Sutter signs with Swiss team . . . Smyth's night in Moose Jaw . . . Key game for Raiders

D Dave Sutter (Seattle, 2010-12) has signed a two-year contract beginning next season with Biel (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland NL B), he has three goals and seven assists in 42 games. He was pointless in two games on loan to Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland, NL A).
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The situation involving Winnipeg Jets F Evander Kane has blown up over the last couple of days. It now is that the point where there is speculation that Kane, who starred with the Vancouver Giants, may never play for the Jets again. Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press takes a good look at the Kane saga right here.
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The queue of American cities hoping to play host to the 2018 World Junior Championship forms on the right. According to Kevin Allen of USA TODAY, the line will include bids backed by a number of NHL teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes “and others.” . . . Allen’s story is right here. . . . The 2016 WJC is to be held in Helsinki, with the 2017 tournament scheduled for Montreal and Toronto.
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An obituary in the Spokane Spokesman-Review on Thursday blames a man’s death on the “Seahawks lousy play call.” Seriously. . . . Take a look right here.
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The Prince George Cougars, mired in a 12-game losing skid (10-0-2), should get some help tonight as they expect to have F Zach Pochiro (ribs) and F Jari Erricson (concussion) back in their lineup against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. Pochiro has missed eight games; Erricson has sat out four games. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings are in Cranbrook for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Eastern Conference-leading Wheat Kings are expected to be without F John Quenneville and G Alex Moodie, both of whom are believed to have concussions, and F Jayce Hawryluk (undisclosed injury). D Kale Clague (wrist) may play this weekend. . . . The Ice may be without F Jon Martin (ill). . . .
The Saskatoon Blades visit the Regina Pats tonight. The Blades go in knowing that they haven’t beaten the Pats in almost two years (March 9, 2013). . . . That’s 11 straight losses. . . . Saskatoon F Ryan Graham (back) is questionable, as is F Mitch Skapski (undisclosed injury). . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors will honour Ryan Smyth tonight by retiring his number (28) as they entertain the Spokane Chiefs. Smyth played three seasons with the Warriors (1992-95), putting up 224 points, including 110 goals, in 188 games. . . . Tonight’s game will be shown on ShawTV with Dan Russell doing the play-by-play. . . .
Also on TV tonight: Roots Sports will do the game in Kent, Wash., between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks. Ian Furness will call the play. . . .
With the Medicine Hat Tigers hurting on the back end due to injuries and suspensions, F Blake Penner has taken some turns back there. But he left Wedneday’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings with an injury, so perhaps won’t be available tonight against the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. After Wednesday’s game, Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News: “He missed the second half of the game, but hopefully it won’t be anything major.” . . .
If the Prince Albert Raiders are to make the playoffs, you would think they absolutely have to win tonight’s game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos. The Broncos hold down the East Division’s third playoff spot, five points ahead of Moose Jaw and eight up on the Raiders. A loss tonight puts the Raiders 10 points off the pace with 19 games remaining. A hole like that at this time of the season is awfully deep. . . .
The chase for the B.C. Division’s third playoff spot continues tonight with the three teams involved separated by four points. The Kamloops Blazers, who are in Kelowna tonight and then play host to the Rockets on Saturday, are third, three points ahead of the Vancouver Giants and four ahead of Prince George. . . . The Giants are at home to Red Deer tonight; the Cougars open a double-dip with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
In the U.S. Division, the Portland Winterhawks will continue their attempt at tracking down the first-place Everett Silvertips tonight. The Winterhawks, who are three points behind the first-place Silvertips, visit the third-place Seattle Thunderbirds, while Everett is at home to the fifth-place Tri-City Americans. . . . As things rest right now, it appears that all five U.S. Division teams will make the playoffs. Spokane and Tri-City hold down the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots at the moment.
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From a news release that was issued on Thursday:
“James Hudziak, M.D., has two children who love ice hockey. His son skates for his college team and one of his daughters plays in high school.
“As a pediatric neuropsychiatrist and director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families at the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine, Hudziak believes in the benefits of ice hockey and other sports for kids. Athletic activities help a young person build organizational skills, improve motor and emotional control, reduce anxiety and boost confidence.
“Now, though, Hudziak is looking into the potential dangers of ice hockey for young athletes. He and UVM colleagues Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., Catherine Orr, Ph.D., and Richard Watts, Ph.D., have published a groundbreaking study in the February issue of The Journal of Pediatrics that shows a relationship between concussions sustained by young ice hockey players and subtle changes in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain that controls higher-level reasoning and behavior.”
The complete news release is right here.
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Good start to the roadie for the @EdmOilKings. Bus stuck in parking lot at CN Centre #teambuilder pic.twitter.com/y592nhQk9P
— Corey Graham (@CoreyGraham) February 6, 2015

