Ch-ch-ching! WHL coach reaches for wallet . . . Hicketts living quite a story . . . Rockets whistle past Wheaties

D Joe Hicketts of the Victoria Royals has lived one of hockey’s more interesting stories over the last couple of years. Hicketts, who is from Kamloops, suffered a serious injury last season and then was bypassed in the NHL draft. But -- and all undrafted players should take notice -- that hasn’t kept him from earning an NHL contract. Glen Erickson of hockeysfuture.com has more right here.
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In a Saturday OHL game, F Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists as the Erie Otters dumped the host Sudbury Wolves, 8-1. McDavid is on a 12-game season-opening point streak. In those 12 games, he's got 34 points, including 23 assists.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Former NHL/WHL D Curtis Leschyshyn has taken over as head coach of the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. Leschyshyn, an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades last season, had been an assistant coach with the Blazers, who now are 2-7. Former WHL F Randy Smith, who had been the head coach, has stepped up to be the general manager. . . . Tip of the cap to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix for the tweet.
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Willy Alexander Thomas, a high school student and a hockey player, had his whole life to live. But he committed suicide by jumping from the George Washington Bridge. He was 17. His parents now are wondering if concussions may have played a role in what happened. Pete Croatto of The New York Times has that story right here.
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Another concussion-related lawsuit has surfaced. As Kevin Harden of the Portland Tribune writes right here, Billy Jack Haynes, a former pro wrestler, has filed suit against the WWE. Harden writes that Haynes, now 61, "is suing WWE in federal court for 'egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers for its own benefit, as well as its concealment and denial of medical research and evidence concerning traumatic brain injuries suffered by WWE wrestlers,' according to the 42-page lawsuit filed Thursday, Oct. 23, in Portland’s U.S. District Court. Haynes is also asking the court to grant class-action status for what his lawyers say could be 500 people who suffered injuries while wrestling or performing in the WWE ring."
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SATURDAY'S REPORT:

In Kelowna, F Nick Merkley had a goal and three assists to spark the Rockets to a 6-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon, which had been 2-0-0 to start a seven-game road swing, got the game's first goal when F Quintin Lisoway scored at 6:39 of the second period. . . . The Rockets scored the last six goals, four of them in the third period. . . . Merkley, who has four goals, figured in Kelowna's first four goals. . . . The Rockets got two shorthanded goals, from Merkley and F Austin Glover. . . . D Madison Bowey scored twice for the Rockets, giving him six on the season. Both goals came via the PP as the Rockets went 3-for-6 with the man advantage. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 31 shots, 15 more than Brandon's Jordan Papirny, who started for the 12th time in 14 games. . . . Brandon F Jesse Gabrielle failed to score on a penalty shot just 58 seconds into the game. . . . The Wheat Kings had scored 33 goals in winning their previous four games. . . . What kind of a game was it? "Had it not been for Whistle, who had his best game in a Rockets uniform, Brandon could have walked away as 6-1 winners after dominating the first two periods," wrote Doyle Potenteau of The Okanagan Sunday. . . . When it was over, the Rockets were 12-1-0 and the Wheat Kings 10-2-1. Unfortunately for hockey fans, the only way these teams meet again this season is if it's in the WHL final. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Taylor Cooper had a goal and an assist as the Lethbridge Hurricanes dumped the Raiders, 3-1. . . . The Hurricanes have won three in a row for the first time since Nov. 3-9, 2012. . . . The Hurricanes scored the game's first three goals. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner, who doesn't turn 16 until Nov. 1, stopped 24 shots. He lost his shutout bid when F Jayden Hart scored at 19:20 of the third period. . . . The Raiders were without F Reid Gardiner, who took 16 stitches to the forehead after a high hit from F Alex Schoenborn of the Portland Winterhawks on Friday night. Gardiner also is undergoing the concussion protocol. . . . F Marcus Messier, 20, was pointless in his debut with the Raiders. . . .

In Red Deer, F Conner Bleackley scored once and added two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Bleackley broke a 1-1 tie at 8:13 of the second eriod with his third goal of the season. . . . Red Deer F Wyatt Johnson scored the game's first goal, his sixth of the season. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored three times to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-1 victory over the Blades. . . . Bjorkstrand gave the visitors a 3-1 lead at 9:56 of the third and later scored the game's last two goals. He's got nine goals this season. . . . F Chase De Leo had a goal, his ninth, and an assist on his 19th birthday. . . . The game was the last of a six-game East Division swing for the Winterhawks, who went 4-2-0 on their tour. . . . The Winterhawks played without F Alex Schoenborn, who drew a TBA suspension for a headshot on F Reid Gardiner of the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a gamer right here, including the latest on the Blades' injuries.

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game's last five goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-1. . . . Edmonton is 5-0-1 in its last six games. . . . F Mitchell Walker broke a 1-1 tie with this first goal at 16:18 of the second period. . . . F Luke Bertolucci scored his first two goals of the season 27 seconds apart late in the third period. . . . F Jari Erricson scored his 10th goal of the season for the Cougars, losers of four in a row. . . .

