Where is the creativity? . . . Giants lose their captain . . . Cougars big in Quesnel

Former NHLer Igor Larionov, who first starred with Red Army, has written an intriguing piece that appears on The Players’ Tribune website. For the most part, he deals with the lack of creativity in the North American game.
In part, Larionov writes:
“The problem is more philosophical and starts way before players get to the NHL. It’s easier to destroy than to create. As a coach, it’s easier to tell your players to suffocate the opposing team and not turn the puck over. There are still players whose imagination and creativity capture the Soviet spirit — Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Chicago just to name a few. However, they are becoming exceptions to the rule. Many young players who are intelligent and can see the game four moves ahead are not valued. They’re told “simple, simple, simple.
“That mentality is kind of boring. Nobody wants to get fired. Nobody wants to get sent down to the minors. If you look at the coaches in Juniors and minor league hockey, many of them were not skill players. It’s a lot of former enforcers and grinders who take these coaching jobs. Naturally, they tell their players to be just like them. Their players are 17, 18 years old — younger than I was when I joined the Red Army team.
“Say what you want about the Whiplash mentality (or the Soviet mentality), but if coaches are going to push kids at that age, why are they pushing them to play a simple game? Why aren’t coaches pushing them to create a masterpiece?
“Many young players who are intelligent and can see the game four moves ahead are not valued.”
The complete piece is right here and it’s well worth your time.
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The Vancouver Giants have lost F Dalton Sward, their captain, perhaps for the remainder of the season. Sward suffered a break to his left hand during a 1-0 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday and the Giants say he’ll sit for up to six weeks. . . . Sward, 20, has played in 294 regular-season WHL games, all with the Giants. . . . Meanwhile, F Matt Bellerive, who has been out with an illness since Jan. 25, is back practising; however, he has yet to be cleared for contact. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more on the Giants right here.
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My friend Dickson Liong was there last week when the Vancouver Giants held Acceptance Day as they played host to the Moose Jaw Warriors. For Liong, whose stories you sometimes find on this blog, Acceptance Day has more than a little personal meeting. . . . His story is right here.
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The Prince George Cougars began their trip to Kent, Wash., on Monday, by stopping in Quesnel to practise and hang out with players from the minor hockey association there. The Cougars will be in Williams Lake today (Tuesday) and 100 Mile House on Wednesday. . . . At day’s end Monday, the Cougars presented the Quesnel Minor Hockey Association with a cheque for $1,500. That resulted in the following tweet from Quesnel native Mitch Love, a former WHL player who now is an assistant coach with the Everett Silvertips. . . .

What a class act by the @PGCougars for the friendly donation to the Quesnel minor hockey association. #myhometown #forthekids
— Mitch Love (@mlovehockey) February 24, 2015

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The Red Deer Rebels have added F Reese Johnson, 16, to their roster, bringing him in from the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers, whose season is over. . . . Johnson had 38 points, 23 of them goals, in 43 games. . . . The Rebels are without injured forwards Conner Bleackley, Brooks Maxwell and Evan Polei, so Johnson could get some playing time. . . . His older brother, Wyatt, has 23 goals and 23 assists with the Rebels, who next play Wednesday in Edmonton. . . .
Is there anyone who is hotter than Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand? He has at least one goal in eight straight games. In that eight-game streak, he has put up 21 points, 12 of them goals. . . . Bjorkstrand played for Denmark at the WJC. Since returning, he has 42 points, including 22 goals, in 18 games. On the season, he has 82 points, including 43 goals, in 46 games. . . .
F Aaron Macklin of the Prince George Cougars will sit for a game after instigating a fight in the last five minutes of Saturday’s game against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Cougars have been fined $500 for that incident. . . . Meanwhile, the Regina Pats were fined $250 for a warmup violation against the visiting Red Deer Rebels on Saturday. I have long believed that a “warmup violation” is when the pre-game coffee isn’t hot enough.
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“According to the New York-based Women’s Sports Foundation,” writes Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail, “a survey of American studies of high-school and college athletes suggests that “girls and women suffer from concussions at higher rates than boys and men in similar sports – often significantly higher.” . . . MacGregor’s complete story is right here.
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MONDAY’S GAME:

In Saskatoon, F Taylor Cooper scored the only goal of a shootout to give the Regina Pats a 5-4 victory over the Blades. . . . The Pats have won each of the last 14 regular-season meetings between these teams. . . . Cooper was the first shooter in the shootout and his goal stood up as the winner. . . . The Blades led 1-0 after the first period and had 2-0 and 3-1 leads in the second and third periods. . . . F Rykr Cole scored his seven goal at 5:47 of the third to get the Pats’ comeback started. . . . Cooper, in his first game back after being out with an undisclosed injury, tied it with his 22nd goal at 7:28 and F Luc Smith gave the visitors the lead with his second goal of the season at 9:04. . . . Saskatoon F Ryan Graham forced OT with his 16th goal at 9:48. . . . Cooper also had an assist. . . . The Blades got shorthanded goals from F Brett Stovin and F Nick Zajac. Stovin has 25 goals; Zajac has nine. . . . Graham also had an assist, and Saskatoon D Amil Krupic had two assists. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 40 shots, eight more than Saskatoon’s Nik Amundrud. . . . The game, which started at 11:30 a.m., was billed as Team Up For Respect. Attendance was announced as 8,681. . . . Each team was 0-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Pats lost F Austin Wagner, who needed help getting to the dressing room after a third-period collision with D Colby Williams, a teammate. Wagner didn’t return. . . . Regina (33-19-7) is second in the East Division, 10 points ahead of Swift Current. The Pats have won three in a row. . . . The Blades (17-39-4) have lost four straight (0-3-1). . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Kootenay at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Calgary vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
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Players shake hands in the name of respect. pic.twitter.com/nKAEPTgHRW
— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) February 23, 2015

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Pochiro back to Cougars . . . Blazers, Royals deal . . . Dosanjh big for Giants

F Oleg Saprykin (Seattle, 1998-2000) has been released by Sochi (Russia, KHL) by mutual agreement. He had three goals in 15 games. . . .
F Toni Rajala (Brandon, 2009-10) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL). He was released by Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL) on Nov. 10, after recording three goals and 10 assists in 21 games. . . .
F Willie Coetzee (Red Deer, 2007-10) has been released after an unsuccessful tryout by Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had four assists in 12 games during the tryout.
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F Zach Pochiro, 20, was returned to the Prince George Cougars by the NHL’s St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Pochiro, who is from Las Vegas, had been with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces. He had two assists in eight games. . . . Pochiro, who didn’t play against the visiting Vancouver Giants last night, was selected by the Blues in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL draft. In 128 regular-season games with the Cougars, he had 105 points, including 42 goals. . . . Pochiro’s arrival leaves the Cougars with four 20-year-olds, one over the maximum. They will have two weeks to get down to three. The others are G Jared Rathjen, F Chance Braid and F Jari Erricson.
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There was an interesting development on the NCAA front as Arizona State University announced that it is planning on transitioning its hockey program to Division I in time for the 2016-17 season. It plans on playing as full Division I schedule then as an independent and hopes to be part of a conference for 2017-18. . . . College Hockey News has more right here.
If you are wondering, there are four players on WHL rosters who are from Arizona. D Tristen Pfeifer of the Everett Silvertips is from Phoenix, while G Brendan Burke of the Portland Winterhawks, F Austyn Playfair of the Tri-City Americans and F Austin Carroll of the Victoria Royals all show Scottsdale as their hometown.
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The Kamloops Blazers have acquired F Matthew Campese, who turns 17 on Dec. 10, from the Victoria Royals. The Blazers also get a 2016 fifth-round bantam draft pick, while giving up a third-round selection in 2015. . . . Campese, the son of Prince Albert Raiders general manager Bruno Campese, has two goals in 14 games with the Royals. He was a third-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. . .  Last season, Campese had 88 points, including 46 goals, in 37 games with a midget team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy. . . . Campese is expected to join the Blazers in time to play tonight against the visiting Portland Winterhawks. . . . Kamloops is carrying 25 players, including eight defencemen and 15 forwards.
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F Mathew Barzal of the Seattle Thunderbirds has undergone surgery to repair a cracked kneecap and is expected to be out until sometime in January. He was injured while horsing around with teammates while in Saskatoon during their recent East Division swing. . . .
D Austin Adam, who has missed 17 games with a shoulder injury, is expected back in the Moose Jaw Warriors’ lineup tonight as they play host to the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . With the 6-foot-6 Adam healthy again, the Warriors returned D Colin Paradis, 16, to the midget AAA Sherwood Park, Alta., Kings. . . .Dickson Liong, who has done some writing from the Vancouver area for Taking Note, also writes for The Fourth Period. His latest piece, on Vancouver Canucks D Chris Tanev, is right here. . . .
F Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who won the WHL’s scoring title in 2008-09 while with the Vancouver Giants, has signed a tryout deal with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Pierro-Zabotel, 26, had been with the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators, putting up 13 points, including seven goals, in 11 games.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Connor Gay’s second goal of the game, at 2:45 of OT, gave the Pats a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Gay, who also had an assist, has nine goals this season. . . . Regina D Colby Williams had broken a 3-3 tie with his third goal, via the PP, at 4:00 of the third period. . . . F Lane Bauer scored two PP goals for the Oil Kings, the second one, at 10:41 of the third period, forcing OT. . . . He’s got six goals. . . . F Dryden Hunt had a goal, his 10th, and two assists for the Pats, who got three assists from D Kyle Burroughs. . . . D Ashton Sautner had two assists for Edmonton. . . . The Pats (12-9-1) have won four in a row. . . . The Oil Kings (11-8-3) had won their past two games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored the game’s first four goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Cole Sanford scored his 15th goal of the season for the Tigers (15-4-2), who had lost their previous two games. . . . D Tyler Lewington, F Trevor Cox and F Chad Labelle each had two assists for the Tigers. . . . D Ty Stanton helped out with his fourth goal and an assist. . . . The Rebels got goals from F Preson Kopeck, his seventh, and F Wyatt Johnson, his 10th, in the second half of the third period. . . . Red Deer was 1-for-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-for-6. . . . Red Deer (11-9-3) had been 3-0-1 in its past four games and 7-1-2 in its last 10. . . .

