Want to help save a team? . . . Tigers, Royals move on . . . Hitmen, Ice go 7

My dads first birthday since he has been gone.....why not get my first pro hatty! Happy birthday dad, hope you liked your present
— Adam Hughesman (@Hughdog17) April 5, 2015

The move to get hockey back into Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops is staring a hard deadline squarely in the face.
The B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League has given those working to save the program a deadline of May 3 to gain re-entry.
“It was our plan to get accepted by TRU at some level, then create a hockey operations department and begin fundraising,” Trevor Bast, who is heading up the drive to save the team, told Taking Note on Saturday. “With only 30 days to prove all requirements, I have to start asking for money.”
All along, Bast has planned on raising money through sponsorships and fundraising. Now, though, things have changed.
“Considering where we have come from and where we need to go, we need to have some guaranteed money to assure our survival for the next few years,” he explained. “In my opinion that needs to come from supporters or donors as opposed to sponsors.”
Bast has done a lot of work and research on this project; in fact, he has been working at it since the university pulled the plug on the WolfPack prior to the start of the 2014-15 season. He has calculated that the “minimum survival budget” is $70,000 per season.
As he put it: “That's what we can spend to survive, not thrive."
He added: “We can work on thriving down the road. The players, through player fees, will provide $45,000 of that $70,000.”
Each player will be on the hook for $1,800 per season to play and won’t receive help towards books, tuition or housing. Thus, Bast said, the players shouldn’t “be under any pressure to provide that next $25,000 to survive. As a team they will be responsible to fund raise, acquire sponsorships and be great ambassadors of TRU. But the year-to-year stress to survive as a team should not be on them.
“It is my goal to have that $25,000 provided for them,” Bast said. “Since TRU won’t provide that money, I must ask the private sector.”
It is that $25,000 that will allow the project to move ahead . . . or, on the other hand, to wither on the vine.
“That next $25,000 is critical to proving to the powers that be that we have a long term sustainable model,” Bast said. “It doesn't matter to us if one person offers that money or a combination of 10 people make up that amount. What is important is that we find that sort of support lasting over a three-to-five-year period to help this program get back on its feet and be around for many years to come.
“The hockey world within B.C. is vast and generous. This program needs help now. The BCIHL is a great league. There is potential to have an eight-to-10-team league similar to the ACAC in Alberta, but it needs an Okanagan presence now.”
This is Bast’s last-ditch effort. He knows that the door closes on May 3.
If you are able to help, would like to get involved, or have any questions, email him at trevorbast@gmail.com.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice forced a seventh game with a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . They’ll decide it Monday night in Calgary. The game will be televised by Shaw. . . . The Hitmen had won 7-2 in Cranbrook on Wednesday to take a 3-1 lead in the series. The Ice then won 5-4 in to in Calgary on Friday. . . . Last night, Ice F Jaedon Descheneau broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal at 14:55 of the second period. . . . That goal came after F Adam Tambellini pulled Calgary into a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal at 11:19. . . . F Tim Bozon had given the home side a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 13:40 of the first. . . . Ice F Luke Philp added insurance with his fifth goal at 17:45 of the third. . . . That goal was needed, too, because Tambellini got his seventh goal at 18:35 to make it a one-goal game. . . . Kootenay’s Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter at 19:59. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 25 shots. . . . Calgary starter Brendan Burke gave up one goal on 14 shots before leaving at 12:31 of the second with an apparent injury. He departed after stopping a shot by Ice F Ryan Chynoweth. . . . G Mack Shields came on to stop 11 of 13. . . . Burke is to be re-evaluated today before the Hitmen will be able to decide on their goaltending for Game 7. . . . The Ice was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 2,645. . . . BTW, the game-winning OT goal in the Ice’s 5-4 victory in Calgary on Friday has been changed to F Luke Philp, his fourth goal of the series. It had been credited to F Levi Cable. Philp finished the game with two goals and three assists. . . . Trevor Crawley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story from Saturday right here.

In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox broke a 3-3 tie at 18:14 of the third period as the Tigers beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-3. . . . The Tigers won the series, 4-1, and now await a winner between Calgary and Kootenay. . . . Medicine Hat has reached at least the second round in seven straight springs and 12 of the past 13. Yes, think about that for a moment or two. . . . Red Deer will be the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament. . . . The Rebels didn’t have an answer for the Tigers’ top line in this one as it accounted for all four goals. . . . F Steve Owre had two goals and an assist, while F Cole Sanford had his fourth goal and two helpers, and Cox had one of each. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei gave the Rebels a 3-2 lead at 3:29 of the second period, on the PP. . . . Owre tied it with his second goal of the game, and third of the series, at 18:03 of the second. . . . Cox had three goals in the series. . . . F Riley Sheen had a goal and an assist for the Rebels, with D Brett Cote adding two assists. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer turned aside 28 shots, while Red Deer’s Rylan Toth stopped 32. . . . Red Deer was 2-for-7 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 4,006.