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With Internet problems in the press box at Interior Savings Centre, veteran
sportscaster Earl Seitz of Kamloops TV station CFJC had time to pose for
a photo with the gals from the station on Friday night. There's more from
Seitz further down in this report.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Johnny Boychuk (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 1999-2004) signed a lockout contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had five goals and ten assists in 77 games with Boston Bruins last season. . . .
F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1996-2001) was released by Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had two goals and six assists in 21 games with Pardubice this season. . . .
F Evander Kane (Vancouver, 2006-09) was released from his lockout contract by Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). He had one goal and 47 PIM in 11 games with Minsk.
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Brent Sutter, the owner, president, general manager and, since Tuesday, interim head coach of the Red Deer Rebels continued to reshape his roster Friday. He released D Jan Bittner, a 19-year-old Czech who didn’t have a point in 14 games. . . . Sutter also released F Austin Ferguson, who was pointless in four games with the Rebels after having been acquired from the Kelowna Rockets. Ferguson, 17, is from Abbotsford, B.C.
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The Kamloops Blazers have acquired F Joey Kornelsen, 19, from the Calgary Hitmen for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Kornelsen, in his fourth WHL season, also played for the Moose Jaw Warriors. In 187 regular-season games, he has 62 points, including 24 goals. This season, he has four assists in 18 games. . . . With the Hitmen getting F Victor Rask back from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, Kornelsen may have had trouble getting playing time in Calgary. . . . The Blazers, meanwhile, are without two 20-year-old forwards. Dylan Willick (broken ankle) likely won’t play until after Christmas, while Jordan DePape (shoulder) continues to be evaluated by medical staff. . . . Kamloops associate coach Dave Hunchak coached Kornelsen while both were with the Warriors. Moose Jaw selected him with its first pick, 33rd overall, in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Alan Caldwell, over there at Small Thoughts At Large, notes that the Hitmen now hold 10 selections in the first six rounds of the 2013 bantam draft. As Caldwell tweeted: “Lots of trade bait there, if they want to make a move later.”
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Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun reports that D Martin Gernat is back in Edmonton, although he’s still a while from getting back into the Oil Kings’ lineup. Gernat, who watched his teammates practise on Friday, had shoulder surgery in the Czech Republic in September. If all goes well, Gernat could begin light skating in a couple of weeks. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Gernat had 55 points, including nine goals, as a freshman last season. The Edmonton Oilers selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2011 draft.
The Oil Kings return to action tonight as they play host to the Prince Albert Raiders. The Oil Kings will be without F Travis Ewanyk, who suffered a knee injury during Team WHL’s 1-0 Super Series shootout victory over a Russian side in Vancouver on Wednesday. He was to undergo an MRI on Friday and there already is speculation that he will be out for at least a month.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Victoria, G Patrik Polivka stopped 20 shots as the Royals beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-0. . . . It was Polivka’s first WHL shutout. . . . He had help as the Silvertips hit three posts. . . . It also was the Royals’ first shutout since the franchise relocated from Chilliwack prior to last season. . . . The big story, however, may have come in the second period when Everett D Ryan Murray left the game after taking a check from Victoria F Logan Nelson. There were reports that Murray was taken to hospital with what is believed to be an injury to his left arm or shoulder. . . . Murray, taken second overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL draft, is one of the league’s top defencemen. If healthy, he will play for Canada’s national junior team and may be the captain. . . . F Jamie Crooks had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist for the Royals, who have won two in a row. . . . Everett F Manraj Hayer was back after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers got 14 points from their big line as they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . RW JC Lipon had two goals and two assists, while C Colin Smith had a goal and four assists and LW Tim Bozon was two and two. . . . Lipon leads the WHL in goals (19) and points (48), while Smith leads in assists (31) and is second in points (47). . . . The three had combined for just seven points in the previous six games, five of which were losses. . . . Portland had its 12-game winning streak snapped and fell four points back of the WHL-leading Blazers. . . . F Brendan Leipsic had a goal and two assists for the Winterhawks, his seventh straight multi-point game. He is on a nine-game point streak. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford and Portland D Troy Rutkowski both played in their 300th regular-season games and each scored a goal. Each player is with his original team. . . . Kamloops D Sam Grist was pointless but finished plus-5. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth suffered his first loss in 10 decisions. He has given up 10 goals in his last four periods at Interior Savings Centre. That goes back to Game 6 of a second-round series last spring when the Blazers came back from a 5-2 deficit to win, 7-6. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Alex Delnov had two goals and an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Delnov, who has eight goals, played for Russia in the Super Series-clinching victory over Team WHL on Thursday in Victoria. . . . Seattle F Robert Lipsbergs broke a 3-3 tie 15:57 of the third period. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored twice for the Tigers, giving him 17. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored three times in the game’s first 7:30 and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes gave up four goals on 15 shots but last just one period. Curtis Honey came on to stop 17 of 18. . . . Kootenay G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 32 shots. . . . The teams meet in Cranbrook again tonight. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Logan McVeigh broke a 2-2 tie at 2:03 of the third period as the Prince Albert Raiders beat the Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . The victory lifted the Raiders past the idle Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton Oil Kings, into first place in the Eastern Conference. . . . F Leon Draisaitl had two goals for the winners. . . . F Russell Maxwell got his 14th goal of the season, in his 24th game, for Lethbrige. Lst season, he finished with 15 goals in 72 games. . . . Draisaitl, a German freshman who turned 17 on Oct. 27, has 18 points, five of them goals, in 22 games. . . . The Raiders are 6-0-0 against Alberta teams this season. They play in Edmonton tonight. . . .

