Showing posts with label Jack Walker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Walker. Show all posts

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Regina home to 2018 Memorial Cup party . . . Royals lose key defenceman . . . Raiders unhappy with Johnson call




The 100th anniversary of the Memorial Cup will be celebrated in Regina with the Pats as the host team for the annual four-team tournament. The announcement was made Saturday afternoon.
The Pats also will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017-18, so this obviously seems to be a match made in hockey heaven.
As Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post writes right here:
“The circumstances were aligned in the Pats’ favour, especially when the team’s long-standing military connection was factored into the equation. The Memorial Cup is dedicated to all Canadian military personnel who have lost their lives during combat.
“Consider, too, that Regina is expected to ice another top-flight team during the 2017-18 season.
“Simply put, there was a check mark beside every box when the Pats’ proposal was submitted. There wasn’t any choice but to select Regina.”
The other finalists both were from the OHL — the Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals.
If you are wanting to book your vacation, the 2018 Memorial Cup is to be held May 17-27.
The news release issued by the Pats is right here.
——
The injury bug continues to nibble away at the Victoria Royals.
Already without F Tyler Soy (week-to-week) and F Ryan Peckford (six to seven weeks) with undisclosed injuries, the Royals now have lost D Chaz Reddekopp.
“Chaz will be out for the rest of the regular season, but you never know how these things heal,” Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, told Cleve Cheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist.
Reddekopp suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat and didn’t play in Friday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. 
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Reddekopp was a seventh-round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2015 NHL draft.
“Obviously, he’s a big piece of our blue-line,” Reddekopp said. “But injuries happen. That’s why we have the depth we do. The other guys stepped up (Friday in Lethbridge).”
The Royals completed a three-game swing into the Central Division with a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Saturday night. Victoria went 1-1-1 on the trip.
——
The Prince Albert Raiders were without F Kolby Johnson on Saturday night after he was hit with a TBD suspension after incurring a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Orrin Centazzo of the Everett Silvertips in a Friday game.
Centazzo was scratched from Everett’s lineup as it completed an East Division swing in Swift Current against the Broncos last night. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald tweeted Saturday that Centazzo will miss “some time.”

The Raiders weren’t happy with the penalty to Johnson, who apparently first was given a minor penalty.
According to Jeff D’Andrea of pa.NOW, referees Jonathan Spurgeon and Cody Rude “didn’t give the major penalty right away. . . . A minor was up on the clock for at least three real-time minutes while the officials talked to the Raiders’ bench first, and then the Silvertips' bench. After talking to both head coaches, Spurgeon and Rude then conferred in front of the scorer’s table and changed the call from a minor to a major.”
Marc Habscheid, the Raiders’ head coach, wasn’t impressed.
“You know what?” D’Andrea quoted Habscheid as saying. “I’ve been in this game a long time. (Associate coach) Dave Manson’s been in the game, and (skills coach) Mark Odnokon and (assistant coach) Brandin Cote, and not one of us has seen that before. It’s one thing to make a call, but I’ve never seen a call made, then go to the bench with a foul, and then go back and change the call. I’ve never seen that. I’ve never seen that in my life.”
Johnson, who was acquired from the Prince George Cougars as part of a Nov. 18 deal that sent D Brendan Guhle the other way, is a repeat offender. Johnson served a four-game suspension in December after taking a headshot major.
——
If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
———


———

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, G Ian Scott turned aside 33 shots to help the Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-1 victory over the
AUSTIN CROSSLEY
Wheat Kings. . . . He was especially sharp in the third period when Brandon held a 15-3 edge in shots but only was able to score once, that from F Reid Duke (33), on a PP, at 10:27. . . . D Austin Crossley had given the Raiders a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 5:53 of the first period. Crossley, a 17-year-old freshman from Fort St. John, B.C., scored his first WHL goal in his 21st game this season. . . . F Cavin Leth gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at 11:22. . . . The Raiders went up 3-0 when F D-Jay Jerome counted No. 7 at 16:15 of the second period. . . . Prince Albert’s final goal came from F Parker Kelly (13), on a PP, at 15:42 of the third period. . . . G Travis Child stopped 23 shots for Brandon. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-7. . . . The Wheat Kings played without F Tanner Kaspick and D Kale Clague. . . . The Raiders lead the season series, 4-0-1; Brandon is 1-3-1. . . . Prince Albert (16-39-5) has won six of its last eight road games to move out of the WHL cellar. It is one point ahead of Kootenay. . . . Brandon (28-23-8) looks like it will finish in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,480.
——
At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 5-2 victory over the
JAMES HILSENDAGER
Prince George Cougars. . . . F Colby McAuley, who had both Prince George goals, gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 9:59 of the first period. . . . The Rockets get even on F Tomas Soustal’s 16th goal, on a PP, at 18:37. . . . D Devante Stephens gave the home boys the lead with his 10th goal at 6:06 of the second period. . . . D James Hilsendager (4) made it 3-1 at 11:53 and F Nick Merkley (19) scored, shorthanded, at 13:57. . . . McAuley’s 22nd goal pulled the Cougars to within two 41 seconds into the third period. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf’s 30th goal of the season iced the victory for Kelowna at 18:39. . . . Soustal and Merkley each added an assist. . . . F Brad Morrison had two helpers for the Cougars. . . . The Rockets got 25 stops from G Michael Herringer, while Nick McBride stopped 38 at the other end. . . . Kelowna was 1-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-5. . . . The Rockets (34-20-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They are third in the B.C. Division, four points ahead of Victoria and three behind Kamloops . . . The Cougars (38-18-4) continue to lead the B.C. Division by four points over Kamloops. The Cougars are scheduled to visit the Blazers today (Sunday). . . . Announced attendance: 5,761.
——
At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jack Walker broke a 1-1 tie at 8:03 of the second period and the Victoria Royals
JACK WALKER
went on to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Regan Nagy gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 3:58 of the first period. . . . The Ice got that one back at 11:46, as F Jake Elmer (6) scored on a PP. . . . Walker’s 25th goal gave Victoria a 2-1 lead. . . . F Matt Phillips counted No. 42 at 8:03 of the third period for some insurance. . . . F Carter Folk sealed the victory with his seventh goal, an empty-netter, at 18:42. . . . Phillips also had an assist. . . . G Dylan Myskiw stopped 26 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Ice got 34 saves from Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Victoria F Jared Dmytriw completed a three-game suspension by missing this one. He was suspended after taking a headshot major and game misconduct for hit on F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 11 in Victoria. Sideroff missed one game before returning for Saturday’s 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. . . . Victoria (32-23-5) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, two points ahead of Portland. . . . Kootenay (13-36-10) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,424.
——

