Another WHL team looking for head coach . . . Brandon boys win two in OT . . . Royals still alive

pic.twitter.com/rb7fEKokHk
— Drive BC (@DriveBC) April 16, 2015

F Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000) has signed a two-year extension with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, as team captain, he had 19 goals and 17 assists in 46 games.
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THE COACHING GAME:

There now are three WHL teams without head coaches.
The Kootenay Ice joined the fray on Wednesday with the announcement that it won’t be renewing head coach Ryan McGill’s contract when it expires on June 30.
"At this time, we feel we need a fresh face and voice moving forward to lead our team,” Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president and general manager, said in a news release.
The Ice will be an awfully young team next season, so Chynoweth told Taking Note that a decision was made to find a new voice.
“Just looking at what we are losing this year, in terms of players, and how much of a step back I think we are going to take next (season) with a young and unproven team,” Chynoweth told Taking Note via text.
The Ice’s roster includes 11 players born in 1995 and three who were born in 1994. F Sam Reinhart isn’t expected back, while F Tim Bozon, F Austin Vetterl and F Levi Cable used up their junior eligibility.
McGill, 46, is from Sherwood Park, Alta.
This was McGill’s second stint as the Ice’s head coach. He was in his third season this time around; he also was head coach 1997-2002. In total, his record is 280-222-53. Under McGill, the Ice won the WHL championship in 1999-2000 and 2001-02, and the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2002.
Between his two tours of duty with the Ice, McGill was an AHL head coach for seven seasons and an assist with the NHL’s Calgayr Flames for two seasons.
The Ice went 37-31-4 this season to finish fourth in the Central Division and earn the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card berth. The Ice then lost a first-round series in seven games to the Calgary Hitmen.
You have to think that McGill will wait and see if any pro offers come his way before he decides on his next move.
Along with the Ice, the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants also are without head coaches.
Peter Anholt, who stepped in as GM and head coach in Lethbridge in mid-season, has said he won’t be back as head coach and will be hiring. In Vancouver, the Giants parted company with Claude Noel at season’s end. Noel also had been a mid-season replacement.
Last off-season, 10 of the WHL’s 22 teams made coaching changes.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Tanner Kaspick scored at 3:36 of OT to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Pats. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series, 3-1. Game 5 is scheduled for Brandon on Friday. . . . Kaspick, who is from Brandon, scored his first WHL playoff goal. He had one goal in 53 regular-season games. . . . Kaspick turned 17 on Jan. 28. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs was hit with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Regina D Ryan Pilon at 7:22 of the third period. . . . Pilon needed help leaving the ice. . . . Brandon scored once on the ensuing PP as F Peter Quenneville scored his third goal at 7:53. That tied the score 2-2. . . . Hobbs had scored Regina’s second goal, at 6:27 of the second, on a PP. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick scored the game’s first goal, his second, at 19:37 of the first period. . . . Regina D Colby Williams came out of the penalty box, took a breakaway pass from F Pavel Padakin and went into to score his third goal at 4:27 of the second. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 30 shots, 15 fewer than Regina’s Daniel Wapple. . . . Brandon was 1-for-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-for-3. . . . Earlier in the game, Brandon F Mark Matsuba (headshot) and D Ivan Provorov (boarding) were given minor penalties for fouls the Pats felt could have been majors. . . . “It’s tough but it is what it is,” Wapple told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “We can’t point fingers but at the same time there were a couple hits that definitely could have been more than a two-minute penalty and ours is a five-minute penalty. It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it now.” . . . Regina head coach John Paddock offered:“Clearly to us Provorov should not have been in the game and clearly (Tuesday) night Reid Duke shouldn’t have been in the game (after a cross-check to Adam Brooks). Those are things we have to deal with. You have to find a way. We found a way. We played good enough to win.” . . . Regina again was without D Sergey Zborovsky, who is serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk in Game 2. Zborovsky had his suspension set at three games on Wednesday, meaning he will be eligible to return for Game 6. . . . Hawryluk hasn’t played since being hit by Zborovsky, who took an interference major and game misconduct on the play. . . . Attendance was 5,161. . . . The Wheat Kings have played five road games in these playoffs and each of them has ended in a 3-2 score. Brandon is 4-1 in those games. Two of them have gone to OT and Brandon has won both. . . . BTW, F Jesse Gabrielle had been credited with the game-winning goal in Regina’s 3-2 victory on Tuesday night. Sometime after that game, it was changed to F Taylor Cooper. Both are former Wheat Kings.