In Prince George, G Andrey Makarov stopped 42 shots to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-0 victory over the Cougars. . . . One night earlier, Makarov backstopped a Russian team to a 5-2 victory over Team WHL in a Super Series game in Victoria. He also played in Wednesday’s 1-0 shootout loss to the WHL in Vancouver. . . . This was Makarov’s first shutout this season and the third of his career. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls got his 19th goal, one of the league lead held by Kamloops F JC Lipon. . . . Prince George F Caleb Belter drew a boarding major and game misconduct at 12:10 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon D Matthew Pufahl, who was hit by Belter, needed help getting off the ice and didn’t return to the game. . . . The Cougars lost D Rinalds Rosinskis, who left in the second period after blocking a shot with his left leg. . . . The Blades continue their B.C. swing in Vancouver on Sunday. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that the Blades are expected to bring up F Nick Gomerich, 16, from the major midget North Island Silvertips for the game. . . .

In Vancouver, F Thomas Foster scored in the circus to give the Giants a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Foster was the 13th shooter in a seven-round shootout. . . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk forced OT with his 12th goal at 19:06 of the third period. It came via the PP. . . . Pats F Lane Scheidl, who began his WHL career with the Giants, notched his 11th goal and added two assists. . . . F Kale Kessy scored twice for Vancouver, including a shorthanded score at 7:16 of the third period that gave his side  3-2 lead. . . . Regine D Kyle Burroughs, who is from Langley, B.C., scored his first goal of the season in front of family and friends. . . . The Giants have back-to-back victories for the first time this season. Ironically, both victories have come in shootouts, a part of the game that Vancouver head coach Don Hay doesn’t enjoy. . . . Vancouver remains without F Cain Franson, who is believed to have a concussion. He has missed eight games. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Kelowna Rockets, 3-2. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser won it with his 15th score this season at 14:44 of the third period. . . . Americans G Eric Comrie stopped a season-high 41 shots. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke returned from an undisclosed injury — speculation had him with a concussion incurred in a practice — to stop 19 shots. . . . The same teams meet in Kennewick again tonight.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Trevor Cheek, Vancouver
D Mirco Mueller, Everett
F Manraj Hayer, Everett

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, Vancouver
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Tri-City F Philip Tot (@totter19) with some advice for the ladies: “Women’s make up should come with a warning. Do not exceed entire bottle in one night. Know your limits #naturalbeauty #seriously”
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TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Earl Seitz (@EarlCFJCsports), veteran Kamloops sportscaster: “We can put men on the moon, land rovers on Mars and fly drones to get the enemy. These days the enemy is the internet at the ISC #needdrone”
Oh, does he get my support on this one. It’s 2012 (almost 2013) and we have nothing but Internet grief, night after night, at Interior Savings Centre.


