Willick will head to UNB

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Well . . . that didn’t take long!
Dylan Willick, who captained the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers this season, arrived in Fredericton on Wednesday. Three days later, he announced that he will attend the U of New Brunswick in the fall and play for the Varsity Reds, who are the CIS’s defending champions.
Willick, 20, has used up his junior hockey eligibility. Knowing that he wants to take engineering, the Prince George native had narrowed his choice to McGill University in Montreal or UNB.
He visited McGill earlier in the spring; in fact, he was in the Bell Centre to watch the Canadiens drop a 6-1 series-ending decision to the Ottawa Senators on May 9.
“I’m not really a big city person,” Willick said on Sunday, adding that he really wanted to see Fredericton before he made a decision.
“Once I saw it, it all clicked,” he said. “It’s kind of like a Victoria feel because it’s all government buildings . . . some old brick buildings. It’s a mix between that and Prince George foliage, because it’s all big trees and foresty.”
The Varsity Reds have won six straight Atlanta University Sport regular-season pennants and three straight playoff championships. They also have won four CIS titles over the past seven seasons.
Head coach Gardiner MacDougall is preparing for his 14th season at the helm.
“He seems like a good guy,” Willick said, before chuckling and adding: “Of course, coaches can be a little bit different in the offseason when they’re not yelling at you so much.”
“He and his staff seem good,” Willick continued. “It’s almost reminiscent of what we had (in Kamloops), with one guy who is more focussed on the skills and plays, and the other guy is more focused on making sure he gets the effort out of the guys.
“They complement each other nicely and they’re easy guys to talk to.”
At this point, Willick doesn’t know anyone on the Varsity Reds’ roster, although it includes former WHL players Cam Braes, Daine Todd and Ben Wright. Willick does, however, know a couple of other players who may decide to attend UNB.
“I’m hoping somebody else comes along for the ride,” he said.
All of this, of course, signals a new chapter in Willick’s life. After four years, he is having to step out of junior hockey’s bubble and get on with his life.
“I’m really excited now that I know exactly where it is that I am going,” he said. “There’s a lot of planning involved now in getting down there and figuring out everything.”
He also is settling into a new job, something he has never done.
“In previous years,” he exlained, “I held off on the job front and focused on hockey. But there’s a big move ahead and it’s not cheap to move across Canada.
“I’m 20 years old and I had to get my first job.”
He’s working at Jasco Rentals on Tranquille Road and admitted that “it’s been fun for me. I’m learning a lot, which is always fantastic.”
Because he has committed to UNB, it doesn’t mean his dream of playing professionally is over. He still could get a pro tryout and, he said, if that happens he will check his options.
“I have to figure out how all that works,” he said. “From what I hear and understand . . . (MacDougall) is letting them go to camps and will have spots open when they come back.
“If the opportunity comes up for a tryout, I’ll have to talk to them first . . . as long as everything worked out, I would definitely go and give it a shot.
“If it worked out, it worked out. Right?”
Willick played four seasons with the Blazers, putting up 157 points, 80 of them goals, in 266 games. This season, he had 30 points, including 16 goals, in 51 games. He lost a chunk of the season to a broken ankle suffered on Nov. 2 in a 2-1 shootout victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars.
Willick was named the Blazers’ captain on Dec. 5, while he was rehabbing the broken ankle that he sayd yesterday now is 100 per cent.
Prior to this season, he had played 71, 72 and 72 games, so durability was never a problem.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Justin Kelly (Prince Albert, Spokane, Saskatoon, 1997-2002) signed a one-year contract with Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had 21 goals and 19 assists in 46 games to lead Troja-Ljungby (Sweden, Allsvenskan) in scoring this season.
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1. What happened to Cullen Finnerty? One of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of U.S. college football, Finnerty was married with two children when he went missing on the weekend of May 26. His body was found facedown in an open field in Michigan and many unanswered questions have followed. Greg Bishop of The New York Times has more, a whole lot more, right here. . . . You should read this one, so pour some coffee and settle in.
2. F Dylan Willick, who captained the Kamloops Blazers this season, flew to Fredericton on Wednesday for a visit to the U of New Brunswick. On Saturday, Willick — or, rather, his mother, Melissa — announced via Twitter that he will attend UNB and play for the Varsity Reds, the defending CIS champions, next season. . . . Willick, who has used up his junior eligibility, played four seasons in Kamloops, putting up 157 points, 80 of them goals, in 266 games.
3. The hockey gods really haven’t taken much of a shine to fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs. How else to explain that their beloved Leafs were so close to eliminating the Boston Bruins – holding a three-goal lead in the third period of Game 7 in a first-round series – who now have swept aside the Pittsburgh Penguins to reach the NHL’s Stanley Cup final?
4. And just to make matters worse for Maple Leafs fans, Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask, who is likely the leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy, was Toronto’s first-round round selection, taken 21st overall, in the NHL’s 2005 draft. . . . Rask was traded to Boston for G Andrew Raycroft on June 25, 2006. . . . The Leafs, under then-GM John Ferguson Jr., chose to keep G Justin Pogge over Rask. Pogge was the 90th overall selection in the 2004 NHL draft.
5. There seem to be a lot of folks calling for massive change to the Penguins before another season gets here. I’m just wondering how many of those prognosticators picked Pittsburgh to get swept by the Bruins and to score only two goals in the process?
6. And let’s not forget that the Chicago Blackhawks trailed the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 in games in that second-round series. I’m sure someone, somewhere had Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville and his staff walking the plank had the Blackhawks lost that series.
7. There has been speculation that Matt Erhart will be joining the Vancouver Giants’ coaching staff, filling the vacancy created when Glen Hanlon left for the head-coaching position with the Belarussian national team. Erhart has been the GM and head coach of the Surrey Eagles, who won the BCHL championship this season.
8. It’s the dog days in Vancouver, it seems, where the police are getting heat for handing out tickets for panhandling and jaywalking in the Downtown Eastside. Shelley Fralic, a columnist with the Vancouver Sun, must be about to go on sabbatical or vacation, because she wrote in Saturday’s paper all about the silly season. . . . She also wonders “how, why and when . . . did animals become more important than humans?” . . . Give this right here a read and then join me in hoping that she shares her mail with us over the next few days. There already were more than 100 comments on the end of the column as of 9:48 p.m. on Saturday. More good reading!
9. Unless my eyes and ears were deceiving me, there were 53,679 people having a great time at the MLS game in Seattle last night. . . . It was a rousing game, too, as the short-staffed Sounders erased a 2-1 Vancouver lead and beat the Whitecaps, 3-2. . . . With attendance like that, you’ve got to wonder if that could translate to an NHL franchise. If there was a facility in which to play, of course.
10. The Stanley Cup final opens with games in Chicago on Wednesday and Saturday. Then it’ll be Monday (June 17) and Wednesday (June 19) in Boston, Saturday (June 22) in Chicago, Monday (June 24) in Boston and Wednesday (June 26) in Chicago. . . . All games will begin at 5 p.m PT. . . . If you’re watching on CBC, you’ll get Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson in the booth, with a studio crew of Elliotte Friedman, Glenn Healy, Ron MacLean, Scott Oake, Andi Petrillo, P.J. Stock and Grapes. . . . With NBC-TV, it’s likely to be Doc Emrick, Ed Olczyk and Pierre McGuire, along with Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.
11. This will be the second time that teams from Boston and Chicago have met for a major sporting championship. . . . The Red Sox and Cubs played in the 1918 World Series, with Boston winning, 4-2. . . . If you count the New England Patriots as being from Boston — they play out of Foxborough — they lost 46-10 to the Chicago Bears in the 1986 Super Bowl.
12. The visiting Grand Rapids Griffins opened the AHL final — they play for the Calder Cup — with a 3-1 victory over the Syracuse Crunch last night. . . . Game 2 is tonight in War Memorial Arena in Syracuse. . . . F Mitch Callahan (Kelowna, 2008-10) scored the game’s first goal for the Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. . . . Yes, someone tossed an octopus onto the ice during the game. . . . Attendance was 6,333.
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From Terry Massey (@TerryMassey): “NHL was founded in 1917 the "Original Six" came to be in 1942… Only original NHL team is Montreal Canadiens.”
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From Iain MacIntyre (@imacVanSun): “Wait, Ralph Krueger got fired?! Works half his life for NHL HC job and gets 48 gms. Tough business. Eakins about to find out.”