At Lethbridge, F Matt Alfaro scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Alfaro, who has 18 goals, gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 5:08
MATT ALFARO
of the first period, on a PP. Later, he increased their lead to 3-1 at 15:34 of the second period. He completed the hat trick with a shorthanded goal at 8:08 of the third period. . . . Alfaro has 12 points, five of them goals, in 12 games with Lethbridge after being acquired from the Kootenay Ice. He had 39 points, including 13 goals, in 41 games with the Ice. . . . Saskatoon F Logan Christensen (10) tied it 1-1, on a PP, at 19:27 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong broke the tie at 9:33 of the second period and Alfaro made it 3-1 six minutes later. . . . F Tyler Lees scored his first goal at 5:26 of the third period, getting Saskatoon to within a goal, but Lethbridge put it away with the last three goals. . . . Lees, 16, scored in his sixth game. From Regina, he was a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . D Brady Poteau (1) and F Zak Zborosky (38), on a PP, also scored for the winners. . . . Poteau has one goal in 19 games with Lethbridge, after going without a goal in 18 games with the Regina Pats. . . . Wong and Zborosky each added three assists, while F Giorgio Estephan had two. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 22 shots to earn the victory. . . . Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm turned aside 28 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 2-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-7. . . . The Blades lost F Cole Johnson to a goaltender interference major and game misconduct after a collision with Gilchrist at 4:20 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge (36-16-7) has won three in a row. It is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (23-27-8) had points in each of their previous five games (3-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,709.
——
At Medicine Hat, the Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with three goals in 2:22 late in the second period en route to a 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Medicine Hat took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F
TREY FIX-WOLANSKY
Mark Rassell, at 9:32, and F Matt Bradley, at 10:49. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky scored three times for the visitors, giving him 20 goals in his freshman season. . . . He tied the score with goals at 14:36 of the first period and 1:00 of the second. The latter goal came via the PP. . . . The Tigers broke it open as F Chad Butcher scored his 23rd goal, shorthanded, at 17:33 of the second. Bradley (29) made it 4-2 at 19:24 and Rassell added his 29th just 31 seconds later. . . . F James Hamblin increased the lead to 6-2 at 2:53 of the third period. . . . Fix-Wolansky completed his first WHL hat trick at 4:42. . . . Medicine Hat F Max Gerlach (31) scored on a PP at 11:42. . . . The game’s last goal came from Edmonton F Davis Koch (18) at 12:54. . . . Hamblin added two assists his goal, with D Brad Forrest, F Mason Shaw and F Tyler Preziuso also getting two helpers apiece. . . . Rassell and Butcher added one each. . . . Koch had an assist for Edmonton. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider stopped 14 of 17 shots in 44:42, leaving after Fix-Wolanky’s third goal cut Edmonton’s deficit to 6-3. Michael Bullion finished up, allowing a goal on six shots in 15:17. Still, Schneider picked up his 30th victory. . . . At the other end, Josh Dechaine stopped 40 shots. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-3. . . . The Tigers, with the mumps in their dressing room, dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. They scratched seven players, including five who are ill. The latest to join that bunch is D Kristians Rubins. On Friday, Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News reported that F John Dahlstrom and D Jordan Henderson had been diagnosed with the mumps, while F Zach Fischer and F Ryan Chyzowski are awaiting test results. . . . D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz remain sidelined, both having suffered broken legs while blocking shots. . . . Medicine Hat did have F Josh Williams play his second game, this time making his home-ice debut. Williams, who will turn 16 on March 8, is from Langley, B.C. He was the fifth overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Edmonton had D Jordan Dawson in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 27. . . . Medicine Hat (42-17-1) is four points behind Regina, which leads the overall standings, but the Pats have three games in hand. . . . Edmonton (20-34-5) had points in each of its previous three games (2-0-1). It is nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,754.
——
At Moose Jaw, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 37 shots to lead the Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the Regina
ZACH SAWCHENKO
Pats. . . . It was the first time this season that the Pats have been blanked. . . . Sawchenko, who has two shutouts this season, stopped 13 shots in the first period and 14 in the second. . . . He has eight career shutouts. . . . D Josh Brook gave the home team a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs made it 2-0 with his WHL-leading 44th goal at 15:11 of the third period. . . . F Brett Howden scored his 30th into an empty net at 18:46. . . . F Branden Klatt got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 19:52. . . . Howden and Brook also had an assist apiece. . . . The Pats got 24 saves from G Tyler Brown. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-1. . . . Regina’s Connor Hobbs didn’t finish the game. He was hit with a headshot major and game misconduct at 18:46 of the third period. . . . Hobbs, who leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points, was in the starting lineup — at right wing alongside Austin Wagner and Adam Brooks. . . . Moose Jaw (34-17-8) has won two in a row. It is second in the East Division, six points ahead of Swift Current. . . . Regina (41-9-7) has lost two straight. It leads the East Division by 13 points over Moose Haw. . . . The Warriors are 3-2-1 in the season series; the Pats are 3-3-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,715.
——

