Broncos get new look; Morrissey shines for IceCaps

The Swift Current Broncos unveiled a new look for 2014-15 on
Tuesday. Colby Cave (left) and Justin Spagrud (right) of the Broncos
join Monty Reich of sponsor South West Terminal Ltd. to show off the new look.
(Photo: Swift Current Broncos)

G Ville Kolppanen (Lethbridge, 2009-10) has signed a two-year contract with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL). Last season, with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga), he was 2.18 and .927 in 48 games. That save percentage was the fourth-best in the league.
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1. On June 14, 1994, as the New York Rangers celebrated a Stanley Cup championship down below, two men stood up in the stands and held up a sign: NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE. . . . With the Rangers back in the Stanley Cup final that opens Wednesday night, Steve Politi of the New Jersey Star-Ledger has the story of those two men and the past 20 years. . . . It’s right here and it’s great stuff.

2. Almost two years of planning came to fruition on Tuesday when the Swift Current Broncos unveiled a new look for the 2014-15 season. From a news release: “The Broncos have brought back the blue and green colours and updated the fan favourite horseshoe logo. A new shoulder crest was also created to represent the Southwest’s agriculture routes with wheat sheaves and incorporating the City of Swift Current logo. . . .
“Brandon Wiebe, a graphic designer and former Swift Current resident, gave the logo and jersey (their) refreshed feel.”

3. Two teams in the same WHL division, the East, have introduced blue-themed promotions for 2014-15. . . . On Monday, as they introduced Bob Woods as their new GM/head coach, the Saskatoon Blades launched A Whole New Blue. . . . On Tuesday, the Swift Current Broncos, in unveiling their new look, launched Branded Blue. . . . The Regina Pats also have blue in their colour scheme, so one supposes the next move is up to them.

4. It’s early June and the Stanley Cup has yet to be awarded. The AHL and ECHL playoffs also are in progress. . . . But if you care about the IIHF World Junior Championship, well, the schedule for the 2015 tournament with games in Toronto and Montreal has been released. There is more right here. . . . If you happen to win a lottery between now and then, and if you’re not married with children, you may be able to afford tickets. Jason Kay of The Hockey News (@JKTHN) tweeted: “A 19-game ticket pkg at ACC in Toronto, where medal round will be played, will run you between $636 and $2301.”

4. You can’t blame Kevin Muench, the WHL’s veteran director of officiating, if he’s sporting a bit of a smile these days. After all, three former WHL on-ice officials have been selected to work the Stanley Cup final. . . . Referee Brad Watson of Regina will be in his eighth final and his third in a row. Earlier, he worked five of six finals, a stretch that ended with the 2008 series. . . . Watson worked his 1,000th regular-season NHL game on Jan. 21 in Denver. . . . Steve Kozari of Penticton, who has been paired with Watson since the second round of these playoffs, is making is championship series debut. He and Watson are to officiate Game 1. . . . Shane Heyer, a linesman from Summerland, B.C., will be working his fourth final and second in a row. . . . All three came up through the WHL. . . . Also selected are referees Dan O’Halloran of Essex, Ont., and Wes McCauley of Toronto, who is the son of the late John McCauley, who also was an NHL referee, and linesmen Derek Amell of Port Colborne, Ont., Scott Driscoll of Montreal and Brad Kovachik of Woodstock, Ont.
“It is impressive how hard these guys have worked to reach the NHL’s biggest stage . . . they are doing the WHL proud,” Muench told me via email on Tuesday. “It was also great to see 2 more WHL alumni and current NHL referees, Brad Meier and Kelly Sutherland, in the gold medal game at the Sochi Olympics.”

5. The Everett Silvertips have signed F Addison Runey, 17, to a WHL contract. Runey, from McKinney, a suburb of Dallas, was listed by the Silvertips late last season. He joined the Silvertips in the spring and practised with them during the playoffs. . . . “We’ve made it a point of emphasis recently to have a stronger presence recruiting U.S.-born players,” Everett GM Garry Davidson said in a news released, “and Addison is the first of what we hope will be many American prospects to become part of our organization.” . . . Runey played last season with the Dallas Stars Elite U16 team, putting up 44 points, 21 of them goals, in 41 games.

