Doing some scattershooting ... Dahlstrom returns to Sweden ... Nachbaur off to NHL

The Vancouver Canucks fired John Tortorella and now he’s the NHL’s coach of the year. The Canucks fired Mike Sullivan and now he’s the head coach of back-to-back Stanley Cup winners. I’m thinking things look good for Willie Desjardins.

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Does anyone know what’s going on with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes? That’s what I thought.

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Hey, Alberta and B.C., you should get rid of those highway signs that encourage drivers to stay right and allow others to pass. Why? Because it seems there are a lot of drivers out there who can’t read.

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With the news that Floyd Mayweather will scrap with Conor McGregor in Las Vegas on Aug. 26, Vancouver comic Torben Rolfsen pointed out: “It will also be P.T. Barnum Bobblehead Night.”

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Jeff Pearlman, a well-known author, has penned a book on the USFL, which, of course, involved Donald Trump. Notes Pearlman: “One thing I can say with authority: Donald Trump is the biggest liar I’ve ever written about. Zero integrity.”

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From Cam Hutchinson of the Saskatoon Express: “Buck Martinez is a decent broadcaster when he is sitting beside Dan Shulman.” . . . I caught some of the Toronto Blue Jays game on Thursday afternoon and noted that analyst Pat Tabler has dropped any pretence of independence and now sprinkles “we” into  his chattering.

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Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald: “Want the exact definition of ‘your football career is over’? Comeback-attempting Vince Young got cut by the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”

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You take a look at the roster of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and you realize that US$500 million doesn’t buy much these days.

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Did you chuckle the other day when NHL commish Gary Bettman said the NHL isn’t ready for another expansion just yet? Hey, wave US$500 million in front of Bettman’s face and you’ll have a franchise lickety-split.

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Headline at SportsPickle.com: Kevin Durant silences all the critics who said he could never help a 73-9 team win a championship. . . . Headline at TheKicker.com: Durant to spend offseason travelling around booing Rihanna’s concerts.

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Dwight Perry, in the Seattle Times: “With another NBA season coming to an end, commissioner Adam Silver gets to return to his other job: Holding the pitchfork in American Gothic.”

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F John Dahlstrom, 20, won’t be returning to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a second season. He has

signed a two-year contract with Almtuna in his native Sweden. Almtuna plays in the Allsvenskan, which is one level below the SHL. . . . Dahlstrom, a seventh-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL’s 2015 draft, had 30 goals and 29 assists in 63 games with the Tigers last season. . . . He will attend a Chicago prospects camp next month. . . . Had Dahlstrom returned to the Tigers, he would have been a two-spotter — a 20-year-old import. Latvian D Kristians Rubins, the Tigers’ other import last season, also is a two-spotter. . . . Including Rubins, Medicine Hat still has seven 20s on its roster, the others being G Michael Bullion, D Jordan Henderson, D Ty Schultz, D Brad Forrest, F Zach Fischer and F Mark Rassell.

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The Swift Current Broncos have revealed that as of Thursday morning they had sold 1,493 season-ticket packages, “including 137 new season-ticket holders.” . . . The Broncos have stated that their goal is 1,700 before the start of the 2017-18 WHL season. . . . The Broncos have a number of prizes up for grabs, all tied into season-ticket sales, and one fan will receive a season-ticket for life if the goal of 1,700 is reached.

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D Shaun Dosanjh, who played with four different WHL teams last season, will attend York U and play for the Lions in 2017-18. Dosanjh, now 21, is from Richmond, B.C. He began his WHL career with the Vancouver Giants, and finished it up last season with stints with the Prince George Cougars, Kamloops Blazers, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Portland Winterhawks. . . . In 173 regular-season games, he put up four goals and 10 assists. . . . Dosanjh was a third-round pick by the Giants in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. . . . Victor Findlay (@Finder_24) reports that the Lions also have landed G Keelan Williams, 21, of Calgary. He played 13 games with the Kootenay Ice over two seasons (2014-16). Last season, he was with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles.

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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Trevor Thurston to a WHL contract. Thurston, from Delta, B.C., was a fourth-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. Last season, Thurston had nine goals and 11 assists in 20 games with a bantam prep team at the Delta Hockey Academy, where he will play again in 2017-18. . . . Trevor is the son of Brent Thurston, who played for the Victoria Cougars and Spokane Chiefs (1988-92). . . . The Blazers now have signed their top three picks from the 2017 bantam draft.

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If you’re a regular here, and even you aren’t, feel free to contribute to the feeding of the Drinnan family by making a donation to the cause. You are able to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

BTW, if you want to contact me with some information or just feel like commenting on something, you may email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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Travis Green has accomplished his goal of becoming a head coach in the NHL. But Green, who is preparing for his first season as the Vancouver Canucks’ head coach, knows that the work is just beginning. Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune has spoken with Green and they talked about that and a whole lot more. It’s all right here.

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Don Nachbaur, the third-winningest coach in WHL regular-season history, has joined the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings as an assistant coach. Nachbaur spent the previous seven seasons as the head coach of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, but they parted company after the 2016-17 season despite there being one year left on his contract. . . . Nachbaur, who also coached the Seattle Thunderbirds (1994-2000) and Tri-City Americans (2003-09), has 692 regular-season victories, behind only Ken Hodge (742) and Don Hay (720). . . . Nachbaur and Stevens have a history, having played together with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Hershey Bears and coached together with the AHL‘s Philadelphia Phantoms (2000-02). . . . In Los Angeles, Nachbaur joins head coach John Stevens, who was promoted on April 24, and assistant coach Dave Lowry, who joined the Kings after being the head coach of the WHL’s Victoria Royals.