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If you don’t read anything else today, read this story by Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. It’s the latest on Marc Savard, the former Boston Bruins centre, and how he is dealing with post-concussion syndrome. And after you have read it, stop and think about the number of concussions we are seeing in hockey today.
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Of course, on the same that Marc Savard met with the media in Boston, D Andrew Ference of the Bruins tried to run D Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers through then end boards from behind. If you haven’t yet seen the play, Ference rushes the puck up the ice, dumps it into the Rangers zone and then follows it in. McDonagh turns, Ference follows him over the icing line and then shoves him from behind.
Joe Michelleti, who was on the telecast crew, summed it up: “One of these days someboyd’s not going to get up and then maybe some of these players will wake up. . . . it’s ridiculous . . . it’s ridiculous.”
Unfortunately, Michelleti is right. It is ridiculous.
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While all of this was happening, the Winnipeg Jets revealed that their leading scorer, former Vancouver Giants star Evander Kane, is sidelined with a concussion.
The Philadelphia Flyers revealed that F Daniel Briere has joined the list of concussed NHLers. He left Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the visiting New Jersey Devils.
And, in Pittsburgh, it was revealed that Penguins F Sidney Crosby had a session with a specialist in chiropractic neurology earlier in the week and that he now is in California for a few sessions with a neurological spine specialist.
What is especially interesting is that NHL teams now are publicly declaring which players have concussions, while continue to refer to other injuries as upper- or lower-body.
In the WHL, however, there are no concussions, only upper-body injuries. There were more than 100 concussions in the WHL last season. Prior to the start of this season, the WHL chose to go to the upper- and lower-body system of reporting injuries.
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And here’s a good read, by Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen. It deals with Ottawa Senators F Brad Winchester who hasn’t played since Dec. 20. Yes. Concussion. Here, he details what his life has been like since he was injured.
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As the WHL heads into the last two months of its regular season, there are going to be a couple of interesting individual races worth watching.
Regina F Jordan Weal moved into the lead for the point title on Friday night, his two points giving him 79 in 47 games, one more than F Ty Rattie of the Portland Winterhawks, who had played 43 games.
Weal and Rattie each picked up two more points last night, leaving the Regina veteran with an 81-80 lead.
Rattie went into last night with 40 goals, which had him tied for the lead with F Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who got there with a deuce on Friday night.
Last night, it was Rattie scoring twice and Etem once, leaving the Portland sniper with a 42-41 edge.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes are the latest team to encounter weather-related travel problems.
The Hurricanes were excited to get on the bus and head for home after beating the Rockets 6-3 in Kelowna on Saturday night.
But what normally is about an eight-hour jaunt turned into much more than that as the Trans-Canada Highway was closed so they overnighted in Revelstoke.
G Liam Liston tweeted: “Never seen roads this bad. Stuck in Revelstoke for the night.”
Team captain Brody Sutter followed with: “Stuck in Revelstoke for the night... All I want to do is go home. #Rattled”
On Saturday, Sutter added: “Left Kelowna over 14 hours ago, the 8 hour bus trip has turned into a 18+ hour bus trip. Get me back to Lethy. #LightAtTheEndOfTheTunnel”
The Hurricanes reached Calgary at about 1 p.m. MT.
Meanwhile, the Portland Winterhawks had some problems of their own as they worked to get to Spokane late Friday.
The Winterhawks didn’t play Friday and were headed for Spokane for a Saturday night engagement with the Chiefs when their bus experienced a flat tire. A problem with the spare meant the Winterhawks had to wait for another bus to come to their rescue.
These problems pale compared to what the Kootenay Ice went through earlier in the week when it took the club 28 hours to get to Regina for a Wednesday night game with the Pats.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, F Michael St. Croix scored three goals and added two assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings dropped the Raiders, 9-2. . . . St. Croix has 77 points, including 31 goals, in 48 games. He has three hat tricks this season. . . . F Tyler Maxwell had opened the scoring in each of Edmonton’s previous four games, but didn’t get it done this time. Instead, he scored the game’s fifth and sixth goals, giving him 29. . . . He also had two assists. He has 38 points, including 18 goals, in 24 games since moving from Everett to Edmonton in a trade. . . . F Dylan Wruck added a goal and two assists for the Oil Kings, who now are tied with the Tri-City Americans for second in the overall standings. . . .

In Regina, F Jordan Weal scored in OT to give the Pats a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Weal scored his 30th goal of the season at 30 seconds of OT. . . . He also had an assist and now has a WHL-leading 81 points. He also leads the WHL in assists (51). . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl forced OT when he scored his 17th goal on a penalty shot at 11:29 of the third period. . . . Regina F Dryden Hunt got tossed at 2:16 of the first period with a checking to the head major. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Victoria Royals, 9-6. . . . Victoria gave up the game’s first two goals, then held 4-2 and 5-3 leads. . . . The Blades tied it 5-5, only to have Victoria F Jamie Crooks scored his 25th goal at 2:01 of the third period. . . . Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower got his second goal of the game at 8:38, D Kyle Schmidt added his second of the season and second in two nights at 10:26 and Thrower completed his hat trick at 19:02. . . . Thrower has 12 goals this season. . . . Thrower’s last goal was shorthanded and into an empty net, as was Michael Burns’ 20th of the season at 19:32. . . . Burns also had two assists and finished plus-6. . . . Saskatoon F Lukas Sutter, who had one goal, also was plus-6. . . . Victoria went 2-4-0 in its swing through the East Division. . . .