6. The Spokane Chiefs have signed F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, the 14th overall pick in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. From Calgary, Anderson-Dolan had 126 points, including 79 goals, in 59 games with the bantam AAA Calgary EDGE Mountaineers last season.

7. The U of Manitoba Bisons have added D Rene Hunter and F Chad Robinson, both of whom played last season with the Brandon Wheat Kings, to their roster. . . . Hunter, from Ebb and Flow, Man., spent four seasons with the Wheat Kings, recording 68 points, including 10 goals, in 247 regular-season games. . . . Robinson, from Minnedosa, Man., spent two seasons with the Red Deer Rebels before being acquired by Brandon. He earned 109 points, 29 of them goals, in 260 regular-season WHL games.

8. F Evan Richardson won’t be joining the Victoria Royals. Instead, he is transferring to the U of Connecticut. It was revealed earlier in the week that Richardson, the 15th overall selection in the 2009 WHL bantam draft, was leaving Boston College after getting into only four games during his freshman season. . . . Will Moran, the radio voice of the UConn Huskies, reports that Richardson will be playing for head coach Mike Cavanaugh, who was an associated coach at BC and recruited him to the Eagles. . . . In the WHL, Richardson was drafted by the Swift Current Broncos, who later dealt his rights to the Royals. From Nanaimo, B.C., Richardson is preparing for his 20-year-old season.

9. D Josh Morrissey, who played the last three seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders, was the game’s third star Tuesday night as the St. John’s IceCaps dumped the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 5-0, to win the AHL’s Eastern Conference final in six games. . . . Morrissey had one assist, giving him eight points, including two goals, in 15 playoff games. He had one assist in eight games as he finished up the AHL regular season with St. John’s. . . . Morrissey, from Calgary, was selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the 13th overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft. He turned 19 on March 28, meaning he will have to play with the Jets or the Raiders next season. . . . In Game 7, the IceCaps got two assists from D Brenden Kichton (Spokane, 2008-13), a goal and an assist from F Jason Jaffary (Kootenay, Swift Current, 1998-2002) and a goal from F Adam Lowry (Swift Current, 2009-13).

10. In the AHL’s Western Conference final, the host Texas Stars scored the game’s last six goals and beat the Toronto Marlies, 6-2, in Game 7. . . . F Justin Dowling (Swift Current, 2006-11) had a goal and two assists for the Stars, while F Matej Stransky (Saskatoon, 2010-13) added a goal and D Derek Meech (Red Deer, 2000-04) had one assist. . . . Toronto F Frazer McLaren (Portland, Moose Jaw, 2003-08) had opened the scoring. . . . The AHL final opens Sunday in Cedar Park, Texas.

11. Dan Marino, the ex-quarterback who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has withdrawn his name from the list of plaintiffs in a concussion-related lawsuit that was filed against the NFL last week. The MMQB has more right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies announced Tuesday that general manager Brad Knight also will handle the head coaching duties in 2014-15. The move came as head coach Craig Didmon revealed that he will be taking a year off for personal reasons. . . . Didmon replaced Bill Bestwick as head coach in December. Knight was hired as GM in April.
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Glenn Detulleo, the head coach of the SPHL’s Huntsville Havoc, has signed a five-year contract extension that runs through 2018-19. Detulleo was headed into the option season of his original contract.
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Kris MacDonald has been hired to work as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan. MacDonald, who played for the Titan in 2005-06, spent last season working with a midget AAA team at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:

Wonder if people buying those Toronto WJC tickets know they can see many of the same kids for $20 a game in Mississauga?
— Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) June 3, 2014

Congrats to Kozari on 1st Cup Final. 1st WHL game was w/him & had to put his contact lenses in his eyes 5 mins b4 gametime. #nerves #shaky
— Kris Hartley (@stripes81) June 3, 2014

A friendly reminder as NHL & NBA get ready for championships, they're playing the Final. Not Finals. No matter what the leagues tell you.
— David Larkins (@LarkinsWSun) June 3, 2014

