F Yannic Seidenberg (Medicine Hat, 2003-04) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). In 46 games, he had 12 goals and 10 assists. . . .
D Colton Jobke (Kelowna, Regina, 2009-13) has signed a one-year contract with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had four assists in 20 games with the Alaska Aces (ECHL) and he was pointless in 20 games with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). Jobke is a dual Canadian-German citizen. . . .
D Craig Schira (Regina, Vancouver, 2003-09) has signed a two-year contract with Lulea (Sweden, SHL). This season, with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, Liiga), he had five goals and 23 assists in 55 games while averaging 24:33 in ice time per game. He also was an alternate captain. . . .
D Daryl Boyle (Brandon, 2004-08) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). In 44 games, he had 11 goals and 21 assists. He is a dual Canadian-German citizen. . . .
D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). In 51 games, he had 10 goals and 30 assists.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Brandon, the Edmonton Oil Kings, the defending Memorial Cup champions, scored two first-period goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . It was Game 1 of their series, with Game 2 scheduled for Brandon tonight. . . . This is the only first-round series being played with a 2-3-2 format, with the middle three games scheduled for Edmonton. That means tonight’s game takes on even more importance. . . . Brandon was 27-3-6 at home in the regular season. . . . The Oil Kings scored 11 seconds in when F Tyler Robertson, who had one goal in his previous 22 games, found the net. . . . F Brett Pollock made it 2-0 at 11:55. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville scored a PP goal at 17:53 of the second to get his guys back in it. . . . Pollock scored off a PP rebound at 1:35 of the third for a 3-1 lead. . . . F Lane Bauer provided more insurance for the visitors at 9:07. . . . Edmonton D Dysin Mayo had two assists, while Pollock had one for a three-point night. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry was sharp in making 25 saves, five fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-2 on the PP; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . Brandon had won three of four regular-season meetings, although the teams had only met once since Nov. 22. . . . The Wheat Kings had F Stelio Mattheos in the lineup. The Winnipegger was the first selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Edmonton’s lineup included 15 players from last season’s championship club. . . . WHL commissioner Ron Robison presented the Wheat Kings with the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy prior to the game. The trophy is for finishing atop the overall standings in the regular season. . . . Attendance was announced as 3,086. That is 809 below Brandon’s regular-season average crowd.———
Two WHL teams are looking for head coaches. . . . Earlier in the week, the Vancouver Giants revealed that Claude Noel wouldn’t be returning as their head coach. . . . Peter Anholt, who finished the season as the general manager and head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has confirmed to Paul Kingsmith of Global TV that he won’t be back on the bench. Anholt is involved in contract negotiations with the Hurricanes. Assuming he gets a deal as GM, he will hire a head coach and a head scout. . . . There’s more from Kingsmith right here.
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The Brandon Sun has covered a lot of Brandon Wheat Kings playoff games over the years. And it always, always, always has gotten a story from the game into the next day’s paper. That streak may come to an end next week when the Wheat Kings’ first-round series with the Edmonton Oil Kings moves to the Alberta capital. . . . Sportsnet requested a change in starting times for Games 4 and, if necessary, 5, both of which are scheduled to be played in Rexall Place on March 31 and April 1. Rather than starting at 7 p.m., the games are to begin at 8 o’clock. . . . With the difference in time zones, that is 9 o’clock in Brandon. . . . The Sun’s deadline is 11:05 p.m., and it’s doubtful that it can be changed enough to make a difference.
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The Tampa Bay Lightning has signed F Brayden Point, 19, of the Moose Jaw Warriors to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Point also signed an ATO (amateur tryout) with the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, and will finish the season there. . . . The Lightning selected Point in the third round of the 2014 NHL draft. . . . This season, he had 87 points, including 38 goals, in 60 games with the Warriors. In 204 career games, he has 236 points, including 99 goals. . . . From Calgary, he was a member of Team Canada as it won gold at the 2015 WJC in Montreal and Toronto.
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The Calgary Flames have signed F Austin Carroll, who turned 21 on Thursday, to an entry-level deal. He led the Victoria Royals in goals (38) and points (77) in the regular season. Carroll, from Calgary, was a seventh-round pick by the Flames in the 2014 NHL draft. . . . In 268 games with the Royals over four seasons, Carroll had 196 points, including 95 goals.