In Regina, G Landon Bow stopped 39 shots to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 2-1 victory over the Pats. . . . On Friday night, the Broncos had beaten the visiting Pats, 3-1. . . . After last night, the Broncos are 14-0-2 against Regina over the last two-plus seasons. . . . D Brett Lernout broke a 1-1 tie with his third goal of the season at 10:06 of the third period. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk scored his 10th goal, on a PP, at 5:47 of the first period. . . . Regina D Sergey Zborovskiy tied the score with his first goal at 11:33 of the second period. . . . Pats G Daniel Wapple turned aside 25 shots. . . . The Broncos have won won three in a row, while the Pats now have dropped four in a row. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers outscored Calgary 3-1 in the second period en route to a 7-5 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Tigers, 11-1-1 overall and 8-0-1 in their last nine, scored the game's first two goals, but Calgary got those back before the first period ended. . . . Tigers D Ty Stanton broke a 3-3 tie at 19:09 of the second period and D David Quenneville added a PP goal at 19:54. . . . F Markus Eisenschmid scored twice for the Tigers, giving him seven, while F Trevor Cox had his second goal, into an empty net, and added two assists, and F Chad Butcher had three assists. . . . F Jake Virtanen, in his second game since returning from off-season shoulder surgery, had two goals and an assist for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen also got two goals and an assist from F Pavel Kamaukhov, who has eight scores, and a goal and two helpers from D Ben Thomas. . . . Calgary was 3-for-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 2-for-4. . . .

In Spokane, F Calder Brooks and F Adam Helewka each scored twice as the Chiefs beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . Helewka's second goal, at 7:47 of the third period, on the PP, gave the Chiefs a 4-1 lead. . . . The Ice made it close with goals from F Matt Alfaro, his second of the game, and F Zak Zborosky 37 seconds apart late in the period. . . . Brooks, who also had two assists, and Helewka, who had one assist, each has five goals this season. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto, the third member of the line with Helewka and Brooks, had three assists. Yamomoto is a 16-year-old Spokane native who scored a goal in each of his previous two games. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 41 shots, 20 more than Spokane's Tyson Verheist. . . . The Ice has lost five straight and is 1-9-0 in its last 10. . . .

In Victoria, F Austin Carroll's second goal of the game, at 13:27 of the third period, broke a 2-2 tie as the Royals edged the Vancouver Giants, 3-2. . . . Carroll has 10 goals this season. His first goal of the game gave the Royals a 2-1 lead at 9:08 of the second period. . . . Vancouver D Mason Geertsen tied it with his first goal at 5:38 of the third. . . . F Axel Blomqvist had two assists for the Royals, while F Matt Bellerive had a goal, his fourth, and an assist for the Giants, who are 0-6-0 on the road. . . . The Royals are riding a four-game winning streak. . . .

In Everett, F Ivan Nikolishin scored 41 seconds into OT to give the Silvertips a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The winner came off a feed from fellow Russian F Nikita Scherbak. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor scored the game's first goal, at 4:50 of the first period, and now has goals in three straight games. . . . Everett F Cole MacDonald tied the score on a PP at 7:01 of the third. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis had two assists. . . . Nikolishin has four goals this season. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 24 shots, four fewer than Seattle's Taran Kozun. . . . The Silvertips have won their last two games to get to 8-1-3. . . . Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk wasn't happy with the officiating and you can bet it's going to cost him some coin. Ch-ch-ching! . . . "The officiating's got to get better," Konowalchuk told Andy Eide of 710 AM ESPN. "It’s atrocious, it's (expletive) atrocious." . . . Eide wrote: "Konowalchuk's frustration boiled over after the game as he felt the Silvertips embellished the plays and the bad calls cost his players a hard-fought game and a chance at picking up the win." Here’s more from Konowalchuk: "Two embellishments, I am so tired of the officiating in this league. I can't find it on the tape, I can't find it. I asked my player 'honestly did you touch him' he said 'my stick was up but I didn't touch him.' The guy at the red line calling it, the guy in the corner doesn't call it." . . . Eide's complete report is right here. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., G Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots as the Kamloops Blazers blanked the Tri-City Americans, 2-0. . . . Ingram, a 17-year-old goaltender from Imperial, Sask., posted his first WHL shutout in his fifth appearance. . . . F Matt Revel scored the game's first goal, his fifth of the season, at 18:02 of the second period, and D Patrik Maier added insurance at 9:25 of the third. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 25 shots. . . . The Americans have lost three in a row. . . . Tri-City was without veteran F Brian Williams, who suffered an undisclosed injury in a Friday game.

Wheat Kings star hospitalized

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Hnat Domenichelli (Kamloops, 1992-96) has announced his retirement after 12 seasons in Switzerland NL A. He started the season with Lugano, then then transferred to Bern (both Switzerland, NL A). With Lugano, he had seven points, including three goals, in 10 games. With Bern, he put up 17 points, nine of them goals, in 32 games.
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A trust fund has been established to assist the Bozon family with medical- and rehabilitation-related costs with which they now are faced.
You are able to make a donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch in Western Canada.
Should you live outside of that area and want to donate, please mail donations to:
Western Hockey League
c/o Tim Bozon
Father David Bauer Arena
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary AB
T2N 3Y9
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F Jayce Hawryluk of the Brandon Wheat Kings was taken to Brandon General Hospital
by ambulance after his club’s 5-4 victory over the Regina Pats on Wednesday night.