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Winterhawks move into WHL final

With help from Paul Buker of The Oregonian and Portland freelance journalist Scott Sepich, here’s a look at Game 5 between the Winterhawks and Kamloops Blazers.

PORTLAND – The Portland Winterhawks are hoping the third time’s the charm.
The Winterhawks scored two power-play goals and another while shorthanded in skating to a 4-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers to win the WHL’s best-of-seven Western Conference final, 4-1.
The Winterhawks, who will be making their third straight appearance in the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, now await a winner from the Eastern Conference. Last night, the host Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Calgary Hitmen 5-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the series. Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Calgary.
“You go the final twice and you lose, it’s not easy,’’ said Travis Green, Portland’s acting coach. “It’s hard to swallow. You live with it forever. . . . I’m hoping the third time’s the lucky charm.’’
The Winterhawks lost to the Kootenay Ice two years ago and last year were beaten by the Oil Kings.
Against Kamloops, the Winterhawks held serve, having also won Games 1 and 2 at home. The Blazers won Game 3 in Kamloops; the Winterhawks took Game 4.
“I thought Portland played very well,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said. “It’s a very determined group. I’m sure last year’s experience was something that they used. They didn’t want to see this go to seven games again and their effort tonight showed that. I thought they were very committed defensively, and I thought their goaltender played well, especially early in the series.”
It was only a year ago when the Blazers lost the first three games of a second-round series with Portland, then won three in a row before losing Game 7, 2-0, in Portland.
The Blazers and their fans were hoping for the same sort of comeback this time, but it wasn’t to be.
The Winterhawks, who finished atop the WHL’s overall standings, simply were too strong. Goaltender Mac Carruth allowed only seven goals in the six games, with five of them coming in the Blazers’ 5-1 victory in Game 3.
For the third time in three games, the Blazers gave up a 5-on-3 power play — this one for 1:14 — early in the first period. The Winterhawks didn’t score on the 5-on-3, but defenceman Seth Jones scored shortly after the first penalty expired.
“I think the most frustrating thing was again we took penalties,” said Charron, who harped on his club’s lack of discipline at inopportune moments for most of the series. “I thought we’d respond a bit different, but we started with a 5-on-3 the last three games and we can’t put ourselves in that position.”
Kamloops pulled even with 36.2 seconds left in the first period when winger JC Lipon pounced on a loose puck and got it behind Carruth.
But the Winterhawks regained the lead at 4:23 of the second period when Kamloops turned over the puck in the neutral zone and forward Taylor Leier pulled the trigger on a 2-on-1 break with Oliver Bjorkstrand.
The Blazers had a glorious chance to tie it in the period’s last minute but winger Kale Kessy’s shot hit the crossbar and bounced harmlessly away.
The Winterhawks gained some breathing room at 10:05 of the third period when left-winger Ty Rattie, who leads all playoff scorers in goals and points, picked off an errant pass by Brendan Ranford and beat goaltender Cole Cheveldave on a shorthanded breakaway.
“Just the way it goes sometimes,’’ said Rattie. “We were shading that side on their power play and (Ranford’s pass) happened to land on my stick.’’
How big was that goal? Rattie said it was a big one.
“That would be top goal of my career, with the crowd being so loud and how close a game it was,” he said. “It was awesome to score . . . an exciting game to play.’’
“After that (goal), our back was really against the wall,” Blazers captain Dylan Willick said, “and it was do-or-die time. I think we were still giving it all we had at that point and it maybe even made us more fired up. We wanted it that much more, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.”
Portland put it away when forward Nic Petan banged in a rebound on a power play at 13:58.
The Winterhawks were 2-for-4 on the PP and finished 7-for-28 in the five games. The Blazers, meanwhile, went 0-for-2 and wound up 1-for-21.
“They have so much firepower and transition,” Charron said. “and they were very committed to playing two-way hockey and made it very difficult for us. So, they deserve their wins.”
Charron also complimented the Winterhawks for their defensive work against Kamloops’ top forward, who were all but shut down.
“It wasn't easy for (our top guys),” he said. “Whoever played against them are great players. It made it tough to produce. We didn't have much room.”
As for Portland top four defencemen, Charron said: “Let's give credit to their defensive core — their top four is as good as anybody I've ever seen in this league and all four might play in the NHL. They didn't make it easy.
“In other series, we were able to capitalize because other teams broke down more and this team just doesn't break down very often. They were very committed defensively and really came back hard in the zone. We didn't have many breakthroughs.”
Willick, who completed his WHL eligibility, as did Kessy and Ranford, admitted the Blazers battled discipline problems most of the series.
“It’s tough to pinpoint, but we go back to discipline again,” he said. “For the third game in a row we started off down 5-on-3, so that gives them life and gives them the first goal. It’s tough to chase a team like that.”
And so ends a Kamloops season that included a lot of highlights, from an early-season franchise-record 14-game winning streak to the No. 1 position in the CHL’s weekly rankings, from a second-round sweep of the arch-rival Kelowna Rockets to an appearance in the Western Conference final for the first time since 1999.
“There’s a lot of good memories this season,” Charron said. “To start off with 14 wins in a row was a unique situation.
“I think this group of players has accomplished something tremendous in terms of consistency and winning over 40 games. Credit has to be given to these guys.
“It takes commitment, it takes believing and I think they did that. I hope they learned what kind of effort it takes to get to this level.”
Willick, who played four seasons with the Blazers, said it was a great season, but added that it’s tough to have his final WHL campaign come to an end.
“These guys have been my best friends and my family for four years,” he said. “I don’t know how to say goodbye to these guys. I don’t know how to say goodbye to all this.
“It’s truly been humbling and been an honour to be named a captain with this group. To play for Kamloops and for these fans, it’s a fantastic city.
“I’ve been dreading the day I had to say goodbye to it, and I don’t think it’s hit me yet that it’s over.”
While it’s over for Willick and the Blazers, the Winterhawks have another WHL final to which to look forward.
“Unbelievable,” Rattie said. “I’ve been so lucky to be here for four deep playoff runs, three WHL finals. Now the last thing to do is win this next series and go on to the Memorial Cup.’’
Rattie said he doesn’t care if Portland next sees Calgary or Edmonton. He just doesn’t want history to repeat itself.
“Doesn’t matter to us,’’ he said. “I think we’re ready for either team. Whoever we play, we don’t want last year or the year before to happen.’’
JUST NOTES: Rattie was the series MVP, thanks to 12 points, eight of them assists, in the five games. He leads all playoff scorers with 15 goals and 30 points. . . . Carruth finished with 22 saves, while Cheveldave turned aside 37 shots. . . . Ranford, who left in the third period of Game 4 on Wednesday night after taking a hard check, was in the lineup. Portland F Keegan Iverson, who received a charging major and game misconduct for the hit on Ranford, wasn’t suspended and played last night. “It was a good, clean bodycheck . . . a good hockey play,” Ranford said on Radio NL’s pregame show. . . . After three fans caused some problems behind the Blazers’ bench late in Game 2, there were three extra security people in the area for last night’s game. . . . Portland is the first team to win three straight Western Conference titles since Kamloops did it from 1984-86. . . . In the Eastern Conference, the Red Deer Rebels won three from 2001-03. . . . The championship series, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, will begin with games in Portland’s Rose Garden on May 3 and 4.