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The Winnipeg Jets have assigned F Axel Blomqvist of the Moose Jaw Warriors to the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps. Blomqvist, 20, was acquired by Moose from the Victoria Royals during the season. From Sweden, he finished the season with 59 points, including 25 goals, in 61 games. The 6-foot-6, 212-pounder was a NHL free agent when he signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Jets prior to the 2013-14 season.
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The Edmonton Oilers have signed D Ben Betker of the Everett Silvertips to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Betker, 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, was a sixth-round pick in the NHL’s 2013 draft. From Cranbrook, Betker, 20, had 31 points, including six goals, in 64 gamers this season. In 201 career games, he has 58 points, including 14 goals.
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The AHL’s Toronto Marlies have signed F Jack Rodewald of the Moose Jaw Warriors to an ATO (amateur tryout) for the remainder of this season and to an AHL contract for 2015-16. Rodewald, who turned 21 on Feb. 14, had career highs in goals (35), assists (50) and points (85) this season, all in 71 games. . . . In 255 career games, he put up 166 points, including 76 goals.
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Cody Nickolet, over at Dub From Above, reports that only six WHLers who were selected in the NHL’s 2013 draft haven’t signed NHL contracts. Those six are F Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants (Edmonton Oilers); D Eric Roy of the Brandon Wheat Kings (Calgary Flames); D Mitch Wheaton of the Kelowna Rockets (Detroit Red Wings); G Brendan Burke of the Calgary Hitmen (Arizona Coyotes); D Mark McNulty of the Kamloops Blazers (Detroit); and D Kyle Burroughs of the Medicine Hat Tigers (New York Islanders).
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The Medicine Hat Tigers open a first-round series against the visiting Red Deer Rebels on Saturday. The Tigers were a bit banged up down the stretch, but reports out of Medicine Hat indicate that F Anthony Ast, F Matt Bradley and D Tommy Vannelli will be available for Game 1. . . . The Tigers will be without D Ty Lewington, their captain, as he serves a one-game WHL suspension. . . .
The Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen open their first-round series tonight in Calgary. The game will be televised by Shaw with Dan Russell calling the play and Bill Wilms riding shotgun. . . .
The Tri-City Americans are huge underdogs as they open a first-round series with the Rockets in Kelowna tonight. The Americans have five injured players who aren’t expected to play — F Parker Bowles, D Carter Cochrane, D Riley Hillis, F Braden Purtill and F Taylor Vickerman. All five are said to be done for the season. . . . The Rockets aren’t expected to have D Josh Morrissey back for this series, but F Justin Kirkland, who hasn’t played since Feb. 14, might return. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs go into these playoffs having lost eight straight playoff games. The Chiefs open in Everett against the Silvertips tonight. . . . Spokane was swept by the Portland Winterhawks in the first round in 2013 and then was swept by the Victoria Royals a year ago. . . . The Chiefs also go into these playoffs having lost their last five regular-season games. . . .
The starting time for Game 3 between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the host Red Deer Rebels on March 31 has been changed. Originally scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, it now is listed as TBD (to be determined). . . . Why? According to a note from the Rebels, it is “to accommodate the possibility of a TV broadcast of the game. . . . Game time will either be 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.”
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THE COACHING GAME:
The OHL’s Flint, Mich., Firebirds have signed Terry Christensen as general manager and John Gruden as head coach. The Firebirds are the former Plymouth Whalers franchise. . . . Christensen, 60, has been with the Little Caesars program and with the USA Selects Elite AAA junior program of late. He has coached in the ECHL, NAHL, Colonial league and NCAA. . . . Gruden, 44, has been in USA Hockey’s program. . . . The Firebirds have kept assistant general manager Joe Stefan and head scout Dave McParlan, both of whom were with the Whalers.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.
