Winterhawks win championship final opener

1. The Vancouver Giants are in the market for a head coach and I am told that management held “serious discussions” with former NHL coach Marc Crawford, but that things didn’t work out. Crawford, who last coached major junior from 1989-91 with the OHL’s Cornwall Royals, and his family have a home in North Vancouver. . . . I am told that Giants majority owner Ron Toigo spoke with Crawford but that Crawford, 53, has no desire at this time to go back to riding the bus. . . . Crawford, who spent 15 seasons as an NHL head coach with the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings, has spent the last two seasons in Zurich as head coach of the ZSC Lions of the Switzerland’s National League A. The Lions won the league championship last month, sweeping the Kloten Flyers in the best-of-seven final. . . . During this season, Crawford agreed to a two-year extension that runs through 2015-16.

2. When Todd Lumbard was tending goal for the Brandon Wheat Kings and I was writing for the Brandon Sun, he was a favourite go-to guy. Why? Because he was thoughtful, soft-spoken and respectful, and always quick with a greeting and a smile. Today, he’s the president and part-owner of the Regina Pats. . . . There’s more right here from Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post.

3. After 10 years in Vancouver with the Giants, Don Hay is back in Kamloops as head coach of the Blazers. Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun talked with Hay and the resulting column is right here.

4. If you are a hockey junkie, this is for you. Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a website (larry-fisher.com) on which you will find a list that contains the names of every ex-NHLer who played overseas in 2013-14. . . . The numbers will blow you away. . . . For example, there were 183 in the KHL alone. . . . The list was compiled by Jesse Gill, who obviously has a love for hockey. . . . Check it out right here.

