THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Swindon Wildcats (England, Premier). He had four assists in 13 games with Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier) and one assist in two games with the Telford Tigers (England, Premier) earlier this season. . . .
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) was released by Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, KHL). He had one goal and five assists in 23 games this season.
———
F Mathew Barzal, the first overall selection by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, played his third game this season with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express last night. Barzal, who has yet to decide between the Thunderbirds and the NCAA, had one assist — his first point in the three games — and a minor penalty in a 4-2 loss to the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs.
———
The Victoria Royals got down to two goaltenders on Friday when they assigned Jared Rathjen, 18, to the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. That leaves the Royals with Czech freshman Patrik Polivka, 18, and Vollrath Coleman, a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary, to handle the goaltending. . . . The Royals also assigned D Kolton Dixon. 17, to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
———
D Alex Theriau, 20, who was released this week by the Medicine Hat Tigers, has signed with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . Thanks to Brian Wiebe (@Brian_Wiebe) for that tidbit.
———
D Spencer Galbraith, 19, has ended his WHL career, the Lethbridge Hurricanes announced on Friday. Galbraith, from Spruce Grove, Alta., played in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals on Wednesday. He had been acquired a year ago from the Brandon Wheat Kings. He had seven assists in 52 games with Lethbridge last season. This season, he had seven points, two of them goals, in 20 games.
———
Matt Gardner of the Prince Albert Daily Herald has an interesting story right here that details why a local brewing company is unable to sell beer in the Art Hauser Memorial Centre during Raiders games. Did you know that Molson  pays the Raiders $30,000 for rights to the facility during their games.
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES:
G Luke Siemens stopped 28 shots to help the host Prince Albert Raiders to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . That was his first shutout this season and the seventh of his career. . . . F Mark McNeill and F Mike Winther each scored their eighth goals and added an assist. F Dakota Conroy, an early-season acquisition from the Victoria Royals, added his ninth goal. . . . Seattle has lost three in a row and five of six. . . . The Thunderbirds are 1-4-0 in an East Division tour that ends tonight in Saskatoon. . . .

The Lethbridge Hurricanes ran their winning streak to four games with a 5-3 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . The Hurricanes, who have had their struggles in recent seasons, have won nine of 12. . . . Lethbridge erased a 2-0 first-period deficit with four straight goals — two in each of the last two periods. . . . F Russell Maxwell scored his 13th of the season for the visitors, who got 35 saves from G Ty Rimmer. . . . The Hurricanes are without F Graham Hood (broken hand). He is their captain. . . .

F Elgin Pearce scored one goal and drew two assists to help the host Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 29 shots to earn the victory. He is 6-2-0 with the Tigers after coming over from the Portland Winterhawks, for whom he had been 3-0-0. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 15th of the season for the Tigers and F Hunter Shinkaruk got his 14th, while F Sam Fioretti got No. 15 for the Warriors. . . .

D Alex Roach broke in a new pair of skates with two goals and an assist to help the host Calgary Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Roach had four goals in 61 games in each of his first two seasons. This season, he has four goals in 20 games. He also has 15 points in 20 games, after putting up 16 and 18 points in his first two seasons. . . . Calgary has won five in a row. . . . F Brady Brassart, returning after a seven-game absence due to an undisclosed injury, had a goal and two assists for Calgary. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges ran his point streak to six games with a late goal. . . . The Royals have lost six in a row. . . . D Tyler Stahl scored his first goal in a Royals uniform. It was his second career goal in his 159th game. He played 127 games with the Chilliwack Bruins and the last 32 with the Royals. A concussion limited him to 20 games last season. Stahl, 20, is the Royals’ captain. . . . The Hitmen were without F Brooks Macek (ill), their leading scorer, and F Cody Sylvester (undisclosed). . . .

G Laurent Brossoit stopped 38 shots to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Edmonton scored three goals in the first period and then watched as the Cougars mounted a comeback. . . . The Oil Kings scored two shorthanded goals, the second into an empty Prince George net late in the third period. . . . F T.J. Foster had his 11th goal and two assists for Edmonton. . . . Prince George G Mac Engel, who relieved starter Brent Zarowny with the score 3-0 to start the second period, stopped 19 shots. . . . The teams play again tonight in Prince George. The Cougars then will ride the bus to Vancouver for a Sunday game that is to begin at 4 p.m. . . .

F Shane McColgan had a goal and three assists to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls scored twice, giving him 17 in as many games. . . . Cha-ching! There was a line brawl at 7:22 of the third period. . . . During the fighting, Saskatoon F Jessey Astles suffered a cut to one wrist and had to leave the game. “When he went down, his own skate caught him across the wrist,” Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPoenix. “He’s going to have surgery. That’s all I can tell you.” . . . The Pats took 83 of the game’s 159 penalty minutes. . . . The Blades had erased a 1-0 deficit with six goals before F Morgan Klimchuk scored two PP goals for Regina. . . .

G Austin Lotz recorded his first WHL shutout as the visiting Everett Silvertips beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-0. . . . Lotz stopped 35 shots as the Silvertips snapped their seven-game losing streak. Everett also had lost five straight in Kennewick, dating back to last season. . . . The Americans had won three in a row. . . . The Americans hadn’t been blanked at home since Jan. 5, 2008, when they lost 3-0 to the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett had lost four straight to the Americans this season. . . . Americans F Justin Feser played in his 300th regular-season game. He is the eighth Tri-City player to get there. . . . Everett was playing its seventh game in 11 nights. . . . F Trent Lofthouse’s fourth goal of the season at 18:20 of the first period stood up as the winner. . . .

F Riley Whittingham broke a 2-2 tie with his first career goal and the host Spokane Chiefs went on to a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The goal was the first of Whittingham’s career. He is a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary. . . . The Blazers (17-3-1) have followed a franchise-record 14-game winning streak by losing three of their last four games. . . . Kamloops F JC Lipon scored his 17th goal. He and Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls are tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead. Lipon has a WHL-leading 41 points, one more than linemate Colin Smith. . . . Lipon’s goal came on the PP and ended an 0-for-17 drought for the Blazers. . . . F Todd Fiddler had a goal and two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored in his return from a five-game absence. He had been injured on a high hit from Everett D Nick Walters, who served a three-game suspension for it. . . .

In Vancouver, the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last four goals and dropped the Giants, 9-5. . . . F Nic Petan had two goals and two assists for the visitors. Last season, Petan had 35 points, including 21 assists, in 61 games. Right now, he has 31 points, 21 of them assistds, in 18 games. . . . Portland now has won 10 in a row. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee allowed five goals on 26 shots before being yanked for a second straight game. . . . Portland has a 58-18 edge in goals in its last 10 games. The Winterhawks are in Spokane tonight. . . . Vancouver F Trevor Cheek, who is from Vancouver, Wash., scored twice to pull the Giants into a 3-3 tie. . . . The Winterhawks yanked G Brendan Burke with the score 5-5 — he stopped 14 shots — and Mac Carruth came on to make one save and get the victory. . . . Vancouver G Tyler Fuhr took the loss. He came on with his side trailing 5-3. . . . The Winterhawks outshot the Giants, 51-20. Portland has outshot its opponent in each of its 18 games this season. . . . Winterhawks F Ty Rattie had three assists to run his point streak to 12 games. He has 26 points in the 12 games. . . . Portland D Tyler Wotherspoon had one goal and was plus-5. . . .

