Top WHL goaltender leaves for school ... Seattle, Lethbridge take leads ... Vees win BCHL title

F Aaron Gagnon (Seattle, 2001-07) has signed a one-year contract with Langnau (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Lukko Rauma (Finland, Liiga), he had 11 goals and 15 assists in 43 games. He also played seven games with Bern (Switzerland, NL A), scoring three times and adding two assists. . . . 

F Brandon Segal (Calgary, 1999-2004) has signed a one-year extension with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had 16 goals and 16 assists in 52 games.

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Thank you @MJWARRIORS for 4 great years pic.twitter.com/NSJPbSxyAb

— Zach Sawchenko (@Chunko_31) April 25, 2017

Zach Sawchenko, one of the WHL’s premier goaltenders, revealed on Tuesday that he won’t be returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors for his 20-year-old season. Instead, he will be attending the U of Alberta and playing for the Golden Bears.

ZACH SAWCHENKO

It seems the insecurity inherent with a professional career doesn’t appeal to Sawchenko, at least not without a backup plan.

“This is going to come as a surprise to most, but now more than ever, the uncertainty in the game is through the roof,” Sawchenko told Marc Smith of discovermoosejaw.com. “You're seeing guys like Zach Fucale end up in the (ECHL) where they're making $40,000 a year, it's tough to live off that, it's tough to live off a signing bonus. Your career could end at any time and you have to have a plan B.”

This season, Sawchenko went 30-14-7, 2.79, .917 in the regular season. He was selected as the Eastern Conference’s top goaltender and named to the conference’s first all-star team, the latter for a second straight season.

A native of Calgary, Sawchenko played four seasons in Moose Jaw, going 88-65-16, 3.11, .908 in 177 games.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder never was selected in the NHL draft. He went into the 2016 draft ranked by NHL Central Scouting as No. 6 among North American goaltenders.

The Warriors selected Sawchenko in the second round of the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft.

The Warriors’ depth chart now will show Brody Willms as the organization’s No. 1 goaltender, with Adam Evanoff sliding into the No. 2 spot.

Willms, who turns 19 on July 21, is from Coquitlam, B.C. He was an eighth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. This season, he got into 25 games, going 12-7-2, 3.11, .907.

Evanoff is from Penticton, B.C., and was a 10th-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. He will turn 17 on Aug. 16. He played this season at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, going 2.44, .918 in 19 appearances.

Smith’s story is right here.

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The Victoria Royals have signed F Tyus Gent, who was a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Gent, 16, is from Delta, B.C. He played this season with the Delta Hockey Academy’s Elite 15s of the Canadian Sports School Hockey League, putting up 25 goals and 25 assists in 25 games. He led the Elite 15s in goals and points, and was saluted as the MVP at season’s end. . . . He also got into eight games with the academy’s prep team, scoring twice and adding an assist.

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F Judd Caulfield, a highly touted prospect out of the North Dakota high school ranks, has decided to join the U.S. National Team Development Program, according to Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. . . . Caulfield, 16, will be part of the U-17 program. . . . Caulfield, whose WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks, put up 64 points, including 25 goals, in 27 games this season with Grand Forks Central, which won the state championship to conclude an undefeated season. . . . Caulfield was selected by Portland in the 10th round of the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He committed to the U of North Dakota on Oct. 5.

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Here is the OT & #FredPageCup winner by @dunkaroosoup11 for @PentictonVees pic.twitter.com/vg47ZDDNHb

— BC Hockey League (@bchllive) April 26, 2017

In the BCHL, F Duncan Campbell scored on a rebound at 9:25 of OT to give the Penticton Vees a 1-0

DUNCAN CAMPBELL

victory over the host Chilliwack Chiefs in Game 7 of the championship final. . . . Campbell, 20, is from Brandon and spent the previous two seasons playing for the Wheat Kings. He joined the Vees early this season and put up 28 points, including 11 goals, in 40 games. . . . Three of the last four games in the BCHL final were decided in OT. . . . Both teams advanced to the Western Canada Cup that runs in Penticton from April 29 through May 7. It also features the AJHL-champion Brooks Bandits, SJHL-champion Battlefords North Stars and MJHL-champion Portage Terriers. . . . Interestingly, F Keegan Kolesar, whose two goals helped the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 2-1 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna last night, also was born in Brandon.

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The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks will introduce Travis Green, a former WHL player and coach, as their new head coach at a news conference today. . . . Green, 46, is from Castlegar, B.C. He played four seasons (1986-90) in the WHL, three-plus with the Spokane Chiefs and the last 25 with the Medicine Hat Tigers before going on to a pro career that included 970 NHL games. As a coach, he spent three seasons (2010-13) on the Portland Winterhawks’ staff. For the past four seasons, Green has been the head coach of the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ AHL affiliate. . . . In Vancouver, he replaces Willie Desjardins, who was relieved of his duties when their season ended. . . . You can look for Green to bring along Nolan Baumgartner, a former WHL defenceman, as his lead assistant coach. Baumgartner, 41, has been an assistant through all four seasons with Green in Utica. Baumgartner played four seasons (1992-96) with the Kamloops Blazers and was twice named the WHL’s top defenceman.