JAYCE HAWRYLUK

Hawryluk scored three times in the victory and also added an assist, giving him eight points in the first three games of the first-round series. The Wheat Kings hold a 3-0 lead with Game 4 scheduled for Brandon on Friday night.
After the game, Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner/general manager and head coach, reported:
“Jayce was taken to hospital after tonight's game. While concerned the club believes it is not serious. Until we have more information we can not pinpoint the cause. Jayce is resting comfortably.”
Hawryluk, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, is from Roblin, Man. A sophomore, he had 64 points, including 24 goals, in 59 regular-season games. He was a second-round selection by Brandon in the 2011 bantam draft.
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It is pretty much a given in the hockey world that a team’s dressing room belongs to the coaches and players.
It has long been seen as a sanctuary for the players and there often is a coaches’ office attached to it. In most situations, if someone from management wants to see a coach or a player, that person is beckoned upstairs, if you will, for that meeting. If a general manager, for example, needs to be in a dressing room, it oftentimes is only a brief visit.
That doesn’t seem to be the case with the Saskatoon Blades, nor will it be as things evolve there under the ownership of the father-and-son team of Mike and Colin Priestner.
Curtis Leschyshyn, a former Blades defenceman who went on to an NHL career, was an assistant coach in Saskatoon this season. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix quotes Leschyshyn in Wednesday’s newspaper:
Leschyshyn, who revealed last week that he wouldn’t be back with the Blades, said that former owner Jack Brodsky “had ideas, but would respect the decisions that the coaches and (general manager Lorne Molleken) would have. Colin obviously wants to be real involved and be in the locker-room.
"Those were some of the things that, as a player, I never saw in my career nor do I think is part of the game. The room is a very special place for the players. It always should be that way."
Colin Priestner, the franchise’s minority owner and managing partner, said he isn’t about to change his ways.
"Like I said in the first press conference, I felt like I needed to know every player, every employee, every manager and everyone in the organization," he said. "We weren't going to be able to properly identify what we had if I was just going to sit in my office with the door locked all day. That's just not how I operate anyway."
The Priestners, with help from TSN/NHL Network analyst Craig Button, who is a former Calgary Flames GM, are looking for a new general manager and a head coach after dropping Molleken and head coach Dave Struch on Tuesday. It sounds like the new GM and head coach will have to be prepared to have an owner who makes regular visits to the dressing room.
Nugent-Bowman’s complete story is right here.
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A tweet from Kelly Chase (@Chasenpucks39), a former Blades player who was part of a group that attempted to purchase the franchise last summer: “Extremely unfortunate that the @bladeshockey have let go of David Struch great job with very little. May be a blessing.”
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Greg Pocock, a Prince George businessman who heads up a group that is in the process of purchasing the Cougars, has told the Prince George Citizen that the franchise will be staying where it is. “We're not buying a team to move a team, we're buying a team to keep it in Prince George," Pocock told the Citizen‘s Ted Clarke. . . . That story is right here. . . .

Over time, Kelly McCrimmon has become the face of the Brandon Wheat Kings. These days, he is the owner, governor, general manager and head coach coach. Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post takes a look at McCrimmon’s journey right here. . . .

If you are planning to attend Game 5 of the first-round series between the Tri-City Americans and host Kelowna Rockets on Friday, note that the starting time has been moved from 7:05 to 7:30 p.m. . . . The starting time was changed as the game will be televised in Canada on Sportsnet. The Rockets lead the series, 3-1. . . .

D MacKenzie Johnston, 20, has joined the Central league’s Tulsa Oilers for the remainder of the season. Johnston completed his junior eligibility with the Saskatoon Blades. Johnston, who played five seasons in the WHL, was dealt by the Kelowna Rockets to the Prince Albert Raiders early this season, and later traded to the Blades. . . . The Oilers are 32-28-3 and have clinched a playoff spot. . . .

The game-winning goal in the Seattle Thunderbirds’ 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Tuesday night has been changed. F Mathew Barzal had been credited with the goal. It was changed Wednesday to Justin Hickman from Barzal and Ryan Gropp. . . . Following Game 1, the winning goal, that had been credited to Seattle D Shea Theodore, was changed to Gropp. . . .

In the U.S., the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that football players at Northwestern University in Illinois are employees and, as such, are eligible to go through the process of forming a union. . . . There is more on that right here.
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WEDNESDAY'S GAMES:


 In Prince Albert, D Cody Corbett and F Mitch Moroz each had two goals and three assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings dropped the Raiders, 6-2. . . . The Oil Kings swept the series. . . . Edmonton took a 3-2 lead into the latter stages of the second period when it got a PP goal from Corbett at 16:26. . . . Moroz, with his second of the game and the series, added another PP goal at 1:38 of the third and F Curtis Lazar scored at 13:57. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Edmonton was 3-for-5 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-for-2. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots, 10 fewer than Cole Cheveldave of the Raiders. . . . Edmonton has appeared in the WHL’s last three championship finals. It’s first-round record on those playoffs now is 12-1. . . .


