F Tyrell Goulbourne of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. Goulbourne, who turned 21 on Jan. 26, was a third-round selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft. In his fifth season with the Rockets, he has 38 points, including 17 goals, in 55 games. In 268 career regular-season games, Goulbourne has 118 points, 55 of them goals. The Edmonton native is one of the WHL’s top power forwards.
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The Florida Panthers had both of their goaltenders — Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya — go down with injuries during a game against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Confusion reigned. At one point, Panthers goaltending coach Rob Tallas, who played three seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds (1991-94), was dressed as the backup. George Michael of the Miami Herald has more right here.
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If you were wondering, the WHL playoffs will begin on Thursday, March 26. In a Tuesday news release regarding the deadline for fans to order playoff tickets, the Brandon Wheat Kings revealed that their first two home games will be played Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27. . . . The way things are right now, the Edmonton Oil Kings will be providing the opposition in those games. . . .
Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that F Nolan Patrick of the Wheat Kings is back skating but is wearing a non-contact sweater. Henderson also reports that F Reid Duke and D Kale Clague remain out week-to-week. . . .
Lucas Punkari of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that Warriors F Axel Blomqvist (groin strain) is expected to return tonight against the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. He didn’t play over the weekend. . . . According to Punkari, F Tanner Eberle, who left a Saturday game with an injury, may play tonight, depending on how he does in the morning skate. . . . Meanwhile, the status of D Tyler Brown and F Jaimen Yakubowski has yet to be determined. They were injured on Friday. . . .
The Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tournament (KIBIHT) is adding a Premier Division, meaning it will have three divisions in its 2016 tournament. According to KIBIHT, the Premier Division will comprise eight teams from academies, winter clubs and top-ranked teams from across Canada and the U.S. . . . KIBIHT also will feature 12 teams in a Tier 1 Division and 16 in the Tier 2 Division. . . . The next KIBIHT will run from Dec. 30 through Jan. 3.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:
EAST DIVISION: Brandon (9 games remaining) will finish atop the Eastern Conference standings and now trails Kelowna by two points in the race for first place overall. . . . Regina (9) will finish second in the division. . . . Swift Current (9) is third, eight points ahead of Moose Jaw (9), which is eight points behind Edmonton (8), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth. . . . Prince Albert (9) is four points behind Moose Jaw and eight points out of a playoff spot.CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (8) is atop the division, two points ahead of Medicine Hat (8). . . . Red Deer (9) is third, nine points behind Medicine Hat and five ahead of Kootenay (8), which is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Edmonton (9) is four points behind Kootenay.
B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna (8) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and holds a two-point lead over Brandon atop the overall standings. . . . Victoria (8) will finish second. . . . Prince George (9) has won three straight and is third, one point ahead of Vancouver (9) and Kamloops (8). . . . Vancouver and Kamloops also are two points behind Tri-City (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett (8) sits atop the division, four points ahead of Portland (10). . . . Seattle (8) is third, six points behind Portland and seven ahead of Spokane (10). . . . Spokane holds the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Spokane is nine points ahead of Tri-City (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card spot.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern ConferenceBrandon vs. Edmonton
Calgary vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Medicine Hat 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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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, F Craig Leverton scored the only goal of a six-round shootout to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Raiders F Austin Glover forced OT with his 13th goal at 7:44 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Brett Pollock scored his 30th goal, on a PP, at 11:06 of the first. . . . Raiders D Jesse Lees tied it with his 12th goal at 3:56 of the second. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci restored the one-goal lead with his ninth goal at 6:39 of the second. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 30 shots through OT, one more than Prince Albert’s Nick McBride. . . . Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton gave Jarry full credit for earning his team the loser point. “We owe Tristan for the point tonight,” Hamilton said on the team’s website. “There’s no question about that. He was the most substantial difference maker in the lineup tonight. It’s disappointing that Tristan gave us that kind of effort and we weren’t able to respond in front of him.” . . . Edmonton was 1-for-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-4. . . . The Raiders (25-35-3) had lost their previous three games. . . . Edmonton (29-28-7) had won their previous two games. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox, who leads the WHL scoring race, had two goals as the Tigers got past the Red Deer Rebels, 4-0. . . . Cox, who now has 99 points, including 25 goals, scored on a PP at 7:30 of the first period and on a penalty shot at 13:08 of the second. . . . Tigers F Matt Bradley scored his 15th at 11:10 of the second and F Chad Labelle got his eighth goal, into an empty net, at 18:58 of the third. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 24 shots for his first shutout of the season. . . . Langhamer, the last European goaltender in the WHL, has five career shutouts. . . . The Tigers (40-21-3) have won three straight. . . . The Rebels (32-21-10) have been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . . 