At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear had two goals and two assists to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Seattle won with three third-period goals as it overcame a 3-2
ETHAN BEAR
deficit. . . . Bear, who has 25 goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 19:20 of the first period. . . . Portland tied it when D Henri Jokiharju (8) scored, on a PP, at 1:08 of the second period. . . . Bear got that one back at 3:36. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-2 lead on goals from D Caleb Jones (6), at 8:29 of the second, and F Keegan Iverson (17), at 3:20 of the third. . . . D Donovan Neuls scored his 12th goal, on a PP, at 9:50 of the third period to get Seattle into a tie. Initially, some fans thought Bear had scored to complete a hat trick and, yes, some caps hit the ice. . . . F Tyler Adams’ third goal broke the tie at 13:13 and F Ryan Gropp’s 25th goal provided insurance at 14:42. . . . Gropp also had an assist in running his point streak to 16 games. He has 21 points, including 14 goals, in that stretch. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Keegan Kolesar each had two assists for Seattle, with Neuls getting one. . . . Iverson had two helpers for Portland, with Jones adding one. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle in earning his WHL-leading 31st victory. . . . Portland got 27 saves from Shane Farkas. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Seattle was 1-6. . . . Seattle (37-17-5) is second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Portland (32-24-3) had won its previous two games. It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 5,702.
——

At Swift Current, F Eetu Tuulola scored at 2:53 of OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory
EETU TUULOLA
over the Broncos. . . . The Silvertips went 5-1-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Tuulola won it with his 15th goal of the season. . . . F Glenn Gawdin, who has 21 goals, scored twice for the Broncos. He gave them a 1-0 lead at 1:53 of the first period and forced OT at 18:27 of the third. . . . D Noah Juulsen’s 11th goal, on a PP, pulled Everett into a 1-1 tie at 13:54 of the second period. . . . The Silvertips took a 2-1 lead when F Devon Skoleski scored his 12th goal at 12:15 of the third period. . . . Skoleski also had two assists. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 27 shots to earn his 25th victory this season. He has won each of his last six starts, allowing only six goals. . . . The Broncos got 30 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-4. . . . Everett (36-12-10) has won five in a row. It remains atop the U.S. Division, three points ahead of Seattle. . . . Swift Current (30-18-10) has points in two straight (1-0-1). It is third in the East Division, six points behind Moose Jaw with a game in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 2,367.
——