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored at 1:42 of OT to give the Royals a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Royals won the series, 4-2, and will meet the Kelowna Rockets in the second round. That series will open with games Friday and Saturday nights in Kelowna. . . . Magee finished the series with six goals. . . . F Alex Forsberg, who was selected first overall by Prince George in the 2010 bantam draft, had the primary assist on Magee’s goal. . . . Prince George F Brad Morrison forced OT when he scored a PP goal with 1:14 left in the third period. . . . The Royals led 3-1 after one period and 4-3 late in the third period. . . . Victoria G Greg Chase scored three times, his third goal providing a 4-3 lead at 15:16 of the third. He’s got five goals in the series. . . . F Zach Pochiro scored the Cougars’ first three goals, giving him four. He cut Victoria’s lead to 3-2 at 15:14 of the second on a PP and then tied the game at 14:00 of the third. . . . F Jack Walker and F Tyler Soy each had two assists for Victoria. . . . F Jansen Harkins drew two assists for the Cougars. . . . Victoria G Coleman Collrath turned aside 34 shots, 12 more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Royals were 1-for-3 on the pp; the Cougars were 2-for-5. . . . Attendance was 5,839.

In Everett, F Riley Whittingham scored at 15:25 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Silvertips still lead the series, 3-2, with Game 6 set for Spokane on Tuesday night. . . . The goal was Whittingham’s first of these playoffs. . . . Spokane D Nick Charif’s first goal, at 17:42 of the third period, forced extra time. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml had broken a 2-2 tie at 12:44 of the second period. . . . F Markson Bechtold got the Chiefs on the board at 12:19 of the first period. . . . Everett took the lead on second-period goals by F Carson Stadnyk, at 2:59, on the PP, and F Brayden Low, his third, at 10:17. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart pulled his guys even at 11:14. . . . Chiefs F Garret Hughson turned aside 36 shots, three fewer than Carter Hart of the Silvertips. . . . Spokane D Evan Fiala was tossed at 2:28 of the second period with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Everett F Patrick Bajkov. . . . The Silvertips scored one goal on the five-minute PP. . . . Everett was 1-for-4 on the PP; Spokane was 0-for-1. . . . D Ben Betker was back in the Everett lineup after sitting out two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl sat out his second straight game with an undisclosed ailment. . . . Attendance was 4,249. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here.

In Portland, F Paul Bittner scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 3-2 lead in the series as the teams return to Kent, Wash., for Game 6 on Tuesday night. . . . Portland scored the game’s first two goals and Seattle never was able to equalize. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had a goal and two assists, was in on both goals, from F Keegan Iverson and Bittner. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor got his third goal, shorthanded, at 19:49. . . . The teams alternated goals from that point on. . . . Bittner’s goals were his first of the series. . . . Bjorkstrand, who led the WHL in goals and points in the regular season, has eight points in his last two games. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two assists. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Cory Millette. . . . Seattle F Matt Barzal scored his fourth goal of the series. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 27 shots, three fewer than Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Portland was 1-for-3 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-1. . . . Attendance was 7,119. . . . The game story Scott Sepich wrote for The Oregonian is right here.
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F Carter Rigby, who completed his junior eligibility with the Swift Current Broncos earlier this week, has signed on with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Rigby, from Penticton, B.C., started the WHL season with the Kelowna Rockets and finished in Swift Current, totalling 46 points, including 18 goals, in 62 games. . . . The Thunder is affiliated with the NHL’s Calgary Flames and New York Islanders and the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. . . . Rigby made his professional debut last night against the Ontario Reign. He had two shots in a 7-4 loss to the host Ontario Reign.
D David Musil, 21, made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers last night. Musil, whose father, Frank, also played for the Oilers, was a second-round selection in the 2011 NHL draft while he was playing for the Vancouver Giants. After playing three seasons with the Giants, he was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings 14 games into 2012-13. Musil, who has been with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, is the first ex-Oil Kings player in modern franchise history to play in a game with the Oilers. . . . The Oilers, of course, own the Oil Kings.
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D Justin Hamonic, who played out his eligibility with the Tri-City Americans, made his pro debut last night with the ECHL’s Anchorage Aces. He had one shot on goal in a 3-0 loss to the host Utah Grizzlies. . . .
F Colby Cave, who captained the Swift Current Broncos, is likely to join the AHL’s Providence Bruins after signing a three-year contract with the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Cave, 20, was an undrafted unrestricted free agent. . . . He previously had attended camps with the Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.
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“The Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association will be adopting new measures in their concussion protocol beginning in the 2015-16 season,” writes Brett Smith of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “PAMHA technical director James Mays said the matter was discussed at a recent board meeting in order to protect both the players and the coaches. . . . The information will be in the coaches’ and parents’ manuals handed out at the start of the year. . . . One of the changes to the protocol is that if a doctor diagnoses any player with a concussion, the player will have to follow up with the doctor before being cleared to get back on the ice.”
Smith’s complete story is right here.
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from the WHL website: Dewey beats Truman pic.twitter.com/01I6Inw2Pr
— Dylan Bumbarger (@dylandb) April 5, 2015

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Ice stays alive . . . Everett showing Hart . . . Broncos captain gets NHL deal

