F Jeff Smith (Red Deer, 1998-2002) has signed for season with the Melbourne Ice (Australia, AIHL). The AIHL season starts April 12. Smith also will coach in the Melbourne Ice Academy. This season, with the Hull Stingrays (England, UK Elite), he had 15 points, five of them goals, in 57 games. He was the team captain.
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George Johnson, the Calgary Herald’s sports columnist, is one of the best-kept secrets in Canadian writing circles. He’s good . . . really good. Johnson was at Thursday’s game between the host Calgary Hitmen and Kootenay Ice. His column is right here. Enjoy!
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It seems that Bruno Campese, the general manager of the Prince Albert Raiders, didn’t go quietly into the night as his club was swept from the first round with a Game 4 loss to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday night. According to the WHL website, Campese has been fined $500 “for comments to WHL Supervisor.”
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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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The Kootenay Ice sold more than 500 tickets on Friday for their game tonight against the Calgary Hitmen in Cranbrook. The Ice, the Eastern Conference’s No. 6 seed, takes a 3-2 edge over the No. 3 Hitmen into tonight’s sixth game of the best-of-seven series. . . . The series is being televised by Shaw TV, and Games 3 and 4 in Cranbrook drew 1,992 and 2,102 fans, respectively. . . . “The people who are here are loud and passionate,” Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth said on Friday. “There’s no scoreboard that says ‘NOISE’ here.” . . . F Tim Bozon, who was released from hospital in Saskatoon on Friday after being there for a month with meningitis, is scheduled to be in the house and take part in a ceremonial faceoff. “With what our kids have gone through in the last month . . . it’s going to be a big lift to have Timmy here,” Chynoweth said. “It’ll be emotional.”
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According to a Friday night tweet from Darryl Wolski (@darrylwolski): “Vancouver Giants overage forward Cain Franson agrees to terms to finish the season with the Allen Americans.” . . . The Americans play in the Central league. Franson had 63 points, including 30 goals, in 66 with the Giants this season, his third in Vancouver. He improved his goal total in each of his seasons, going from 27 to 29 to 30.
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D Josh Morrissey of the Prince Albert Raiders is expected to join the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps for the end of their regular season and the playoffs. Morrissey was selected 13th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL’s 2013 draft. Morrissey, a Calgarian who turns 19 on March 28, ha3 73 points, including 28 goals, in 59 games this season. . . . He improved his offensive numbers (goals and assists) in each of his three seasons, going from 10-28 to 15-32 to 28-45.
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The junior B 100 Mile House, B.C., Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have hired Dale Hladun as their new general manager and head coach. . . . Hladun, who replaces Doug Rogers, has ample KIJHL experience as he also has coached the Princeton Posse and Fernie Ghostriders. He spent this season in Fernie. . . . The Wranglers are coming off their first season in the KIJHL. They qualified for the playoffs at 23-21-0-8, then beat the Chase Heat in a first-round series before being eliminated by the Kamloops Storm.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings, the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed, completed a sweep of the Regina Pats, who finished atop the East Division, thus earning the No. 2 seed, on Friday night. . . . That sets up a second-round series between the No. 1 Edmonton Oil Kings and the Wheat Kings. The last time these teams met, in the spring of 2012, the Oil Kings swept a conference semifinal series en route to winning the WHL championship. . . . The Eastern Conference’s other semifinal will feature the winners of the other two series. The No. 4 Medicine Hat Tigers and No. 4 Swift Current Broncos are 2-2 going into tonight’s game in The Hat, while the No. 6 Kootenay Ice are at home tonight with a 3-2 lead on the No. 3 Calgary Hitmen.
In the Western Conference, the Kelowna Rockets, who finished atop the overall standings in the regular season, advanced to the second round with a ?? victory over the visiting No. 8 Tri-City Americans last night. The Rockets will meet the winner of a series between the No. 4 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 5 Everett Silvertips in the second round. Seattle leads that series 3-1 after dropping a ?? decision in Everett last night. . . . The conference’s other second-round series will feature the No. 2 Portland Winterhawks against the No. 3 Victoria Royals, both of whom completed first-round sweeps on Thursday night. That series will open with games in Portland on Friday and April 5.
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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.
REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Brandon wins, 4-0)
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 1 at Brandon 5 (4,705)
INJURIES
Brandon: None.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite.
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(Kootenay leads, 3-2)
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 6 at Calgary 5 (6,826)
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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(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 wins, 4-1)
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 1 at Kelowna 4 (4,875)
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, day-to-day; D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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(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.
