The CHL announced details of the 2014 Subway Series on Thursday. That annual series involves a touring Russian team playing two games each against all-star teams from the WHL, OHL and QMJHL.One reader of this blog saw the information posted here yesterday and sent along this query:
“Can you tell me how Canada is supporting the people in the Ukraine vs Russia as we still host the Subway Series? Why host them when Russia is still going at Ukraine?”
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The aftershocks from some ugliness during Game 5 between the Victoria Royals and the Winterhawks in Portland on Thursday night will be heard for a while yet. The WHL has suspended two of the Royals -- F Steven Hodges, for a game misconduct he incurred, and F Brandon Magee, for a match penalty he was given for attempt to injure. . . . The Winterhawks won the game, 5-1, and the series, 4-1, to advance to the Western Conference final. . . . There is concern in the Portland camp that Magee cross-checked Winterhawks F Nic Petan in the back of the head at 15:10 of the third period as retribution from an earlier incident. . . . Tempers had flared at the end of the second period and, during the ensuing melee, Portland D Derrick Pouliot punched Victoria D Joe Hicketts, who is believed to have been rendered unconscious, at least briefly. Pouliot, Hicketts and Hodges all were ejected at that point.---
“I probably had 17 or 18 concussions through my career, five or six documented,” former NHLer Dan LaCouture, 36, told Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times. “Just after you have a concussion, you think you’re going to lose your job. So you try to play through it.” . . . LaCouture is part of a concussion-related lawsuit that was filed against the NHL this week. . . . Klein’s story is right here.
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Glenn (Chico) Resch, one of hockey’s really great guys, announced his retirement from broadcasting during the first intermission of the New Jersey Devils’ game on Friday night. . . . A lot of people forget that Resch, a native of Moose Jaw, did a stint as the general manager and then the head coach of the Tri-City Americans. That was in 1991-92. The Americans were 9-13-2 when his coaching career ended on Nov. 22, 1991. . . . Randy Miller of NJ.com has an interview with Resch right here.---
F Justin Hickman of the Seattle Thunderbirds will finish the season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. Hickman, who turned 20 on March 18, had 45 points, 22 of them goals, and 154 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Thunderbirds this season. A second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, Hickman played four seasons with Seattle. He hasn’t been selected in the NHL draft.---
A Pacific Division in the AHL that would be centred in Arizona? There’s more right here from the Prescott Daily Courier.
According to that report, “Fox Sports Arizona reported that multiple NHL sources with knowledge of the situation said several western-based NHL franchises, including the Phoenix Coyotes, want to form a Pacific Division for their affiliates in the American Hockey League (AHL).”That’s interesting because there was a time when the late Ed Chynoweth, then the WHL’s commissioner, was concerned that western NHL teams might set up AHL franchises in WHL cities such as Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Regina and Medicine Hat.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported early Friday evening that F Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. They selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Stephenson, who turns 20 on April 22, is from Saskatoon. He played four seasons with the Pats, putting up 195 points, including 73 goals, in 230 games. This season, he had career highs in goals (30), assists (59) and points (89), all in 69 games. . . . Ross Mahoney, Washington’s head amateur scout, is from Regina, so you know he’s most familiar with Stephenson, who will finish the season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. . . . From Harder: “According to the terms of his contract, Stephenson has the opportunity (if he achieves certain bonuses) to earn the maximum salary under the rookie cap ($925,000 per season) when he reaches the NHL. He received the maximum signing bonus ($92,500 per season) and max AHL salary ($70,000) allowed by the CBA, meaning he will earn $162,500 per season as an AHLer.”---
The London Knights, the host team for next month’s Memorial Cup tournament, will have five weeks to prepare after they were eliminated from the OHL playoffs last night. The Guelph Storm dropped the Knights 5-4 to win the second-round series, 4-1. . . . The Memorial Cup runs from May 16 through May 25.---
If you are into the Masters, this is for you:
“Prepare to see more, much more, of what’s already in progress — a three-ring circus of birdies, glorious saves and single-car crashes. Rory McIlroy, one of the count-on-your-fingers-favorites, thought he was playing well after an opening 71. His Friday was one long GIF of jitters. At the second, he lost his drive, and almost himself, in flora to the left. At the 210-yard fourth, he was so long that fans lost sight as he searched for his ball in the kind of abandoned shrub-shrouded shed where the body dump is always found on ‘CSI.’ At the 13th, he was trapped by vegetables up to his neck. Normally, you’d say they were large azaleas, but this year, since they’ve barely bloomed, perhaps they don’t deserve the name.”