In Kamloops, D Colby Harmsworth’s third goal of the season, at 4:45 of OT, gave the Calgary Hitmen a 5-4 victory over the Blazers. . . . With the teams playing three skaters aside due to penalties, Harmsworth and F Radel Fazleev took off on a 2-on-1. Fazleev slid a pass to Harmsworth and he got the puck under G Connor Ingram for the winner. . . . Calgary led this one 2-0 after one period and 3-1 in the second period, only to have Kamloops scored three second-period goals to take a 4-3 lead. . . . F Collin Shirley scored twice for the Blazers, giving him 22. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin forced OT with his second goal of the game, and 30th of the season, at 5:23 of the third. . . . F Terrell Draude also scored twice for Calgary, giving him 12 goals. . . . D Travis Sanheim, F Jody Stallard — I hope his nickname is Tracy — and F Taylor Sanheim each had two assists for Calgary. . . . F Matt Revel scored his 16th goal and added an assist for Kamloops. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke, who has won nine straight decisions, stopped 29 shots, five fewer than Connor Ingram of the Blazers. . . . Kamloops was 1-for-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-5. . . . D Jake Bean, the terrific 16-year-old, was among Calgary’s scratches. He is expected to miss at least four weeks after suffering a suspected shoulder/collarbone injury in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . The Blazers have put F Deven Sideroff (suspected wrist) on the injured list. They show him as out week-to-week. . . . Kamloops also scratched F Matt Needham with an undisclosed injury. . . . Needham and Sideroff have played almost the entire season with F Cole Ully on one of the WHL’s top lines. . . . The Hitmen (40-19-5) are 6-1-0 on their franchise record 11-game road swing. They left Calgary on Feb. 19 and had travelled 2,579 km when they left Kamloops for Prince George last night. . . . Calgary has won 17 of its last 19 games and is 13-1-1 on the road since Jan. 4. . . . The Blazers (24-33-7) had won their previous two games. . . . 
In Victoria, D Shea Theodore had a goal and two assists to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-1 victory over the Royals. . . . Victoria had beaten Seattle 3-2 in a shootout on Monday night. . . . One night later, the visitors scored the game’s first three goals, two of them in the first period. . . . F Cory Millette got his 19th goal at 1:13 and Theodore added his 11th at 17:03. . . . D Jerret Smith made it 3-0 at 8:50 of the second, on a PP, and the Royals weren’t able to get back in this one. . . . D Joe Hicketts scored his 11th goal for the Royals, on a PP, at 2:08 of the third. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 29 shots. . . . Each team was 1-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Thunderbirds (32-23-9) had lost four in a row (0-2-2). . . . The Royals are 34-26-4. . . . 
In Everett, F Kohl Bauml scored with 39 seconds left in OT to give the Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Bauml has 30 goals this season. . . . Everett scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie scored his 36th goal, on a PP, at 6:46 of the first period. . . . Rockets F Leon Draisaitl, who drew an assist on Baillie’s goal, got his 15th goal, on a PP, at 4:19 of the second. Draisaitl now has goals in six straight games. . . . Everett F Nikita Scherbak got his guys on the board with his 27th goal at 3:54 of the third and F Dawson Leedahl tied it with his 13th at 10:16. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-4 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-1. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 37 shots, 10 more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . Hart is 9-1-1 since Jan. 1. . . . The Silvertips scratched D Kevin Davis and D Tristen Pfeifer, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . D Josh Morrissey and F Rourke Chartier were among Kelowna’s scratches as it went with 17 skaters. . . . The Silvertips improved to 38-19-7. . . . Kelowna (48-11-5) has lost two in a row. . . . 
In Spokane, F Adam Helewka scored three goals and G Garret Hughson stopped 29 shots as the Chiefs dropped the Vancouver Giants, 7-0. . . . Hughson has two shutouts in his last four games. He has four career shutouts. . . . Helewka, who has 38 goals, scored the game’s first two goals, the first one coming while shorthanded at 15:18 of the first period. He also drew one assist. . . . It was Helewka’s second career hat trick. He scored four times against Vancouver on Nov. 1, 2013. . . . F Calder Brooks added his 20th goal and three assists, while F Kailer Yamamoto scored his 19th goal and had two helpers. . . . D Jason Fram and F Liam Stewart each had two assists. . . . The Chiefs (31-27-4) have won four in a row and outscored the opposition 22-2 in the process. . . . The Giants (26-34-3) have lost three straight.———
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
(all times local)Lethbridge at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES
(all times local)No Games Scheduled.
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Can officially say that I have scored a goal on every team in the WHL. Great feeling 🚨 https://t.co/XS40fkT8LO
— Cory Millette (@corbomb95) March 4, 2015
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In Cranbrook, F Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and two assists as the Kootenay Ice beat the Regina Pats, 3-1. . . . Descheneau set up the game’s first two goals, both on the PP. . . . D Jagger Dirk scored his 10th goal at 3:23 of the first period and F Luke Philp got his 28th at 11:33 of the third. . . . F Sam Reinhart assisted on both goals, as well. . . . Descheneau scored his 42nd goal into an empty net at 19:07. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored for Regina at 16:55 of the third, giving him 29. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 27 shots, one fewer than Regina’s Dawson MacAuley. . . . The Ice won the season series 3-1-0. . . . During the game, the Ice lost D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel to injuries. Cross was injured during a second-period fight with Regina D Jesse Zgraggen. . . . Prior to the game, Phil Andrews, the radio voice of the Pats, tweeted: “Kyle Burroughs and Colby Williams will both miss tonight's game against the Kootenay Ice after taking high hits (Friday) in Lethbridge.” . . . The Ice (39-25-4), with back-to-back victories, is fifth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Pats (38-25-6) lead the East Division by three points over Swift Current. The team finishing first in the East Division will be the conference’s No. 2 seed when the playoffs open. . . . 