At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last three goals, all via the PP, and beat
EVAN SARTHOU
the Spokane Chiefs, 5-1. . . . F Parker AuCoin gave the home side a 1-0 with his 20th goal at 15:55 of the first period. . . . F Nolan Yaremko (7) made it 2-0 with a shorthanded score at 15:46 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs halved the deficit when F Kailer Yamamoto got No. 34 at 4:22 of the third period. . . . D Juuso Välimäki’s 18th goal, at 9:24, provided insurance. . . . F Tyler Sandhu added his 17th, at 18:26, and F Brett Leason got his sixth at 19:12. . . . D Dylan Coghlan and F Morgan Geekie had two assists each for Tri-City, with Välimäki and Sandhu adding one each. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 38 shots and picked up an assist on the game’s last goal. . . . The Chiefs got 23 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Tri-City was 3-5 on the PP; Spokane was 0-3. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur, who was struck in the head by a puck during the second period of Friday’s game in Kelowna, was behind the Chiefs’ bench. One night earlier, he left for stitches and returned for the third period. . . . The Americans (35-23-3) have won four straight. They are third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. . . . The Chiefs (25-25-9) are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,562.
——
At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning and F Jack Flaman scored shootout goals to give the Vancouver Giants a
RYAN KUBIC
4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Owen Hardy had given the Giants a 1-0 lead 56 seconds into the first period. . . . The Rebels then scored two quick ones to take a 2-1 lead. F Lane Zablocki counted, on a PP, at 2:45, with F Akash Bains getting No. 8 at 4:13. . . . Ronning tied it with his 22nd goal, at 19:54 of the second period. . . . Zablocki put the visitors back out front with his 20th goal, at 5:06 of the third period. . . . The Giants forced OT when F Tyler Popowich scored his seventh goal, at 13:05. . . . Ronning drew the lone assist on Popowich’s goal. . . . F James Malm had two assists for Vancouver. . . . Vancouver started G David Tendeck, but he was gone after allowing two goals on as many shots in 4:13. Ryan Kubic earned the victory by stopping 35 of 36 shots in 60:47. . . . The Rebels got 19 saves from Riley Lamb. . . . Red Deer was 1-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-1. . . . The game was delayed at 15:14 of the third period with the score 3-3 as arena staff had to replace a pane of broken glass. . . . D Bowen Byram, a first-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, played in his sixth game with the Giants. Earlier in the day, he played for his club team, Yale Academy, in a 6-5 OT victory over Delta Academy. . . . The Giants (19-36-5) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Rebels (23-27-10) have lost eight in a row (0-7-1). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,959.
——

SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Saskatoon at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 5 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 5 p.m.

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.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:31 PM
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, January 27, 2017

Pats back on top rung . . . Warriors end Blades' run . . . Hurricanes have points in nine straight