5. Matt Dunigan was forced to end his professional football career because of concussions. That was in 1996. Today, he still feels the pain as he takes his message to others. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
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G Curtis Honey, 20, won’t be back with the Brandon Wheat Kings, who will run with Jordan Papirny as their starter. “I think he’s a good goalie,” Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner/GM/head coach, told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun of Honey, “and we went back and forth and decided that Jordan was the way to go at the end . . . We won’t carry a 20-year-old goaltender next (season). We’ll look to get him an opportunity elsewhere.” . . . Honey, from Edmonton, battled injury problems as he went 12-14-2, 4.07, .888. Over three seasons with Brandon, he was 23-33-6, 3.98, .890. . . . Honey’s twin brother, Connor, is a forward with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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D Dalton Thrower, who played out his eligibility with the Vancouver Giants this season, is to have surgery on his left ankle on Tuesday, reports Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province. . . . Thrower has ligament damage in the ankle and last played on Jan. 24. . . . Thrower was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the NHL’s 2012 draft while with the Saskatoon Blades, but has yet to sign with the Habs. . . . Saskatoon dealt him to the Giants in May 2013. . . . With the Giants, he had 38 points, including 12 goals, in 42 games.
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THE QMJHL FINAL:
In Baie-Comeau, the Val-d’Or Foreurs got a PP goal from D Guillaume Gelinas at 7:24 of OT and beat the Drakkar, 4-3. . . . The goal was Gelinas’ second of the game and ninth of the playoffs. . . . The Foreurs forced OT when F Pierre-Maxime Poudrier got his fourth playoff goal at 18:27 of the third period. . . . The series is tied 1-1, the Drakkar having won 3-0 on Friday night. . . . Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Val-d’Or.
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THE OHL FINAL:
Like the QMJHL, the OHL final is tied 1-1 and resumes Tuesday with the Guelph Storm travelling to North Bay to play the Battalion. . . . The Battalion is in its first season in North Bay after having moved there from Brampton last summer.
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THE FOURTH ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
WHL final, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup
(x - if necessary)
(All games televised live by Shaw)
(All games televised by Root Sports -- Game 2 live, others on delayed basis)
PORTLAND (2, West) vs. Edmonton (1, East)
(Portland leads, 1-0)
Season series: Portland, 0-0-1; Edmonton, 1-0-0.
Saturday: Edmonton 2 at Portland 5 (10,947)
Sunday: Edmonton at Portland, 5 p.m. (Moda Center)
Tuesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
x-Sunday, May 11: Portland at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Monday, May 12: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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SATURDAY’S GAME:
In Portland, the Winterhawks got four goals from three American-born forwards and beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-2. . . . This was Game 1 of a best-of-seven series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Game 2 is scheduled for today, 5 p.m., at the Moda Center in Portland. . . . The defending-champion Winterhawks built a 3-0 first-period lead on the strength of single goals from F Keegan Iverson of St. Louis Park, Minn., F Paul Bittner of Crookston, Minn., and F Chase De Leo of La Mirada, Calif. . . . The latter two scored in the last two minutes of the period, at 18:07 and 19:04. . . . Iverson has three goals; De Leo now has eight. . . . The Oil Kings got two early second-period goals -- F Brett Pollock scored his 11th of these playoffs 20 seconds in and F Henrik Samuelsson got his third at 2:20. . . . But the Winterhawks, as they had done in the first period, scored late in the second, with D Mathew Dumba counting on a PP at 19:23 to restore the two-goal lead. . . . He’s got four goals in these playoffs. . . . Bittner added his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs at 3:41. . . . F Nic Petan drew three assists for Portland, while D Derrick Pouliot had two. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had one assist; he leads the playoff scoring race 29 points, one more than Pouliot, who has a WHL-high 24 helpers. . . . Each goaltender, Corbin Boes of Portland and Tristan Jarry of Edmonton -- stopped 31 shots. . . . Portland was 1-for-5 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-4. . . . A post-game tweet from Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) of Yahoo! Sports: “I'm not going to go down that road with some of those calls." Edmonton Oil Kings coach Derek Laxdal on some of the penalties tonight. #WHL. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic, who has 27 points in 14 games, sat out the opener as he served a one-game WHL suspension left over from the Western Conference final. He was given a spearing major and game misconduct late in Game 5 against the host Kelowna Rockets. Leipsic is eligible to return for Game 2 tonight. . . . Samuelsson was hit with a double minor for spearing at the end of the third period last night. . . . Some observers felt that Samuelsson came after a play that was offside at the Portland line. Columnist Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun tweeted: “Replay shows linesman blew an offside call on Samuelsson goal.” . . . Edmonton F Mitch Moroz left in the second period, seemingly favouring his right leg, but was back to start the third. . . . The Winterhawks are 41-3 since Jan. 11, including a 29-1 run over the last two months. . . . Portland is 13-2 in the playoffs, including 8-0 at home. Edmonton now is 12-3. . . . These teams are meeting in the final for a third consecutive season. Edmonton won two years ago; Portland won last spring. . . .
Jones writes in the Sun that Jarry struggled in Game 1, but that Laxdal isn’t concerned. That column is right here.
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From Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon (@timbozon94): “Thank you everyone at the cap Breton #cers made lots improvement and met really nice people...#lifeisgood #shapeisback”
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From Roy MacGregor (@RoyMacG) of The Globe and Mail: “Maybe we can't abolish the Senate -- but how about a Canadian law to ban afternoon playoff games?”
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From the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers): “Aaaand the @pdxwinterhawks take Game 1 of the WHL Finals … is there something in the PDX water?”