G Jackson Whistle stopped 23 shots to help the Kelowna Rockets beat the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 8-1. . . . Whistle is 5-0-0, 1.06, .961. . . . Kelowna G Tyrell Goulbourne scored his third goal in as many games. He has three goals this season and each one is a game-winner. . . . Kelowna got two goals from each of F Ryan Olsen, F Cody Fowlie and D/F Myles Bell.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tim Traber, Victoria
F Mike Aviani, Spokane
F Caleb Belter, Prince George

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Brenden Walker, Saskatoon
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “I am still trying to convince @my_ohs29 to rip a slap shot at the Prospera score clock in an effort to knock that thing down permanently.”

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

The Brandon Wheat Kings held their skills competition on Sunday. D Ryan Pulock had the hardest shot at 101 miles per hour. I’m thinking WHL goaltenders already knew that.
———
SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Jaynen Rissling scored at 2:13 of overtime to give the Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Hitmen went 3-0 as they played three games in as many nights. They also won in Regina and Brandon. . . . Calgary (11-4-3) also moved into first place in the Central Division, one point ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Oil Kings spent Sunday in Banff. They are en route to Kamloops and a Tuesday night date with the Blazers. . . . Moose Jaw F Andrew Johnson forced OT with a goal at 18:23 of the third period. A centring attempt by F Torrin White hit Johnson in the chest and beat G Mack Shields. . . . F Sam Fioretti, who leads the Warriors in goals (14) and points (24) was taken to hospital in the first period after blocking a shot that struck him high. He didn’t return to the game. . . .

F Hunter Shinkaruk had a goal and two assists to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Kootenay Ice. . . . Shinkaruk has 13 goals. He has 15 points in his last six games. . . . F Curtis Valk, who plays on a line with Shinkaruk, had three assists. . . . The Tigers have won six of their last seven games. . . . The Ice has lost seven in a row. . . . Medicine Hat got a goal from F Elgin Pearce, who was acquired from the Ice earlier in the season when he got caught up in the 20-year-old numbers game. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Justin Feser had three goals and an assist as the Tri-City Americans bounced the Vancouver Giants, 9-1. . . . F Brian Williams added two goals and an assist for the Americans, while F Marcus Messier also scored twice. . . . Feser, 20, has five WHL hat tricks — one in each of his seasons with the Americans. . . . Feser has 13 goals this season. . . . According to the terrific 25th anniversary Tri-City record book and guide that arrived on my desk last week, Feser has 270 career points, one fewer than Bill Lindsday (1989-92), who is 10th on the franchise’s all-time list. . . . Tri-City G Brenden Fiebelkorn stopped 14 shots in posting his first WHL victory in his first start of the season. . . . F Trevor Cheek, who scored Vancouver’s lone goal with the score 8-0 at 4:55 of the third period, hit a post on a second-period penalty shot. . . . Tri-City was 2-6 on the PP; the Giants were, uhh, 0-0. . . . The Americans (12-6-2) won their third game in as many nights and moved atop the U.S. Division. But they have played four more games than the second-place Portland Winterhawks (12-3-1). . . . The Giants went 2-3-0 on the five-game trip. . . . Vancouver D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen took a puck to the mouth in this one and may have lost a tooth or two. . . . Giants F Kale Kessy needed 10 stitches to close a cut over his left eyebrow after scrapping with Tri-City F Lukas Walter.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tanner Eberle, Moose Jaw

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Sportstalk (@DanRussellCKNW): “And mercifully for the Giants their worst loss of the year is now over. 9-1 final. 3 losses and 3 trades on the road trip.”
———
TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Calgary Hitmen G Chris Driedger (@ChrisDriedger): “Playing Paul Brandt’s Alberta Bound on the bus after a 6 point weekend feels pretty damn good #successfulroady”

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released from his try-out contract by Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He was pointless in two games with the Ice Pirates.
———
The Vancouver Giants have dealt sophomore F Austin Vetterl, 18, to the Kootenay Ice for a pair of 17-year-old prospects — F Douglas Morris and D Kyle Krabben.
This was a deal the Ice felt it had to make as it is desperately short of forwards heading into a three-game weekend.
“With our injuries and the departure of our captain, our line up is very depleted heading in to the three games this weekend,” Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth said in a news release. “Austin will bring much needed experience to a roster that is currently the youngest in the WHL. We are hoping for him to play significant minutes in all key situations.”
Vetterl had 17 points in 60 games as a freshman last season. This season, he had gotten into seven of Vancouver’s 14 games and had two assists.
F Drew Czerwonka, the Ice captain, announced his retirement late last week, leaving the club without one of its three 20-year-old players.
As well, the WHL injury list shows the Ice missing F Luke Philp with a lower-body injury (he had his appendix removed) and F Collin Shirley (undisclosed).
The Ice is at home to the Saskatoon Blades tonight.
Morris is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints and has 12 points, 10 of them goals, in 15 game. Krabben, a sixth-round bantam draft pick in 2010, has two points in six games with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
Tyler King, the radio voice of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons, reported via Twitter on Thursday afternoon that the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits have added G Devon Fordyce, 18, from the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Bandits, with a 17-0 record, are the top-ranked team in the Canadian Junior A Hockey League. . . . Fordyce will share time with Michael Fredrick, 18, who is 16-0-0, 2.31, .891.
———
Here’s another example of how silly the WHL’s system of reporting injuries as upper or lower body really is.
F Josh Winquist of the Everett Silvertips didn’t play the other night.
Why not?
Well, the WHL’s weekly injury report shows Winquist as being day-to-day with a lower body injury.
Winquist actually had what he thought was strep throat, the second time he had it this season.
On Thursday, the Silvertips revealed that Winquist has mononucleosis and is expected to miss at least three weeks.
Not sure if mononucleosis is an upper- or lower-body injury.
Meanwhile, the Silvertips have added F Brandon Bruce, a 19-year-old from Cranbrook who had been with the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. He had five points in 15 games with Merritt. Bruce has WHL experience with the 2010-11 Swift Current Broncos for whom he had one assist in 34 games.
———
THURSDAY’S GAMES:
In Medicine Hat, F Elgin Pearce broke a 1-1 tie at 4:44 of the second period and the Tigers went on to a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Tigers have won five in a row. . . . Medicine Hat is 9-8-1 as 16 of the WHL’s 22 teams are playing at least .500 hockey. Thanks to the loser point, of course. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored twice for Medicine Hat, giving him 11 on the season. . . . Former Tigers F Kale Kessy, who was traded to Vancouver last month, scored the Giants’ goal. . . . Cam Lanigan, the WHL’s goaltender of the month, stopped 37 shots for the Tigers. . . . Vancouver starter Liam Liston left with an injury after Pearce’s goal. Tyler Fuhr came on in relief. . . . Payton Lee, 16, who played a couple of games last week with the Giants before returning to the junior B Richmnd Sockeyes, was scheduled to join Vancouver in today even before Liston’s injury. The Giants (4-11-0) play Saturday in Cranbrook against the Kootenay Ice (4-9-0) and then travel to Kennewick, Wash., for a Sunday date with the Tri-City Americans (9-6-2). . . .