———

FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Austin Wagner’s goal at 2:05 of OT gave the Regina Pats a 6-5 victory over the Hitmen. . . .
AUSTIN WAGNER
Regina held a 5-3 lead with 11:30 to play in the third period, but the Hitmen came back with two PP goals to force extra time. . . . F Jakob Stukel’s 15th goal, at 8:36, got Calgary to within a goal and D Jake Bean’s third goal of the game, and sixth of the season, tied it at 15:29. . . . Wagner won it with his 21st goal. . . . F Sam Steel, the WHL’s leading scorer, got Regina out to a 1-0 lead at 4:24 of the first period. . . . Bean gave the Hitmen the lead with goals at 14:08 and 14:59, the latter on a PP. . . . Regina took a 4-2 lead on second-period goals from F Jeff de Witt (7), on a PP, at 5:09; F Adam Brooks (26), on another PP, at 6:11, and F Dawson Leedahl (25), at 14:14. . . . Leedahl has goals in seven straight games. . . . F Luke Coleman (9) got the Hitmen to within a goal at 14:52, but Steel’s 36th goal restored the two-goal lead at 5:58 of the third period. . . . Steel, who also had two assists, leads the WHL with 87 points, five more than Brooks. . . . Regina got two assists from F Nick Henry and one each from Leedahl and Brooks. . . . F Matteo Gennaro drew three assists for Calgary, while F Andrei Grishakov and F Mark Kastelic had two. Bean added one to his first career hat trick. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 31 shots for Regina, one fewer than Calgary’s Trevor Martin. . . . Calgary was 3-9 on the PP; Regina was 2-6. . . . The Pats (32-6-7) have won three in a row. They have moved into a tie with the Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . The Hitmen (17-21-9) had points in each of their three previous games (0-1-2). They are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 9,316.
——
At Everett, the Portland Winterhawks, with G Cole Kehler stopping 46 shots, scored the game’s first two
COLE KEHLER
goals and its last two as they beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . F Alex Overhardt got the visitors started with his ninth goal, shorthanded, at 10:44 of the opening period. . . . F Evan Weinger’s 14th goal, at 1:33 of the second, proved to be the winner. . . . F Dominic Zwerger scored his 20th goal for Everett, at 7:01. . . . Portland got insurance from F Brad Ginnell, who got his fourth goal at 11:12 of the third period. . . . F Ryan Hughes wrapped it up with his 21st, a shorthanded empty-netter, at 19:43. . . . Kehler won for the 17th time this season. He went into the season with four victories in 32 appearances with the Kamloops Blazers. With Portland, he’s played in 37 games. . . . Everett got 26 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . The Silvertips again were without D Noah Juulsen (undisclosed injury). . . . F Dawson Butt, who is from Buckley, Wash., made his WHL debut with the Silvertips. Butt, 16, plays for the U-16 Everett Jr. Silvertips. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The Winterhawks (24-21-3) have won two in a row and hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Silvertips (30-7-9) have been 2-0-1 in their previous three outings. They are third in the overall standings, two points behind the leaders. . . . Announced attendance: 5,114.
——
At Kelowna, the Blazers got two goals from F Rudolfs Balcers and never trailed as they beat the Rockets,
RUDOLFS BALCERS
3-2. . . . F Lane Bauer gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead with his 27th goal — his second goal and 11th point in nine games since coming over from the Edmonton Oil Kings — at 1:26 of the first period. . . . D Lucas Johansen’s third goal, 28 seconds into the second period, got the Rockets even. . . . Balcers, who has 29 goals, gave Kamloops the lead at 5:02. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf (22) tied it, on a PP, at 14:29. . . . Balcers got the winner on a PP at 12:23 of the third period. . . . F Deven Sideroff had two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Nick Merkley drew two helpers for Kelowna, while Thurkauf got one. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 30 shots as he bounced back after getting pulled in the first period of a 6-4 loss to the Winterhawks in Portland on Tuesday. . . . Kelowna got 20 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Kelowna was 1-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-9. . . . The Rockets had F Reid Gardiner (undisclosed injury), F Dillon Dube (strep throat) and F Nolan Foote (ill) back in the lineup. . . . The Blazers (30-17-3) are second in the B.C. Division, five points ahead of the Rockets (27-18-4). . . . Announced attendance: 5,620.
——
At Cranbrook, B.C., F Colton Kroeker had a goal and two assists to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 3-2 victory
COLTON KROEKER
over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs led 1-0 on F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 23rd goal, at 4:48 of the first period. . . . F Brett Davis tied it with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 5:17 of the second period. . . . F Vince Loschiavo’s 16th goal gave the Ice its first lead at 1:42 of the third period. . . . F Eli Zummack pulled the Chiefs into a 2-2 with his sixth goal at 4:04. . . . Kroeker broke the tie, on a PP, with his ninth goal, at 8:28. . . . D Cale Fleury had two assists for the Ice, while Davis and Lischiavo added one each. . . . Kootenay got a big night from G Jakob Walter, who made 38 saves. . . . Spokane got 33 stops from G Jayden Sittler. . . . The Ice was 2-4 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-3. . . . The Ice (12-30-8) had lost its previous three games. . . . The Chiefs (20-21-8) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. They are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Chiefs lost D Jeff Faith to a boarding major and game misconduct at 11:39 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 1,817.
——
At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored three times in each of the first two periods as they beat the Edmonton
MATT BRADLEY
Oil Kings, 7-2. . . . F Nicholas Bowman gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal, on a PP, at 1:39 of the opening period. . . . The Tigers responded with three goals before the period ended, with F Mason Shaw getting No. 17, D Dalton Gally scoring his first, and F Matt Bradley getting his 20th. . . . Gally, who turned 19 on Thursday, is a freshman from New Braunfels, Texas. His first goal came in his 37th game. . . . Bradley became the seventh 20-goal man on Medicine Hat’s roster. . . . F Adam Berg got Edmonton’s other goal, his fifth, at 6:51 of the second period. . . . The Tigers scored the game’s last three goals, with D Clayton Kirichenko (7), D Jordan Henderson (3) and F Steve Owre (18) finding the range. . . . Bradley, F Zach Fischer, Owre and F Chad Butcher had two assists apiece, with Henderson adding one. . . . F Riley Stadel had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 24 shots for the Tigers. He has 27 victories, which ties him for the WHL lead with Griffen Outhouse of the Victoria Royals. . . . The Oil Kings got 36 saves from G Josh Dechaine. . . . Edmonton was 1-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-3. . . . The Tigers (33-15-1) have won two in a row. They lead the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Oil Kings (18-26-4) have lost nine straight and are six points out of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 3,323.
——
At Moose Jaw, D Josh Brook broke a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Warriors skated to a 4-2 victory
JOSH BROOK
over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Brook’s fifth goal, coming at 4:48, proved to be the winner. . . . F Spencer Bast (8) added insurance at 14:26. . . . Moose Jaw took a 1-0 lead when F Brett Howden scored No. 25, on a PP, at 11:57 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Jesse Shynkaruk’s 22nd goal tied it at 5:04 of the second period. . . . The Warriors went ahead on F Yan Khomenko’s 12th goal, at 11:56. . . . The Blades tied it again when D Bryton Sayers got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 14:44. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs, F Branden Klatt and F Justin Almeida each had two assists for the Warriors, while Howden had one. . . . F Braylon Shmyr had two assists for Saskatoon, with Sayers and Shynkaruk adding one each. . . . The Warriors got 21 saves from Zach Sawchenko, who won his 20th game of the season. He is the first goaltender in franchise to win at least 20 games in three straight seasons. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 22 shots for Saskatoon. . . .  Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . With G Brock Hamm out with an undisclosed injury, the Blades had G Joel Gryzbowski of the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars backing up Flodell. . . . Saskatoon, with four players injured and F Cole Johnson and F Dryden Michaud both ill, also brought in F Brandon Machado from the midget AAA CFR Bisons of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. . . . Moose Jaw (30-12-7) has won four in a row. It is second in the East Division, four points behind Regina. The Pats hold four games in hand. . . . Saskatoon (20-23-6) had won its previous five games. The Blades, who are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, are scheduled to play their next seven games at home. . . . Announced attendance: 3,717.
——

