Quiet Thursday rocked by two WHL trades; d-man, goalie on move ... Hey, Tri-City, Eli's coming!

Kelly Olynyk and Connor McDavid now make the same money. Take a drink. A big one.

— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) July 7, 2017

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G Ville Kolppanen (Lethbridge, 2009-10) has signed a one-year contract with Rögle Ängelholm (Sweden, SHL). Last season, with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL), he was 9-14-3, 2.80, .917 in 30 games. He also had two shutouts. . . .

D Alex Plante (Calgary, 2004-09) has signed a one-year extension with Anyang Halla (South Korea, Asia HL). Last season, he had 12 goals and 12 assists in 48 games. He led all Asia League defencemen in goals. Plante has dual South Korean-Canadian citizenship.

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The Saskatoon Blades have acquired D Seth Bafaro, 17, from the Tri-City Americans in exchange for a

SETH BAFARO

pair of WHL bantam draft picks — a third-rounder selection in 2019 and a fifth-round pick in 2020.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Bafaro, who is from Revelstoke, B.C., had one assist in 28 games with the Americans last season as a 16-year-old freshman. He battled injuries through the season, which limited his playing time.

Tri-City selected him in the third round of the 2015 bantam draft.

With the addition of Bafaro, the Blades could have seven defencemen in training camp with WHL experience. Only Bryton Sayers, who has used up his eligibility, won’t be back.

The Americans, with a surplus of young defencemen, were able to move Bafaro and get a decent return in a pair of draft picks.

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The Spokane Chiefs have acquired G Declan Hobbs from the Kootenay Ice for a seventh-round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.

A third-round pick by the Ice in the 2013 draft, Hobbs, who is scheduled to turn 19 on Aug. 19, got into

DECLAN HOBBS

three games with Kootenay last season, going 0-3, 7.16, .800. He spent most of last season with the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks (1.94, .929 in 13 games).

In 2015-16, Hobbs, who is from Saskatoon, made 24 appearances with the Ice, going 2-14-3, 4.66, .873.

With the acquisition of Hobbs, the Chiefs now have one goaltender from each of five age groups on their depth chart, the others being Dawson Weatherill, 18; Donovan Buskey, 17; Ross Hawryluk, 16; and Campbell Arnold, 15. Hawryluk, a fifth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, and Arnold, taken in the second round in 2017, aren’t signed to WHL contracts.

Weatherill was 11-14-6 in 36 games last season, while Buskey, in four games, went 0-2-1, 4.25, .866.

Hobbs is the younger brother of Regina Pats D Connor Hobbs, who has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

Barring more moves, the Ice is expected to go into camp with Mario Petit, 20, and Jakob Walter, 18, scrapping for the starting role. Petit was acquired from the Everett Silvertips in May for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft.

In Everett, Petit backed up veteran workhorse Carter Hart. In 22 games, Petit was 11-5-4, 2.93, .896.

Walter, a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, got into 30 games while backing up Payton Lee, then 20, last season. Walter finished 4-17-2, 5.02, .868.

Also on the Ice depth chart are the likes of Jesse Makaj and Carter Woodside, both 16. Makaj, from North Vancouver, was a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, while Woodside, from Asquith, Sask., was a sixth-round selection in that same draft.

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“Former B.C. Lions’ defensive lineman Rick Klassen may have died of lymphoma in December, but an autopsy of his brain has shown extensive chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurological disease that has led to such suspected symptoms as erratic behaviour and dementia,” writes Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail. . . . This one hits close to home, because Klassen’s son, Chad, is an acquaintance as he is a reporter with CFJC-TV here in Kamloops. As well, Rick Klassen played in the CFL while I was involved in coverage for the Regina Leader-Post. . . . One really has to wonder how many more stories like this one will develop as players of Rick Klassen’s generation reach 60 years of age? . . . Maki’s story is right here.