That is from the always excellent Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, and his complete column is right here.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton wins, 4-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon 1 at Edmonton 5 (6,356)
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: F Jayce Hawryluk, day-to-day; G Curtis Honey, day-to-day; F Ryley Lindgren, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 3-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat 4 at Kootenay 7 (2,578)
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria 1 at Portland 5 (8,083)
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 19: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 22: Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23: Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 25: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)/KOOTENAY (6)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
Season series: Edmonton, 4-2-0; Kootenay, 2-2-2.
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 20: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Other dates TBA.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored three times in a span of 2:08 late in the first period and sent on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-1. . . . The Oil Kings won the second-round series, 4-1, and now await the winner of the other Eastern Conference semifinal, which resumes tonight in Medicine Hat. The Kootenay Ice lead the Tigers 3-1 in that one. . . . Edmonton is into the conference final for a third straight season. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson opened the scoring at 15:26 of the first period, with F Brett Pollock scoring his fifth goal at 17:11 and F Reid Petryk making it 3-0 at 17:34. . . . D Eric Roy scored a 5-on-3 PP goal for Brandon at 2:55 of the third period. That was Brandon’s first road goal of the series. . . . Edmonton put it away with goals from D Cody Corbett, at 8:44, and F Mitch Moroz, at 11:09. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots. In the three home games in this series, he had a .984 save percentage and a GAA of 0.33. . . . Overall in these playoffs, he is 8-1, 1.78, .933. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-5 on the PP; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb was given a clipping major and game misconduct at 16:12 of the third period. That may be worthy of a WHL suspension, but he would be a 20-year-old next season so perhaps Nejezchleb, who is Czech, won’t be back. . . . The Wheat Kings, as it turned out, suffered a blow at practice on Thursday when F Jayce Hawryluk, their top offensive forward, was injured. With him out, Roy saw some time on a forward line. . . . The Oil Kings had F Brandon Baddock back in their lineup for the first time since Feb. 19. ---
From Hodges Heroes (@hodgersheroes): “With Rattie's debut tonight, 6 players from the 2010-11 #Winterhawks team have played an NHL game this season.”
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From Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) of The Hockey News: “It's always been a privilege and a pleasure to talk hockey with Chico Resch. Hockey needs more guys named Chico and like Chico. Happy retirement.”
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.
In the MJHL, the Selkirk Steelers’ franchise-record winning streak ended at 20 games as they dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to the host Portage Terriers on Saturday night. The Steelers tied the MJHL’s single-season record on Friday night, beating the Steinbach Pistons 3-2, and now share that mark with the 2012-13 Dauphin Kings, who also put together a 20-game winning streak.
G Chris Driedger of the Calgary Hitmen, who was credited with a goal on Saturday night, set a franchise record in the first period of Friday’s 7-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. During that period, he made his 3,375th career save, breaking the record that had been held by Martin Jones (2006-10). . . . Jones now is with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.
F Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists and was plus-4 as he led the host Regina Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Stephenson has 24 goals. . . . The Pats are 7-0 against the Warriors this season. . . . F Jack Rodewald, a former Regina skater, had both Moose Jaw goals, giving him 16. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 33 shots. . . . The victory lifted Regina (27-21-5) to within one point of the fifth-place Swift Current Broncos in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Warriors (13-31-8) are 10th in the conference. . . . 