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Pats roar back for victory

The Portland Winterhawks were the guests of honour at an NBA game on Wednesday
night as the Portland Trail Blazers saluted the WHL's defending champions.
The hockeyists gather at mid-court to pose, along with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Later, the players took some free throws, which isn't to be confused with
a shootout, and rumour has it that Brendan Leipsic, who is pictured here,
dominated the unofficial competition.
(Photos courtesy Portland Winterhawks)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) has signed for the rest of the season with the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite).
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F Trace Elson has left the AJHL's Whitecourt Wolverines and is joining the Vancouver Giants. . . . Elson, who will turn 19 on Nov. 25, had 30 points, including 13 goals, in 20 games with the Wolverines. He also was the team captain. Last season, he had 26 points, 13 of them goals, in 55 games with Whitecourt. From St. Albert, Alta., he had one assist in five games with the Red Deer Rebels in 2011-12.
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The Prince George Cougars will be without D Joseph Carvalho, who suffered a broken jaw in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. Carvalho, who turned 18 on Nov. 6, took a puck to the face when he went down to block a shot in the second period. The sophomore from Burnaby, B.C., had seven points, one of them a goal, in 23 games. . . . The Cougars meet the Chiefs in Spokane on Friday.
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Trent Knorr, a former on-ice official in the WHL who is from Powell River, B.C., made his debut as an NHL referee on Wednesday night. With his wife, who is expecting their first child in January, and parents in the stands, Knorr worked the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the host Minnesota Wild. He wears No. 44. . . . Former WHL G Mac Engel (Spokane, Prince George, Regina, 2010-14) has joined the AJHL's Whitecourt Wolverines, Engel, 20, from Red Deer, got into three games with the Regina Pats this season before being released. . . . The Kelowna Rockets have signed assistant coach Dan Lambert to an extension that runs through 2015-16.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have dropped D Royce Rossignol, 17, from their roster. Rossignol, from Cloverdale, B.C., was pointless in three games this season. He was a seventh-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Meanwhile, the Warriors, who will play their next five games on the road, have brought in F Brett Howden, the fifth overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, from the midget AAA Eastman Selects, and F Ethan Lazaro, from the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders. . . . Lazaro, 16, was a seventh-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Howden is the younger brother of former Warriors F Quinton Howden, who was selected by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the NHL's 2010 draft and is with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. . . . Warriors F Jack Rodewald underwent surgery yesterday to repair a broken jaw suffered in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. Moose Jaw also is without injured forwards Brandon Del Grosso and Brandon Potomak. . . . The Warriors will play three games in four nights in Alberta, starting tonight against the Oil Kings in Edmonton.
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From the New York Daily News: "A swarm of law enforcement officials, including agents from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, arrested Phil Kenner and Tommy Constantine on multiple charges emanating from a wide-ranging grand jury investigation that concluded that the men bilked the players of the money they trusted them to invets for more than a decade." . . . The players in question were hockey players, including former NHLer Bryan Berard, who refused to give up in his pursuit of these two men. . . . There is more right here.
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Keith McCallum, who once owned a piece of the Brandon Wheat Kings, died on Saturday, one week before his 76th birthday. . . . He was the brother of the late Dunc McCallum, a former NHL defenceman and former head coach of the Wheat Kings. . . . A native of Flin Flon, Keith spent 43 years operating McCallum Jewellers in Brandon, before retiring six years ago. . . . Besides owning a chunk of the Wheat Kings, he also was heavily involved with the Brandon Olympics, a senior team that once was a force, and the Brandon Pioneer Oldtimers. . . . A service of remembrance is scheduled for Brandon's Central United Church 327-8th St., on Saturday at 2 p.m. . . . In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those who wish donate to mthe Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Ave. East, Brandon, Man., R7A 2B3 or to a charity of choice. . . . A complete obituary is right here.
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WEDNESDAY:
In Saskatoon, F Chad Robinson scored twice as the Brandon Wheat Kings dumped the Blades, 5-2. . . . Robinson went into the game with one goal this season, that one coming on Sept. 21. . . . His second goal of the season, at 17:01 of the second period, broke a 2-2 tie. . . . Robinson's second goal of the game actually came when Saskatoon F Matt Revel cleanly won a faceoff and pulled the puck off Blades D Ayrton Nikkel and past G Troy Trombley. Robinson was credited with the goal. . . . With G Curtis Honey injured, G Jordan Papirny made his sixth straight start for Brandon. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb opened the scoring just 15 seconds into the first period. That was his ninth goal in his last six games and his 17th on the season. . . . Among Brandon's scratches was D Eric Roy, who was injured while blocking a shot on Monday. . . .