At Prince Albert, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored three first-period goals and went on to a 5-4 victory
BRENNAN MENELL
over the Raiders. . . . F Tyler Wong’s 35th goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 3:11. . . . D Brennan Menell, who has nine goals, struck twice, at 4:54 and 16:27, for a 3-0 lead. . . . F Kolten Olynek (11) got the home side to within two 58 seconds into the second period. . . . F Jadon Joseph (2) restored Lethbridge’s three-goal lead at 2:10. . . . The Raiders got to within a goal by scoring twice in 14 seconds. F Cavin Leth counted at 11:06 and D Nick Heid got his second at 11:20. . . . F Ryan Bowen’s 10th goal, at 1:46 of the third period, stood up as the winner, after Leth got his second of the game, and 14th of the season, at 8:39. . . . Lethbridge also got two assists from each of Wong and D Brady Pouteau, while Menell added one. . . . F Tim Vanstone had two assists for the Raiders, with Heid and Olynek adding one each. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner blocked 35 shots. . . . G Nic Sanders, making his fourth straight start for the Raiders, gave up three goals on 11 shots in 16:27. Ian Scott came on in relief and stopped 17 of 19 shots in 42:08. . . . With Scott headed for the Top Prospects Game, the Raiders have brought in Curtis Meger from the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins to support Sanders through the weekend. . . . Prince Albert was 1-2 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-1. . . . The Raiders are without F Jody Stallard, who had goals in four straight games when he took a stick in the face that has forced him out of the lineup. But they had F Siimon Stransky back after a six-game absence. . . The Hurricanes (27-15-7) have points in nine straight games (7-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points out of first and 10 points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Raiders (11-35-5) have a three-game winning streak snapped. They are into their third straight weekend of playing three games in as many nights. . . . Announced attendance: 2,209.
——
At Red Deer, F Michael Spacek had a goal and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-2 victory over the
CARSON SASS
Prince George Cougars. . . . Spacek opened the scoring with No 21, at 19:15 of the first period. . . . F Cameron Hausinger’s fifth goal increased the lead to 2-0 at 9:18 of the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it on goals from D Tate Olson (5), on a PP, at 17:19 of the second period, and F Jared Bethune (14), at 2:56 of the third period. . . . D Carson Sass snapped the tie with his fourth goal, on a PP, at 9:44. . . . The Rebels put it away on two goals from F Evan Polei, who has 22 goals. He scored at 13:14 and added an empty-netter at 19:13. . . . The Rebels got two assists from F Austin Glover. . . . Bethune also had an assist. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 30 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Cougars got 40 stops from G Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 1-3 on the PP; the Rebels were 1-6. . . . The Rebels (22-20-7) have won two straight. They are third in the Central Division, eight points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Cougars (34-14-3) are 1-1-1 in their last three. They are tied with the Regina Pats atop the overall standings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,571.
——
At Kennewick, Wash., F Donovan Neuls broke a 3-3 tie with a shorthanded goal at 8:47 of the third
DONOVAN NEULS
period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Neuls’ 10th goal was Seattle’s second shorthanded score of the game. . . . F Alexander True (15) had given the Thunderbirds a 3-1 lead at 10:29 of the second period. . . . The Americans tied the score on goals from F Jordan Topping (13), at 14:26 of the second period, and F Michael Rasmussen (32), on a PP, at 7:38 of the third period. . . . Seattle led this one 2-0 before the game was four minutes old. D Ethan Bear scored his 15th goal at 1:57 and D Turner Ottenbreit got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 3:19. . . . Rasmussen scored his first goal of the game at 17:48. . . . Ottenbreit and True each had an assist. . . . Rasmussen added an assist to his two goals. . . . It was the battle of the Rylans in goal, with Toth making 25 saves for Seattle and Parenteau stopping 26 shots for Tri-City. . . .  Seattle was 1-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 1-6. . . . The Thunderbirds continue to be without F Scott Eansor, while D Jarret Tyszka, who left Tuesday’s game in the first period, also was scratched. . . . The Thunderbirds (27-15-4) have won three in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, three points behind Tri-City with five games in hand. . . . The Americans (29-19-3) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,996, on Military Appreciation Night.
——

JACK WALKER
At Langley, B.C., the Victoria Royals scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals got on the scoreboard when F Jack Walker scored his 23rd goal at 8:56 of the first period. . . . D Scott Walford added his third, on a PP, at 18:40. . . . F Ethan Price’s fifth goal, at 10:18 of the second period, extended Victoria’s lead. . . . Vancouver got its goal from F Tyler Popowich, his sixth, 54 seconds into the third period. . . . The Royals got 21 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, while Ryan Kubic turned aside 28 at the other end. . . . Victoria was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Royals (27-19-4) are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for third in the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants (27-28-4) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are 13 points out of the playoffs. . . . These same two teams will play again tonight and Sunday in Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 4.283.
——

SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince George at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Regina at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
——

SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Brandon at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Prince George at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Kamloops at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 4 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.

