Showing posts with label Cavin Leth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cavin Leth. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

O'Dette takes over Thunderbirds' bench ... Ex-WHL coach the man in Kingston? ... Wagner facing long rehab


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 The KHL player rights to D Dmitri Osipov (Vancouver, Brandon, 2013-17) have been traded by Sochi (Russia, KHL) to Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL) for G Arseni Akhmetov (born 1999). Last season, Osipov had a goal and 10 assists in 42 games with Vancouver, then added a goal and two assists in 31 games with Brandon. . . . He was the first overall pick in the 2013 CHL import draft and in the 2013 KHL junior draft. . . . Osipov played out his junior eligibility last season. . . .
F David Rutherford (Vancouver, Spokane, 2004-08) has announced his retirement through his Twitter account. Last season, he had 19 goals and 24 assists in 41 games with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). . . .
D Brennan Yadlowski (Lethbridge, Everett, 2007-12) has signed a one-year contract with the Guildford Flames (England, UK Elite). Last season, he had five assists in 28 games with the U of Alberta (U Sports). He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in June.
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On Tuesday, the day before Matt O'Dette was introduced
as the Seattle Thunderbirds' head coach, he was in the
team's dressing room for a photo shoot when Grace, 6, (left)
and Fiona, 8, arrived on the scene. The daughters of
Ian Henry, the Thunderbirds' director of public and media
relations, promptly showed him a key coaching move.
(Photos: Brian Liesse)
Matt O’Dette is the new head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds, the reigning WHL champions. O’Dette spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach with Seattle, working alongside head coach Steve Konowalchuk, who has left to join the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks as an assistant coach.
As a Seattle assistant coach, O’Dette, 41, was responsible for the defencemen, including Shea Theodore, the WHL’s top defenceman in 2014-15 and Ethan Bear, who won the award last season.
O’Dette also directed the Seattle penalty kill, which ranked first in the 22-team league in 2015-16 and third last season.
O'Dette, who is from Toronto, was with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors, as director of hockey operations and head coach, for two seasons before joining the Thunderbirds. He also worked as assistant GM/assistant coach with the ECHL's Stockton Thunder.
As a player, he got into 663 professional games over 14 seasons in the AHL and ECHL. A defenceman, he played with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
The Thunderbirds now are looking for two assistant coaches, one to fill the void created by O’Dette’s promotion and the other because Tyler Alos has left the organization after three seasons on staff.
Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle reports that Alos “has opted to pursue a non-hockey opportunity, according to the team.”
Alos played 201 regular-season games over four years with the Thunderbirds before retiring on Dec. 3, 2012, after incurring multiple concussions.
Eide’s story on O’Dette’s promotion is right here.