In Swift Current, G Eetu Laurikainen turned aside 14 shots as the Broncos blanked the Kootenay Ice, 3-0. . . . The Broncos have won nine in a row. . . . Laurikainen, a Finnish sophomore, has one shutout this season and two in his career. . . . Broncos F Jay Merkley scored his eighth goal at 15:30 of the first period and it stood up as the winner. . . . Broncos F Graham Black got his 13th goal, shorthanded, at 18:20 of the first period. . . . Black left 22 seconds into the second period for a brief time. According to a tweet from Brad Brown of the Prairie Post, Black was favouring his left shoulder after crashing into the boards. He missed a shift or two before returning to the game. . . . The Ice, which was able to muster only a season-low 14 shots on goal, has been shut out three times this season. . . . Kootenay D Rinat Valiev was in his first WHL fight and also picked up a game misconduct for his efforts. Ice assistant coach Jay Henderson told Trevor Crawley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman that Valiev got the game misconduct for a slew foot. . . .

In Kamloops, the Medicine Hat Tigers opened a 2-0 lead with two PP goals and beat the Blazers, 3-1. . . . Medicine Hat F Logan McVeigh was back playing in Kamloops for the first time since the Blazers dealt him to the Prince Albert Raiders on New Year's Eve of 2011. . . . McVeigh drew an assist on the game's first goal, a PP score by D Kyle Becker. . . . D Tommy Vannelli had two assists for the Tigers. . . . The Blazers were without D Jordan Thomson, the fourth overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He has left the team and is at home in Wawanesa, Man., pondering his future. . . . Kamloops D Connor Clouston, 16, the son of Shaun Clouston, the Tigers' general manager and head coach, got his first WHL point when he drew an assist on D Sam Grist's third-period goal. . . . The Blazers have lost four in a row. . . . The Tigers are 2-0 on a swing into the B.C. Division that continues Friday in Vancouver. . . .

In Everett, F Dyson Stevenson scored at 1:11 of OT as the Regina Pats erased a late 5-3 deficit and beat the Silvertips, 6-5. . . . The Pats tied the game on goals by F Dryden Hunt at 14:29 of the third period and D Dmitry Sinitsyn, on the PP, at 18:51. F Connor Gay drew an assist on each of those goals. . . . Sinitsyn, who drew an assist on the winner, finished with a goal and three helpers. The Russian freshman went into the game with seven points in 21 games. . . . Everett F Tyler Sandhu scored three times, giving him nine this season. It was his second career hat trick. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist continued his hot streak with three assists. He has 38 points in 21 games. In his last 10 games, he has put up 26 points. In fact, he has had multiple points in nine of those games. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz was on the bench, backing up Daniel Cotton, the first time he had been in uniform since suffering an ankle injury on Oct. 26. . . . Regina played without F Chandler Stephenson, who completed a two-game WHL suspension. . . . The Pats are 3-1-0 on an eight-game road trip that continues Friday against the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Everett has points in six straight games as it prepares to play host to the Portland Winterhawks on Kevin Constantine Bobblehead Night on Friday.
NOTE: Photographer Chris Mast has posted a gallery from Regina's victory over Everett right here. You will want to check out the second-last photo. That one picture sums up the entire game — it is a cliche, but the joy of victory and the agony of defeat has never been more in evidence. Be sure to take a look.
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From Brandon Sun sports editor James Shewaga (@JamesShewaga): "Czech RW Richard Nejezchleb now leads the @bdnwheatkings with 17 goals in 21 games and has scored 9 goals in his last 6 games. #bdnmb"
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From Kirk Penton (@PentonKirk) of the Winnipeg Sun: "@JamesShewaga Bless you."