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The junior B Port Moody Panthers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League have hired David McLellan as their head coach. He replaces Mike Renner, who was dropped on March 29. . . . McLellan has PJHL experience, having worked as head coach of the Delta IceHawks (2010-13), where he won a league championship in 2012. Most recently, he was the GM/head coach with the junior B Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He also has coached in the BCHL, B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League and in Japan.

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Jeff Brown resigned Tuesday as the general manager and head coach of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. He cited personal reasons in leaving after three seasons. . . . He served as head coach for three seasons and GM for the past two. . . . “The move back to Ottawa has been difficult at times for my family,” Brown said in a news release, “and it’s time I put them first and became a full-time father as we transition back to our hometown of St. Louis.” . . . That news release is right here.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have fired Ted Dent, who was the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Dent had been with Rockford through six seasons, going 221-179-54. Before taking over as head coach, he had been an assistant with the Blackhawks’ AHL team, either in Rockford or Norfolk, for five seasons.

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Best site of the night, I saw and got to visit Parry Shockey at tonight's game between the #Pats and #Hurricanes.

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) April 26, 2017

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

Getting his second of the night with :20 left in the game, Keegan Kolesar has now scored 5 of the @SeattleTbirds last 13 goals.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) April 26, 2017

At Kelowna, F Keegan Kolesar scored his second goal of the game with 20 seconds left in the third period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . Seattle leads the Western

KEEGAN KOLESAR

Conference final, 2-1, with Game 4 in Kelowna tonight. . . . The Thunderbirds won the opener, 5-4, on a PP goal by D Ethan Bear with 12 seconds left in the third period. The Rockets won Game 2, 4-3 in OT. . . . Last night, the winner came off a faceoff in Kelowna’s, with F Mathew Barzal getting the puck back to D Turner Ottenbreit. His shot didn’t get through to the net, but the puck went to Kolesar who snapped a shot from the slot that beat G Michael Herringer through traffic. . . . Kolesar, who has nine goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 11:33 of the second period. . . . The Rockets tied it on a PP at 13:53 when F Calvin Thurkauf (7) scored a goal that was confirmed after a lengthy video review. A shot by F Nick Merkley went off the end boards and rebounded over the Seattle net, where Thurkauf batted it past G Carl Stankowski. . . . “They said that it was right at the cross bar,” Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk told Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle. “It seems in the three games, we’re not getting any calls. Two goals last game, there were plays on the goals that could have been called and we’re just not getting the calls right now. We have to persevere and control what we can control.” . . . Kelowna was 1-7 on the PP; Seattle was 0-1. The Thunderbirds enjoyed the game’s first PP opportunity, then watched the Rockets get the last seven. . . . The Rockets have at least one PP goal in eight straight games. . . . Stankowski finished with 34 saves and was the game’s first star as he continued to weave his playoff magic. He is 10-1 in the playoffs since replacing injured starter Rylan Toth, who has yet to dress for a game. . . . Herringer finished with 12 saves. . . . Seattle had four shots on goal in each of the first and third periods. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner, who leads the playoffs in goals (15) and points (27), had his point streak snapped at nine games. Gardiner had put up eight straight multi-point games, getting 24 points over that stretch. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls had his point streak end at 10 games, the longest in the playoffs this season. . . . Announced attendance: 5,085. . . . Eide’s story is right here. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.

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Tonight's feels. #REGvsLET #30YearsStrong #AllAboard #WHLPlayoffs #WHLCanes #YQL pic.twitter.com/b0sN9MRJs3

— #AllAboard (@WHLHurricanes) April 26, 2017

At Lethbridge, F Jadon Joseph broke a 1-1 tie in the second period and the Hurricanes went on to score a 3-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Lethbridge leads the Eastern Conference final, 2-1, and will play

JADON JOSEPH

host to Game 4 tonight. . . . Joseph, who has two goals in these playoffs, took a slashing minor at 11:46 of the second period. He stepped out of the penalty box and went in to score the go-ahead goal at 13:54. . . . Joseph, a freshman from Sherwood Park, Alta., had three goals in 68 regular-season games. . . . D Brennan Menell (5) had given the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead just 16 seconds into the first period. . . . Regina tied it when F Dawson Leedahl (9) scored at 10:43 of the second period. . . . The Hurricanes got some insurance from F Egor Babenko (8), at 4:08 of the third period. . . . D Brady Poteau and F Tyler Wong each had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes got 28 stops from G Stuart Skinner, who won his 10th game of the playoffs. . . . G Tyler Brown blocked 24 shots for Regina. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Pats received the game’s first three PP opportunities but weren’t able to score. That may well have been a turning point. Regina’s PP is 0-9 in the series. It was No. 1 (31.5 per cent) in the regular season. . . . Regina F Austin Wagner left the game in the second period and didn’t return. He has 12 goals and two assists in 14 games. . . . The Hurricanes remain without F Matt Alfaro, 20. . . . Announced attendance: 5,178. . . . Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, is in Lethbridge and his Game 3 post is right here. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 2-1)

Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Lethbridge leads, 2-1)