G Jordon Cooke stopped 19 shots to lead the host Kelowna Rockets to a 3-0 victory over Kamloops, ending the Blazers’ franchise-record winning streak at 14 games. . . . The Blazers (16-1-1) are the last of the CHL’s 60 teams to lose in regulation time. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith had his 17-game point streak end. . . . F Cody Fowlie, 20, scored twice for Kelowna, his first goals in five games with the Rockets since joining them last month. . . . F Tyrell Goulbourne scored the game’s first goal, his first snipe in 29 games. . . . Cooke has a WHL-leading three shutouts.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Marek Tvrdon, Vancouver
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Former Regina Pats D Brandon Davidson (@bdavy3): “Thanks to all my family, friends, fans and everyone for all the love and support. It goes a long way. I appreciate everyone who has reached out and given me t he support. I wll be back and I will battle through this.”
Earlier in the day, the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons revealed that Davidson is being treated for testicular cancer.


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

The Kootenay Ice has traded F Elgin Pearce, 20, to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Pearce, from Port Coquitlam, B.C., was in his fourth season with the Ice. . . . Pearce had 35 points, including 21 goals, in 69 games last season. . . . The move leaves the Ice with three 20-year-olds – D Joey Leach, F Brock Montgomery and F Drew Czerwonka, the latter not having played this season due to an undisclosed injury. . . . In Medicine Hat, the Tigers now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, with Pearce joining F Kale Kessy, D Alex Theriau and D Derek Ryckman. Kessy is serving a 12-game suspension, while Theriau continues to recover from offseason hip surgery. . . . Theriau is on the injured list and won’t return until after the mid-October 20-year-old deadline. When he does return, the Tigers will have two weeks to get down to three.
———
It is never too soon to point out the silliness of the loser point.
Look, this season isn’t even 10 days old and if you can’t laugh at this, there’s something wrong.
The Swift Current Broncos have played five games.
They have one victory. They have four losses, each of which has been worth a loser point.
That means they are on pace for 14.4 victories and 86.4 points.
Last season, 86 points would have left them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
In their first five games this season, the Broncos have one victory, three overtime losses and a shootout loss.
On Saturday night, they lost 2-1 in OT to the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
Despite having won just one game, the Broncos have six points. They are tied for third in the Eastern Conference, just two points out of top spot.
They may have lost four times but they are one of seven teams not to have tasted defeat in regulation time.
Seriously!
———
BTW, the other 21 teams have earned a total of six loser points.
———
SATURDAY NIGHT:
The Red Deer Rebels won for the first time in four games, and they did it by beating the Hitmen 3-2 in OT in Calgary. . . . That was Calgary’s first loss in four games, although it wasn’t a regulation-time setback. . . . The Hitmen led 2-0 on a pair of first-period PP goals. . . . F Charles Inglis, one of four 20-year-olds on Red Deer’s roster, had two goals, including the winner. He has four goals over his last two games. . . . The winner came via the PP, after Calgary F Zack Jones was called for goaltender interference. . . . Prior to that goal, the Hitmen had killed off 16 straight opposition power-play chances. . . . Red Deer D Mathew Dumba returned from a two-game suspension but didn’t get a warm welcome in his hometown. Here’s Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun: “Hitmen fans were still steamed over Dumba’s high hit against winger Joe Kornelsen in the season-opener last week and booed the Rebels blueliner whenever he had the puck.” . . .
The Lethbridge Hurricanes went into Cranbrook and doubled the Kootenay Ice, 4-2. . . . F Russell Maxwell was in on all four Lethbridge goals, scoring twice. . . . Maxwell was ejected with a fighting major and game misconduct in what would appear to be a multi-fight incident at 18:49 of the third period. . . . This was the first four-point game of Maxwell’s WHL career, which is in its third season. He scored three goals in the final game of the 2011-12 regular season. . . . He went into last night’s game pointless in three games. . . .
F Sam Fioretti enjoyed his first WHL hat trick and four-point night in leading the host Moose Jaw Warriors to a 6-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . That was Brandon’s first regulation-time loss this season. The Wheaties now are 4-1-0. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk played his first game after missing the exhibition season and four regular-season games with a concussion. . . .
F Josh Nicholls scored at 2:28 of OT as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Broncos 2-1 in Swift Current. . . . Saskatoon F Matej Stransky forged a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 17:57 of the third period. The Broncos, who have had trouble staying out of the box in the early going, were one man short at the time, but had just been two men down for 1:21. . . . Swift Current G Landon Bow stopped 42 shots in his first WHL start. . . .
F Hunter Shinkaruk had a goal and three assists as the host Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Regina Pats, 5-1. . . . The Tigers were 3-for-9 on the PP. . . . The Tigers, having won three in a row, now head into the B.C. Division for three games, starting Wednesday in Victoria against the Royals. . . . F Elgin Pearce, acquired Saturday from the Kootenay Ice, is expected to join the Tigers before Wednesday’s game. . . .
F Zach Franko broke a 3-3 tie at 19:01 of the third period to give the Kelowna Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks in Portland. . . . Kelowna had lost its last nine regular-season games in Portland. . . . The Rockets, another team that has had discipline issues early in the season, took 43 of the 72 penalty minutes. Portland was 2-8 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-1. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 43 shots. . . . The Rockets, now 1-2-1, had lost three straight one-goal games prior to this one, with one of those losses coming in OT. . . . Myles Bell, normally a defenceman, played up front for the Rockets and had two goals and an assist. He also got into a couple of scraps. . . . Portland came back with G Brendan Burke, despite Cam Lanigan having posted the first shutout of his career on Friday. Burke stopped 20 shots. . . . The Winterhawks now head into the East Division as they open a six-game swing in Brandon on Friday. Portland doesn’t appear at home again until Oct. 20. . . .
The Seattle Thunderbirds tied the game late and then scored in OT to beat the Cougars 2-1 in Prince George. . . . Seattle F Seth Swenson batted a loose puck out of the air and into the net to tie the game 1-1 at 19:51 of the third period with G Brandon Glover on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . F Shea Theodore won it at 2:00 of OT. . . . Prince George’s home-opener on Friday drew 4,238 fans. Last night, attendance was announced at 1,971. . . . The Cougars, at 3-0-1, have yet to lose in regulation time. They lead the Western Conference and the B.C. Division by a point. . . .
F Mitch Holmberg scored three times in Spokane as the Chiefs opened their home schedule with a 5-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . It was the second three-goal game of Holmberg’s career. . . . The Chiefs are 2-0-0 this season and Holmberg already has six points, four of them goals. . . . Both games have been against the Americans, who lost their home-opener 5-2 to the Chiefs a week earlier. . . . Tri-City F Jesse Mychan left with an undisclosed injury after going heavily into the boards late in the first period.
———
CHECKING FROM BEHIND COUNT:
D Jan Bittner, Red Deer
F Jaedon Descheneau, Kootenay
F Ty McLean, Regina (twice in same game)
F Austin Ferguson, Kelowna
D Troy Rutkowski, Portland
———
CHECKING TO THE HEAD COUNT:
D Joey Leach, Kootenay
D Spencer Galbraith, Lethbridge
F Matej Stransky, Saskatoon