F Jamie Lundmark (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 1998-2001) has signed a two-year extension with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). In 54 games, Lundmark had 24 goals and 25 assists. He led his team in goals, assists and points, and was eighth in the league’s scoring race.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, F Levi Cable was credited with the OT goal that gave the Kootenay Ice a 5-4 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Calgary leads the series 3-2 as they head back to Cranbrook for Game 6 tonight. . . . It was the third time in five games that the teams needed OT to settle things. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini scored the winner in both of those games and he came close early in OT last night, only to be thwarted by G Wyatt Hoflin. . . . Moments later, at 6:05, Ice F Luke Philp took a shot that ended up in the Calgary goal to win the game. Cable, who had scored earlier in the game, doesn’t think he touched the puck, so the goal likely will be changed to Philp, who already had a goal and three assists. . . . The teams combined for two first-period goals, six in the second and none in the third. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart tied the game 4-4 with his fourth goal of the series, on a PP, at 19:51 of the second. . . . The Hitmen had taken a 4-2 lead when F Kenton Helgesen got his fourth goal, via a PP, at 12:51. . . . The Ice cut the deficit to one on Philp’s shorthanded goal at 17:48. . . . Philp and Tambellini, who had two assists, lead the playoff scoring race, each with 11 points. Tambellini has five goals; Philp has three, or maybe four. . . . Reinhart, who took 10 minor penalties in 47 regular-season games, took two minors for the second straight game. He was in the penalty box for Helgesen’s PP goal and for Philp’s shorthanded score. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon had two assists. . . . F Radel Fazleev scored twice for Calgary. . . . Hoflin finished with 24 saves, seven fewer than Calgary’s Brendan Burke. . . . The Ice was 2-for-8 on the PP; the Hitmen were 2-for-3. . . . Attendance was 9,121. . . . A post-game tweet from the Ice: “DID YOU KNOW: tonight marked the 1st playoff OT win for the ICE vs. Calgary since 04/29/00 (KTN 6 @ 5 CGY). Zdenek Blatny had the OT winner. . . . Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun has a game story right here.

In Spokane, the Everett Silvertips scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 3-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Everett goes home for tonight’s fifth game with a 3-1 lead in the series. . . . F Logan Aasman got Everett on the board at 2:21 of the second period and F Nikita Scherbak made it 2-0 at 11:54. . . . F Brayden Low upped the lead to 3-0 at 6:48 of the third. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto scored for the Chiefs, on a PP, at 10:53 of the third. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 31 shots, 12 more than Garret Hughson of the Chiefs. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl skated in the warmup but was scratched. With him out, Everett dressed D Jantzen Leslie, a first-round pick from the 2014 bantam draft. D Jordan Wharrie saw time as a forward. . . . Attendance was 5,130. . . . The Chiefs were 1-for-7 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-for-5. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here. . . .
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There weren’t any embellishment penalties handed out in the Everett-Spokane game, despite both coaches having complained about the opposition’s diving tactics. . . . If you missed it, Everett head coach Kevin Constantine filled in Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald on Thursday:
“Their diving and their flopping to me has almost turned into an Olympic sport. It was very evident, it was epidemic in the game (Wednesday) night.
“I think a couple players on our team over the course of the season gave us a false team reputation of going down easy. Our team has never promoted that or done that, even though there's a couple players who have done it a little. It's nothing compared to what Spokane has done in the first three games."
With Spokane’s special teams having been better in the regular season, Constantine told Patterson that the Chiefs “as a team, conspired to turn this into a flopping contest. You could pick out 10 times before what happened with Scherbak in overtime — 10 times — where they just purposely dropped to the ice. I don't debate that Scherbak, in the case of the overtime penalty, might have tried to encourage the ref to make a call the other way and got called for it. But that call that was made on Scherbak should have been called on Spokane 10 times prior to that call being made. I could show you the 10 times (on video) right now.
“To me it's a bit comical and a bit frustrating how much Spokane is just flopping all over the ice. I think it's a travesty to the game, I think it's bad for the game that they're doing that, and I hope the officiating can stay on top of them doing that.”
Patterson’s complete story is right here.
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F Colby Cave of the Swift Current Broncos has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Cave, who just completed his 20-year-old season with the Broncos, was an undrafted unrestricted free agent. . . . From Battleford, Sask., Cave had career highs in goals (35), assists (40) and points (75) this season. He played all 72 regular-season games for a third straight season. . . . In 287 career games, he had 202 points, 95 of the goals.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings and Regina Pats will be well-rested by the time they begin their second-round series on Friday. Both teams completed first-round sweeps on Wednesday. . . . “It’s uncommon to have breaks this long,” Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner/GM/head coach, told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. “(The Pats) swept their series so they were done on Wednesday night. We had a real compressed schedule so by playing five games in seven nights were done on Wednesday, and it’s going to give both teams a lot of opportunity to be ready for Round 2.” . . . McCrimmon gave his players a couple of days off, while he was in Winnipeg on Friday scouting the Western Canadian bantam championship.
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The NHL’s Montreal Canadiens have assigned Swift Current Broncos D Brett Lernout to the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Lernout was selected by Montreal in the third round of the 2014 NHL draft and signed a three-year contract with the Habs on Dec. 19. . . . This sesason, Lernout, 19, had 42 points, including 14 goals, in 72 games with the Broncos, whose season ended this week with a first-round loss to the Regina Pats. . . . The Bulldogs are at home to the Utica Comets tonight.
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F Mads Eller of the Edmonton Oil Kings played hurt as his squad lost to the Brandon Wheat Kings in five games. Chris O’Leary of the Edmonton Journal has more right here on Eller and his broken mastoid process.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Spencer Gerth, 16, a list player who was in their training camp prior to this season. Gerth spent the season with the junior B Golden Rockets of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Ty Davidson, who was the Rockets’ GM/head coach, is the son of Everett GM Garry Davidson. . . . Gerth had 22 points, including eight goals, in 52 games with Golden.
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KABOOM! . . . The Kimberley Dynamiters opened the Cyclone Taylor Cup — B.C.’s junior B championship tournament — with a 2-1 victory over the host Mission Outlaws on Friday night. . . . F Braden Saretsky, who turns 19 on April 16, scored the Nitros’ first goal, to continue his amazing playoff run. The West Kelowna native now has 19 goals in 23 playoff games; he scored 19 goals in 44 regular-season games. He played the first 19 games of the season with the KIJHL’s Summerland Steam and the last 25 with the Dynamiters. . . . Kimberley faces the Campbell River Storm today at 2 p.m. Pacific.
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Everett beats Spokane 3-1 to go up 3-1. Chiefs 0-6 with 6 goals for in last 6 home playoff games.
— Scott Sepich (@SSepich) April 4, 2015