In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk scored three times and added an assist as the Wheat Kings got past the Regina Pats, 5-4. . . . Hawryluk was taken to Brandon General Hospital after the game, where he was said to be resting comfortably. . . . The Wheat Kings, who lead the series 3-0 and can wrap it up on home ice on Friday night, trailed 4-1 before the game was 14 minutes old. . . . Brandon F Jesse Gabrielle scored the game’s first goal, at 5:29, but the Pats came back with four in a row, the last three in a span of 1:45, with two of those coming from F Dryden Hunt on the PP. . . . D Jesse Zgraggen (7:17), (12:10), F Carter Hansen (12:40) and Hunt (13:55) gave Regina its three-goal lead. . . . Hawryluk scored at 15:39 and 18:01, and Brandon trailed 4-3 going into the second period. . . . F Chad Robinson tied it with a shorthanded goal at 3:19 of the second and Hawryluk got the winner at 15:10 of the third. . . . Hawryluk has four goals and four assists in the series’ three games. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville had three assists. His older brother, Peter, returned to Brandon’s lineup after missing Game 2, as did D Eric Roy. . . . Brandon’s line of Hawryluk, John Quenneville and Gabrielle combined for nine points. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk had two assists. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny, who didn’t practice on Tuesday, stopped 29 shots. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple, out since March 5 with an ankle injury, returned to the ice and stopped 20 shots. . . . Regina was 2-for-4 on the PP; Brandon was 0-for-2. . . .


In Swift Current, freshman F Jake DeBrusk scored his third goal of the series at 5:06 of OT as the Broncos got past the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 in Medicine Hat on Saturday night. . . . DeBrusk, a 17-year-old from Edmonton, has three goals in the series. He had 15 goals in 72 regular-season games, when he had a goal and eight assists in his last six games. . . . The Tigers took a 2-0 first-period lead on two goals by F Curtis Valk, at 7:23 and 8:35. . . . The Broncos got two goals form Graham Black, his first and second of the series, at 1:06 of the second period and 1:01 of the third. . . . F Jay Merkley had two assists for Swift Current, while F Trevor Cox did the same for Medicine Hat. . . . Valk has three goals in the series. . . . The battle between the two European goaltenders continued, as the Broncos’ Eetu Laurikainen, who is from Finland, stopped 40 shots, and Marek Langhamer of the Tigers, who is from Czech Republic, turned aside 42. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-5. . . . F Steve Owre was back with the Tigers after missing five games. . . .


 In Vancouver, F Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists as the Portland Winterhawks dumped the Giants, 6-1, to sweep the first-round series. . . . Portland, the WHL’s defending champion, is 10-0 in its last 10 series against Western Conference opponents. The last time Portland lost to a conference opponent was in the spring of 2010 when Vancouver won a conference semifinal in six games. . . . The Winterhawks are into the second round for a fifth straight season. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic opened the scoring with his WHL-leading fifth goal of these playoffs. That was at 16:09 of the first period, on a PP. . . . Portland had a 3-0 lead when Vancouver F Carter Popoff scored, on a PP, at 9:47 of the second. . . . Leipsic and F Keegan Iverson had a goal and an assist each for Portland, which got 32 saves from G Brendan Burke. . . . Vancouver starter Payton Lee stopped 10 of 13 shots, leaving after Portland’s third goal at 17:05 of the first period. . . . Jared Rathjen came on to turn aside 29 of 32 shots. . . . Rathjen wasn’t on the bench for Game 3, as was indicated here yesterday. The WHL’s online score sheet was in error. Cody Porter, from the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, backed up Lee. . . . Rathjen had needed 15 stitches to close a cut near an eye after he was struck by a puck while on the bench in Game 2 in Portland on Saturday. . . . The Winterhawks, the conference’s No. 2 seed, outscored the No. 7 Giants, 19-7, in the four games. Portland had the WHL’s top-ranked regular-season PP, at 27.5 per cent. It scored six PP goals in 27 opportunities (22.2 per cent) in the series. . . . Vancouver scored one PP goal in 14 opportunities in the four games. . . . Going back to the regular season, the Winterhawks have won 11 in a row and 32 of 33. . . . Including the regular season, Portland went 8-0-0 against Vancouver this season. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot picked up one assist, giving him 47 career playoff points to tie the franchise record held by Glen Wesley (1983-87). . . . Vancouver F Tim Traber was given a major for clipping at 18:21 of the third period for a hit on Portland D Keoni Texeira. Traber, 20, was playing in the final junior game of his career. . . .


