Showing posts with label Devante Stephens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devante Stephens. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Conference finals all tied up ... Series resume Friday ... Kelowna d-man gets NHL deal

Scattershoot

Looking for a good read today? Check out this piece right here by Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, who takes a look back at the Blue Jays’ crazy Tuesday night victory and ahead to today’s doubleheader.
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A number of major junior players have signed NHL contracts over the past month or so. I’ve always wondered just how thrilled their junior coaches are to have this stuff going on at this time of the season.
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The next head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips? How about Mark Holick? Holick, who spent this season in Italy, and Everett GM Garry Davidson go back to their days in the BCHL. In fact, they won a silver medal together with the BCHL team at the 2002 Viking Cup in Camrose, Alta. Holick, of course, has ample WHL experience, having been the head coach with the Kootenay Ice and Prince George Cougars.
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G Zach Sawchenko has already played four seasons in the WHL, so what’s left for him to prove with the Moose Jaw Warriors? I would suggest that he is showing maturity beyond his years with his decision to start the next chapter in his life by attending the U of Alberta and starting work on a business degree. If a professional contract shows up four years down the road, he’ll still be there.
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Unlike the rest of us, the WHL is much younger than it used to be. You can bet its teams will be hoping that no other 20-year-olds choose to follow Sawchenko’s example and leave with a year of eligibility remaining.
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As you will note in The MacBeth Report, former WHLer Tim Bozon is leaving North America to play next season in Switzerland. It could be that Bozon, a third-round selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 draft, never was the same after surviving a near-fatal run-in with Neisseria meningitis three years ago. You will recall that the WHL set up a trust fund and solicited donations from its fans on behalf of the Bozon family, but never did let those same fans know just how much money was raised.
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ESPN lopped somewhere around 100 folks from its payroll on Wednesday and some of them, like Jayson Stark and Ed Werder, were the best in the business at what they were doing. Of course, ESPN also dumped most of its NHL writers despite the fact the playoffs are in full swing. . . . In Vancouver, the Sun and Province newspapers don’t have a football writer between them, and they actually had a freelancer write the sports lead for Sunday’s Vancouver Sun Run, an event that drew around 40,000 runners. . . . My point? Don’t think for a minute that there is any rhyme or reason to the chopping when the axe starts falling.
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For a good read on exactly what ESPN’s cuts mean to the NHL and hockey in the U.S., check out this piece right here from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star.
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Do you think anyone is enjoying these NHL playoffs more than Nashville Predators D P.K. Subban?
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 F Tim Bozon (Kamloops, Kootenay, 2011-15) has signed a one-year contract with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL), he had eight goals and seven assists in 43 games. He also had three goals and three assists in 14 games with the Manchester Monarchs (ECHL). . . .
F Dylan Stanley (Tri-City, 2000-05) has signed a one-year extension with Feldkirch (Austria, Alps HL). This season, in 40 games, he had 19 goals and 38 assists. He led the league in assists and points.
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 As you will know from Tuesday’s news, G Zach Sawchenko has decided to leave the Moose Jaw Warriors, rather than return for his 20-year-old season, and start working towards a business degree at the U of Alberta in Edmonton, where he will play for the Golden Bears. . . . Greg Ballock of ingoalmag.com spoke with Sawchenko and that conversation, which explains a lot, is right here. . . . It is quite apparent that attending the 2016 NHL draft in Buffalo and not being selected, despite being one of the WHL’s top goaltenders, weighed heavily on Sawchenko and influenced this decision.
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D Devante Stephens of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. Stephens, 19, is from Surrey, B.C. He has played three seasons with the Rockets, totalling 57 points, including 19 goals, in 203 regular-season games. This season, he put up career highs in goals (13), assists (22) and points, all in 67 games. . . . Interestingly, the Sabres were able to sign Stephens despite not having a general manager in place; Tim Murray was fired last week.