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Rockets' management team visits Saskatoon

THE MacBETH REPORT:


F Tomas Netik (Medicine Hat, 2000-01) exercised an opt-out clause to obtain his release from Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had 11 goals and three assists in 31 games.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors are switching trainers in mid-stream. Curtis Amiot, the head trainer and athletic therapist, is leaving the Warriors after eight years to join the Moose Jaw Police Service. He will be replaced by Brooke Kosolofski, who has been with the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that “Amiot said he started looking at a career change after he and his wife began to have a family. Amiot’s wife Andrea is due with the couple’s second child at the end of March.”
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SUDBURY SATURDAY NIGHT:
In Moose Jaw, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Warriors, 3-1. . . . D Reid Zalitach scored his first WHL goal in 68 games — it was the Teddy Bear goal — to get the Warriors started in the second period. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy pulled his guys even at 12:53 of the second and F Quintin Lisoway’s first goal of the season, in his 29th game, at 5:27 of the third, stood up as the winner. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 29 shots in his first start since Oct. 30. . . . The Warriors have one victory in their last 10 games (1-7-2). . . .

In Saskatoon, F Dyson Stevenson scored twice to lead the Regina Pats to a 3-2 victory over the Blades. . . . Stevenson, who has 18 goals, gave his side a 2-1 lead at 16:33 of the second and upped it to 3-1 at 16:26 of the third. . . . Regina, which is sixth in the Eastern Conference and just four points out of second, held a 49-23 edge in shots. . . . Pats F Boston Leier had two assists. . . . Saskatoon has lost six in a row and 11 of 12. The result is that the Blades now are 11 points out of a playoff spot. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports: “Three members of the Kelowna Rockets’ management team, including assistant general manager Lorne Frey, attended Saturday’s game. The Rockets have just two 20-year-old players. The trade deadline is Jan. 10.” . . .

In Calgary, F Jake Virtanen scored twice to help the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Virtanen has 14 goals. . . . The Hitmen scored three times in the first period to take control. . . . Lethbridge took 65 of 104 penalty minutes. . . . Calgary (17-7-4) is third in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind the Swift Current Broncos (19-11-4). Calgary holds five games in hand. . . .

In Red Deer, F Brendan Leipsic scored twice and added an assist as the Portland Winterhawks got past the Rebels, 5-4. . . . Leipsic’s 20th goal, at 15:04 of the second period, gave his side a 5-3 lead. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists. With 66 points, he is within one of F Mitch Holmberg of the Spokane Chiefs, who leads the scoring race. . . . Portland F Shane McColgan was back in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 26. He had one assist. . . . The Winterhawks (22-5-4) continue to lead the overall standings. They are two points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets (22-3-2), who have four games in hand, and the Everett Silvertips (21-6-4). . . . Portland is 7-1-2 in its last 10. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Ty Stanton broke a 3-3 tie at 13:44 of the third period to give the Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Stanton’s third goal of the season came via the PP. . . . The Raiders, who have lost three in a row, had erased a 3-1 third-period deficit on goals by F Dakota Conroy, at 1:06, and F Leon Draisaitl, shorthanded, at 12:40. . . . Draisaitl also had an assist to go with his 17th goal. . . . D Tommy Vannelli had two goals, giving him eight, for the Tigers. . . .

In Kamloops, G Austin Lotz stopped the Teddy Bears as the Everett Silvertips blanked the Blazers, 7-0. . . . It was Teddy Bear toss night; the fans threw the toys at game’s end. . . . Lotz stopped 26 shots in posting his fourth shutout this season and the fifth of his career. . . . D Ben Betker and F Ivan Nikolishin had two goals each. . . . The Blazers have lost 12 straight games. . . . Every Everett skater, with the exception of D Micheal Zipp, was at least plus-1. Zipp was even. . . . Every skater in the Kamloops lineup was at least minus-1. . . . Everett won all four games in the season series with the Blazers. . . . Kamloops was without D Sam Grist, who served a one-game suspension for a match penalty in incurred on Friday night. . . . The Blazers headed east right after the game. They open an East Division tour in Brandon on Tuesday night. . . .

In Prince George, the Cougars got off to a 3-0 lead and went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 5-2. . . . Prince George F Troy Bourke returned from a three-game suspension to draw three assists. . . . Attendance was 2,498. . . . Prince George F Tyler Mrkonjic’s second goal of the season, at 5:36 of the first, was the Teddy Bear goal. . . . F Todd Fiddler’s 12th goal, at 10:28 of the second period, on the PP, gave the Cougars a 3-0 lead and stood up as the winner. . . .

