Showing posts with label Donovan Neuls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donovan Neuls. Show all posts

Friday, May 5, 2017

Grenfell fella is Game 1 hero . . . Seattle wins in OT . . . Bear has hand in victory


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 F Šimon Stránský (Prince Albert, 2014-17) has signed a long-term contract with Vítkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had 22 goals and 26 assists in 57 games with the Raiders. Stransky, who will turn 20 on Dec. 21, would have been eligible to return to the Raiders for one more season. . . .
F Brock Nixon (Kamloops, Calgary, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Esbjerg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), he had 20 goals and 27 assists in 45 games. He was the team captain, an all-star and finished sixth in the league’s scoring race. . . .
D Rory Rawlyk (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 2000-03) has signed a one-season contract with the Sydney Ice Dogs (Australia, AIHL). The AIHL regular season began on April 22. Rawlyk signed a one-year contract for next season with Memmingen (Germany, Oberliga) on Tuesday. . . .
F Tyler Spurgeon (Kelowna, 2001-06) has signed a one-year extension with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). The team captain, he had 14 goals and 29 assists in 52 games this season. . . .
F Pavel Padakin (Calgary, Regina, 2012-15) has signed a one-year one-way extension with Sochi (Russia, KHL). This season, he had six goals and six assists in 52 games. . . . 
F Vitali Karamnov (Everett, 2007-08) has signed a one-year extension with Dynamo St. Petersburg (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). This season, the team’s captain had nine goals and 10 assists in 49 games. . . .
F Steven Kuhn (Spokane, 2008-12) has signed a one-year contract with Caen (France, Division 1). This season, he had 10 goals and 10 assists in 24 games with Neuilly-sur-Marne (France, Division 1). Kuhn is spending our summer playing with the Newcastle North Stars (Australia, AIHL). In four games, he has a goal and four assists. . . .
F Marcin Kolusz (Vancouver, 2003-04) has signed a one-year contract with Podhale Nowy Targ (Poland, PHL). This season, with Tychy (Poland, KHL), he had nine goals and 13 assists in 32 games. . . . 
F Maximilian Brandl (Prince Albert, Portland, 2007-09) has signed a one-year contract with Bad Nauheim (Germany, DEL2). This season, he had seven goals and 13 assists in 52 games with the Revensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2).
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 I was MIA on Thursday, thanks to a flu bug, but here’s a look at a couple of trades that took place during the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft.
The Victoria Royals surrendered a sixth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft to get F Yan Khomenko, 19, from the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Khomenko, who is from Novosibirsk, Russia, is preparing for his third WHL season and the Royals will be
YAN KHOMENKO
his fourth team. He began his career with the Everett Silvertips in 2015-16, then split this season between the Prince George Cougars and Moose Jaw.
This season, he totalled 15 goals and 16 assists in 68 games. In Everett, he had five goals and three assists in 46 games.
Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, has had good luck in acquiring European players from elsewhere in the WHL, rather than go through the machinations of the CHL import draft.
Hope picked up F Vladimir Bobylev from the Vancouver Giants, and got D Marsel Ibragimov from the Edmonton Oil Kings. Both are from Russia.
Bobylev had three goals and six assists in 52 games with the Giants in 2014-15, then had 67 points, 28 of them goals, in 72 games with Victoria the next season. After that season, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL draft. This season, he had 36 points, including 27 assists, in 38 games with the Royals.
On Oct. 10, 2014, the Royals claimed Ibragimov off waivers after he had played one game with the Oil Kings. In 182 games with Victoria, he has three goals and 18 assists.
Bobylev and Ibragimov are eligible to return for their 20-year-old seasons, but would be two-spotters, so it’s unlikely both would be back. Considering that Bobylev started this season playing professionally in Russia, it could be that he won’t be back in Victoria.
Moose Jaw now has room to add one import player, who will join Russian D Dmitri Zaitsev, 19, who is expected to return for his sophomore season.
Meanwhile, the Red Deer Rebels acquired F Mason McCarty, 20, from the Saskatoon Blades for a
MASON McCARTY
second-round selection in Thursday’s bantam draft.
The Blades still have at least five 20-year-olds on their roster — D Evan Fiala, G Logan Flodell, G Brock Hamm, F Cameron Hebig and F Braylon Shmyr.
McCarty, a fourth-round pick by the Rebels in the 2012 bantam draft, had been dealt to the Blades on Dec. 14, 2014, as part of a deal that brought D Nelson Nogier to Red Deer.
In 2015-16, McCarty had 18 goals and 10 assists in 64 games. This season, he put up 21 goals and 16 assists in 45 games.
The Rebels now have three 20-year-olds on their roster, the others being G Lasse Petersen and F Grayson Pawlenchuk.
“We have an overage spot available,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, told Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com, “and we’re still undecided about what we’re going to do about the goaltending situation. That might not be decided until September or October.”
The Blades used Red Deer’s second-round pick to select F Braden Plaschewsky of Calgary.
Meachem’s story is right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Mason Mannek, 17, who is from Herriman, Utah. This season, Mannek captained the midget AAA Colorado Thunderbirds, putting up 16 goals and 27 assists in 32 games. He was fourth in scoring in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. . . . F Jake Gricius of the Winterhawks also is out of the Thunderbirds program, as are ex-Winterhawks F Dominic Turgeon and F Alex Overhardt.
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The host Saint John Sea Dogs opened the QMJHL final with a 6-3 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Friday night before an announced crowd of 5,883. They’ll play Game 2 today in Saint John. . . . The Sea Dogs got two goals and an assist from each of F Julien Gauthier and F Matthew Highmore. . . . 
In the OHL, the host Erie Otters opened the championship final with a 2-1 victory over the Mississauga Steelheads on Thursday night. They’ll play Game 2 in Erie on Sunday afternoon.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:




At Regina, F Donovan Neuls scored 14 seconds in OT as the Seattle Thunderbirds opened the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Pats. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Regina tonight. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal, who finished with two assists, took a shot from the left side and the rebound went almost to the blue line from where D Ethan Bear took a shot that hit the cross-bar
DONOVAN NEULS
behind Regina G Tyler Brown. Neuls, from off the right post, banged in the rebound for the victory. . . . The Brandon Wheat Kings won the 2016 WHL title, beating the Thunderbirds in five games. In that series, the first three games went to OT, with Brandon winning each of them by a 3-2 score. . . . Regina now has lost the first game of three straight playoff series. . . . Neuls is from Grenfell, Sask., which is 90 minutes east of Regina. . . . Both regulation-time goals came via 4-on-3 PPs. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs tied the score at 12:11 of the third period, pinching in and scoring off something of a backdoor play from the lower left faceoff circle. That was his fifth goal of these playoffs. . . . Bear had given Seattle a 1-0 lead as he returned from a three-game absence thanks to a hand injury. He showed no ill effects in slapping home a shot from the top of the left circle at 4:55 of the second period. Bear’s shot may have changed direction after hitting Regina D Josh Mahura’s stick. . . . Bear is from the Ochapowace First Nation, which is located not quite two hours east of Regina, so he had lots of fans in the building. . . . Bear hadn’t played since April 25 when he suffered an injury to his left hand late in Game 3 of the Western Conference final against the Kelowna Rockets. Since then, he had been spotted with a soft cast on the hand and a splint protecting two fingers. . . . The Thunderbirds were without F Keegan Kolesar, their leading scorer in these playoffs, as he served a one-game WHL suspension. . . . Regina lost F Adam Brooks, one of their top scorers, 3:37 into the second period when he left the game after absorbing a hit from Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit. It was the second time in these playoffs that Brooks, who put up 250 points over the past two regular seasons, left a game with an injury. He suffered a knee injury in Game 2 of a second-round series with the Swift Current Broncos and didn’t play in the last five games, although he dressed and was on the bench for the last three of those. . . . Following the game, John Paddock, Regina’s general manager and head coach, wouldn’t comment on Brooks’ status, but he was bleeding from the left side of his face as he exited. . . . Bear gave Seattle its first lead just 1:18 after Brooks left the game. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski continued his kingly playoff run with 31 saves. He now is 13-2, 2.39, .917 in these playoffs. His night’s work included a third-period save on Regina F Austin Wagner, who broke in alone while killing a penalty. . . . At the other end, Brown stopped 24 shots. . . . The Pats were 1-3 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 1-4. . . . F Riley Krane, an eighth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft from Dawson Creek, B.C., made his playoff debut with the Pats. . . . Regina’s scratches: G Max Paddock, D Owen Williams, F Jake Leschyshyn (knee), F Duncan Pierce, F Kjell Kjemhus and D Dawson Davidson (undisclosed injury). Leschyshyn and Davidson are regulars but aren’t expected to play in this series. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth, who has yet to dress in these playoffs due to an undisclosed injury, F Elijah Brown, D Jake Lee, F Tyler Carpendale, Kolesar (one-game suspension) and F Dillon Hamaliuk. . . . If you were wondering, the record for the fastest OT goal in a WHL playoff game is held by F Gord Williams of the Lethbridge Broncos. He scored nine seconds in for a 7-6 victory over the visiting Calgary Wranglers on April 11, 1979. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.
Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle has a game story right here.
Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, posted this piece right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 7 p.m. (Seattle leads, 1-0)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:37 PM
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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Mumps still hanging around WHL? . . . Tigers sweep defending champs . . . Polei OT hero in Red Deer


F Jamie Lundmark (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 1998-2001) has signed a one-year extension with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 51 games, he had 26 goals and 25 assists. He led the team in goals and points, while serving as an alternate captain.
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 The mumps may not yet be through with the WHL.
Jon Keen, the voice of the Kamloops Blazers on Radio NL, wasn’t available for Game 4 of a series with the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday night.
Jeremy Bosch, who usually rides shotgun with Keen on home games, handled the play-by-play with Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week providing the analysis.
During the game, Taking Note was told by three sources that Keen has shown symptoms of mumps and has been placed in isolation awaiting test results.
Keen later told Taking Note that his situation is “very premature at this point.”
Keen is in his 14th season as a play-by-play voice in the WHL. Keen began his WHL career with the Swift Current Broncos before moving to Kamloops. He called his 1,000th game on March 8.
With the playoffs here, the Blazers, like other teams, have shut down the information highway, so it’s not known if there is anyone else in the organization with symptoms.
It could be that the Blazers are at least the sixth WHL team to be hit by the mumps, following the Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Swift Current Broncos and Victoria Royals.
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The WHL’s defending champions bowed out last night in Dauphin, Man. The Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2, to sweep the holders of the Ed Chynoweth Cup from the first round. . . . The Wheat Kings played all four games without F Nolan Patrick, who was injured in the second-last game of the regular season. . . . Brandon also was without veteran F Tanner Kaspick. . . . Patrick ended up playing only 33 games this season, putting up 46 points, including 20 goals. He underwent sports hernia surgery in July and missed almost all of training camp. He returned for the season’s first five games, then didn’t play again until Jan. 14. . . . He has been projected as the consensus No. 1 selection for the NHL’s 2017 draft through the entire season. It will be interesting to see if that holds up on June 23 in Chicago.
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The Tri-City Americans were without D Dalton Yorke, 20, for Game 3 of their series with the Seattle Thunderbirds on Wednesday night. Yorke drew a TBD suspension for a hit he delivered during the Game 2’s third period in Kent, Wash., on Saturday night. Yorke took a charging minor at 15:10 for a hit on F Ryan Gropp, who was scratched last night. The suspension came under supplemental discipline, meaning the Thunderbirds sent video to the league and asked for a review. When it comes to supplemental discipline, the injury factor carries a lot of weight. . . . While Yorke was scratched last night, F Vladislav Lukin returned to the Americans after missing Game 2. Tri-City also had F Nolan Yaremko back for this one. He missed the end of the regular season and the first two games of this series after being injured in practice.
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The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, again were without F Mathew Barzal and G Rylan Toth as they took a 2-0 edge into Game 3 last night. Barzal (mumps) hasn’t played since March 7. Barzal, the Western Conference’s player of the year, took the warmup prior to a March 10 game, then left for the dressing room before the anthem. Barzal hasn’t played since then. . . . Toth, who led WHL goaltenders with 36 victories in the regular season, was taken out of a game in Portland on March 11. At the time, it was said to have been for precautionary reasons. He hasn’t played since then. . . . F Ryan Gropp, who apparently was injured in Game 2 on a hit from Tri-City D Dalton Yorke, led the Thunderbirds in goals (35) and points (84) in the regular season.
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Regan Bartel, the play-by-play voice of the Kelowna Rockets, put this note on his blog Wednesday morning:
“The Rockets had their fair share of scoring chances in (Game 3 on Wednesday), but according to the Kelowna Rockets analytics team, the shot clock wasn't exactly true. The Rockets had 23 shots on net, not the 38 that were shining brightly on the Sandman Centre shot clock. If that indeed is true, 23 shots on net won't win you too many games against elite goaltending.”
Ahh, the games inside the playoff games!
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The playoffs are here so when a coach says that an injured player is OK and “he’ll be fine,” well, you take it with a grain of salt. . . . On Sunday, F Giorgio Estephan of the host Lethbridge Hurricanes left in the second period after taking a high-stick from F Michael Spacek of the Red Deer Rebels. Lethbridge head coach Brent Kisio told Dale Woodard of the Lethbridge Herald: “He’s fine. He’s good to go.” . . . Estephan was scratched from Game 3 in Red Deer last night.
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One player who was in the lineup last night in Red Deer was Rebels captain Adam Musil. He hadn’t played since March 4. The next day, he suffered an undisclosed injury in an off-ice incident — he later was seen with a walking boot on an ankle — and was listed as being out week-to-week.
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The Vancouver Giants didn’t make the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hard at work. On Wednesday, they announced the signing of F Cyle McNabb, a list player from Winnipeg. McNabb, who will turn 17 on Sept. 15, spent this season with the Rink Hockey Academy’s prep team, putting up nine goals and 16 assists in 29 games.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
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F Travis Jost has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche, which selected him 10th overall in the NHL’s 2016 draft. This means Jost, who played two seasons with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, will leave the U of North Dakota Fighting Hawks after just one season. The Regina Pats hold his WHL rights, having acquired them from the Everett Silvertips. The Pats will be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup. Hmmm . . .
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It was a tough day for hockey at North Dakota. Earlier in the day, word got out that the school is axing its women’s program. The team was practising at the time that word leaked. . . . Brad E. Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, who covers UND hockey like sand covers a beach, reported that the women’s team had a recruit on campus at the time. Lauren Hennessey had left Boston at 5 a.m., for her UND visit. . . . The announcement came one day after USA Hockey reached an agreement with its women’s national team that averted a boycott of the IIHF World Championship that is to begin Friday in Plymouth, Mich. . . . UND also will be dropping men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.
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Coaching