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.

New arena in Regina? . . . Wheat Kings on top of WHL . . . Americans get last playoff spot

Congrats Pops on outlasting two arenas. I hope you outlast the third one too. @tigershockey pic.twitter.com/BOSLkbloIc
— Bob Ridley (@bob_ridley) March 21, 2015

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It was only fitting that the final regular-season game in the Medicine Hat Arena should have featured two of the WHL’s longest-tenured play-by-play men — Bob Ridley, the voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers, and Les Lazaruk, who calls the play for the Saskatoon Blades.
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Might the Regina Pats, at some point in the not-too-distant future, have a new home? And might that new home be in downtown Regina? Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has the goods on that story right here. And if you read between the lines . . .
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The Vancouver Giants dropped a 4-3 OT decision to the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday night. You may have been watching on Sportsnet when the Rockets were gifted a PP in OT and won it shortly thereafter. It turns out that Vancouver head coach Claude Noel wasn’t happy with the officiating. Ch-ch-ching! . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more right here.
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Steve Nash, the greatest of all Canadian basketball players, made it official on Saturday — he has retired, done in by a body that just won’t allow him to continue. Lee Jenkins of si.com takes a terrific look at Nash and the impact he had on the game right here. . . . While you read, ask yourself if Nash had as much impact, or more, on basketball than Wayne Gretzky had on hockey.
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Terry Bonner, the Vancouver Giants’ scouting director, has been honour with a WHL Distinguished Service Award. Bonner has been with the Giants since Day 1, in 2001. All told, he has been involved in scouting in the WHL since 1991 when he worked for the Tri-City Americans. He is the father of Scott Bonner, the Giants’ GM, and Kamloops Blazers GM Craig Bonner.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (0 games remaining) won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the first time since 1995-96. It beat visiting Moose Jaw last night to finish atop the overall standings. . . . The Wheat Kings will meet Edmonton in the first round with the series opening in Brandon on Thursday.
2. Regina (0) will finish second in division and will meet Swift Current in the first round. That series opens Friday in Regina.
3. Swift Current (0) won in Lethbridge last night to clinch third place.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Medicine Hat (0) is one point ahead of Calgary after beating visiting Saskatoon last night in The Arena’s final regular-season game. . . . The Tigers have one more victory than the Hitmen, 45-44.
2. Calgary (1) trails Medicine Hat by one point. . . . At home to Kootenay this afternoon. . . . If Calgary wins, it gets Kootenay in the first round; a loss and the Hitmen draw Red Deer. A loser point doesn’t do the Hitmen any good.
3. Red Deer (0) will finish third in the division and meet the second-place team in the first round.
4. Kootenay (1) has wrapped up the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Will meet the division’s first-place team in the first round. . . . In Calgary this afternoon.
5. Edmonton (0), the defending Memorial Cup champion, will finish in the conference’s second wild-card spot, meaning a first-round series that opens Thursday in Brandon.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (0) finished first in the Western Conference. . . . The Rockets will open the first round at home against Tri-City on Friday.
2. Victoria (0) will finish second and meet Prince George in the first round. . . . In the regular season, the Royals sent 5-3-0; the Cougars were 3-3-2. . . . That series opens in Victoria on Friday.