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WHL ACTIVE COACHES REGULAR-SEASON VICTORIES:
Don Hay, Tri-City, Vancouver, Kamloops 720
Mike Williamson, Portland, Calgary, Tri-City 534
Brent Sutter, Red Deer 441
Marc Habscheid, Kamloops, Kelowna, Chilliwack, Victoria, Prince Albert 424
Shaun Clouston, Medicine Hat 320
Mike Johnston, Portland 271
John Paddock, Regina 125
Tim Hunter, Moose Jaw 103
Steve Hamilton, Edmonton 88
Brent Kisio, Lethbridge 88
Dan Lambert, Kelowna, Spokane 53
Richard Matvichuk, Prince George 45
Jason Smith, Kelowna 45
David Anning, Brandon, 39
Emanuel Viveiros, Swift Current 39
Dean Brockman, Saskatoon 27
Jason McKee, Vancouver 20
Dallas Ferguson, Calgary 0
Matt O’Dette,Spokane 0
James Patrick, Kootenay 0
Dan Price, Victoria 0
Dennis Williams, Everett 0
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F Cavin Leth has decided to attend Ryerson U in Toronto and play for the Rams in 2017-18. Leth, 21, split last season between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders. From Taber, Alta., he had three assists in five games with the Thunderbirds, then put up 23 goals and 13 assists in 63 games with the Raiders. He also played with the Swift Current Broncos during his WHL career. All told, he had 44 goals and 35 assists in 262 regular-season games.
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The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs have said they will introduce their new head coach today (Thursday). They have been in the market for one since Paul McFarland left to sign on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. . . . There has been speculation in OHL circles that Josh Dixon is the leading candidate to take over in Kingston. Dixon spent three seasons (2011-14) as an assistant coach with the Regina Pats and was with the Swift Current Broncos for 2014-15. . . . Dixon, who also is working on a masters in sports psychology, is in player development with CAA Sports.
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F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats had shoulder surgery on June 7 and could be out of action for as long as six months. Perhaps the fastest skater in the WHL last season, he has signed with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and, as a 20-year-old, is eligible to player with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. But he is expected to miss all of training camp and the start of the 2017-18 season. So might the Kings send him back to the Pats, the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup? . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
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The seventh annual TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference in Vancouver runs on Friday and Saturday. Among the presenters are Glen Gulutzan, the head coach of the NHL's Calgary Flames; Ray Ferraro, the terrific hockey analyst with TSN; Craig Cunningham, a former WHLer who now is pro scouting with the Arizona Coyotes; and Winnipeg Jets assistant coach Jamie Kompon, who is a former GM/head coach with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . If you haven't yet registered, click right here. As you register, enter the coupon code TakingNote and you’ll get 20 per cent off the registration fee.
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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).