 The junior B Mission City Outlaws of the 10-team Pacific Junior Hockey League announced Wednesday that co-coaches Mike Drouillard and Brad Veitch have retired. Veitch spent five years with the Outlaws; Drouillard was there for four seasons. . . . The Outlaws then named Mike Renner as their new head coach. Earlier in the day, the PJHL’s Port Moody Panthers had announced that Renner, the team’s interim head coach, wouldn’t be returning. That was announced by Peter Zerbinos, who took over as general manager on March 16. The Panthers finished 16-27-1 this season, putting them fifth in the five-team Tom Shaw Conference. . . . Mission was 18-22-4, which left it fourth in the Harold Brittain Conference.
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WEDNESDAY GAMES:

In Red Deer, F Evan Polei scored 48 seconds into the second OT period to give the Rebels a 4-3 victory
EVAN POLEI
over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Rebels hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Red Deer. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s last three goals, winning it on Polei’s second of the series. This was the first OT game of these WHL playoffs. . . . F Lane Zablocki had given Red Deer a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 2:44 of the first period. . . . The Hurricanes stormed back with three straight goals. . . . F Tyler Wong (2) scored on a PP at 8:51. . . . D Brennan Menell (1) gave the visitors the lead at 18:57 of the second period. . . . F Zak Zborosky (1) upped the lead to 3-1 at 3:10 of the third period. . . . F Brandon Hagel (2) scored on a PP at 16:53, getting the Rebels to within one goal. . . . Red Deer tied it when Zablocki scored his third goal of the series with 19.6 seconds left in the third period. . . . The Rebels got three assists from D Jared Freadrich and two from Polei. . . . Wong had two assists for Lethbridge, with Menell and Zborosky adding one each. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 49 shots for the Rebels, four more than Lethbridge’s Stuart Skinner. . . . Red Deer was 2-5 on the PP. . . . The Hurricanes were 1-2 on the PP. They had been 0-12 before Wong scored. . . . Announced attendance: 5,017.
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At Kennewick, Wash., D Ethan Bear and F Donovan Neuls each had five points as the Seattle Thunderbirds whipped the Tri-City Americans, 9-2. . . . The Thunderbirds hold a 3-0 lead in the series
DONOVAN NEULS
and can end it Friday in Kennewick. . . . The Americans switched goaltenders, going from Rylan Parenteau, who had started the first two games (0-2, 4.65, .875), and bringing Evan Sarthou off the bench. But Sarthou was lifted before the game was 11 minutes old, having allowed three goals on seven shots. . . . Bear, who finished with two goals and three assists, opened the scoring at 2:55. . . . F Scott Eansor (2) made it 2-0 at 7:48 and D Jarret Tyszka (1) upped it to 3-0 at 10:16. . . . Neuls, who scored his second goal and added four helpers, made it 4-0 at 12:03, with D Austin Strand (2) increasing the lead to 5-0 at 17:08. . . . Seattle also got goals from F Keegan Kolesar (3) and F Alexander True (1), with Bear later adding his second of the game and second of the series and Strand scoring his third. . . . F Austyn Playfair (2) and F Morgan Geekie (1) scored for the Americans. . . . True and Kolesar added three assists each. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski stopped 21 shots in running his record to 3-0 in relief of injured starter Rylan Toth. . . . Parenteau allowed six goals on 29 shots in 49:44. . . . Seattle was 3-7 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 2,632.