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Stu Barnes, a former WHL/NHL player who owns a piece of the Tri-City Americans, has been added to the Dallas Stars’ coaching staff. Barnes, 46, spent the previous two seasons on the coaching staff at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C. In 2016-17, he was the head coach of the one of the academy’s midget prep teams. . . . Barnes also was an assistant coach in Dallas from 2008-12. . . . He played 16 seasons in the NHL after spending three seasons (1987-90) in the WHL with the New Westminster Bruins and the Americans. . . . In Dallas, he will work alongside head coach Ken Hitchcock. The Stars also have added Rick Wilson to their coaching staff as an assistant. Wilson, a career assistant, was with the St. Louis Blues last season. Wilson spent 15 seasons (1993-2004, 2005-09) on the Stars’ staff. He is a former assistant coach and head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders (1980-88).

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Trevor Letowski, the new head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, has been named an assistant coach with Canada’s national junior team. With Team Canada, he replaces Kris Knoblauch, the former head coach of the OHL’s Erie Otters, who now is an assistant with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. In Windsor, Letowski took over from Rocky Thompson, who now is head coach of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. . . . Dominique Ducharme of the QMJHL’s Drummondiville Voltigeurs is back as Canada’s head coach, with Tim Hunter of the Moose Jaw Warriors returning as the other assistant coach.

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The 2019 RBC Cup will be held in Brooks, Alta., May 11-19. The AJHL’s Brooks Bandits will be the host team. This will be the seventh time the event has been held in Alberta. It was in Lloydminster in 2016. The Bandits, who won the RBC Cup in 2013, are the AJHL’s defending champions. The 2018 RBC Cup is scheduled to be played in Chilliwack, B.C. . . . 

Tickets for the seventh annual Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., will go on sale on July 7. The six-game preseason tournament will run from Sept. 8-11, featuring teams of prospects from the host Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.

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Nachbaur out after seven seasons in Spokane . . . WHL's third-winningest coach gone . . . Year left on contract

Don Nachbaur is out as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs.
(Photo: Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs)

Don Nachbaur, the third-winningest regular-season head coach in WHL history, is out as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs.

The team announced Thursday morning that it and Nachbaur “have mutually agreed to part ways.”

Nachbaur, who had been with the Chiefs since 2010, had a year left on his contract.

Nachbaur also has coached with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Tri-City Americans. He was 261-190-48 with the Chiefs. He holds the Spokane franchise records for regular-season games coached (496) and victories (261). In WHL history, his 691 regular-season victories rank third, behind the retired Ken Hodge (742) and Don Hay (720) of the Kamloops Blazers.

This season, the Chiefs went 27-33-12 and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Tim Speltz, the Chiefs’ longtime general manager, left the organization on Aug. 16 as he signed on as director of western scouting with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. He had been with the Chiefs for 26 years.

Scott Carter took over as general manager on Sept. 8.

On Sept. 23, the Chiefs signed Nachbaur to a contract extension through the 2017-18 season.

Nachbaur’s departure signals the first coaching change of the 22-team WHL’s offseason.

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Here’s a look at the 22 WHL head coaches who have more than 300 regular-season victories to their credit (following 2016-17):

1. Ken Hodge (Edmonton, Portland), 742

2. Don Hay (Kamloops, Tri-City, Vancouver) 720

3. Don Nachbaur (Seattle, Tri-City, Spokane) 692

4. Lorne Molleken (Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Regina) 626

5. Ernie McLean (Estevan, New Westminster) 548

6. Mike Williamson (Portland, Calgary, Tri-City) 534

7. Pat Ginnell (Flin Flon, Victoria, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, New Westminster) 518

8. Peter Anholt (Prince Albert, Seattle, Red Deer, Kelowna, Lethbridge) 466

    Jack Shupe (Medicine Hat, Victoria) 466

10. Dean Clark (Calgary, Brandon, Kamloops, Prince George) 465

11. Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon) 456

12. Bob Lowes (Seattle, Brandon, Regina) 453

13. Brent Sutter (Red Deer) 441

14. Marc Habscheid (Kamloops, Kelowna, Chilliwack, Victoria, Prince Albert) 424

15. Doug Sauter (Calgary, Medicine Hat, Regina, Brandon) 417

16. Marcel Comeau (Calgary, Saskatoon, Tacoma, Kelowna) 411

17. Bryan Maxwell (Medicine Hat, Spokane, Lethbridge) 397

18. Graham James (Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Calgary) 349

19. Bob Loucks (Lethbridge, Tri-City, Medicine Hat) 340

20. Willie Desjardins (Saskatoon, Medicine Hat) 333

21. Kevin Constantine (Everett) 326

22. Shaun Clouston (Medicine Hat) 320

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

No coaching changes appear imminent . . . Blades staff back for sure . . . Lawsuit moves to Toronto

F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) has signed a one-year extension with Preussen Berlin (Germany, Oberliga). This season, he had eight goals and 15 assists in 12 games. He started the season on a tryout with Schönheide (Germany, Oberliga). He had a goal and two assists in four games, then was released on Nov. 23. He signed with Preussen on Jan. 20. . . .

F Jan Eberle (Seattle, 2006-08) has signed a one-year extension with Olomouc (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had seven goals and 10 assists in 51 games this season.

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#WHL @WHLPats (353) and @tigershockey (350) are League's first teams to have 350+ goals in a season since Brandon (369) in 1995-1996.