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

The Portland Winterhawks will visit the Chiefs in Spokane tonight for what will be the last game for both teams before the Christmas break.
It also will be the last game that old friend Dave Trimmer will cover for the Spokane Spokesman-Review. Trimmer, the man on the Chiefs’ beat for the newspaper, is taking an early retirement.
Here’s hoping the two teams give him something memorable about which to write.
Make it a good one, Trim!
———
JUST NOTES:
After getting F Oliver Gabriel back from the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, the Portland Winterhawks had two weeks to move one of their four 20-year-olds players. They did Friday, losing F Charles Wells on a waiver claim by the Moose Jaw Warriors. Wells had seven points and four penalty minutes in 31 games with Portland. . . . Wells, perhaps having seen the writing on the wall, had left the Winterhawks on Wednesday and was on their suspended list. . . . His departure leaves Portland with Gabriel, F Dillon Wagner and D William Wrenn as its 20-year-old players. . . . The Warriors now have three on their roster, in Wells, F Brett Lyon and F Kenton Miller. . . .
The Vancouver Giants will be adding Russian F Alex Kuvaev, 18, to their roster after Christmas. He is expected to be in Vancouver in time to play against the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Dec. 27. Kuvaev played last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes but was released after the season. His right were picked up by Kootenay, but the Ice dropped him when he said he was going to play in Russia. When that didn’t work out so well, he decided to return to the WHL, by which time the Giants had added him to their protected list. . . . 
The BCHL’s Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 17 on Friday night, beating the visiting Westside Warriors, 5-1. Penticton tied a franchise record with the victory and can break the record tonight when they play host to the Powell River Kings. It should be a good match. The Vees go into the game with a 29-3-0-2 record; the Kings are 18-10-2-2 and just three points behind the Coastal Conference-leading Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . The Kings boast the BCHL’s best defensive record, giving up just 2.34 goals per game. The Vees are scoring 5.29 times per game; they are the only team in the 16-team league scoring more than four goals a game. . . .
The NHL’s New Jersey Devils retired the number (27) that was worn by retired D Scott Niedermayer, who is a product of the Kamloops Blazers. Think about this for a moment: Niedermayer has won six different championships — Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, World Cup of Hockey, World Championship, World Junior Championship and Memorial Cup. . . . I mean, seriously, think about that for a moment! . . .
Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Swift Current Broncos, reported early this morning that  F Trevor Cameron, 19, who was released by the club earlier in the week, has joined the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles.
———
FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Brandon, F Colin Smith broke a 2-2 tie at 3:29 of the third period as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . Smith’s goal came with the Blazers shorthanded; it was their WHL-leading 12th shorthanded goal of the season. They scored four all of last season. . . . Smith has 39 points, including 18 goals, in 34 games. Last season, in 72 games, he finished with 50 points, 21 of them goals. . . . Brandon has allowed a shorthanded goal in each of its last three games. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 29 shots as he ran his record to 16-4-1. He is an 18-year-old freshman from Calgary who was the AJHL’s rookie of the year last season with the Drumheller Dragons. He has started seven straight games and 14 of 15. . . . Kamloops is 3-2-0 on an East Division swing that concludes tonight against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Blazers associate coach Dave Hunchak spent the previous four seasons as Moose Jaw’s head coach. His contract wasn’t renewed after last season. . . . Brandon F Alessio Bertaggia sat this one out with a shoulder injury. Health permitting, he will play for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship. . . . Kamloops remains without F Jordan DePape (shoulder, out until at least March), F Chase Schaber (leg) and F Matt Needham (head). . . . DePape joined the Blazers for part of the road trip, but returned home to Winnipeg after the game in Brandon. . . .
 
In Prince Albert, F Michal Hlinka ended the sixth round of a shootout with a goal to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Raiders have won five in a row at home. . . . The Rockets led this one 1-0 and 2-1, before Prince Albert F Mark McNeill tied it at 9:18 of the third period with his 15th goal of the season. . . . F Justin Maylan had a goal, his 18th, and an assist for the Raiders. . . . Kelowna is 1-2-2 on its East Division trek. It wraps up tonight against the Saskatoon Blades. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Blades, 4-2. . . . F Brett Brooks, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, scored his first goal – it came in his 21st game – and it stood up as the winner. He broke a 2-2 tie at 12:54 of the second period. . . . The Blades had F Jake Trask back in the lineup after he served a two-game WHL suspension. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens stopped 37 shots. . . . Among Moose Jaw’s scratches was F Cody Beach, who was serving a one-game WHL suspension for accumulation of embellishment penalties. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Elgin Pearce scored the lone shootout goal as the Kootenay Ice edged the Swift Current Broncos, 5-4. . . . Pearce, who scored three times in regulation time, was the only scorer to score in the shootout. . . . He has 14 goals this season. . . . The Ice went into the game having won just once in its previous six outings. . . . Pearce forced OT with his third goal of the game, at 17:03 of the third. . . . Swift Current F Taylor Vause scored his 21st goal of the season; it was his 150th career point. . . . During the game, the Ice lost F Joe Antilla and F Max Reinhart with undisclosed injuries. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brady Ramsay scored at 1:22 of OT to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . It was Ramsay’s 13th goal this season. . . . Lethbridge D Daniel Johnston scored his first goal of the season at 6:47 of the third period to forge a 4-4 tie. Johnston, a 19-year-old from Calgary, also had two assists for the first three-point game of his career. He had had seven career two-point games. This was the 173rd regular-season game of his career. . . . Johnston has five points over his last two games; he has 11 points in 20 games this season. . . F Phil Tot also had a goal and two assists for Lethbridge. . . . The Royals got two goals and an assist from D Jesse Pauls. . . . The Hurricanes have won three in a row and seven of 10. . . .

In Prince George, the Vancouver Giants scored three third-period goals and beat the Cougars, 3-2. . . . The Cougars took a 1-0 lead into the third period. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck broke a 2-2 tie with his fourth goal of the season at 10:19. . . . F Cain Franson had a goal, his 12th, and two assists for the Giants. . . . The Cougars had won three in a row. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 19 shots as he posted his 20th victory. . . . The start of the game was delayed after a pane of glass was broken in the pregame warmup. This is the third time in the last four games that the Giants have gone through this. . . . The Giants have brought in F Brodyn Nielsen and D Tyler Morrison to help them through the weekend. They are without F Brendan Gallagher (Canada) and F Marek Tvrdon (Slovakia), both of whom are preparing for the World Junior Championship, while D David Musil (Czech Republic) is to leave today. . . . Nielsen, 17, plays for the North Vancouver Wolf Pack of the junior B Pacific International league. He had 20 points in 24 games going into the weekend. Morrison, 16, is playing midget AAA in Sherwood Park, Alta. . . . The Cougars were without D Martin Marincin, who will play for Slovakia in the WJC. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin had two goals and two assists as the Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-1. . . . F Patrick Holland and F Adam Hughesman each had a goal and two assists. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 23 shots. The 16-year-old has a record of 12-3-0. . . . Seattle took 53 of 96 penalty minutes in a game that featured six fighting majors. The teams play again tonight, this time in Kent, Wash. . . . The Americans were 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Hughesman’s goal was his 113th with the Americans, tying him with Dylan Stanley for seventh on the franchise’s career list. Hughesman moved ahead of Taylor Procyshen and Eric Johansson last night. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips ended their 10-game losing skid with a 6-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 44 shots, 19 of them in the second period when his side was outshot 21-4. . . . The Silvertips trailed 2-1 after the first period but then scored three times in the second and twice in the third. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored twice, giving him seven this season. . . . Spokane took 44 of 86 penalty minutes in a game that included four scraps. . . . Former Everett G Leland Irving made his NHL debut last night, stopping 39 of 41 shots for the Calgary Flames as they dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the host Florida Panthers. . . . Irving was selected as the game’s first star. . . . Former Spokane D Jared Cowen, who is 20, had a goal and three assists to help the Ottawa Senators to a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played 28:11 and was plus-3. . . .