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.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:17 PM
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Cougars on top of CHL heap . . . Blades add veteran forward . . . Tigers stun Warriors in OT

The Prince George Cougars went to bed on Wednesday night knowing — apologies to Frank Sinatra — they are kings of the hill, top of the heap. . . . At No. 8 in the CHL rankings a week ago, the 
Cougars were No. 1 when the latest list was released yesterday. . . . Under new head coach Richard Matvichuk, who must be the most popular man in Prince George these days, the Cougars are 6-0-0, the first such season-opening streak in franchise history. They won their first four games on the road, then took a doubleheader from the visiting Kelowna Rockets last weekend. . . . Next up for the Cougars? A visit from the Vancouver Giants. They’ll play Friday and Saturday nights. The Giants, who lost 3-2 to the visiting Victoria Royals last night, now are 1-5-0. . . . Other WHL teams in the top 10: 5. Brandon Wheat Kings (1-1-1); 8. Regina Pats (3-0-1). . . . The Everett Silvertips, who beat the visiting Tri-City Americans 3-1 last night to go to 4-0-1, garnered an honourable mention. . . . The rankings are selected by a panel of anonymous NHL scouts.
——
There has never been a subscription fee charged for this site. But if you enjoy visiting here, why not considering donating to the cause? Thanks in advance.
——
The Prince Albert Raiders placed F Kolten Olynek, 20, on waivers and the arch-rival Saskatoon Blades claimed him on Wednesday. The two teams are scheduled to meet tonight (Thursday) in Saskatoon and Olynek, who skated with the Blades on Wednesday, is expected to play. . . . This season, Olynek, who is from Saskatoon, had two goals and an assist in three games with the Raiders. . . . Olynek was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2011 bantam draft. He also has played with the Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs. In 189 regular-season games, he has 20 goals and 31 assists. . . . With Olynek’s arrival, the Blades have four 20-year-olds on their roster, although F Ryan Graham has yet to play this season, thanks to an undisclosed injury. He is likely to be out for a few more weeks. . . . The two other 20s are D Bryton Sayers and F Jesse Shynkaruk. . . . Olynek and Shynkaruk were teammates with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. . . . The Raiders put Olynek on waivers in order to get down to the maximum three 20s — F Austin Glover, G Rylan Parenteau and F Tim Vanstone. The Raiders also have F Reid Gardiner on their roster, but he is in camp with the AHL’s Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins.
——
The Regina Pats have dropped F Erik Gardiner, 17, from their roster and he will join the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. Gardiner was a second-round selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. . . . Last season, the Humboldt native led the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League in scoring, with 59 points, including 21 goals, in 43 games. . . . Gardiner was pointless with the Pats this season, having dressed for two of their four games. . . . He is the younger brother of F Reid Gardiner, 20, who played the past four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders.
——
BCHLRich Murphy, a Minnesota-based businessman, is in the process of finalizing the purchase of majority ownership of the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters. For $600,000, Murphy will get 90 per cent of the franchise; the non-profit society that has been operating the team will retain 10 per cent. The Smoke Eaters are about $400,000 in debt. . . . The team has been community-owned, but the society wasn’t able to find a local buyer. Murphy is the president and CEO of Midwest Railcar Corp. . . . His son, Ryan, 18, has two goals in eight games in his freshman season with the Smokies. . . . Kari Lee Campbell has more right here from the Nelson Daily.
———

JUST NOTES:

The Everett Silvertips have named F Noah Juulsen as the 13th team captain in franchise history. Juulsen, 19, is from Surrey, B.C. He is into his fourth season with the Silvertips. . . .
Nathan Van Oosten of Vancouver, who is a WHL linesman, has been selected to work at the 2017 World Junior Championship. The tournament runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Montreal and Toronto. . . . 
——
Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
———
Coaching
BCHLRick Lanz, a former assistant and head coach with the Tri-City Americans, has joined the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles as an assistant coach. He replaces Colin Hemingway, who left the team for family reasons. . . . Lanz, who also is a former Eagles head coach, will work with Blaine Neufeld, Surrey’s GM and head coach. . . . Nick Greenizan of the Peace Arch News has more right here.
———

Check out this video of illusionist Darcy Oake in action . . .  

———

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Everett, D Noah Juulsen, named the captain earlier in the day, had a goal and an assist to help the Silvertips to a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . This was the second of three straight games between these teams. The Americans won 3-2 at home on Sunday. They will play the third game on Friday in Everett. . . . Last night, F Max James gave the Americans a 1-0 lead at 14:41 of the first period. . . . The Silvertips pulled even when F Dominic Zwerger scored a PP goal at 1:31 of the second period. . . . Everett (4-0-1) won it with two third-period goals. F Graham Millar’s fifth goal, at 14:40, proved to be the winner. . . . Juulsen added an empty-netter at 19:32. . . . Everett G Carter Hart blocked 15 shots. At the other end, Back Warm turned aside 30. . . . The Americans (2-3-0) were 0-2 on the PP; the Silvertips were 1-4. . . . Everett is without F Eetu Tuulola (shoulder). He was injured in a game against the host Americans on Sunday and will be out for up to a month. . . . Announced attendance: 2,733.
——