 In Spokane, F Austin Carroll celebrated his 20th birthday by scoring twice and adding an assist as the Victoria Royals beat the Chiefs, 6-1. . . . The Royals, who won two OT games on home ice, lead the series 3-0 and can wrap it up tonight in Spokane. . . . The Royals led this one 4-0 after one period on Carroll’s first two goals of the series and singles from F Ben Walker and D Jordan Fransoo. . . . Walker scored 11 seconds into the game, which is four seconds off the WHL record held by F Trevor Linden of the Medicine Hat Tigers. Linden scored seven seconds into a 6-5 victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades on April 15, 1988. . . . F Logan Nelson and D Travis Brown each had a goal and an assist for the Royals. . . . F Brandon Magee had three assists for Victoria, which went into this series having lost six straight first-round series, four of which came when it was the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) . . . In those series, the Chilliwack/Victoria teams were 6-24. . . . The Royals were 3-for-6 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-2. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 20 shots. . . . Spokane starter Eric Williams allowed five goals on 22 shots. Garret Hughson came on midway through the third and stopped one of two shots. . . . The Chiefs have lost their last seven playoff games. . . . According to Marlon Martens, the radio voice of the Royals, Victoria set franchise playoff records for fewest shots against in a period (3), fastest goal to start a game or period (0:11), most goals for in a road game (6) and most goals in one period (4). . . .


 In Kennewick, Wash., F Tyson Baillie scored his first goal of these playoffs and added two assists to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Rockets lead the series 3-1 and can wrap it up at home on Friday night. . . . Kelowna, which got a goal and an assist from each of D Madison Bowey and F Justin Kirkland, scored the game’s first three goals. . . . The Americans got to within 3-1 and 4-2 but weren’t able to close the gap to a singleton. . . . F Phil Tot and F Brian Williams each scored his third goal of the series for the Americans. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 25 shots, while Tri-City’s Eric Comrie turned aside 27. . . . The Rockets were 1-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 0-for-4. . . .
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
(Edmonton wins, 4-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.
Saturday: Prince Albert 3 at Edmonton 5 (6,534)
Sunday: Prince Albert 1 at Edmonton 3 (6,584)
Tuesday: Edmonton 4 at Prince Albert 3 (2,881)
Wednesday: Edmonton 6 at Prince Albert 2 (2,727)
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite; F Reid Petryk, day-to-day.
Prince Albert: D Graeme Craig, indefinite.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Brandon leads, 3-0)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.
Saturday: Brandon 6 at Regina 3 (6,200)
Sunday: Brandon 8 at Regina 4 (5,014)
Wednesday: Regina 4 at Brandon 5 (3,547)
Friday: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Regina vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: None.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 2-2)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.
Thursday: Kootenay 5 at Calgary 2 (6,649)
Saturday: Kootenay 0 at Calgary 5 (9,019)
Monday: Calgary 7 at Kootenay 6 (OT) (1,992)
Tuesday: Calgary 4 at Kootenay 5 (2,102)
Thursday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Calgary: F Cal Babych, day-to-day; F Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
(Series tied, 2-2)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 2-2-0; Swift Current, 2-2-0.
Friday: Swift Current 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,512)
Saturday: Swift Current 2 at Medicine Hat 4 (3743)
Tuesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Swift Current 3 (2,840)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 2 at Swift Current 3 (OT) (2,890)
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, indefinite; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
(Kelowna leads, 3-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Tri-City, 0-3-1.
Saturday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,827)
Sunday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,041)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 4 (2,010)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Tri-City 3 (2,189)
Friday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
(Portland wins, 4-0)
Season series: Portland, 4-0-0; Vancouver, 0-3-1.
Friday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 4 (9,756)
Saturday: Vancouver 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Tuesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 3 (5,680)
Wednesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 1 (5,142)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; G Jared Rathjen, day-to-day; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
(Victoria leads, 3-0)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.
Saturday: Spokane 1 at Victoria 2 (OT) (6,615)
Sunday: Spokane 3 at Victoria 4 (OT) (4,629)
Wednesday: Victoria 6 at Spokane 1 (3,412)
Thursday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
Spokane: D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
(Seattle leads, 3-0)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett 1 at Seattle 2 (4,650)
Sunday: Seattle 3 at Everett 1 (4,150)
Tuesday: Everett 3 at Seattle 4 (OT) (5,176)
Friday: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite.
Everett: F Kohl Baum, indefinite; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
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From the Kootenay Ice (@WHLKootenayICE): “Between Games 3 & 4 our fans raised $1,579.27 for the Tim Bozon Trust Fun. Best fans in the world #tb20 #getwelltim”
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One more from the Ice: “Huge high five goes out to local businesses in Cranbrook. They donated $1,525 to the Tim Bozon Trust Fund #kice #tb20 #getwelltim”
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From Darren Steinke (@MHND_Steinke) of the Medicine Hat News: “Always a classic site on the road with #MHTigers in playoffs. Morning skate and Bob Ridley is being interviewed by Regina's CTV.”
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From the Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings): “True Story: When we showed up to the Art Hauser Centre for morning skate today, there was a broom sitting outside the locker room #omen?”