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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:34 PM
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Sunday, March 5, 2017

Saturday night in the WHL . . .

What follows is a quick look at Saturday’s happenings on the ice in the WHL.
As I posted here in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I was at the Kamloops stop for Tom Cochrane’s Mad Mad World Tour on Saturday night.
Yes, it was louder than at any Blazers’ game this season.
The show’s highlight? Well, we were in the third row from the front. A woman seated directly in front of us got up to dance during the show’s second half and somehow ended up on the stage. She and her male companion were last seen being escorted from the building.
Seriously, it was quite a show. Cochrane proved that he really is Canada’s Bruce Springsteen. At the age of 63, Cochrane still brings it.
The tour, which also features Red Rider, is in Prince George on Monday night.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Everett, the Silvertips scored three times in the game’s first eight minutes en route to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Everett scored three times on its first six shots, forcing Seattle to replace starting G Rylan Toth, who is having a banner season, with Carl Stankowski, who stopped 33 of 34 shots in 51:25. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 15 shots for Everett. . . . Seattle remains with D Ethan Bear, F Scott Eansor and D Jarret Tyszka. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis had two assists, the first of which was his 100th career point. He is quietly having a giant offensive season, with six goals and 45 assists in 64 games. Previously, he had three goals in each of the past two seasons. In 2014-15, he had career highs in assists (22) and points (25). . . . The victory allowed Everett (39-14-11) to move back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Seattle (41-19-6). . . . Everett has eight games remaining, two more than Seattle. . . . Announced attendance: 8,249.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 first-period deficit and beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . F Dillon Dube scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 15, while F Reid Gardiner scored his 14th goal as he ran his point streak to 12 games. Since joining the Rockets, he has 30 points in 22 games. . . . Cal Foote of the Rockets and Tri-City’s Juuso Valimaki, two of the WHL’s top defencemen, each had two assists. . . . The Rockets (40-21-5) have won four in a row and now are second in the B.C. Division, four points behind Prince George and three ahead of Kamloops. . . . Kelowna has six games remaining, one more than those two teams. . . . The Americans (38-25-3) are third in the U.S. Division, five points ahead of Portland, which has a game in hand. . . .  Announced attendance: 5,521.
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At Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last three goals, all in the second-half of the third period, and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-3. . . . F John Dahlstrom, who has 27 goals, gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead with a goal at 10:34 of the second period. . . . The Warriors, who had led 2-0, won it on goals from F Noah Gregor (22), F Tanner Jeannot (18) and F Thomas Foster (20), who scored twice. . . . F Brayden Burke had two assists for the winners. . . . Moose Jaw (40-17-8) is comfortably in second place in the East Division. It has won eight straight games and is six points behind Regina and 12 ahead of Swift Current. . . . The Tigers (46-19-1) had won their previous four games. They are second in the overall standings, three points behind Regina, which holds two games in hand. Medicine Hat leads the Central Division by two points over Lethbridge, with each team having six games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 3,458.
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At Portland, G Cole Kehler stopped 12 shots to record the shutout as the Winterhawks beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-0, to sweep their tripleheader. . . . Kehler has two shutouts this season, the first two of his career. . . . Vancouver was outshot 11-1 in the first period and 12-3 in the third. . . . The Giants went 0-6 in its two tripleheaders, losing three to the Victoria Royals before dropping three straight with Portland. . . . F Keegan Iverson had two assists, and has four goals and four assists over his past five games. . . . Each of the Winterhawks’ scorers — F Cody Glass, F Joachim Blichfeld and F Ryan Hughes — now has 27 goals. . . . Portland (35-26-4) holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points behind Victoria, and is fourth in the U.S. Division, five points behind Tri-City. . . . Vancouver (19-41-6) will miss the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 5,903.
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At Prince Albert, F Parker Kelly and F Cavin Leth each had four points and G Ian Scott earned the shutout as the Raiders beat the Kootenay Ice, 8-0. . . . The Ice had lost 4-0 in Saskatoon on Friday night. . . . Kelly scored twice, the second one on a penalty shot, and added two assists. He’s got 16 goals. . . . Leth had a goal, shorthanded, and two assists. He has 22 goals. . . . Scott stopped 25 shots in putting up his second shutout of the season and third of his career. . . . Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs. . . . The Raiders (18-41-7) are 21st in the overall standings, five points ahead of the Ice (14-40-10). . . . Announced attendance: 2,177.