In Calgary, G Matt Hewitt stopped 32 shots as the Regina Pats beat the Hitmen, 3-2. . . . F Trevor Cheek gave Calgary a 1-0 lead in the first period. . . . The Pats got the next three goals, with F Jordan Weal tying it with his 18th at 6:51 and F Justin Kirkland giving the Pats the lead with his first at 17:18. . . . Kirkland, who played three games with the Kelowna Rockets earlier this season, was playing his first game with Regina. . . . According to the WHL website, Kirkland was born on Nov. 30, 2011, meaning he was 16 days old when he scored his first goal. . . . Actually, Kirkland is a 15-year-old from Camrose, Alta., who has 16 points in 26 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos in Wilcox, Sask. . . . He was a fifth-round selection by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . (As you can see from the two comments on the end of this, Kirkland was, in fact, playing for the Kelowna Rockets. Apparently, the Pats' goal scorer was Lane Scheidl. Just another error with the WHL website.) . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart was given a match penalty for attempt to injure late in the third period. He likely can expect a call from the WHL office. . . .
———
FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Dylan McIlrath, Moose Jaw.
D Sam Grist, Tri-City (double minor).
D Tyler King, Spokane.

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

The Vancouver Giants have added D Eric Walker, 18, to their roster. Walker, who was listed by the Giants after the 2008 bantm draft, spent the last two seasons with the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters and was to play this season with the Northern Michigan Wildcats. However, after not getting into one of NMU’s first 12 games, he opted to leave and join the Giants. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Walker is from Castlegar, B.C. He could be in the Giants’ lineup tonight (Sunday) against the visiting Kootenay Ice. Interestingly, in each of his two seasons with Trail, he had four goals and seven assists in 59 games. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reported: “Walker (was) in his freshman season at Northern Michigan but is yet to play a game with the squad, who were 4-6-3 as of Friday. He was also one five Northern Michigan players charged in connection with thefts of bikes from the school’s campus. According to the Mining Journal of Marquette, Mich., each of the players faces trial on the misdemeanour charges Dec. 6 in Marquette County District Court.” . . . Walker is a nephew of former NHLer Steve Bozek. . . . Former Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Walt Kyle is the head coach at NMU. . . . F Dylan Walchuk, 19, of McBride, B.C., whose WHL rights belong to the Spokane Chiefs, also was charged in the bicycle thefts. He was charged with receiving and concealing stolen property.
The Marquette Mining Journal has more on that story right here.
The North Wind, NMU’s student newspaper, has more on the story right here, includig a link to the police report.
———
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors broke a 1-1 third-period tie with two PP goals and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . F Kenton Miller gave Moose Jaw a 2-1 lead at 2:51 and F Justin Kirsch upped it to 3-1 at 8:28. . . . Kirsch has seven goals, including three winners, in nine games since coming to Moose Jaw from the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Tigers again had Kenny Cameron in goal, with Dawson MacAuley of the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers backing him up. G Tyler Bunz, who took a puck to the head while on the WHL team’s bench in a Subway Super Series game in Regina on Wednesday, is expected to miss at least a week. . . . F Emerson Etem and F Hunter Shinkaruk, the Tigers’ two snipers, both were kept off the scoreboard. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald notes that the Warriors have won eight in a row at home, five by 3-2 counts. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos erased a 4-0 deficit and stunned the Wheat Kings, 5-4. . . . Swift Current F Daniel Dale, an 18-year-old from Grande Prairie, Alta., scored his first two WHL goals in his 19th game. . . . Brandon had won four in a row; the Broncos, who now head into the U.S. Division, have won three straight. . . . Dale broke a 4-4 tie at 11:31 of the third period. . . . F Mark Stone had a goal and two assists as the Wheat Kings took a 4-0 lead before the game was 24 minutes old. He leads the WHL with 50 points in 24 games. . . . Swift Current F Christian Magnus also had a goal and two helpers. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun points out: “Brandon had been 12-0-1-0 when leading after two periods this season, while Swift Current had been 0-11-1-1 when trailing after two.” . . .

In Calgary, D Collin Bowman scored his first three goals with the Hitmen, leading them to a 7-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Bowman, who enjoyed his first career hat trick, had scored four goals when he was acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . He scored the game’s first two goals and the last one. . . . Bowman has 27 goals in 295 career games. . . . Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick picked up his 100th career regular-season assist on a second-period goal by F Trevor Cheek. . . . The victory left the Hitmen, who have won three of four, at 10-9-2, the first time they’ve been above .500 this season. . . . Nine of the Eastern Conference’s 12 teams are at .500 or better. Five of the Western Conference’s teams are at .500, with three other teams within one, three and four points. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brady Ramsay scored three times and added an assist, leading the Hurricanes to their second victory in as many nights, 5-2 over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Ramsay, an 18-year-old sophomore from Calgary, has 10 goals in 24 games. He scored one in 57 games last season. . . . The Oil Kings, already without D Mark Pysyk and D Griffin Reinhart with undisclosed injuries, lost F T.J. Foster to an undisclosed injury in the first period. . . . Lethbridge F Cam Braes played in his 300th regular-season game, all with the Hurricanes. He scored his club’s second goal, his seventh this season and the 82nd of his career. . . .

In Red Deer, the Saskatoon Blades won the latest clash of the titans, beating the Rebels, 2-1. . . . All three goals came in the second period. . . . F Colton Mayor put Red Deer on the board at 2:06. . . . The Blades got goals from D Dalton Thrower, on the PP, at 14:42 and F Lukas Sutter at 18:31. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov, fresh of playing in two games for Russia in the Subway Super Series, stopped 43 shots. . . . The victory lifted the Blades into first place overall, one point ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Tri-City Americans. . . . Red Deer D Matt Dumba took a slashing major and game misconduct at the game’s final buzzer. Just a few seconds before that, Red Deer head coach Jesse Wallin was given the old heave-ho. . . .

In Victoria, F Elgin Pearce had his first career three-goal game and added an assist as the defending-champion Kootenay Ice whipped the Royals, 8-3. . . . It was the second lop-sided loss in two nights for the Royals, who were trounced 11-3 on Friday by the Giants in Vancouver. . . . F Jesse Ismond had two goals and three assists for the Ice. . . . Pearce, Ismond and D Luke Paulsen, who had a goal and an assist, each was plus-4. . . . Paulsen’s goal was his first of the season and fourth in 118 career games. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 25 shots. That included a third-period penalty shot attempt by F Austin Carroll. . . .