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By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Broken down, hockey is a game of one-on-one battles. Win the majority of the battles and, in theory, you win the game.
The Kamloops Blazers lost the first two games of the WHL’s best-of-seven Western Conference final with the Portland Winterhawks in no small part, according to head coach Guy Charron, because they lost too many battles.
“When we’re in their end, cycling and working deep,” Charron said after practice at Interior Savings Centre on Monday, “we lose battles deep, and we get all three guys caught . . . . Portland’s transition from defence to offence is as good as I’ve seen on any team in the league.”
The Blazers, then, are looking to be more disciplined when the series resumes tonight at ISC. Game time is 7 p.m.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Charron admitted. “The way Portland is playing right now . . . they’re playing very hard at both ends of the rink. We can’t have any passengers and our best players have to be our best players.”
In describing the first two games, Charron all but sang a paean to the Winterhawks as he discussed how well the team that finished atop the WHL’s overall standings is playing right now.
“Their work ethic,” he said, “is really, really good. They work hard at both ends of the rink. Their backchecking . . . from a forechecking situation, they outnumber us on a counter-attack. We get caught three deep and they get rushes like 3-on-2, 4-on-2. . . .”
The Winterhawks’ power play is 3-for-11 in the two games and it isn’t a case of a malfunction with the Kamloops penalty killers.
“They are executing well,” Charron said. “They aren’t fanning on too many opportunities. Whatever they try works.”
Of course, the Blazers also have to find a way to solve Portland goaltender Mac (The Truth) Carruth, who is 7-0 in April.
“Some people say we need more traffic, but he’s made saves in traffic,” Charron said. “What we need to do is find ways to get more than just first chances. We haven’t been getting second and third chances.”
So . . . from a Kamloops perspective, what’s the answer?
“We just need to be more disciplined,” Charron said, “and play more our game . . . and not give up outnumbered situations the way we are.”
The players talk about being more disciplined, too, and not just in staying out of the penalty box.
“When we got the puck in their zone and in behind their defencemen, we generated a lot of chances,” veteran defenceman Tyler Hansen said. “But in the neutral zone and defensive zone, we were a little too passive. We know they’re a good team and we respect them, but I think we almost respected them a little too much. We gave them too much time. If we’re a little more aggressive and take the body a little bit more, we’ll be more successful here at home.”
At the same time, Hansen recognizes that the Blazers “were a little undisciplined” in the first two games.
“We were almost trying to make a statement,” he said, “but I think that was their plan and they kind of lured us into that. If we’re physical and play hard between the whistles, we’ll be better.”
Charron also pointed out that the Blazers haven’t been very good in the faceoff circles.
“We need to be better,” he said. “We’re chasing versus having possession.”
Blazers captain Dylan Willick agreed.
“It comes down to competing and battling,” Willick said, “and it’s not just the centremen; the wingers aren’t getting in there quick enough sometimes and they’re beating us to the pucks.
“We’re chasing from the draws so we’re chasing the game.”
Even with all of that, and with having been outscored 8-1 in the two games, Charron said Portland had only a 44-37 edge in scoring chances over the two games.
“Where they dominated,” he said, “was on the power play, where it was 17-8.
“If we play the way we can, we can beat this team. We can play with this team and we can have success against this team.”
Of course, hovering over this series is a ghost from one season ago when the Winterhawks won the first three games of a second-round series between these teams and held a 4-0 lead in Game 4. However, the Blazers came back and took the series to seven games, with Portland winning the last one 2-0 at home.
Naturally, the Winterhawks aren’t dwelling on what happened a year ago.
“I don’t think it’s worthwhile to analyze it,” Travis Green, the Winterhawks’ interim GM and head coach, told Paul Buker of The Oregonian. “You worry about the games in front of you, not the games behind you. They’re a good team, they play well at home, and I’m sure they will play well (tonight).”

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Winterhawks draw series' first blood

Here’s a story on Game 1 of the Western Conference final, with thanks to Paul Buker of The Oregonian and Portland freelancer Scott Sepich . . .