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At Portland, F Jansen Harkins scored once and added four assists to lead the Prince George Cougars to
JANSEN HARKINS
a 6-1 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Cougars lead the series, 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Portland. They’ll be back in Prince George for Game 5 on Saturday. . . . F Skyler McKenzie (2) gave the Winterhawks a 1-0 lead just 14 seconds into the first period. Who knew the home side wouldn’t score again? . . . Harkins (2) tied it at 8:26 and F Kody McDonald (1) put the Cougars out front, on a PP, at 12:36. . . . F Colby McAuley (1) scored at 17:42 for a 3-0 lead. . . . D Tate Olson (1), F Brogan O’Brien and McAuley (2) added Prince George’s other goals. . . . D Brendan Guhle and F Nikita Popugaev each had two assists for the winners, with McAuley getting one. . . . The Cougars got 37 stops from G Ty Edmonds. . . . Portland starter Cole Kehler allowed six goals on 38 shots in 47:35. Shane Farkas finished up by stopping all seven shots he faced in 12:25. . . . Prince George was 2-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 4,585.
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At Dauphin, Man., the Medicine Hat Tigers ended a goal-less game with two scores in the first two
DAVID QUENNEVILLE
minutes of the third period en route to a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Tigers swept the best-of-seven series and eliminated the defending champions. . . . Medicine Hat had a 37-15 edge in shots through two periods but couldn’t get the puck past Brandon G Logan Thompson. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko finally solved Thompson, scoring his third goal of the series 24 seconds into the third period. . . . D David Quenneville made it 2-0 at 1:31. . . . F Reid Duke got Brandon to within a goal, on a PP, at 3:11. . . . Quenneville replied with his third goal of the series, on a PP, at 12:09. . . . The Wheat Kings got another PP goal, this one from D Kale Clague (1), at 15:48. . . . The Tigers got 23 saves from G Michael Bullion, who went the distance in all four games. . . . Thompson finished with 51 saves. . . . Brandon was 2-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat 1-5. . . . The Wheat Kings took their first-round home games to Credit Union Place in Dauphin because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has taken over the Keystone Centre complex. . . . Announced attendance: 1,825.
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At Kamloops, G Michael Herringer stopped 24 shots to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 1-0 victory over
MICHAEL HERRINGER
the Blazers. . . . The Rockets lead the series, 3-1, with a chance to end it at home on Friday night. . . . Exactly on year earlier, on March 29, 2016, Herringer stopped 40 shots in a 1-0 victory in Kamloops. . . . Last night, Herringer saved the victory with a terrific push across save on Kamloops F Collin Shirley late in the third period. Herringer was trying to smother the puck on the right side of his crease, when it squirted loose. Shirley corralled it behind the net and came out the other side. Herringer somehow got his left pad to the post and stopped the stuff attempt. . . . Herringer now has two shutouts in this series — the Rockets won the opener, 4-0 — and four in his post-season career. . . . Dillon Dube, the best forward on the ice in this one, scored the game’s only goal, at 2:37 of the second period. He’s got three goals in the four games. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram put on quite a show, stopping 48 shots. The Rockets held a 40-14 edge in shots after two periods. . . . Steve Yzerman, the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was in the house. The Lightning selected Ingram in the third round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Kelowna was 0-3 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-7. . . . The Blazers, who beat the visiting Rockets 4-1 on Tuesday night, now are 1-20 on the PP in the four games. . . . The Blazers remain without F Luc Smith, who was hurt in the second-last game of the regular season. . . . Announced attendance: 4,297.
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At Victoria, G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 30 shots as the Royals beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-1. . . .
GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
That series is 2-2 as it heads back to Everett for Game 5 on Friday. Game 6 is scheduled for Victoria on Sunday. . . . Last night, F Regan Nagy (1) gave Victoria a 1-0 lead at 5:03 of the first period and F Dante Hannoun (1) made it 2-0 at 19:16 of the second. . . . Everett got within a goal when F Patrick Bajkov scored his fourth goal of the series, on a PP, at 16:05 of the third period. . . . Everett held a 10-7 edge in shots in the first period and 11-7 in the second. . . . The Silvertips got 18 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals again played without F Jack Walker and D Scott Walford, both of whom have undisclosed injuries. . . . The Silvertips continue to be without F Riley Sutter and F Devon Skolenski, who also have undisclosed injuries. Sutter is believed to be close to returning. . . . Announced attendance: 4,637.
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At Swift Current, F Ryley Lindgren scored three times to lead the Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Moose
RYLEY LINDGREN
Jaw Warriors. . . . The series is tied 2-2 as it heads back to Moose Jaw for Game 5 on Friday night. They’ll be back in Swift Current for Game 6 on Saturday. . . . The Broncos took control with three goals in the first nine minutes of the first period. . . . Lindgren scored twice, at 0:59 and 2:03, with F Tyler Steenbergen making it 3-0 at 8:57. . . . The Warriors made it interesting with a pair of early second-period PP goals, F Brett Howden (1) counting at 1:16 and D Josh Brook (1) finding the range at 2:25. . . . Steenbergen added his fourth goal of the series, on a PP, at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Lindgren iced it with his third goal of the game, and fourth of the series, on a PP, at 19:45. . . . The Warriors got two assists from each of F Jayden Halbgewachs and F Brayden Burke. . . . Swift Current got 30 stops from G Jordan Papirny, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 20. . . . The Broncos were 2-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 2-6. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890. . . . Darren Steinke, the travelling blogger, was on hand for this one. His blog is right here.

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THURSDAY GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m. (Red Deer leads, 2-1)
Regina at Calgary, 7 p.m. (Regina leads, 3-0)
Prince George at Portland, 7 p.m. (Prince George leads, 2-1)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:16 AM
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Friday, January 27, 2017

Pats back on top rung . . . Warriors end Blades' run . . . Hurricanes have points in nine straight