In Swift Current, F Troy Bourke scored twice and added an assist to help the Prince George Cougars to a 6-2 victory over the Broncos. . . . It was the sixth game in nine nights in the East Division for the Cougars, who lost the first two and then won four in a row. . . . Bourke has 19 goals this season. He also has a career-high 57 points in 52 games, one more than he scored in 71 games in 2011-12. . . . F Klarc Wilson also scored twice for the Cougars; he’s got 22. . . . Cougars F Todd Fiddler had two assists. . . . Prince George G Adam Beukeboom turned aside 38 shots in evening his record at 3-3-0. . . . Broncos F Nate Burns scored his 20th goal. He’s got 14 points, including four goals, in 12 games since moving from Saskatoon in a January deal. On the season, he has 57 points in 52 games. . . . The Cougars (22-26-7) are six points out of the last Western Conference playoff spot. . . . The Broncos (26-19-8) are one point behind the fourth-place Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference. . . .
F Rihards Bukarts scored twice to help the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Blades in Saskatoon. . . . Bukarts, who served a one-game suspension earlier in the week, has 21 goals. . . . The Wheat Kings halted a three-game losing streak as they played their fourth game in in a five-night road swing. . . . Brandon D Rene Hunter and F Tim McGauley each had two assists. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots. . . . The Wheaties were 2-for-9 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-5. . . . The Blades had F Ty Mappin in their lineup as they brought him in from the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys. They had acquired Mappin at the trade deadline, getting him from the Everett Silvertips for a conditional seventh-round 2015 bantam draft pick. He was the seventh overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Wheat Kings (27-19-6) are tied with Swift Current atop the East Division, but more victories (27-26) puts them in first place. . . . The Blades (14-36-4) are 11th in the 12-team Eastern Conference. . . . 
In Cranbrook, G Chris Driedger of the Calgary Hitmen was credited with the game’s first goal, but the Kootenay Ice came back to score a 5-2 victory. . . . Driedger is the sixth goaltender in WHL history to be credited with a goal, the first since Jordan McLaughlin of the Prince George Cougars scored against the Vancouver Giants on March 5, 2003. The other goaltenders with goals -- Jason Clague, Red Deer Rebels, March 28, 1994; Jeff Calvert, Tacoma Rockets, Dec. 29, 1992; Chris Osgood, Medicine Hat Tigers, Jan. 3, 1991; and, Olaf Kolzig, Tri-City Americans, Nov. 29, 1989. . . . Driedger was credited with the goal when he was the last Calgary player to touch the puck before the Ice scored an own goal in trying to move the puck back to the point in the offensive zone while a delayed penalty was waiting to be called. . . . The Hitmen led this one 2-0 at 5:54 of the first period, but gave up the game’s last five goals. . . . F Tim Bozon scored twice for the Ice, giving him 23, while F Austin Vetterl got his ninth and 10th. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had three assists, running his point streak to 10 games. . . . Ice F Luke Philp had his 12-game point streak halted. . . . Kootenay’s last two goals came into an empty Calgary net. . . . The Ice (27-21-4) is 7-2-1 in its last 10 and is seventh in an awfully tight Eastern Conference where six teams are separated by four points. . . . The Hitmen (32-14-6) are five points behind the Central Division-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
In Red Deer, F Brian Williams had a goal and two assists as the Tri-City Americans doubled the Rebels, 4-2. . . . Williams has 33 goals. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 27 shots in running his record to 23,17-5. He has a 2.29 GAA with a .932 save percentage. . . . The Americans were 1-for-9 on the PP; the Rebels were 2-for-8. . . . Americans D Josh Thrower was tossed at 18:41 of the first period with a headshot major. . . . The Americans (26-22-5) are eighth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Rebels (27-22-3) own the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. They are one point behind Kootenay and eight up on the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, the Edmonton Oil Kings ran their winning streak to eight games with a 5-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . F Mitch Moroz scored twice for Edmonton, giving him 29 goals this season and tying him for the team led with F Curtis Lazar, who had one goal. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett drew three assists. . . . F Curtis Valk of the Tigers scored the game’s first goal, his 28th. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots. He’s now 33-11-1, 2.28, .912. . . . The Oil Kings have won 14 of their last 15 games. . . . The Oil Kings (37-13-1) lead the Eastern Conference. . . . The Tigers (29-19-3) are fourth, one point ahead of Brandon and Swift Current. . . . 