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) March 21, 2017

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Here’s a look at the 22 WHL head coaches who have more than 300 regular-season victories to their credit (following 2016-17):

1. Ken Hodge (Edmonton, Portland), 742

2. Don Hay (Kamloops, Tri-City, Vancouver) 720

3. Don Nachbaur (Seattle, Tri-City, Spokane) 692

4. Lorne Molleken (Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Regina) 626

5. Ernie McLean (Estevan, New Westminster) 548

6. Mike Williamson (Portland, Calgary, Tri-City) 534

7. Pat Ginnell (Flin Flon, Victoria, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, New Westminster) 518

8. Peter Anholt (Prince Albert, Seattle, Red Deer, Kelowna, Lethbridge) 466

    Jack Shupe (Medicine Hat, Victoria) 466

10. Dean Clark (Calgary, Brandon, Kamloops, Prince George) 465

11. Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon) 456

12. Bob Lowes (Seattle, Brandon, Regina) 453

13. Brent Sutter (Red Deer) 441

14. Marc Habscheid (Kamloops, Kelowna, Chilliwack, Victoria, Prince Albert) 424

15. Doug Sauter (Calgary, Medicine Hat, Regina, Brandon) 417

16. Marcel Comeau (Calgary, Saskatoon, Tacoma, Kelowna) 411

17. Bryan Maxwell (Medicine Hat, Spokane, Lethbridge) 397

18. Graham James (Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Calgary) 349

19. Bob Loucks (Lethbridge, Tri-City, Medicine Hat) 340

20. Willie Desjardins (Saskatoon, Medicine Hat) 333

21. Kevin Constantine (Everett) 326

22. Shaun Clouston, Medicine Hat 320

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#WHL Kootenay is first in "Internet Era" to suffer from 10 overtime losses in a single season.  RD and EVT were at 9, most since SEA in 2004

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) March 21, 2017

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Colin Priestner, the general manager of the Saskatoon Blades, says the team’s coaching staff will be back for another go-round next season.

When Taking Note queried Priestner on that subject, he quickly responded: “For sure. They did an

unbelievable job.”

Dean Brockman was in his first season as head coach, after spending two seasons working with Bob Woods, the previous head coach, who now is an assistant with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Bryce Thoma and Ryan Keller completed their first seasons as Saskatoon’s assistant coaches. Of course, Jerome Engele, the other assistant coach, is a Blades lifer.

The Blades have yet to appear in the postseason during the Priestner era. Mike Priestner, who is based in Edmonton, purchased the team prior to the 2013-14 season. The Blades had been the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup tournament.

This season, they dealt with a number of long-term injuries, but were in the playoff chase right to the final weekend.

Meanwhile, Steve Ewen of Postmedia points out that “Jason McKee is the longest-serving (head) coach that the Vancouver Giants have had among the past four bench bosses. He’s lasted an entire season.”

The Giants missed the playoffs in McKee’s first season behind their bench, but they went all-in for the future at the trade deadline and also paid the price when F Tyler Benson and D Darian Skeoch, two key performers, had their seasons cut short by injuries.

Vancouver is on the outside looking in for a third straight season, and the fourth time in five springs, 

Still, as Ewen writes, “By all accounts, owner Ron Toigo is bringing back McKee, 37, and general manager Glen Hanlon, 60, for a second season. There’s a calm. They need to capitalize on that.”

Ewen’s piece is right here.

McKee has two seasons left on his contract.

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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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#WHL @EdmOilKings sets new @TheWHL record for most wins in overtime with 11, passing '04-05 BDN, '89-'90 POR (9),  47.8% of wins came in OT.

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) March 21, 2017

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The Spokane Chiefs joined the Vancouver Giants as the other Western Conference team not to make the playoffs. Don Nachbaur, the Chiefs’ head coach and the third-winningest coach in WHL regular-season history, has one season left on his contract.

In the Eastern Conference, the other non-playoff teams are the Edmonton Oil Kings, Kootenay Ice and Prince Albert Raiders.

Steve Hamilton, the Oil Kings’ head coach, signed what was announced as a “multi-year” deal in July 2014, and you would think he isn’t going anywhere. He spent four seasons as an assistant under Derek Laxdal and moved up when Laxdal left for a job with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Hamilton has Oil Kings bloodlines — his father, Al, is a former team captain who also captained the Oilers. The Oil Kings committed to a rebuild when they dealt D Aaron Irving and F Lane Bauer, two key 20-year-olds, at the deadline.

The future of Luke Pierce, who has completed two seasons as head coach of the Kootenay Ice, may hinge on what appears to be the impending sale of the franchise. Pierce signed a three-year contract, so has a year left on his deal. The Ice went young two seasons ago and has paid a steep price, going 26-99-19 during Pierce’s stint in Cranbrook.

In Prince Albert, veteran WHL coach Marc Habscheid has a contract that runs through 2018-19. He took over from the fired Cory Clouston on Nov. 1, 2014.

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#WHL 5 players (Wong, Steenbergen, Steel, Halbgewachs, Phillips) record 50+ goals this season, most in League since 1997-1998 (8).

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) March 21, 2017

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Rick Westhead, a senior reporter with TSN, has filed his latest piece on the proposed class-action lawsuits that more than 400 present and former major junior players have filed. The lawyers were in a Calgary courtroom last month and, while there hasn’t been a decision rendered from there just yet, the scene now has shifted to Toronto.

“The Ontario Hockey League says its teams may have to pare back their drug education, anti-doping, concussion management, and medical and dental programs if the league loses a minimum-wage lawsuit, according to a new court filing,” Westhead writes.

“The OHL made the claims days before it appears in Ontario Superior Court on Tuesday to begin a hearing into whether a lawsuit filed against the league by former players should be certified as a class action.”

According to a rebuttal filed by the plaintiffs: “. . . The vast majority of the benefits which the defendants claim are threatened are not true player benefits. It would be impossible for the league to operate without coaches, away games, billeting, equipment, etc. Accordingly, the likelihood of these ‘benefits’ being cut is virtually nil.”