MacLachlan, who had been with the Warriors for 14 years, is under contract through next season. . . . “I felt in discussions and where we were at it was time to make a change for the hockey club to move forward," Warriors general manager Alan Millar told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald."We thought it was fair to both Robert and the hockey club to make the decision and have the discussion now, as opposed to going through the next three-and-a-half months with the potential question mark in terms of what we were doing.” . . . McLachlan, who lives in Okotoks, Alta., told Gourlie: “"I'm proud of what we did. When I started with the organization I don't think we had a lot of respect out there. The work of everybody — the scouting staff, the people in the office and everyone else — has brought the level of respect up in the league to the point where we're one of the most respected teams in the league. . . . It's a weight lifted off of my shoulders and I feel somebody else can take a stab at it," 
In Regina, F Jack Rodewald scored at 3:44 of OT to give the Moose Jaw Warriors a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Attendance was announced at 6,484 on a night when the Pats unveiled their new scoreclock/video screens. . . . Rodewald’s 22nd goal came via the PP. . . . Regina had won 11 straight games over the Warriors. . . . The Warriors led 3-1 with five minutes to play in the third period. . . . Regina F Taylor Cooper scored his 19th goal, on a PP, at 15:10 and F Pavel Padakin tied it, with his 14th, at 16:26. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 35 shots, 17 more than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . Moose Jaw D Dustin Perillat had two assists, while Rodewald, F Jaimen Yakubowski and Axel Blomqvist each had a goal and an assist. . . . Cooper also had an assist for the Pats, while D Chase Harrison had two assists. . . . The Warriors were 2-for-6 on the PP; the Pats were 1-for-5. . . . The Warriors (20-24-4) have won two in a row. They are to play in Saskatoon tonight. . . . The Pats (26-16-5) have lost four straight (0-2-2). They’ll play in Brandon tonight. . . . A post game tweet from Warren Woods of Regina radio station CJME: “Pats HC John Paddock says they were fortunate to get a point tonite but were " screwed by the officials" in OT. . . . Ch-ch-ching! . . . 
n Brandon, F Tanner Kaspick’s first goal of the season stood up as the winner as the Wheat Kings dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-1. . . . Kaspick’s goal, at 16:45 of the first period, gave Brandon a 2-0 lead. . . . F Tim McGauley, in his 200th regular-season game, scored twice for Brandon, giving him 29 this season. He scored the game’s first and last goals. . . . The Wheat Kings opened a four-game homestand with this one. . . . Wheat Kings F John Quenneville and D Eric Roy each had two assists. . . . Brandon G Alex Moodie stopped 31 shots, one more than Prince Albert’s Rylan Parenteau. . . . Brandon F Braylon Shmyr came up short on a penalty shot 37 seconds into the game. . . . The Wheat Kings continue to play without F Jayce Hawryluk and D Kale Clague, while the Raiders scratched two of their leading scorers in D Craig Leverton and F Simon Stransky. . . . The Wheat Kings (34-9-4), who entertain Regina tonight, have won five straight. They continue to lead the Eastern Conference and are one point behind Kelowna, which leads the overall standings. . . . The Raiders (19-26-1), who won’t play tonight, have lost three straight. . . . 
In Calgary, G Mack Shields earned his first shutout of the season as the Hitmen beat the Swift Current Broncos, 8-0. . . . Shields stopped 24 shots. He also picked up his seventh assist of the season. He holds the franchise’s career record, with 13. . . . F Radel Fazleev scored his 14th goal 14 seconds into the game and the Hitmen were off to the races. . . . F Terrell Draude scored twice, giving him six goals, and added an assist. . . . F Kenton Helgesen got his 13th goal and had two assists, while F Adam Tambellini scored his 30th goal. . . . D Jake Bean scored his third goal and had an assist, and was plus-5. . . . D Travis Sanheim had one assist and also was plus-5. . . . Broncos D Dillon Heatherington left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Calgary D Colby Harmsworth returned after missing 19 games with a knee injury. . . . The Hitmen (25-17-5) have won two straight. They will travel to Edmonton tonight. . . . The Broncos ((21-21-5), who play in Cranbrook tonight, have lost two in a row. . . . 
In Lethbridge, G Cody Porter turned aside 20 shots to help the Vancouver Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Vancouver F Alex Baer broke a 1-1 tie with his 10th goal at 19:45 of the first period and F Carter Popoff upped the lead to 3-1 with his 18th goal, on a PP, at 16:26 of the second. . . . F Tyler Wong scored both goals for Lethbridge, giving him 18. . . . Both of Wong’s goals came via the PP as the home side went 2-for-6. . . . D Arvin Atwal had two assists for Vancouver. . . . F Zane Jones, acquired from Lethbridge at the trade deadline, scored for Vancouver. He’s got 21 goals, three of them with the Giants. . . . The Giants were 1-for-2. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots. . . . Lethbridge remains without F Jamal Watson, its captain, who is out with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Giants (20-25-2), who are in Red Deer tonight, had lost five in a row. They now are tied with Prince George and Kamloops for third place in the B.C. Division. . . . The Hurricanes (10-28-6) now have lost five straight. They are at home to Prince George tonight. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Sanford scored twice to lead the Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Sanford, who also had an assist, now has 39 goals, tying him with Kelowna F Rourke Chartier for the WHL lead. . . . Tigers F Trevor Cox, who leads the WHL points race, scored his 19th goal and added an assist. He has 78 points, eight more than Sanford. . . . Tigers F Dryden Hunt notched his 21st goal and also had an assist. He now is on an 18-game point streak, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . F Markus Eisenschmid scored his 13th goal and also had an assist for the winners. . . . Tigers D Kyle Burroughs took a headshot major and game misconduct at 4:19 of the third period for a hit on Cougars F Jari Erricson. . . . The Tigers (32-12-2) have won three in a row. They’re off tonight. . . . The Cougars (20-27-2) have lost eight in a row (0-6-2) and now are tied with Vancouver and Kamloops for third in the B.C. Division. . . . Prince George goes into Lethbridge tonight. . . . 