PORTLAND — The difference was a penalty shot.
At least, that was the opinion of Kamloops head coach Guy Charron after his Blazers dropped a 4-1 decision to the Portland Winterhawks in Game 1 of the WHL’s Western Conference final on Friday night.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series will be played here tonight. The teams then will head for Kamloops and games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“It’s a tough game to over-assess or say what needs to be changed,” Charron said. “After two periods it was a 2-1 game and the difference was a penalty shot, so overall we were playing a good road game.
“We knew the next goal was going to be important in the third period and they got it. They’re an explosive team. They play well with the lead. That’s what we need to do is capitalize and make them play catch-up hockey.”
Across the way, Travis Green, Portland’s GM/head coach, liked what he saw.
“I thought we played pretty good, start to finish,” Green said. “I thought we deserved to win, but we know tomorrow is going to be a tough game.”
Portland veteran Ty Rattie was awarded a penalty shot at 17:16 of the first period. The Winterhawks were killing a penalty when he broke in alone and was hacked from behind by Blazers defenceman Joel Edmundson.
Rattie put a shot over goaltender Cole Cheveldave to give Portland a 2-1 lead.
“You’ve got to have one move in your head. If you have a couple moves stuck in your head it will screw you up,’’ Rattie said. “I know Cole pretty well. I know his tendencies. I had had one thing on my mind and luckily, it worked.’’
That was Rattie’s 12th goal of the these playoffs, which is tops in the WHL.
The Blazers had opened the scoring when centre Joe Kornelsen scored his first goal since Jan. 4 — a span covering 24 regular-season and four playoff games — at 2:10 of the first period.
“We got the first goal, which was a good momentum builder for us,” Charron said, “but as the game went on I think the chances were pretty even.”
Kornelsen’s goal came on Kamloops’ first shot on goaltender Mac Carruth. Who knew the Blazers wouldn’t score again on this night?
“It’s tough when you let in one of your first few shots,” Green said. “The thing about Mac is, he’s matured a lot over the years. Mac from a few years ago, it might have rattled him a little bit.”
Portland pulled even at 15:03 when forward Taylor Leier scored his sixth goal of this spring.
After a scoreless second period, the Winterhawks put it away with third-period goals from defenceman Troy Rutkowski, on the power play, and forward Brendan Leipsic. Rattie drew an assist on each of those goals.
Carruth, who often was verbally involved with opposing players, stopped 33 shots, four fewer than Cheveldave.
“We had opportunities to stay even closer or take a bigger lead but you have to give credit to Carruth,” Charron said. “He played well and made the saves he needed to make.
“We need to be more tenacious at the net. Carruth needs to work more and we need to get pucks into his feet, look for rebounds and that kind of thing.”
Kamloops captain Dylan Willick agreed.
“It starts with traffic at the net,” he said. “We had a lot of shots, but when Carruth can see it all, he’s going to make the saves. He’s a good goaltender. We need to finish some chances. We had a hot start and probably could have made it 2-0 or 3-0 if we just would have beared down and capitalized.
“They’re a team that makes the most of their chances, and they did that against us tonight.”
Things got a little fractious late in the game and Rattie was ejected with a checking-from-behind major for a hit on forward Chase Souto at the Kamloops bench. The Blazers lost forwards JC Lipon and Macklin to misconducts during the scrum.
"I was just going back to the bench,” Rattie said. “I get a stick, and I was trying to protect myself. I pushed (Souto) away and it was unlucky he went into the boards. That's hockey.”
Charron chalked it up to “a little frustration when it’s 4-1.”
“Any time someone takes an advantage it becomes frustrating,” Charron continued, “whether you take liberties or your discipline goes. But that’s playoff hockey. It’s intense, everybody cares and wants to do well. But when a team gets a 4-1 lead on you it gets difficult.”
Willick said the Blazers “didn’t really plan on the way the game ended, but it’s an emotional time of the season. It’s huge for us and we need to tell them that we’re not going away and that’s how we did it.”
It was an emotional game and Carruth found himself involved with Kamloops players, especially forward Kale Kessy, on more than one occasion.
“They kind of left me alone there in the first,” Carruth said, “and I kind of brought it on myself in the second and third. It’s something I’ll probably need to work on in Game 2. Keep my mouth shut and my stick down.”
Carruth said Kessy got him good on one occasion.
“He elbowed me, stuck me in the head, whatever,” Carruth said. “It’s what they’re going to try and do all series. It’s just going to be the way it is.”
Green, meanwhile, said Carruth “played great tonight. I liked his focus. I liked his composure.”
Green also said he wasn’t surprised to see his goaltender involved the way he was.
“We’ve seen that in the past,” Green said. “Stuff after the whistle, and what-not. He’s dealt with it before, and I’m sure he’ll deal with it again.”
Willick said things were perhaps “a little excessive in the scrums, but there's some rivalry going on between these teams and we're trying to set a tone in Game 1.”
Willick added that his guys aren’t about to change their game plan.
“Losing 4-1 isn't the message we wanted to give,” he said. “We need a bit more of an effort whistle to whistle to get going in Game 2.”
The Winterhawks won a seven-game second-round series from the Blazers a year ago and Willick said there is a real rivalry between these teams.
“Even in the regular season this season,” he said, “there's guys trying to establish how it's going to be between us. In the playoffs, guys might do a little bit extra. These guys aren't our friends by any means. We're going to go at them hard and physical every game.”
The Blazers had forwards Colin Smith and Tim Bozon back in their lineup. Smith had missed three games with a suspected concussion, while Bozon sat out seven with a hand injury.
“When you miss games,” Charron said, “there’s an element of timing and conditioning with them. It’s never like playing the games, especially in the playoffs when you have lighter practices.
“Overall, the effort was there. It wasn’t perfect for Tim but we were asking him to play a lot. Hopefully, his timing and his production will come.”
JUST NOTES: Portland was 1-for-3 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-for-5. . . . Carruth tied the WHL record for most games by a goaltender (65). He shares that record, for now, with former Red Deer Rebels G Cam Ward. . . . Lipon was held off the scoresheet for the first time in these playoffs. . . . Rattie now leads the WHL scoring race, with 22 points, one more than Lipon and three more than Kamloops F Brendan Ranford, who also was pointless. . . . Rattie’s goal was his 42nd career playoff score, second in WHL history. He had been tied with former Flin Flon Bombers star Reg Leach. Rattie trails former Medicine Hat Tigers sniper Mark Pederson, who finished his career with 47 playoff goals.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Dustin Friesen (Swift Current, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract extension with Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had 12 goals and 20 assists in 47 games for the Pinguins this season. . . .

Linköping (Sweden, Elitserien) announced that it won’t offer contracts for next season to F Robin Figren (Calgary, Edmonton, 2006-08) and F Lee Goren (Saskatoon, 1995-96). Figren had nine goals and four assists in 55 games and Goren had two goals and four assists in 24 games for Linköping this season. Goren started the season with Pelicans Lahti (Finland, SM-Liiga), getting four goals and eight assists in 13 games before joining Linköping.
———
There is a move afoot to build a downtown arena in Fort McMurray, Alta.
MyMcMurray.com has listed the names “of the four companies that have been shortlisted to build Fort McMurray’s proposed downtown arena.”
According to MyMcMurray.com, “One of those companies, Global Entertainment Corporation and Western Asset Management made a joint submission — it specifically says it could immediately negotiate the establishment of a WHL team in Fort McMurray.”
Global Entertainment has an operating subsidiary in International Coliseums Company (ICC). Its president is Rick Kozuback, a former WHL coach (Tri-City Americans, 1989-91).
According to its website, ICC “develops first class multi-purpose event centers for mid-sized cities.”
Also from ICC’s website: “Since 2003, ICC has developed 10 Event Centers; no other entity has done more than 1 in that time frame.”
According to MyMcMurray.com, Global has said the window to acquire an existing WHL franchise “will close soon if there are delays in starting the project.”
“What we do know is that there is an immediate opportunity to negotiate for a WHL franchise,” reads part of its submission, according to MyMcMurray.com.
All of this is most interesting indeed, if only because at least one WHL owner, within the last few years, looked into moving his franchise to Fort McMurray.
This owner went so far as to begin putting together a private partnership — one that included at least two prominent hockey people — that would have financed the building of an arena.
This owner has told me that the WHL office quickly informed him that the league, citing geographic reasons, wasn’t the least bit interested in having a franchise in Fort McMurray.
Fort McMurray is a 440-kilometre (274-mile) drive from Edmonton.
UPDATE: In the wee hours of this morning, Tyler King, the radio voice of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons, tweeted: “A defining moment in Fort McMurray’s history as (city) council approves expropriation for a downtown arena.”
———
“Three days have been set aside in June to deal with six charges against Tom Gaglardi and his father, Robert, and one charge against the Gaglardi family business, Northland Properties Corporation,” writes Dale Bass of Kamloops This Week. "The charges stem from an incident last year on lakefront property Tom Gaglardi owns in Savona, where the Crown alleges the pair and their company contravened federal legislation by 'first clearing and then filling land, actions that resulted in the harmful alternation, disruption or destruction of fish habitat, the foreshore of Kamloops Lake.' "
Tom Gaglardi owns the NHL’s Dallas Stars and is the majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
That story is right here.
———



F Hunter Shinkaruk of the Medicine Hat Tigers “is officially at his wits end about the officials,” writes Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News. . . . That story is right here. . . .
According to a source, Calgary Hitmen D Kenton Helgesen has undergone surgery to repair a broken finger that was injured in the first-round series against the Swift Current Broncos. He apparently won’t play again this season unless the Hitmen reach the Memorial Cup.
———
THE COACHING GAME:
Tim Whitehead no longer is the head coach of the U of Maine Black Bears. The school announced Tuesday that Whitehead had been fired after 12 years as head coach. He had one year left on his contract, at $190,000. Maine was 11-19-8 overall this season, including 7-12-8 in Hockey East. The Black Bears were swept from a best-of-three quarterfinal by UMass Lowell. . . . Whitehead took over the Black Bears in 2001 after the death of Shawn Walsh. . . . Larry Mahoney of the Bangor Daily News has more right here.
———