In Kelowna, D Myles Bell broke a 1-1 tie with his 10th goal at 12:20 of the third period as the Rockets beat the Kootenay Ice, 2-1. . . . Bell, who hadn’t scored in his previous eight games, also drew an assist on F Carter Rigby’s goal at 10:22 of the second period that tied the game. . . . F Luke Philp had given the Ice a 1-0 lead at 18:30 of the first period, on the PP. . . . The Rockets, who left on an East Division swing on Sunday, have won six in a row and 15 of 16. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the host Seattle Thunderbirds scored three third-period goals and beat the Spokane Chiefs, 4-2. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp broke a 2-2 tie at 10:20 of the third period, via the PP. It was his fourth goal. . . . D Adam Henry and D Shea Theodore each had two assists for Seattle. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored his WHL-leading 33rd goal. . . . The Thunderbirds have won six in a row. They are 7-1-2 in their last 10. . . .

In Victoria, F Carter Popoff had a goal and three assists as the Vancouver Giants dumped the Royals, 7-4. . . . The Giants erased a 2-0 first-period deficit with six straight goals, five of them in the second period. . . . The visitors were 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson and F Trent Lofthouse, who was acquired earlier from Victoria, each had a goal and two assists. . . . F Steven Hodges scored twice for the Royals. . . . F Austin Carroll scored Victoria’s Teddy Bear goal at 3:51 of the first. . . . The Royals had beaten the visiting Giants 4-2 on Friday night; the teams meet again Tuesday, this time in Vancouver.

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Some comeback by Raiders!

THE MacBETH REPORT:

D Ian White (Swift Current, 2000-04) signed for the rest of this season with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A). Last season, he had four points, including two goals, in 25 games with the Detroit Red Wings (NHL). . . .