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Geneva players to honour Tim Bozon with logo

On Monday afternoon, Aurelian ‘Jimmy’ Omer (@jimmyomer) tweeted: “During the playoffs @officialGSHC players will wear a logo on their helmets to support @timbozon94”
Omer is the equipment manager for Genève-Servette HC, which plays in the Swiss National League A.
That logo is pictured above.
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TIM BOZON

F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice remains in Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, where doctors continue to treat him for Neisseria meningitis.
Bozon was admitted to RUH on March 1 and played in a medically induced coma on Thursday.
His father, Philippe, a former NHL and French national team player, told Kamloops This Week on Monday that doctors “have been doing exams today and, normally, we get a meeting every morning. One minute it’s like this and one minute it changes. Right now, we cannot say anything.”
Philippe told the thrice-weekly newspaper that when there is new information the family will provide a statement.
Tim, 19, began his WHL career with the Kamloops Blazers. He was traded to the Ice earlier this season. He has signed a three-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens, who selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft.
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The WHL begins its final week of play with seven games tonight. Perhaps surprisingly, there are 11 teams still with four games left to play, meaning they will finish up by playing four games in six nights or four in five. Here’s a look at what teams are playing for between now and Sunday, with teams listed in order of winning percentage:

1. Kelowna Rockets, .824 -- With 112 points, the Rockets need one point to clinch first place overall. They visit the Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday. The Rockets appear headed for a first-round matchup with G Eric Comrie and the Tri-City Americans. . . . Rockets G Jordon Cooke goes into the last four games with 38 victories, three fewer than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry, who leads the WHL.

2. Portland Winterhawks, .772 -- The Winterhawks would need to win their last four games and have Kelowna lose its last four in order to finish first overall. That isn’t going to happen. Therefore, the Winterhawks will be trying to get their two veteran goaltenders back on track. Brendan Burke has been out with mononucleosis and hasn’t played since Feb. 10. Corbin Boes was shaken up in a goalmouth collision on Friday and didn’t play Saturday. . . . F Nic Petan leads the WHL in assists (74) and is five points off the scoring lead. But he has only two points, both assists, in his last five games. . . . A first-round series with the Vancouver Giants awaits.

3. Victoria Royals, .721 -- The Royals, who spent part of Monday loading up on food in downtown Merritt, B.C., have flown under the radar for much of this season but are the best defensive team in the league, having allowed 168 goals, one fewer than the Edmonton Oil Kings and two fewer than Kelowna. This is a team that has made the commitment to defence and it shows. . . . Victoria will finish third in the Western Conference, so the Royals will want to keep everyone healthy as they prepare to meet the Spokane Chiefs or Everett Silvertips in the first round.

4. Edmonton Oil Kings, .713 -- The Oil Kings are tied with the Calgary Hitmen atop the Eastern Conference, each with 97 points. Edmonton has four games remaining: against visiting Kootenay tonight and in Medicine Hat on Wednesday, then a Saturday-Sunday home-and-home with the Red Deer Rebels that begins in Red Deer. . . . The first tiebreaker is victories and Edmonton leads Calgary by two, 47-45. . . . First place in the conference means a first-round date with the eighth-place team -- Prince Albert, Red Deer or Brandon, teams that will end up about 30 points off the pace. Third place in the conference likely means Swift Current in the first round, although Kootenay still is a possibility.

5. Calgary Hitmen, .703 -- The Hitmen, who are 7-2-1 in their last 10 (Edmonton is 5-4-1), have three games remaining if they are to catch the Oil Kings. Calgary is at home to Lethbridge tonight, in Cranbrook against Kootenay on Friday and at home to the Ice on Saturday.

6. Medicine Hat Tigers, .638 -- Hands up if you saw the Tigers finishing with as many as 45 victories after F Hunter Shinkaruk, a potential 50-goal, 100-point man, had his season ended by hip surgery. . . . The Tigers, who finish up with two games against the Lethbridge Hurricanes, are headed to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. They will get Kootenay or Swift Current in the first round.

7. Seattle Thunderbirds, .632 -- The Thunderbirds have 40 victories for the first time since 2007-08, when they won 42. . . . Last season, in going 24-38-10, Seattle allowed 286 goals. With four games remaining, that number is 230. . . . Shea Theodore leads all WHL defencemen in assists (55) and points (75). . . . Seattle is fourth in the Western Conference, four points ahead of Spokane and five up on Everett. The Thunderbirds are at home to Spokane tonight and then finish with three in three -- at home to Portland on Friday, in Portland and in Kennewick, Wash., against the Tri-City Americans.

8. Kootenay Ice, .603 -- The Ice is in the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season and needs to win one more game for its ninth 40-victory season its 16 winters in Cranbrook. . . . In fifth place with four games to play, three of them on the road, the Ice is six points behind Medicine Hat and three ahead of Swift Current. Kootenay, which is 21-9-1 since the Christmas break, finishes with four games in five nights, playing in Edmonton tonight, in Red Deer on Wednesday, at home to Calgary on Friday and in Calgary on Saturday. . . . With teammate Tim Bozon in a Saskatoon hospital, you can bet these are emotional times in the Kootenay dressing room. . . . D Tanner Faith won’t play again this season, while D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel are out for up to two weeks. The Ice needs the latter two back if it hopes to make a run. . . . A playoff opponent will have to deal with the high-flying line of Sam Reinhart (97 points in 56 games), Jaedon Descheneau (94 in 66) and Zach Franko (21 in 24 since coming over from Kelowna).