The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Edmonton leads, 3-0; Game 4, tonight, in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Red Deer (4)
(Calgary leads, 3-1; Game 5, Thursday, in Calgary)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Spokane (4)
(Portland leads 3-0; Game 4, tonight, in Spokane)
Kelowna (2) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Kamloops leads 3-0; Game 4, tonight, in Kamloops; all games on Shaw TV)
———
TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Red Deer, F Cody Sylvester scored at 5:10 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . Sylvester, Calgary’s captain, has four goals in these playoffs. . . . “We call him Captain Clutch in the dressing room,” Calgary G Chris Driedger told reporters, “and he definitely lived up to his name.” . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen scored the game’s first goal and drew an assist on the winner. . . . The Hitmen have scored first in eight of their nine playoff games. . . . F Brooks Macek gave Calgary a 2-0 lead at 13:00 of the first. . . . Red Deer tied it on second-period PP goals by F Dominik Volek and F Conner Bleackley. . . . This was the fourth straight road game in which Calgary went to OT. . . . Driedger stopped 37 shots, nine more than Red Deer’s Patrik Bartosak. . . . Red Deer F Matt Bellerive has completed his two-game suspension for a kneeing major in Game 2. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Henrik Samuelsson gave the Edmonton Oil Kings an early 2-0 lead and they went on to beat the Tigers, 9-2. . . . Samuelsson scored at 1:39 and 12:25 of the first, the latter on the PP. . . . D Martin Gernat added another PP goal, just 2:10 later, and Edmonton was never caught. . . . F Michael St. Croix and Gernat had two goals each. . . . D Cody Corbett added a goal and two assists for the Oil Kings, who have outscored their opponents 40-7 in eight games. . . . Edmonton D David Musil who turned 20 on Tuesday, had two assists and was plus-4. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 25 shots. In these playoffs, he is 7-1, 0.85, .966. He has three shutouts in eight games. . . . Edmonton was 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . Last season, the Tigers swept the Saskatoon Blades from the first round and then were swept by the Moose Jaw Warriors. This season, the Tigers swept the Blades again, and now are down 0-3 to the Oil Kings. . . .

In Kamloops, F JC Lipon scored at 3:43 of OT to give the Blazers a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The teams combined for five goals in the first period and three in the second before playing a scoreless third. . . . Lipon, who leads all scorers with 19 points, is the only WHL player with at least a point in each of his team’s playoff games. . . . F Dylan Willick scored twice and added an assist for Kamloops. . . . Blazers F Brendan Ranford had a goal and an assist, giving him six points in the three games of this series. . . . F JT Barnett, who hadn’t played since Game 1 of the first round, had two goals for Kelowna. . . . Rockets F Nick Merkley, 15, had two assists in a strong outing. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 33 shots. . . . Blazers F Kale Kessy scored his ninth goal of these playoffs. . . . Kelowna F Ryan Olsen, a 32-goal man in the regular season, got his first goal in 10 playoff games. . . . The Blazers hadn’t won an OT game at home since April 6, 1996 when Jarome Iginla scored on the PP at 13:23 for a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Between then and now, the Blazers had lost seven straight OT decisions on home ice. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie sat out Game 2 of a two-game suspension. The Rockets’ leading playoff scorer is eligible to return for Game 4 tonight. . . .He was suspended for a hit on Kamloops F Colin Smith in Game 1. Smith (suspected concussion) and F Tim Bozon (hand) are both missing from the Blazers’ lineup. . . .

In Spokane, G Mac Carruth stopped 25 shots as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Chiefs, 3-1. . . . Carruth has a WHL-record 40 playoff victories. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie scored his WHL-leading 10th goal at 19:13 of the first. . . . F Nic Petan made it 2-0 at 8:01 of the second. . . . Spokane F Blake Gal scored at 16:24 of the second, on a PP. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier iced it with an empty-netter at 19:45 of the third. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 33 shots. . . . Paul Buker of The Oregonian was there and his story is right here.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (15):
None
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (5):
None
———


From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “Ok, now I know where I sit in the pecking order. @DanRussellCKNW gets premium parking at ISC. I’m asked to park three blocks away. #bigdog”


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Blazers put Rockets in 0-3 hole

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The WHL playoff game’s outcome was right there, on the stick of Kamloops Blazers forward JC Lipon.
The third period was nine minutes old, the Blazers and Rockets were 4-4 and linemate Brendan Ranford had presented Lipon with an empty net.
Lipon misfired wide to the long side . . . way right. He was not a happy camper.
But all that changed when Lipon scored at 3:43 of overtime to give the Blazers a 5-4 victory at Interior Savings Centre.
That gave the Blazers a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. Kamloops will be in a position to wrap it up when the teams meet again tonight at ISC. A fifth game, if necessary, would be played Friday in Kelowna.
“I missed like maybe two of those all season,” Lipon, a 36-goal man, said, referring to that third-period opportunity. “That was a big one and I fanned on it. I was pretty mad. It definitely bothered me.”
It didn’t bother him enought to distract him from the task at hand, though. And in an overtime in which both teams had their chances, Lipon had the final say.
Lipon, who leads the playoff scoring race, took advantage of some good work by Ranford and Cole Ully deep in the Kelowna zone and beat goaltender Jackson Whistle from the short left side of the slot and — that’s why they call it sudden-death — this one was over.
“I didn’t play very well all game,” said Lipon, who also had an assist and now leads the WHL in assists (14) and points (19). “I was pretty disappointed in myself. I just couldn’t seem to rebound. For overtime, it was definitely good to get some confidence back.”
The Rockets, playing their fifth game in eight nights, started this game with a lot of energy and only Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave kept his guys from getting blown out.
Forward Tyrell Goulbourne forced a turnover and Cheveldave stoned him with a right pad just 10 seconds into the game. That signalled the start of an onslaught and the Rockets went on to put up 12 of the game’s first 13 shots.
But Cheveldave kept them off the scoreboard and that’s something that paid huge dividends for the home boys by game’s end.
“He’s been our backbone the whole series and the first period as well,” Lipon said. “We kind of expect it from him now but we have to help him out a little bit more.”
Cheveldave, who finished with 33 stops, made timely saves all game, including a diving save on Kelowna defenceman Madison Bowey earlier in the overtime period.
“If he doesn’t make that save,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said, “the momentum has changed completely.”
As things turned out, Charron added, “The momentum is still on our side with that win in overtime.”
“He made the saves, the timely ones,” Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska said of Cheveldave. “Even the one in overtime . . . he made timely saves tonight.”
The same couldn’t be said of Kelowna starter Jordon Cooke, who was beaten three times on 11 shots in the first period. He was replaced by Whistle to start the second period.
“We need our guy to bounce back,” Huska said.
The Blazers escaped from that first period with a 3-2 lead, despite being outshot 19-11. The five goals were scored in a span of 6:33, which was more than enough to put a buzz into the crowd.
The Rockets then outscored their hosts 2-1 in the second period, forging a 4-4 tie going into the third, which was scoreless.
The Blazers got a stellar evening from captain Dylan Willick, who had two goals and an assist, with Ranford and Kale Kessy also scoring.
Former Blazers forward J.T. Barnett, who had missed the last eight games due to illness, scored twice for Kelowna, with Ryan Olsen and Cole Martin also scoring.
The Rockets, still without four injured regulars and the suspended Tyson Baillie, their leading scorer, definitely outskated the Blazers for much of this game.
“I liked the way we played for the most part,” Huska said. “This was our best game of the series. Getting J.T. back was a big help for us; I thought his energy was really good.
“And I thought we were more physical tonight and we have to continue that in the series.”
Charron didn’t especially like his team’s start. In fact, he didn’t like much about his team’s game until the overtime.
“I thought in OT it was the most energy I saw collectively,” Charron said. “During the game, I don’t think we were working collectively. As they say, good teams find ways . . . so I guess we’re a good team.
“But we’re going to have to be much better and I believe we can be.”
JUST NOTES: The attendance was 4,305. . . . Lipon, with 19 points in nine games, is the only WHLer to have at least a point in each of his team’s playoff games. . . . The Blazers were 1-for-6 on the power play and that included a 5-on-3 for 1:17 in the second period. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-4. . . . Kelowna D Mitchell Wheaton, playing in his third game since coming back from a shoulder injury, left favouring his right shoulder at 17:38 of the second period. He did return for the third. . . . The Daily News Three Stars — 1. Willick: Getting better and better; 2. Martin: Played big; 3. Cheveldave: Gave up four but it could have been 10. . . . The Blazers were without F Colin Smith for a second straight game. He is believed to have a concussion after a hit by Baillie early in the second period of Game 1. Baillie has served his two-game suspension, so is eligible to return tonight. . . . The entire series is being shown by Shaw TV. . . . Ranford has been named the WHL and CHL player of the week after putting up eight points in three games. . . . Former WHL referee Darren Loraas was in the house as a league supervisor.