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Wheat Kings skate without Patrick . . . Estephan expected back for Game 3 . . . Two BCHL series go 7

The defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings are down 2-0 and on the road again as the WHL playoffs resume Tuesday after taking Monday off. . . . The Wheat Kings lost Games 1 and 2 to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on the weekend, and now are in Dauphin, Man., for two games in the hopes of prolonging things. . . . The Wheat Kings haven’t had F Nolan Patrick in their lineup yet this series after he was injured in the second-last game of the regular season. He didn’t skate on Monday in Dauphin, so isn’t likely to play in Game 3. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson, who left Saturday’s second game after a goal-mouth collision, was on the ice yesterday. . . . The Tigers, meanwhile, skated in Dauphin yesterday and they did so without D Brad Forrest, who was scratched from Game 2 as D Ty Schultz returned from a broken leg. Schultz was back in the Tigers’ lineup earlier than expected after Forrest suffered an undisclosed injury.

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The Regina Pats won the first two games of their first-round series with visiting Calgary on the weekend, outscoring the Hitmen 10-3 in the process. However, John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, says there is lots of room for improvement. . . . “We’re glad we’re up 2-0, that’s for sure,” Paddock told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post on Monday. “They left us a lot of room for some teaching clips. It starts with intelligence and focus, (including) some of the penalties we took. We’re not playing near the kind of hockey you have to play.” . . . The Pats take a 10-game winning streak into Game 3 in Calgary tonight (Tuesday).

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The Lethbridge Hurricanes expect to have F Giorgio Estephan back in the lineup on Wednesday when they resume their series with the Red Deer Rebels. The teams split the first two games in Lethbridge. . . . Estephan left in the second period of Sunday’s Game 2, a 5-2 Hurricanes’ victory, after taking a high-stick to the face from Red Deer F Michael Spacek. . . . “He’s fine,” Lethbridge head coach Brent Kisio told Dale Woodard of the Lethbridge Herald. “He’s good to go.” . . . Of course, this being the playoffs, nothing will be official until the lineup sheet for Game 3 is posted.

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F Duncan Campbell, who began this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings, had a goal and an assist on Monday as his Penticton Vees beat the visiting Merritt Centennials, 6-2, in Game 7 of a BCHL semi-final series. The game drew 3,774 fans to the South Okanagan Events Centre. The Vees he'd led the series 3-1 before the Centennials won two straight games to force Game 7. . . . The Vees and Vernon Vipers will clash in the next round. . . . Meanwhile, at the Q Centre in Victoria, F Keyvan Mokhtari scored 57 seconds into the second OT to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 victory over the Powell River Kings in another Game 7. This one drew 1,705 fans. . . . Victoria advances to meet the Chilliwack Chiefs in the second semi-final.

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Three coaches with WHL experience have been chosen by BC Hockey to lead the team that will compete at the 2017 U-16 Western Canada Challenge Cup in Calgary and the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer. . . . Steve O’Rourke, an assistant coach with the Prince George Cougars, has been named head coach. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Red Deer Rebels before joining the Cougars. . . . Jason Becker and Brian Pellerin will serve as O’Rourke’s assistants. . . . Becker, a former WHL player, is an assistant with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. He spent five seasons as an assistant coach with Prince George and two as a head coach at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton. . . . Pellerin, also a former WHL player, is associate coach with the Tri-City Americans. He also has coaching experience in the AHL, the Central league and a sports school. . . . Kevin Pedersen, an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, will be the video coach, with Kim Penner (Merritt Centennials) as trainer and Craig Carter (major midget Okanagan Rockets) as equipment manager.

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MONDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY GAMES (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

Medicine Hat vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7:30 p.m. (Medicine Hat leads, 2-0)

Regina at Calgary, 7 p.m. (Regina leads, 2-0)

Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m. (Kelowna leads, 2-0)

Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

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Blades for sale? GM says 'zero' truth to report . . . Petit big for Silvertips . . . Butcher cuts up Rockets

F Tyler Mosienko (Kelowna, 2000-05) has signed a one-year contract with Frederikshavn (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Mosienko was released at his request by the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite) on Oct. 28 after putting up five goals and 10 assists in 13 games. . . . 

F Tomáš Kopecký (Lethbridge, 2000-02) has signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). Kopecký had signed with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga) on Oct. 18 and recorded two assists in five games. . . . 

D Filip Novák (Regina, 1999-2002) has signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). This season, he had a goal and two assists in nine games with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). . . . 

F David Vrbata (Calgary, 2000-01) was released by Neumarkt/Egna (Italy, Alps HL) by mutual agreement. He had five goals and six assists in 12 games.

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Colin Priestner has spent his weekend trying to pour water on a fire that he had nothing to do with starting.

Priestner, the general manager of the Saskatoon Blades, is adamant that the WHL franchise isn’t for sale.

Priestner’s father, Mike, purchased the Blades from the Brodsky family prior to the 2013-14 season. At

that point, the Blades were pretty much tapped out, having spent a lot in young players and bantam draft picks in an attempt to load up as the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup tournament.

Since then, the Priestners have been fighting what to now has been an uphill battle for success on the ice and to get fans back into their home arena.