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(Victoria wins, 4-0)
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 4 at Spokane 2 (3,711)
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
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(Seattle leads, 3-1)
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 1 at Everett 6 (4,908)
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; D Noah Juulsen, day-to-day; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Dates to be announced.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 5: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Monday, April 7: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday, April 8: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Thursday, April 10: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday, April 12: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, April 14: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk, who spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in hospital, had a goal and an assist as the Wheat Kings dumped the Regina Pats 5-1 to sweep a first-round series. . . . The Wheat Kings will meet the Eastern Conference-winning Edmonton Oil Kings in the second round. . . . Hawryluk scored three times and added an assist in Wednesday’s 5-4 victory, after which he experienced light-headedness and respiratory problems. He was taken to Brandon Regional Health Centre by ambulance and spent Thursday undergoing tests, all of which were negative. . . . Hawryluk’s line enjoyed another solid night Friday, as John Quenneville had two goals and an assist, and Jesse Gabrielle had one of each. . . . Brandon took a 2-0 lead into the second period, on goals by Gabrielle, his third, and F Richard Nejezchleb, his second. . . . Regina got on the board when F Morgan Klimchuk got his third of the series, this one on a PP, with 1.6 seconds left in the second period. . . . The Wheaties put it away with third-period goals by Hawryluk, his fifth in four games, F Ryley Lindgren and Quenneville, the latter on a PP. . . . Brandon was 1-for-7 on the PP; Regina was 1-for-3. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 28 shots, while Regina G Daniel Wapple turned aside 37. . . . F Peter Quenneville was back in Brandon’s lineup after a one-game absence. He was held pointless. . . . “I was able to recover and get some fluids and whatnot into me,” Hawryluk told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. “I’m ready to play and I want to play. I want to be out here as much as anything . . . I want to be here and help the guys no matter what the situation. They’re my brothers and I just want to be here for them if I can.”
In Everett, F Jujhar Khaira scored three times as the Silvertips staved off elimination with a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle holds a 3-1 lead in the series as it returns to Kent, Wash., for Game 5 tonight. . . . Khaira, who scored his first three playoff goals, is coming off a regular-season in which he scored 16 times in 59 games. . . . Khaira opened the scoring at 1:27 of the first period as Everett scored first for the third straight game. . . . It was 2-0 just 1:05 later as F Josh Winquist added his first goal of the series, shorthanded. . . . F Brayden Low got his first goal of the series at 7:57 and Everett took a 3-0 lead into the second period. . . . Everett scored three times on its first six shots. . . . D Jared Hauf scored for Seattle at 18:22 of the second period. . . . Khaira put it away with two PP goals early in the third. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz made 17 saves. . . . Seattle starter Taran Kozun was beaten six times on 29 shots. Danny Mumaugh came on after Everett’s sixth goal, at 6:48 of the third, and stopped five shots. . . . Everett D Cole MacDonald left in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . F Jaimen Yakubowski was among Seattle’s scratches, as he served a one-game WHL suspension for a hit from behind on Everett D Noah Juulsen in Game 3. . . . Juulsen left Game 3 and didn’t return. He was scratched last night. . . . Everett had lost its previous nine home playoff games. . . . 
In Kelowna, F Marek Tvrdon scored twice to help the Rockets to a 4-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Rockets won the series, 4-1, and will meet the winner of the Seattle/Everett series in the second round. . . . The Americans, trailing 2-1, had a number of terrific scoring chances early in the third period but weren’t able to beat Kelowna G Jordon Cooke, who finished with 29 saves. . . . Tvrdon relieved the pressure with a PP goal, his fourth of the series, at 13:24. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier iced it at 14:40 with his third goal in five games. . . . F Carter Rigby, at 6:56 of the first, and Tvrdon, at 13:05 of the second, had given Kelowna a 2-0 lead. . . . Americans F Parker Bowles got his first goal of the series, at 17:42 of the second, on a PP. . . . F Nick Merkley had two assists for Kelowna. . . . The Rockets were 1-for-2 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-4. . . . Kelowna was without F Myles Bell, its leading regular-season scorer, with 77 points, including a team-high 42 goals. He was in the crowd, with crutches, after being injured in a Game 4 collision with Tri-City F Beau McCue. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 34 shots. He is expected to join the St. John’s IceCaps, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Comrie was a second-round pick by the Jets in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . “This was (Tvrdon’s) best game,” Rockets head coach Ryan Huska told Doyle Potenteau of the Okanagan Saturday. “He seemed like he was engaged all night. And when you look at your older players, you need that from him. Tonight, we saw that, if not our best player, then him and (goalie Jordon Cooke). Our two 20-year-olds were our best guys on the ice.”---
From Brandon Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk (@JayceHawryluk): “Brandon regional hospital, first class service all the way. Thank you once again!”
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From Christian Laughland (@ChristianCKDM): “It will go down in history as the most anticipated game never to be played in Dauphin. Congrats @bdnwheatkings #WHL #Round2”
Had Brandon’s first-round series gone deep enough, Game 6 would have been played in Dauphin, Man., the home of radio station CKDM.