3. Prince George (0) is in the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2011.
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U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (1) lost in a shootout to visiting Victoria last night, while Portland lost to host Seattle. That allowed Everett to clinch first place for its fourth divisional banner in its 12 seasons, but its first in eight years. . . . The Silvertips will meet Spokane in the first round, starting Friday in Everett. . . . Everett will conclude the regular season in Spokane tonight.
2. Portland (1) trails Everett by three points but only has one game remaining. . . . Portland will meet Seattle in the first round, the first time they have met in the playoffs since 2006. That series will start Saturday in Portland. . . . The Winterhawks visit Tri-City tonight.
3. Seattle (0) will finish third in the division, so will meet second-place Portland in the first round.
4. Spokane (1) has been locked into the conference’s first wild-card spot, so gets the division winner, Everett, in the first round.
5. Tri-City (1) beat visiting Spokane so clinched the conference’s second wild-card spot. The Americans get Kelowna in the first round. That series opens in Kelowna on Friday. . . . The Americans are at home to Portland today.
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IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings clinched first place overall with a 9-2 victory over Moose Jaw, a loss that ended the Warriors’ playoff hopes. . . . The Warriors are out of the playoffs for a third straight season. . . . Brandon D Reid Gow broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal, at 18:52 of the first period, and the Wheat Kings went from there. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick scored his 30th goal. He is the first 16-year-old to reach that mark since F Brett Connolly of the Prince George Cougars in 2008-09. F Patrick Marleau of the Seattle Thunderbirds did it in 1995-96. . . . Patrick also had three assists. He finished with 56 points in 55 games. . . . F Stelio Mattheos, a 15-year-old from Winnipeg, made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings and scored his first goal. He was the first overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. This season, with the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild, he had 25 points, 14 of them goals, in 27 games. An undisclosed injury kept him out of the Canada Winter Games and the Wild’s playoff games. . . . F Duncan Campbell was among Brandon’s scratches. He suffered an undisclosed injury during Friday’s game in Moose Jaw. . . . D Eric Roy played his 322nd regular-season game with the Wheat Kings, leaving him in second place on the franchise’s all-time games played list. Only D Dwayne Gylywoychuk played more games (323) in a Wheat Kings uniform. . . . Roy also picked up an assist for his 200th regular-season point. . . . Attendance was 5,312, the largest crowd in Brandon this season. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk scored his 30th goal. . . . Warriors F Brayden Point ran his goal streak to nine games. He finishes with 38 goals this season. . . . F Jack Rodewald got his 35th goal for the Warriors. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 26 shots as he won his WHL-leading 44th game of the season. He was 4-0-0 against Moose Jaw. . . . The Wheat Kings (53-11-8) are 6-0-1 in their last seven games. . . . The Warriors (32-35-5) had won their previous three games. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . .

In Swift Current, F Colby Cave scored twice to help the Broncos to a 6-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Cave finished with 35 goals. . . . All three of the Broncos’ 20-year-olds scored in this one. Cave, of course, had two, while F Coda Gordon got his 25th and F Carter Rigby scored No. 18. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 22 shots in his 66th appearance of the season. That tied the franchise’s single-season record for goaltenders. He now shares the record with Mark Friesen (2002-07). . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk had three assists and D Griffin Foulk had two. . . . F Tyler Wong scored his 27th goal for the Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos (34-33-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (20-44-8) finished on an eight-game losing skid. . . . Interestingly, the WHL online scoresheet has this game having been played at Credit Union Place in Dauphin, Man. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored the game’s first five goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau stopped 22 shots. He lost his shutout when F Adam Brooks scored his 30th goal at 19:45 of the third period. . . . Raiders F Craig Leverton scored his 20th goal. . . . Regina head coach John Paddock was on a scouting mission, so assistant coach Dave Struch ran the bench. D Colby Williams, the Pats’ player of the year, was scratched. Instead, he was on the bench as an assistant coach. . . . The Raiders (31-37-4) won their last two games. . . . The Pats (37-24-11) have lost four in a row (0-2-2). . . .

In Red Deer, F Mads Eller broke a 2-2 tie at 6:52 of the second period as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Rebels, 3-2. . . . F Brett Pollock gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his 32nd goal at 4:20 of the first. . . . Red Deer F Preston Kopeck tied it with No. 21 at 5:16, on a PP. . . . Edmonton F Davis Koch got his 11th goal at 7:02 of the first. . . . Red Deer F Adam Musil tied it with his 15th at 17:58. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots, 11 fewer than Red Deer’s Rylan Toth. . . . Red Deer F Brooks Maxwell had two assists. . . . F Conner Bleackley, the Rebels’ captain, was back in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 6. . . . The Oil Kings (34-31-7) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rebels (38-23-11) went 1-1-1 in their last three games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers defeated the Saskatoon Blades 6-2 in what was the final regular-season game at The Arena. . . . The Tigers will move into the brand new Regional Event Centre next season. . . . The teams combined for 135 penalty minutes, with the Tigers taking 86 of those. . . . That included 32 to D Ty Lewington, their captain. At 13:03 of the third period, he was hit with an instigating minor, two fighting majors, a misconduct and a game misconduct. That’s enough to make one wonder if he might be suspended when the playoffs open. . . . Lewington also had a goal, his ninth, and two assists. . . . F Steve Owre scored his 20th goal for the Tigers, while F Trevor Cox got No. 29. . . . F Brett Stovin, the Blades’ captain, scored his 29th goal in his final junior game, while F Ryan Graham got No. 20. . . . According to Blades radio voice Les Lazaruk, the game “was nasty, chippy . . . at times dirty. Like old days!” . . . The Blades again scratched D Brycen Martin with an undisclosed injury. He could be assigned to the AHL’s Rochester Americans as soon as Monday. Martin was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . The Tigers (45-23-4) are 4-0-1 in their last five. . . . The Blades (19-49-4) lost their last nine games. . . .