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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Austin Wagner’s goal at 2:05 of OT gave the Regina Pats a 6-5 victory over the Hitmen. . . .
AUSTIN WAGNER
Regina held a 5-3 lead with 11:30 to play in the third period, but the Hitmen came back with two PP goals to force extra time. . . . F Jakob Stukel’s 15th goal, at 8:36, got Calgary to within a goal and D Jake Bean’s third goal of the game, and sixth of the season, tied it at 15:29. . . . Wagner won it with his 21st goal. . . . F Sam Steel, the WHL’s leading scorer, got Regina out to a 1-0 lead at 4:24 of the first period. . . . Bean gave the Hitmen the lead with goals at 14:08 and 14:59, the latter on a PP. . . . Regina took a 4-2 lead on second-period goals from F Jeff de Witt (7), on a PP, at 5:09; F Adam Brooks (26), on another PP, at 6:11, and F Dawson Leedahl (25), at 14:14. . . . Leedahl has goals in seven straight games. . . . F Luke Coleman (9) got the Hitmen to within a goal at 14:52, but Steel’s 36th goal restored the two-goal lead at 5:58 of the third period. . . . Steel, who also had two assists, leads the WHL with 87 points, five more than Brooks. . . . Regina got two assists from F Nick Henry and one each from Leedahl and Brooks. . . . F Matteo Gennaro drew three assists for Calgary, while F Andrei Grishakov and F Mark Kastelic had two. Bean added one to his first career hat trick. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 31 shots for Regina, one fewer than Calgary’s Trevor Martin. . . . Calgary was 3-9 on the PP; Regina was 2-6. . . . The Pats (32-6-7) have won three in a row. They have moved into a tie with the Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . The Hitmen (17-21-9) had points in each of their three previous games (0-1-2). They are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 9,316.
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At Everett, the Portland Winterhawks, with G Cole Kehler stopping 46 shots, scored the game’s first two
COLE KEHLER
goals and its last two as they beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . F Alex Overhardt got the visitors started with his ninth goal, shorthanded, at 10:44 of the opening period. . . . F Evan Weinger’s 14th goal, at 1:33 of the second, proved to be the winner. . . . F Dominic Zwerger scored his 20th goal for Everett, at 7:01. . . . Portland got insurance from F Brad Ginnell, who got his fourth goal at 11:12 of the third period. . . . F Ryan Hughes wrapped it up with his 21st, a shorthanded empty-netter, at 19:43. . . . Kehler won for the 17th time this season. He went into the season with four victories in 32 appearances with the Kamloops Blazers. With Portland, he’s played in 37 games. . . . Everett got 26 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . The Silvertips again were without D Noah Juulsen (undisclosed injury). . . . F Dawson Butt, who is from Buckley, Wash., made his WHL debut with the Silvertips. Butt, 16, plays for the U-16 Everett Jr. Silvertips. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The Winterhawks (24-21-3) have won two in a row and hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Silvertips (30-7-9) have been 2-0-1 in their previous three outings. They are third in the overall standings, two points behind the leaders. . . . Announced attendance: 5,114.
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At Kelowna, the Blazers got two goals from F Rudolfs Balcers and never trailed as they beat the Rockets,
RUDOLFS BALCERS
3-2. . . . F Lane Bauer gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead with his 27th goal — his second goal and 11th point in nine games since coming over from the Edmonton Oil Kings — at 1:26 of the first period. . . . D Lucas Johansen’s third goal, 28 seconds into the second period, got the Rockets even. . . . Balcers, who has 29 goals, gave Kamloops the lead at 5:02. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf (22) tied it, on a PP, at 14:29. . . . Balcers got the winner on a PP at 12:23 of the third period. . . . F Deven Sideroff had two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Nick Merkley drew two helpers for Kelowna, while Thurkauf got one. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 30 shots as he bounced back after getting pulled in the first period of a 6-4 loss to the Winterhawks in Portland on Tuesday. . . . Kelowna got 20 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Kelowna was 1-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-9. . . . The Rockets had F Reid Gardiner (undisclosed injury), F Dillon Dube (strep throat) and F Nolan Foote (ill) back in the lineup. . . . The Blazers (30-17-3) are second in the B.C. Division, five points ahead of the Rockets (27-18-4). . . . Announced attendance: 5,620.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Colton Kroeker had a goal and two assists to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 3-2 victory
COLTON KROEKER
over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs led 1-0 on F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 23rd goal, at 4:48 of the first period. . . . F Brett Davis tied it with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 5:17 of the second period. . . . F Vince Loschiavo’s 16th goal gave the Ice its first lead at 1:42 of the third period. . . . F Eli Zummack pulled the Chiefs into a 2-2 with his sixth goal at 4:04. . . . Kroeker broke the tie, on a PP, with his ninth goal, at 8:28. . . . D Cale Fleury had two assists for the Ice, while Davis and Lischiavo added one each. . . . Kootenay got a big night from G Jakob Walter, who made 38 saves. . . . Spokane got 33 stops from G Jayden Sittler. . . . The Ice was 2-4 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-3. . . . The Ice (12-30-8) had lost its previous three games. . . . The Chiefs (20-21-8) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. They are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Chiefs lost D Jeff Faith to a boarding major and game misconduct at 11:39 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 1,817.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored three times in each of the first two periods as they beat the Edmonton
MATT BRADLEY
Oil Kings, 7-2. . . . F Nicholas Bowman gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal, on a PP, at 1:39 of the opening period. . . . The Tigers responded with three goals before the period ended, with F Mason Shaw getting No. 17, D Dalton Gally scoring his first, and F Matt Bradley getting his 20th. . . . Gally, who turned 19 on Thursday, is a freshman from New Braunfels, Texas. His first goal came in his 37th game. . . . Bradley became the seventh 20-goal man on Medicine Hat’s roster. . . . F Adam Berg got Edmonton’s other goal, his fifth, at 6:51 of the second period. . . . The Tigers scored the game’s last three goals, with D Clayton Kirichenko (7), D Jordan Henderson (3) and F Steve Owre (18) finding the range. . . . Bradley, F Zach Fischer, Owre and F Chad Butcher had two assists apiece, with Henderson adding one. . . . F Riley Stadel had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 24 shots for the Tigers. He has 27 victories, which ties him for the WHL lead with Griffen Outhouse of the Victoria Royals. . . . The Oil Kings got 36 saves from G Josh Dechaine. . . . Edmonton was 1-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-3. . . . The Tigers (33-15-1) have won two in a row. They lead the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Oil Kings (18-26-4) have lost nine straight and are six points out of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 3,323.
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At Moose Jaw, D Josh Brook broke a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Warriors skated to a 4-2 victory
JOSH BROOK