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The Tri-City Americans have hired Eli Wilson as their goaltending coach. He replaces Rejean Beauchemin, who had been with the Americans for two seasons. . . . Wilson is a veteran goaltending coach who has worked with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators. He also has been on staff with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. . . . Jerry Price, the father of G Carey Price of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, remains with the Americans as a goaltending consultant. Carey spent four seasons (2003-07) with the Americans.

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Jason Christie, a former WHL player, is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Jacksonville IceMen, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Christie is a veteran ECHL coach, having put up a record of 547-349-111 in 14 seasons. He also has a history with the Jets, having worked with previous affiliates in Ontario and Tulsa. He spent the past two seasons as the Tulsa Oilers’ head coach. Prior to that, he was the Ontario Reign’s director of hockey operations and head coach for four seasons. . . . Christie, from Gibbons, Alta., played four seasons (1986-90) with the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Jacksonville franchise has morphed from the Muskegon Fury (1992-2008) to the Muskegon Lumberjacks (2008-10) to the Evansville IceMen (2010-16). The franchise sat out the 2016-17 season.

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Floor is coming along now at the @InnovationCU #iplex. Heat lines in & final layer of sand going down @SCBroncos home opener in 13 weeks! pic.twitter.com/vs5enKNFjN

— Jamie LeBlanc (@Butter_29) July 6, 2017

Brand NEW rinkboards being installed today by the great staff @ProsperaPlace #NewSeason #NewBoards #PuckMarks #Gerry #Kelowna 🚀🐉🌞 pic.twitter.com/eENYQDz59n

— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) July 6, 2017

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Broncos add top pick . . . Big night for Bear in Regina . . . Giants' top pick on move

Thanks for coming out tonight @ShanePrince18 & @Barzal_97! Good luck in your games at @barclayscenter this week. pic.twitter.com/H9GxzbugZI

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 1, 2016

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F Logan Barlage, the fourth overall selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, will make his debut with the Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday night when they play host to the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Barlage is playing for the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos. He has six goals and six assists in seven games. . . . The 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Humboldt has a goal and three assists in four exhibition games with the Broncos. Last season, he had 125 points, including 60 goals, with the bantam AA Humboldt Broncos.

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The Spokane Chiefs have dropped F Logan Foster, 17, from their roster, although he will remain on their protected list. A native of Kamsack, Sask., Foster is expected to join a team in the SJHL. Foster was a seventh-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. This season, he had one assist in seven games with Spokane.

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A tip of the cap to the Regina Pats for a terrific marketing move for Sunday’s game against the visiting

ETHAN BEAR

Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle’s roster includes D Ethan Bear, who is from the Ochapowace First Nation that is located just east of Regina. . . . Knowing that Bear was coming home, the Pats held First Nations and Metis Awareness Night and attracted their first sellout (6,484) of the season to the Brandt Centre. . . . The crowd, many of whom were there to see Bear, got its money worth, too, as he had had a goal and two assists, although the Pats won the game, 6-3, with two empty-netters. . . . "It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life," Bear told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. "I'm not sure if I'll ever get anything like that again but that's the support I get (from home). The way our culture supports one another is amazing. I'm very proud of that. I'm happy I was able to get one tonight and let them cheer for me. It was a very special moment.” . . . Harder’s story is right here.

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JUST NOTES:

F Tyler Soy of the Victoria Royals scored his ninth shorthanded goal of his career last week, breaking the Victoria/Chilliwack Bruins franchise record that he had shared with F Ryan Howse. Soy goes into this week with 99 regular-season goals. F Brandon Magee holds the Victoria franchise record (101), while Howse holds the Victoria/Chilliwack record (140). . . . 

G Declan Hobbs, 18, who was dropped from the roster of the Kootenay Ice last week, has joined the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. Hobbs, from Saskatoon, was a third-round pick by the Ice in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . 