In Kamloops, F Cole Ully set up three goals as the Blazers dumped the Prince George Cougars, 5-2. . . . The Blazers took a 3-0 lead into the second period. Kamloops had a 25-5 edge in shots in the first period. . . . The Blazers were eliminated from the playoff chase moments after their game ended when the host Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs, 2-1. . . . It’s the first time in franchise history that Kamloops has missed the playoffs in two straight seasons. . . . F Matt Needham scored his 25th goal for Kamloops and also had an assist, while F Logan McVeigh, playing his last WHL game, got his 10th goal and added an assist. . . . Ully finished with 94 points, including 34 goals, in 69 games. He has signed with the NHL’s Dallas Stars so may end up with their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, next week. . . . The Cougars scratched G Ty Edmonds, F Zach Pochiro and D Tate Olson, all of whom had played in a 3-1 victory over the visiting Blazers on Friday night. . . . The Blazers (28-37-7) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Cougars (31-36-5) had a three-game winning streak end. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brian Williams snapped a 1-1 tie at 19:31 of the second period and the Tri-City Americans went on to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 2-1. . . . The victory clinched the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot for the Americans, eliminating the Kamloops Blazers from the chase. . . . D Brandon Carlo gave Tri-City a 1-0 lead with his fourth goal at 15:02 of the first period. . . . Spokane F Keanu Yamamoto tied it with No. 12 at 10:23 of the second. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb had two assists for Tri-City. . . . Williams’ 17th goal came via the PP. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie made 29 saves, four more than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . The Americans were 1-for-9 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-4. . . . F Hudson Elyniuk was among Spokane’s scratches. He had returned to the lineup Friday night after being out since Dec. 28. . . . The Americans (31-37-3) have won two in a row. . . . The Chiefs (34-33-4) have lost four straight. . . .

In Kelowna, F Leon Draisaitl scored two goals and added an assist as the Rockets got past the Vancouver Giants, 5-2. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s first four goals. . . . Draisaitl, who joined the Rockets from the NHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings in January, finished with 53 points, 19 of them goals, in 32 games. . . . F Gage Quinney had four assists for Kelowna. . . . Giants F Zane Jones scored his 29th goal. . . . Rockets G Jackson Whistle stopped 21 shots, 25 fewer than Vancouver’s Payton Lee. . . . D Mason Geertsen, 19, was among Vancouver’s scratches. A fourth-round selection by Colorado in the NHL’s 2013 draft and is believed close to signing with the Avalanche. Should that happen, chances are he would finish the season with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, who are coached by former WHL player/GM/coach Dean Chynoweth. . . . The Rockets (53-13-6) are 3-0-1 in their last four outings. . . . The Giants (27-41-4) went 1-1-1 in their last three games. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Ryan Gropp scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 6-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The result set up a first-round playoff meeting between these two teams. . . . Gropp, who scored three goals on Friday night, wound up with 30 goals. . . . Seattle erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals, but the Winterhawks got back to within one, at 4-3, when F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored on a penalty shot at 12:50 of the third period. . . . Seattle D Jerret Smith provided insurance with a PP goal at 13:11. He’s got 11 goals. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore got his 13th into an empty net at 18:41. . . . Bjorkstrand scored three times. He leads the WHL in goals (61) and points (115), all in 58 games. With one game remaining, he is assured of winning the WHL scoring race. . . . Bjorkstrand is the first Portland skater with 60 goals since F Lonny Bohonos scored 62 in 1993-94. . . . Thunder birds G Logan Flodell stopped 35 shots, six more than Portland’s Adin Hill. . . . Seattle was without D Sahvan Khaira. He drew a one-game suspension for a kneeing major and game misconduct he incurred on Friday in Spokane. . . . Attendance was 6,220, the largest crowd in Kent this season. . . . The Thunderbirds got a scare in the third period when F Mathew Barzal took a shot off the right ankle and needed help getting to the bench. He was back in action shortly afterwards. . . . Barzal and F Roberts Lipsbergs each had two assists. . . . Seattle (38-25-9) has won four straight. . . . The Winterhawks (42-23-6) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Everett, F Brandon Magee scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Victoria Royals a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker and Everett F Ivan Nikolishin exchanged goals in the first round. . . . Victoria D Joe Hicketts scored his 12th goal, on a PP, at 17:46 of the second to tie it 2-2. . . . Everett F Matt Fonteyne got his seventh goal at 19:50 of the second. . . . F Taylor Crunk of the Royals tied it with his 10th goal at 9:57 of the third. He finished with two goals and an assist. . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic stopped 23 shots. Everett F Kohl Bauml came up short on a penalty shot at 17:02 of the third period. . . . G Carter Hart, 16, made his eighth straight start for Everett and stopped 24 shots. . . . The Royals (39-29-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . Everett (42-20-9) has points in its last four games (2-0-2).
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SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Kootenay at Calgary, 2 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.
Everett at Spokane 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON
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The fog lingers on the ice of the arena. A fitting send off for the old girl. #07championship pic.twitter.com/sHi2WMFkOr
— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) March 22, 2015

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Paging Bob Strumm . . . Winterhawks release goaltender . . . Cave quiets Hurricanes