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The OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads are the first CHL team to advance to a league final. They got there last night by beating the Peterborough Petes, 7-0, to sweep the Eastern Conference final. . . . In the other series, Kris Knoblauch’s Erie Otters posted a 4-3 victory over the host Owen Sound Attack, who are coached by Ryan McGill. That series is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 in Erie on Friday. . . . In the QMJHL, the host Chicoutimi Sagueneens beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 to tie that series, 2-2. They’ll play Game 5 on Friday in Saint John. . . . In the other series, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada posted a 4-2 victory over the visiting Charlottetown Islanders to take a 3-1 lead. That series will resume on Saturday in Charlottetown.
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Joey Burke is the new general manager of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. Burke has been with the IceDogs since their inaugural season, when he was the goaltending scout. He was named assistant GM in 2010 and remained in that position until prior to this season, when he was named director of player personnel. . . . Burke’s brother, Billy Jr., is an assistant coach with the IceDogs, who are owned by their parents, Denise and Bill Burke.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Western Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in
NOLAN FOOTE
Kent, Wash. . . . The teams will return to Kelowna for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, the Thunderbirds, who lost for the first time in six road games in these playoffs, thought they had taken an early 1-0 lead, but the goal was disallowed, officials ruling that a Seattle player in the Kelowna crease had kicked the puck into the net. . . . Shortly after that, at 3:09, F Ryan Gropp (3) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP. . . . The Rockets tied it when F Nolan Foote scored his first WHL playoff goal, on a PP, at 8:34, then took the lead just 28 seconds later as F Kole Lind scored his sixth goal. . . . F Nick Merkley (5) gave the Rockets a 3-1 lead at 2:40 of the second period, and F Tomas Soustal (4) made it 4-1 at 4:29 of the third. . . . F Scott Eansor (4) got Seattle to within two goals at 10:54. . . . The Rockets got two assists from F Dillon Dube and one each from Foote, Lind, Soustal and Merkley. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 27 shots to earn the victory. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski kicked out 31 shots in another stellar performance. . . . The Rockets held a 15-2 edge in shots in the second period, but only scored once. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-5. . . . In the four games, Kelowna is 6-25 on the PP, with the Thunderbirds 4-11. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner, who leads all playoff skaters in goals (15) and points (27), was held pointless for a second straight game. . . . The Thunderbirds were forced to scratch D Ethan Bear, who blocked a shot, perhaps with a hand, late in Game 3 on Tuesday and wasn’t able to go. . . . D Austin Strand got more playing time as he got what would have been Bear’s PP time. . . . Announced attendance: 5,063.
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At Lethbridge, F Adam Brooks and D Connor Hobbs each had a goal and two assists to lead the Regina Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Eastern Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5
BRAYDON BUZIAK
scheduled for Regina on Friday night. . . . They’ll return to Lethbridge for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, Regina took a 1-0 lead as F Braydon Buziak scored his first WHL playoff goal at 9:53 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge tied it at 2:21 of the second period as F Dylan Cozens scored his third goal. . . . Regina went back out front at 9:00 on F Jeff de Wit’s third goal. . . . F Ryan Vandervlis (6) pulled Lethbridge even again, at 9:34. . . . The Pats took control with two late second-period goals, Brooks (5) scoring at 18:06 and F Dawson Leedahl (10) counting at 19:16. . . . Hobbs (4), on a PP, at 7:53, and F Wyatt Sloboshan (3), into an empty net, at 17:04, added goals for the Pats. . . . F Sam Steel had two assists for the Pats, with Sloboshan getting one. . . . Regina got 24 stops from G Tyler Brown, while Stuart Skinner turned aside 28 shots for Lethbridge. . . . The Pats, who had the regular-season’s top PP unit, were 0-9 in the series. They went 1-4 in this one. . . . Lethbridge was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Pats scratched F Austin Wagner, who left in the second period of Tuesday’s game, apparently after having absorbed a slash. His absence means Regina now is without three regulars, as F Jake Leschyshyn and D Dawson Davidson have long-term injuries. . . . With Wagner out, de Wit slid into the spot alongside Brooks and F Filip Ahl. . . . F Matt Alfaro again was missing from Lethbridge’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 5,203.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)
Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:14 PM
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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Rebels get some breathing room . . . No quit in these Broncos . . . T-Birds putting heat on 'Tips


The Dauphin Kings were eliminated from MJHL playoff contention on Sunday, something that officially clears the way for the Brandon Wheat Kings to play first-round playoff games in that city’s Credit Union Place.