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Blazers know victory means more rest

The Kamloops Blazers will be looking to get traffic in front of Victoria
Royals goaltender Patrik Polivka (33), just like Colin Smith and Kale
Kessy (22) did here in Game 1 of the series. That's Victoria defenceman
Keegan Kanzig trying to help with the traffic.
(Murray Mitchell / Kamloops Daily News)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
At this time of the season, with rest at a premium, all WHL teams have bumps and bruises.
Some have more than others, and some, like the Kelowna Rockets, have more serious injuries than others.
Which is why it is so important to finish off a team when given the chance.
The Kamloops Blazers are faced with the opportunity to do just that tonight at Interior Savings Centre. The Blazers hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series with t he Victoria Royals. A Kamloops victory ends it; a loss sends the series back to Victoria for Game 6 on Monday.
Dylan Willick, the captain of the Kamloops Blazers, said Friday afternoon that he and his teammates understand what’s at stake.
“It’s huge,” Willick said after the Blazers had traveled home from Victoria. “Any time we can take a travel day out of our schedule and take time to rest up, ice and regroup as a team . . . obviously, it’s a big deal.
“It will boost morale with the team and . . . home ice is a great place to win a series, too. It’s been quite some time since that happened so we’d like to get it done.”
Actually, the Blazers haven’t won a playoff series at home since April 11, 1996, when they beat the Tri-City Americans 5-1 before 5,622 fans in Game 5 of a second-round series.
Willick, of course, scored the overtime goal that gave the Blazers a 5-4 victory in Victoria on Thursday night. It was, he said, the first OT goal of his WHL career.
“Not even in the regular season,” he said, with a laugh.
The winner came off a play that began with linemates Matt Needham and Cole Ully “working in a corner.”
“I found some quiet ice in the high slot,” said Willick, who took a pass from Needham and put the puck through traffic and past goaltender Patrik Polivka. “I found an empty hole and put it in. There was nice lane to shoot through.”
After Polivka stopped 39 shots as the Royals won Game 3, 2-1, the Blazers talked about getting more traffic to his area.
“There have been a lot of rebounds this whole series that we haven’t been jumping on as much as we’d want to,” Willick said. “Unfortunately, there was a time here and there where we bumped into Polivka a bit more than the rules allow.”
Kamloops defenceman Joel Edmundson was penalized for goaltender interference at 13:04 of the second period.
“We got an interference call the one time,” Willick said, “but if that’s the price you pay for trying to get to the net and get the loose pucks, so be it.”
Of course, the Blazers’ aggressiveness around Polivka didn’t sit well with Victoria head coach Dave Lowry.
“It is a rule that is supposed to be called,” Lowry told Marlon Martens, the team’s radio voice. “It is something that we’ve asked to be addressed. If our goalie is going to continue to get bumped, we’ll take a page out their book and start bumping goalies, simple.
“If all they’re going to do is say it’s no goal because you touch a goalie — incidental contact — maybe we’ll start initiating.”
All of which, of course, is part of the posturing, the give-and-take, of playoff hockey. Or is it? We’ll find out tonight.
The Royals have scored 12 goals in the four games, with five of those coming via the power play. That efficiency — five goals on 19 opportunities — is enough to warn the Blazers off taking penalties.
“Discipline is a huge part of it,” Willick said. “Their power play has been clicking so we really don’t want to give them any opportunities like that.”
Which isn’t to say the threat of taking penalties will keep the Blazers from going to the Victoria net.
“At the end of the day,” Willick said, “we have a good chance of scoring goals if we just go to the net and be hard on our sticks and what not. . . . Do it clean, but get to the net.”
With left-winger Tim Bozon injured and missing Game 4 — he may be a game-time decision tonight — it meant an even shorter bench for the Blazers. And that’s one more reason to cut down on penalties.
“We don’t need all that special-team ice time,” Willick explained. “It tires guys out so discipline becomes even more of a factor. It’s something we’ve been preaching all year and we’d like it cleaned up even more now in the playoffs.”
As for the intensity level, Willick said: “It’s playoff hockey. There’s going to be bumps and bruises and there’s going to be some penalties here and there. . . . There have been a few scrums but guys aren’t doing anything stupid.”
There was a big scrum at the end of Game 3 and two players — Bozon and Victoria forward Brandon Magee — both missed Game 4.
“That’s a pretty high price to pay for both teams,” Willick said. “We’d rather not have to lose anybody. We just want to play hard in between whistles.”
The Rockets, meanwhile, are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight, with the visitors holding a 3-1 edge.
On Friday, the Rockets announced that defenceman MacKenzie Johnston (shoulder) and F Rourke Chartier (undisclosed) will be out for six to eight weeks. Chartier was injured in Game 3 on Tuesday, while Johnston was hurt in Game 4 on Wednesday. Seattle forward Connor Honey has been suspended — the length is to be determined — for a check from behind on Johnston.
Those two join forwards Carter Rigby, Colton Sissons and defenceman Mitchell Wheaton on Kelowna’s long-term injury list. As well, veteran forward J.T. Burnett has played in only three games since Feb. 15 as he battles an undisclosed illness.
Should the Blazers and Seattle win tonight — and should the Spokane Chiefs eliminate the host Tri-City Americans — the second round would feature the Blazers and Spokane, with Game 1 likely to be played in Kamloops on Friday.
JUST NOTES: Game time tonight is 7 o’clock. . . . If a seventh game is needed, it will be played at ISC on Wednesday. . . . Polivka goes into the game with a 3.28 GAA and .908 save percentage. . . . Kamloops starter Cole Cheveldave is 2.81 and .880.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
AIK Stockholm (Sweden, Elitserien) announced that they will not re-sign three players to contracts for next season, including F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1996-2001). Beech had three goals and two assists in 23 games with AIK. He started the season with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), where he had two goals and six assists in 21 games before being released in mid-November and joining AIK. . . .


Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) announced they will not re-sign D Brad Cole (Seattle, Kootenay, Saskatoon, 2003-07) for next season. Cole had three goals and 12 assists in 42 games for Villach this season.


———
A week ago, the Saskatoon Blades were skating on top of the world.
They had finished the regular season on a 22-2-3 run that included an 18-game winning streak.
The trials and tribulations of a horrible 2-7-0 start to this season were well behind them.
The host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup was ready for bear. Or so it seemed.
However, a closer look at that 22-2-3 run shows that 11 of those games were against the Moose Jaw Warriors and Brandon Wheat Kings, neither of whom qualified for the playoffs. The Blades were 10-0-1 in those 11 outings.
Granted, a team can’t do anything about its schedule but play it. However, when the Blades finished the regular season by losing twice to the host Prince Albert Raiders, who didn’t finish strongly at all, perhaps we should have heard the warning bells.
But just three days before the first of those losses, the Blades had gone into Edmonton and beaten the Oil Kings, 3-2.
Talk about mixed messages — the Blades were handing those out all season long.
Somewhere in all of this, Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach, had to be wondering just which team was the real Blades. Was it the team that beat the Calgary Hitmen 6-0 and 3-2 or the one that lost 9-5? Was it the one that beat the Medicine Hat Tigers twice – 4-3 and 6-3 – after the Jan. 10 trade deadline?
Or is it the one that lost four straight games to the Tigers and now is on the outside looking in and waiting for the Memorial Cup to arrive?
Yes, it all came crashing down on the the Blades in a matter of six nights. The 18-game winning streak? The 22-2-3 finish? None of it means a thing today.
There was Molleken addressing the Saskatoon media on Thursday.
"It's disappointing,” he said. “We didn't get the job done. We thought we were peaking at the right time."
(Amazingly, there were people who, upon hearing that owner Jack Brodsky and Molleken would hold a news conference yesterday, actually thought there would be a coaching change.
“I’m not going to let a game or a series or a year be a measure of what this hockey club is about or what my life is about,” Brodsky told the gathering. “I’m not talking about changes. I’m not going to talk about that today because the guy that’s behind the bench for our hockey club is my guy and I’ve got all the trust and respect in the world or him. Period.”)
I also wonder about the impact starring in their own TV show has had on the Blades during this tumultuous season. The TV camera has been there from Day 1 and it has been relentless, following the players everywhere, from shopping trips to hospital gurneys. If they had it to do all over again, I really wonder whether the Blades’ management would be all-in with this project.
Anyway . . . it is what it is and now the Blades are out, having been swept from the first round of the playoffs by the Tigers. This wasn’t just your average sweep, either. This was a SWEEP! The Blades never held a lead, not even for one second. They were outscored 15-4 by a Medicine Hat team that entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed. The No. 2 Blades were supposed to be the ones with the brooms.
But it didn’t happen.
Let’s pause here and forget about the Blades for a moment. Let’s not forget that the Tigers won this series. Sheesh, they must have done something right.
So perhaps some credit should be given to Shaun Clouston, the general manager and head coach of the Tigers, his staff and the players. Obviously, they got superb goaltending from Cam Lanigan, and that always helps. But the Tigers also have two of the league’s top forwards in Hunter Shinkaruk and Curtis Valk, and their back end, led by Derek Ryckman, has proven to be solid, too.
And now, while the Tigers prepare to play in the second round, perhaps against the Edmonton Oil Kings, Saskatoon’s players are going home.
Those who are in high school will return on April 8, with the others coming back on April 15. They don’t play until May 17 when they are to open their Memorial Cup schedule against the OHL champions.
By the time May 17 arrives, they will be awfully tired of trying to explain what happened during those six days in late March.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix was at the news conference. His story is right here.
———



The Kelowna Rockets, already without F J.T. Barnett (ill), F Carter Rigby (shoulder, foot), F Colton Sissons (shoulder) and D Mitchell Wheaton (shoulder), may be down two more players for Saturday’s game against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier writes that D MacKenzie Johnston and F Rourke Chartier, both of whom suffered undisclosed injuries in Games 3 and 4 in Kent, Wash, this week, might not play in Game 5 on Saturday. The Rockets trail 3-1 in the series. . . . If they can’t answer the bell, F Nick Merkley and D Joe Gatenby, the Rockets’ first two selections in the 2012 bantam draft, may draw in. Merkley, who is from Calgary, has played in one regular-season game; Gatenby, who played for the major midget Okanagan Rockets, has yet to make his debut. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have lost F Manraj Hayer for the remainder of the season. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Hayer broke a finger in blocking a shot by Portland Winterhawks D Seth Jones on Wednesday night. The finger will require surgery. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison (concussion) won’t play in Games 4 and 5 of that series this weekend. . . .
If you’re wondering what’s happening in Medicine Hat regarding a new arena. Colin Gallant of the Medicine Hat News tackles the subject right here. . . .
The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed general manager Mike Hawes to a contract extension that runs through 2014-15. He has been the GM since November 2010. (A tip of the cap to Hartley Miller.)
———

The WHL’s first-round situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Edmonton leads 3-1; Game 5 tonight in Edmonton)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat wins 4-0)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary wins 4-1)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer wins 4-0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Portland leads series 2-1; Game 4 tonight in Everett)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Seattle leads 3-1; Game 5 on Saturday in Kelowna)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops leads 3-1; Game 5 on Saturday in Kamloops
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane leads 3-1; Game 5 on Saturday in Kennewick, Wash.)
———
In the East, if Edmonton takes out Kootenay, the second round will feature Edmonton against Medicine Hat and Calgary versus Red Deer.
———
THURSDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, G Chris Driedger stopped 34 shots as the Hitmen dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 3-1. . . . Driedger had a solid season, going 1.91 and .942. . . . F Jake Virtanen and F Elliott Peterson each scored his first postseason goal for Calgary. . . . The elimination of the Broncos means there aren’t any East Division teams left in the playoffs. The Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders bowed out on Wednesday night. . . . A tweet from Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge): “Since the WHL went from 2 divisions to 3 (and later to 4) in 1995-96, one division has never been completely eliminated this early” . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Blake Gal scored at 5:10 of OT as the Spokane Chiefs beat the host Tri-City Americans, 4-3. . . . This was the 16th time in the past 29 playoff games between these teams that OT has been needed. . . . Tri-City D Drydn Dow forced extra time when he scored his third goal of the series at 17:17 of the third period. . . . Americans G Luke Lee-Knight stopped 41 shots before leaving at 2:02 of OT with an undisclosed injury. Lee-Knight was holding his left arm as he left the ice after Spokane F Adam Helewka slid into him. G Troy Trombley finished up. . . . Gal scored his third game-winner against the Americans this month. He got the OT winner in the last meeting of the regular season and then scored the winner in Game 2 of this series. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser had a goal and an assist. He now has 402 career points, including regular-season and playoff games. . . . A scoring change has given the OT goal in Tri-City’s 5-4 victory on Tuesday to F Connor Rankin. Originally, it was credited to F Parker Bowles. . . .