F Sean Ringrose (Medicine Hat, 2007-09) has been released by Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and four assists in 16 games.
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A note from sports columnist Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:
“The Regina Pats' biggest opponent continues to be the Roughriders, even though relations between the two organizations are amicable.
The Pats have won three consecutive games to improve their record to 8-8-1-0, but most of the sporting-related chatter in the greater Regina area pertains to the Roughriders.
“Such is life at this time of year, but the Pats - who provide a consistently entertaining product - should not be overlooked.”
One more note from Vanstone:
“Promotion-wise, though, WHL teams do not do themselves any favours. Rivalries have been sanitized. Nobody utters anything that will add to the intrigue that surrounds a game. Instead, there is the usual, eyeglazing hockey-speak about ‘compete level’ and ‘getting pucks deep.' Where have you gone, Bob Strumm?”
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G Bolton Pouliot’s stay with the Portland Winterhawks was brief, indeed. Pouliot’s name disappeared from Portland’s roster sometime on Friday. In six games there, the 20-year-old Calgarian was 2-2-0/3.90/.872. . . . He had been gifted to the Winterhawks by Kamloops last month, after going 4-2-0/3.04/.899 with the Blazers. . . . The Winterhawks still have three goaltenders on that roster, in Brendan Burke, Aden Hill and Michael Bullion. . . . Bullion came up from the NAHL’s Wenatchee, Wash., Wild with Burke and Hill both injured. Last night, Bullion went the distance in a 5-4 loss to the visiting Red Deer Rebels. Burke was on the bench in a backup role. . . . Meanwhile, the Winterhawks also have released F Colton Veloso from the roster. The 17-year-old Winnipegger had one goal in eight games.
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When you have a minute or two, visit the website of the Saskatoon Express right here and find the Oct. 20 issue. Flip forward to Page 3 and check out Ned Powers’ story on Jim McIntyre, who has had a lengthy involvement with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. He is 75 years of age and still is the organization’s president. These are the kind of people who are so important to minor hockey today. . . . The 2004-05 Contacts, the national champions, were inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 1.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, D Michael Zipp broke a 3-3 tie in the third period and the Calgary Hitmen went on to a 5-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Zipp, who has two goals, scored at 9:51, just 1:38 after F Austin Wagner had pulled the Pats even with his fourth goal. . . . F Radel Fazleev had a goal, his eighth, and three assists for Calgary, which got two goals from F Connor Rankin, who doubled his output for this season. . . . Calgary D Ben Thomas had three assists, while F Jake Virtanen earned two. . . . Calgary F Pavel Kamaukhov scored his 10th goal on a first-period PP. . . . Calgary was 2-for-2 on the PP. . . . The Hitmen (10-8-1) have won three straight. . . . The Pats (8-9-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . Regina D James Hilsendager took a puck in the face in the first period and didn’t return. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s first five goals en route to a 6-2 victory over the Raiders. . . . The visitors, opening an East Division swing, struck for three goals in a span of 2:18 early in the first period to take control. . . . F Ryan Gropp led the Thunderbirds with his eighth goal and two assists. . . . D Evan Wardley and F Scott Eansor each had two assists for the winners. . . . G Taran Kozun stopped 33 shots for Seattle (8-6-3). . . . The Raiders (8-11-0) took 57 of the game’s 80 minutes in penalties. . . . Seattle scratched F Mathew Barzal with an undisclosed injury. Apparently, he could be out for two weeks or so. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Ty Stanton scored at 4:20 of OT to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . Stanton is the younger brother of former Warriors D Ryan Stanton, who now plays with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. . . . Moose Jaw led 2-0 by the 7:27-mark of the first period and also led 3-2 eaerly in the third period. . . . Medicine Hat F Chad Butcher scored his 11th goal at 7:07 of the third to force extra time. . . . Stanton’s third goal won it for the Tigers (13-3-1). . . . F Jack Rodewald scored twice, giving him 10 goals, for Moose Jaw (7-9-2). He’s got 17 points, including eight goals, in his last 12 games. . . . Warriors F Brayden Point had two assists, giving him 14 points over his last 11 games. . . . Medicine Hat was able to dress only 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . The same teams play again tonight, this time in Medicine Hat where the Warriors have lost 11 in a row. . . .