At Lethbridge, the Kelowna Rockets exploded for five goals in the third period as they beat the Hurricanes, 6-3. . . . Rockets F Calvin Thurkauf’s PP goal forged a 2-2 tie at 2:33 of the third. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong snapped the tie with a PP goal at 9:05. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind tied it at 11:23 and Thurkauf’s second goal of the game, at 13:22, proved to be the winner. . . . Thurkauf added an assist to his brace of goals, while F Tomas Soustal had a goal and an assist. . . . The Rockets (2-4-0) welcomed F Nick Merkley back to their lineup. He picked up one assist. Merkley, 19, last played on Feb. 5 against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. He suffered a torn ACL during that game and needed surgery on his right knee. He did play in two exhibition games with the Arizona Coyotes, who selected him in the first round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. . . . At the same time, though, the Rockets are without F Dillon Dube, 18, who suffered a sprained knee while with the Calgary Flames. He could be out for a month. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 24 shots, three more than Stuart Skinner of the Hurricanes (3-2-0). . . . The Rockets were 2-4 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 2-8. . . . Announced attendance: 3,099.
——
At Medicine Hat, the Tigers, who trailed 4-0 early in the third period, got a goal from F Max Gerlach at 1:25 of OT to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-4. . . . Moose Jaw F Jayden Halbgewachs’ fourth goal, at 19:37 of the second period, gave the visitors a 4-0 lead. . . . The Tigers got rolling with three goals in a span of 43 seconds in the third period. F Zach Fischer got it started with his fourth goal, at 5:03. F John Dahlstrom scored at 5:24 and F Mason Shaw got the home boys to within a goal at 5:46. . . . Fisher tied it with a PP goal at 17:48. . . . Shaw added an assist to his goal, while F Steve Owre had two assists. . . . The Warriors got a goal and an assist from F Nikita Popugaev and two assists from F Noah Gregor. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 18 shots for the Tigers (4-1-0), while Zach Sawchenko turned aside 56 for Moose Jaw (3-0-2). . . . The Tigers held a 27-6 edge in shots in the third period. . . . Each team was 1-2 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 3,845.
——

At Prince Albert, F Cody Glass scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Winterhawks (4-2-0) are 1-1-0 on their East Division tour. They lost 7-3 to the Swift Current Broncos on Tuesday. . . . Glass, a 17-year-old sophomore, had 27 points, including 10 goals, in 65 games last season. This season, he has a WHL-leading 12 points, nine of them assists, in six games. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first four goals and took a 4-0 lead into the third period. . . . The Raiders (2-3-0) then scored three times, cutting the deficit to 4-3 on F Simon Stransky’s fourth goal at 10:28. . . . Portland F Joachim Blichfeld got the empty-netter at 18:39. . . . Blichfeld also had an assist, while F Keegan Iverson had two assists. Portland F Colton Veloso ran his goal streak to three games. . . . The Winterhawks got 25 saves from G Cole Kehler. . . . Prince Albert starter Rylan Parenteau gave up four goals on 22 shots in 33:17. Ian Scott came on to block all 17 shots he saw. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . Raiders D Loch Morrison was back after missing three games with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Winterhawks scratched Latvian F Rodrigo Abols, 20, for a third straight game. . . . Portland D Jake Hobson, in his first WHL season, is from Prince Albert. He is the son of Doug Hobson, who played on the Raiders’ 1985 Memorial Cup-winning team. . . . Announced attendance: 1,859.
——
At Red Deer, the Rebels erased a 3-0 first-period deficit with five straight goals en route to a 5-4 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Blazers led this one 2-0 on two goals by F Deven Sideroff in the first five minutes of the first period. . . . Kamloops F Matt Revel upped the lead to 3-0 at 19:37. . . . Red Deer F Austin Pratt cut into the lead with goals at 10:11 and 10:50 of the second period. . . . F Akash Bains pulled the Rebels (2-2-2) even with 57.9 seconds left in the period. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel scored shorthanded at 5:36 of the third period, and D Josh Mahura got the eventual winner at 9:32. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers got the Blazers (2-4-0) back to within a goal at 18:38. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb, an 18-year-old freshman from Rivers, Man., came on in relief to start the second period and stopped 32 of 33 shots. Starter Trevor Martin gave up three goals on 14 shots. . . . Kamloops got 34 saves from G Connor Ingram. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 4,123.
——
At Langley, B.C., F Jack Walker scored three goals to lead the Victoria Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Walker, who went into the game without a goal in his first two games, opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the game. . . . The Giants then took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from F Ty Ronning, at 3:40, and F Brendan Semchuk, his third, at 5:45. . . . Walker tied the score on a PP at 10:29 of the second. He got the eventual winner at 2:04 of the third period. . . . It was the third three-goal game of Walker’s career. The 20-year-old from Edina, Minn., had one in each of the past two seasons. . . . D Ryan Gagnon had two assists for the Royals (2-4-0). . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 28 shots for Victoria, while Ryan Kubic blocked 25 for the Giants (1-5-0). . . . Victoria was 1-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,127.
——

THURSDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

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.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:56 PM
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

  © Design byThirteen Letter

Back to TOP