In Victoria, F Dylan Willick scored at 17:47 of OT to give the Kamloops Blazers a 5-4 victory over the Royals. . . . That was the only time the Blazers led in this game. . . . Kamloops D Marek Hrbas forced OT with a goal at 15:42 of the third period. . . . Hrbas and Victoria G Patrik Polivka, who made 43 saves, grew up friends in Plzen, Czech Republic. . . . F Kale Kessy scored Kamloops’ first three goals. . . . The Blazers got three assists from each of F JC Lipon and F Colin Smith. Lipon now leads all WHL scorers in assists (7) and points (10). . . . F Jamie Crooks, F Logan Nelson, F Brandon Fushimi and F Ben Walker replied for the Royals, who led 1-0, 2-0. 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3. . . . Fushimi played his first game in the series. He was inserted when the Royals scratched F Brandon Magee, their second-leading scorer, with an undisclosed injury. . . . Kamloops scratched F Tim Bozon (undisclosed) after he took the warmup. . . . The Blazers last appeared in a playoff overtime game on March 23, 2010, when they lost 5-4 to the visiting Vancouver Giants in Game 3 of a first-round series. F Brett Breitkreuz scored the winner, at 2:28. . . . The Blazers last won an OT playoff game on March 25, 2005, when F Terrance Delaronde scored 16 seconds in for a 4-3 victory over the host Kootenay Ice.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (9):
F Alessio Bertaggia, Spokane

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (4):
None


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Blazers take 2-0 lead to the Island

Centre Colin Smith and defenceman Joel Edmundson of the Kamloops
Blazers celebrate the latter's second goal in the first period of a WHL
playoff game on Saturday night.
(HUGO YUEN / KAMLOOPS DAILY NEWS)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Joel Edmundson played one season in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre — aka the Crushed Can.
So the Kamloops Blazers defenceman is quick to admit that he isn’t the least bit concerned about playing in Victoria’s Bear Mountain Arena.
“No, I’m excited,” a grinning Edmundson said late  Saturday night, after scoring twice as the Blazers dumped the Victoria Royals 6-4 in a WHL playoff game at Interior Savings Centre. “I think most of the guys are excited. There’ll be a great atmosphere there.”
The Blazers hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series, with hostilities set to resume at Bear Mountain on Tuesday and Thursday nights. A fifth game, if needed, would be played at ISC on Saturday.
The Royals normally play in 7,006-seat Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, but it is being prepped for the Ford world men’s curling championship that opens Saturday. Thus, the Royals are having to play first-round games at Bear Mountain, a 2,781-seat facility that opened in February 2004.
Bear Mountain’s ice surface is the same as the ISC — 85 feet by 200 feet — but it will seem more compact because of the smaller venue with fans situated close to the playing surface.
The beloved Crushed Can, which gave way to Mosaic Place prior to 2011-12, was said to have a playing surface that was 85x194, but it appeared smaller than that, perhaps because of the concave roof that seemed to hang 10 feet above the ice.
“That was my favourite rink,” Edmundson said. “The smaller ice . . . fans right on top of you. I love it . . . love it.”
Edmundson, a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder who has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, also is expecting another unfriendly reception, like the one he got Jan. 16, the last time the Blazers were in Victoria.
“I was getting booed every time I touched the puck so I’m pretty used to it,” he said, adding that the Royals’ fans weren’t happy about “a couple of big, dirty hits.”
On Saturday, Victoria’s fans wouldn’t have been at all happy about his two goals, which gave the Blazers a 2-0 first-period lead and got them started to what was a dominant 40-minute performance.
In the second period, the Blazers got two goals from winger Tim Bozon, who turned 19 on Sunday, and a singleton from centre Brendan Ranford. Forward Jamie Crooks scored for the Royals on a late power play, by which point the visitors trailed 5-1 and had been soundly outplayed.
But the Royals scored three times in the third period, cutting the deficit to 5-4 with 1:44 left on the clock and making things a lot dicier for the home team than it needed to be.
“When we play this team 5-on-5 we’re a dominant team,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said. “When we allow this team to get on the power play, we give them life. The two penalties we took in the third period weren’t necessary.”
Kamloops defenceman Tyler Hansen took an interference penalty at 4:07 and, while the Royals didn’t score with him off, they gained some momentum and centre Tyler Soy did at 7:44.
And then, at 14:50, Blazers winger Chase Souto cut through the top of the Victoria crease, stuck out his left leg and dumped goaltender Patrik Polivka. Forward Austin Carroll scored on the subsequent power play and now it was 5-3.
“They are a dominant team when they go on the power play,” Charron reiterated, “and we have to avoid those situations.”
The Royals followed that with the game’s most dominant shift, raising havoc in the Kamloops zone until a shot bounced off forward Brandon Magee and past goaltender Cole Cheveldave.
Just like that it was 5-4 and now there was real cause for concern.
But the Royals’ balloon was quickly deflated as, with Polivka on the bench for the extra attacker, Kamloops captain Dylan Willick was able to push the puck up ice and score into the empty net just 36 seconds after Magee’s goal.
“It was their power play that got them momentum,” Willick said. “We can clean up the penalty kill but it all starts by being disciplined.”
Willick, like Edmundson, has no concerns about going into Bear Mountain. As Willick pointed out, the Blazers travel well — they were 20-13-3 on the road this season.
“You know it’s going to be a loud rink; they probably are going to sell it out since it’s a smaller one,” Willick said. “But it’s a playoff atmosphere, like our building — it was loud tonight. We just have to go in there and focus on the game.”
Willick added that playing away from home “has been big ever since Guy has been here. He preaches road games as much as home games. We’ve turned that page in the last couple of years and we’re fine with it.”
The Royals no doubt will try to feed off their two third-period efforts. In Friday’s 3-2 setback, they were the better team but weren’t able to solve Cheveldave. On Saturday, they scored three times and got back into the game, albeit briefly.
“We have to play a consistent 60-minute effort,” said Victoria defenceman Joe Hicketts, who is from Kamloops. “We saw in both third periods in the last two games that we can play with them and beat them. Playing like that from the start of the game into the second period . . . that’s been a downfall all season, it seems.”
Indeed, the Royals have been outscored 112-76 in second periods during the regular season and playoffs.
Perhaps the Royals will be able to turn that around at Bear Mountain, a facility they are somewhat familiar with, having spent a week there in September when Cirque de Soleil was in the big building.
“It’s a small rink,” Hicketts said. “It’s going to be loud . . . close quarters. It’s a smaller building and we’re hoping it’s packed, standing room only.”
So is Edmundson.
JUST NOTES: Attendance was 4,505. . . . Polivka finished with 23 stops, while Cheveldave made 20 saves. . . . Neither team made any lineup changes for Game 2, meaning D Tyler Stahl, the Victoria captain, didn’t play. For the second night in a row, he took part in the warmup and then took off his gear. He has missed 10 games since last playing on March 2 . . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Edmundson: Two key goals, solid defensively; 2. Lipon: Four helpers and plus-3; 3. D Marek  Hrbas, Kamloops: A solid night. . . . The Royals spent Saturday night in Kamloops and were to leave Sunday, in time to catch the 3 p.m. ferry.


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