F Konstantin Pushkarev (Calgary, 2004-05) was reassigned to Nomad Astana (Kazakhstan, Kazakh Vysshaya Liga) by Barys Astana (KHL). This season, with Barys, he had one assist in two games. Earlier with Nomad, he had three points, including one goal, in 13 games.
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Connie Broden, the only person in history to have won a world hockey championship and a Stanley Cup title in the same season, has died. He left us a week ago at the age of 81. . . . As Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette notes, Broden “played just six regular-season games with the Canadiens, three in 1955-56 and three more in 1957-58. Broden appeared in seven more playoff games, six in 1956-57, one more the following season. . . . a player’s stats are not inscribed with his name on the Stanley Cup, where Connell Broden is twice engraved on the genuine trophy, Connie Broden appearing twice on the replica.” . . . Broden was so much more than a hockey player, though. He later became Quebec’s brewmaster for Molson’s, a company with which he spent 32 years. He ended up as the president of Molson’s Alberta. . . . Later, he scouted for the Winnipeg Jets and Phoenix Coyotes. . . . Stubbs’ complete story is right here.
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G Bolton Pouliot, 19, of the Kamloops Blazers suffered an injury to his right hand in practice on Thursday afternoon and, according to the team, “is expected to be out . . . until after the Christmas break.” . . . As a result, the Blazers have brought in G Cole Kehler, 15, from the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C. Kehler, who turns 16 on Dec. 17, is from Altona, Man. He was a sixth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is 12-1-0, 2.22 with OHA’s midget prep team. . . . Kehler is expected to stay with the Blazers until Pouliot returns. . . . If Kehler stays with the Blazers through December, he will be on their roster during their East Division swing that takes them up to the Christmas break.
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The Victoria Royals have signed F Keith Anderson, 16, who is from Hermiston, Ore., and is playing for the Compete Hockey Academy in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League. The 6-foot-4, 208-pounder has 23 points, including 13 goals, in 13 games. He was selected by the Royals in the sixth round of the 2012 bantam draft. Anderson played last season with the Arizona Bobcats, a Tier 1 U16 team that won the state championship. . . . One of the Black Friday’s related headlines that I saw yesterday went like this — The Worst of Black Friday: Guns, Knives and Brawls. . . . Gee, do you think Black Friday has jumped the shark? . . . G Curtis Honey of the Brandon Wheat Kings has returned to practice and should be back in the lineup soon. He has been out for almost a month. Once he returns, Brandon will have three goaltenders on its roster, the other two being Jordan Papirny, who has been the starter in Honey’s absence, and Christopher Tai, who was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier this month. . . . After Friday’s games, 17 of the WHL’s 22 teams were sporting at least a .500 winning percentage. . . . Is it time to quit with the anthems before sporting events? Just asking. . . .
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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS:
In Spokane, F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored three times to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Bjorkstrand has 21 goals. . . . It was Portland’s fifth straight victory over Spokane this season. Overall, the Winterhawks have taken 13 in a row from Spokane. . . . F Paul Bittner had three assists for Portland. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, who leads the WHL in goals (30) and points (64), had his third three-goal game this season. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists, giving him a WHL-leading 40. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Brandon Wheat Kings erased a 2-0 deficit with five straight second-period goals and went to an 8-4 victory over the Warriors. . . . Moose Jaw, down 5-2 late in the second, got to within 5-4, only to have Brandon score the game’s last three goals. . . . F John Quenneville had two goals and three assists for Brandon, while F Jayce Hawryluk added two goals and two assists. . . . Hawryluk has 18 points in 12 games this month, including three four-point outings. . . . Brandon was 4-for-8 on the PP. . . . Moose Jaw F Tanner Eberle departed at 18:33 of the second with a headshot major. . . . F Scott Cooke, who had been out all season with a broken bone in his right leg, played his first game for the Warriors. He was acquired earlier this month from the Vancouver Giants. . . .

In Regina, the Prince Albert Raiders gave up the game’s first five goals — they trailed 5-0 as late as 7:00 of the second period — before beating the Pats, 7-6 in OT. . . . The Raiders trailed 6-2 going into the third period. F Leon Draisaitl tied the score at 13:21 and won it at 1:37 of OT while on a PP. . . . He’s got 13 goals this season. . . . D Josh Morrissey scored his 12th goal and added three assists for the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert F Tim Vanstone, who went into the game with one goal in 66 games, scored twice. . . . F Boston Leier scored twice for Regina, giving him 17. . . . Regina G Dawson MacAuley stopped 46 shots. . . . Prior to the game, Phil Andrews, the radio voice of the Pats, tweeted: “No Morgan Klimchuk for the Pats tonight. Left halfway through the 3rd (Thursday) night in Super Series. No confirmation on if it's an injury.” . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Victoria Royals scored the game’s first three goals, all via the PP, and went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-1. . . . Victoria, which has won five in a row, was 3-for-4 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-4. . . . F Logan Nelson drew two assists for Victoria, which got 33 saves from G Patrik Polivka, who now has been the first star in five straight games. . . . F Axel Blomqvist scored his first goal in three games since the Royals acquired him from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He’s got four points in those three games. . . . The Americans had F Taylor Vickerman, who is from Kennewick, in their lineup for the first time since he suffered an undisclosed injury on Sept. 24 in a game against the host Portland Winterhawks. He ended up missing 25 games. . . . The Americans are without D Mitch Topping (broken arm) and D Wil Tomchuk (broken wrist, surgery next week). . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reports that Tomchuk and Topping aren’t expected back before at least late January. . . . The Royals were without head coach Dave Lowry, who was in Vancouver to attend his daughter Sarah’s graduation from UBC. She now has a master’s in kinesiology. . . . In Lowry’s absence, veteran assistant coach Enio Sacilotto was in charge. . . . Lowry is expected back in time to work the bench tonight in Kent, Wash., against the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Royals (18-10-1) are one point behind the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets (18-3-2), who hold six games in hand. . . .