A Vancouver radio station reported Monday that D Bowen Byram, whom the Vancouver Giants selected third overall in the 2016 bantam draft, is on the move. According to News 1130 Sports, Byram is leaving the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes to attend the Yale Hockey Academy. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Byram had three goals and five assists in eight games with the Hurricanes.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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#Breakingnews #PR391 is now known as Life is a Highway #LynnLake #MakeLynnLakeGreatAgain #mbpoli pic.twitter.com/AxzVxI2pPz

— Town of Lynn Lake (@TownOfLynnLake) October 31, 2016

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MONDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Red Deer at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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WHL commish talking to Nanaimo? . . . Ex-WHLers move to BCHL . . . Silvertips win 10th game

News 1130 Sports out of Vancouver tweeted on Wednesday morning:

“Been told WHL commissioner Ron Robison was in Nanaimo on Monday to talk with city officials about a new arena.”

The WHL in Nanaimo, home of the BCHL’s Clippers?

Of course, the WHL would love to have a franchise in Nanaimo, something that would allow teams from the mainland to visit Vancouver Island and play games against more than one team. However, there simply isn't an arena on the island, other than the one that is home to the Victoria Royals, that meets the league’s standards.

Furthermore, the City of Nanaimo has flat-out refused to get involved in the construction process.

I have been told by someone who is involved with a group that apparently kicked the tires on the Kootenay Ice that there “never” will be an arena in Nanaimo that would be capable of housing a WHL team.

News 1130 Sports also tweeted:

“Nanaimo and Chilliwack are 2 cities the WHL is keeping an eye on for the future.”

Of course, the WHL used to be in Chilliwack — you may remember the Bruins and the messy situation that led to them becoming the Royals. Has enough water gone under the bridge that the good hockey fans of Chilliwack would forgive and forget?

What you really have to wonder, though, is: Why would anyone be interested in getting involved in the ownership of a WHL franchise at this point in time?

After all, the CHL, its three leagues (OHL, QMJHL and WHL) and 60 teams are all but pleading poverty as a proposed class-action lawsuit that asks that players — and, retroactively, former players — be paid minimum wage makes its way through the courts.

This has gotten some headlines in B.C. of late after the Vancouver Sun reported that the governing Liberals made a quiet move in February to exempt the province’s six WHL teams from minimum-wage laws.

Five of the six franchise owners apparently have made donations to the B.C. Liberals, who were lobbied by the WHL for the change. (This all brings back memories of an incident in February 2011 when the names of 20 players on the Kamloops Blazers roster were found on a B.C. Liberal membership list during a leadership race. Tom Gaglardi, the Blazers majority owner, was a supporter of leadership candidate Kevin Falcon. The names were removed but no one ever explained how the names came to be on the list.)

“Recent reports have grossly overstated WHL club revenues and franchise values,” Robison wrote in a statement that appeared in some newspapers this week. “The majority of WHL Clubs either break even or lose money on an annual basis and we commend our WHL Clubs for their commitment to preserving the benefits provided to our players despite the challenges they face. Any change to the status of our players as amateur athletes would result in our clubs having to adjust the benefits currently offered to players.

“For instance, if our WHL Clubs were required to provide minimum wage in addition to the benefits the players currently receive, the majority of our teams would not be in a position to continue operating.”

B.C. joined Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Washington state in exempting WHL teams from minimum-wage legislation. All four jurisdictions did it without requesting that WHL teams open their books.

The province of Quebec, home to 13 CHL teams, is said to be next in line.

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A couple of WHLers who lost out in the 20-year-old game have joined BCHL teams. . . . F Duncan Campbell, who was waived by his hometown Brandon Wheat Kings, now is with the Penticton Vees, while G Trevor Martin, who was dropped by the Red Deer Rebels, has joined the defending-champion West Kelowna Warriors. . . . Campbell was pointless in six games with Brandon this season, after putting up 10 goals and 12 assists in 72 games last season. . . . Martin, from Saskatoon, was 18-8-2, 2.63, .911 in 38 games with the Rebels last season. This season, he got into three games, going 0-1-1, 4.14, .888.

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The Kootenay Ice has dropped G Declan Hobbs from its roster. Hobbs, 18, is from Saskatoon and was a third-round pick by the Ice in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. This season, he was 0-3-0, 7.16, .800 in 142 minutes over three appearances. Last season, in 24 appearances, he was 2-14-3, 4.66, .873. He is the younger brother of Regina Pats D Connor Hobbs. . . . The move leaves the Ice with two goaltenders — veteran Payton Lee, 20, who is playing his final junior season in his hometown, and freshman Jakob Walter, 17, from Langley, B.C. He was a second-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft.