9. Spokane Chiefs, .603 -- The Chiefs, who are fifth in the Western Conference, have won their last two games as they try to ward of the oncoming Everett Silvertips. . . . F Mitch Holmberg, who played in all 68 of the Chiefs’ games, leads the WHL in goals (60) and points (113). The last Spokane skater to lead the WHL in goals was F Tyler Johnson (53, 2010-11); the last to lead in points was F Ray Whitney (185, 1990-91). . . . D Reid Gow is second among defencemen with 54 assists, one behind Seattle’s Shea Theodore. . . . The Chiefs visit the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight, then are at home to Everett on Wednesday, at home to Tri-City on Friday and at the Americans on Saturday.

10. Everett Silvertips, .596 -- No one is hotter than the Silvertips right now. They’ve won eight straight and have points in nine in a row (8-0-1). . . . That allowed them to distance themselves from the eighth-place Vancouver Giants in the Western Conference and close to within a point of Spokane. . . . The Silvertips will finish with four games in five nights, with three of those on the road. They are in Spokane on Wednesday, in Victoria on Friday, at home to Victoria on Saturday and in Portland on Sunday.

11. Regina Pats, .594 -- The Pats got their game together in 2014 and that allowed them to take control of the East Division race. They lead the division by three points over the Swift Current Broncos, with each team having three games to play. First place in the division means the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round meeting with Prince Albert, Red Deer or Brandon. . . . G Daniel Wapple is fighting an ankle sprain, leaving Dawson MacAuley to carry the mail, at least in the short term.

12. Swift Current Broncos, .572 -- The Broncos are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games after encountering a late-season slump just prior to that. With three games remaining, they are sixth in the Eastern Conference but still could finish first in the East Division, which would give them the No. 2 seed. They are three points behind Kootenay in the conference and three points behind Regina in the division. . . . The Broncos have a favourable last three games as they finish with two non-playoff teams. They are at home to Saskatoon on Wednesday and then go home-and-home with Moose Jaw on Friday and Saturday, opening in Swift Current. . . . D Julius Honka is second among freshmen in assists (39) and points (55). He leads all freshmen defencemen in goals (16), assists and points.

13. Vancouver Giants, .529 -- After going 1-3 in their first four games this season, the Giants ventured into the East Division where they went 0-4-2. Today, with three games remaining, they are 31-27-11 and anchored in seventh place in the Western Conference. They lead the WHL in loser points (11). . . . G Jared Rathjen, who has had a pretty good season (13-8-5, 2.98, .898), has appeared once since Feb. 21. . . . D Dalton Thrower (ankle), their best player and their captain, hasn’t played since Jan. 24. . . . As the No. 7 seed, they will meet Portland in the opening round of playoffs.

14. Prince Albert Raiders, 522 -- It wasn’t that long ago when the Raiders were losing faster than someone sitting in front of a slot machine. Of late, though, they have won four in a row and are 7-2-1 in their last 10. That has lifted them into a tie for seventh in the Eastern Conference, alongside Red Deer and Brandon. The Raiders, with four games left, have a game in hand on each of those teams. The Raiders will finish with four in five nights: in Moose Jaw tonight, in Regina on Wednesday, at home to Saskatoon on Friday and in Saskatoon on Saturday. . . . D Josh Morrissey leads all defencemen in goals (26), five more than Brandon’s Ryan Pulock. . . . F Leon Draisaitl, the German sophomore, has 97 points, including 62 assists, in 60 games. Since Feb. 1, he has 12 multi-point outings in 17 games. In the Raiders’ four-game winning streak, he has 11 points, including six goals. Yes, he will be a top five selection in the NHL’s 2014 draft.

15. Red Deer Rebels, .514 -- The Rebels have been treading water of late, witness 5-4-1 in their last 10. With three games left, they are tied for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot, with Prince Albert and Brandon. . . . The Rebels are at home to Kootenay on Wednesday, then go home-and-home with Edmonton, playing at home Saturday and on the road Sunday.

16. Brandon Wheat Kings, .514 -- The Wheat Kings will finish without F Jayce Hawryluk, their leading scorer, who has three games left in a season-ending four-game WHL suspension. . . . F Peter Quenneville, who has 45 points in 42 games since joining the team from Quinnipiac U, hasn’t played since Feb. 17. . . . Brandon finishes at home to Saskatoon tonight, in Regina on Friday and at home to the Pats on Saturday.

17. Tri-City Americans, .471 -- The Americans need one point to wrap up the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. The prize? A first-round series with the Kelowna Rockets, who will finish atop the overall standings. . . . The Americans (28-32-8) are in a reloading mode. They last finished below .500 in 2005-06 when they went 30-35-7. They then won at least 40 games in each of the next seven seasons. . . . F Phil Tot hasn’t played since Feb. 1. He has 36 points, 15 of them goals, in 49 games, so getting him back would really help. . . . The Americans are in Portland tonight, go home-and-home with Spokane on Friday and Saturday, and finish up against visiting Seattle on Sunday.