And then came Friday. . . .

What started all of this was a tweet, at 7:13 a.m., from Regina broadcaster Rod Pedersen: “Friday morning rumour from a solid Saskatoon hockey and business source: The Blades are for sale. @Chasenpucks39”

The latter part of the tweet, which goes unexplained, is the Twitter handle for former Blades forward Kelly Chase, who went on to an NHL career and now is part of the St. Louis Blues broadcast crew. Originally, Chase, who is a highly popular part of Blades history, was from Porcupine Plain, Sask.

In response to Pedersen, a former radio voice of the Regina Pats who now is perhaps best known as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ play-by-play voice and chief sympathizer, Chase later tweeted: “To clear this up I have no idea what’s going on in Saskatoon. If you are trying to contact me, save a call. No interest in this rumor.”

On Saturday, an exasperated Colin Priestner told Taking Note:

“It’s silly we would even have to respond to such an absurd rumour. Obviously, there is zero truth to it . . . we would never sell the Blades and we are all working tirelessly to bring a championship to Saskatoon.

“It was really disappointing to read something like that . . . we all live here, our wives and families live here, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of the Blades and the community and what we are building.”

Priestner said Friday started out like any other game day — the Blades played in Regina that night — until the tweet showed up.

“When we saw the tweet in the office,” he said, “we all kind of looked at each other and laughed. . . . But once it was out it got a life of its own, and parents and media are calling to see if it is true. Such is life in the 21st century!”

On Saturday, at 10:59 a.m., Pedersen tweeted: “The word from Saskatoon Blades ownership regarding the rumour the club is for sale: ‘It’s totally false.’ ”

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It may have been Saturday but that didn’t keep the WHL court from being in session. . . . D Ethan Bear of the Seattle Thunderbirds was suspended for one game after taking a spearing major and game misconduct during the first period of a 3-2 loss to the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Friday night. Bear served that on Saturday night as the Thunderbirds completed an East Division swing against the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The WHL also has fined the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats each $500 for a “multiple-fight situation” (aka a line brawl) in Regina on Friday night. Ch-ch-ching! Just in time for some early Christmas shopping.

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JUST NOTES:

Former Brandon Wheat Kings F Duncan Campbell made an immediate impact with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees on Friday night. Campbell, who lost his spot on Brandon’s roster when the Wheaties cut down to the maximum three 20-year-olds, scored twice in the first period of his first game with the Vees, helping them to a 4-1 victory over the Silverbacks in Salmon Arm. . . . On Saturday, Campbell had another goal and was the game’s first star as the Vees beat the visiting Prince George Spruce Kings, 3-2.

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

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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, the Edmonton Oil Kings erased a 3-0 deficit en route to a 6-3 victory over the Brandon

Wheat Kings. . . . Two goals from F Reid Duke, who has eight, and one from F Tyler Coulter, who has six, gave Brandon a 3-0 lead early in the second period. . . . The Oil Kings got rolling as two players — F Davis Murray and F Ty Gerla — scored their first goals 59 seconds apart, shortly after Coulter had scored. . . . D Aaron Irving pulled the visitors even with his fourth goal, at 14:28 of the second period — he also had two assists — and they put it away with three goals in the third period. . . . F Colton Kehler’s fourth goal, on a PP at 16:37, stood up as the winner. . . . F Davis Koch, who also had two assists, added insurance with his fifth goal, at 17:19, and F Lane Bauer’s ninth goal, into an empty net, iced it at 18:48. . . . Coulter also had an assist. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots, one fewer than Brandon’s Logan Thompson. . . . Edmonton was 1-7 on the PP; Brandon was 0-6. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 6-9-2, while Brandon slipped to 7-7-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,645.

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At Calgary, the Hitmen got two goals 30 seconds apart early in the third period to beat the Swift Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . F Jakob Stukel’s fourth goal got Calgary into a 2-2 tie at 2:07, with F Andrei Grishakov’s second goal, at 2:37, snapping the deadlock. . . . F Lane Pederson gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal at 13:02 of the first period. . . . Calgary F Tyler Mrkonjic’s third goal, at 18:06, tied the score. . . . Swift Current F Tyler Steenbergen’s 14th goal, on a PP at 17:29 of the second period, put his guys back in front. . . . Steenbergen added an assist to his goal. . . . Swift Current was 1-7 on the PP; Calgary was 0-3. . . . G Kyle Dumba stopped 20 shots to earn the victory over Taz Burman, who turned aside 30. . . . On Friday, the Broncos had beaten the visiting Hitmen, 3-2, in OT. . . . The Hitmen (6-5-2) have points in four straight games (3-0-1). . . . The Broncos (10-6-3) were 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . . The Hitmen open a six-game road trip in Seattle on Friday. . . . Announced attendance: 9,580.