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Brandon, Prince Albert down to two goaltenders

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed G Stuart Skinner, their first-round selection in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. Skinner, 6-foot-3 1/2 and 193 pounds, is from Edmonton. Last season, he was 18-1-2, 1.75, .929 with the Alberta Major Bantam League’s South Side Athletic Club entry. . . . Lethbridge also signed D Kade Jensen, a fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft, and D Brandon Kennedy, who was a sixth-round selection in 2012. . . . Kennedy, from Delta, B.C., and had 10 points in 36 games with the Delta Hockey Academy Wild, a AAA minor midget team, last season. . . . Jensen had 62 points in 79 games split between two teams at the Edge Prep School in Calgary.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have released F Michael Sofillas, 20. From Morden, Man., Sofillas had nine points in 52 games last season, after missing all of 2011-12 with post-concussion syndrome. In 119 games with the Hurricanes, he had 26 points.
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F Chad Robinson, 20, had a goal and four assists Sunday as Team Black beat Team White 12-4 in the Brandon Wheat Kings’ annual intrasquad game. . . . The Wheat Kings trimmed their roster to 35 players after the game, with four of those leaving this week for NHL camps. D Ryan Pulock (New York Islanders), D Nick Walters (St. Louis Blues), D Eric Roy (Calgary Flames and F Richard Nejezchleb (Pittsburgh Penguins) all are expected to return to Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings are down to two goaltenders — veteran Curtis Honey and freshman Jordan Papirny. From Edmonton, the 17-year-old Papirny was the 22nd overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft.  
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The Kamloops Blazers got their roster down to 25 players, including two goaltenders and eight defencemen, following a 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants on Sunday night. . . . The Blazers re-assigned F Quinn Benjafield and F Jake Kryski, both first-round selections in the 2013 bantam draft, and D Travis Verveda, 16, following the game. . . . Kryski (Okanagan Rockets) and Benjafield (Vancouver-Northwest Giants) are expected to play in the B.C. Major Midget League. Verveda will join the midget AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs. . . . Kryski and Verveda played on Sunday; Benjafield didn’t. . . . The Blazers’ 25-man roster includes F Tim Bozon, who leaves Wednesday for the Montreal Canadiens’ camp, and F Cole Ully, who will go to rookie camp with the Dallas Stars.
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The Prince Albert Raiders are down to two goaltenders, with Nick McBride, 16, having earned the backup position to veteran Cole Cheveldave, 20. . . . McBride beat out a pair of 1996-born goaltenders — Tanner Balk and Rylan Parenteau, the latter having now joined the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. McBride, from Maple Ridge, B.C., played last season with the Vancouver-Northeast Chiefs of the B.C. Major Midget League. He was a second-round selection by the Raiders in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . The Raiders also signed D Tomas Andrlik, F Darcy Zahirchuk, D Cody Paivarinta and F Luke Coleman. . . . Andrlik, from Czech Republic, was selected in the CHL’s 2013 import draft. Last season, he played for HC Plzen’s U-18 and U-20 teams. . . . Zaharichuk, 17, from Sherwood Park, Alta., had 30 points in 31 games with the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. . . . The 6-foot-5 Paivarinta, who is from Abbotsford, B.C., was a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He played for a bantam AAA team in Abbotsford last season. . . . Coleman was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 bantam draft. He had 41 points in 32 games with the bantam AAA Red Deer Rebels Black last season.
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From Portland Winterhawks F Chase De Leo (@Dels9): “Literally not exaggerating.. Just killed a spider the size of a wheat thin in my room. Chances of me sleeping tonight now are slim to none!”