In Brandon, G Jordan Papirny turned aside 46 shots to lead the Wheat Kings to a 6-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Brandon (15-3-1) scored four times in the game’s opening 15 minutes as it won for the fifth straight game. . . . F Reid Duke had three assists for Brandon. . . . Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk scored his 12th goal, while F Jesse Gabrielle got his 11th. . . . Brandon’s imports, F Rihards Bukarts and D Ivan Provorov, each had two assists. . . . Saskatoon’s Brett Stovin, a forward pressed into duty on the back end because of injuries, scored his second goal and added an assist. . . . The Blades (5-13-0) have lost four in a row. . . . Among Saskatoon’s scratches were G Nik Amundrud, D Adam Henry and D Jordan Thomson, all of whom have concussions. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Sam Reinhart scored 32 seconds into his first game and the Kootenay Ice went on to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Reinhart, who turned 19 on Thursday, was playing his first game after being returned by the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. He was the second overall selection in the 2014 draft. . . . He also scored 21 seconds into the second period, giving the home side a 2-1 lead. . . . F Tim Bozon helped the Ice with his first goal of the season and an assist. He was playing his first game since re-aggravating an injury on Oct. 25. . . . D Rinat Valiev had three assists for the Ice (5-13-0), which has won two in a row for the first time this season. . . . F Austin Vetterl’s second goal of the season, on a PP at 3:53 of the third period, gave the Ice a 4-2 lead. . . . The Ice had a 30-22 edge in shots. . . . The Oil Kings (9-8-2), who were again without F Edgars Kulda, are 0-5-1 in their last six. . . . Kootenay D Tyler King returned after a four-game absence with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Colby Cave scored the game’s last three goals to give the Swift Current Broncos a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The home side actually led this one 3-0 with 15 minutes to play in the third period. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen got the Broncos on the board at 5:53 of the third period. He’s got three goals. . . . Cave scored seven seconds later, then tied it at 8:11. . . . Cave’s seventh goal of the season won it for the Broncos (11-8-2) at 3:10 of OT. . . . Broncos G Travis Child stopped 27 shots, 15 fewer than Zac Robidoux of the Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge (5-9-4) has points in its last four (1-0-3). . . .

In Prince George, F Chance Braid had a goal and an assist before being ejected as the Cougars edged the Victoria Royals, 3-2. . . . Braid scored his fifth goal to give his guys a 2-0 lead at 13:19 of the first period. He had assisted on Jari Erricson’s 11th at 8:41. . . . Braid took a charging-from-behind major and game misconduct at 12:11 of the third period so may not be eligible for tonight’s rematch. . . . Cougars F Jansen Harkins scored his fifth goal, on a PP at 5:31 of the third, for a 3-1 lead. . . . The Royals got goals from F Brandon Magee, his fifth, and F Austin Carroll, his 12th. . . . Royals G Jayden Sittler stopped 21 shots in his first WHL start. . . . Victoria (9-9-2) was 2-for-6 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-for-5. . . . The Cougars (11-8-0) have won four in a row. They also swept their last two home-ice doubleheaders, from Vancouver and Kamloops. . . . Prince George was without D Mark McNulty, who suffered an undisclosed injury in practice this week. . . .

In Portland, F Wyatt Johnson broke a 4-4 tie with 10.8 seconds left in the third period as the Red Deer Rebels dropped the Winterhawks, 5-4. . . . Johnson had two goals, giving him nine, and added an assist. . . . The Winterhawks trailed 4-2 in the second period before F Dominic Turgeon, with his fifth, and F Chase De Leo, with his 11th, scored at 15:36 and 16:51. . . . G Tylan Toth stopped 44 shots for Red Deer (9-8-2), including all 15 that were fired his way in the third period. . . . The Winterhawks (7-11-2) had won their previous two games. . . . The Rebels are 3-1-1 on a swing that wraps up tonight against the host Tri-City Americans. . . .

In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier scored twice to help the Rockets to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Chartier leads the WHL with 17 goals in 17 games. Last season, he scored 24 times in 72 games. He went into this season with 37 goals in 130 games. . . . F Nick Merkley, the WHL points leader, scored his seventh goal and added an assist. He leads in assists (25) and points (32). . . . The Rockets (16-1-1) scored the game’s first three goals, before the Chiefs (7-5-3) got back in it on goals from F Liam Stewart, his seventh, at 17:52 of the second period and F Adam Helewka, on a penalty shot, 18 seconds into the third. . . . The Rockets are 6-0-1 in their last seven. . . . Kelowna was without F Tyrell Goulbourne, who served a one-game suspension he received for instigating a fight late in a Wednesday game. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., linemates Parker Bowles and Richard Nejezchleb each had a goal and three assists to help the Tri-City Americans to a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Americans, who got 36 stops from G Eric Comrie, scored the game’s first three goals and its last two. . . . Bowles has seven this season. . . . Nejezchleb, a 20-year-old Czech who has two goals, was playing his second game with the Americans since being acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Americans (11-8-0) had F Brian Williams and F Justin Gutierrez back from injuries, while F Cole Ully returned to the Blazers’ lineup after an illness-induced absence. . . . Gutierrez scored his third goal, while Ully had an assist. . . . Tri-City D Parker Wotherspoon scored his fifth goal and added two assists. . . . The Blazers (9-9-2) are 0-3-1 in their last four. . . . The Americans were 3-for-6 on the PP, while Kamloops was 0-for-5. . . .

In Vancouver, the Everett Silvertips scored three first-period goals and went on to dump the Giants, 5-1. . . . F Patrick Bajkov scored twice for Everett (12-1-3), which has won six in a row. . . . He’s got five goals. . . . F Graham Millar helped out with his seventh goal and two assists. . . . F Matt Fonteyne and F Logan Aasman each scored his first goal of the season for the Silvertips. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 30 shots, losing his shutout when F Dalton Sward scored his fourth goal at 11:26 of the second period. . . . The Giants are 7-10-0. . . . Each team was given four minor penalties.
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Reinhart scores on his first shift, now has WHL goals at the age of 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 @WHLKootenayICE
— Jeff Hollick  (@JHollick_ICE) November 8, 2014