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At Everett, G Mario Petit stopped 41 shots to lead the Silvertips to a 5-2 victory over the Portland

MARIO PETIT

Winterhawks. . . . Petit, who normally backs up Carter Hart, is 3-0-1, 2.57, .915 this season. . . . Portland got on the board first when F Skyler McKenzie notched his 11th goal at 10:27 of the first period. . . . However, Everett scored the next three goals, the first two via the PP. . . . D Kevin Davis (2) tied the game at 15:58 and D Noah Juulsen (6) gave the home side the lead at 16:55. . . . F Patrick Bajkov’s seventh goal, at 9:41 of the second period, would prove to be the winner. . . . F Keegan Iverson got Portland back to within a goal, with his eighth, at 6:51 of the third period. . . . Everett put it away with empty-netters from F Dominic Zwerger (7) and F Riley Sutter (8) in the game’s last minute. . . . Bajkov, Sutter and Zwerger each added an assist. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 24 shots for Portland. . . . Everett was 2-7 on the PP; Portland was 1-4. . . . The Silvertips (13-2-2) have points in six straight (5-0-1). . . . The Winterhawks (8-10-0) have lost seven in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 6,743.

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At Kelowna, F Chad Butcher scored twice and added an assist to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . Butcher scored his sixth goal just 56 seconds into the game. . . . Tigers F Max Gerlach made it 2-0 with his 11th at 10:13. . . . Kelowna halved the deficit at 15:37 when F Kole Lind scored his eighth goal. . . . Medicine Hat F Zach Fischer got that one back just 2:03 later. He’s got 11. . . . The Rockets again closed to within one on F Kyle Topping’s fourth goal, at 17:23 of the second period. . . . The visitors put it away with three third-period goals, the first two coming 28 seconds apart. D David Quenneville got No. 10 at 12:23 and F John Dahlstrom scored his eighth at 12:51. . . . Butcher finished the scoring on a PP at 15:31. . . . F Steve Owre drew two assists for the Tigers, as did F Mark Rassell. Quenneville, and Fischer had one each. . . . Lind added an assist to his goal. . . . The Tigers got 23 stops from G Nick Schneider, while Michael Herringer of the Rockets blocked 34. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-5 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-2. . . . The Tigers (12-5-1) went 4-1-0 on a five-game jaunt that included three games (2-1-0) in the B.C. Division. . . . The Rockets are 10-9-0. . . . Announced attendance: 5,509.

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Shout out to these amazing new friends from Russia!!.parents of #71 Nikita Popugaev...Mom of #95 Dmitri Zaitsev.  Go Warriors! @MJWARRIORS pic.twitter.com/szvnRhaXyX

— Derenda Cummins (@Derenda72) November 6, 2016

At Moose Jaw, F Scott Eansor scored three times to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-1 victory over

MATT BERLIN

the Warriors. . . . It was Eansor’s second career hat trick. . . . The Thunderbirds (7-7-1) went 4-2-0 on their East Division swing. . . . The Warriors (11-4-2) had a four-game winning streak end. . . . Eansor, who has six goals, opened the scoring at 7:37 of the first period, scored again at 2:20 of the second for a 2-0 lead, and got the game’s last goal, at 17:43 of the third. . . . D Reece Harsch had his first goal and added an assist for Seattle. . . . F Zack Andrusiak, a native of Yorkton, Sask., scored his second goal of the season, but first since being acquired by Seattle from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Seattle D Matthew Wedman had two assists. . . . G Matt Berlin, in his Seattle debut, stopped 29 shots. He lost his shutout bid when F Brayden Watts (3) scored at 12:07 of the third period. . . . Berlin was acquired from the Spokane Chiefs on Oct. 7. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 24 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds were 1-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-7. . . . The Warriors lost F Jayden Halbgewachs with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 19:43 of the first period. . . . The Thunderbirds were without D Ethan Bear, who served his one-game suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 3,204.

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At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-2. . . . This was the first of eight meetings between these teams this season. . . . D Max Martin (3) put the Cougars in front 1-0 at 4:40 of the second period. . . . The Blazers took the lead on goals from F Rudolfs Balcers (10) at 5:50 and F Collin Shirley (9), shorthanded, at 16:01. . . . F Bartek Bison’s PP goal, at 17:35, forged a 2-2 tie. . . . Cougars F Jesse Gabrielle (8) scored shorthanded, at 1:45 of the third period, to give the home side a 3-2 lead and Bartek added insurance, with his fifth goal, at 15:25. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 37 saves, three more than Dylan Ferguson of the Blazers. . . . The Cougars were 1-7 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-4. . . . The Cougars were without D Sam Ruopp, who served Game 1 of an eight-game suspension, F Kody McDonald (Game 1 of a three-game suspension) and F Colby McCauley (undisclosed injury). . . . Prince George (14-3-2) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Blazers (10-9-1) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . . Announced attendance: 3,870.

——

At Saskatoon, F Braylon Shmyr’s second goal of the game, a PP score 35 seconds into OT, gave the

BRAYLON SHMYR

Blades a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Shmyr has five goals. . . . Four of the game’s five goals came via the PP. . . . Shmyr got the game’s first goal, at 4:49 of the first period, on the PP. . . . The Ice tied it when F Vince Loschiavo scored at 4:10 of the second period. . . . The Blades went back out front on F Mason McCarty’s 11th goal, via a PP, at 8:54. . . . Kootenay pulled even at 18:11 on F Zak Zborosky’s 13th goal, also on the PP. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan drew three assists for Saskatoon, while McCarty added one to his goal. . . . The Ice got two assists from F Matt Alfaro. . . . G Logan Flodell turned aside 36 saves for Saskatoon, two more than the Ice’s Jokob Walter. . . . The Blades were 3-7 on the PP; the Ice was 1-5. . . . The Blades have beaten the Ice in each of their last 10 meetings — five at home and five on the road. . . . The Blades (8-9-1) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Ice (3-10-5) has lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,172.