In Prince George, the Vancouver Canucks overcame a 3-0 deficit and went on to dump the Cougars, 6-4. . . . The Cougars took a 3-0 lead on F Chase Witala’s 10th goal, via the PP, at 6:16 of the second period. . . . The Giants tied it on D Clayton Kirichenko’s second goal, at 5:18 of the third, on the PP, and took the lead when F Matt Bellerive scored his seventh goal at 9:54. . . . Witala pulled the Cougars into a tie at 17:32, only to have Vancouver D Shaun Dosanjh scored his first goal just 28 seconds later. It stood up as the winner. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter stopped 21 of 22 shots after replacing Payton Lee after the Cougars’ third goal. . . . F Thomas Foster had three assists for the Giants (9-12-0). . . . Vancouver F Dalton Sward scored his ninth career shorthanded goal, one off the franchise record held by F James Henry (2007-12). . . . The Cougars (11-12-0) have lost four in a row. . . . The same two teams meet in Prince George again tonight. . . . The Giants continue to be without F Tyler Benson, who suffered an undisclosed injury at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. He won’t play in tonight’s rematch either. . . . Vancouver did have F Jakob Stukel (hand) back in the lineup for the first time since the second game of the season. . . .

In Victoria, F Axel Blomqvist scored at 3:16 of OT to give the Royals a 4-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Royals scored the game’s last three goals. . . . F Tyson Baillie scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 17. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll got Victoria to within one, at 3-2, with his 15th goal at 6:04 of the third period, on a PP. . . . F Brandon Magee tied it with his seventh goal at 18:03 of the third. . . . Blomqvist has 10 goals. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, who leads the WHL in goals (23), had his 10-game goal streak snapped. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley had one assist; he leads the WHL in assists (34) and points (41). . . . D Travis Brown and F Tyler Soy each had two assists, as did Kelowna D Jesse Lees. . . . Baillie also had an assist. . . . The Rockets (20-1-2) have points in their last 12 (10-0-2). . . . The Royals (11-11-2) have won two in a row.
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Who wouldn't wanna play division I hockey for @ASUD1Hockey
— Brendan Burke (@bburke_1) November 19, 2014

Hurricanes player retires . . . Fuhr back with Pats . . . Rockets lose goalie to injury

Gordie Howe, aka Mr. Hockey, had a serious stroke on the weekend and is believed to be in failing health. Howe was stricken in Lubbock, Texas, at the home of his daughter, Cathy. Other family members spent Tuesday en route to Lubbock. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press has more right here.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors had many people, including players, from their organization take part in a three-hour safeTALK presentation with Donna Boyer of the Canadian Mental Health Associated last week. Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald sat through it and writes right here about what she heard and saw. This is important stuff.
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It's doubtful that any WHL team is delving as deeply into analytics -- aka fancy stats -- as the Saskatoon Blades. The Blades have hired Bruce Peter as their director of analytics. Daniel Nugent-Bowman takes a look right here at what Peter does and how the Blades are making use of his work.
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A shoulder problem has brought a premature end to the career of Lethbridge Hurricanes F Steven Alldridge. An 18-year-old native of Inuvik, N.W.T., Alldridge announced his retirement on Tuesday. . . . The Hurricanes acquired Alldridge, F Shane McColgan, then 20, and a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft from the Portland Winterhawks for G Corbin Boes, also 20, on Jan. 9. Alldridge, a Portland list player, was pointless in 24 games with the Winterhawks and 15 with the Hurricanes. He never did get into a game this season after undergoing surgery in late April.
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G Tyler Fuhr, 19, is back with the Regina Pats. Fuhr left the club in late September. “It was personal business; we’ll just leave it at that,” Fuhr told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “It was something I had to deal with. I wanted my main focus to be on hockey and nothing distracting me. I think that was the best thing to do. Everything is resolved now.” Fuhr, who is from Sherwood Park, Alta., hasn't played for the Pats since Sept. 26. In his absence, Tyler Brown, who had been with the MJHL's Winnipeg Blues, backed up starter Daniel Wapple. . . . Harder also reports: "Work crews have started making preparations for the installation of a new centre-ice scoreboard at the Brandt Centre. The process will require significant modifications — including adjustments to catwalks, wiring and ventilation as well as structural reinforcement — so the clock can be raised into the rafters during non-hockey events. It’s hoped the new scoreboard will be in place before the New Year."
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F Dalton Sward, 20, won't play tonight as the Vancouver Giants play host to the Brandon Wheat Kings. He suffered an undisclosed injury during a Saturday game with the host Victoria Royals. . . . The Giants also will be missing F Tyler Benson and F Ryely McKinstry, both of whom leave today for the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in the Sarnia, Ont., area. . . . That will allow F Brendan Semchuk to make his WHL debut. Semchuk, from Kamloops, was the 10th overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft. Semchuk is playing at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more on the Giants right here.
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TUESDAY'S REPORT:

In Victoria, D Ryan Pilon broke a 2-2 tie at 11:34 of the third period to lift the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Royals. . . . Pilon has three goals this season. . . . The Wheat Kings, who play the Giants in Vancouver tonight, are 3-1-0 on a seven-game road trip. . . . Victoria F Axel Blomqvist had tied the game 2-2 at 16:55 of the second period with his fifth goal. . . . Czech F Richard Nejezchleb, playing in his first game of the season for Brandon, scored a PP goal in the first period. . . . Nejezchleb returned from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack and had to serve a two-game suspension left over from last spring's playoffs. Nejezchleb, 20, led the Wheat Kings with 32 goals last season, but his presence gives Brandon three imports. Either he, Latvian Rihards Bukharts, the team's leading scorer who didn't play last night, or freshman Russian D Ivan Provorov will be traded or released over the next few days. . . . Provorov, 17, had two assists last night. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . .

In Saskatoon, G Nik Amundrud made 30 saves to help the Blades to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . F Ryan Graham led the Blades with a goal, his second, and two assists. . . . F Brayden Point scored twice for the Warriors, giving him eight on the season. . . . Saskatoon was 2-for-6 on the PP. . . . Saskatoon had F Nick Zajac back after he missed four games with a shoulder injury. . . . The Warriors, who were playing their fourth game in five nights, now have lost four in a row. They have scored five goals over their last five games. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a gamer right here. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored the game's last three goals and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-3. . . . Rebels F Grayson Pawlenchuk tied the game 3-3 at 18:01 of the second period, with his fifth goal, and D Devan Fafard broke the tie, with his second, at 6:45 of the third. . . . Red Deer F Wyatt Johnson added insurance with his seventh goal. He's on a three-game goal streak. . . . F Trevor Cox drew three assists for the Tigers (11-2-1), while F Cole Sanford scored his ninth goal. . . . Medicine Hat F Chad Butcher picked up an assist as he ran his point streak to 10 games, the longest in the league this season. . . . Besides losing the game, the Tigers lost a tire. Here’s a late-night tweet from Bob Ridley, the bus-driving radio man: “On way home. May take a few hrs longer. Flat tire on Q.E . 2 at Olds turnoff. Waiting for help.” . . .

In Cranbrook, G Nick McBride posted his first WHL shutout to lead the Prince Albert Raiders to a 5-0 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . McBride stopped 29 shots. . . . The Ice has been blanked three times this season and has scored only five goals in five home games. . . . D Josh Morrissey had a goal, his third, and two assists for the Raiders, while F Craig Leverton and F Jayden Hart each scored his sixth goal. . . . Hart, who had one goal in his first seven games, is riding a five-game goal streak. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 41 shots. . . . At 3-12-0, the Ice is off to its worst start in franchise history. . . . The Ice, already without F Tim Bozon and F Jon Martin with undisclosed injuries, has lost D Tyler King for up to three weeks with an undisclosed injury. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a gamer right here.
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Bruce Luebke, the veteran radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings, reported Tuesday that freshman D Ivan Provorov will play for the Russian side during the Subway Super Series. The Russians will play a WHL team on Nov. 10 in Saskatoon and Nov. 11 in Brandon. . . .

Regan Bartel, who calls the play of Kelowna Rockets’ games, tweeted Tuesday that G Jake Morrissey “was hurt in practice” and that they “have brought in” Michael Herringer, 18, to back up Jackson Whistle. . . . Herringer was traded by the Victoria Royals to the Saskatoon Blades on Sept. 17. However, the Blades later dropped Herringer from their list when they acquired G Nik Amundrud, 17, from the Everett Silvertips.
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Elliotte Friedman leads off with something about the Toronto Maple Leafs in his latest edition of 30 Thoughts. . . . It’s right here.
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Thoughts and best wishes are with Gordie Howe and his family tonight #getwellsoon pic.twitter.com/VuyeBtiy8o
— Hunter Shinkaruk (@H_S_9) October 29, 2014

My dad introduced me to Mr. Howe years ago Dad: This is my son Scott. Robbie's brother. Gordie: This one grow up closer to the fridge, Bob?
— Scott Brown (@BrownieScott) October 29, 2014