18. Prince George Cougars, .429 -- With Tri-City having lost three in a row and having gone 1-7-2 in its last 10, the Western Conference’s last playoff spot was there for the taking. The Cougars, however, have lost five in a row and are just 2-7-1 in their last 10, so remain four points back. . . . They were swept at home by Spokane last weekend and that may have been the final nail. . . . The Cougars have only two games left -- they are in Kamloops on Friday and play host to the Blazers on Saturday. . . . Should Tri-City lose each of its last four games and Prince George sweep the Blazers, the Americans and Cougars would be tied after 72 games. Because they would be tied for the last playoff spot, it would necessitate a tiebreaker game.

19. Moose Jaw Warriors, .355 -- The Warriors (20-40-9) have won three in a row, but that only ensured a 10th-place finish in the Eastern Conference. This will be two straight seasons without a playoff appearance.

20. Saskatoon Blades, .272 -- A year ago, the Blades were preparing for the playoffs knowing that they would appear in the Memorial Cup, as the host team. Today, the Blades, who won at least 40 games in each of the last five seasons, are 16-47-5, have lost eight straight and last season is but a distant memory. . . . F Nikita Scherback leads all first-year players in assists (47) and points (74) and is tied with Brandon F Rihards Bukarts in goals (27).

21. Kamloops Blazers, .225 -- A year ago, the Blazers made a run to the Western Conference final, where they lost in five games to the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Today, the Blazers are 13-51-5 and have set a Kamloops franchise futility record for victories. The franchise record for most losses in a season (53) is also right there, as is the mark for fewest points (35). . . . The fact that the Blazers, who have lost seven in a row, have three players out with broken jaws may sum up their season better than anything else. Three other players -- F Chase Souto, G Justin Myles and D Austin Douglas -- aren’t likely to play again this season, either. Myles, who came over from Seattle at the trade deadline, has yet to play for the Blazers.

22. Lethbridge Hurricanes, .210 -- The Hurricanes will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season. The history of this franchise can be traced to the Winnipeg Jets in 1967-68. It goes through the Winnipeg Clubs, Winnipeg Monarchs and Calgary Wranglers. When this season is over, this edition of the Hurricanes will own the single-season franchise records for fewest victories, most losses and fewest points. . . . The Hurricanes (13-51-5) are two points behind Kamloops in the turtle derby. Each team has three games remaining.
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F Nolan Patrick has joined the Brandon Wheat Kings for the remainder of this season. Patrick, from Winnipeg, was the fourth overall selection in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . The son of former Wheat Kings F Steve Patrick, Nolan had 63 points, including 33 goals, in 39 regular-season games with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. . . . Patrick is expected to make his WHL debut against the visiting Saskatoon Blades tonight.
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D Evan Fiala, the 14th overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, will be with the Spokane Chiefs for the remainder of this season. He is expected to play tonight against the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Fiala, from Clavet, Sask., spent this season with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. He had 16 points, including four goals, in 44 games.
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The Saskatoon Blades have added D Turner Ottenbreit, 16, to their roster for the remainder of the season. He played nine games with the Blades earlier in the season, then joined the midget AAA Yorkton Harvest. He had 27 points, nine of them goals, in 42 games with the Harvest. He was the last of Saskatoon’s four 12th-round selections in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Saskatoon D Ayrton Nikkel, 18, won’t play again this season. He suffered an undisclosed injury in a 6-1 loss to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday.
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Kevin Waugh of CTV-Saskatoon tweeted on Monday evening that Saskatoon Blades assistant coach Curtis Leschyshyn “will join coaching staff of Saskatoon Blazers Midget AAA next season. Joins son Jake.” . . . With the Blades, Leschyshyn works alongside head coach Dave Struch and Jerome Engele, and goaltending coach Tim Cheveldae.
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The Portland Winterhawks will have a couple of neat guests when they open the playoffs at home on March 21 and 22. The Winterhawks have been helping out with the celebration of 100 Years of Hockey in Oregon and as part of that party are bringing the Stanley Cup and the Lester Patrick Cup to Portland. . . . The Portland Rosebuds won the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1916 and were awarded the Stanley Cup. . . . The Lester Patrick Cup, which went to the champions of the professional Western Hockey League, was won by the Portland Buckaroos in 1961, ’65 and ’71. . . . According to a news release from the Winterhawks: The two trophies “will be on display at the Oregon Historical Society on Thursday, March 20, from 7:30 – 9 p.m., and then again on Friday, March 21 from 12 – 4 p.m. Fans may also see the trophies on the Moda Center concourse before and during Game 1 of the playoffs on the 21st, and then post-game on the 21st in Dr. Jack’s, the new restaurant on the Rose Quarter campus.”  . . . The Winterhawks will meet the Vancouver Giants in the first round.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer (8)
Regina (2) vs. Prince Albert (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
(NOTE: Prince Albert, Red Deer and Brandon are tied for eighth, each with 71 points. Prince Albert has four games remaining; the other two have three games left. Remember that a tie for a conference‘s final playoff spot will result in a tiebreaker game.)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Saskatoon at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Spokane at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
No games scheduled.


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