In Everett, the Vancouver Giants got two shootout goals and bet the Silvertips, 2-1. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher and F James Henry each scored in the shootout. . . . F Joshua Winquist counted for the home team in the shootout. . . . The Giants have won six in a row. They are at home to the Kootenay Ice tonight as the defending champions begin a nine-game road trip. . . . D Evan Morden got Everett on the board, shorthanded, at 10:32 of the second. . . . It was the third shorthanded goal allowed by Vancouver over its last four games. . . . F Taylor Makin tied it at 4:52 of the third. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 47 shots through OT. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported before the game that Silvertips D Ryan Murray (ankle) was running stairs. . . . That is great news for the Silvertips and for the Canadian national junior team. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 2-2 tie with four straight second-period goals and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 6-3. . . . Seattle struck for the four goals in a span of 5:53, two of them coming eight seconds apart. . . . F Burke Gallimore had two goals for the winners, with F Luke Lockhart adding a goal and two assists. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie and F Sven Bartschi, both of whom have been burning it up of late, were pointless and minus-5 and minus-4, respectively. . . . Bartschi came up short on a second-period penalty shot with Seattle leading 6-2. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 47 shots in what was his fourth start in four nights. He went the distance in the WHL’s two Subway Super Series games with the Russians on Wednesday and Thursday in Regina and Moose Jaw. On Friday, he stopped 47 shots in beating the visiting Tri-City Americans, 3-0. Yes, he’s in the conversation as the WHL’s player of the year, and it isn’t even December. . . . Portland had won six in a row. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Justin Feser scored at 1:25 of OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The winner was scored with the teams playing three skaters aside. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham had forced OT with his fourth goal of the season, at 13:28 of the third. . . . The Americans led 2-0 going into the third period. . . . Feser’s goal was his ninth of the season. It also was the second OT goal of his career. . . . Tom Gaglardi, the Blazers’ majority owner, wasn’t at the game. Rather, he was in Dallas where the Stars, the team he officially purchased on Friday, was losing 4-1 to the San Jose Sharks, their fifth straight setback. Gaglardi will be introduced as the Stars’ owner on Monday in Dallas and will take part in a ceremonial faceoff later that evening prior to a game against the Edmonton Oilers. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs beat the Regina Pats 6-5 after a nine-round shootout. . . . With Spokane shooting first, F Mike Aviani opened the ninth round with a goal and the Pats weren’t able to equalize. . . . Regina D Brandon Underwood gave his side a 5-4 lead at 4:09 of the third period. . . . Spokane F Steve Kuhn tied it at 18:59. . . . Underwood went into this season with two goals and 15 assists in 149 career regular-season games with the Kamloops Blazers. He had three goals and nine assists in 22 games with Regina. . . . F Jordan Weal had a goal and three assists for Regina. He has 33 points in 21 games this season. For his career, he has 302 points, including 198 assists, in 233 regular-season games. . . . The Chiefs are 4-0 against East Divison teams, with the Swift Current Broncos coming to town Wednesday. . . .

In Prince George, the Kelowna Rockets erased a 2-0 first-period deficit and beat the Cougars, 4-2. . . . The Rockets swept the doubleheader, having won 3-2 on Friday night. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie broke a 2-2 tie at 2:06 of the third period on the PP. . . .
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Rhett Rachinski, Edmonton
D Kayle Doetzel, Red Deer
D Daniel Gibb, Prince George
D Tyler Bell, Kamloops
D Austin Madaisky, Kamloops
———
Two good reads today, both from the pages of The Globe and Mail. The first, which is right here, is by former Regina Leader-Post writer Darrell Davis, who chronicles the return to work of NHL referee Mike Hasenfratz. . . . The other, from the keyboard of Roy MacGregor, is right here. He’s writing about “slippage” as he wonders if the NHL’s crackdown on headshots isn’t fading away.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Fans of the Portland Winterhawks will get another look tonight at forward
Alessio Bertaggia (13) of the Brandon Wheat Kings, here staying in front
of Tri-City Americans forward Justin Feser in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday night.
(Photo courtesy of John Allen / Tri-City Americans)

F Evan Bloodoff, who completed his junior eligibility last season with the Kelowna Rockets, has signed a two-year contract with the AHL’s Portland Pirates.
Bloodoff was a sixth-roud selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2009 draft. The Pirates are the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate.
A native of Nelson, B.C., Bloodoff played five seasons with the Rockets. Last season, he had 44 points, including 22 goals, and 76 penalty minutes in 72 games.
Bloodoff is represented by Turning Point Sport Management.
———
JUST NOTES: The QMJHL’s P.E.I. Rocket has claimed D Dane Phaneuf, 17, off WHL waivers. The Prince George Cougars had released him prior to the start of this season. Phaneuf, the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, was a third-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . The Swift Current Broncos have assigned G Steven Myland to the junior B North Delta Devils of the Pacific International junior league. Myland, from Cloverdale, B.C., had a 5.41 GAA and .818 save percentage in two appearances with the Broncos this season. A 10th-round selection by the Kootenay Ice in the 2009 bantam draft, Myland was acquired by the Broncos in the blockbuster Cody Eakin swap in January. . . . Curtis Hunt, who was dropped as head coach of the Regina Pats after last season, has been named co-coach of the Canadian team that will play in the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, Jan. 13-22. This team will comprise 1996-born players. The other co-coach will be Jim Hulton of Kingston, Ont., who is a veteran of the OHL coaching wars. . . . Hunt also is head coach of the team that will represent Saskatchewan at the U-16 Challenge Cup in Moose Jaw, Oct. 27-30.
———
A note from a regular reader of this blog:
“The WHL media can write a literal ton of copy about the league's posture toward head shots and concussions, but they post a rock 'em, sock 'em fight clip in the middle of the Oct. 7 ‘Plays of the Week’ video on their website, then you know changing attitudes at the head office has a long way to go.”
———
SOME FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Cranbrook, F Elgin Pearce broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 15:30 of the third period to give the Kootenay Ice a 2-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Ice F Drew Czerwonka, named team captain earlier in the week, returned from an injury to score his first goal of the season. . . .
In Edmonton, the Regina Pats got two goals from D Blair Davidson and three assists from D Brandon Underwood in beating the Oil Kings, 6-3. . . . Regina lost F Dyson Stevenson to an apparent leg injury in the third period. He was stretchered off after absorbing a hit from Edmonton D Mark Pysyk, who wasn’t penalized. . . . The Oil Kings had won three in a row. . . . Regina is 5-1-0 on the road. . . .
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s first three goals, all in the first period, and beat the Swift Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . F Brett Lyon had a goal and an assist for Moose Jaw. Lyon, 20, now has career highs in goals (6), assists (7) and points (13), all in just nine games. . . . The start of the game was delayed by 70 minutes due to an ice problem in one goal crease. . . .
In Everett, F Jesse Paradis scored his third shorthanded goal of the season to help the Saskatoon Blades open a U.S. trip with a 4-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Blades have won four in a row. . . . F Darian Dziurzynski scored his third goal in as many games for Saskatoon. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz made his first WHL debut with 50 saves. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Tyrel Seaman broke a 2-2 tie at 7:36 of the third period to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . D Ryan Pulock had Brandon’s other two goals. . . . The Wheat Kings are 1-1-0 on their U.S. Division swing. . . . The Wheat Kings, including F Alessio Bertaggia, are scheduled to play the Winterhawks in Portland tonight. Bertaggia may be better known to Winterhawks’ fans as Red No. 23, after his anonymous appearance at one training camp practice prior to the 2010-11 season. Brandon selected the Switzerland native in the 2011 CHL import draft and he has 10 points in eight games. He failed to score on a penalty shot last night and had his seven-game season-opening point streak snapped. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone, who leads the WHL with 20 points, is riding an eight-game season-opening point streak. He had two assists last night. . . .
In Victoria, the Royals scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Kelowna Rockets, 7-5. . . . The Rockets, who now have lost four in a row after opening 3-0-0, led this one 5-2 at 8:30 of the second period and 5-3 after two periods. . . . Victoria F Lukas Kralik broke a 5-5 tie at 14:27 of the third period. . . . Kelowna D Kevin Smith (shoulder) was injured in the pregame warmup and didn’t play. . . .
In Vancouver, D Kyle Verdino’s first goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Giants. . . . Verdino’s goal came at 16:53 of the third period. The 20-year-old Verdino recently returned to Seattle after a tryout with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. . . . Seattle outshot the Giants, 37-20. . . . Vancouver D Luke Fenske (broken hand) played his first game since being injured during training camp. . . .
In Spokane, F Anthony Bardaro’s ninth goal of the season gave the Chiefs a 3-2 OT victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Bardardo’s goal came at 3:10 of extra time. . . . Spokane F Collin Valcourt forged a 2-2 tie at 10:00 of the third period.
In Portland, Kamloops G Cam Lanigan stopped two penalty shots as the Blazers beat the Winterhawks 5-4 in OT. . . . F Brendan Ranford had four goals, including the winner 21 seconds into extra time, and an assist. It was his first career five-point night and four-goal game. . . . Lanigan finished with 37 saves. He stopped F Brad Ross on a penalty shot at 14:21 of the second period and F Taylor Peters on a second one at 18:28 of the third. . . . According to Todd Vrooman and Andy Kemper, on the Winterhawks’ postgame show, this was the first time Portland has been involved in a game that featured two penalty shots.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Seattle’s Justin Hickman (9) celebrates the Thunderbirds’ first goal
— he scored it — of Saturday’s game against the visiting
Victoria Royals. The ice was pink for ‘Pink The Rink Night’.
(Photo by Kyle Scholzen/Seattle Thunderbirds)