The Wheat Kings are forced to hit the road because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair takes over the Keystone Centre complex in Brandon from March 27 through April 1.
The Wheat Kings, the WHL’s defending champions, hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. They are fourth in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the Swift Current Broncos with 10 games remaining.
It is looking like the Wheat Kings will face the Medicine Hat Tigers, who lead the Central Division, in the first-round of the playoffs.
The Wheat Kings are expected to play Games 3 and 4 there on March 28 and 29. A sixth game, if needed, would be played in Dauphin on April 2.
The Dauphin facility has 1,763 seats and room for 752 standees.
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If you’re looking for an interesting read, try this one right here. The headline is: The RV Bandit who stole a million dollars, one wallet at a time. . . . It involves a guy who was a regular on the auto-racing circuit but didn’t watch much of the races. Instead, he . . . well, give it a read. It’s interesting, to say the least.
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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Lane Zablocki scored two goals and added an assist to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 7-2
LANE ZABLOCKI
victory over the Hitmen. . . . One night earlier, playing at home, Red Deer had blown a 3-0 lead and dropped a 6-3 decision to Calgary. . . . Yesterday, the Rebels scored the game’s first four goals and went from there. . . . Zablocki, who has 25 stars, got it started with a PP goal at 17:47 of the first period. . . . D Carson Sass (5) made it 2-0 just 25 seconds later. . . . F Evan Polei’s 28th goal, at 3:12 of the second period, increased the lead and F Michael Spacek (27) made it 4-0 at 11:24. . . . The Hitmen threw a scare into Red Deer by cutting the deficit to 4-2 with late second-period goals from F Matteo Gennaro (37) at 17:45 and F Jakob Stukel (21) at 19:17. . . . But the Rebels took control back with three third-period goals, from Zablocki, on a PP, F Austin Glover (20) and F Austin Pratt (15). . . . Red Deer got three assists from F Adam Musil and two from D Brandon Schuldhaus, with Polei, Pratt and Spacek each getting one. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 22 shots to earn the victory. . . . Calgary got 22 stops from G Trevor Martin. . . . Red Deer was 2-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . The Rebels (26-28-10) are third in the Central Division, their lead over fourth-place Calgary (24-28-10) now at four points. . . . Calgary is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Saskatoon. . . . Announced attendance: 7,208.
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At Regina, the Swift Current Broncos, playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours, scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Pats, 5-4 in OT. . . . The Broncos lost 7-0 in Regina on Friday, then went into
RYLEY LINDGREN
Moose Jaw on Saturday and dropped a 5-2 decision. . . . The Broncos, who had lost five straight games to Regina, won this one on F Ryley Lindgren’s 19th goal, at 3:16 of OT. . . . F Austin Wagner (27) had given Regina a 1-0 lead at 2:54 of the first period. . . . The Broncos tied it on F Kole Gable’s sixth goal, at 6:30. . . . Regina went back out front when F Nick Henry got No. 31, at 7:27. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen tied it 2-2, on a PP, at 11:20. . . . The Pats took the lead again on F Dawson Leedahl’s 31st goal, at 14:15 of the second period. . . . F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL scoring race, gave the Pats a two-goal lead, on a PP, with his 44th goal at 16:08. . . . The Broncos’ comeback started when F Aleksi Heponiemi (24) struck at 1:11 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen tied it, on a PP and with an extra attacker on the ice, with 12.6 seconds left in the third. . . . Swift Current D Max Lajoie drew the primary assist on each of the last two goals. . . . Lindgren and Heponiemi each had one assist. . . . Henry, F Adam Brooks and D Connor Hobbs had two assists each for Regina, with Steel and Leedahl each getting one. . . . Steel now has 113 points, 10 more than Brooks. . . . Steenbergen has 45 goals and is tied for the league lead with F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Steel and F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors are next, at 44. . . . G Taz Burman earned the victory with 43 saves. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 25 shots for the Pats. . . . Swift Current was 2-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-6. . . . The Broncos lost D Sahvan Khaira to a charging major and game misconduct at 14:35 of the second period. . . . F Robbie Holmes was among Regina’s scratches. He was injured on Friday on a hit by Broncos F Lane Pederson, who completed a two-game suspension by sitting out this one. . . . The Broncos also were without F Glenn Gawdin (ill). . . . F Kjell Kjemhus made his WHL debut with the Pats. From Grande Prairie, Alta., Kjemhus, 15, was a fourth-round pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He has been playing at Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. . . . Swift Current (31-20-10) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). The Broncos appear headed to a third-place finish in the East Division and a first-round matchup with Moose Jaw. . . . Regina (44-9-8) has points in four straight (3-0-1) and leads the overall standings by seven points over Medicine Hat. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Saskatoon, G Zach Sawchenko blocked 29 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 2-0 victory over
ZACH SAWCHENKO
the Blades. . . . Sawchenko has three shutouts this season and nine in his career. He has won 27 games this season, one shy of the 28 he posted last season. . . . F Luka Burzan’s 13th goal, at 10:32 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Justin Almeida’s ninth goal, at 10:10 of the third period, provided insurance. . . . The Blades got 20 saves from G Brock Hamm. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . Moose Jaw lost F Noah Gregor at 15:50 of the second period when he took a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik. . . . D Josh Thrower of the Warriors played in his 300th regular-season game. This was his 89th game with the Warriors. He also has played with the Vancouver Giants, Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Warriors (38-17-8) have won six straight games. They are second in the East Divsion, 12 points behind Regina and 12 ahead of Swift Current. . . . The Blades (24-31-8) have lost two in a row. They are two points behind the Hitmen, who hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,844.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds opened up a 4-0 lead en route to a 6-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Seattle, which clinched a playoff spot with the victory, got first-period goals from F Keegan Kolesar (22), on a PP, at 7:10; F Luke Ormsby
ANTHONY BISHOP
(6), at 12:35; and D Anthony Bishop (1), at 18:04. . . . Bishop, an 18-year-old from Kelowna, scored in his 98th regular-season game, the 58th of this season. . . . The Thunderbirds went ahead 4-1 on F Ryan Gropp’s 29th goal, on a PP, at 4:56 of the second period. . . . F Connor Dewar’s 11th goal, shorthanded, got Everett on the scoreboard at 10:39. . . . F Mathew Barzal, who also had three assists, scored No. 9, on a PP, at 12:14. . . . Seattle’s Elijah Brown added his third goal at 15:13 of the third period. . . . Barzal has 71 points, including 62 assists, in 37 games. He has points in 18 of his past 20 games, recording 52 points over that stretch. He has put up back-to-back four-pointers. . . . Seattle got two assists from D Ethan Bear, who left in the second period and was seated in the press box by game’s end. Later, Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle tweeted that he asked Thunderbird head coach Steve Konowalchuk “what he could tell us about Bear’s situation.” The response: “Nothing.” . . . Seattle next is scheduled to play Wednesday in Kamloops. . . . Bear ran his point streak to 12 games, while Kolesar now is riding an 11-game streak. . . . The Thunderbirds got 20 saves from G Rylan Toth, who now leads the WHL with 33 victories. . . . Everett starter Carter Hart was beaten three times on 12 shots in the first period. Mario Petit played the last two periods, stopping 12 of 15 shots. . . . Seattle was 3-5 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . Seattle (40-18-5) has won 14 straight home games and is second in the U.S. Division, one point behind Everett (38-13-10), which had a seven-game winning streak snapped. . . . Everett also leads the Western Conference standings, one point ahead of Prince George and Seattle. . . . Announced attendance: 5,157.