In Swift Current, G Chris Driedger turned aside 37 shots to help the Calgary Hitmen to a 3-1 victory over the Broncos. . . . F Brady Brassart broke a 1-1 tie with his ninth goal of the season, on the PP, at 10:18 of the third. . . . D Stephen Shmoorkoff, acquired by the Broncos from the Edmonton Oil Kings on Thursday, didn’t play. The Broncos also were without F Graham Black and F Coda Gordon, their two leading scorers. . . . Broncos F Dakota Odgers, 17, played his first game after being out all season with a shoulder injury. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Edmonton Oil Kings held a 45-16 edge in shots and scored the last two goals to beat the Hurricanes, 2-1. . . . F Mitch Moroz tied the score at 13:47 of the third and F Curtis Lazar won it at 16:02. . . . Moroz has 17 goals; Lazar has 16. . . . F Riley Sheen had given Lethbridge a 1-0 lead with a PP goal, his fifth, at 11:14 of the third. . . . Lethbridge G Corbin Boes stopped 43 shots. . . . D Aaron Irving had two assists for Edmonton. The 17-year-old freshman from Edmonton has 20 points, including 15 helpers, in 25 games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Wyatt Johnson’s fourth goal of the season, at 11:51 of the second, gave the Red Deer Rebels a 2-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 37 shots. He stopped Medicine Hat F Trevor Cox on a second-period penalty shot. . . . F Curtis Valk scored for Medicine Hat at 10:54 of the first. . . . Red Deer F Scott Feser, playing his first game this season, tied it at 18:13 with his second goal in 41 regular-season games. . . .

In Kamloops, F Tyson Baillie broke a 2-2 tie at 17:20 of the third period as the Kelowna Rockets got past the Blazers, 3-2. . . . Kamloops D Josh Connolly had tied the game 2-2 on the PP at 10:04 of the third. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 37 shots, four more than Taran Kozun of the Blazers. . . . F Cole Ully had two assists for Kamloops. . . . The Blazers have lost nine in a row as they to Kelowna for the rematch tonight. . . . The Rockets (18-3-2) are 9-1-0 in their last 10. . . .

In Prince George, the Cougars scored twice in the shootout and beat the Vancouver Giants, 6-5. . . . Prince George F Chase Witala scored two third-period goals, the second one, his 18th, forging a 5-5 tie at 18:19. . . . Alex Forsberg and Witala scored for the home side in the shootout, while only F Cain Franson scored for Vancouver. . . . F Dalton Sward scored three times for Vancouver in what was his 200th game. He’s got six goals this season. . . . The Giants have points in eight straight (4-0-4). . . . D Peter Kosterman had three assists for Prince George. It was his second multi-assist game in 263 regular-season games. . . . Kosterman went into the night with three assists in 29 games this season. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 46 shots. He was forced into action when Brett Zarowny, who was to start, was injured in the warmup. . . . The Cougars also were without F Troy Bourke (WHL suspension) and the injured — D Joseph Carvalho (broken jaw), F Jari Erricson (concussion), D Raymond Grewal (ankle), D Tate Olson (concussion), F Zach Pochiro (concussion) and F David Soltes (knee). . . . Late Friday night, Cheryl Kustra (@CherylCkustra) tweeted: “Well . . . Congratulations and Good Luck to Matt Kustra. Just got a phone call that he’s called up to Prince George Cougars. Proud momma.” G Matt Kustra, from Yorkton, Sask., was an eighth-round pick by the Cougars in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Kustra has been playing for the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos out of Wilcox, Sask. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the host Seattle Thunderbirds scored three times in each of the last two periods and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 6-2. . . . It was Saskatoon’s first game of a U.S. Division swing. . . . F Alex Delnov, fresh off playing for Russia in the Subway Super Series, had two goals, giving him 12, and three assists for Seattle. . . . Delnov played for Russia on Wednesday, but was scratched on Thursday. . . . F Ryan Gropp added a goal, his third, and two assists for Seattle. He’s got six points in 14 games since leaving the BCHL’s Penticton Vees and joining Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds were 3-for-5 on the PP.