In Portland, F Chase De Leo scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 4-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . De Leo, who has 20 goals, scored twice in the second period as Portland extended its lead to 4-0. . . . F Paul Bittner scored the game’s first goal, giving him 20 this season. He also had an assist. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand drew two assists. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 33 shots. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson made 27 saves before being ejected at 15:10 of the third period after becoming mixed up with Portland F Keegan Iverson. . . . The Winterhawks (26-19-3) have won three straight. . . . Spokane (23-18-4) has lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . The Winterhawks will meet Seattle in Kent, Wash., tonight, while the Chiefs are at home to Tri-City. . . . 
In Kelowna, F Tyson Baillie scored twice as the Rockets got past the Everett Silvertips, 5-3, in a matchup between the Western Conference’s division leaders. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Kelowna. . . . Baillie has 29 goals this season. . . . Rockets F Rourke Chartier broke a 1-1 tie with his 39th goal, via the PP, at 6:49 of the second period. . . . Baillie stretched the lead to 3-1 at 1:19 of the third period. . . . F Leon Draisaitl had three assists for Kelowna, while D Josh Morrissey picked up two. . . . Kelowna F Tyrell Goulbourne scored his 15th goal and added an assist. . . . Everett F Ivan Nikolishin scored his 12th goal and had two assists, while F Patrick Bajkov picked up his 16th goal and had an assist. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 28 shots, seven more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-2 on the PP; Everett was 1-for-4. . . . The Rockets (35-8-3) lead the Western Conference and the B.C. Division. . . . The Silvertips (30-13-4), who had a six-game winning streak snapped, lead the U.S. Division. . . . 
In Kennewick, Wash., G Evan Sarthou stopped 25 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Sarthou, who was making his 18th straight start, has posted three shutouts in his last four starts. He has five shutouts this season. . . . Seattle has been blanked in each of its last two games. . . . F Parker Bowles scored twice, giving him 12, and added an assist, while F Richard Nejezchleb and D Parker Wotherspoon each had two assists. . . . Bowles was playing his third game since being out since Jan. 2 with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Beau McCue scored the game’s first goal, his 17th, at 11:35 of the first period and also had an assist. . . . Tri-City D Riley Hillis returned after being out since Jan. 2 with an undisclosed injury. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal played for the first time since Nov. 4. He had been out with a knee injury. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp and Tri-City D Brandon Carlo didn’t play as they weren’t able to get back from the Top Prospects game in time. That game was played in St. Catharines, Ont., on Thursday night. . . . The Americans (23-22-2) are fifth in the U.S. Division, one point behind Seattle and two in back of Spokane. . . . The Americans travel to Spokane tonight, while Seattle is at home to Portland. . . . 
In Victoria, D Ryan Rehill scored at 1:25 of OT to give the Kamloops Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Royals. . . . Rehill snapped a shot from the top of the left circle that got through G Coleman Vollrath. . . . After scoring four goals in 118 games over his first two sesaons, Rehill has six goals in 45 games this season. . . . Attendance was announced as 7,006. . . . F Quinn Benjafield, a 16-year-old freshman, had his first two-goal game for the Blazers. His third goal of the season, at 15:21 of the third period, forced OT. . . . F Matthew Phillips of the Royals, playing his first WHL game, gave his side a 3-2 lead at 13:55 of the third. Phillips, the 33rd overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, is from Calgary where he plays for the midget AAA Buffaloes. . . . Vollrath stopped 41 shots, 13 more than Kamloops’ Connor Ingram, who has started seven of his club’s last 10 games. . . . Kamloops D Michael Fora suffered an undisclosed injury in the first period and didn’t play in the last two periods. . . . The Blazers (18-24-6) have won four in a row, the first time they have won more than two straight this season. The run has pulled them into a tie with Prince George and Vancouver for third place in the B.C. Division. . . . The Royals (25-19-4) had won their previous five games. . . . The Blazers and Royals will play in Victoria again tonight.