Raiders' family in mourning

F Sam Fioretti, the captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors, will sit for three games after being suspended under supplemental discipline. Fioretti, who has 40 points in 49 games, was disciplined after an incident during a game against the host Kootenay Ice on Saturday. . . .
F Mike Aviani of the Spokane Chiefs didn’t play Wednesday night against the Rockets in Kelowna. He is awaiting word on a suspension for a hit on D Connor Clouston of the host Kamloops Blazers during a game on Tuesday night.
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When his Tri-City Americans to meet the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Friday, general manager Bob Tory will be back home. He’s from Edmonton and owns a home there; in fact, Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal is living in it. . . . Curtis Stock of the Edmonton Journal takes a look at Tory and what he has accomplished in the WHL right here.
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The Regina Pats had three players lose considerable time to skate cuts last season. On Saturday night, they came awfully close to losing F Boston Leier, their leading sniper, to a similar injury. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that story right here.
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F Todd Fiddler has been lighting it up since joining the Prince George Cougars in November. He had one goal, his 31st, in a 10-6 victory over the host Saskatoon Blades lat night. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more on Fiddler right here.
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Warren Harper, who played for the 1981-82 Centennial Cup-winning Prince Alberrt Raiders, died Wednedsay after a battle with cancer. He was 50.
From the Raiders:
“Warren passed away . . . surrounded by family and friends, including former Raiders teammates, at Prince Albert's Victoria Hospital after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
“Harper played for the Raiders from 1980-83 and is one of only a few players to play for the Raiders in both the Saskatchewan Junior and Western Hockey Leagues. He was born and raised in Prince Albert, and was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1981 NHL Entry draft.
“Harper was a member of the 1981-82 Raiders team that won the Centennial Cup, which was recently announced as one of the 2014 inductees into the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame.
Funeral arrangements are pending.”
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
It was a wild night in Saskatoon where the Prince George Cougars scored five goals in the first 12 minutes and went on to beat the Blades, 10-6. . . . It ended with Saskatoon D MacKenzie Johnston having to be restrained at the Cougars’ dressing room. . . . F Brad Morrison, 16, had a goal and three assists for the Cougars, who got two goals from each of F Jansen Harkins and F Zach Pochiro. . . . The Cougars scored their first five goals on seven shots. . . . Saskatoon G Nathan Alalouf, in from the junior B Osoyoos, B.C., Coyotes, made his WHL debut in relief of G Troy Trombley after Prince George’s fifth goal. Alalouf, who is replacing the injured Alex Moodie, gave up two goals on eight shots and Tremblay was back to start the second. . . . Saskatoon F Cameron Hebig came up empty on a second-period penalty shot with his side trailing 7-3. . . . Johnston was upset after Cougars F Aaron Macklin roughed up Saskatoon F Nikita Scherbak at 19:18 of the third period. . . . The Cougars (20-26-7) remain eight points out of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . The Blades (14-34-4) are 11th in the Eastern Conference. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix was there and his report is right here. . . .

In Calgary, the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Hitmen, 4-1. . . . F Greg Chase got Calgary on the board with his 28th goal at 1:24 of the third period. . . . Tri-City F Brian Williams, with his 30th, got his side even at 3:04 and F Braden Purtill got his eighth at 11:34. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 39 shots, while his younger brother, Ty, scored his third goal of the season, giving the Americans a 3-1 lead at 16:46 of the third period. . . . Williams later added an empty-netter. . . . Tri-City F Phil Tot, 20, who is from Calgary, had two assists as he played in his hometown for the final time. . . . The Americans (25-21-5) are 5-0-1 in their last six games; they are eighth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips and Vancouver Giants. . . . The Hitmen (31-13-6) are second in the Central Division, three points behind the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .

The Lethbridge Hurricanes scored the game’s last three goals and beat the visiting Prince Albert Raiders, 3-2. . . . D Josh Morrissey scored twice for the Raiders, his 16th and 17th goals giving them a 2-0 lead by 8:04 of the first period. . . . F Jamal Watson got Lethbridge on the board at 13:14 of the first, on the PP. He’s got 13 goals. . . . F Taylor Cooper, with his 10th, got the Hurricanes even at 16:48 of the second and F Brady Ramsay, with his 12th, won it at 13:25 of the third. . . . Lethbridge G Jonny Hogue turned aside 41 shots for his first WHL victory. . . . According to Jeff D’Andrea of paNOW.com, the Raiders are 6-15-1 since Dec. 1, while the Hurricanes are 7-17-1. . . . The Raiders, who are 2-7-1 in their last 10, are ninth in the Eastern Conference, five points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes (10-38-5), who had lost eight straight, are last in the conference. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers opened up a 5-0 lead in the second period and went on to a 6-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Tigers were 3-for-4 on the PP. . . . F Trevor Cox had a goal, his 15th, and two assists for Medicine Hat, while D Tyler Lewington drew three assists. . . . Among the Ice’s scratches was F Jaeden Descheneau, who has an undisclosed injury. . . . Tigers F Curtis Valk picked up a goal to run his goal-scoring streak to eight games. That’s two games longer than anyone else in the WHL this season. . . . Ice F Luke Philp scored once as he ran his point streak to 11 games, the longest ongoing streak in the WHL. . . . The Tigers (29-17-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Calgary Hitmen and three ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Ice (25-21-4) is eighth in the conference, five points ahead of Prince Albert and one behind the Regina Pats. . . .