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Brandon, Prince Albert down to two goaltenders

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


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jakub Sindel (Brandon, 2004-05) was released from his tryout contract with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga) after Kärpät signed ex-NHL F Jozef Stumpel. Sindel had three assists in 11 games with Kärpät during his tryout. Sindel had agreed to extend his tryout contract one more week earlier Tuesday but, when Kärpät signed Stumpel Tuesday evening, Sindel was released.
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Mac Engel, meet Mac Engel. Yes, the Spokane Chiefs’ goaltender has a big, big fan named, uhh, Mac Engel. Same name, same spelling. Check it out right here.
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Kevin Allen of USA TODAY takes a look at the NHL and the state of concussions. This is a thorough overview of what is going on in the NHL, including the number of concussions this season, the number of games players have missed because of concussions, and the cost. That story is right here, and it’s a good one.
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A Tuesday afternoon tweet from TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie: “No decision req'd until trade deadline but my sense is TBL more inclined to keep Brett Connoly in NHL than return him to Tri City (WHL).”
McKenzie, Part 2: “If Connolly finishes NHL season with TBL, and Bolts miss playoffs (as expected), he can be assigned to Norfolk for AHL playoffs.”
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In the last while, the weather in various parts of B.C. has been dicey, at best. As a result, we have heard stories of teams, including the Kootenay Ice and Lethbridge Hurricanes, having faced lengthy delays as they attempted to bus from one place to another.
And now we can add the Victoria Royals to the list.
The Royals completed their East Division swing on Saturday night with a 9-6 loss to the Saskatoon Blades. Naturally, the Royals left for home right after the game, which would have been around 10:30 p.m. CT, or 8:30 p.m. PT.
The Royals arrived home Monday afternoon, two weeks after the trek to the eastern hinterlands had begun. You may recall that as the Royals were about to start the trip, F Kevin Sundher was informed that he had been traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Anyway, it seems the Royals arrived at Tsawwassen to catch the ferry to Schwartz Bay near Sydney By The Sea only to discover that high winds had cancelled a number of sailings. So the team spent Sunday night at Tsawwassen, waiting and hoping for the winds to decrease.
The Royals, who went 2-4 on their swing, are back in action Friday and Saturday against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers, who take a nine-game winning streak into Kelowna tonight, are 5-0-0 against Victoria this season.
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Don’t look now, but there is an interesting race going on for the last couple of playoff spots in the WHL’s Western Conference.
And it could be that loser points will play a rather large role in settling the issue.
The Everett Silvertips, who lost 7-4 last night in Portland, are last in the 10-team conference in which eight teams will qualify for the postseason.
But the Silvertips have picked up seven points over their last seven games and are just six points behind the eighth-place Victoria Royals (15-28-5), who are one point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds (17-26-2). The Prince George Cougars (15-29-2) are ninth, three points behind Victoria and three in front of Everett.
Keep in mind, too, that Victoria is 2-7-1 in its last 10 games, although six of those (2-4-0) came in the East Division. Prince George is 2-8-0 in its last 10. Seattle, meanwhile, is 1-8-1.
That has allowed Everett, which is in its ninth season and has never missed the playoffs, to sneak back into the picture.
Everett (10-28-9) may end up holding something of an edge, too, because of its nine loser points to this point in the season.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Presten Kopeck, a 16-year-old third-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft. Kopeck, who is from Medicine Hat, has 19 points, including seven goals, in 45 games with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. Last season, with the midget AAA Medicine Hat Tigers, he had 19 points in 34 games. Kopeck, who was in training camp with the Winterhawks prior to this season, will finish this season with the Bobcats.
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There is a neat story in Tuesday’s Edmonton Sun about the Edmonton Oil Kings, who have become involved in a snow-shovelling program that benefits needy homeowners. That story is right here.