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At Prince George, F Jansen Harkins became the franchise’s all-time scoring leader in a 6-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Harkins had a goal and three assists, as he ran his career points total to 240 in 270 regular-season games. That broke the record that had been held by F Chase Witala (2011-16), who had 239 points in 302 games. Harkins tied the record with his 20th goal of the season and broke it with an assist on a third-period PP. . . . Prince George got big nights from the McTwins, too, with F Colby McAuley scoring twice and adding two assists, while F Kody McDonald had a goal and two helpers. . . . Cougars F Jesse Gabrielle scored his 30th goal, the second season in a row that he has reached that mark. . . . The Cougars had a season-high 57 shots on goal just one night after unleashing 50 shots in an 8-4 victory over the visiting Blazers. The home side scored five second-period goals in each game. . . . Prince George put 11 pucks behind Blazers G Connor Ingram in 91:07 over the two nights. . . . Kamloops (38-23-6) went into the weekend in second place in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Cougars (42-20-5). The Blazers headed home in third place, seven points behind Prince George and three behind the second-place Kelowna Rockets. . . .  Announced attendance: 3,969.
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At Red Deer, the Swift Current Broncos clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 OT victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Swift Current won the season series, 4-0, with three of the victories coming in extra time. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi’s 25th goal pulled the Broncos into a tie at 17:18 of the third period. The Finnish freshman then drew the primary assist on F Tyler Steenbergen’s 46th goal, the winner, 52 seconds into OT. . . . The Broncos (33-20-10) are headed to a third-place finish and a first-round clash with Moose Jaw in the East Division. . . . The Rebels (26-28-11) are third in the Central Division, only three points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,926.
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At Regina, the Calgary Hitmen added to the league-leading Pats’ woes by hanging a 6-3 loss on them. . . . F Beck Malenstyn and F Luke Coleman each had a goal and two assists for Calgary, which took a 4-1 lead into the second period. . . . Calgary held a 16-9 edge in shots in the first period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro scored his 39th goal, shorthanded, for Calgary. . . . Malenstyn has 25 goals; Coleman has 14. . . . Regina got two goals from Adam Brooks, who has 35. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba was terrific, with 32 saves, 14 of them in the third period. . . . Regina had F Filip Ahl and D Jonathan Smart back from injuries, but F Duncan Pierce (ankle) left in the second period. . . . The Hitmen (25-20-10), who had lost three straight, hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point ahead of Saskatoon. . . . The Pats (44-12-8) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) for the first time this season. They lead the overall standings by three points over Medicine Hat with two games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 5,546.
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At Saskatoon, the Lethbridge Hurricanes erased a 4-2 deficit to beat the Blades, 5-4 in OT. . . . D Brennan Menell’s 12th goal, at 0:54 of OT, won it. . . . F Giorgio Estephan, who had the lone assist on the winner, was in on the last three goals. He had the primary assist on F Zak Zborosky’s 41st goal, at 1:47 of the third period, then tied the score with No. 30, at 11:13. . . . Earlier, Estephan had scored his 29th goal. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong had three assists, becoming the WHL’s third 100-point man this season. He's now at 101. . . . The Blades got three goals from F Braylon Shmyr, who has 32. . . . The Hurricanes (42-17-7) have won six straight and now are two points behind Central Division-leading Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (25-31-9) have points in two straight (1-0-1) and are one point out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,413.
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At Victoria, the Royals clinched a playoff spot with a 4-3 OT victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Matt Phillips scored the winner at 2:42 of extra time. . . . He had two goals, giving him 46, and an assist. Phillips tied the Royals’ single-season record for goals that had been set last season by F Tyler Soy, who remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. The franchise record (51) is held by F Ryan Howse (Chilliwack Bruins, 2010-11). . . . F Hudson Elynuik scored two PP goals for Spokane. He’s got 25 goals. . . . The Royals (37-23-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1). They are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind Kamloops. Victoria plays its next five games on the road, including two in Kamloops and two in Kelowna. . . . The Chiefs (26-29-9) are 12 points away from a playoff spot with eight games to play. . . . Announced attendance: 6,059.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Regina at Brandon, 4 p.m.
Kootenay at Moose Jaw, 4 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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 1:23 PM
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Saturday, January 28, 2017