F Brooks Maxwell of the Red Deer Rebels ended a seven-round shootout and gave his guys a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville had forced OT with his 16th goal at 18:18 of the third period. . . . Brandon is 0-1-1 as it plays four games in five nights on an Alberta tour. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts was tossed with a kneeing major at 13:13 of the first period. He had scored his 19th goal of the season at 6:43. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 39 shots. . . . Brandon F Kord Pankewicz didn’t play again after a first-period scrap with Red Deer F Evan Polei. . . . The Rebels (27-21-2) have won five in a row and are sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Swift Current and one ahead of Regina. . . . The Wheat Kings (26-18-6) used the loser point to pull into a tie with the Broncos atop the East Division. . . .

F Paul Bittner had two goals and two assists to help the host Portland Winterhawks to an 8-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . It was the third meeting between these teams in the last six days, with Portland going 3-0-0 (5-1 and 8-1 at home; 6-2 in Everett). . . . Bittner, who has 14 points in his last seven games, scored his side’s first two goals, breaking a 1-1 tie at 13:20 of the first period with his 16th goal. . . . Portland D Garrett Haar and D Mathew Dumba each had two assists and was plus-4. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic scored his 30th goal of the season. . . . The Winterhawks have won eight straight games. . . . Everett, which was 1-for-9 on the PP, has lost a season-high five in a row. . . . The Winter hawks (34-12-5) are 9-0-1 in their last 10; they are atop the U.S. Division, six points ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Everett (25-18-8) is tied with the Vancouver Giants for sixth in the Western Conference, eight points behind the Spokane Chiefs. . . .

At Vancouver, F Dalton Sward had two goals and an assist as the Giants beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-3. . . . Sward has 15 goals. . . . The Giants, who are 6-0-0 versus Kamloops this season, opened up a 3-0 lead in the first period, only to have the Blazers get two goals from F Cole Ully, who has 22. . . . Sward then restored the two-goal lead, only to have Kamloops F Collin Shirley get his eighth at 13:40 of the third. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson iced it with his 18th goal at 14:49. . . . Vancouver F Travis McEvoy came up empty on a first-period penalty shot. . . . Kamloops G Cole Kehler, 16, stopped 26 shots, 10 more than Vancouver’s Payton Lee. . . . Vancouver was without D Dalton Thrower (ankle) and F Trent Lofthouse (undisclosed). As well, a flu bug has been making its way through the room and it kept D Brett Kulak, F Luca Leone and F Ty Ronning out of the lineup. . . . The Giants had F Tyler Benson, the first pick in the 2013 bantam draft, in the lineup for his third game this season. He has 72 points in 37 games at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. . . . Vancouver also dressed D Ryely McKinstry, who was the 23rd overall selection in the 2014 draft. McKinstry, who has 20 points in 28 games with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes, made his WHL debut. . . . The Blazers, who lost D Sam Grist and D Connor Clouston to undisclosed injuries on Tuesday, had D Cameron Reagan, 16, and F Quinn Benjafield, who turns 16 on Feb. 2, make their WHL debuts. Also added to the roster was F Deven Sideroff, 16, who played his third game this season. . . . The Giants (25-19-8) are tied with Everett for sixth in the Western Conference. . . . The Blazers (11-35-5) have lost four in a row as they prepare to go home and home with the Kelowna Rockets this weekend. . . .

In Kelowna, the Spokane Chiefs scored the last three goals of regulation time and then scored the lone goal of a six-round shootout to beat the Rockets, 6-5. . . . Kelowna had one nine in a row at home. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow scored the first and last goals of regulation time, his fourth goal of the season, on the PP at 15:24 of the third period, forcing OT. . . . Chiefs D Jason Fram scored the only goal of the skills competition. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, who leads the WHL points derby, had a goal and two assists. He leads the WHL in goals (46) and points (90). . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka had three assists. . . . F Ryan Olsen and D Damon Severson each had a goal and two assists for Kelowna. . . . Attendance was 4,628. . . . The Rockets (40-7-3) are atop the overall standings, 12 points ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Chiefs (31-15-4) are fifth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and two behind the Victoria Royals.
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From the Saskatoon Blades (@bladeshockey): “FACT: (Last night’s) Blades-Cougars game featured former @bladeshockey turned coaches: Struch/Leschshyn/Engele vs. Holick/Becker. #BleedBlue”