——

At Spokane, D Juuso Valimaki scored 55 seconds into OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory

JUUSO VALIMAKI

over the Chiefs. . . . It was the third game in a row in which Spokane lost in OT. . . . Valimaki, who has three goals, also had two assists. . . . Spokane had erased a 3-1 deficit with three goals from the Yamamoto brothers in the third period, only to have Tri-City F Vladislav Lukin force OT with his ninth goal, at 19:54. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto pulled the Chiefs even with goals at 2:49 and 4:07 — he’s got 13 goals — and F Keanu Yamamoto, who also had an assist, put the home guys out front with his fifth goal, at 13:58. . . . The game’s first four goals all came via special teams. . . . Tri-City F Morgan Geekie (9) got a PP snipe at 16:18 of the first period. . . . Spokane F Taylor Ross’ first goal came while shorthanded, at 7:00 of the second period. . . . The Americans took the 3-1 lead with PP goals from F Michael Rasmussen (15) at 7:23 and D Dylan Coghlan (3) at 10:58. . . . G Evan Sarthou returned to Tri-City’s lineup for the first time this season and came up with 36 stops. He suffered an undisclosed injury while in a summer camp with the U.S. national junior team. . . . Spokane G Dawson Weatherill stopped 20 shots. . . . Tri-City F Kyle Olson, who had two assists, came up short on a first-period penalty shot. . . . F Tyler Sandhu and Geekie also had two assists each for the Ams. . . . The Americans were 3-5 on the PP; the Americans were 0-4. . . . Tri-City (11-6-1) has won three in a row. . . . Spokane (6-6-5) has points in six straight (3-0-3). . . . Announced attendance: 8,278.

——

.@WHLGiants set a season high for goals in a game and margin of victory. They beat @WHLHurricanes 7-3 tonight at the LEC.

— Brendan Batchelor (@Batchelor1040) November 6, 2016

At Langley, B.C., F Radovan Bondra and F Ty Ronning scored two goals each as the Vancouver Giants dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 7-3. . . . Bondra, who has 11 goals, snapped a 2-2 tie at 15:14 of the second period and Ronning provided insurance with his sixth and seventh goals at 18:59 of the second and 3:45 of the third. . . . Bondra opened the third period with a PP goal at 5:13. . . . Lethbridge got goals from F Giorgio Estephan (8), F Brayden Burke (5) and D Brennan Menell (3), who asked out of Vancouver and was dealt to the Hurricanes last month. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson picked up his eighth goal and added two assists. . . . F Jack Flaman also got his eighth goal for Vancouver. . . . The Giants got two assists from each of D Dylan Plouffe, F Brendan Semchuk and F James Malm. . . . F Egor Babenko and F Jesse Zaharichuk had two assists each for Lethbridge. . . . G David Tendeck blocked 19 shots for the winners. . . . Lethbridge got 25 stops from Ryan Gilchrist. . . . Vancouver was 2-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 2-6. . . . The Giants improved to 8-11-0. . . . The Hurricanes (7-8-3) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three outings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,137.

——

LEADERS

POINTS: F Sam Steel, Regina, F Mason Shaw, Medicine Hat, each 28; F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane, 26; F Chad Butcher, Medicine Hat, 25; F Nikita Popugaev, Moose Jaw, F Cody Glass, Portland, each 24.

GOALS: F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City, 15; Steel, F Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current, each 14; Yamamoto, F Zak Zborosky, Kootenay, each 13.

ASSISTS: Shaw, 23; F Brayden Burke, Lethbridge, Butcher, each 18; Glass, 17; D Chase Harrison, Regina, F Steve Owre, Medicine Hat, F Aleksi Heponiemi, Swift Current, each 16.

VICTORIES: Nick Schneider, Medicine Hat, 11; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, Griffen Outhouse, Victoria, each 10; Carter Hart, Everett, Michael Herringer, Kelowna, each 9.

GAA: Hart, 1.89; Connor Ingram, Kamloops, 2.01; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, 2.29; Logan Flodell, Saskatoon, 2.34; Cody Porter, Calgary, 2.46.

SAVE %: Ingram, .937; Flodell, .932; Hart, .926; Edmonds, .921; Outhouse, Porter, Ian Scott, Prince Albert, each .920.

——

SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.

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

News 1130 Sports out of Vancouver tweeted on Wednesday morning:

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

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

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

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

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

News 1130 Sports also tweeted:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

——

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

——

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

——

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

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JUST NOTES:

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

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

——

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

———

THURSDAY’S GAME:

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

EETU TUULOLA

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

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

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

Prince George at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

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

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Ex-WHLer eligible for NCAA hockey . . . Steel pens note to young fan . . . Rebels win sixth in row

It doesn’t indicate it in F Brayden Gelsinger’s bio on the Lake Superior State Lakers’ website, but the Regina native did play 14 games with the Kamloops Blazers.