Westhead’s latest story is right here.

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MONDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 1, best-of-seven series)

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Victoria at Everett, 7:35 p.m.

Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.

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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)

Red Deer at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Hay closing on 700 victories . . . Shearer wins it for Wheaties . . . Americans sweep Chiefs

As we head into 2017, here’s a look at the number of regular-season victories for each of the WHL’s 22 head coaches:

Don Hay, Kamloops 698

Don Nachbaur, Spokane 680

Mike Williamson, Tri-City 515

Brent Sutter, Red Deer 428

Marc Habscheid, Prince Albert 411

Kevin Constantine, Everett 307

Shaun Clouston, Medicine Hat 296

Mike Johnston, Portland 252

Dave Lowry, Victoria 243

Steve Konowalchuk, Seattle 192

Mark French, Calgary 101

John Paddock, Regina 97

Tim Hunter, Moose Jaw 84

Steve Hamilton, Edmonton 82

Brent Kisio, Lethbridge 64

Richard Matvichuk, Prince George 27

David Anning, Brandon, 27

Jason Smith, Kelowna 23

Emanuel Viveiros, Swift Current 20

Luke Pierce, Kootenay 20

Jason McKee, Vancouver 14

Dean Brockman, Saskatoon 14

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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Kamloops, the Victoria Royals scored the game’s first six goals as they beat the Blazers, 6-1. . . .

CHAZ REDDEKOPP

Victoria got goals from six different players. . . . The Royals took control as F Matt Phillips got No. 26 at 17:31 of the first period and F Regan Nagy (11) counted 42 seconds into the second period. . . . F Tyler Soy added his 16th, shorthanded, at 11:09, with Jack Walker scoring his 20th, at 14:04. . . . F Dante Hannoun (15) made it 5-0 at 1:00 of the third period, with F Ethan Price (3) making it 6-0 at 13:03. . . . Kamloops F Nick Chyzowski scored his 10th goal at 18:47 of the third. . . . The Royals got two assists from F Vladimir Bobylev, with Walker, Phillips, Soy and Nagy each adding one. . . . Victoria D Chaz Reddekopp drew one assist, running his point streak to 11 games. He has four goals and 10 assists during that stretch. . . . G Griffen Outhouse blocked 30 shots to earn the victory. . . . Kamloops starter Dylan Ferguson gave up five goals on 36 shots in 41:00. Max Palaga finished up, surrendering one goal on seven shots in 18:59 in his regular-season debut. . . . The Blazers were 0-2 on the PP; the Royals were 0-3. . . . Victoria (21-15-4) has points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . The Blazers (23-15-2) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,648.

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At Moose Jaw, D James Shearer’s PP goal in OT gave the Brandon Wheat Kings a 2-1 victory over the

JAMES SHEARER

Warriors. . . . Shearer scored his fifth goal at 2:40 of extra time. . . . F Noah Gregor (20) had given Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 11:08 of the third period. . . . Brandon tied it when F Stelio Mattheos scored his 13th goal, on a PP, at 18:31 with G Jordan Papirny on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . F Ty Lewis had two assists for Brandon. . . . Wheat Kings F Reid Duke, who scored in OT to give host Brandon a 4-3 victory over Moose Jaw on Friday, drew an assist on Shearer’s goal. . . . Last night, the goaltenders stole the show, as they combined for 71 saves. . . . Papirny finished with 35 saves, one fewer than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . Brandon was 2-6 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-6. . . . Brandon was without F Connor Gutenberg and F Meyer Nell, both of whom left with undisclosed injuries during Friday’s first period. . . . The Wheat Kings (18-15-4) have won three in a row — one in a shootout and two in OT. . . . The Warriors (21-9-7) have points in three straight (1-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 3,307.

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At Portland, F Luke Ormsby broke a 2-2 tie at 10:22 of the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds got

LUKE ORMSBY

past the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . Portland F Ryan Hughes gave his guys a 1-0 lead with his 14th goal, at 14:38 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor (18) tied it, shorthanded, at 11:50 of the second period. . . . F Cody Glass (20) got that one back for Portland, at 16:42. . . . Seattle pulled even when F Zack Andrusiak (4) scored at 5:26 of the third period. . . . Ormsby, who had an assist on Andrusiak’s goal, won it with his second goal of the season. . . . Andrusiak drew an assist on the winner. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth stopped 20 shots, 10 fewer than Portland’s Cole Kehler. . . . Seattle was 0-4 on the PP; Portland was 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds (19-14-4) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Winterhawks (21-18-1) had won their last two games, including a 2-1 victory over the host Thunderbirds on Friday night. . . . D Austin Strand, acquired Friday from the Red Deer Rebels, had an assist in his Seattle debut. . . . Announced attendance: 10,947.

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Happy New Year from the Ams!! 🎉🎉🎉 Thanks for making us part of your New Year's Eve Tradition! #NoiseFTB pic.twitter.com/o9EVCDjOJa

— Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans) January 1, 2017

TYLER SANDHU

At Kennewick, Wash., F Tyler Sandhu scored two goals to help the Tri-City Americans to a 3-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . One night earlier, the Americans won 6-3 in Spokane. . . . Last night, F Riley McKay’s second goal of the season gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 13:32 of the first period. . . . Sandhu tied it on a PP at 8:46 of the second period. . . . Tri-City took the lead on F Vladislav Lukin’s 16th goal, at 12:38 of the third period. . . . Sandhu iced it with his 11th goal, an empty-netter on a PP, at 19:37. . . . Lukin also had two assists, as did D Parker Wotherspoon. . . . The Americans got 29 saves from G Rylan Parenteau, while Spokane’s Jayden Sittler turned aside 30 shots. . . . Tri-City was 2-5 on the PP; Spokane was 0-3. . . . The Americans (22-16-3) have won two straight games. . . . The Chiefs (15-16-6) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,869.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Edmonton, 2 p.m.