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The TV show Gunsmoke had a long run that ended in 1975. Of course, it’s still available in reruns and, as it turns out, it has more than a few viewers. How many? “More than four decades later,” writes Neil Best of Newsday, “the fabled western drama has not lost its swagger, regularly winning ratings shootouts with much of what modern media has to offer in reruns at 3 p.m. on TV Land.” . . . Best’s complete story is right here and, yes, it’s most interesting. I guarantee that you will be shocked to find out how many people still tune in Gunsmoke.

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JUST NOTES:

F Glenn Gawdin, 19, was named captain of the Swift Current Broncos on Thursday. Gawdin, from Richmond, B.C., is in his fourth season with the Broncos. . . . 

F Mathew Barzal didn’t play for the New York Islanders on Thursday in a 4-2 loss to the host Pittsburgh Penguins. Barzal, 19, is pointless while playing in two of the Islanders’ first eight games. He is eligible to be returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds, a move some observers feel is imminent.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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THURSDAY’S GAME:

At Everett, F Eetu Tuulola scored twice to help Silvertips to a 4-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . .

EETU TUULOLA

Tuulola, a Finnish freshman in his second game since suffering a shoulder injury on Oct. 2, has three goals. He broke a 1-1 tie at 7:21 of the second period and upped the lead to 4-1 at 3:46 of the third. . . . F Spencer Garth had given Everett a 1-0 lead, with his first goal, at 2:32 of the opening period. . . . Tri-City F Morgan Geekie’s fifth goal tied it at 10:53. . . . F Riley Sutter’s seventh goal put the home side in front 3-1 at 15:01 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Nolan Yaremko added a PP goal, his second goal this season, at 15:06 of the third. . . . F Kyle Olson had two assists for the Americans. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 21 shots to earn the victory over Beck Warm, who made 24 saves. . . . The Americans were 1-3 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-1. . . . Everett (10-2-2) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . The Americans (8-6-1) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. They wrapped up a stretch of six straight road games (3-2-1). . . . F Sasha Mutala, the sixth-overall pick in the 2016 bantam draft, made his debut with the Americans. From Vancouver, he plays for the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . Announced attendance: 2,988.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Brandon vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C.

Prince George at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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WHL's playoff situation . . . One spot up for grabs. . . . Coach has upper-body injury

With no WHL games on Thursday night, let’s take a team-by-team look at the playoff situation.
The truth of the matter is that there isn’t much left to be decided, even though each of the 22 teams has at least 15 games remaining.
With the WHL having gone to a new playoff format — top three teams from each division plus two wild-card teams from each conference get in — there really is only one of 16 playoff spots still up in the air. That would be third place in the B.C. Division.
Oh, there are teams that aren’t in playoff position right now but haven’t been eliminated. But when you’re seven and eight points back with fewer than 20 games to play in this era of loser points, well, the odds really aren’t in your favour.
Anyway . . . under this new playoff format, I couldn’t decide if division, conference or overall standings mean more. So I wasn’t sure how to list the teams here; heck, I even considered doing it by alphabetical order.
In the end, I chose to use the conference standings . . .