over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Brook’s fifth goal, coming at 4:48, proved to be the winner. . . . F Spencer Bast (8) added insurance at 14:26. . . . Moose Jaw took a 1-0 lead when F Brett Howden scored No. 25, on a PP, at 11:57 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Jesse Shynkaruk’s 22nd goal tied it at 5:04 of the second period. . . . The Warriors went ahead on F Yan Khomenko’s 12th goal, at 11:56. . . . The Blades tied it again when D Bryton Sayers got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 14:44. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs, F Branden Klatt and F Justin Almeida each had two assists for the Warriors, while Howden had one. . . . F Braylon Shmyr had two assists for Saskatoon, with Sayers and Shynkaruk adding one each. . . . The Warriors got 21 saves from Zach Sawchenko, who won his 20th game of the season. He is the first goaltender in franchise to win at least 20 games in three straight seasons. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 22 shots for Saskatoon. . . .  Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . With G Brock Hamm out with an undisclosed injury, the Blades had G Joel Gryzbowski of the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars backing up Flodell. . . . Saskatoon, with four players injured and F Cole Johnson and F Dryden Michaud both ill, also brought in F Brandon Machado from the midget AAA CFR Bisons of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. . . . Moose Jaw (30-12-7) has won four in a row. It is second in the East Division, four points behind Regina. The Pats hold four games in hand. . . . Saskatoon (20-23-6) had won its previous five games. The Blades, who are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, are scheduled to play their next seven games at home. . . . Announced attendance: 3,717.
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At Prince Albert, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored three first-period goals and went on to a 5-4 victory
BRENNAN MENELL
over the Raiders. . . . F Tyler Wong’s 35th goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 3:11. . . . D Brennan Menell, who has nine goals, struck twice, at 4:54 and 16:27, for a 3-0 lead. . . . F Kolten Olynek (11) got the home side to within two 58 seconds into the second period. . . . F Jadon Joseph (2) restored Lethbridge’s three-goal lead at 2:10. . . . The Raiders got to within a goal by scoring twice in 14 seconds. F Cavin Leth counted at 11:06 and D Nick Heid got his second at 11:20. . . . F Ryan Bowen’s 10th goal, at 1:46 of the third period, stood up as the winner, after Leth got his second of the game, and 14th of the season, at 8:39. . . . Lethbridge also got two assists from each of Wong and D Brady Pouteau, while Menell added one. . . . F Tim Vanstone had two assists for the Raiders, with Heid and Olynek adding one each. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner blocked 35 shots. . . . G Nic Sanders, making his fourth straight start for the Raiders, gave up three goals on 11 shots in 16:27. Ian Scott came on in relief and stopped 17 of 19 shots in 42:08. . . . With Scott headed for the Top Prospects Game, the Raiders have brought in Curtis Meger from the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins to support Sanders through the weekend. . . . Prince Albert was 1-2 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-1. . . . The Raiders are without F Jody Stallard, who had goals in four straight games when he took a stick in the face that has forced him out of the lineup. But they had F Siimon Stransky back after a six-game absence. . . The Hurricanes (27-15-7) have points in nine straight games (7-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points out of first and 10 points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Raiders (11-35-5) have a three-game winning streak snapped. They are into their third straight weekend of playing three games in as many nights. . . . Announced attendance: 2,209.
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At Red Deer, F Michael Spacek had a goal and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-2 victory over the
CARSON SASS
Prince George Cougars. . . . Spacek opened the scoring with No 21, at 19:15 of the first period. . . . F Cameron Hausinger’s fifth goal increased the lead to 2-0 at 9:18 of the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it on goals from D Tate Olson (5), on a PP, at 17:19 of the second period, and F Jared Bethune (14), at 2:56 of the third period. . . . D Carson Sass snapped the tie with his fourth goal, on a PP, at 9:44. . . . The Rebels put it away on two goals from F Evan Polei, who has 22 goals. He scored at 13:14 and added an empty-netter at 19:13. . . . The Rebels got two assists from F Austin Glover. . . . Bethune also had an assist. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 30 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Cougars got 40 stops from G Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 1-3 on the PP; the Rebels were 1-6. . . . The Rebels (22-20-7) have won two straight. They are third in the Central Division, eight points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Cougars (34-14-3) are 1-1-1 in their last three. They are tied with the Regina Pats atop the overall standings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,571.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Donovan Neuls broke a 3-3 tie with a shorthanded goal at 8:47 of the third
DONOVAN NEULS
period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Neuls’ 10th goal was Seattle’s second shorthanded score of the game. . . . F Alexander True (15) had given the Thunderbirds a 3-1 lead at 10:29 of the second period. . . . The Americans tied the score on goals from F Jordan Topping (13), at 14:26 of the second period, and F Michael Rasmussen (32), on a PP, at 7:38 of the third period. . . . Seattle led this one 2-0 before the game was four minutes old. D Ethan Bear scored his 15th goal at 1:57 and D Turner Ottenbreit got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 3:19. . . . Rasmussen scored his first goal of the game at 17:48. . . . Ottenbreit and True each had an assist. . . . Rasmussen added an assist to his two goals. . . . It was the battle of the Rylans in goal, with Toth making 25 saves for Seattle and Parenteau stopping 26 shots for Tri-City. . . .  Seattle was 1-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 1-6. . . . The Thunderbirds continue to be without F Scott Eansor, while D Jarret Tyszka, who left Tuesday’s game in the first period, also was scratched. . . . The Thunderbirds (27-15-4) have won three in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, three points behind Tri-City with five games in hand. . . . The Americans (29-19-3) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,996, on Military Appreciation Night.
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JACK WALKER
At Langley, B.C., the Victoria Royals scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals got on the scoreboard when F Jack Walker scored his 23rd goal at 8:56 of the first period. . . . D Scott Walford added his third, on a PP, at 18:40. . . . F Ethan Price’s fifth goal, at 10:18 of the second period, extended Victoria’s lead. . . . Vancouver got its goal from F Tyler Popowich, his sixth, 54 seconds into the third period. . . . The Royals got 21 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, while Ryan Kubic turned aside 28 at the other end. . . . Victoria was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Royals (27-19-4) are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for third in the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants (27-28-4) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are 13 points out of the playoffs. . . . These same two teams will play again tonight and Sunday in Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 4.283.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince George at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Regina at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Brandon at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Prince George at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Kamloops at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 4 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:17 PM
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Friday, December 9, 2016