SOME SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Kent, Wash., F Brendan Troock scored two third-period goals, the last one breaking a 4-4 tie at 17:03, as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Victoria Royals, 5-4. . . . That was Seattle’s first victory in four games this season. . . . Troock also had an assist. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 39 shots. . . . The Royals had erased a 4-2 deficit when F Kevin Sundher scored at 10:52 of the third period and F Austin Carroll counted at 13:30. . . . The ice in the ShoWare Center was pink as the T-Birds held their first ‘Pink The Rink Night’ in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Valley Medical's Glow Women's Health and Wellness Program. The first 3,000 fans received pink T-Birds baseball caps courtesy of Glow. The Seattle players wore pink skate laces and used pink tape on their sticks. . . .
The Regina Pats honoured the memory of the late Rick Rypien, a former team captain, prior to their Saturday night game with the visiting Prince George Cougars. Rypien’s mother, Shelly, handled the ceremonial faceoff and the Pats announced that their annual Unsung Hero Award has been renamed the Rick Rypien Award because, the club said in a news release, “he best exemplified hard work not just on the ice, but also what he meant to his teammates and all the work that Rick did in the community.” . . . On the ice, G Drew Owsley stopped 19 shots as the Cougars beat the Pats, 2-0. . . . Owsley has two shutouts this season and 11 in his career. . . . F Jordan Tkatch got the winner, his fourth goal in as many games. . . . The Cougars had lost two in a row; the Pats had won two straight. . . .
In Swift Current, G Jon Groenheyde stopped 21 shots to help the Broncos to a 6-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. It was Groenheyde’s first appearance with the Broncos since being acquired earlier in the week from the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . This one was 3-3 with about eight minutes left in the third period when F Coda Gordon scored two goals 46 seconds apart for the Broncos. . . . Gordon, a 17-year-old freshman from Cochrane, Alta., has 10 points, including four goals, in six games. . . .
In Portland, G Brendan Burke, 16, stopped 26 shots in earning his first WHL victory as the Winterhawks beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-4. . . . Burke is the son of former NHL G Sean Burke. . . . Portland got nine points from the line of Sven Bartschi, Ty Rattie and Nic Petan. . . . Bartschi had two goals and two assists, Rattie drew three helpers and Petan had one of each. . . . Portland was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . .
In Saskatoon, the Blades beat the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-1 in a game that featured 116 minutes in penalties. . . . The Oil Kings took 60 of those minutes. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov stopped 33 shots. . . .
In Red Deer, the defending-champion Kootenay Ice improved to 4-1-2 as they beat the Rebels, 2-1. . . . G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 33 shots and F Elgin Pearce broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal of the season at 15:48 of the second period. . . . All three goals came via the PP; however, the Rebels failed to score on two power plays in the game’s last five minutes. . . . D Jagger Dirk drew assists on both Ice goals. . . .
In Vancouver, F Jayden Hart, a 17-year-old freshman from Spruce Grove, Alta., ended a six-round shootout with a goal that gave the Medicine Hat Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Giants. . . . Hart, whose older brother, Tyler, is a defenceman with the Giants, had scored his first WHL goal in the first period. . . . Vancouver tied the game 4-4 when F Jordan Martinook scored with 1.4 seconds left in the third period. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem scored the game’s first goal, his 11th of the season. Originally, he was credited with four goals in Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Royals in Victoria. However, on Saturday, the last of those goals was changed to F Hunter Shinkaruk, with Etem drawing an assist. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had two goals for the Giants, giving him four on the season. . . . Gallagher was stymied on a first-period penalty shot by G Kenny Cameron, who was making his first WHL start. . . . Medicine Hat F Cole Grbavac, the Tigers’ captain, was back in the lineup after not playing Friday because of what was termed a minor injury. . . .
In Spokane, F Anthony Bardaro had two goals and two assists to lead the Chiefs to a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . F Mitch Holmberg added two goals and an assist for the Chiefs. . . . The Rockets have lost two in a row after opening the season with three victories. . . . Kelowna managed just 12 shots on Spokane G Mac Engel -- three, four and five by period. . . . The Rockets a post about a minute into the game. The Chiefs then proceeded to get 15 shots on goal and score three times before Kelowna mustered its first shot on goal. . . . Spokane F Darren Kramer had three assists for the first three-point night of his career. Kramer, who led the WHL with 46 fights last season, is the Chiefs’ new captain. He was coming off his first two-goal game in Friday’s 6-4 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops. . . . Kramer, who totalled 14 points in 68 games last season, has seven points in four games this season. Oh, and he has been in two fights, the first with Kamloops D Tyler Hansen on Friday, the second last night with Kelowna F Tyrell Goulbourne.
———
Randy Starkman of the Toronto Star has spoken with Dr. Charles Tator, perhaps Canada’s most pre-eminent expert on concussions. Dr. Tator has some concerns with some of the information coming out of the clinic in Boston that is examing the brains of select dead athletes; in fact, Dr. Tator wonders if there isn’t some grandstanding taking place.
Starkman’s piece is right here.