Prince Albert at Regina, 4 p.m.

Swift Current at Saskatoon, 2:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Doing some scattershooting . . . Tigers waive veteran d-man . . . Bauer wins it for Oil Kings

Two of the WHL’s 22 teams have yet to lose in regulation time. The Prince George Cougars are 8-0-0; the Regina Pats are 4-0-2. Who had the Cougars perfect at this point, especially when they opened with four road games?

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The WHL’s two winningest active head coaches will meet in Kamloops on Wednesday as the Spokane Chiefs meet the Blazers. Don Hay of the Blazers has 678 victories, No. 2 on the all-time list, while Spokane’s Don Nachbaur is No. 3 at 666. However, the teams are a combined 4-8-0 so you know neither is too pleased at this point of the season.

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The Blazers opened the season at home — you may recall they thrashed the Kelowna Rockets, 9-2 — then went on the road for seven games, during which they went 2-5.

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Mike Williamson, the head coach of the Tri-City Americans, is soon to become the seventh member of the WHL’s 500 Club. He has 497 regular-season coaching victories, split among the Portland Winterhawks, Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans. He’s an aww-shucks kind of guy, but he should wear the milestone with pride, especially when you consider the lean seasons he had in Portland.

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The late Pat Ginnell is No. 6 on the all-time list, at 518 victories, meaning Mike Williamson should pass him this season. . . . There are only two other active WHL head coaches with at least 400 victories. Brent Sutter of the Red Deer Rebels is at 414, while Marc Habscheid of the Prince Albert Raiders has 405.

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The start of the NHL’s regular season can’t get here quickly enough. Because hopefully it will mean an end to those gawd-awful Sportsnet commercials that feature Ron MacLean trying to be the voice of God.

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And then there’s that other Sportsnet commercial for Hockey Night in Canada that features Brian Burke, an American, telling viewers how hockey is the heart of Canada. Puh-leeze!

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If you have spent part of any summer in Regina, you will know all about the Milky Way. It closed for the season on Sunday, meaning winter officially has arrived in the Queen City.

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F Nolan Patrick didn’t play for the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday night when they dropped a ?? decision to the Pats in Regina. The party line had him out with an illness, although there was a report that he had been given a maintenance day after playing at home on Friday night. Patrick is coming off sports hernia surgery in July. A note to Brandon head coach David Anning: Please, no maintenance day for Patrick when you’re in Kamloops on Dec. 4.

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How mind-boggling is it that someone like Donald Trump has gotten this close to being POTUS?

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Thanksgiving Bird ready. Canadian thanksgiving in the USA. pic.twitter.com/YL6T0keJKr

— Robert (Bob) Tory (@BTORY) October 10, 2016

Was a privilege to play, and become men with you brotha, all the best this season @clouston25 ❤️ #drinks

— Chad Butcher (@c_butcher21) October 6, 2016

It would appear that the Medicine Hat Tigers have gotten down to three 20-year-olds by waiving D Connor Clouston, the son of Shaun Clouston, the team’s general manager and head coach. . . . Clouston's name no longer is on the Tigers’ roster, where the 20s are F Steve Owre, F Chad Butcher and D Clayton Kirichenko. . . . A third-round pick by the Kamloops Blazers in the 2011 bantam draft, Clouston has played in 158 regular-season games, split between the Blazers (81), Moose Jaw Warriors (21) and the Tigers (56). He has three goals and eight assists. . . . Clouston hadn’t played in any of the Tigers’ first seven games this season.

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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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@SCBroncos will be wearing great unis tomorrow. Bid on one (or several) and support the fight against cancer. 2:00 puck drop #pinkintherink pic.twitter.com/0nReeBrRnw

— Jamie LeBlanc (@Butter_29) October 10, 2016

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SUNDAY’S GAME:

Going further back Edmonton has won 16 of last 19 meetings and have just 1 regulation loss in that stretch.

— Corey Graham (@CoreyGraham) October 9, 2016

At Saskatoon, F Lane Bauer’s goal in OT gave the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Blades. . . . The Oil Kings won the faceoff to open OT and the Blades never had possession before Bauer scored his third goal this season. . . . F Colton Kehler gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead at 18:14 of the first period. . . . The Blades took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Logan Christensen, at 4:00 of the second period, and D Bryton Sayers, at 2:16 of the third. . . . F Adam Berg forced extra time with a PP goal at 3:21. . . . Bauer added an assist to his goal. . . . The Blades got two assists from D Libor Hajek. . . . G Liam Hughes stopped 22 shots for Edmonton, with Brock Hamm blocking 31 for Saskatoon. . . . Edmonton was 2-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-6. . . . The Oil Kings (3-3-1) had been 0-3-1 in their previous four games. They have won each of their last six games in ’Toontown. . . . The Blades (4-2-1) had won three in a row. . . . It was an afternoon game, meaning the Blades started a second game about 16 hours after finishing a Saturday night affair. . . . The Blades open a road swing against the Rockets in Kelowna on Friday. . . . Announced attendance: 2,758.

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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Vancouver at Calgary, 4 p.m.

Kootenay at Swift Current, 2 p.m.

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Gatenby burns ex-mates . . . Giants, Rebels cut deal . . . New deal for Nachbaur . . . Warriors stun Wheat Kings

D Joe Gatenby went into opening night with five goals in 174 career regular-season games with the Kelowna Rockets.