Gelsinger was pointless in two playoff games in the spring of 2012 and pointless in 12 regular-season

BRAYDEN GELSINGER

games in 2012-13. He later played with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals, West Kelowna Warriors and Victoria Grizzlies, putting up 51 goals and 104 assists in 169 games.

Now he’s a freshman forward, wearing No. 11, for the Lakers. He’s contributing, too, with three goals and four assists in four games.

That’s right. Gelsinger, now 21, signed a WHL contract and played in the WHL, and now he’s playing for an NCAA Division I hockey team.

You’re thinking . . . hmmmm, I thought signing a WHL contract meant a player lost his NCAA eligibility. I thought playing a WHL game meant a player no longer was eligible to play in the NCAA.

Well . . .

Gelsinger was playing with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies on Jan. 7, when he accepted a scholarship to Lake Superior State, which is based in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

It turns out that Gelsinger and his family worked with the NCAA and its Eligibility Center to get him on the Lakers’ roster.

“The NCAA Eligibility Center is responsible for determining a student-athlete's initial eligibility status based on their pre-enrollment athletic history,” Jen Constantino, LSSU’s NCAA compliance officer and deputy Title IX co-ordinator,” told Taking Note via email. “Brayden and his family worked with the Eligibility Center prior to his enrolment at Lake Superior State University to answer the NCAA's questions and provide them with the information they needed to make their decision.

“The NCAA made the determination that Brayden Gelsinger would be immediately eligible for competition. Our athletic department has followed the direction given to us by the NCAA.”

So it would seem that signing a WHL contract and even playing a handful of games need not be the death knell for a young man should the opportunity arise to go to a U.S. school.

——

The story of the WHL, the governing B.C. Liberals and how the cabinet moved to exempt the league from minimum-wage legislation may not be finished. Ian Mulgrew of the Vancouver Sun reports that, according to the B.C. Office of the Registrar of Lobbyistys, the league “did not register as a lobbyist before leaning on B.C.’s cabinet to exempt major junior players from the minimum wage law.” . . . Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, told Mulgrew that such a move wasn’t necessary. . . . According to Mulgrew, the regulator now is taking a look at the situation. . . . Mulgrew’s story is right here.

——

You can bet that F Sam Steel of the Regina Pats has a fan for life in the person of Benson Broda.

Benson’s mother, Krista, posted his on Facebook:

SAM STEEL

“Benson started skating lessons a few weeks ago and was so frustrated that he couldn't stop falling, he just wanted to just be able to go out and skate like a hockey player. He told me when he got home that he never sees Sam Steel (his absolute favourite Regina Pat ever) fall. He basically thought you either could skate or you couldn't, and he couldn't, so he wanted to give up. The lessons were expensive, so I did what any crazy mom would do and emailed the Pats asking if there was any way Sam Steel could somehow tell him he used to fall too. I got a reply from the Pats office saying that he was at Anaheim Ducks training camp, but asked for my address and said they would try and get something out for him when he got back. . . . I assumed they forgot (because it was a totally weird request and he's pretty busy scoring goals) but we opened the mail to this on Friday.”

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D Duncan Campbell has cleared WHL waivers and now is a free agent. Campbell was placed on waivers as the Wheat Kings got down to the maximum three 20-year-olds. They chose to go with F Tyler Coulter, F Reid Duke and G Jordan Papirny. . . . Campbell, a Brandon native, now is free to move to the OHL or QMJHL, should the opportunity arise. Or, should he choose, he is free to play junior A. . . . The Penticton Vees hold his BCHL rights and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up with them. . . . Campbell was pointless in six games with Brandon this season. In his previous two seasons, he totalled 22 goals and 21 assists in 140 regular-season games.

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JUST NOTES:

The Portland Winterhawks have dropped F Brett Clayton, who is to turn 18 on Nov. 22, from their roster. He is expected to join the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. From Abbotsford, B.C., Clayton had a goal and two assists in 57 games with Portland last season. This season, he was pointless in three games. The Saskatoon Blades selected him in the 10th round of the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . 

The Russian team that will meet Team WHL in the CIBC Canada-Russia series has revealed its tentative roster — three goaltenders, 13 defencemen and 20 forwards. . . . Included are a few WHLers — D Artyom Minulin (Swift Current Broncos), D Dmitriy Zaitsev (Moose Jaw Warriors), D Sergey Zborovskiy (Regina Pats), F Nikita Popugaev (Moose Jaw). The roster also includes F Klim Kostin, who was selected by the Kootenay Ice with the first overall pick in the CHL’s 2016 import draft. Kostin chose not to join the Ice and has played this season with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL and the VHL’s Dynamo Balashikha. . . . 

Dale McFee has stepped aside after 10 years as president of the Prince Albert Raiders. McFee, who is a former Raiders player (1982-86), cited time constraints in making his decision. Long-time board member Gord Broda has been elected president of the community-owned franchise, with McGee as vice-president.