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Brandon (87 points, 17 games remaining): Moved into first place in overall standings by winning four games in five days on Central Division trip last week. . . . Now trail Kelowna by one point in the overall standings. Each team has played 55 games. . . . The Wheaties are 12-0-1 in their last 13 games. . . . Likely to meet Kootenay or Edmonton in first round. . . . Need to get healthy, as F Jayce Hawryluk, D Kale Clague and D Ivan Provolov are injured.
2. Medicine Hat (75/17): Appeared home free not that long ago, but injuries and a Calgary hot streak have made it interesting. . . . Tigers lead the Central Division by six points over Calgary. . . . Tigers have been sputtering of late and are 5-4-1 in their last 10. . . . Were swept in weekend home-and-home series with last-place Lethbridge. . . . Should have D Tommy Vannelli (finger) back in early March. . . . Finish atop the Central Division and get Kootenay or Edmonton in the first round. Finish second and it’s likely Red Deer.
3. Calgary (69/18): The Hitmen have won nine in a row to close to within six points of Medicine Hat. . . . There aren’t any injuries. . . . Could end up with seven 20-goal scorers. . . . Have nine skaters with at least 30 points, including 16-year-old Jake Bean, who has set a franchise record for points by a freshman defenceman. . . . G Brendan Burke is 5-1-1, 2.23, .914 in seven appearances since coming over from Portland at the trade deadline.
4. Regina (66/19): Will finish a comfortable second in the division. Chances are Regina, which is second in the East Division, will get a first-round matchup with third-place Swift Current. . . . They meet tonight in Regina in a game both teams will treat as a playoff preview. . . . Two of Regina’s top scorers — F Adam Brooks and F Taylor Cooper — are injured. Brooks is listed as being out for up to two weeks, while Cooper is indefinite. . . . Cooper has 15 points, nine of them goals, in 13 games since being acquired from Lethbridge at the trade deadline.
5. Red Deer (64/19): The Rebels returned home late Sunday from a quick B.C. trip on which they won the opener and then lost two straight. Worse, they lost F Conner Bleackley, their captain, in the second game. He had scored twice in a 3-2 victory in Kamloops and added another goal two nights later in Vancouver before leaving with an undisclosed injury. He is questionable for two weekend home games. . . . They are third in the Central Division, five points behind Calgary. Those two are likely first-round opponents.
6. Kootenay (57/17): The Ice holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot and is seven points behind Red Deer, which is third in the Central Division. . . . With four 20-goal scorers, you can bet no one will be too eager to meet the Ice in the playoffs. . . . The first wild-card spot likely gets Medicine Hat; the second one draws Brandon. . . . D Tanner Faith (shoulder) is finished for this season. . . . G Wyatt Hoflin has played in 51 games. Can you name the Ice’s backup goaltender?
7. Edmonton (56/15): The Oil Kings are coming off a 1-3-0 swing into the B.C. Division during which they scored only six goals. . . . Their roster includes one 20-goal scorer — F Brett Pollock has 25. . . . Veteran forwards Edgars Kulda and Mads Eller have combined for 11 goals. . . . So you know where Edmonton’s problems are right now. . . . The defending Memorial Cup champions are in possession of the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . If the Oil Kings finish there, they will get Brandon in the first round. . . . You know that G Tristan Jarry will give the Oil Kings confidence when the playoffs start.
8. Swift Current (55/18): The Broncos are eighth in the conference, but their third-place standing in the East Division — if it doesn’t change — will have them meeting Regina in the first round. . . . G Landon Bow has appeared in 50 games. Can you name the Broncos’ backup? . . . Sophomore F Jake DeBrusk is having an MVP-type season, with 33 goals and 24 assists in 54 games. . . . D Dillon Heatherington, who was injured shortly after returning from being part of Team Canada’s winning effort at the WJC, should return in time for the playoffs. . . . The Broncos have allowed 17 more goals than they’ve scored and that’s something that will have to change if they are to have playoff success.
9. Prince Albert (48/16): The Raiders are fourth in the East Division, seven points behind Swift Current. . . . The Raiders are eight points out of the conference’s second wild-card position. . . . When they look back at this season, they will realize their record on home-ice — they are 11-15-1 — wasn’t nearly good enough. . . . They have only five players with at least 10 goals and two of them came over from Kelowna in mid-season trades. . . . Prince Albert is 16-22-2 under head coach Marc Habscheid, who replaced Cory Clouston (6-9-0).