In his first game with the Kamloops Blazers on Friday night, he scored twice and added an assist in a 9-2 victory over the visiting Rockets. (Originally, he was credited with two assists, but one was taken

JOE GATENBY

away at some point after the game.)

It was his first career two-goal game and his second three-point outing.

“Joe Gatenby was probably our best player,” Kamloops head coach Don Hay said after his side had torched the short-staffed Rockets — they dressed 15 skaters — for six power-play goals on 10 opportunities.

(You’re right . . . it’s not a good idea to give up 10 PP chances when you’ve only got 15 skaters dressed.)

Anyway . . . 

“We were fortunate that we were able to capitalize on our power play early,” said Gatenby, a Kelowna native whose first goal came with the man advantage. 

Gatenby’s second goal was credited to freshman F Scott Mahovlich, but was switched during the second intermission.

“I felt kind of bad about that,” said Gatenby, knowing that it would have been Mahovlich’s first WHL goal. “I’m not sure about really what happened there.”

What happened is that the Rockets were having one of those nights. In this case, G Brodan Salmon, while being pressured, reached out with his stick to pull the puck underneath him. However, the puck went right underneath him and into the net. The goal was given to Mahovlich, who was the closest Kamloops player to the puck at the time. However, the official scorekeeper reviewed the play and the goal was given to Gatenby, because he had been the last of the Blazers to touch the puck.

“I didn’t know what happened,” Gatenby said with a chuckle.

Gatenby was acquired by the Blazers in the hopes that he would give them a strong defensive game and eat up a lot of the minutes that came available with the graduation of Ryan Rehill, who played a regular shift and also was a stalwart on the power-play and penalty-killing units. So far, so good.

“I’m really enjoying my time,” Gatenby said. “I really like my teammates and the coaching staff has been really good and really easy to work with.”

And don’t look now but he’s tied for the WHL lead in goals and points, as the Blazers go into Kelowna for a Saturday night rematch.

“I’m really good friends with pretty much the whole team,” Gatenby said as he looked ahead to tonight. “I’m focused on the Blazers right now but I know how tough it is (to lose like that). We also had a lot of fortunate power plays. They’re going to bring more to the rink tomorrow.”

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The Vancouver Giants announced late Friday night that they have acquired F Taden Rattie, 18, from the Red Deer Rebels for a sixth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Rattie, from Airdrie, Alta., is the younger brother of former Portland Winterhawks sniper Ty Rattie. . . . Taden, 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, had one goal in 25 games with the Rebels last season. He is expected to join the Giants in time to play tonight against the host Everett Silvertips. . . . Everett beat the Giants, 7-3, in Langley on Friday night. . . . The Rebels had acquired the younger Rattie from Portland on Dec. 28 for a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft. He never did play for the Winterhawks; in fact, he had committed to Western Michigan before he chose to join the Rebels.

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The Spokane Chiefs have signed head coach Don Nachbaur to a contract extension that runs through 2017-18. That would be his 20th season as a WHL head coach. Nachbaur, who is into his seventh season as the Chiefs’ head coach, was beginning the final season of his contract. . . . Nachbaur also has been head coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Tri-City Americans. In fact, he is atop the all-time coaching victories list with the Chiefs (234) and Americans (235). . . . The Chiefs open the regular season against the host Americans on Saturday night. That will move Nachbair into a tie with Mike Babcock for most Chiefs games coached (424). . . . Nachbaur also is one of only four men to have recorded more than 600 WHL regular-season coaching victories. He is third on the all-time list, at 665, behind Ken Hodge (742) and Don Hay (675). Lorne Molleken (626) is the fourth member of the 600 Club.

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The Calgary Hitmen have placed G Nik Amundrud on the injured list with an undisclosed injury suffered during the exhibition season. Brad Curle, the radio voice of the Hitmen, reports that Amundrud, who will turn 19 on Oct. 20, is “expected to be sidelined until December.” . . . With Amundrud out of the picture, at least for now, the Hitmen go into the season with two goaltenders — Cody Porter, 19, and Kyle Dumba, 18. . . . Amundrud was 10-7-0, 2.53, .899 in 21 appearances with the Hitmen last season after coming over from the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Porter, who turned 19 on Friday, was 24-11-2, 2.98, .885 in 41 games after being acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Dumba, a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, got into 10 games, going 2-3-2, 4.30, .857.

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The Medicine Hat Tigers have added G Jake Morrissey, 19, to their roster after he was released by the Vancouver Giants. . . . Morrissey was 1-6-0, 5.07, .853 in 10 appearances with the Giants last season. He also played with the Saskatoon Blades and two AJHL’s teams — the Drayton Valley Thunder and Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . In 2014-15, Morrissey was 8-1-1, 1.98, .932 in 11 games with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . With starter Nick Schneider in camp with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, the Tigers needed someone to partner with Duncan McGovern, 16, on their roster. . . . McGovern, from Winnipeg, was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He got into six exhibition games, going 3-0-0, 2.00, .925 in 240 minutes. He also recorded two shutouts. . . . In 25 career appearances, split among Kelowna, Vancouver and Saskatoon, Morrissey is 9-9-1, 3.60, .885. Kelowna selected him in the fifth round of the 2012 bantam draft.

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The Prince Albert Raiders have signed F Zack Andrusiak, an 18-year-old list player from Yorkton, Sask. He had 51 points, including 32 goals, in 32 games with the junior B Kamloops Storm last season. He also played in 15 games with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, recording two assists. In 2014-15, he was pointless in seven games with the Tri-City Americans, while putting up 38 points, 14 of them goals, in 37 games with the junior B North Okanagan Knights. . . . He is a nephew of former Seattle Thunderbirds assistant coach Perry Andrusiak, who also did a stint as the Regina Pats’ assistant GM.