In Medicine Hat, F Jordy Stallard scored at 7:22 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . The Hitmen lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in Calgary. . . . Should Calgary win on Friday, last night’s game will have been the last one for the Tigers in the Arena. They will move into the Regional Event Centre next season. . . . Interestingly, attendance was 3,518 — not the usual 4,006. . . . Stallard, like Kaspick, is from Brandon. Stallard, 17, had six goals in 58 regular-season games; he has three goals in these playoffs. . . . Tigers D Ty Lewington scored the game’s first goal, his first, at 19:41 of the first period on a PP. . . . Calgary tied it when F Jake Virtanen scored his second goal, on a penalty shot, at 6:24 of the second. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson was awarded a penalty shot just 29 seconds after Virtanen’s goal. Peterson, however, lost control of the puck and wasn’t able to get off a shot. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields turned aside 35 shots, while Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer kicked out 20. . . . The Tigers had a 14-3 edge on shots in the third and 6-2 in OT. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-1. . . . F Adam Tambellini, the WHL’s leading playoff scorer, was among Calgary’s scratches. He has an undisclosed injury. The Hitmen continue to be without D Jake Bean and F Chase Lang. . . . The Tigers had F Chad Butcher (broken thumb) back after a five-game absence. As a result of his return, F Mark Rassell was scratched. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story right here for the Calgary Herald.

In Victoria, F Greg Chase scored at 5:30 of OT as the Royals stayed alive with a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna, which had won its first seven playoff games, holds a 3-1 edge in the series, with Game 5 scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night. . . . Chase has seven goals in these playoffs. . . . The Rockets had 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 leads before the Royals tied it with goals 24 seconds part in the third period. . . . F Jack Walker scored his second goal of the game and third of the playoffs at 10:42 and F Brandon Magee got his WHL-leading ninth goal at 11:06. . . . D Lucas Johansen, with his first goal, and F Tyson Baillie, with his sixth, gave the Rockets a 2-0 first-period lead. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll got his first goal at 17:47 to cut into the lead, but Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, with his sixth, got that one back 26 seconds later. . . . Walker and Kelowna F Tomas Soustal traded second-period goals. . . . Soustal, who had eight goals in 65 regular-season games, has four in eight playoff games. . . . Kelowna went 0-for-8 on the PP, including a chance in OT after Magee was penalized for goaltending interference at 0:18. . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic stopped 36 shots, 10 more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . The Royals were 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . F Alex Forsberg had two assists for Victoria, including one on the winner. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley wasn’t able to score on a penalty shot at 4:29 of the second period, with his side ahead 3-1. . . . Attendance was 4,909.
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There has been an interesting development in Regina where a company that is owned by co-owners of the Pats has registered a builders’ lien against the team's landlords, the Regina Exhibition Association. It all has to do with work done installing the Brandt Centre’s score clock earlier this season. . . . Austin M. Davis of the Regina Leader-Post has the story right here.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Brian King, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He was born in New Hampshire but now is from Golden, Colo. From the Silvertips’ news release: “King, 16, served as an alternate captain this season for the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders 16U AAA team based in Westminster, Colo. In 10 games at East Coast Elite League events, King scored six goals to lead the RoughRiders and tied for third on the team with seven points. Playing another 18 games in the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder had 11 points on three goals and eight assists. He attended USA Hockey’s 2014 Select 15 Development Camp last summer, notching a goal and an assist in five games.”
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Mike Stothers, who spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, is the AHL’s coach of the year. Stothers, 53, left the Warriors prior to this season to take over as head coach of the Manchester Monarchs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. . . . With three games still to play, the Monarchs are 48-16-6-3. They will go into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s top seed. . . . The AHL award is voted on by coaches and media members in each of the league’s 30 cities.
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Fans, despite what you may have heard the last couple days, the #OilKings will definitely be making the move to @RogersPlace in 2016
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) April 15, 2015

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Want to help save a team? . . . Tigers, Royals move on . . . Hitmen, Ice go 7

My dads first birthday since he has been gone.....why not get my first pro hatty! Happy birthday dad, hope you liked your present
— Adam Hughesman (@Hughdog17) April 5, 2015