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D Daniel Gibb of the Prince George Cougars took part in a program called Breakfast Idol at P.G. radio station The River 101.3 on Tuesday. No, he didn't sing Stayin' Alive. . . . You can catch it all right here — he’s a wizard with the Cube. You also should go over there and vote for Gibb, who needs all the help we can provide.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, G Luke Siemens stopped 32 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 3-0 victory over the Broncos. . . . Siemens had sat out his club’s last three games due to what head coach Mike Stothers had said was a need to re-focus. . . .. F Kenton Miller scored the game’s opening goal, on the PP, at 18:37 of the first period. . . . Moose Jaw F Cam Braes, who missed Monday’s practice because he was ill, got his 28th goal of the season. . . . The Warriors had lost their first two games in Swift Current this season. . . . G Jon Groenheyde made his 20th straight start for the Broncos. He stopped 39 shots. . . . Moose Jaw D Joel Edmundson had two assists. . . . The Warriors have put up four shutouts this season, three by Siemens. . . . The Broncos have been shut out twice. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Curtis Honey stopped 34 shots for his first WHLshutout as the Brandon Wheat Kings beat the host Kootenay Ice, 1-0. . . . Brandon had G Corbin Boes in the lineup for the first time since he suffered a broken hand on Dec. 7. G Brandon Anderson was a healthy scratch. . . . This was Brandon’s second shutout of the season; Boes has the other one. . . . It was the first time this season the Ice has been blanked. . . . F Kevin Sundher scored the game’s only goal, his 23rd of the season and his first with the Wheat Kings since he was acquired from the Victoria Royals on Jan. 9. That came at 16:28 of the first period. . . . Brandon is 7-3-1 in its last 11 trips to Cranbrook. . . . Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings, reports that it’s Brandon’s first 1-0 victory since Feb. 20, 2008, when Joe Caligiuri stopped 30 shots and F Jay Fehr scored the lone goal in beating the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks ran their franchise-record home-ice winning streak to 18 games with a 7-4 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks got two goals from each of D Joe Morrow and F Marcel Noebels. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke, the son of former NHL G Sean Burke, stopped 29 shots to earn his third victory of the season. . . . Everett, trailing 4-2, tied it with goals from F Ryan Harrison and F Reid Petryk 48 seconds apart midway in the second period. . . . Portland F Taylor Peters broke the 4-4 tie with his 10th goal at 14:51 of the seocnd. . . . Harrison had two goals for Everett, giving him 13, while D Ryan Murray had two assists. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists, giving him a WHL-leading 83 points, two more than Regina Pats F Jordan Weal. . . . The Winterhawks were without D William Wrenn, their captain, who was suspended by the WHL “for actions at Spokane on Jan. 22.” According to Jim Beseda of the Oregonian, Wrenn was suspended “for an altercation as he was leaving the ice after Sunday’s 6-1 loss at Spokane.” . . .
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Graeme Craig, Swift Current.
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After reading here about the sportsmanship shown by Seattle Thunderbirds G Calvin Pickard the other night, another WHL fan has sent me a note, this one involving Everett Silvertips D Ryan Murray:
“When Everett was last (in Kamloops) . . . when they were announcing the three stars, Ryan Murray came out for his star and took time to pose with kids who were giving out the (goods). Then, on his way off the ice, he went out of his way to tap the Blazers star on the shin pads.
“It’s nice to see something like that and then read the story about Pickard.”
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For today’s good ready, here is Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe with a terrific look at Tim Thomas and how he screwed up by not visiting the White House with his Boston Bruins teammates on Monday. That piece is right here.

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