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In Saskatoon, D Colby Harmsworth scored the winning goal as the Calgary Hitmen got past the Blades, 2-1. . . . Harmsworth, 18, is from Saskatoon and played his midget AAA hockey there with the Contacts. He has four goals in 67 games this season, after going scoreless in 46 games as a freshman last season. . . . D Alex Roach scored his 11th goal for Calgary. . . . D Jordan Thomson scored his first goal with the Blades. It came on the PP, ending a 0-for-25 spell. That goal cut Calgary‘s lead to 2-1 but that was as close as the Blades would get. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 43 shots. . . . The Blades have lost eight straight games and 10 in a row at home. . . . D Ayrton Nikkel was among Saskatoon’s scratches. He left Friday’s 6-1 loss to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Hitmen, with five players out, dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. F Cal Babych, F Radel Fazleev, F Linden Penner, F Connor Rankin and F Mike Winther all are out with undisclosed injuries. . . . Calgary was playing its fourth game in five nights. . . . The Hitmen (45-17-7) are tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings (47-18-3) atop the Eastern Conference. But the Oilers have two more victories and also hold a game in hand. . . . The Blades (16-47-5) are 11th in the conference. . . .
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 Prince Albert, the Raiders scored two third-period goals 13 seconds apart and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . F Calder Brooks broke a 1-1 tie with his 14th goal at 15:42 and F Leon Draisaitl got his 35th at 15:55. . . . Draisaitl, who is eligible for the 2014 NHL draft, has 41 points, including 16 goals, over his past 21 games. . . . F Collin Valcourt drew two assists for the Raiders. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts scored the game’s first and last goals, giving him 27. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride, who has started five of his side’s last six goals, stopped 22 shots, 12 fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Jens Meilleur and F Peter Quenneville, both of whom are injured, and F Jayce Hawryluk, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension after being ejected from a game on Friday night. . . . Also missing from Brandon’s lineup was owner/GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon, who was ill. . . . The Raiders (33-30-5), who have won four in a row, are tied with the Red Deer Rebels and Brandon Wheat Kings for seventh in the Eastern Conference. One of those teams won’t make it. . . . Brandon (31-29-9) has lost four in a row. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Tigers to a 5-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Valk broke a 2-2 with his second goal, his 43rd of the season, 54 seconds into the second period, on a PP. . . . He had No. 44 into an empty net at 18:47 of the third. . . . F Wyatt Johnson scored his 13th goal and added two assists for the Rebels. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 40 shots, in the process becoming, according to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) the first goaltender in franchise history to make more than 2,000 saves in one season. . . . The Tigers (42-23-4) are fourth in the Eastern Conference and likely to finish there. . . . The Rebels (33-31-5) are tied with Prince Albert and Brandon for the conference’s last two playoff spots. . . . 
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 Prince George, F Mitch Holmberg scored three times and added an assist as the Spokane Chiefs bounced the Cougars, 8-0. . . . Holmberg leads the WHL with 60 goals, the first WHL player to get there since F Layne Ulmer had 63 for the 2000-01 Swift Current Broncos. . . . Holmberg’s four points left him with a WHL-leading 113, five more than Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani scored his 35th goal and added three assists, while F Keanu Yamamoto had three assists. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 28 shots for his fourth shutout this season and the 10th of his career. Williams, 20, is 31-17-4 this season and 96-74-14 in his career. . . . The Chiefs were 3-for-8 on the PP. . . . The Chiefs (38-24-6) are fifth in the Western Conference, two points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and one ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Cougars (26-36-8) are four points out of the conference’s last playoff spot with two games remaining. . . .
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.
Chris Lewgood is the new general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Lewgood, 31, has been t he head coach of the junior B Pilot Butte, Sask., Storm for the last six seasons. . . . With the Bruins, he replaces Keith Cassidy who was dropped after the season. . . . Josh Lewis of the Estevan Mercury has more 
The QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are looking for help after general manager and head coach Andre Tourigny accepted an offer to be an assistant coach with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Of course, the Avalanche signed Patrick Roy as head coach earlier in the week. . . . Tourigny has been the Huskies’ head coach since 2003-04, missing the playoffs just once in 10 seasons. 
F Kevin Saurette (Regina, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). Saurette started the season with Kaufbeuren (Germany, 2. Bundesliga), where he had 10 goals and 16 assists in 25 games. He then signed with the Giants just before Christmas and had 14 goals and 18 assists in 28 games. You can read about it 
tonight, with the winner meeting the Halifax Mooseheads in the final on Sunday. . . . 
i’s are dotted, the t’s crossed,” someone with knowledge of the situation told me. “It’s done.” . . . The ownership group, which includes Troy Mick, is to be announced next week. Mick will be the club’s general manager and head coach. . . . Randy and Terry Williams had owned the franchise for six seasons. Mick, who already owned a piece of the franchise, also will serve as the president.
Jay Varady is the new general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, effective immediately. Varady spent the last two seasons in France as head coach of the Les Ducs d'Angers for the last two seasons. . . . Varady is a former associate and assistant coach with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. . . . He also was the video coach with the U.S. team that won the world junior champonship in 2010. . . .
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