In Portland, G Brendan Burke put up his second shutout in as many nights as the Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 10 games with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Burke stopped 16 shots in posting his third shutout this season. . . . One night earlier, he beat the visiting Spokane Chiefs, 6-0. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun turned aside 46 shots as his record slipped to 7-1-0 since he was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers at the trade deadline. . . . The Winterhawks held a 22-2 edge in shots in the second period. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal, his 37th, and an assist. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot had two assists. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar drew a fighting major and game misconduct when he tried to scrap with an unwilling Brendan Leipsic. On Dec. 17, Leipsic drew a match penalty and a seven-game suspension for a hit that left Kolesar with a concussion. . . . Portland was 2-for-8 on the PP as it received the game’s first seven man-advantage situations. . . . Seattle was 0-for-2. . . . The Winterhawks have outscored the opposition 53-13 during its 10-game winning streak. This is their second 10-game win streak this season; they won 11 straight from Oct. 12 to Nov. 2. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock returned to the lineup after not having played since Jan. 4. . . . Portland (36-12-5) is 10 points behind the Western Conference-leading Kelowna Rockets. . . . Seattle (32-16-5), which is 8-2-0 in its last 10, is fourth, two points in back of the Victoria Royals. . . . 
In Everett, F Ivan Nikolishin scored his 13th goal, via the PP, at 4:24 of OT to give the Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett had lost its last six games. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg had forced OT with his WHL-leading 47th goal at 8:34 of the third. . . . Injuries limited Everett to 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml had a goal, his 12th, and two assists, while F Josh Winquist scored his 33rd goal and set up two others. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani completed a three-game WHL suspension for a headshot on Kamloops D Connor Clouston on Tuesday. . . . Spokane got two goals from F Colton Bobyk, who now has four on the season. . . . Each team used both of its goaltenders in this one. . . . Everett (26-19-8) is seventh in the Western Conference, a point behind the Vancouver Giants and three ahead of Tri-City. . . .
In Kelowna, F Myles Bell scored four times and added two assists as the Rockets dumped the Kamloops Blazers, 7-3. . . . With the victory, the Rockets became the first WHL team to clinch a playoff spot. They have 20 regular-season games remaining. . . . One night earlier, in Kamloops, Bell had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 Kelowna victory. . . . On the season, Bell has 61 points, including 35 goals, in 50 games. . . . F Collin Shirley scored twice for Kamloops; he’s got 10. . . . D Austin Douglas scored his first WHL goal for Kamloops. It came in his 22nd game, the first 13 of which were played with Seattle. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-3 on the PP; on Friday night, they were 3-for-5. . . . Kelowna is 7-0-0 against Kamloops this season and has a 34-14 edge in goals. . . . The Blazers hadn’t scored more than two goals in any of the first six games. . . . The Rockets (42-7-3) lead the overall standings by 10 points over Portland. . . . The Blazers (11-37-5) won’t make the playoffs. . . .
D Joe Hicketts scored 36 seconds into OT to give the host Victoria Royals a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . One night earlier, the Giants had beaten the Royals 5-4 in a shootout. . . . Hicketts, who returned to the lineup Friday for the first time since Oct. 26, has five goals this season. He had two assists in his return Friday after missing 34 games. . . . Vancouver erased a 2-0 deficit and forced OT on goals by F Cain Franson, his 20th at 15:10 of the second, and F Ty Ronning, his sixth at 6:22 of the third. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had a goal, his 16th, and an assist. . . . F Ben Walker got his 20th goal of the season for the Royals. . . . Attendance was 7,006 on a Pink the Rink night. . . . The Royals (34-16-3) are third in the Western Conference, six points behind Portland and two ahead of Seattle. . . . The Giants (26-19-9) are sixth.
Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL) announced the signings of F Colin Long (Kelowna, 2005-09) and F Ashton Rome (Moose Jaw, Red Deer, Kamloops, 2002-06) to one-year contract extensions. Long had eight goals and nine assists in 15 games and Rome had 13 goals and 12 assists in 33 games with Dusseldorf this season. Long, who missed the first part of the season with a concussion, also serves as an assistant coach. . . .
More importantly, the letter, which is posted on the Cougars’ website, would seem to indicate that the franchise isn’t going anywhere.
Chynoweth was knocked into the boards, hitting his head and suffered a cut to his forehead.
In Moose Jaw, F Tanner Eberle scored in OT as the Warriors erased a 4-0 deficit and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-4. . . . Eberle’s 15th goal came 45 seconds into OT. . . . The Blades went into the game having won 18 straight games. . . . They scored three goals in the game’s first 8:13, with F Matej Stransky getting two of them to equal his career high with 39 snipes. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic, making his 20th straight start, stopped 36 shots. . . . The Warriors trailed 4-0 until 3:28 of the third period when F Justin Kirsch scored his 22nd goal on a PP. . . F Brayden Point was in on the Warrior’ next three goals, drawing an assist on F Jordan Messier’s 10th and then scoring twice, giving him 18, at 8:48, on a PP, and again at 11:35. . . . Point finished with two goals and two assists. . . . The Blades had been 7-0 against the Warriors this season. . . . Warriors D Kendall McFaull, the team captain, went to hospital after being injured in a scrap with F Collin Valcourt in the second period. McFaull lost two teeth and two others pushed back, but he returned and was on the ice when OT began. “He’s the ultimate and true Warrior,” Moose Jaw head coach Mike Stothers told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to get fixed. He said ‘I can do that later’ and we told him he better go get it done. They don’t make them like that any more.” . . . Attendance was announced at 3,462 but only about 1,200 fans braved near-blizzard condtions to watch this one.
In Vancouver, D Blake Orban scored at 1:47 of OT to give the Giants a 1-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee stopped 13 shots for the shutout, his first in the WHL. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz turned aside 26 shots. . . . There was some discussion after the game over whether Orban’s shot went in off the stick of Vancouver F Alec Baer, the 15-year-old Minnesotan who was playing in his third WHL game. "I don't even know, to be honest," Baer told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province. "I'm glad our team did. I was just in front battling. I hit something: might have been a stick, might have been a puck. The Giants scored. That's all that matters." . . . Baer is to return to Minnesota today but plans on returning to play in a home-and-home series against the Victoria Royals on Friday and Saturday. . . . The loser point moved Everett into a tie with Seattle for seventh in the Western Conference. However, Everett has more victories — 23-22 — so is shown in seventh place. . . . 
In Kamloops, F JC Lipon scored three times and G Cole Cheveldave stopped 25 shots as the Blazers beat the Kelowna Rockets, 3-0. . . . Lipon has 34 goals this season. He has two career hat tricks, both of them this season. . . . Cheveldave earned his fifth shutout this season and the ninth of his career. . . . F Myles Bell, who leads the Rockets in goals, assists and points, didn’t play after 17:50 of the first period. He went to the bench after going knee-to-knee with Kamloops D Sam Grist in a collision that was more of an accident than anything. . . . The Blazers closed to within three points of the B.C. Division-leading Rockets, who hold a game in hand. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, D Derek Ryckman got the Tigers rolling to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen when he opened the scoring with his first goal of the season. . . . Ryckman, a 20-year-old form Red Deer, now has nine goals in 284 regular-season games. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 42nd goal — it was shorthanded and gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead at 11:50 of the first — and added two assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 39 shots. . . . The start of the game was delayed 40 minutes as poor weather conditions kept the Hitmen from arriving until 5:40 p.m. The game was to have started at 6 p.m. 
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