

The Erie Otters won the OHL championship on Friday night, beating the visiting Mississauga Steelheads, 4-3 in OT, to take the Robertson Cup final in five games. . . . F Anthony Cirelli’s 15th goal of the playoffs, on a PP, won it at 2:41 of OT. . . . You may remember Cirelli from the 2015 Memorial Cup championship game when he scored twice, including once in OT, to give the Oshawa Generals a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets in Quebec City. . . . F Taylor Raddysh had Erie’s other three goals. . . . Announced attendance: 6,781. . . . The Otters are coached by Kris Knoblauch, a former WHL player and coach. Knoblauch was the head coach of the WHL’s Kootenay Ice when it won the 2011 WHL championship. He is the third head coach in CHL history to win championships in two leagues. The others? Geoffrey Brandon (@Geoffrey Brandow) points out that the others are Ted Nolan (Soo Greyhounds, OHL, 1991 and 1992; Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL, 2006) and Orval Tessier (Cornwall Royals, QMJHL, 1972; Quebec Remparts, QMJHL, 1973; Kitchener Rangers, OHL, 1981). . . . Erie moves on to the Memorial Cup, along with the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs and the host Windsor Spitfires.

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The Calgary Hitmen have signed D Luke Prokop, the seventh overall selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Prokop is from Edmonton. He played this season with the Pursuit of Excellent bantam prep team in Kelowna. In 30 games, he had four goals and 37 assists. . . . Prokop’s older brother, Josh, was selected by the Swift Current Broncos in the fifth round of the 2015 bantam draft.

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The Tri-City Americans have signed G Talyn Boyko, who was a third-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. From Drumheller, Alta., Boyko played this season with the bantam prep team at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. Boyko, who won’t turn 15 until No. 16, was 2.90, .886 in 18 appearances. In four playoff games, he was 3.66, .876.

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F Alexander Bodunov, who played for the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series with Canada, died in Moscow on Thursday. He was 66. Bodunov was only 20 years of age when he played in the Summit Series. He played on a line with Vyacheslav Anisin and Yuri Lebedev, a unit that was called The Kid Line and The Headache Line. . . . Bodunov also played in a 1974 series against a team of WHA stars.

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Jamey Hicks has been named head coach of the Birmingham, Ala., Bulls, an expansion team that is scheduled to begin play in the SPHL next season. Hicks is a former Bulls captain (1996-2001) and, in fact, was the league’s MVP in 1997-98. Hicks, 47, is a native of Timmins, Ont.

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ICE 1st rounder @mcclennon_94 and his Dad just touched down in Cranbrook for a tour of our city and facilities#ICEcountry pic.twitter.com/6SvLwsdH54

— Greg Fettes (@greg_fettes) May 12, 2017

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FRIDAY’S GAME:

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds twice scored two goals less than a minute apart en route to a 7-4 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . This was Seattle’s last home game of the season. The Thunderbirds lead the WHL championship series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Sunday in Regina. . . . Seattle has yet to win its first WHL title. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played Monday in Regina. . . . Last night, Seattle was 3-5 on the PP. In its last two games — Seattle won 6-1 on Wednesday — Seattle is 5-12 with the man advantage. In the five games, Seattle is 8-23. . . . Regina was 1-3 in Game 5 and is 7-20 in the series. . . . “We have to stay out of the penalty box. It’s really simple,” John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, said after Game 5 had ended. . . . Last night, the Pats led 2-0 before the game was four minutes old, but the Thunderbirds pulled even on two quick PP goals. . . . Regina D Josh Mahura (7) scored on a wrist shot from the point through traffic at 1:05 of the first period. . . . F Jeff de Wit (5) made it 2-0 at 3:17 on a shot from the left circle. . . . Mahura and de Wit both were acquired this season from the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Seattle pulled even on two PP goals just 52 seconds apart. . . . D Donovan Neuls (8) scored on a rebound at 5:09 and F Mathew Barzal (6) counted at 6:01, scoring on a wrist shot from the slot. . . . Regina went ahead again, at 9:37 of the second period, when F Dawson Leedahl (12) toe-dragged his way around D Ethan Bear and snapped a shot past G Carl Stankowski. . . . But the Pats skated into penalty trouble again and surrendered two PP goals just 57 seconds apart as Seattle took a 4-3 lead. F Keegan Kolesar (11) scored off a 3-on-1 rush at 16:40 — Regina F Austin Wagner took a roughing minor on the play, putting the hosts right back on the PP — and Barzal got his seventh goal of the playoffs at 17:37, beating G Tyler Brown with a slapshot from the left faceoff circle. . . . Early in the third period, Stankowski stopped Wagner on a breakaway. Shortly after, Seattle F Nolan Volcan scored his fifth goal for a 5-3 lead. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp (6) added more insurance at 3:55 with a goal from the left side. . . . Wagner’s first goal of the series, and 15th of the playoffs, got the Pats to within two, 6-4, at 11:22. . . . Regina F Sam Steel skated in alone off the left boards but wasn’t able to beat Stankowski with 4:19 to play. . . . Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit (3) iced it with the empty-netter at 19:58. . . . Bear and Kolesar each had two assists for Seattle, with Barzal, Gropp and Neuls getting one each. . . . Regina got two assists from D Connor Hobbs and one each from Wagner and Mahura. . . . Barzal has played in 15 playoff games this spring and has at least one point in each of them. . . . Kolesar and Steel now lead the playoff scoring race, each with 29 points. . . . Wagner’s 15 goals has him tied with F Reid Gardiner of the Kelowna Rockets for the playoff lead. . . . Stankowski finished with 33 stops, one more than Brown. . . . F Bryan Lockner of the Pats left in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Regina scratches: F Adam Brooks, D Dawson Davidson and F Jake Leschyshyn, all with injuries, G Max Paddock, F Duncan Pierce and F Owen Williams. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth (injured), F Elijah Brown, F Tyler Carpendale, F Dillon Hamaliuk, D Jake Lee and F Luke Ormsby. . . . Announced attendance: 6,223, the largest single-game crowd for the Thunderbirds in the ShoWare Center. The previous record (6,220) was set on March 21, 2015, with the Portland Winterhawks in town.

Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.

Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle had a game story right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.

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SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 6 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-2)

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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 7 p.m. (if necessary)

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Thunderbirds pull even in WHL final ... Six straight goals win it ... Game 5 goes Friday

F Robin Figren (Calgary, Edmonton, 2006-08) has signed a two-year contract with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SEL). This season, he had 11 goals and 10 assists in 48 games with Frölunda Gothenburg (Sweden, SEL).

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The Prairie Hockey Academy, which is located in Caronport, Sask., announced on Wednesday that Scott King has signed on as its director of player development. King has been with the Moose Jaw Warriors, as an assistant coach and player development coach. . . . The PHA is Saskatchewan’s first Hockey Canada Sports School. Before joining the Warriors for this season, King was with Hockey Canada as its head skills development coach. . . . King, the son of well-known coach Dave King, played one season (1996-97) with the Kelowna Rockets, before going on to a professional career that included 14 seasons in Germany.

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Taurean White is the new general manager and head coach of the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. White spent the previous two seasons as the director of hockey operations and head coach with the Kingston Voyagers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. . . . With the Stampeders, he replaces Erik Petersen, who was fired on Feb. 27. Petersen had been GM/head coach for four seasons. He has signed with the Danish team Vojens as head coach for next season.

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In the QMJHL, the visiting Saint John Sea Dogs won the President’s Cup with a 5-1 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The Sea Dogs swept the championship series; the finished the playoffs with a 16-2 record. The Sea Dogs got four assists from F Mathieu Joseph in the victory, while F Spence Smallman had two goals and an assist, and F Matthew Highmore added a goal and two helpers. . . . Announced attendance: 3,500. . . .

In the OHL, F Warren Foegele scored three times and added two assists as the Erie Otters beat the host Mississauga Steelheads, 5-2. The Otters lead the championship series, 3-1, with a chance to wrap it up on home ice on Friday night. The announced attendance last night was 4,418. . . .

The 2017 Memorial Cup is to be held in Windsor, Ont., May 19-28, with the OHL’s Spitfires as the host team.