In Brandon, G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 33 shots to help the Kootenay Ice to a 7-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon has lost five in a row at home. . . . Skapski was making his first start since Jan. 2. . . . The Ice broke open a scoreless game with goals 1:16 apart late in the first period, D Jagger Dirk sniping at 17:38 on the PP and F Joe Antilla following up at 18:54. . . . The visitors went on to a 5-0 lead. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart picked up a first-period assist which tied him for the franchise single-season record for most points by a 16-year-old. It was his 40th point, tying D Steve McCarthy. . . . F Max Reinhart had three assists for the Ice. . . . F Levi Cable had two goals for the Ice, giving him three on the season, while F Jesse Ismond also scored twice. He’s got 13. . . . These same teams meet Tuesday in Cranbrook. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers erased an early 1-0 deficit and beat the Swift Current Broncos, 2-1. . . . F Christian Magnus scored for the Broncos at 12:05 of the first period. . . . The Tigers then got two first-period PP goals, from F Emerson Etem, at 13:10, and F Jayden Hart, at 14:34. . . . Etem has 41 goals, which is second in the WHL. . . . He also has scored at least one goal in each of his last 10 games, the longest such streak in all of the CHL since F Nigel Dawes of the Kootenay Ice in 2004-05. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk had two assists for the Tigers. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 35 shots, one fewer than Swift Current’s Jon Groenheyde. . . .

In Red Deer, F Turner Elson had two goals and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . D Mathew Dumba added his 13th goal and two assists. The goal was shorthanded and opened the scoring at 18:24 of the first. . . . Red Deer G Deven Dubyk stopped 32 shots. . . . Red Deer, down to 11 healthy forwards, had F Connor Bleackley, a first-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, in the lineup. . . . The Cougars were without F Greg Fraser, who was concussed by a hit to head from Calgary D Alex Roach on Friday night. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips got three goals from F Kohl Bauml and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-4, in overtime. . . . Bauml, who has 12 goals, got the winner at 3:21 of OT to complete his first WHL hat trick. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald points out that Bauml has 18 points over his last 16 games after he had just seven points in 30 games. . . . Everett overcame deficits of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3. . . . Everett F Josh Birkholz forced extra time with his 20th goal at 19:14 of the third. . . . Birkholz finished with two goals and two assists. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets came from behind a 3-0 second-period deficit and beat the Vancouver Giants 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Vancouver led this one 3-0 with a minute left in the second. . . . Kelowna F Cody Chikie scored at 19:23 of the second and the Rockets were on their way. . . . F Tanner Moar got his third of the season at 10:36 of the third, on the PP, to tie it at 3-3. . . . Kelowna D MacKenzie Johnston drew two assists. . . . Vancouver G Jackson Whistle, who is from Kelowna, stopped 38 shots, nine more than Kelowna’s Adam Brown. . . . In the shootout, Kelowna got goals from F Zach Franko and D Myles Bell, while Vancouver forwards Marek Tvrdon and Cain Franson were blanked. . . .