The move to get hockey back into Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops is staring a hard deadline squarely in the face.
The B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League has given those working to save the program a deadline of May 3 to gain re-entry.
“It was our plan to get accepted by TRU at some level, then create a hockey operations department and begin fundraising,” Trevor Bast, who is heading up the drive to save the team, told Taking Note on Saturday. “With only 30 days to prove all requirements, I have to start asking for money.”
All along, Bast has planned on raising money through sponsorships and fundraising. Now, though, things have changed.
“Considering where we have come from and where we need to go, we need to have some guaranteed money to assure our survival for the next few years,” he explained. “In my opinion that needs to come from supporters or donors as opposed to sponsors.”
Bast has done a lot of work and research on this project; in fact, he has been working at it since the university pulled the plug on the WolfPack prior to the start of the 2014-15 season. He has calculated that the “minimum survival budget” is $70,000 per season.
As he put it: “That's what we can spend to survive, not thrive."
He added: “We can work on thriving down the road. The players, through player fees, will provide $45,000 of that $70,000.”
Each player will be on the hook for $1,800 per season to play and won’t receive help towards books, tuition or housing. Thus, Bast said, the players shouldn’t “be under any pressure to provide that next $25,000 to survive. As a team they will be responsible to fund raise, acquire sponsorships and be great ambassadors of TRU. But the year-to-year stress to survive as a team should not be on them.
“It is my goal to have that $25,000 provided for them,” Bast said. “Since TRU won’t provide that money, I must ask the private sector.”
It is that $25,000 that will allow the project to move ahead . . . or, on the other hand, to wither on the vine.
“That next $25,000 is critical to proving to the powers that be that we have a long term sustainable model,” Bast said. “It doesn't matter to us if one person offers that money or a combination of 10 people make up that amount. What is important is that we find that sort of support lasting over a three-to-five-year period to help this program get back on its feet and be around for many years to come.
“The hockey world within B.C. is vast and generous. This program needs help now. The BCIHL is a great league. There is potential to have an eight-to-10-team league similar to the ACAC in Alberta, but it needs an Okanagan presence now.”
This is Bast’s last-ditch effort. He knows that the door closes on May 3.
If you are able to help, would like to get involved, or have any questions, email him at trevorbast@gmail.com.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice forced a seventh game with a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . They’ll decide it Monday night in Calgary. The game will be televised by Shaw. . . . The Hitmen had won 7-2 in Cranbrook on Wednesday to take a 3-1 lead in the series. The Ice then won 5-4 in to in Calgary on Friday. . . . Last night, Ice F Jaedon Descheneau broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal at 14:55 of the second period. . . . That goal came after F Adam Tambellini pulled Calgary into a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal at 11:19. . . . F Tim Bozon had given the home side a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 13:40 of the first. . . . Ice F Luke Philp added insurance with his fifth goal at 17:45 of the third. . . . That goal was needed, too, because Tambellini got his seventh goal at 18:35 to make it a one-goal game. . . . Kootenay’s Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter at 19:59. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 25 shots. . . . Calgary starter Brendan Burke gave up one goal on 14 shots before leaving at 12:31 of the second with an apparent injury. He departed after stopping a shot by Ice F Ryan Chynoweth. . . . G Mack Shields came on to stop 11 of 13. . . . Burke is to be re-evaluated today before the Hitmen will be able to decide on their goaltending for Game 7. . . . The Ice was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 2,645. . . . BTW, the game-winning OT goal in the Ice’s 5-4 victory in Calgary on Friday has been changed to F Luke Philp, his fourth goal of the series. It had been credited to F Levi Cable. Philp finished the game with two goals and three assists. . . . Trevor Crawley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story from Saturday right here.

In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox broke a 3-3 tie at 18:14 of the third period as the Tigers beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-3. . . . The Tigers won the series, 4-1, and now await a winner between Calgary and Kootenay. . . . Medicine Hat has reached at least the second round in seven straight springs and 12 of the past 13. Yes, think about that for a moment or two. . . . Red Deer will be the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament. . . . The Rebels didn’t have an answer for the Tigers’ top line in this one as it accounted for all four goals. . . . F Steve Owre had two goals and an assist, while F Cole Sanford had his fourth goal and two helpers, and Cox had one of each. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei gave the Rebels a 3-2 lead at 3:29 of the second period, on the PP. . . . Owre tied it with his second goal of the game, and third of the series, at 18:03 of the second. . . . Cox had three goals in the series. . . . F Riley Sheen had a goal and an assist for the Rebels, with D Brett Cote adding two assists. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer turned aside 28 shots, while Red Deer’s Rylan Toth stopped 32. . . . Red Deer was 2-for-7 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 4,006.