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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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———

Great to have @JonRyan9 from the @Seahawks drop the ceremonial first puck prior to Game 4 of the WHL Championship tonight. #WinTheCup pic.twitter.com/haK5ytNbJF

— Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds) May 11, 2017

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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:

Ok @SeattleTbirds fans - let's keep the fights on the ice and not in the parking lot tonite! Also, go Tbirds!! #WinTheCup #WHLChampionship

— Kent Police (@kentpd) May 11, 2017

KEEGAN KOLESAR

At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds erased a 1-0 deficit with two goals 19 seconds apart and went on to beat the Regina Pats, 6-1. . . . The WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup is tied 2-2. Game 5 is scheduled for Kent on Friday night, with the teams then returning to Regina for Game 6 on Sunday. A seventh game, if needed, would be played in Regina on Monday. . . . Last night, the Pats got off to a 1-0 lead when F Sam Steel (10) scored, on a PP, at 13:15 of the first period. At that point, the Pats’ PP was 6-11 in the series. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp (5) tied it with his first goal of the series, on a PP, at 16:06. F Mathew Barzal drew an assist on the goal, running his point streak to 14 games. . . . The Thunderbirds went ahead 19 seconds later when F Sami Moilanen (6) stole the puck behind the Regina net and beat G Tyler Brown to the front side for a wrap-around goal. . . . Seattle went up 3-1 at 19:28 when F Mickey Volcan (4) scored on a rebound. . . . The Thunderbirds took complete control with three second-period goals. . . . D Jarret Tyszka (2) scored at 6:51, with F Alexander True (11) counting, on a PP, at 13:52, and F Keegan Kolesar (10) making it 6-1 at 18:51. . . . Kolesar added two assists to his

CARL STANKOWSKI

goal, while D Austin Strand and D Ethan Bear each had two assists and Gropp had one. . . . The Thunderbirds got 18 saves from G Carl Stankowski. . . . Regina starter Tyler Brown was beaten six times on 24 shots through 40 minutes. He sat out the third — the first time in these playoffs that he’s been on the bench — with Jordan Hollett coming on to stop all 12 shots he faced. . . . Seattle was 2-7 on the PP; Regina was 1-3. . . . Regina scratches: F Adam Brooks, D Dawson Davidson and F Jake Leschyshyn, all with injuries, G Max Paddock, F Duncan Pierce and F Owen Williams. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth (injured), F Elijah Brown, F Tyler Carpendale, F Dillon Hamaliuk, D Jake Lee and F Luke Ormsby. . . . Jon Ryan, the veteran punter with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, took part in the ceremonial faceoff. From Regina, he stayed neutral by wearing a Switzerland t-shirt. . . . Some notes from TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits): The Thunderbirds have set a franchise record for victories in a single playoff year (14). . . . Stankowski has set a Seattle record for most victories in a single playoff year (14). . . . Stankowski also holds the Seattle record for career playoff victories by a goaltender (14). . . . Announced attendance: 4,652.

Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.

Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle has a game story right here.

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THURSDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Regina vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

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.

Grenfell fella is Game 1 hero . . . Seattle wins in OT . . . Bear has hand in victory

The #Seattle #Thunderbirds winger @Donovanneuls celebrates his OT winning goal. #WHLChampionship. pic.twitter.com/fpW7AdUixV

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) May 6, 2017

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F Šimon Stránský (Prince Albert, 2014-17) has signed a long-term contract with Vítkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had 22 goals and 26 assists in 57 games with the Raiders. Stransky, who will turn 20 on Dec. 21, would have been eligible to return to the Raiders for one more season. . . .

F Brock Nixon (Kamloops, Calgary, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Esbjerg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), he had 20 goals and 27 assists in 45 games. He was the team captain, an all-star and finished sixth in the league’s scoring race. . . .

D Rory Rawlyk (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 2000-03) has signed a one-season contract with the Sydney Ice Dogs (Australia, AIHL). The AIHL regular season began on April 22. Rawlyk signed a one-year contract for next season with Memmingen (Germany, Oberliga) on Tuesday. . . .

F Tyler Spurgeon (Kelowna, 2001-06) has signed a one-year extension with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). The team captain, he had 14 goals and 29 assists in 52 games this season. . . .

F Pavel Padakin (Calgary, Regina, 2012-15) has signed a one-year one-way extension with Sochi (Russia, KHL). This season, he had six goals and six assists in 52 games. . . . 

F Vitali Karamnov (Everett, 2007-08) has signed a one-year extension with Dynamo St. Petersburg (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). This season, the team’s captain had nine goals and 10 assists in 49 games. . . .