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JUST NOTES:

D Ryely McKinstry no longer is shown on the roster of the Vancouver Giants. Concussion-related issues limited him to 11 games last season. The 18-year-old Calgarian was a second-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . 

The Calgary Hitmen have released F Justyn Gurney, 16, from their roster. Gurney, from Delta, B.C., was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He is expected to join the major midget West Valley Hawks. . . . 

D Jacob Cardiff, 20, has joined the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of his hometown of Wilcox, Sask. Cardiff spent the previous three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, but was released and cleared 20-year-old waivers.

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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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I think he cut in line @SieraBearchell #missuniversecanada #mjwarriors #mosaicplace @bdnwheatkings @TheWHL #CityMJ #UnfinishedBusiness pic.twitter.com/7ASkb0YiAU

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) September 24, 2016

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FRIDAY GAMES:

At Calgary, F Taylor Sanheim scored in the fifth round of a shootout as the Hitmen beat the Kootenay Ice, 3-2. . . . The Hitmen thought they had won with 29.3 seconds left in OT but a potential goal was waved off after video review. Both teams had gone to their dressing rooms, so had to return to the ice. . . . F Zak Zborosky gave the Ice a 1-0 lead at 19:23 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Murphy Stratton’s PP goal at 3:58 of the second. . . . Kootenay went back in front when F Tanner Sidaway scored at 19:31. . . . The Hitmen forced OT on F Tyler Mrkonjic’s goal at 1:18 of the third. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter turned aside 28 shots, one more than the Ice’s Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 7,524.

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At Kamloops, D Joe Gatenby scored two goals, set up another and was named the game’s first star as the Blazers powered their way to a 9-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna, with six players at NHL camps, dressed only 15 skaters, three under the maximum. . . . Kamloops was 6-10 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-8. . . . Gatenby was acquired from the Rockets in a summer deal that sent F Jake Kryski the other way. Gatenby’s brother, Dan, who was scratched last night, also moved to Kamloops in the exchange. Joe went into the game with five goals in 174 regular-season games with the Rockets. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind forged a 1-1 tie 34 seconds into the second period. . . . Kamloops scored the next four goals, with the last three of them coming on the PP. . . . Kamloops F Jackson Shepard scored twice, while F Collin Shirley had a goal and two assists. D Dawson Davidson, F Scott Mahovlich and Conner McDonald, a defenceman who played right wing in this one, each had two assists and F Rudolfs Balcers scored once and added an assist, as did D Luke Zazula and F Spencer Bast. . . . Lind and F Jake Kryski each had a goal and an assist for Kelowna. . . . Kamloops fans chanted ‘Warm Up the Bus’ and ‘We Want 10’ as time wound down on the third period. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson stopped 29 shots. Kelowna starter Michael Herringer gave up four goals on 18 shots, with Brodan Salmond coming on at 4:56 of the second period. He was beaten five times on 16 shots. . . . The game marked the head-coaching debut of Kelowna’s Jason Smith, a former WHL defenceman (Regina, 1991-93) who went on to play 1,008 regular-season and 68 playoff games in the NHL. His only coaching experience prior to signing with the Rockets was two seasons (2014-16) as an assistant with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Smith is the Rockets’ fourth head coach in four seasons after Ryan Huska had been in charge for seven seasons. . . . The Blazers now head out for seven straight road games, starting tonight in Kelowna. . . . Announced attendance: 4,063. That was the second-smallest home-opener crowd since the Blazers’ home arena opened in time for the 1992-93 season. Last season, attendance at the opener was 3,937 as Kelowna posted a 7-3 victory.

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Tonight marks the start of broadcasting 47 years of Tigers hockey.  Still a rush.

— Bob Ridley (@BobRidley_CHAT) September 23, 2016

At Lethbridge, the Hurricanes doubled the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-2, with four of the game’s goals coming via the PP. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-0 first-period lead and never trailed. . . . D Calen Addison scored the game’s first goal, his first in the WHL. Lethbridge selected him second overall in the 2015 bantam draft. He also drew an assist on the game’s second goal. Early last season, with the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings, he suffered a broken leg that required surgery. . . . Both goals came on the PP. . . . Lethbridge was 2-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 2-6. . . . Hurricanes F Ryley Lindgren had a goal and two assists. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 41 shots for the winners, while Duncan McGovern stopped 16 for the visitors. . . . Announced attendance: 5,009.

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Welcome to the WHL @branden_crowe. Calling his first WHL regular season game from his cell phone thanks to Internet issues in Moose Jaw.

— Mike Fraser (@MikeFraser29) September 24, 2016

At Moose Jaw, F Tanner Jeannot scored 29 seconds into OT to give the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Warriors scored the game’s last three goals, with F Jayden Halbgewachs forcing OT when he scored with 4.7 seconds left in the third period. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick, who missed all of the exhibition season after undergoing sports hernia surgery in July, was in the Wheat Kings’ lineup and scored the game’s first goal at 8:57 of the first period. . . . F Stelio Mattheos gave Brandon a 2-0 lead at 18:22. . . . Moose Jaw cut into the lead at 18:09 of the third period when F Ryan Bowen scored. . . . D Matt Sozanski had two assists for the Warriors. . . . Halbgewachs, Patrick and Mattheos each had one assist. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 32 shots, one more than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Warriors were 0-2 on the PP; the Wheaties were 0-5. . . . Darryl Anning, 30, the youngest head coach in the WHL, made his debut with the Wheat Kings, although he had served as the team’s interim head coach for a bit last season while Kelly McCrimmon was with Canada’s national junior team. . . . McCrimmon, who also had been the team’s GM, now is assistant GM with the NHL’s Las Vegas franchise. Grant Armstrong moved over from the Victoria Royals to take over as Brandon’s GM. . . . Announced attendance: 3,744.