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At Spokane, F Reid Gardiner and D Devante Stephens had four-point nights as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Chiefs, 9-5. . . . The Rockets, who scored nine times on 22 shots, were playing their third game
REID GARDINER
in fewer than 48 hours, while the Chiefs had Saturday off. . . . Kelowna scored five times in the first period and opened up a 7-0 lead before the second period was half over. . . . Gardiner scored twice, giving him 11 goals, and added two assists, while Stephens picked up his 11th goal and added three helpers. . . . The Rockets also got two goals from each of F Rod Southam, who has 16, and F Carsen Twarynski, who has 15. Also scoring for Kelowna were F Dillon Dube (12) and F Nick Merkley (22). . . . Merkley, Dube and F Nolan Foote had two assists each. . . . Spokane scored five of the game’s last seven goals, getting them from F Keanu Yamamoto (23), F Hudson Elynuik (22), F Alex Mowbray (3), D Ty Smith (4) and F Riley Woods (10). F Jaret Anderson-Dolan had two assists, with Yamamoto and Woods each getting one. . . . The Rockets got 21 saves from G Bordan Salmond. . . . Spokane starter Jayden Sittler allowed four goals on six shots in 12:00, with Donovan Buskey coming on for his WHL debut at that point. Buskey, a 17-year-old from North Vancouver, gave up three goals on six shots in 18:54. Sittler re-entered and finished up, stopping eight of 10 shots in 29:06. . . . Buskey was a third-round pick by Spokane in the 2015 bantam draft. He has been with the major midget Vancouver Northwest Giants. . . . Spokane was 3-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 2-5. . . . The Rockets (37-21-5) are third in the B.C. Division, one point behind Kamloops with a game in hand. . . . Spokane (25-27-9) has lost three in a row and is nine points out of a playoff spot with 11 games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 4,927.
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At Victoria, the Royals completed a tripleheader sweep of the Vancouver Giants with a 3-2 victory. . . .
DYLAN MYSKIW
The Royals had won 6-4 in Langley, B.C., on Friday and 3-1 at home on Saturday. . . . On Sunday, the visitors took a 1-0 lead at 3:15 of the first period when F Johnny Wesley scored his 10th goal. . . . The Royals took control by scoring the next three goals. . . . F Jared Dmytriw, who had scored twice on Saturday, got No. 13 at 10:36 of the second period. . . . F Dante Hannoun (21) gave the Royals the lead with a PP goal, at 11:15. . . . Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev picked up his eighth goal, on a PP, 49 seconds into the third period. . . . The Giants got close when F Bartek Bison (6) scored at 14:38. . . . The Royals got two assists from F Jack Walker. . . . G Dylan Myskiw turned aside 24 shots to earn the victory. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic blocked 35 shots. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-5. . . . The Royals (35-23-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, five points ahead of Portland. Victoria also is fourth in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kelowna. . . . The Giants (19-39-5) have lost three in a row. . . . Next up for Vancouver: Another tripleheader, this time against the Portland Winterhawks. It starts Wednesday in Langley. . . . Announced attendance: 4,007.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:19 PM
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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Saturday's WHL roundup . . .


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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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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Jordy Stallard’s PP goal at 3:32 of OT gave the Hitmen a 3-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Hitmen (5-5-1) have won two straight. . . . The Cougars (13-2-2) have points in seven straight games (5-0-2). They are 8-0-1 on the road. . . . That was Stallard’s third goal this season. . . . F Yan Khomenko’s fifth goal put the Cougars out front at 5:58 of the first period. . . . The Hitmen took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Beck Malenstyn, his second, at 11:24 of the second period, and F Andrei Grishakov, his first, on a PP, at 1:23 of the third. . . . Prince George forced OT when F Josh Curtis got his third goal at 8:55. . . . Stallard and Grishakov each added an assist. . . . G Cody Porter stopped 40 shots for the Hitmen, 16 more than the Cougars’ Nick McBride. . . . Calgary was 2-5 on the PP; Prince George was 0-7. . . . Announced attendance:  5,909.