F Steven Kuhn (Spokane, 2008-12) has signed a one-year contract with Caen (France, Division 1). This season, he had 10 goals and 10 assists in 24 games with Neuilly-sur-Marne (France, Division 1). Kuhn is spending our summer playing with the Newcastle North Stars (Australia, AIHL). In four games, he has a goal and four assists. . . .

F Marcin Kolusz (Vancouver, 2003-04) has signed a one-year contract with Podhale Nowy Targ (Poland, PHL). This season, with Tychy (Poland, KHL), he had nine goals and 13 assists in 32 games. . . . 

F Maximilian Brandl (Prince Albert, Portland, 2007-09) has signed a one-year contract with Bad Nauheim (Germany, DEL2). This season, he had seven goals and 13 assists in 52 games with the Revensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2).

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I was MIA on Thursday, thanks to a flu bug, but here’s a look at a couple of trades that took place during the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft.

The Victoria Royals surrendered a sixth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft to get F Yan Khomenko, 19, from the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Khomenko, who is from Novosibirsk, Russia, is preparing for his third WHL season and the Royals will be

YAN KHOMENKO

his fourth team. He began his career with the Everett Silvertips in 2015-16, then split this season between the Prince George Cougars and Moose Jaw.

This season, he totalled 15 goals and 16 assists in 68 games. In Everett, he had five goals and three assists in 46 games.

Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, has had good luck in acquiring European players from elsewhere in the WHL, rather than go through the machinations of the CHL import draft.

Hope picked up F Vladimir Bobylev from the Vancouver Giants, and got D Marsel Ibragimov from the Edmonton Oil Kings. Both are from Russia.

Bobylev had three goals and six assists in 52 games with the Giants in 2014-15, then had 67 points, 28 of them goals, in 72 games with Victoria the next season. After that season, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL draft. This season, he had 36 points, including 27 assists, in 38 games with the Royals.

On Oct. 10, 2014, the Royals claimed Ibragimov off waivers after he had played one game with the Oil Kings. In 182 games with Victoria, he has three goals and 18 assists.

Bobylev and Ibragimov are eligible to return for their 20-year-old seasons, but would be two-spotters, so it’s unlikely both would be back. Considering that Bobylev started this season playing professionally in Russia, it could be that he won’t be back in Victoria.

Moose Jaw now has room to add one import player, who will join Russian D Dmitri Zaitsev, 19, who is expected to return for his sophomore season.

Meanwhile, the Red Deer Rebels acquired F Mason McCarty, 20, from the Saskatoon Blades for a

MASON McCARTY

second-round selection in Thursday’s bantam draft.

The Blades still have at least five 20-year-olds on their roster — D Evan Fiala, G Logan Flodell, G Brock Hamm, F Cameron Hebig and F Braylon Shmyr.

McCarty, a fourth-round pick by the Rebels in the 2012 bantam draft, had been dealt to the Blades on Dec. 14, 2014, as part of a deal that brought D Nelson Nogier to Red Deer.

In 2015-16, McCarty had 18 goals and 10 assists in 64 games. This season, he put up 21 goals and 16 assists in 45 games.

The Rebels now have three 20-year-olds on their roster, the others being G Lasse Petersen and F Grayson Pawlenchuk.

“We have an overage spot available,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, told Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com, “and we’re still undecided about what we’re going to do about the goaltending situation. That might not be decided until September or October.”

The Blades used Red Deer’s second-round pick to select F Braden Plaschewsky of Calgary.

Meachem’s story is right here.

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The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Mason Mannek, 17, who is from Herriman, Utah. This season, Mannek captained the midget AAA Colorado Thunderbirds, putting up 16 goals and 27 assists in 32 games. He was fourth in scoring in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. . . . F Jake Gricius of the Winterhawks also is out of the Thunderbirds program, as are ex-Winterhawks F Dominic Turgeon and F Alex Overhardt.

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The host Saint John Sea Dogs opened the QMJHL final with a 6-3 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Friday night before an announced crowd of 5,883. They’ll play Game 2 today in Saint John. . . . The Sea Dogs got two goals and an assist from each of F Julien Gauthier and F Matthew Highmore. . . . 

In the OHL, the host Erie Otters opened the championship final with a 2-1 victory over the Mississauga Steelheads on Thursday night. They’ll play Game 2 in Erie on Sunday afternoon.

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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.

If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.