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The MacBETH REPORT:
F Justin Keller (Kelowna, 2003-06) agreed to a transfer for the rest of this season from Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) to the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had nine goals and 14 assists in 29 games for Red Bull this season. The Capitals have six forwards out with injuries and approached Red Bull and Keller to gauge their interest in a move.
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The WHL in Nanaimo?
Sorry, Chilliwack, but it would appear to be closer than it has ever been.
Robert Barron of the Nanaimo Daily News had a story late in the week involving meetings between Mayor John Ruttan, city staff and RG Properties, owners of the WHL‘s Victoria Royals. RG Properties also is in the arena management business.
RG Properties, you may recall, purchased the franchise that was the Chilliwack Bruins and relocated it to Victoria.
"We're at the very early stages to determine how interested the city is in pursuing this," Graham Lee of RG Properties told Barron. "It would create an interesting rivalry between Victoria and Nanaimo if a WHL team was established here. It would be a good fit for the two cities and the league."
You can bet the message to the good people of Nanaimo is: Build it and we will come.
As soon as an arena with at least 5,000 seats is built there will be a WHL team calling Nanaimo home, either via relocation or expansion. Bet on it!
Many of the WHL’s other 21 teams aren’t all that thrilled with having to travel to Vancouver Island with only one team over there. It is a costly proposition — if you play a night game, you can't get off the ferry until the next morning and that means a hotel night — and the logistics caused by travel are most problematic.
Barron’s complete story is right here.
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If you haven’t already seen this piece by Charles P. Pierce of Grantland, it is linked here for your Sunday morning reading enjoyment. This pretty much sums up how it is that the NHL got to where it is today.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored three third-period goals and beat the Warriors, 4-2. . . . The Wheat Kings had beaten the Warriors 4-2 in Brandon on Friday. . . . This is Brandon’s first two-game winning streak since it open the season at 4-0-0. . . . Last night, Moose Jaw F Sam Fioretti’s 19th goal gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead at 15:09 of the second period. . . . Brandon F Chad Robinson tied it at 14:52 of the third, with F Taylor Cooper’s second goal of the season, at 17:52, standing up as the winner. . . . Robinson added an empty-netter, his seven goal this season. . . . Moose Jaw freshman F Josh Uhrich’s first WHL goal just 36 seconds into the game launched the teddy bears. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades ran their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Blades played those games over an eight-day stretch. . . . Saskatoon F Matej Stransky scored twice, giving him 21 goals this season. He has at least one goal in each of his last seven games. . . . F Nathan Burns had a goal and two assists for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon G Alex Moodie stopped 25 shots in running his record to 4-0-0 since taking over for Andrey Makarov, who is with Russia’s national junior team. . . .

In Calgary, G Mack Shields stopped 18 shots to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 2-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Shields, a 17-year-old from Saskatoon, record his first career shutout as he improved his record to 5-2-1. He backs up Chris Driedger with the Hitmen. . . . F Greg Chase got the game’s first goal, at 1:46 of the first period. . . . F Cody Sylvester, who drew the lone assist on Chase’s eighth goal, added his 19th, shorthanded, at 19:18 of the third period. . . . Regina was 0-for-10 on the PP. . . .

In Spokane, G Eric Comrie turned aside 36 shots as the Tri-City Americans edged the Chiefs, 2-1. . . . F Justin Feser, with his 19th, and F Malte Strömwall, with his 11th, gave Tri-City a 2-0 lead with early third-period goals. . . . It was Teddy Bear Toss night and the Chiefs were in danger of being blanked before D Reid Gow scored at 16:46 of the third. . . . Comrie had lost his last six decisions before this game. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings erased a 2-1 deficit with four straight second-period goals and beat the Victoria Royals, 5-2. . . . F Steven Hodges gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at 2:56 of the second period, but Edmonton F Michael St. Croix tied it at 5:24, on the PP, and F T.J. Foster put the home side out front at 7:50. . . . The teams combined for an even 100 penalty minutes, with Edmonton taking 55 of those. . . .

In Red Deer, the Kelowna Rockets improved to 4-0 on an Alberta swing as they beat the Rebels, 6-1. . . . F Dylen McKinlay had three assists for the Rockets. . . . The Rockets are 3-0 versus Red Deer this season, with G Jackson Whistle putting up all three victories. . . . F Myles Bell scored his 20th goal of the season for Kelowna, which gave up the game’s first goal and then scored six in a row. . . . D Mitchell Wheaton got the Rockets started with his first WHL goal in his 32nd game. . . . Whistle stopped 28 shots in improving his record to 7-1-0. . . . Kelowna, which has won six straight, is six points behind the second-place Kamloops Blazers in the Western Conference and holds four games in hand. . . . The Rockets will use up one of those games when they play in Calgary this afternoon. . . .