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At Edmonton, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s last six goals and beat the Oil Kings, 7-3. . . . F Zach Fischer gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead just 23 seconds into the game. . . . Late in the period, Edmonton scored three times in 1:32 to take a 3-1 lead. F Colton Kehler got his third goal, at 16:08, with F Tyler Robertson scoring his fifth at 17:02 and F Lane Bauer getting No. 7, on a PP at 17:40. . . . Four second-period goals put the Tigers in control. . . . F Tyler Preziuso’s first goal got the visitors going at 3:08. D David Quenneville tied it with his eighth goal, at 13:37, and F Chad Butcher’s fifth goal gave them their first lead, at 18:04. . . . The Tigers later got goals from F John Dahlstrom (6), F Max Gerlach (9) and Fischer (8). The last two came via the PP. . . . Butcher added three assists to his goal. D Clayton Kirichenko had two assists, with Fischer, Dahlstrom and Quenneville earning one each. . . . The Oil Kings got two assists from F Davis Koch, with Bauer adding one to his goal. . . . G Nick Schneider blocked 24 shots for the Tigers, while Liam Hughes turned aside 48 for Edmonton. Yes, Medicine Hat had a 55-27 edge in shots, including 22-8 in the first period. . . . The Tigers were 2-5 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-2. . . . Medicine Hat (10-4-1) has won two in a row. . . . The Oil Kings (4-8-2) have lost three in a row. . . . Edmonton wound up 1-5-1 on a seven-game homestand. . . . Announced attendance: 9,339.
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At Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estephan scored twice as the Hurricanes dumped the Red Deer Rebels, 6-1. . . . The Hurricanes (6-7-2) snapped a six-game losing streak (0-5-1). . . . The Rebels (8-5-2), who had a six-game winning streak ended on Friday, now have lost two in a row. . . . Estephan, who has six goals, gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 19:31 of the first period and F Jordy Bellerive’s third goal, on a PP, made it 2-0 at 7:31 of the second. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei got his seventh goal, at 19:45 of the second period, getting his guys to within 3-1. . . . Lethbridge put it away with three third-period goals. . . . F Tyler Wong scored his seventh goal, at 6:54. That was his 200th career point. . . . Lethbridge F Ryley Lindgren drew three assists. Wong also had two assists, as did Bellerive. . . . F Brayden Burke scored his fourth goal and had an assist for Lethbridge. . . . G Stuart Skinner earned the victory with 26 stops. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 22 shots for the Rebels. . . . Red Deer was 1-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 3,534.
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At Everett, F Connor Dewar’s first goal, just 46 seconds into OT, gave the Silvertips a 2-1 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . F Tyler Soy of Victoria scored the game’s first goal, his ninth, at 5:20 of the first period. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen tied it at 12:19 of the second period. He’s got five goals. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots, 14 fewer than Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse. . . . The Silvertips were 0-2 on the PP; the Royals were 0-3. . . . Everett (11-2-2) has points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . The Royals (8-7-2) are 0-1-2 in their last three games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,388.
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At Portland, D Devante Stephens snapped a 3-3 tie with a shorthanded goal at 8:03 of the third period and the Kelowna Rockets went on to bet the Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . The goal was Stephens’ second of the game and third of the season. Last season, he had two goals in 72 games. . . . He had given the Rockets a 2-1 lead 23 seconds into the second period. . . . That goal came after Portland F Joachim Blichfeld (4) and Kelowna F Tomas Soustal had traded first-period goals. . . . The Winterhawks moved into a 2-2 tie when F Skyler McKenzie scored his ninth goal at 3:11 of the third period. . . . The Rockets took the lead again on F Nick Merkley’s first goal, on a PP, at 5:51. . . . Portland F Evan Weinger tied it again, with his sixth goal, at 6:46. . . . Soustal finished the scoring, getting his sixth goal into an empty net at 19:39. . . . Stephens also had an assist, for a three-point night, while F Calvin Thurkauf drew two helpers. . . . Portland got two assists from D Keoni Texeira and one from McKenzie. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 38 shots for Kelowna, four more than Portland’s Michael Bullion. . . . The Rockets were 1-4 on the PP; the Winterhawks were 0-6. . . . Kelowna (8-7-0), which plays in Portland again tonight (Sunday), has won five in a row, while Portland (8-7-0) has lost four straight. . . . Announced attendance:  7,663.