In Spokane, F Steven Kuhn’s two goals led the Chiefs to a 5-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Kuhn has 10 goals. . . . F Dominik Uher and D Brenden Kichton each had a goal and two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Uher has 14 points in nine games since playing for the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championship. . . . F Ty Rattie scored both Portland goals and both came via the PP. He has a WHL-leading 42 goals. He also leads the WHL in PP goals, with 21. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 24 shots. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Spokane. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Kamloops Blazers maintained their position atop the WHL’s overall standings with a 4-3 shootout victory over the host Tri-City Americans. . . . The Blazers (34-10-3), who have won nine straight games, have 71 points, two more than the Americans (34-11-1) and the Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings (32-11-5). . . . The Americans, who play in Edmonton on Wednesday, now have lost two in a row at home after rattling of a 13-game home-ice win streak. . . . This also is the first time this season that Tri-City lost back-to-back games this season. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber scored twice for the second straight game. His second goal, and 19th of the season, gave his side a 3-1 lead at 5:28 of the second. . . . Tri-City tied it on goals by F Brendan Shinnimin, his 27th this season and the 100th of his career, at 15:30 of the second and F Adam Hughesman, his 29th, at 16:05. . . . The Blazers won the shootout 2-0 on goals by Schaber and D Bronson Maschmeyer. . . . The Americans had a great chance to win when Kamloops D Austin Madaisky was penalized for delay of game at 19:46 of the third period. . . . When the Blazers dropped the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-3 in Kent, Wash., on Friday, Schaber and Maschmeyer both reached career highs in goals. Schaber has 17 in 42 games; last season, he had 16 in 46. Maschmeyer has nine in 46 games. Two seasons ago, he had seven in 72 games. Last season, he had eight in 72 games. Maschmeyer, acquired from Vancouver prior to the start of the 2009-10 season, hasn’t missed a game with Kamloops. Last night, he played in his 191st straight. . . . The Blazers are 11-1-1 against the U.S. Division.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Sawyer Lange, Prince Albert.
F Torrin White, Moose Jaw.
F Colton Sissons, Kelowna.
D Joe Morrow, Portland.
D Mitch Topping, Tri-City.

Keeping Score

It must be spring break in Alberta. How else do you explain all the hockey fans in Phoenix these days? . . . Headline in the Buffalo News after a late-season game: Sabres are lemons in front of Lalime. . . . After his one-punch kayo of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke last week, it is doubtful that Atlanta Thrashers forward Evander Kane will ever have to pay for another meal while in the company of NHL players. . . . Defenceman Brendon Nash of Kamloops wrapped up his college hockey career with the Cornell Big Red by being named a Reebok Division I All-American. Nash, a second-teamer last season as a junior, was named to the ECAC Hockey first all-star team. Nash, who graduates next month with a degree in applied economics and management, signed with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens when his season ended and now is with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. . . . Hamilton is taking on the Manitoba Moose in a first-round playoff series. . . .
After a TMZ report that Tiger Woods paid Rachel Uchitel (aka Mistress No. 1) a cool US$10 million to keep quiet, Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post noted: “In golf terms, Uchitel now has a lot of green to work with.” . . . After Italy’s Matteo Manassero, 16, became the youngest player in Masters history, Greg Connors of the Buffalo News wrote: “That means there are only two golfers in the field whose families check to see they’re in bed by 11: Matteo and Tiger.” . . . What’s this? Tiger was heard cursing during the Masters? And you thought Billy Payne and his good ol’ boys could change the stripes on a tiger. . . . John Garrity, at SI.com: “The Phil people are delirious. The Tiger people are devastated. The good guy, a green jacket draped comfortably over his open-collared polo, addresses an adoring crowd at sunset. The bad boy, who was last seen walking past the clubhouse in his no-longer-bulletproof red victory shirt, heads for home (wherever that is) to the yawns of a surfeited tabloid press.”
Jay Mariotti, at FanHouse: “We thank the gods for intervening and back-burnering our long National (Enquirer) nightmare, replacing it with a historic sequence of golf shots from a man who deserves your love. Enough with Tiger Woods, his potty mouth and his revealing return to earth, a third-round wobble accompanied by bursts of needless profanity that violated his proper-decorum oath and confirmed he’s still a fraud.” . . .
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald didn’t have a good weekend. “Sad news,” he reported. “Heat Dancers were eliminated by the Charlotte Lady Cats in the semifinals in their bid for a fifth NBA dance-team championship. Analysts said the Miami women excelled in gyration and augmentation but disappointed on the pelvic thrust.” . . . Janice Hough, the Left Coast Sports Babe, wonders: “Which black leader now has a bigger mess to try to clean up in Washington — Barack Obama or Donovan McNabb?” . . . When the Chicago White Sox staged their home opener last week, they had four Chicago Blackhawks skaters — American Patrick Kane and Canadians Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews — on hand to throw out ceremonial first pitches. Later, the Chicago Sun-Times asked who fared the best, with Seabrook replying: “It’s rough throwing a ball when you have a gold medal around your neck.” . . .
One would hope that Fred Pittendreigh and the KIJHL executives feel at least some embarrassment for the manner in which they stiffed the fine folks of Chase. According to league president Bill Ohlhausen, Pittendreigh told the KIJHL sometime prior to Nov. 1 that he intended to move the Chiefs. That means the league and its governors sat on the news for months, while the Chase fans purchased tickets, billeted players and bought advertising. . . . As one KIJHL exec told me this week: “It’s an absolute travesty the way everything happened. It just stinks and reeks of under-the-carpet stuff that I have never seen before. It’s a Mickey Mouse league when things like that are allowed to happen. You’ve got the people of Chase sitting there wondering, ‘What just happened?’ It’s an absolute joke.” . . . Yes, it is. . . . After USA Today reported that the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball belong to the New York Yankees (US$206.3 million), Boston Red Sox ($162.4 million) and Chicago Cubs ($146.6 million), Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel noted: “Spending obviously works. All three of those teams have won championships in the last 102 years.” . . .
Let’s be honest here. Loose change only serves to wear holes in your pockets or get lost in the bottom of your purse. So what a great idea to have people placed throughout our city who want only to relieve you of that loose change. They’re in parking lots, they’re standing outside of stores, they’re on various medians. Hey, is this a great city, or what? . . . Non-premium seats for Chicago Cubs’ games at Wrigley Field now carry an average price tag of US$52.56, the most expensive in Major League Baseball. . . . The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette headlined the story: Cubs win! . . . The Vancouver Sun went with: One is born each minute, and they have Cubs tickets. . . .
Mark Recchi, who owns a chunk of the Kamloops Blazers, is the Boston Bruins’ nominee for the Masterton Trophy, the NHL award that honours the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Recchi, 42, is wrapping up his 21st season as an NHL player. Don’t be surprised if he hangs around for yet another season. . . . Look for former Blazers goaltender Justin Leclerc to end up going to McGill U in Montreal. Folks from McGill were in attendance at two 1-0 overtime games as Leclerc’s Saints were swept from the MJHL final by the Dauphin Kings. Leclerc is in Montreal this weekend. . . . The fine for talking on a cellphone while driving is $167. Don’t you wish the RCMP would allow you to write tickets and keep, say, 50 per cent of the proceeds?

Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. Email him at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, or visit his blog at gdrinnan.blogspot.com. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.

Tuesday . . .

Hardy Sauter, the head coach of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, is thrilled that professional hockey is coming back to Oklahoma City.
Sauter played nine seasons with the Central league’s Oklahoma City Blazers. During that stretch, he established himself as arguably the best defenceman in CHL history. In each of his first three seasons, he put 100 points on the board.
He joined the Chiefs as an assistant coach prior to 2007-08 and now is in his second season as the team’s head coach. He took over from Bill Peters, who now is the head coach of the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
But back to Oklahoma City . . .
The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers announced earlier this month that they will allow their affiliation agreement with the Springfield, Mass., Falcons to expire after this season. Instead, the Oilers will revive the AHL franchise which they own -- it last operated as the Edmonton Roadrunners during the lockout season of 2004-05 -- and set up shop in Oklahoma City.
The Blazers ceased operations after last season and there had long been speculation that something would happen involving an AHL franchise.
Asked if he feels the city is capable of surviving at an AHL level, Sauter replied: “Yes, I believe so.”
“I think they have an excellent fan base for hockey at any level,” he continued. “I don’t know exactly what an American league team needs as far as numbers. But I would think they’d get anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 people on a nightly basis.
“The people there love their hockey.”
When Sauter played there, from 1996-2005, it wasn’t unusual to see 9,000 fans in what now is the Cox Convention Centre, a facility that is in the process of being renovated.
“My first three years, they were really hot and I think we averaged more than 9,000,” Sauter said. “My last four or five years, it was somewhere between 8,600 and 8,900.
“And they are moving back to the old building where the hockey atmosphere is way better than the new building (Ford Center).”
Last season, the Blazers averaged 6,508 fans for 32 home games.
As for a leap to the NHL . . .
“If they want to be a big-time city with big-time sports, obviously the NBA is outstanding,” Sauter said. “For myself, again, not knowing the numbers you need to be generating, I think they can well support an American league team.
“Anything more than that . . . I don’t know.”
Sauter is the son of Mike Sauter, a former WHL player and coach, and the nephew of Doug Sauter, a long-time WHL player and coach who had been the Blazers’ head coach since 1995.
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The QMJHL has announced changes to its divisions and to its playoff format, effective with the 2010-11 season. The press release is right here.
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If you’re up early Wednesday, you may want to flip your TV to NBC, where, at some point in time on NBC Today, you’ll see host Matt Lauer, along with former Giants star Evander Kane, now of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, present Giants G Greg Lamoureux and singer Michael Buble, one of the WHL team’s owners, zipping around the Ladner Leisure Centre. . . . By the way, the Giants will without F Lance Bouma, their captain, for up to six weeks with a knee injury. He apparently will stay home as the Giants head into the East Division for a swing that opens Friday against the Blades in Saskatoon.
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THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — denotes division leaders, who are seeded one-two):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Brandon (11) 41-16-1-3-86
d-Calgary (13) 40-17-1-1-82
Saskatoon (14) 39-13-3-3-84
Kootenay (12) 37-18-3-2-79
Medicine Hat (10) 33-21-3-5-74
Red Deer (13) 34-21-0-4-72
Moose Jaw (13) 28-23-4-4-64
Swift Current (11) 30-27-0-4-64
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Prince Albert (12) 28-27-3-2-61
Regina (12) 25-28-3-4-57