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Hansen man on a mission

Defenceman Tyler Hansen (2) of the Kamloops Blazers is facing what is
a life-altering decision.
(Hugo Yuen / Kamloops Daily News)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
These are gut-wrenching times for Tyler Hansen, a defenceman who is nearing the end of his fourth season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
Hansen, 19, has one year of junior hockey eligibility remaining but hasn’t yet decided whether he will use it.
As a practising member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he has known all his life that he will be go on a two-year mission around the time of his 20th birthday.
“My church is very important to me. My faith and my religion . . . it’s something that I have very close to my heart,” Hansen, who turns 20 on March 17, said prior to his club’s 5-3 loss at the hands of the Vancouver Giants (17-45-2) at Interior Savings Centre on Wednesday night.
The Blazers (41-18-5) had beaten the host Giants 6-0 on Friday — Kamloops won the first six games of the season series — and looked to be headed in that direction again. After one period, the Blazers held a 19-8 edge in shots and a 1-0 lead, thanks to a Brendan Ranford pass that went in off one of Joel Edmundson’s skates on an early power play.
However, the tide turned in the second period as the Blazers, appearing frustrated with the lack of offensive success, ditched the game plan — get the puck in deep and work over the Vancouver defence with a cycle game — in favour of more individual play. Judging from head coach Guy Charron’s demeanour at the bench, he wasn’t pleased.
The Giants got goals from Dalton Sward and Cain Franson, allowing them to take a 2-1 lead into the third period.
Charron juggled his lines prior to the third, a move that included the reuniting of JC Lipon with Colin Smith and Tim Bozon. And the Blazers pulled even when Chase Souto scored at 2:04.
But the Blazers didn’t draw much energy from that and the Giants got the game’s next two goals, from Brendan Rouse and Travis McEvoy, to regain control.
The Giants, who got a 34-save effort from goaltender Jared Rathjen got a late goal from Rouse, while Lipon had the Blazers’ other goal.
And through it all Hansen played his usual strong-armed, shot-blocking game. But, he said, his future really is up in the air.
“I’m not exactly sure of my plans yet,”  he said. “I’ve been here for four years and I can go at the age of 19. . . . so I’m thinking I will probably go in the next year or two.
“I absolutely have plans to go on a mission.
Hansen is from Magrath, Alta., a community of 2,200 people located about 30 kilometres south of Lethbridge. Magrath was established in 1899 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who relocated from Idaho and Utah.
The Blazers have eight regular-season games remaining and, of course, are hoping for a deep playoff run. In all probability, Hansen will wait for it all to end before making a decision.
“Hockey has been good and I have really enjoyed it,” he said. “I’m still hoping something will open up, one of the doors, whether it’s a contract. . . . If things don’t go the way I want them to, I could see myself going on a mission anywhere from after this season to next year.”
This is not unfamiliar territory for the Blazers. Nathan Grochmal, a forward from Yorba Linda, Calif., played two seasons for them before going on an LDS mission to South Africa following 2004-05, which was his 19-year-old season.
Before being assigned a mission by the church, a young person must fill out the proper papers, something Hansen has yet to do. Those papers include questions that indicate personal interests and help those responsible make assignments.
“Part of it for me is that a lot of my friends are going, a lot of my lifestyle is changing that way,” Hansen stated. “It isn’t a reason to go because your friends are going, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. For the last year I’ve been pretty anxious, wanting to get ready for it.
“If I was to go, I would see what happens. If I really missed hockey while I was out there, I would keep the option of coming back and playing CIS.”
Russell Maxwell, a forward with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, is perhaps Hansen’s best friend. Maxwell’s older brother, Mitch, is in West Virginia on a mission, but is to return to Alberta in August and has said he will play hockey next season with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
“If I was to go this summer or next summer,” Hansen emphasized, “I wouldn’t just be giving up my hockey career. I would be going and seeing from there whether I want to play hockey again after or just move on with my life and go to school.”
Getting to that point, however, is proving to be a sleep-depriving experience.
“It’s hard,” Hansen said. “There’s been a lot of nights when I’ve been on the phone with my parents or Skype, or thinking myself.
“I’m just trying to make the best decision for myself. Obviously, I’m trying to take the team into consideration and what’s best for the team, but ultimately I have to look at myself and what’s best for me and my life.”
If that means, he doesn’t come back for a final season in the WHL, so be it.
“I think it’s a possibility,” he said. “I haven’t finalized anything . . . but it’s an option. I’m leaving every door open. After this season . . . if I feel that it’s my time to be done and go on my mission, I think I will do that.”
With the loss, the Blazers remain five points behind the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets, who will use up their game in hand tonight when they play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Blazers and Rockets will meet each other three times next week, starting Sunday night at ISC.
JUST NOTES: The attendance was 4,172. . . . Kamloops G Taran Kozun, making his first appearance since Jan. 29, stopped 33 shots. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Rouse: Two goals, leadership; 2. Rathjen: Kept his guys in it; 3. Franson: Quality player. . . . Vancouver D Reid Zalitach left in the first period with an injury to his right leg. By the third period, he was on crutches and watching from the press box. . . . The Blazers meet the Cougars in Prince George on Friday, then return home to face the Giants on Saturday. . . . Former Blazers radio voice Jeff Paterson was in the house, calling the play for the Giants’ broadcast. . . . Kamloops F Aspen Sterzer (concussion), who hasn’t played since Dec. 29, remains at home in Calgary. Charron isn’t hopeful that Sterzer will be back for the start of the playoffs.