In Lethbridge, F Jay Merkley and F Graham Black each scored twice as the Swift Current Broncos dumped the Hurricanes, 5-3. . . . Merkley has 30 goals; Black has 33. . . . Black tied the game 2-2 at 3:38 of the second period and then broke the tie at 15:33. . . . Swift Current scored all five of its goals in the second period, with the last three coming in a span of 1:33. . . . D Julius Honka had three assists for the Broncos, while F Coda Gordon scored his 25th goal and added two helpers. . . . The Hurricanes, who have lost 11 in a row, got a goal, his 14th, and an assist from F Brady Ramsay. . . . G Stuart Skinner, the 17th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, has joined the Hurricanes and was on their bench and made his WHL debut by playing the third period. He stopped all 11 shots he faced. He spent the season with the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Athletics, going 13-5-0, 2.74, .916. The Athletics’ season is over so he was free to join the Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos swept the season series, 4-0. . . . Swift Current (35-25-9) is sixth in the Eastern Confernce, three points behind the Kootenay Ice, and has clinched a playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes (12-52-5) have three games remaining in the franchise’s most abysmal season. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti scored 26 seconds into the game and the Warriors went on to a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . It was the Warriors’ third straight victory. . . . Fioretti scored twice, giving him 19 goals, as did F Jack Rodewald, who has 25. . . . F Curtis Lazar scored his 39th for the Oil Kings. It came at 3:47 of the third with his side trailing 3-0. . . . F Brayden Point and F Tanner Eberle each had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . Edmonton was playing its 500th regular-season game since it entered the WHL as an expansion franchise. . . . Warriors G Justin Paulic stopped 31 shots. . . . Edmonton F Mads Eller was among Edmonton’s scratches. He left Friday’s game with Brandon after absorbing a hit from Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk. He was ejected with a charging major and has received a ‘tbd’ suspension. . . . The Warriors (20-40-9) are 10th in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Oil Kings (47-18-3) are tied atop the conference with the Calgary Hitmen, but Edmonton has two more victories and that’s the first tiebreaker. . . . 
In Portland, F Brendan Leipsic snapped a 1-1 tie at 7:36 of the second period and the Winterhawks went on to a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . This was a first-round playoff preview. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 45th goal and added an assist, while F Chase De Leo got his 39th goal. . . . Portland G Adin Hill, a 17-year-old from Calgary, made his second WHL start, and his third appearance, stopping 28 shots as he ran his record to 3-0-0. Corbin Boes, 20, was injured in Friday’s 7-3 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds and couldn’t go. Brendan Burke, 18, who has been out with mononucleosis and last played on Feb. 10, was on the bench. . . . The Winterhawks (50-13-5) have won 50 games for a second straight season and the third time in four seasons. . . . Vancouver (31-27-10) is seventh in the Western Conference. . . . 
In Kelowna, G Jordon Cooke stopped 20 shots to help the Rockets to a 7-0 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . This may have been a first-round playoff preview. . . . Cooke, who is 38-6-4, has four shutouts this season and nine in his career. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley got the game’s first goal, his 23rd, at 9:23 of the first period on a PP. . . . Kelowna was 4-for-4 on the PP. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou turned aside 39 shots. . . . The Rockets (54-10-4), who lead the overall standings, have won 27 home games and 27 on the road. . . . The Americans (28-32-8) are eighth in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Prince George. . . . 
In Victoria, the Royals scored three times in the game’s first 6:05 and then hung on to beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Taylor Crunk scoed his eighth goal of the season nine seconds into the opening period. . . . D Brett Cote got his sixth at 4:09, via the PP, and freshman F Tyler Soy scored his 13th at 6:05. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham got his side on the board with his 11th goal at 5:54 of the third and F Matt Revel added his 15th, via the PP, at 15:55. . . . The game drew 7,006 fans, giving the Royals their second straight sellout. They beat the Blazers 5-1 on Friday in front of 7,006 fans. . . . The Royals went 7-1-0 against Kamloops this season. . . . Soy, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, has eight points, including six goals, in eight games against Kamloops this season. He also scored twice in a preseason game. . . . Victoria has 47 victories and 98 points with four games remaining. In their eighth season, five in Chilliwack as the Bruins (remember them?) and three in Victoria, the franchise has yet to reach 50 victories or 100 points. . . . An interesting stat from the Royals: With D Joe Hicketts in the lineup, Victoria’s defence corps has produced 26 per cent of its offence. Hicketts missed 36 games earlier in the season; with him gone, that number was 18. . . . The Royals (47-17-4) will finish third in the Western Conference. . . . The Blazers (13-51-5) will set a Kamloops franchise record for fewest victories.
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