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At Red Deer, D Aaron Irving, named team captain earlier in the day, scored 26 seconds into OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Akash Bains gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 3:31 of the first period, with F Tyler Robertson tying it at 5:50. . . . Red Deer went back out front when F Evan Polei, who was injured in the preseason, scored at 19:30. . . . Edmonton D Kyle Yewchuk forced OT with a goal at 17:27 of the third period. . . . One of the assists on Irving’s winner went to F Lane Bauer. Irving and Bauer were returned by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers in time to play in the opener. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb, who was 1.98, .940 in three exhibition games, blocked 30 shots. . . . The Oil Kings were 0-5 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-1. . . . Announced attendance: 5,274.

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At Regina, F Simon Stransky’s second goal, at 2:57 of OT, gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Stransky, who returned from the Boston Bruins’ rookie camp on Thursday, also had an assist. . . . Raiders F Kolten Olynek added a goal and an assist. . . . Regina got a goal and an assist from D Chase Harrison. . . . Regina F Riley Woods scored the first goal of this regular season, sniping at 1:22 of the first period. . . . Stransky’s first goal, at 4:24 of the third, pulled the visitors into a 2-2 tie. . . . Olynek put the Raiders out front at 5:32. . . . Regina F Braydon Buziak forced OT at 15:12. . . . Prince Albert G Ian Scott was outstanding, with 42 saves, 12 more than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . The Raiders were 1-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-3. . . . The Raiders were without F Drew Warkentine as he completed a three-game suspension he picked up during the exhibition season. . . . Each team still has five players at NHL camps. . . . Announced attendance: 4,830.

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At Swift Current, F Jesse Shynkaruk, who came to camp hoping to land a 20-year-old spot, scored twice and added an assist as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Broncos, 5-1. . . . It was the first game of the Broncos’ 50th season. . . . D Mark Rubinchik added three assists for the Blades, with F Mason McCarty getting a goal and an assist, and F Braylon Shmyr chipping in two assists. . . . The game’s starting goaltenders, Logan Flodell of the Blades and Taz Burman of the Broncos, both are former Seattle Thunderbirds stoppers. . . . Flodell made 21 saves, losing his shutout when D Artyom Minulin scored on a PP at 19:28 of the third period. . . . Burman turned aside 28 shots. . . . Saskatoon was 1-7 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-4. . . . F Cole Johnson, who was limited by injury to 10 games over the past two seasons, was in Swift Current’s lineup. Johnson, 18, was a second-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Les Lazaruk, the veteran radio voice of the Blades, points out that Saskatoon opened against the Broncos for only the second time. The first time was on Oct. 8, 1967, which was the Broncos’ first home game. . . . Yes, they opened seasons in October back in the day. . . . This marked Dean Brockman’s first game as the Blades’ head coach. He moved up from assistant coach when Bob Woods left for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . Former WHL D Emanuel Viveiros was behind the Broncos’ bench for the first time as their head coach. He replaced Mark Lamb, who now is head coach of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. . . . Announced attendance: 2,316.

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Great Tribute to Charlie Hodge. Kudos to the Vancouver Giants pic.twitter.com/To7lIIagXo

— Shane Malloy (@ShaneMalloy) September 24, 2016

At Langley, B.C., F Graham Millar and F Devon Skoleski each scored twice to help the Everett Silvertips to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Everett, which according to the prognosticators will have trouble scoring goals, struck four times in the game’s first 11:27. . . . F Matt Fonteyne had three assists for Everett, while D Jake Christiansen had a goal and an assist. D Lucas Skrumeda and F Patrick Bajkov helped out with two assists. . . . The Giants got two goals from F Dawson Holt and two assists from F Johnny Wesley. . . . Everett G Mario Petit stopped 20 shots, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic turned aside 26. . . . The Silvertips were 2-4 on the PP; the Giants were 0-3. . . . Vancouver D Matt Barberis left in the second period and didn’t return. . . . This was the first regular-season game for the Vancouver tandem of general manager Glen Hanlon and head coach Jason McKee. Hanlon replaced Scott Bonner, who had been the only GM in franchise history before moving to The Sports Corporation as a player agent. McKee takes over from Lorne Molleken, who was fired with a couple of games left in the 2015-16 season. McKee, 37, had been with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints for 10 seasons, the past seven as GM/head coach. . . . It was the Giants’ first regular-season game of this season in their new home, the Langley Events Centre. They had called Pacific Coliseum home since arriving for the 2001-02 season. . . . Announced attendance: 4,875.

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At Victoria, F Colby McAuley scored twice to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 victory over the Royals. . . . The Cougars also got a big game from their penalty killers, who were 9-for-9. . . . D Max Martin gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead at 6:53 and McAuley upped it to 2-0 at 9:49. . . . F Ty Westgard cut into the lead at 15:03 of the second, but the Cougars were able to hang on until McAuley got an empty-netter at 19:03 of the third. . . . F Kody McDonald had two assists for the visitors. . . . The Cougars got 30 saves from G Ty Edmonds, while Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse stopped 17 shots. . . . Prince George was 0-4 on the PP. . . . The Royals were without F Carter Folk, 20, as he served Game 3 of a five-game suspension he incurred during the exhibition season. . . . Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk picked up his first victory in his first regular-season game. He replaced Mark Holick, who parted company with the Cougars with a year left on his contract and now is coaching in Italy. . . . Announced attendance: 6,539.
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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Seattle at Portland, 7 p.m.

Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Prince George at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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SUNDAY GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Saskatoon, 2:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.

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