——

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

———

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

Congratulations to @Kelowna_Rockets Nick Merkley. The 19 year old's assist on Tomas Soustal's goal was his 200th point of his WHL career.

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) October 27, 2016

At Kelowna, F Kole Lind had a goal and three assists to lead the Rockets to a 6-4 victory over the Victoria

KOLE LIND

Royals. . . . The Rockets held a 3-2 lead midway through the second period when they took control by scoring the next three goals. . . . F Rod Southam and F Calvin Thurkauf each scored twice for Kelowna. Southam gave the Rockets a 4-2 lead at 13:13 of the second, with Thurkauf scoring at 17:26 of the second and 3:25 of the third. . . . Southam has three goals; Thurkauf has six. . . . Lind’s sixth goal, at 4:03 of the first period, tied the game 1-1. F Ryan Peckford’s fourth goal had opened the scoring at 3:24. . . . D Jonathan Smart and D Lucas Johansen had two assists each for the Rockets, with F Tomas Soustal getting a goal and an assist. . . . G Michael Herringer turned aside 25 shots for the Rockets. . . . Victoria starter Griffen Outhouse surrendered five goals on 23 shots through two periods. Dylan Myskiw played the third, stopping 10 of 11 shots. . . . Kelowna was 3-8 on the PP; Victoria was 2-7. . . . The Rockets have won four in a row to get their record to .500 (7-7-0). . . . The Royals are 8-7-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,570.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jansen Harkins scored two goals and added an assist to help the Prince George

JANSEN HARKINS

Cougars to a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Brogan O’Brien, who also had two goals, got the visitors started at 8:05 of the first period. . . . F Austin Wellsby pulled the Ice even with his first goal at 14:04. . . . Harkins scored on a PP, giving the Cougars the lead at 7:01 of the second. . . . O’Brien made it 3-1 with his fourth goal of the season at 16:40. . . . F Brad Morrison added a goal, his seventh, and an assist for the winners, with F Jesse Gabrielle and F Colby McAuley each getting two assists. . . . G Nick McBride stopped 33 shots for the Cougars, while the Ice got 28 saves from Jakob Walter. . . . The Cougars were 1-1 on the PP; the Ice was 0-2. . . . The Cougars (12-2-1) have points on five straight (4-0-1) and now are 7-0-0 on the road. . . . The Ice (1-8-4) has lost seven straight (0-5-2). . . . Announced attendance: 1,542.

——

The 6 game win streak is now longer than any streak last year for @Rebelshockey. 2 win streaks of 5 games in 2015-16.

— Paul Figler (@RDFigs19) October 27, 2016

At Red Deer, the Rebels scored the game’s first three goals, all in the second period, en route to a 5-2

MICHAEL SPACEK

victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Brandon Hagel snapped the scoreless tie with his fourth goal at 9:32, with F Grayson Pawlenchuk getting his third at 15:48, and D Jared Freadrich scoring his first, on a PP, at 19:10. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos got Brandon on the board, with his fifth goal, on a PP, at 1:30 of the third period. . . . D Alexander Alexeyev got that one back for Red Deer, scoring his second goal at 5:39. . . . F Tyler Coulter’s PP goal pulled the Wheat Kings to within two at 8:40, but D Josh Mahura’s fourth goal, on a PP, put it out of reach at 17:59. . . . F Michael Spacek had three assists for the Rebels, running his point streak to nine games, while Alexeyev, Hagel and Mashura each added an assist to his goal. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 22 shots for the home team, with Brandon’s Logan Thompson blocking 51. . . . The Wheat Kings have been outshot 101-40 over their past two games. The beat the host Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-3, on Tuesday. . . . Red Deer was 2-4 on the PP; Brandon was 2-5. . . . The Rebels (8-3-2) have won six in a row. . . . The Wheat Kings (6-4-2) had been 4-0-1 in their previous five games. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke missed a second game in as many nights as he tended to a family matter. . . . Announced attendance: 4,025.

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At Saskatoon, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 6-2 victory over

KAILER YAMAMOTO

the Blades. . . . F Ethan McIndoe’s second goal, on a PP, got the Chiefs on the board first, at 10:43 of the first period. . . . They made it 3-0 in the second on goals from D Trent Huitema, his first, at 3:07 of the second period, and F Kailer Yamamoto, at 9:51. . . . Saskatoon F Gage Ramsay scored his first goal — a native of Saskatoon, he was acquired from the Vancouver Giants last week — at 17:01, but Yamamoto got that one back just 42 seconds into the third period. . . . Yamamoto has 10 goals. . . . F Riley McKay’s first goal, at 2:17, made it 5-1 and school was out. . . . F Taylor Ross and F Curtis Miske each had two assists for the Chiefs, while McKay and McIndoe added one apiece. . . . D Bryton Sayers had two assists for the Blades. . . . The Chiefs got 27 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Saskatoon G Brock Hamm turned aside 24 shots. . . . The Chiefs were 1-2 on the PP; the Blades were 0-9. . . . Spokane (5-6-2) is 2-2-0 on its East Division trip. . . . The Blades (6-6-1), fresh off a five-game B.C. Division trip, have lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,178.

——

THURSDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Tri-City at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

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