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At Prince Albert, G Logan Flodell stopped 23 shots to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 1-0 victory over the Raiders. . . . F Josh Paterson’s fourth goal, on a PP at 1:25 of the third period, was the winner. . . . Flodell has five career shutouts, with the first three coming last season with the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Blades have faced the Raiders twice this season and blanked them both times. . . . Flodell beat the Raiders, 2-0, on Oct. 6, making 31 saves in the process. Paterson scored the Blades’ second goal in that one, also on the PP. F Jesse Shynkaruk, who is out with an undisclosed injury, had the Blades’ other goal that night, on a PP. . . . The Raiders got 32 saves from G Ian Scott. . . . The Blades were 1-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-4. . . . The Blades (7-7-1) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Raiders (4-9-1) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 2,114.
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At Swift Current, F Tyler Steenbergen’s 10th goal, at 4:29 of OT, gave the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Broncos (9-5-2) had lost their previous four games (0-3-1). . . . The Chiefs (6-6-3) finished their East Division trip at 3-2-1. They are 3-0-1 in their last four games. . . . F Conner Chaulk’s second goal, at 8:48 of the first period, gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead. . . . Spokane D Evan Fiala tied it with his first goal, at 14:24. . . . The Broncos went back out front when F Lane Pederson’s got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 19:51. . . . F Tanner Wishnowski’s third goal, at 8:57 of the third period. got the Chiefs into OT. . . . Steenbergen also had an assist. . . . Swift Current G Travis Child had a big night, with 45 stops. . . . Chiefs G Dawson Weatherill turned aside 24 shots. . . . Swift Current was 1-4 on the PP; Spokane was 0-4. . . . The Broncos were without veteran F Glenn Gawdin. He was injured in Friday night’s 2-1 loss to the visiting Swift Current Broncos, leaving in the first period with an undisclosed injury. It was Gawdin’s first game wearing the captain’s ‘C’. . . . Announced attendance: 1,749.
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At Langley, B.C., the Vancouver Giants beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-1, to get a split of a weekend home-and-home series. . . . One night earlier, the host Blazers beat the Giants, 3-0. . . . Last night, Giants F Johnny Wesley, who didn’t play Friday, opened the scoring with his third goal, on a PP, at 10:28 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Radovan Bondra made it 2-0 with his ninth goal, at 7:04 of the second period. . . . F Dawson Holt upped that to 3-0 with his third goal at 11:36. . . . The Blazers got on the board when F Quinn Benjafield got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 16:14. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson scored his seventh goal into an empty net at 19:17 of the third. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 23 shots to record the victory. . . . The Blazers went with Dylan Ferguson, who stopped 35 shots. . . . Kamloops was 1-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-4. . . . The Giants (7-10-0) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Blazers slipped to 8-8-0. . . . Announced attendance: 3,975.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Brandon vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 2 p.m.
Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Regina, 4 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:23 PM
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Monday, March 30, 2015

KABOOM! Exciting times in Kimberley . . . Eller may be in . . . Betker's status unknown



There is nothing more Canadian than hockey, and when it involves a championship team in a small community, well, that is the essence of Canadiana.
The Kimberley Dynamiters — KABOOM! — won the junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s
playoff championship on Sunday night, wrapping it up with a Game 6 victory over the Storm in Kamloops.
Kimberley is a community of about 7,400 people located in the southeast corner of British Columbia.
Monitoring social media as the Dynamiters marched to the championship was nothing short of heart-lifting. Check out the Dynamiters’ Twitter timeline (@nitroshockey) and you will get a feel for just how the entire community went along for the ride and, in the end, was part of the championship.
Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has more right here on Kimberley’s first KIJHL championship in 35 years.
Being on the outside looking in, one can only imagine the excitement in Kimberley over the past few weeks. And it will only get better as the Dynamiters prepare for the Cyclone Taylor Cup, the province’s junior B championship tournament that also will feature the Campbell River Storm, North Vancouver Wolf Pack and the host Mission City Outlaws. It opens Friday and runs through Monday.
Head coach Jerry Bancks, a former Kootenay Ice assistant, and the Dynamiters were honoured at a community rally at the Civic Centre last night.