It seems that the AJHL’s St. Albert Steel is skating on rather thin financial ice. Jeff Hansen of the St. Albert Gazette takes an in-depth look at the situation right here.
---
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, the Saskatoon Blades scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Broncos, 3-1. . . . The Blades had dumped the visiting Broncos 6-3 on Friday night. . . . F Brad Hoban got the game’s first goal, his 16^th, at 5:39 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon’s line of Brayden Schenn, Jake Trask and Curtis Hamilton then scored twice. Schenn got his fourth at 7:31, with Trask getting his 14^th, via the PP, at 10:09. . . . Each of those three, all of whom were blanked Friday, had two points. . . . The Broncos have lost six in a row. . . . Attendance was 2,117. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 35 shots as he improved his record to an amazing 26-3-0. . . . The Blades, winners of five straight, maintained their three-point lead atop the Eastern Conference, while the Broncos are seventh, three points up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Brandon Wheat Kings. . . .
---
In Regina, F Jordan Weal scored at 1:20 of OT to give the Pats a 4-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Warriors had beaten the Pats 4-3 in Moose Jaw on Friday. . . . One night later, the Warriors opened up a 3-0 lead in the second period, then watched the Pats score four straight goals. . . . Weal forced OT with his 24^th goal at 19:24 of the third period. . . . D Myles Bell had three assists for Regina. . . . F Sebastian Svendsen scored twice for the Warriors before the game was eight minutes old. He’s got 21. . . . Attendance was 5,014. . . . The Pats vaulted into a tie for 10^th with the Prince Albert Raiders in the Eastern Conference, one point out of a playoff spot. . . . The Warriors are fifth, a point behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .
---
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-2. . . . F Dylan Wruck scored twice for Edmonton, giving him 28. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 36 shots. . . . It was Michale Jackson Night and apparently one of the highlights came when Edmonton F T.J. Foster moonwalked after scoring his 19^th goal at 18:36 of the third period to provide some breathing room at 4-2. . . . Attendance was 6,682. . . . This was a big victory for Edmonton as it moved the Oil Kings into sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Raiders, who meet the Hitmen in Calgary today, are tied with the Regina Pats for 10^th, but are just one point out of eighth. . . .
---
In Cranbrook, F Elgin Pearce’s 10^th goal, at 3:31 of OT, gave the Kootenay Ice a 4-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Ice scored the game’s first three goals and led 3-0 at 8:11 of the second period. . . . F Mitch Maxwell forced OT with his 13^th goal at 11:15 of the third period. . . . D Reid Jackson scored his first goal of the season for Lethbridge. It came in his 36^th game this season. The 17-year-old from Weyburn, Sask., had four goals in 50 games last season. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 30 shots in his first WHL start. . . . Attendance was 2,701. . . . The Ice, with two straight victories, are third in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The loser point allowed the Hurricanes to move into a tie with the Brandon Wheat Kings for eighth. . . .
---
In Medicine Hat, the Tigers opened up a 4-1 lead and hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Cole Grbavac’s 10^th goal, at 6:52 of the second period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Shayne Wiebe, with his 28^th, and F Mark Stone, with his 26^th, got Brandon to within one late in the second period. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey scored his 34^th goal. He and Spokane Chiefs F Tyler Johnson are tied for the WHL scoring lead, each with 83 points. . . . Medicine Hat F Wacey Hamilton had a goal and two helpers. . . . The Tigers, with four straight victories, are fourth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Kootenay Ice and a point ahead of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Tigers hold two games in hand on Kootenay and three on Moose Jaw. . . .
---
In Red Deer, the Rebels won their 11^th straight game, beating the Calgary Hitmen, 5-2. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 18 shots in running his record to 32-8-3. . . . F Byron Froese scored three times for the Rebels, giving him 27, as the home side was forced to erase a 2-0 deficit. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three assists. . . . Attendance was 5,395. . . . The Rebels are first in the Central Division and just three points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Saskatoon Blades. However, the Blades hold two games in hand. . . . Red Deer is 11-0-1 in its last dozen games. . . . The Hitmen have lost four in a row. . . .
---
In Chilliwack, F Dylan Willick and F Thomas Frazee each scored twice to lead the Kamloops Blazers to a 4-1 victory over the Bruins. . . . The Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak as it won for the fourth time in its last 19 road games. . . . F Brendan Ranford added three assists for the Blazers, while F JT Barnett had a goal and two assists. . . . Willick, perhaps the Blazers’ most consistent player this season, has 16 goals, while Frazee has 22. . . . The Bruins took 59 of 110 penalty minutes. . . . Attendance was 3,748. . . . These two teams will play a home-and-home series on the weekend, opening Friday in Kamloops and finishing Saturday in Chilliwack. . . . The victory moved Kamloops into a tie for seventh with the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Bruins. . . .
---
In Spokane, F Mason Wilgosh broke a 4-4 tie at 19:23 of the third period to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Wilgosh scored his 11^th goal off a backdoor feed from F Patrick Holland. . . . The teams meet again Friday night, this time in Kennewick, Wash. . . . F Connor Rankin gave the Americans a 4-2 lead at 15:43 of the third period. . . . The Chiefs tied it on goals by F Tyler Johnson, his WHL-leading 38^th, at 16:05, and F Stephen Kuhn, his third of the game and 17^th of the season, at 18:51 on a PP. . . . F Justin Feser had three assists for the Americans. . . . The Chiefs were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 0-for-4. . . . Johnson’s goal ran his point streak to 17 games. . . . Attendance was 10,474. . . . The Chiefs slipped three points back of the Western Conference-leading Portland Winterhawks, with Spokane holding two games in hand. . . . The Americans, 8-1-1 in their last 10, are three points behind Spokane. Tri-City holds three games in hand on Spokane and five on Portland. . . .
---
In Everett, the Silvertips opened up a 3-0 lead early in the second period and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Tyler Maxwell scored twice for Everett, giving him 33. He ended up with his WHL-leading 11^th game-winner of the season. . . . Maxwell has 88 career goals, passing F Zach Hamill on Everett’s all-time list and leaving him second only to F Shane Harper (100). . . . The Cougars made it interesting on goals by F Charles Inglis, his 20^th, and F Brett Connolly, his 28^th, at 11:44 and 12:04 of the third period. . . . Maxwell iced it at 16:02. . . . D Ryan Murray had three assists for Everett. . . . F Brendan Rowinski had two goals for Vancouver, while F Spencer Bennett had two assists and Brendan Gallagher, the third member of that line, added two helpers. . . . Attendance was 6,179. . . . The Silvertips meet the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., today. . . .
---
In Kelowna, F Geordie Wudrick scored three times to help the Rockets to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The victory lifted the Rockets into first place in the B.C. Division, a point up on the Giants. . . . Wudrick has 29 goals. . . . F Cody Chikie, who had a goal and three assists in a 7-3 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars on Friday, had three assists. . . . Attendance was 6,184. . . . The Rockets have won six in a row. . . .
---
In Kent, Wash., G Mac Carruth stopped 43 shots to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 5-2 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Portland D William Wrenn had a goal, his first, and an assist, and was plus-4. He is plus-18 in 12 games since leaving the U of Denver and joining the Winterhawks over the Christmas break. . . . F Ty Rattie, F Brad Ross and F Ryan Johansen each had a goal and an assist for Portland. . . . Portland F Craig Cunningham scored once, giving him seven goals in four games against Seattle since being acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Attendance was a ShoWare Centre record of 6,158. It was Teddy Bear Night and the fans tossed 5,031 stuffed animals onto the ice when F Travis Toomey scored for Seattle in the first period. . . . The Thunderbirds fell into the Western Conference cellar, one point out of ninth and two out of eighth. They are at home to the Everett Silvertips today.
---
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Calgary D Peter Kosterman
Tri-City D Matt MacKenzie