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JUST NOTES:
The Vancouver Giants will be busy today getting the injuries of at least three players re-evaluated. G Adam Morrison, F Brendan Gallagher and F Dalton Sward all were injured on Friday, either prior to or during an 11-4 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans. Those three, along with D David Musil (wrist), sat out Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
I’m told that Morrison actually was injured before Friday’s game, when he was struck on the chin by a soccer ball that players kick around as part of their pregame warming-up process. Morrison was yanked in the second period after giving up five goals in 10:04 and then wasn’t on the bench for the third period. . . . He is believed to have a concussion. . . . The Giants had Alexander Ahnert, 18, from the junior B Delta Ice Hawks backing up Jackson Whistle, 16, on Saturday. The Giants are expected to bring in G Payton Lee, 15, from Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna today. Lee was a second-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . .
Gallagher, meanwhile, is believed to have suffered a separated shoulder when he slid hard into the end boards during Friday’s first period. He had one arm in a sling while he watched Saturday’s game. He is expected to be out for up to six weeks. . . . Sward also is believed to have a separated shoulder. He, too, was sporting a sling and is looking at being out for up to six weeks. . . .
———
F Brett Connolly played 7:08 as the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 6-3 decision to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon. . . . Connolly played 10 shifts — three in each of the first two periods (2:43 and 1:54), four in the third (2:31). . . . All of his playing time was at even strength. . . . It was the Lightning’s seventh straight loss, the first time that has happened since 2008-09. . . . Hello, Steve, this is Bob Tory calling . . .
———
SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, F Cody Sylvester broke a 3-3 tie at 11:27 of the third period to give the Hitmen a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen have won seven in a row. . . . It was Calgary’s first victory over Edmonton in four tries this season. . . . Sylvester has 17 goals. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick scored twice for Calgary, giving him 19. . . . Oil Kings F Henrik Saumuelsson, playing in his third game, was ejected with a charging major at 2:51 of the second period. . . . The Hitmen struck for one PP goal on the Samuelsson goal, but weren’t able to score on a 5-on-3 that lasted 1:24. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar later scored his 12th goal on a 5-on-3 PP early in the third period to forge a 3-3 tie. . . .

In Regina, the Saskatoon Blades scored the game’s first five goals and went onto a 7-4 victory over the Pats. . . . The Blades scored four times on 10 first-period shots. . . . Saskatoon, which has won five in a row, won for the third time in as many nights. . . . F Nick Zajac scored his first WHL goal, in his 38th game, in the opening period, with F Lukas Sutter getting his 20th of the season. . . . F Matej Stransky scored Saskatoon’s last two goals, giving him 25. . . . Saskatoon G Alex Moodie, who would have been returned to the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild had starter Andrey Makarov not ended up concussed on Jan. 7, made his fourth straight start for the Blades and stopped 34 shots. He has started eight of their last 10 games and is 7-2-0. Yes, he started Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. . . . Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, reports that Makarov is expected to be out at least another, and also that F Josh Nicholls, who has missed 15 games with a knee injury, may return this weekend. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored five times in the third period and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 8-2. . . . The Warriors took a 3-2 lead into the third period. . . . F Justin Kirsch had two goals and an assist for Moose Jaw, which got a goal and two assists from F James Henry and a goal and two assists from F Cam Braes. The latter two were acquired earlier in the week prior to the trade deadline. . . . F Quinton Howden chipped in three assists for the Warriors. . . . Brandon has lost four in a row and seven of its last eight. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-for-4 on the PP, ending an 0-for-20 stretch. . . . This was Moose Jaw’s first home gme since Dec. 28. . . . Brandon D Ryley Miller left in the first period with an apparent leg injury. . . .

In Everett, F Zach Franko scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Kelowna Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . It was the third game in three nights for both teams. . . . Everett F Reid Petryk forced OT with his eighth goal of the season at 6:18 of the third period. . . . F Brett Bulmer had two assists for Kelowna. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 39 shots.
———
SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Ryan Olsen, Saskatoon.

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