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


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


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

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

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:37 PM
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Friday, October 21, 2016

B.C. gov't exempts WHL teams from minimum wage law . . . Pats' bid tied up in lease talks . . . Pats lovin' shorthanded play


F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by mutual agreement by Katowice (Poland, PHL). He had five goals and four assists in eight games. . . .
F Zach Boychuk (Lethbridge, 2005-09) has signed a one-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL). Last season, he had nine goals and 16 assists in 56 games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) 56 GP, and three goals and two assists with the  Bakersfield Condors (AHL).
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 “The B.C. government has exempted the province’s six major junior hockey teams from having to pay their players minimum wage,” writes Rob Shaw of the Vancouver Sun, “after threats from the Western Hockey League that teams might not survive a class-action lawsuit on the issue unless the government quickly changed the law in their favour.” . . . The exemption came on Feb. 16 and was made while a class-action lawsuit by former CHL players is making its way through the legal system. That lawsuit was filed in Toronto and Calgary but hasn’t yet been certified. . . . Shaw’s story is right here.
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Meanwhile, both of the Vancouver Sun’s political columnists — Ian Mulgrew and Vaughn Palmer — chose to hold the B.C. government’s feet to the fire over this move. . . . Mulgrew has some questions in a piece headlined: Forecheck, back check — how about a junior hockey paycheque? . . . Mulgrew writes: “The sad legacy of how National Hockey League owners exploited players for much of the 20th century apparently lives on in major junior hockey. Astoundingly, owners of B.C.’s six profit-driven teams seem to have persuaded the provincial Liberal cabinet to bring back indentured labour.” . . . Mulgrew’s column is right here. . . . Palmer’s piece carries the headline: Liberals ‘save’ hockey in B.C., but do so on the sly. . . . “The Liberals made the change after extensive lobbying from the league,” Palmer writes, “which was facing a court challenge on the failure to pay minimum wage and concerned about economic pressures on its teams were they obliged to pay up. The Liberals bought the argument but did so in the quietest fashion. The waiver was approved by cabinet order on Feb. 15, with no followup press release nor much else to draw attention to what they’d done.” . . . Why so quiet? Why the secrecy? . . . Palmer’s column is right here. . . . The really interesting thing about all of this: The six B.C. teams seem to have said they would be in danger of financial collapse if they had to pay minimum wage, but they weren’t required to turn over any financials to prove such claims.
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When Diane and Russ Parker owned the Regina Pats, and their son, Brent, was the general manager, it seemed that there would be a nasty battle every time the lease with what now is the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd., came up for renewal. Now the Pats have relatively new owners — the Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group — and guess what? Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that “an impasse in negotiations for a new lease at the Brandt Centre threatens to derail the Regina Pats’ bid for the 2018 Memorial Cup.” . . . Anthony Marquart, the president of QCSEG, told Harder: “We’re very concerned. We’re at the point now where we’re being put at risk and the community is being put at risk. We won’t be in a position to host a Memorial Cup unless this lease is finalized.” . . . Harder’s story is right here.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds got down to three 20-year-olds on Thursday by sending F Cavin Leth to the Prince Albert Raiders for F Zack Andrusiak, 18, and a third-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . The move left the Thunderbirds with F Scott Eansor, F Ryan Gropp and G Rylan Toth as their 20s. . . . The Raiders now have Leth, F Austin Glover and F Tim Vanstone as their 20s. . . . Andrusiak, from Yorkton, Sask., had a goal and an assist in eight games with the Raiders. . . . Leth had three assists in five games with Seattle. He was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos on Jan. 4 for D Sahvan Khaira. Last season, in 36 games with the Thunderbirds, he had six goals and seven assists. . . . In 199 career regular-season games, Leth has 21 goals and 22 assists.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors and the Wheat Kings will convene earlier than usual in Brandon on Feb. 8 in order to complete a game that got fogged out on Sept. 24. You may recall that player safety became a concern due to fog and the game was halted with the Warriors leading 2-1 at 14:23 of the second period. . . . The teams will complete that game on Feb. 8, starting at 6 p.m. The regularly scheduled game will follow at 7:30 p.m. . . . Check out the Wheat Kings’ website for details on tickets.
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JUST NOTES:

The Victoria Royals have dropped F Keith Anderson from their roster. He is expected to join the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. Anderson, 19, is from Hermiston, Ore. He was a sixth-round pick by the Royals in the 2012 bantam draft. Last season, he had a goal and five assists in 33 games with Victoria. This season, he was pointless in three games. . . .
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, D Kale Clague, in his first game of the season, had a goal and two assists to help the Wheat Kings to a 6-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Clague was injured while in camp
KALE CLAGUE
with the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 21. . . . F Tanner Kaspick also had a goal and two assists for Brandon, with F Reid Duke and D James Shearer each getting a goal and an assist. . . . Shearer was back in Brandon’s lineup for the first time this month. The Wheat Kings also have F Barron Thompson back in camp after having dropped him from their roster for what Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun has referred to as “an off-ice issue.” However, Thompson didn’t play last night . . . Wheat Kings F Nolan Patrick also was scratched again. . . . G Jordan Papirny stopped 32 shots for Brandon, with Stuart Skinner blocking 32 for the visitors. . . . Brandon was 1-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-5. . . . The Wheat Kings (4-3-2) are 2-0-1 in their last three outings. . . . The Hurricanes (5-6-2), who continue to be without F Egor Babenko, have lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Tyler Coulter at 12:35 of the first period with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on F Giorgio Estephan. That will take Coulter out of Saturday’s game against the visiting Spokane Chiefs, for starters. . . . Announced attendance: 3,707.
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At Edmonton, F Trey Fix-Wolansky broke a 1-1 tie at 7:09 of the second period and the Oil Kings
TREY FIX-WOLANSKY
went on to a 3-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Fix-Wolansky, who was acquired from Prince Albert for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft on Sept. 7, has four goals in his freshman season. He also drew two assists in this one. . . . The Raiders got the game’s first goal, from F Parker Kelly, at 2:40 of the first period. . . . Edmonton D Will Warm’s first goal tied it, at 14:17. Fix-Wolansky drew an assist on the play. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving got the game’s last goal, on a PP, at 17:28 of the third period. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 32 shots. . . . G Ian Scott of the Raiders turned aside 35. . . . The Oil Kings were 1-2 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-3. . . . Edmonton (4-5-2) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Raiders are 3-6-1. . . . F Cavin Leth, acquired Thursday from the Seattle Thunderbirds, was in Prince Albert’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 6,798.
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At Kamloops, F Rudolfs Balcers had two goals and an assist in the first period as the Blazers got
RUDOLFS BALCERS
started towards what would be a ?? victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Balcers, a smooth-skating Latvian, has five goals this season. . . . The Blazers took a 1-0 lead on F Deven Sideroff’s fifth goal, at 1:14 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Mason McCarthy tied it with his eighth goal at 7:42. . . . It was all Blazers after that, with Balcers scoring at 11:49 and 17:32. . . . Sideroff added two assists to his goal, while D Shaun Dosanjh also had two helpers. D Ondrej Vala had a goal and an assist, as did F Spencer Bast. . . . The Blades had problems handling the Kamloops speed on the forecheck and constantly turned the puck over at the Saskatoon blue line. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram was sharp with 28 saves. Fred Brathwaite, Hockey Canada’s goaltending consultant, was in the house as Ingram is a candidate for Canada’s national junior team. . . . The Blades got 24 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . Each team was 0-6 on the PP. . . . The Blazers (6-6-0) have won two in a row and are 4-0-0 at home. . . . The Blades (6-4-1) are 2-2-0 in B.C. Their trip concludes Saturday night in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 3,382.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets scored twice in the first 45 seconds of the opening period — they led 4-0 at
JAKE KRYSKI
4:48 — and went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . F Jake Kryski’s third goal got things started at 0:23 and F Riley Stadel made it 2-0 just 22 seconds later. . . . D Nolan Foote upped it to 3-0 at 4:10 and F Calvin Thukauf made it 4-0 at 4:48. . . . The Americans got two first-period goals, from D Brendan O’Reilly at 9:12 and F Max James at 15:40. . . . Kryski also had an assist. . . . D Dylan Coghlan drew two assists for Tri-City, with James getting one. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer won it with 18 saves. . . . Tri-City starter Rylan Parenteau was beaten four times on seven shots. Reliever Beck Warm came on to stop 34 shots in 38:37. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (5-7-0) have won two straight. . . . The Americans are 6-5-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,766.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., the Medicine Hat Tigers took a 2-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the
MASON SHAW