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In Lethbridge, F Wyatt Johnson scored two goals to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 4-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Rebels scored the game's first three goals, to by Johnson, who has 15, and took a 3-0 lead into the third period. . . . Lethbridge got to within 3-2 but F Brooks Maxwell put it away with an empty-netter, his ninth goal this season. . . . F Taylor Cooper scored Lethbridge's Teddy Bear goal, his eighth, at 12:04 of the third period. . . . F Zach Jones got his 13th for Lethbridge, a shorthanded marker. . . . F Tyler Wong had two assists for the Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 33 shots, 16 more than Red Deer's Rylan Toth. . . . The Rebels (16-11-4) have won two in a row. . . . Lethbridge (6-19-4) has lost four in a row. . . . 
In Kamloops, F Jansen Harkins had two goals and two assists to help the Prince George Cougars to a 6-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . Harkins, who was plus-4, has nine goals this season. . . . Swiss D Michael Fora scored the Blazers' Teddy Bear goal, hammering a shot from the point past G Ty Edmonds on a PP at 8:36 of the second period. . . . The Cougars scored the game's first two goals, meaning that in their last five home games, the Blazers trailed 2-0, 2-0, 3-0, 3-0 and 6-0. . . . Fora's goal got the Blazers to within 2-1, but they gave up the game's next two goals. Two PP goals got them to within 4-3 but the Cougars scored the game's last two goals. . . . Fora finished with a goal and two assists, while F Cole Ully and D Josh Connolly each had two assists. . . . D Marc McNulty of the Cougars had a goal, his fourth, and two assists. He was the game's best player. . . . Prince George F Chase Witala had two assists. . . . Prince George (15-15-0) has won two in a row and moved into third place in the B.C. Division, one point ahead of the Blazers (12-15-5). . . . Cougars F Colby McAuley was in the lineup after the WHL chose not to suspend him for a charging major and game misconduct given to him on Friday night in Kelowna. . . . The Blazers won’t play at home again until Jan. 2. They will play six games in the Central Division from Wednesday through Dec. 17. . . . 
In Spokane, the Kootenay Ice, who won three of their first 16 games, reached the .500 mark with a 3-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . A fourth straight victory improved the Ice's record to 15-15-0. The Ice now has won 12 of 14. . . . F Tim Bozon, with his 10th goal, got the Ice on the board 33 seconds into the game, and F Sam Reinhart, with his eighth, made it 2-0 at 3:34 of the first on his team's second shot. . . . The Chiefs tied it on two goals from D Jason Fram, who has six. He scored at 14:11 of the first, on a PP, and tied it at 19:49 of the second. . . . Ice F Levi Cable won it with his 10th goal at 6:37 of the third. . . . Reinhart had a goal and an assist as he ran his point streak to 13 games. he's got 26 points, including eight goals, over that stretch. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau had an assist on the winner to run his point streak to 12 games. . . . Ice F Zak Zborosky had two assists. . . . Kootenay G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 34 shots. . . . The Chiefs (14-11-3) have lost four straight. . . . The Ice will meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., tonight. . . . The Chiefs are scheduled to entertain the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight. . . . 
In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots to help the Oil Kings to a 1-0 victory over the short-staffed Kootenay Ice. . . . The Ice dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Among the Kootenay scratches were D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel. . . . Jarry, who leads the WHL with 42 victories, has eight shutouts this season and 14 in his career. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 29 shots. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson scored the game’s lone goal, his 33rd, just 15 seconds into the second period. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett picked up his 125th career assist, tying him with Mark Pysyk (2007-12) for the franchise record. . . . The Oil Kings (48-18-3) are tied with Calgary atop the Eastern Conference. Edmonton has the edge in victories (48-46), which is the first tiebreaker, and a game in hand. That game will be played tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice (39-26-4) is fifth in the conference, six points behind Medicine Hat and three in front of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . 