10. Moose Jaw (46/18): The Warriors have lost their last two games, the latest a 6-3 setback in Lethbridge on Wednesday. That was the first of seven straight road games. . . . The Warriors are 7-18-1 on the road. . . . They are nine points out of third place in the East Division and 10 points out of the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Warriors have enough offence to win, with the likes of Brayden Point, Jack Rodewald and Tanner Eberle on the roster, but they have allowed 47 more goals than they have scored.
11. Lethbridge (38/18): The Hurricanes are playing for next season, but you can bet the players felt like they won a playoff series when they swept a home-and-home series from Central Division-leading Medicine Hat on the weekend. . . . Lethbridge is five points ahead of Saskatoon in the race to avoid the WHL cellar. . . . The Hurricanes were 6-19-5 under head coach Drake Berehowsky. They are 10-13-1 with Peter Anholt in charge.
12. Saskatoon (33/19): The Blades also are playing for next season. . . . They have used 41 different players, including five goaltenders, this season.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Kelowna (88/17): The Rockets are back atop the overall standings after an absence of a few hours over the weekend. They lead Brandon by one point, with each team having played 55 games. . . . It’s been a long time since the Rockets have been challenged — they lead the Western Conference by 15 points and the B.C. Division by 24 — and they know they are going to have to play better than they have been if they are to make a run into May. . . . The first-round opponent is likely to be Spokane or Tri-City. . . . F Tyson Baillie, who has 32 goals, is sidelined with a concussion. They need him healthy for a deep playoff run. . . . G Jackson Whistle, who is 31-7-3 and has been in 42 games, had his appendix removed on Friday. They’re OK without him in the short term, but he’s the guy for the playoff run.
2. Everett (73/17): The Silvertips lead the U.S. Division by seven points over Portland. Each team has played 55 games. . . . Despite their record, the Silvertips have shown a propensity for third-period woes that has to be causing concern for head coach Kevin Constantine. . . . The way things are now, Everett will get Spokane or Tri-City in the first round. . . . G Austin Lotz, F Nikita Scherbak, who is a game-breaker, and disciplined play make the Silvertips a formidable playoff opponent. . . . Interestingly, the second least-penalized team in the league is No. 1 in bench minors.
3. Portland (66/17): The Winterhawks are 8-1-1 in their last 10 as they make a late-season push after an ugly start to their season. . . . They are second in the U.S. Division and could be headed to a first-round clash with Seattle. . . . G Adin Hill has proven his worth — 20-8-1, 2.85, .924. . . . In the conference, only Kelowna has scored more goals. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand is the WHL’s best pure goal scorer. He’s got 37 goals in 42 games this season. . . . The Winterhawks have been in four straight WHL championship finals. That experience and their talent on offence will frighten any opponent.
4. Victoria (64/18): The Royals will finish second, but may not know their first-round opponent until the last weekend of the regular season. The Royals have won four in a row and are 8-1-1 in their last 10, so seem to rounding into playoff form. . . . They’ve got competent goaltending in Coleman Vollrath and Justin Paulic. They’ve got game-breakers up front in Austin Carroll, Brandon Magee, Greg Chase and a quickly maturing Tyler Soy. They get offence from defencemen Joe Hicketts and Travis Brown. They also play team defence. . . . A Kelowna-Victoria series at some point would be worth watching.
5. Seattle (62/18): The Thunderbirds are third in the U.S. Division, six points ahead of Spokane. A third-place finish likely means a first-round meeting with Portland and we all know how much fun that would be. . . . The Thunderbirds have the goaltending (Taran Kozun), the defence (led by Shea Theodore) and the depth up front to cause problems in the playoffs. But they need to play with discipline to have success and so far consistency in that department has escaped them. . . . Still, forwards Mathew Barzal, Ryan Gropp and Roberts Lipsbergs, along with Theodore, will create enough on offence to concern other teams.
6. Spokane (56/18): The Chiefs are 2-2-0 on a late-season East Division swing that continues tonight in Brandon. . . . The Chiefs, who hold down the conference’s first wild-card spot, have been shut out in five of their last 11 games. . . . The onus here has to be on getting healthy. When they have all hands on deck, the Chiefs can play with anyone. . . . A few games ago they scratched nine injured skaters and an ill goaltender. . . . F Calder Brooks, who has 37 points, including 15 goals, in 35 games with Spokane, hasn’t played since Jan. 3 and they need to get him back. They are 5-12-1 without him.