Kootenay Ice, 4-1. . . . The Tigers had beaten the visiting Ice 10-3 on Wednesday night. . . . Last night, F John Dahlstrom got his fifth goal at 13:50 and F Steve Owre, with his first, made it 2-0 at 19:01. . . . F Matt Alfaro’s fourth goal, at 9:00 of the second period, got the Ice on the board. . . . F Mark Rassell’s seventh goal gave the Tigers some insurance at 11:50 of the second. . . . F Matt Bradley added insurance with his sixth goal, an empty-netter, at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Tigers F Mason Shaw had three assists, while Owre and Dahlstrom each had one. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 25 shots for the winners. . . . The Ice got 33 stops from G Jakob Walter. . . . The Tigers were 1-5 on the PP; the Ice was 0-2. . . . The Tigers (8-3-1) are 3-0-1 in their last four games. . . . The Ice (1-7-4) has lost six in a row (0-4-2). . . . The Tigers were without F Chad Butcher (suspension) and F Zach Fischer (flu). . . . Announced attendance: 1,806.
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At Red Deer, the Rebels scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-1. . . . Red
MICHAEL SPACEK
Deer (6-3-2) has won four straight. . . . The Hitmen (3-4-1) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . F Jakob Stukel gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 1:18 of the first period. . . . D Alexander Alexeyev scored his first WHL goal for the Rebels at 4:43 and he drew the only assist on F Michael Spacek’s goal at 10:04. . . . Spacek has six goals. . . . D Colton Bobyk’s fourth goal provided insurance, via the PP, at 15:03 of the second period. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel got the empty-netter at 17:21 of the third. . . . Rebels F Evan Polei had two assists, with Spacek adding one to his goal. . . . The Rebels got 31 stops out of G Riley Lamb. . . . G Cody Porter blocked 37 shots for the Hitmen. . . . Red Deer was 1-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 4,809.
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At Regina, the Pats scored three goals in the second period — each of them while shorthanded — en
AUSTIN WAGNER
route to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Regina now has a WHL-leading nine shorthanded goals in only 11 games. . . . The Pats (8-0-3) remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost in regulation time. . . . The Chiefs are 3-5-2. . . . F Luc Smith gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 6:31 of the first period, with Spokane F Curtis Miske equalizing, on a PP, at 14:59. . . . The shorthanded flurry began with F Austin Wagner scoring at 3:41. He added another one at 10:52. F Jake Leschyshyn scored the third shorthanded snipe at 12:14. . . . Wagner has five goals; Leschyshyn has six. . . . Chiefs F Ethan McIndoe’s first goal, on a PP at 5:21 of the third period, rounded out the scoring. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 28 shots for Regina, one more than Spokane’s Jayden Sittler. . . . Spokane was 2-6 on the PP; Regina was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 5,259.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead and went on to a 3-1
RYLAN TOTH
victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Nolan Volcan, at 16:06, and D Ethan Bear, at 18:34, got Seattle started. . . . F Skyler McKenzie’s eighth goal, at 3:45 of the second period, got Portland to within one. . . . Seattle F Matthew Wedman iced it with an empty-netter at 19:00 of the third period. . . . The Thunderbirds got 32 stops from G Rylan Toth. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler made 25 saves. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Portland was 1-3. . . . The Thunderbirds (3-4-1) had lost their previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Winterhawks (8-5-0) have lost two in a row. . . . F Ryan Gropp was among Seattle’s scratches. He is out with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Mathew Barzal, who is eligible to return to Settle, was scratched again by the New York Islanders. He has played in only one game this season. . . . Announced attendance: 3,634.
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At Victoria, the Royals tied the franchise record for most goals in one game for the second game in a
DANTE HANNOUN
row as they bounced the Swift Current Broncos, 9-2. . . . On Tuesday, the Royals beat the visiting Saskatoon Blades, 9-3. . . . The original record was set on Feb. 2, 2010, when the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) beat the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes, 9-2. . . . F Dante Hannoun had two goals and an assists for the Royals. F Ryan Peckford, who had a goal and five assists on Tuesday, had a goal and two assists in this one, as did F Matt Phillips and F Regan Nagy. D Ryan Gagnon and D Chaz Redekopp each drew two assists. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi had a goal and an assist for the Broncos. . . . Victoria was 4-8 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-7. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots for Victoria. . . . The Broncos got 14 saves from starter Taz Burman, who gave up five goals. Travis Child came on in relief to turn aside 24 of 28 shots in 43:37. . . . The Royals (7-5-0) have won three straight. . . . The Broncos are 8-4-1. They are 2-2-0 on their B.C. trip. . . . Announced attendance: 4,962.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Spokane at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Tri-City at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Regina at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Swift Current vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
Everett at Victoria, 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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:19 PM
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