Guhle returns from NHL . . . Royals add some firepower . . . Pats, Brooks keep rolling


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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have returned D Brendan Guhle, 19, to the Prince George Cougars. Guhle
BRENDAN GUHLE
played three games with the Sabres after they recalled him on an emergency basis due to injuries. . . . The Sabres had D Josh Gorges and D Dmitry Kulikov back for a Friday night game with the visiting Washington Capitals, so they had to return Guhle. Kalikow (back) missed 13 games, while Gorges (foot) sat out three games, all of which Guhle played in. . . . Buffalo D Nicolas Deslauriers (knee) is skating but not yet ready to return after already missing 19 games. . . . While with the Sabres, Guhle played a regular shift, averaging 16 minutes 21 seconds of playing time. . . . Guhle, who has three goals in four games with the Cougars since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 18, didn’t play against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday night. He could be in the lineup tonight (Saturday) for the second game of the doubleheader.
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F Vladimir Bobylev is expected to rejoin the Victoria Royals next week for the remainder of this WHL season. Bobylev, 19, had 67 points, including 28 goals, in 72 games with the Royals last season. . . . The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL draft. . . . Bobylev, who is from Lipetsk, Russia, signed with Spartak Moscow of the KHL over the summer. He had a goal and two assists in 20 games with Spartak, before being sent down to Voskresensk of the VHL, where he had one goal and one assist in three games. . . . The Royals have room for Bobylev on their roster as they only had one import — Russian D Marsel Ibragimov — on their roster. . . . Bobylev could be in Victoria in time for the Royals’ next home game -- they are scheduled to play host to the Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday night. . . . Last season, Bobylev played a lot with linemates Jack Walker and Tyler Soy. You can look for them to be reunited once Soy returns from an undisclosed injury. Those three combined for 236 points, including 110 goals, last season.
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JUST NOTES:

Brent Dodginghorse, 38, who played two seasons (1997-99) with the Calgary Hitmen, has been re-elected to a fifth term as a councillor with the Tsuut’ina Nation near Calgary. The election was held last week and had a voter turnout of more than 70 per cent. .
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Beck Malenstyn forced OT and then scored in the extra session to give the Hitmen a 3-2
BECK MALENSTYN
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The visitors took a 1-0 lead when F Michael Spacek scored his 15th goal at 4:40 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on a PP score by F Jakob Stukel (7) at 17:58. . . . The Rebels went back in front on F Evan Polei’s 12th goal, at 6:57 of the third period. . . . Malenstyn, who has 11 goals, tied it at 14:41 and won it at 2:02 of OT. . . . The winner came as Red Deer G Lasse Petersen, who once played for the Hitmen, skated out near the blue line after a loose puck. Malenstyn got their first and was able to score into the vacated net. . . . “Lasse wasn’t here for a super-long time last (season),” Malenstyn told Postmedia’s Scott Fisher, “but in the time he was here, we got to know each other pretty well. We were pretty good friends when he was here so maybe I’ll have to thank him for this one after the game.” . . . The Hitmen got 33 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . At the other end, Petersen made 27 saves. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . The Hitmen (11-14-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Rebels (15-12-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 9,631.
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At Edmonton, F Lane Bauer scored twice and added an assist to help the Oil Kings to a 5-1 victory over
LANE BAUER
the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Bauer, who has 21 goals, ran his goal-scoring streak to six games. He’s got eight goals over that time. . . . D Aaron Irving gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his 10th goal at 3:25 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke (17) tied it on a PP at 7:55. . . . Irving scored again at 10:58 to put his mates out front for good. . . . Bauer made it 3-1 with his 20th goal at 13:31. . . . Edmonton D Brayden Gorda (3) added insurance at 17:02 of the second period, with Bauer getting his second goal at 14:56 of the third. . . . Gorda also had an assist, while F Davis Koch had two of them. . . . Gorda and Koch each finished plus-5. . . . The Oil Kings got 19 saves from G Patrick Dea, while Brandon’s Jordan Papirny, playing in his hometown, blocked 29. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-1. . . . Edmonton and Brandon are tied for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots, each with 30 points. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 14-14-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (13-13-4) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They are 1-5-1 on an eight-game trip that ends in Red Deer tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 8,148.
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At Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estephan broke a 2-2 tie at 14:56 of the third period as the Hurricanes beat the
GIORGIO ESTEPHAN
Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Hurricanes (16-11-4) have points in 10 straight games (9-0-1). . . . The Tigers (21-10-1) have lost five in a row. . . . D David Quenneville (16) scored both Medicine Hat goals. He gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 13:19 of the first period and pulled them into a 2-2 tie at 10:13 of the third. Both goals came via the PP. . . . Lethbridge F Jordy Bellerive (11) tied the score 1-1 at 10:22 of the second period. . . . D Brennan Riddle scored his first WHL goal at 11:39 of the second to get the Hurricanes into a 2-2 tie. . . . Lethbridge got two assists from each of F Tyler Wong and F Colton Kroeker. . . . F Steve Owre had two assists for the Tigers. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 37 shots for Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider turned aside 20 shots as he made his fifth start in search of his 20th victory this season. He leads the WHL with 19. . . . Medicine Hat 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,854.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s last two goals to beat the Victoria Royals, 5-4, in OT. . . .
RYAN HUGHES
Portland D Henri Jokiharju forced OT when he scored with with 54.6 seconds left in the third period and G Cole Kehler on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . The Winterhawks won it when F Ryan Hughes scored his 13th goal at 4:05 of extra time. . . . D Caleb Jones, who finished with three assists, had the primary assist on each of the last two goals. . . . The Winterhawks held a 3-1 lead early in the second period but watched as Victoria scored three straight goals. . . . F Brett Clayton’s first goal put Portland out front at 2:43 of the first period. . . . Victoria D Chazz Reddekopp (4) tied it at 11:01. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Colton Veloso (8), at 18:20 of the first, and F Cody Glass (16), on a PP, 30 seconds into the second period. . . . The Royals got the next three goals, with F Dante Hannoun (12) scoring at 0:53 of the second, F Ryan Peckford (9) counting at 6:06 and F Regan Nagy (9) scoring at 5:52 of the third period. . . . Glass added two assists to his goal, while D Keoni Texeira also had two helpers. . . . The Royals got two assists each from Hannoun and F Matt Phillips. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Kehler finished with 33 saves in earning the victory over Griffen Outhouse, who turned aside 46 shots. . . . Portland (17-13-1) had won two in a row. . . . Victoria (16-13-3) has points in its last three outings (2-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 4,231.
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At Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 7-3 victory
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
over the Raiders. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs had two goals and two assists for the Warriors, taking over the WHL goal-scoring with 24, in the process. He scored the first two goals, at 9:41 and 13:09 of the first period as he ran his goal-scoring streak to seven games, the best in the WHL this season. . . . F Tanner Jeannot, who also scored twice, upped the lead to 3-0 at 17:28. . . . F Austin Glover (9) scored the Teddy Bear Goal just 32 seconds into the second period and F Tim Vanstone (5) got the Raiders to within one at 3:38. . . . However, F Noah Gregor, who has 15 goals, scored his first of two at 10:48, on a PP, and Jeannot upped it to 5-2 at 2:25 of the third period. . . . Raiders F Spencer Moe’s first goal got them to within two at 11:02. . . . The Warriors put it away on goals from Gregor, at 15:03, and F Brett Howden (14), at 16:24. . . . Howden and Gregor had an assist each. . . . Halbgewachs went into this season with 19 goals and 31 assists in 133 career regular-season games. This season, he has 24 goals and 17 assists in 28 games. He has tied his career-high with 41 points in 28 games; he finished last season with 41 points in 69 games. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko blocked 41 shots, 16 more than Prince Albert’s Ian Scott. . . . The Warriors were 1-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-6. . . . Moose Jaw (17-6-5) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . Prince Albert (6-23-1) has lost three straight. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Moose Jaw and it’s another Teddy Bear Game. . . . F Brayden Burke (ill) and D Matt Sozanski (hangnail/shoulder) were among the Warriors’ scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 2,171.
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At Prince George, F Donovan Neuls broke a 2-2 tie at 1:33 of the third period and the Seattle
DONOVAN NEULS
Thunderbirds went on to a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . Neuls has eight goals this season. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle’s 19th goal, shorthanded, got the Cougars on the scoreboard first, at 3:07 of the first period. . . . F Sami Moilanen (8) tied it at 10:23. . . . The Cougars went back out front on F Yan Khomenko’s ninth goal, at 11:29. . . . The Thunderbirds tied it on F Keegan Kolesar’s second goal, at 2:22 of the second period. . . . Neuls and Kolesar also had an assist each. . . . Khomenko has nine goals and six assists in 28 games. Last season, he finished with five goals and three assists in 46 games with Everett. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle, two more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 0-4 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds improved to 16-10-3. . . . The Cougars are 21-8-2. . . . The two teams meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 2,758.
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At Regina, F Dawson Leedahl scored two goals and drew three assists to lead the Pats to an 8-1 victory
DAWSON LEEDAHL
over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . It was Leedahl’s first five-point game in the WHL. . . . Leedahl, 20, has 12 goals and 25 assists in 28 games this season. Last season, he finished with 12 goals and 15 assists in 48 games with the Everett Silvertips. He already has career single-season highs in assists and points. . . . F Riley Woods scored the Teddy Bear Goal, his fifth goal this season, giving the Pats a 1-0 lead at 11:45 of the first period. . . . F Nick Henry, who scored twice and added two assists, got his13th at 13:57 of the first for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Kaden Elder (7) pulled the Broncos to within a goal at 16:15, but Regina went on to score the next six goals. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs had two goals, giving him 13, and an assist, while F Sam Steel and D Sergey Zborovskiy each had two assists. . . . Zborovskiy has three goals and 13 assists over his past five games during which time he is plus-17. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks ran his point streak to 22 games with one assist. Brooks, who is tied with Steel atop the WHL scoring race (48 points), has at least a point in each game in which he has played this season. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown, making his eighth straight start with backup Jordan Hollett hurt, made 26 saves. . . . Swift Current starter Taz Burman gave up four goals on 16 shots in 23:17. Travis Child came on to allow four goals on 29 shots in 36:43. . . . The Pats were 2-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . Regina (21-2-5) is 5-0-2 in its last seven games. It remains tied with Everett (21-3-5) atop the overall standings. . . . Swift Current (15-10-6) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,128.
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At Spokane, F Markson Bechtold’s fifth goal, at 18:52 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie as the Chiefs
MARKSON BECHTOLD
beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto scored the Teddy Bear Goal, giving his guys a 1-0 lead at 4:01 of the first period. . . . Ice F Barrett Sheen (6) tied it at 9:03. . . . The Chiefs took a 3-1 lead on second-period goals from F Kailer Yamamoto (18), on a PP, at 1:02, and F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (14), at 14:22. . . . Kootenay tied it with a pair of PP goals. F Zak Zborosky scored No. 23 at 18:18 of the second period and F Vince Loschiavo got his ninth at 3:50 of the third period. . . . The Yamamoto brothers each had an assist, as did Anderson-Dolan. . . . The Ice got two assists from D Cale Fleury, with Loschiavo and Zborosky adding one each. . . . G Dawson Weatherill got the victory with 27 saves, four more than the Ice’s Jakob Walter. . . . Kootenay was 2-6 on the PP; Spokane was 1-5. . . . The Chiefs (12-11-6) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Ice (6-18-8) had points in its previous three games (1-0-2). . . . The Ice had F Kaeden Taphorn back after an 18-game absence. Taphorn was injured on Oct. 7 on a hit by Regina Pats F Austin Wagner, came back for two games on Oct. 21 and 26, and didn’t play again until last night. . . . Announced attendance: 8,322.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Kole Lind struck in OT as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2.
KOLE LIND
. . . Lind scored his 16th goal at 3:17 of extra time. . . . F Nolan Foote’s fifth goal, on a PP, gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead at 18:54 of the first period. . . . The Americans scored the next two goals, both via the PP. . . . F Michael Rasmussen got No. 22 at 2:12 of the second period. . . . D Juuso Valimaki, who spent the early part of the week at home in Finland where he took part in Independence Day celebrations (for more, see blog entry from Tuesday night of this week), gave the home side a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal, at 6:02. . . . The Rockets forged a 2-2 tie when F Calvin Thurkauf got his 13th goal at 8:44 of the second. . . . The Americans got two assists from each of F Tyler Sandhu and F Vladislav Lukin. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots for the victory. . . . G Evan Sarthou of the Americans blocked 41 shots. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-3. . . . The Rockets (18-11-1) are 5-0-1 in their past six games. . . . The Americans (18-11-3) are 2-0-1 in their last three. . . . Announced attendance: 2,609.
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At Langley, B.C., F Eetu Tuulola’s shootout goal gave the Everett Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the
EETU TUULOLA
Vancouver Giants. . . . F Thomas Foster (7) gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 8:25 of the first period and the teams alternated goals the rest of the way, meaning that the Silvertips didn’t hold a lead until game’s end. . . . Everett F Sean Richards (5) tied it at 3:14 of the second period. . . . Vancouver F Radovan Bondra, who missed a week with a leg injury, put the Giants back out front with his 18th goal, just 25 seconds later. . . . Tuulola tied it with his seventh goal, just eight seconds after Bondra had scored. . . . Yes, the teams scored three times in 33 seconds. . . . Vancouver took the lead again when F Jack Flaman (9) scored at 14:45. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen’s ninth goal tied it again, at 2:52 of the third period. . . . Vancouver went back out front at 9:05 as F Tyler Benson notched No. 9. . . . The Silvertips forced OT with F Dominic Zwerger’s 11th goal, at 9:57. . . . Everett got two assists from each of F Patrick Bajkov and Jake Christiansen. . . . Juulsen tied his single-season for goals, matching the nine he scored in 68 games in 2014-15. He had seven last season and has nine in 25 games this season. . . . F Alec Baer had two assists for Vancouver, with Foster and Benson adding one each. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 17 shots for Everett, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic blocked 48. . . . The Silvertips set a franchise record by recording 27 shots on goal in the second period. The previous record of 26 came at Seattle on Sept. 18, 2009. . . . Everett was 0-3 on the PP; Vancouver’s PP unit never got off the bench. . . . The Silvertips (21-3-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) and are tied with Regina (21-2-5) atop the overall standings. . . . The Giants (11-17-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,015.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Kelowna vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m. (TBG)
Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m. (TBG)
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Everett at Portland, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Brandon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Spokane vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
——

TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.
Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3. 
Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.
Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kelowna at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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