———

Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey fans host a tailgate party in the parking lot of the Brandt Centre. #yqr pic.twitter.com/t91WUbcNN4

— Gareth Dillistone (@CTVGareth) May 5, 2017

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FRIDAY’S GAME:

Huge shot to the head on Brooks, no penalty #somuchforplayersafety pic.twitter.com/SftsjAj6y5

— Jeff DeDekker (@ThePloughboy) May 6, 2017

Real time it doesn't look bad. Ottenbreit never leaves feet. Wasn't a head shot. #WHLPlayoffs Shoulder hit to chest. Maybe late. Maybe.

— Ian Furness (@IanFurnessSea) May 6, 2017

#Regina #Pats captain Adam Brooks is tended to by trainer Greg Mayer after being hit by Turner Ottenbreit of the Sea. #Thunderbirds. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/YQynSdKxrT

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) May 6, 2017

At Regina, F Donovan Neuls scored 14 seconds in OT as the Seattle Thunderbirds opened the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Pats. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Regina tonight. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal, who finished with two assists, took a shot from the left side and the rebound went almost to the blue line from where D Ethan Bear took a shot that hit the cross-bar

DONOVAN NEULS

behind Regina G Tyler Brown. Neuls, from off the right post, banged in the rebound for the victory. . . . The Brandon Wheat Kings won the 2016 WHL title, beating the Thunderbirds in five games. In that series, the first three games went to OT, with Brandon winning each of them by a 3-2 score. . . . Regina now has lost the first game of three straight playoff series. . . . Neuls is from Grenfell, Sask., which is 90 minutes east of Regina. . . . Both regulation-time goals came via 4-on-3 PPs. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs tied the score at 12:11 of the third period, pinching in and scoring off something of a backdoor play from the lower left faceoff circle. That was his fifth goal of these playoffs. . . . Bear had given Seattle a 1-0 lead as he returned from a three-game absence thanks to a hand injury. He showed no ill effects in slapping home a shot from the top of the left circle at 4:55 of the second period. Bear’s shot may have changed direction after hitting Regina D Josh Mahura’s stick. . . . Bear is from the Ochapowace First Nation, which is located not quite two hours east of Regina, so he had lots of fans in the building. . . . Bear hadn’t played since April 25 when he suffered an injury to his left hand late in Game 3 of the Western Conference final against the Kelowna Rockets. Since then, he had been spotted with a soft cast on the hand and a splint protecting two fingers. . . . The Thunderbirds were without F Keegan Kolesar, their leading scorer in these playoffs, as he served a one-game WHL suspension. . . . Regina lost F Adam Brooks, one of their top scorers, 3:37 into the second period when he left the game after absorbing a hit from Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit. It was the second time in these playoffs that Brooks, who put up 250 points over the past two regular seasons, left a game with an injury. He suffered a knee injury in Game 2 of a second-round series with the Swift Current Broncos and didn’t play in the last five games, although he dressed and was on the bench for the last three of those. . . . Following the game, John Paddock, Regina’s general manager and head coach, wouldn’t comment on Brooks’ status, but he was bleeding from the left side of his face as he exited. . . . Bear gave Seattle its first lead just 1:18 after Brooks left the game. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski continued his kingly playoff run with 31 saves. He now is 13-2, 2.39, .917 in these playoffs. His night’s work included a third-period save on Regina F Austin Wagner, who broke in alone while killing a penalty. . . . At the other end, Brown stopped 24 shots. . . . The Pats were 1-3 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 1-4. . . . F Riley Krane, an eighth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft from Dawson Creek, B.C., made his playoff debut with the Pats. . . . Regina’s scratches: G Max Paddock, D Owen Williams, F Jake Leschyshyn (knee), F Duncan Pierce, F Kjell Kjemhus and D Dawson Davidson (undisclosed injury). Leschyshyn and Davidson are regulars but aren’t expected to play in this series. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth, who has yet to dress in these playoffs due to an undisclosed injury, F Elijah Brown, D Jake Lee, F Tyler Carpendale, Kolesar (one-game suspension) and F Dillon Hamaliuk. . . . If you were wondering, the record for the fastest OT goal in a WHL playoff game is held by F Gord Williams of the Lethbridge Broncos. He scored nine seconds in for a 7-6 victory over the visiting Calgary Wranglers on April 11, 1979. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.

Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.

Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle has a game story right here.

Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, posted this piece right here.

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SATURDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 7 p.m. (Seattle leads, 1-0)

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