In Prince George, G Brett Zarowny stopped 23 shots and F Chase Witala had four points as the Cougars blanked the Vancouver Giants, 6-0. . . . The Giants had beaten the visiting Cougars 2-1 on Friday night; the teams play again this afternoon in Prince George. . . . Zarowny, a 17-year-old freshman from Edson, Alta., has two shutouts this season. . . . Witala had a goal, his fourth, and three assists. . . . F Colin Jacobs, just back from a six-game suspension, scored the game’s first goal, his 11th. Jacobs, who also had two assists, hadn’t played since Nov. 30. . . . Prince George D Rinalds Rosinskis played his last game before joining the Latvian national junior team. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Dylan Busenius scored a PP goal in OT to give the Tigers a wild 7-6 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Busenius got his sixth goal of the season at 3:01 of OT with Kamloops F Tim Bozon off for tripping. . . . Kamloops, which gave up 10 power plays in a 4-2 loss in Lethbridge on Friday, ran into penalty problems again in this one. The Tigers were 3-for-8 with the man advantage; the Blazers were 0-for-3. . . . Medicine Hat D Ty Stanton, who went into the game with a goal and two assists in 21 games, had a goal and three helpers in this one. . . . Kamloops D Joel Edmundson had a goal and three assists. . . . Stanton gave Medicine Hat a 6-4 lead at 1:50 of the third. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham cut into the lead with a shorthanded gol at 11:26 and Edmundson tied it at 14:34. . . . The Blazers lost F Aspen Sterzer at 7:26 of the third period when he was hit with a major penalty and game misconduct for checking to the head after a hit on F Trevor Cox. Sterzer was playing his fourth game since he served a one-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major on Dec. 7 against the visiting Prince George Cougars. . . . Sterzer’s departure left the Blazers with nine forwards. . . . There was a situation during this game in which the Blazers scored a goal but play went on until the next stoppage, after which it went to video review. The stoppage was to hand out three minor penalties. The goal was awarded to Kamloops, meaning time was reset back to that point. But the penalties were handed out, just the same. I got caught by this rule last season and it was pointed out to me that the penalties are called. Under rule 78.6, “Any penalties signalled during the period of time between the apparent goal and the next stoppage of play shall be assessed in the normal manner, except when a minor penalty is to be assessed to the team scored upon, and is therefore nullified by the scoring of the goal. If an infraction happens after the first stoppage of play following an apparent goal (infraction after the whistle) by either team, it is assessed and served in the normal manner regardless as to the decision rendered by the Video Goal Judge.”

In Portland, F Taylor Leier scored the game’s first two goals and the Winterhawks went on to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle took 99 of the game’s 163 penalty minutes. Merry Christmas! . . . Seattle made a goaltending change at 5:01 of the first period, with Brandon Glover, who was beaten twice on four shots, leaving in favour of Danny Mumaugh, a 16-year-old from Denver who was making his WHL debut. He stopped 29 of 31 shots. . . . Leier’s first goal was for the Teddy Bears. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists and now is tied for second in the WHL scoring race. He and F JC Lipon of the Kamloops Blazers are at 57 points, five behind F Colin Smith of Kamloops. . . . The victory lifted the Winterhawks to the top of the overall standings. They have 55 points, one more than Kamloops which has played five more games. . . . The Winterhawks are in Everett this evening.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Bryson Gore, Moose Jaw
F Lukas Sutter, Saskatoon
D Jagger Dirk, Kootenay
D Tanner Faith, Kootenay
D Ashton Sautner, Edmonton
D Landon Cross, Kamloops
F Connor Honey, Seattle
D Marc McNulty, Prince George