I have said it before and I’ll say it again — Dynamiters is the niftiest nickname in the hockey world. At least it is in my books.
I don’t know what it is about it that appeals to me, but there is something about it. Maybe it’s because
Lynn Lake's high school hockey team, circa 1967.
(Photo by Vic Laird)
that nickname goes back a long way with me.
I was raised in Lynn Lake, a mining community in northern Manitoba. As a teenager, I played for a high school team that was in a league with two teams from the local mine. One of the teams was the Surface Bombers; the other was the Underground Dynamiters.
Yes, it was a tough league. Yes, I was the furthest thing from a tough cookie.
But perhaps it was from that three-team league in a small town that my affinity for Dynamiters comes.
Anyway . . . you can bet I’ll be paying attention to the Cyclone Taylor Cup over the Easter weekend.
The Cyclone Taylor Cup home page is right here and, yes, it includes a schedule.
KABOOM!
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F Viktor Gibbs Sjödin (Portland, 2006-08) has signed a one-year extension with the Melbourne Mustangs (Australia, AIHL). Last season, with the Mustangs, he had 13 goals and 16 assists in 22 games. He was named the AIHL championship final MVP as the Mustangs won the title. The AIHL regular season begins on April 25. . . .
F Carter Proft (Brandon, Spokane, 2010-14) has signed a one-year extension with the Kassel Huskies (Germany, DEL2). In 50 games this season, he had four goals and 17 assists. Proft has dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .
F Jens Meilleur (Brandon, 2010-14) has signed a one-year extension with the Kassel Huskies (Germany, DEL2). In 52 games this season, he had 32 points, including 18 goals. He has dual Canadian-German citizenship.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes held a public information session on Monday night. The meeting had nothing to do with finances as it wasn’t an AGM or a shareholders’ meeting. . . . Pat Siedlecki has more on his blog right here.
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F Mads Eller of the Edmonton Oil Kings may return tonight for Game 4 against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, who hold a 2-1 edge in the series. Eller left Sunday’s game in the first period after running into the gate as he attempted to check Brandon F Braylon Shmyr. He hit the open gate with his neck/shoulder area. “There’s no structural damage,” Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. “I’ve seen that hit or incident on a couple of different angles and . . . it was hard to watch but miraculous that there wasn’t damage beyond what he’s gone through.” . . . Tonight’s game will be televised on Sportsnet.
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The Tri-City Americans are running out of defencemen as they attempt to get back in their series with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Game 3 is scheduled for tonight in Kennewick, Wash., with the Rockets up 2-0 and having yet to surrender even one goal. . . . Riley Hillis, who missed the last 10 games of the regular season, returned for the first two games but will be a game-time decision. Carter Cochrane’s season is over after he had shoulder surgery. On top of that, Tyler Morrison suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 2 on Saturday. . . . If Hillis isn’t able to play, the Americans will be down to five defencemen. . . . Kelowna lost D Devante Stephens (right leg) during Saturday’s game. The Rockets are already without D Josh Morrissey, who isn’t expected to play in this series.
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The Regina Pats hold a 2-0 lead as they go into Swift Current to meet the Broncos tonight. In its last 11 trips to Swift Current over the past three seasons, Regina has two victories. . . .
F Quintin Lisoway of the Brandon Wheat Kings underwent left knee surgery on Monday in Winnipeg. Lisoway, who will be 20 next season, is expected to be ready for training camp. Dr. Peter MacDonald, who works with the Winnipeg Jets, repaired Lisoway’s anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament. . . .
This being playoff time, the Everett Silvertips are saying little about the status of D Ben Betker, who suffered an arm injury during a 6-2 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs in Game 2 of their series on Saturday night. . . . Betker left in the first period and didn’t return. His status for Game 3 on Wednesday isn’t known. As Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald write: “If Betker is unavailable for Wednesday's Game 3 in Spokane it's a big blow for the Tips. The 6-foot-6 overager plays heavy minutes against opposing top lines as a member of Everett's top defensive pairing.” . . . The series is tied, 1-1.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:42 PM
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