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored at 1:42 of OT to give the Royals a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Royals won the series, 4-2, and will meet the Kelowna Rockets in the second round. That series will open with games Friday and Saturday nights in Kelowna. . . . Magee finished the series with six goals. . . . F Alex Forsberg, who was selected first overall by Prince George in the 2010 bantam draft, had the primary assist on Magee’s goal. . . . Prince George F Brad Morrison forced OT when he scored a PP goal with 1:14 left in the third period. . . . The Royals led 3-1 after one period and 4-3 late in the third period. . . . Victoria G Greg Chase scored three times, his third goal providing a 4-3 lead at 15:16 of the third. He’s got five goals in the series. . . . F Zach Pochiro scored the Cougars’ first three goals, giving him four. He cut Victoria’s lead to 3-2 at 15:14 of the second on a PP and then tied the game at 14:00 of the third. . . . F Jack Walker and F Tyler Soy each had two assists for Victoria. . . . F Jansen Harkins drew two assists for the Cougars. . . . Victoria G Coleman Collrath turned aside 34 shots, 12 more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Royals were 1-for-3 on the pp; the Cougars were 2-for-5. . . . Attendance was 5,839.

In Everett, F Riley Whittingham scored at 15:25 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Silvertips still lead the series, 3-2, with Game 6 set for Spokane on Tuesday night. . . . The goal was Whittingham’s first of these playoffs. . . . Spokane D Nick Charif’s first goal, at 17:42 of the third period, forced extra time. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml had broken a 2-2 tie at 12:44 of the second period. . . . F Markson Bechtold got the Chiefs on the board at 12:19 of the first period. . . . Everett took the lead on second-period goals by F Carson Stadnyk, at 2:59, on the PP, and F Brayden Low, his third, at 10:17. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart pulled his guys even at 11:14. . . . Chiefs F Garret Hughson turned aside 36 shots, three fewer than Carter Hart of the Silvertips. . . . Spokane D Evan Fiala was tossed at 2:28 of the second period with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Everett F Patrick Bajkov. . . . The Silvertips scored one goal on the five-minute PP. . . . Everett was 1-for-4 on the PP; Spokane was 0-for-1. . . . D Ben Betker was back in the Everett lineup after sitting out two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl sat out his second straight game with an undisclosed ailment. . . . Attendance was 4,249. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here.

In Portland, F Paul Bittner scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 3-2 lead in the series as the teams return to Kent, Wash., for Game 6 on Tuesday night. . . . Portland scored the game’s first two goals and Seattle never was able to equalize. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had a goal and two assists, was in on both goals, from F Keegan Iverson and Bittner. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor got his third goal, shorthanded, at 19:49. . . . The teams alternated goals from that point on. . . . Bittner’s goals were his first of the series. . . . Bjorkstrand, who led the WHL in goals and points in the regular season, has eight points in his last two games. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two assists. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Cory Millette. . . . Seattle F Matt Barzal scored his fourth goal of the series. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 27 shots, three fewer than Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Portland was 1-for-3 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-1. . . . Attendance was 7,119. . . . The game story Scott Sepich wrote for The Oregonian is right here.
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F Carter Rigby, who completed his junior eligibility with the Swift Current Broncos earlier this week, has signed on with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Rigby, from Penticton, B.C., started the WHL season with the Kelowna Rockets and finished in Swift Current, totalling 46 points, including 18 goals, in 62 games. . . . The Thunder is affiliated with the NHL’s Calgary Flames and New York Islanders and the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. . . . Rigby made his professional debut last night against the Ontario Reign. He had two shots in a 7-4 loss to the host Ontario Reign.
D David Musil, 21, made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers last night. Musil, whose father, Frank, also played for the Oilers, was a second-round selection in the 2011 NHL draft while he was playing for the Vancouver Giants. After playing three seasons with the Giants, he was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings 14 games into 2012-13. Musil, who has been with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, is the first ex-Oil Kings player in modern franchise history to play in a game with the Oilers. . . . The Oilers, of course, own the Oil Kings.
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D Justin Hamonic, who played out his eligibility with the Tri-City Americans, made his pro debut last night with the ECHL’s Anchorage Aces. He had one shot on goal in a 3-0 loss to the host Utah Grizzlies. . . .
F Colby Cave, who captained the Swift Current Broncos, is likely to join the AHL’s Providence Bruins after signing a three-year contract with the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Cave, 20, was an undrafted unrestricted free agent. . . . He previously had attended camps with the Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.
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“The Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association will be adopting new measures in their concussion protocol beginning in the 2015-16 season,” writes Brett Smith of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “PAMHA technical director James Mays said the matter was discussed at a recent board meeting in order to protect both the players and the coaches. . . . The information will be in the coaches’ and parents’ manuals handed out at the start of the year. . . . One of the changes to the protocol is that if a doctor diagnoses any player with a concussion, the player will have to follow up with the doctor before being cleared to get back on the ice.”
Smith’s complete story is right here.
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from the WHL website: Dewey beats Truman pic.twitter.com/01I6Inw2Pr
— Dylan Bumbarger (@dylandb) April 5, 2015