In Kelowna, the Victoria Royals scored two third-period goals and beat the Rockets, 3-2. . . . D Ryan Gagnon tied the game 2-2 with his second goal of the season at 5:04. . . . Victoria F Axel Blomqvist -- was there a better addition via trade this season than this guy? -- scored his 24th goal at 16:40 to win it. . . . Victoria G Patrick Polivka kicked out 34 shots, one more than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . . Kelowna F Tanner Wishnowski scored his first goal at 2:18 of the first period. Wishnowski, who is from Oakbank, Man., turned 17 on Jan. 28 and was playing his first WHL game. He played this season with the major midget Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee tied it with his 25th at 16:23 of the first period. . . . Kelowna F Cole Linaker scored his 11th goal, shorthanded, at 16:45 of the second. . . . The Royals have won six in a row. . . . The Rockets have lost just four home games this season, but three of those have come against the Royals. . . . Victoria penalty-killers were 35-for-35 as the Royals won the season series, 5-2-1. . . . The Royals (48-17-4) have 100 points for the first time in franchise history. They will finish third in the Western Conference. . . . The Rockets (54-11-4) lead the Western Conference by five points over Portland. Each team has three games left. . . . 
In Kent, Wash., the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last three goals and beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-4. . . . F Hudson Elynuik tied the game 4-4 with his third goal of the season, via the PP, at 15:51 of the second period. . . . F Mike Aviani got his 37th at 14:34 of the third and F Connor Chartier added an empty-netter, his 13th goal of the season, at 18:37. . . . The Chiefs have won three in a row. . . . Aviani scored twice. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL scoring leader, had one assist. . . . Seattle won the season series, 7-1-0. . . . The Chiefs (39-24-6) are fifth in the Western Conference, two points behind Seattle (40-23-6).
In Lethbridge, F Jay Merkley and F Graham Black each scored twice as the Swift Current Broncos dumped the Hurricanes, 5-3. . . . Merkley has 30 goals; Black has 33. . . . Black tied the game 2-2 at 3:38 of the second period and then broke the tie at 15:33. . . . Swift Current scored all five of its goals in the second period, with the last three coming in a span of 1:33. . . . D Julius Honka had three assists for the Broncos, while F Coda Gordon scored his 25th goal and added two helpers. . . . The Hurricanes, who have lost 11 in a row, got a goal, his 14th, and an assist from F Brady Ramsay. . . . G Stuart Skinner, the 17th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, has joined the Hurricanes and was on their bench and made his WHL debut by playing the third period. He stopped all 11 shots he faced. He spent the season with the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Athletics, going 13-5-0, 2.74, .916. The Athletics’ season is over so he was free to join the Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos swept the season series, 4-0. . . . Swift Current (35-25-9) is sixth in the Eastern Confernce, three points behind the Kootenay Ice, and has clinched a playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes (12-52-5) have three games remaining in the franchise’s most abysmal season. . . .
In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored two third-period goals 13 seconds apart and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . F Calder Brooks broke a 1-1 tie with his 14th goal at 15:42 and F Leon Draisaitl got his 35th at 15:55. . . . Draisaitl, who is eligible for the 2014 NHL draft, has 41 points, including 16 goals, over his past 21 games. . . . F Collin Valcourt drew two assists for the Raiders. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts scored the game’s first and last goals, giving him 27. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride, who has started five of his side’s last six goals, stopped 22 shots, 12 fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Jens Meilleur and F Peter Quenneville, both of whom are injured, and F Jayce Hawryluk, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension after being ejected from a game on Friday night. . . . Also missing from Brandon’s lineup was owner/GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon, who was ill. . . . The Raiders (33-30-5), who have won four in a row, are tied with the Red Deer Rebels and Brandon Wheat Kings for seventh in the Eastern Conference. One of those teams won’t make it. . . . Brandon (31-29-9) has lost four in a row. . . . 
In Kent, Wash., Everett F Josh Winquist set a single-season franchise record for goals as the Silvertips beat the host Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . Winquist scored his 43rd goal into an empty net at 18:15 of the third, breaking the record of 42 that had been set by Shane Harper in 2009-10. . . . Winquist broke a 1-1 tie at 13:02 of the second period with his 42nd goal and F Dawson Leedahl gave the visitors a two-goal lead with his seventh at 16:12 on the PP. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz was stellar, making 31 saves. . . . F Zane Jones, a trade deadline acquisition, scored his first goal for Everett. He was playing his fourth game since returning to the lineup. He had been out since Jan. 18. . . . The Silvertips (36-23-9), who have won six in a row, are sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind Spokane. Each team has four games remaining. . . . Seattle (39-22-6) is fourth in the conference, two points ahead of Spokane. . . . 
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