7. Tri-City (55/17): Like the Chiefs, the Americans need to get healthy. They got F Brian Williams back but now have lost F Parker Bowles, who leads them in assists (31) and points (44). . . . They are in possession of the conference’s second wild-card spot, and are just a point behind Spokane. . . . The first wild-card spot likely gets Everett in the first round, with the second wild-card spot meeting Kelowna. . . .
8. Vancouver (49/17): The Giants are third in the B.C. Division, meaning they are part of the only real race for a playoff spot left in the WHL. . . . They hold a one-point lead over Kamloops and are three ahead of Prince George. . . . The Giants have won two in a row but are 4-5-1 in their last 10. . . . They are 13-11-3 under head coach Claude Noel, who replaced Troy Ward on Nov. 26. . . . F Matt Bellerive (illness) is out week-to-week. . . . The Giants have two games left with Kamloops, but none with Prince George. . . . Vancouver, with eight of its 17 remaining games scheduled for home ice, also has four games left with Kelowna and three with Victoria.
9. Kamloops (48/16): The Blazers had a brief taste of third place in the B.C. Division last week, but now trail Vancouver by one point. . . . Third place means a first-round matchup with Victoria. . . . The Blazers’ defensive play has improved along with the confidence shown by G Connor Ingram. . . . Kamloops also has a forward line — Matt Needham between Cole Ully and Deven Sideroff — than can score with the best of them. . . . Four of the Blazers’ last five games will be against Prince George. . . . Kamloops also will play Kelowna three more times — the Rockets are riding a 17-game regular-season winning streak against the Blazers.
10. Prince George (46/15): With the Canada Winter Games taking over their city, the Cougars are on the road, where they are 10-15-2. . . . They are 0-0-1 on a four-game dip into the Central Division that continues tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . They have nine road games remaining and six at home. . . . They recently lost 12 in a row so it’s amazing that they still have a chance at the playoffs. . . . As often happens with the Cougars, they have fought injuries through most of the season. D Josh Connolly, who was acquired from Kamloops at the trade deadline, is concussed. The Cougars need him back to run their power play. . . . With four of their last six games against Kamloops, including three in four nights to end the season, this chase might come right down to the end.
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F Ben Maxwell (Kootenay, 2003-08) has signed for the rest of this season with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, Liiga) after being released by mutual agreement from Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). The club is having financial issues. This season, Maxwell, an alternate captain, had 14 goals and 13 assists in 46 games.
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OK, enough is enough. This upper- and lower-body stuff has gone too far.
Ryan McGill, the head coach of the Kootenay Ice, wasn’t available for a 6-3 victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night.
He also missed practice on Thursday.
As Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman writes: “McGill was absent from practice Thursday afternoon as he continues to nurse what has been officially labelled by the organization as an upper-body injury. He remains a game-time decision for Friday's tilt with the Warriors.”
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Rocca also reports that the Ice has brought in G Declan Hobbs, 16, from the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. A third-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft, Hobbs is 15-11-0, 3.62, .902 with the Contacts. He is expected to spend the weekend with the Ice, before returning to Saskatoon on Monday. He isn’t expected to play for the Ice; the club’s management just wants to give him a taste of WHL life.
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Alison Gordon didn’t get a lot of recognition as the first female beat writer to cover a Major League Baseball team. But that’s exactly who she was when she covered the Toronto Blue Jays for the Toronto Star. Gordon, who spent five years on the beat starting in 1979, died Thursday in Toronto. Brendan Kennedy of the Star has more right here.
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D Andrew Alberts of the Vancouver Canucks took a brutal hit just 51 seconds into an NHL game on Dec. 29, 2013. He didn’t know it at the time, but that hit signalled the end of his NHL career. What followed was months of concussion hell. Now he just wants a life without headaches. . . . Dan Murphy of Sportsnet has more right here.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES
(all times local)
Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Saskatoon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Everett, 7:35 p.m.

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