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No suspension for Rockets star . . . Bjorkstrand guns for 50-in-50 . . . Chase ends shootout

The NHL’s trade deadline passed us by on Monday afternoon. The day’s best story involved a young girl and the letter she wrote. If you haven’t read all about D Jordan Leopold and his daughter, Jordyn, check it out right here.
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F Leon Draisaitl of the Kelowna Rockets won’t be suspended for the major penalty and game misconduct he incurred against the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night. Draisaitl was penalized after running into Calgary G Brendan Burke. . . . Draisaitl should be in the Rockets’ lineup tonight when they meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . The Silvertips will get D Ben Betker back, after he served a one-game suspension, and D Kevin Davis may return from an undisclosed injury. . . .
Kelowna is likely to have Jackson Whistle in goal for a second straight game since his return from an early February appendectomy. It is quite possible that the Rockets will be without D Josh Morrissey after he suffered an injury to his left leg on Saturday. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks are 18-3-2 in 2015, which has moved them to within two points of the U.S. Division-leading Everett Silvertips. Portland holds one game in hand. . . . The Winterhawks and Silvertips are to meet once more this season. . . .
Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand has 48 goals in 49 games this season, meaning he will be gunning for the magical 50 in 50 on Friday against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. He also has goals in 11 straight games, which tied a franchise record that was set by F Tony Currie in 1976-77, the team’s first season in Portland. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades are adding D Jake Kustra to their roster for the remainder of this season. Kustra, the 34th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft, played this season with the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos. He played two games with the Blades last month, picking up one assist. . . .
The owners of the Prince George Cougars have purchased $25,000 in 50/50 tickets for Saturday’s game against the Victoria Royals. Why? Because ownership wants to guarantee fans that someone “will win the biggest 50/50 jackpot in Prince George Cougars history.” . . . The owners aren’t going to sit on those tickets, either. They will be distributed “free of charge to all adults with valid tickets attending the game. Season-ticket holders can receive a strip of 10 tickets . . . and all other adults can receive one ticket.” . . . The other half of the jackpot will be donated to the Shelly L. Mrkonjic ALS Research Fund. That fund was created by the Mrkonjic family in memory of wife and mother Shelly, who died in 2006. Her son, Tyler, is a forward with the Cougars.
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“His name is Carson Barry and he is 12 years old,” begins a terrific story at sportscapp.com. “Carson has been researching concussions for over two years since his brother, who suffered several hockey concussions, committed suicide.” . . . The complete story is right here.
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THE WHL'S PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION: Brandon (9 games remaining) will finish atop the Eastern Conference standings and now trails Kelowna by one point in the race for first place overall. . . . Regina (9) will finish second in the division. . . . Swift Current (9) is third, eight points ahead of Moose Jaw (9), which lost in Regina and now is seven points behind Edmonton (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (9) is atop the division, two points ahead of Medicine Hat (9). . . . Red Deer (10) is third, seven points behind Medicine Hat and five ahead of Kootenay (8), which is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Edmonton (9) is five points behind Kootenay.
B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna (9) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and holds a one-point lead over Brandon atop the overall standings. . . . Victoria (9) will finish second. . . . Prince George (9) has won three straight and moved back into third place, one point ahead of Vancouver (10) and two up on Kamloops (9). . . . Vancouver is two points behind Tri-City (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett (9) sits atop the division, but is only two points ahead of Portland (10). . . . Seattle (9) is third, eight points behind Portland and seven ahead of Spokane (11). . . . Spokane holds the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Spokane is seven points ahead of Tri-City (9), which is 2-8-0 in its last 10 and clinging to that second wild-card spot.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Calgary vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
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MONDAY’S GAME:

In Victoria, F Greg Chase scored the only goal of a three-round shootout as the Royals beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . Seattle G Logan Flodell stopped 20 shots through OT, but was replaced by Taran Kozun for the shootout. Flodell had appeared in a shootout in Kamloops on Feb. 13, when he was 0-for-2. TBird Tidbits tweeted that, including this game, Kozun has allowed five goals on 31 shootout attempts. . . . The Royals took a 2-0 lead on goals from D Joe Hicketts, his 10th, at 8:53 of the first period and F Jack Walker, his 17th, at 2:59 of the second. . . . D Jerret Smith got Seattle on the board with his ninth goal, at 5:16 of the second, and F Keegan Kolesar tied it with his 19th at 10:57. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 25 shots. . . . Seattle was 0-for-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-for-2. . . . The Royals (34-25-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Thunderbirds (31-23-9) are 0-2-2 in their last four games. . . . They'll play again tonight in Victoria.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
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Single-sport specialization amongst youth today is troubling. Let kids be kids. They'll become better all-around athletes & have more fun.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 2, 2015