Tuesday: Swift Current 2 at Kootenay 1; Red Deer 3 at Prince Albert 1; Moose Jaw 1 at Tri-City 3.
Wednesday: Prince George at Calgary; Swift Current at Lethbridge; Red Deer at Saskatoon.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (14) 41-15-1-2-85
dx-Vancouver (12) 36-20-1-3-76
x-Portland (11) 37-21-2-1-77
x-Everett (13) 36-19-3-1-76
x-Spokane (13) 35-20-3-1-74
Kelowna (12) 29-26-2-3-63
Kamloops (11) 27-28-2-4-60
Chilliwack (12) 26-28-1-5-58
x — clinched playoff spot.
Tuesday: Seattle 0 at Chilliwack 1 (OT); Moose Jaw 1 at Tri-City 3.
Wednesday: Portland at Everett; Spokane at Kamloops;
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TUESDAY:
In Prince Albert, the Red Deer Rebels built up a 3-0 second-period lead and went on to a 4-1 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Rebels have closed to within two points of the fifth-place Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference. Red Deer holds three games in hand on Medicine Hat. . . . The loss, combined with a victory by the Swift Current Broncos in Cranbrook, left the Raiders three points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Rebels, who are 21-7-0-4 in their last 32 games, have won four straight. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 shots. . . . Red Deer F Turner Elson opened the scoring with his eighth goal, shorthanded, at 5:48 of the first period. . . . Red Deer F Brett Ferguson got the eventual winner, scoring his 10th on the PP at 14:20 of the first. . . . Prince Albert G Garrett Zemlak stopped 11 of 15 shots before leaving at 7:30 of the second. Jamie Tucker came on to stop all 10 shots he faced. . . . Attendance was 2,032. . . . The Raiders, who lost 3-1 in Red Deer on Saturday, are 22-7-1-1 at home. . . . Red Deer played without D Aaron Borejko (shoulder) and D Simon Witt (groin).
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Johnny Lazo broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 14:17 of the second period and the Tri-City Americans went on to a 3-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The victory lifted the Western Conference-leading Americans to within one point of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who are first overall. . . . .Lazo also added an assist. . . . He has 36 goals. . . . Attendance was 4,092. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley stopped 34 shots, seven more than Moose Jaw’s Jeff Bosch. . . . The Warriors went 2-3 in their U.S. Division tour. . . . The Americans are 25-6-0-0 in the cozy confines of the Toyota Center.
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In Chilliwack, F Shayne Neigum scored 37 seconds into overtime to give the Bruins a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent. . . . Bruins G Lucas Gore stopped 28 shots but shares the shutout with Braden Gamble who played 13 seconds without facing a shot. . . . Gore broke his stick during the second period and went to the Bruins’ bench to get a replacement. But it seems that he forgot to ask referee Matt Kirk for permission, so he had to leave play for one stoppage. . . . Gore has three shutouts this season; one more would have given him the single-season franchise record. . . . The Thunderbirds were 0-for-2 on the PP; the Bruins were 0-for-3. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost 15 straight games. . . . G Calvin Pickard stopped 26 shots for the visitors. . . . Attendance was 2,761, the second-smallest crowd of the season in Chilliwack.
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In Cranbrook, D Travis Bobbee broke a 1-1 tie with a second-period PP goal as the Swift Current Broncos beat the host Kootenay Ice, 2-1. . . . The victory lifted the Broncos into a tie with the Moose Jaw Warriors for seventh in the Eastern Conference. . . . Bobbee scored his sixth goal at 12:01 of the second with the Broncos enjoying a 5-on-3 advantage. . . . F Justin Dowling had a goal, his 26th, and an assist for the Broncos. . . . Ice D James Martin tied the score 1-1 at 3:38 of the second on the PP. . . . Broncos G Morgan Clark stopped 31 shots. . . . The Ice’s Todd Mathews made 18 save. . . . The Ice had won its previous three games. . . . Attendance was 2,530. . . . The Broncos are without F Matt Tassone (hernia).