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Cody Sylvester, Calgary
F Aspen Sterzer, Kamloops (major)
F Elgin Pearce, Medicine Hat
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Erin in PDX (@girlonavespa21): “Coaches Travis Green and Steve Konowalchuk got up close and personal with each other at the end of the Winterhawks/T’birds #whlrivalrytilt”
Two more WHL coaches exchange late-game Christmas greetings. In this instance, both drew bench minors, albeit at game’s end.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Lukas Bohunicky (Kootenay, 2005-07) signed a two-year contract with Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had three assists in 32 games with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, Extraliga) and three assists in 12 games with the Missouri Mavericks (CHL) last season. . . .
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, 2001-05) signed a four-game tryout contract with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had two goals and 10 assists in 17 games with the Las Vegas Gamblers (ECHL) and five goals and one assist in 12 games with Sundsvall (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season.
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The Kelowna Rockets, with injuries having taken out two of their 20-year-olds, have added F Cody Fowlie, 20, who had been released by the Everett Silvertips. Fowlie had 40 points in 72 games with Everett last season. . . . Fowlie, from Airdrie, Alta., is expected to be in Kelowna’s lineup on Wednesday when it opens a four-game Central Division trip in Medicine Hat against the Tigers. . . . The Rockets now have four 20s on their roster, although D Mitchell Chapman (ankle) and F J.T. Barnett (knee) are on the shelf. Also on the roster is F Dylen McKinlay.
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The Kamloops Blazers returned from a 5-0-0 Central Division swing and promptly traded D Brady Gaudet, 18, to the Red Deer Rebels for a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Gaudet, from Redvers, Sask., was the 10th overall selection in the 2009 draft. . . . Gaudet was scratched from the Blazers’ 6-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Saturday, leading one to think the deal was close to being made, if not completed, at that time. . . . A move had been imminent in Kamloops, simply because the Blazers had been carrying nine defencemen and two freshmen, Ryan Rehill and Jordan Thomson, have shown they are more than capable. . . . D Austin Madaisky, 20, who is eligible to return to the Blazers, remains with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, although he has been scratched from each of their first four games.
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When F Daniel Asham, 18, informed the Brandon Wheat Kings late last week that he has had enough of hockey and chose to leave the team and when F Jason Swyripa (wrist) suffered a long-term injury, the Brandon Wheat Kings were left a bit short of experienced forwards. So the Wheat Kings reached out Monday and picked up F Chad Robinson, 19, from the Red Deer Rebels for a conditional 2014 seventh-round bantam draft pick. . . . Robinson is from Minnedosa, Man., which is located three slapshots north of Brandon. . . . Robinson has two points in nine games with the Rebels this season. In 129 career games with Red Deer, he has 44 points, including 11 goals. . . . “It was sort of a mutual agreement, I guess you could say,” Robinson told James Shewaga of the Brandon Sun. “I just wasn’t in the team’s plans for this year and moving forward I thought it would be more beneficial to ask for a trade out of there and move on … And absolutely, (Brandon) was at the top of the list.” . . . Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner and GM, told Shewaga that Swyripa is to see a specialist in Calgary today but that the could be out for two months.” . . . The Wheat Kings continue their road swing in Victoria against the Royals tonight. Brandon is 1-2-0 with four games left on the trip. . . . David Anning, Brandon’s new assistant coach, has joined the club and will work tonight’s game.
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The Tri-City Americans will visit the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday and the teams will play in Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, the first game in that facility this season. According to a Winterhawks news release, the teams will play “for the first time on the refurbished ice surface at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Construction crews have spent several months replacing the ice plant in the building and bringing the ice sheet to regulation size. In addition, both the Coliseum and Rose Garden have new boards, glass and benches this season.”
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The Prince Albert Raiders have assigned D Mackenze Stewart, 17, to the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. Stewart, who is from Calgary, had two penalty minutes in six games with the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert is carrying 23 players, including 13 forwards and eight defencemen.
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F Andrew Rieder, who was released by the Regina Pats earlier this month as they got down to three 20-year-olds, has surfaced with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. . . . He will be wearing No. 9 on Thursday when the London Knights visit the Petes.
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G Payton Lee, 16, was on the ice with the Vancouver Giants on Monday, but head coach Don Hay won’t say if he will start Wednesday against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Hay did tell Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that “"he's going to get an opportunity some time." . . . Lee is expected to be back with his regular team, the junior B Richmond Sockeyes, for a Friday game. With the Sockeyes, he is 4-1-0, 1.81, .939. . . . Interestingly, the Giants other two goaltenders, Liam Liston and Tyler Fuhr, both have been in Brandon’s organization. . . . The Giants take a 2-8-0 record into Wednesday’s game.
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Kevin Constantine, a former NHL head coach who was the first head coach of the Everett Silvertips (2003-07), has been fired as head coach of Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss National League A. . . . Ambri-Piotta is last in the league standings, with seven points from 14 games. Serge Pelletier was hired to replace Constantine. . . . Constantine, 54, was in his third season with Ambri-Piotta. He is signed through 2013-14.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Alan Caldwell (Alan@smallatlarge): “Since September 24 (exactly 4 weeks ago), Red Deer has made eight trades. EIGHT. Clearly G.M. Sutter is not happy with his roster.”
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“We’re not going to educate the invertebrates of professional hockey or fans who see the game as a surrogate for the Roman arena any time soon,” writes columnist Stephen Hume in the Vancouver Sun. “But perhaps we can do something about changing the culture gradually by eliminating such stuff from minor hockey, where parents and the public have a say.”
Hume’s complete piece is right here.


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