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WHL playoff picture . . . Tambellini fills his hat . . . Magee moves to Royals' top rung

If the regular season had ended Sunday, these would be the first-round playoff matchups (top three teams from each division and top two wild cards get in):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Brandon vs. Kootenay
Medicine Hat vs. Edmonton
Regina vs. Swift Current
Red Deer vs. Calgary
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THE STANDINGS . . .
East Division
Brandon 70
Regina 56
Swift Current 47
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Central Division
Medicine Hat 62
Red Deer 58
Calgary 53
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Wild Card
Edmonton 50
Kootenay 45
Moose Jaw 42
Prince Albert 39

NOTES: With the schedule heading into the last 25 games, only Saskatoon and Lethbridge are out of the playoff picture. . . . Under the new playoff format, the Brandon Wheat Kings, with the conference’s best record, would get rewarded by having to ride the bus to Cranbrook. . . . With loser points, eight of the Eastern Conference’s 12 teams have winning percentages of .500 or better, but only five actually have more wins than losses.
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The first-round matchups in the west would look like this:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Seattle
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Spokane
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B.C. Division
Kelowna 71
Victoria 53
Prince George 42
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U.S. Division
Everett 60
Portland 53
Spokane 50
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Seattle 49
Tri-City 46
Vancouver 40
Kamloops 38

NOTES: As things stand right now, all five U.S. Division teams would be in the playoffs. . . . If Vancouver and/or Kamloops is to qualify, they likely are going to have to do it inside the B.C. Division, rather than through the wild-card route. . . . The Giants, who open a six-game Central Division trip on Tuesday in Cranbrook, are two points behind Prince George and six points from the final wild-card spot. . . . In these days of three-point games, six points is a lot to overcome with 28 games remaining. . . . Kamloops is four points behind Prince George and eight points from the second wild-card spot. . . . Seven of 10 Western Conference teams, including all five in the U.S. Division, have winning percentages above .500. Six teams, four of them in the U.S. Division, actually have more wins than losses.
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Bob Green, the architect of an Edmonton Oil Kings team that has played in three straight WHL championship finals, has been promoted by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Green now is the Oilers’ director of player personnel. The move had been rumoured to be in the works for the past month. . . . Green, who had been director of free agent scouting, will “oversee all aspects of our scouting department,” Oilers GM Craig MacTavish said in a news release. . . . Green moved from the Medicine Hat Tigers to take over as the Oil Kings’ general manager and built the Oil Kings into a team that won two WHL titles in three years. . . . Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun has more on this story right here.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, F Adam Tambellini scored three times to lead the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F Austin Wagner gave the Pats a 1-0 lead with his 13th goal at 6:18 of the first period. . . . Calgary scored the next four goals, with Tambellini getting three of them. He’s got 29 goals now. . . . He tied the score at 7:23 of the first period and D Keegan Kanzig gave Calgary the lead with his first goal of the season at 5:42 of the second. . . . Tambellini then scored at 13:12 and again at 13:55, the latter on a PP. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin scored his 24th goal and added two assists, and D Ben Thomas had two assists. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields was sharp, making 31 stops. . . . Prior to the game, Calgary inducted F Ryan Getzlaf as the inaugural member of Forever A Hitmen. . . . The Hitmen (24-17-5) snapped a three-game skid (0-2-1). . . . The Pats (26-16-4) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . .

Congrats to @bmagee18 on becoming the Royals' all-time franchise leading scorer with 242 points (104g-138a)! pic.twitter.com/WK1kG3L9u7
— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) January 19, 2015

In Edmonton, F Greg Chase scored at 3:24 of OT to give the Victoria Royals a 4-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Chase, who scored twice in this one, has 12 goals. . . . The Royals had taken a 3-1 lead into the third period, only to have Edmonton score two goals 10 seconds apart late in the period to force OT. . . . F Lane Bauer scored his 17th goal at 16:15 and F Luke Bertolucci got his sixth at 16:25. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee drew an assist on F Alex Forsberg’s goal at 15:40 of the first period to set a Chilliwack/Victoria franchise record for career points. . . . Magee now has 242 points in 293 regular-season games. The previous record (241) had been held by F Kevin Sundher (2007-12). . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic made 37 saves, 11 more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . One night earlier, Paulic, who was acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors at the trade deadline, stopped 20 shots in a 4-1 victory in Calgary. . . . The Royals (25-19-3), who won three games in 48 hours in Alberta, have won five straight. . . . The Oil Kings are 22-18-6. . . . Edmonton next plays on Thursday morning — yes, morning — in its annual CN Hockey Hooky game. The Kootenay Ice will provide the opposition with game time set for 11:30.
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Happy 52nd b'day to Dean Kennedy. The rugged former King & Sabre D-man's NHL career included season as Jets captain. pic.twitter.com/x7DR0VUE4Q
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) January 19, 2015

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Royals, Hitmen make deal . . . Davis learns a lesson . . . Bow has answers for Broncos

F Radek Meidl (Seattle, Tri-City, 2006-08) has been released by Polonia Bytom (Poland Ekstraliga) by mutual agreement. In nine games, he had four goals and three assists. According to Polish reports, Meidl has an offer from a club in the Czech Republic Extraliga.
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Immediately following the completion of Wednesday’s games, the Victoria Royals and Calgary Hitmen announced that they had swapped two players and three draft picks.
The Royals get F Greg Chase, 19, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft and an eighth-round selection in 2016 for D Keegan Kanzig, 19, and a second-round pick in 2016.
It became evident that a trade was imminent when the Royals made Kanzig a healthy scratch before taking the ice against the visiting Kelowna Rockets last night.
Chase, from Sherwood Park, Alta., was a first-round pick, 22nd overall, in the 2010 bantam draft.
This season, before leaving the Hitmen and asking to be traded, Chase had two goals and 13 assists in 15 games. Last season, he totalled 85 points, including 35 goals, in 70 games. In 219 career regular-season games, Chase has 177 points, including 60 goals.
A seventh-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2013 NHL draft, Chase signed a three-year entry-level contract in September.
After leaving the Hitmen, Chase played for the WHL that met a touring Russian side in the two-game Subway Super Series. Chase played well in those games; Dave Lowry, the Royals’ head coach, was the WHL’s head coach in the two games.
Chase is expected to be in Victoria’s lineup against the visiting Everett Silvertips on Friday night.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Kanzig, from Athabasca, Alta., is in his fourth WHL season. In 217 regular-season games, he has 23 points, including three goals. Kanzig was the seventh overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. The Calgary Flames, who own the Hitmen, selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2013 draft. He signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract in December.
“Keegan is a stay-at-home defenceman who will immediately make us a stronger team,” Hitmen general manager Mike Moore said in a news release. “We have a young blueline that will benefit from his experience, leadership and on-ice presence.”
The Hitmen next play on Friday against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. Kanzig is expected to be in Calgary’s lineup.
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On Tuesday evening, D Kevin Davis of the Everett Silvertips tweeted: “Wear your mouth guards.”
That’s it. Four words. Simple.
On Wednesday afternoon, Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald posted an explanation:
“Davis was wearing a full bubble on his helmet during Wednesday's practice at the Comcast Community Rink. That's because during practice Tuesday he took a puck to the mouth on a deflected pass, and now his smile is a little different for the time being -- he was looking pretty gnarly in the aftermath. Davis ended up losing two teeth, and he could end up losing two more.”
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Russ Farwell, the general manager of the Seattle Thunderbirds, has told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that F Mathew Barzal could rejoin his team early in January.
Barzal had surgery on Nov. 13 after suffering a fractured kneecap.
Farwell told Ewen via email that Barzal “has a recovery process to go through and is scheduled to be back with the team in early January.”
Asked how Barzal was injured, Farwell replied: “Prior to a practice in Saskatoon on our East Division road trip, Matt was roughhousing with some of his teammates in the locker room and tripped over a stick.”
Barzal, who put up 54 points in 59 games as a freshman last season, has 18 points in 16 games this season. He is expected to be an early selection in the NHL’s 2015 draft.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers remain without D Connor Hobbs, 17, who left the team Oct. 29 and asked for a trade. He has since been added to the roster of the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. . . .
D Jordan Thomson, who has been sidelined with a concussion, has left the Saskatoon Blades and returned home to Wawanesa, Man., to deal with some personal business. He is expected back with the Blades sometime next week.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Swift Current, G Landon Bow stopped 25 shots to help the Broncos to a 5-0 blanking of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Bow has a WHL-leading five shutouts in 22 appearances this season. . . . Broncos F Coda Gordon had a goal, his 12th, and an assist as he ran his point streak to 15 games, best in the WHL this season. He also finished plus-4. . . . F Calvin Leth’s first goal of the season, and fourth in 73 career games, stood up as the winner. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-2. . . . The Broncos (13-8-4) have points in five straight (3-0-2) and closed to within five points of the East Division-leading Wheat Kings (17-5-1). . . . Brandon continues to play without D Kale Clague, who returned from the U-17 World Hockey Challenge with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Broncos meet the Raiders in Prince Albert on Friday, while the Wheat Kings return home to face the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .

At Moose Jaw, F Brett Pollock scored the game’s last two goals to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory in OT over the Warriors. . . . Pollock tied the game at 18:21 of the third period and won it at 4:14 of OT. He’s got nine goals this season. . . . F Brayden Point scored both Moose Jaw goals, his 13th of the season, on the PP, giving it a 2-1 lead at 4:23 of the third. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 30 shots, five fewer than Moose Jaw’s Justin Paulic. . . . The Oil Kings (12-8-3) have points in four straight (3-0-1) as they head for Brandon and a weekend doubleheader. . . . The Warriors (9-10-3), who meet the Hitmen in Calgary on Friday, had won their previous two games. . . .

At Cranbrook, F Trevor Cox scored three times and added an assist to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 7-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice, which had its five-game winning streak come to an end. . . . The Tigers (16-4-2) took a 5-0 lead into the third period. . . . Cox, who has five goals, scored in the first and last minutes of the second period and completed his first WHL hat trick at 15:26 of the third. . . . Tigers D Tommy Vannelli scored his ninth goal and added two assists. . . . The Ice got a goal and two assists from each of F Tim Bozon and F Sam Reinhart. . . . Reinhart tied F Jarret Stoll’s franchise record for career assists, with 162. . . . The Tigers have points in their last three games (2-0-1). . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . . The Tigers visit the Red Deer Rebels on Friday, while the Ice is at home to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .

At Kamloops, the Blazers ended a seven-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Blazers (10-10-4), who were 0-4-3 on that slide, got 41 saves from G Connor Ingram. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully scored his 10th goal and added an assist, while F Colin Shirley had two assists. . . . The Blazers were missing F Matthew Campese, who was acquired Tuesday from the Victoria Royals, and veteran D Brady Gaudet. According to Jon Keen, the radio voice of the Blazers, Gaudet has a shoulder injury and will be out indefinitely. . . . The Winterhawks (9-12-3) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . . Trailing 2-0 early in the second period, the Winterhawks had two 3-on-1 breaks and a 2-on-1 and came up empty each time. . . . The Winterhawks will meet the Rockets in Kelowna on Friday and Saturday, while the Blazers entertain the Prince George Cougars on Friday. . . .

At Prince George, F Chase Witala and F Cal Babych each scored twice as the Cougars dumped the Vancouver Giants, 6-1. . . . Vancouver had won 6-4 on Tuesday night. . . . Babych broke a 1-1 tie at 16:03 of the first period and made it 3-1 at 14:17 of the second. He’s got three goals. He went into the game with a goal and an assist in 12 games. . . . Witala has 13 goals this season. . . . F Haydn Hopkins helped the Cougars’ cause with three assists. . . . F Zach Pochiro, who was returned to the Cougars by the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, had one assist. With him in the lineup, the Cougars scratched G Jared Rathjen to stay at the mandate three 20-year-olds. The other two are F Jari Erricson and F Chance Braid. The latter had a goal, his sixth, and an assist. . . . The Cougars (12-12-0), who visit Kamloops on Friday, had lost their previous four games. . . . The Giants slipped to 9-13-0. They are at home to the Regina Pats on Friday. The Pats arrived in Vancouver on Wednesday, while the Giants were playing in Prince George. . . .

At Victoria, D Jesse Lees scored twice and added an assist to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Royals. . . . The Rockets led 3-0 when Lees scored his second goal, and fifth of the season, at 10:14 of the first period. . . . D Joe Hicketts, who scored his sixth goal and added two assists, cut the Royals’ deficit to 4-3 at 18:17 of the third period, but Kelowna F Nick Merkley scored an empty-netter at 19:44. . . . Rockets F Rourke Chartier scored his WHL-leading 24th goal. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer, whose rights belong to the Royals when this season began, stopped 30 shots. . . . The Royals (12-11-2) had won their previous two games. . . . The Rockets (21-1-2) are 11-0-2 over their last 13 outings. . . . The game ended with something of a melee that could result in fines and/or suspensions. As well, Victoria F Brandon Magee picked up a spearing major and game misconduct. Magee missed the start of this season as he waited out a 12-game suspension left over from a playoff series with the Portland Winterhawks last spring. . . . The Royals are at home to the Everett Silvertips on Friday. . . . The Rockets, who went 4-0-1 on a five-game road trip, will meet visiting Portland on Friday and Saturday nights.
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Kevin Constantine fined $500 for getting the boot in PDX. The WHL is going to have a great holiday party funded by US Div coaches!
— Andy Eide (@AndyEide) November 19, 2014