Showing posts with label Jakob Stukel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jakob Stukel. Show all posts

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Source: Barzal in isolation . . . Hitmen control playoff spot . . . Winterhawks shock Silvertips



With the WHL playoffs almost upon us, you can bet that those teams headed for the post-season are sweating bullets as they wait and wonder if they will hear from Mr. Mumps.
While the Victoria Royals wait to find out whether mumps has been riding along on their team bus, a source in the Seattle area told Taking Note on Sunday that “indications are that (Mathew) Barzal has the mumps. He’s in isolation as a precautionary measure but signs point to mumps.”
Barzal, arguably the WHL’s best forward, took the warmup prior to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Friday night, but then left for the dressing room and didn’t return. He was said to be experiencing flu-like symptoms. Barzal wasn’t in the lineup on Saturday as the Thunderbirds dumped the Winterhawks in Portland, 6-3.
Barzal has 79 points, including a career-high 69 assists, in 41 games. He began the season with the New York Islanders, who selected him in the first round of the NHL’s 2015 draft.
It seems feasible that any WHL coaches or players who don’t feel well from now through season’s end will be tested for mumps.
The Royals isolated head coach Dave Lowry and one player prior to a 6-2 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday. It now seems that there are at least two players involved. The Victoria Times Colonist has reported that D Ralph Jarratt and D Mitchell Prowse both have experienced flu-like symptoms, have undergone testing for mumps, and have been isolated.
The Royals, who next play Tuesday when they are to meet the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C., are awaiting test results on all three.
“It takes a couple of days and we’re still waiting to hear,” Royals general manager Cam Hope told the Times Colonist. “We’re still crossing our fingers and hoping it isn’t that and that it’s just the flu.”
The Giants lost 4-3 in Kamloops on Saturday. Vancouver chose not to use the new visitors’ dressing room, the same one that had been occupied by the Royals from Wednesday through Friday night. Instead, the Giants operated out of what had been the visitors’ room prior to this season. A new dressing room was built to facilitate the 2016 IIHF World Women’s Championship that was held in Kamloops a year ago.
Prior to this weekend, it was believed the mumps outbreak had been contained in the Eastern Conferece with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers and Swift Current Broncos having had issues.
The NHL’s Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks also have had players diagnosed with the mumps in the past two or three weeks.
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With the WHL playoffs almost upon us, the Seattle Thunderbirds chose not to take any chances with G Rylan Toth on Saturday night. In a game against the Winterhawks in Portland, Toth stopped all 11 shots he faced in the opening period, but didn’t return for the second period. Originally, I reported that Toth left because of illness. That appears to have been in error. I have since been told that Toth has a “lower-body issue” and that his removal was simply a precaution. The Thunderbirds will be careful with this because he’s their horse and they need him if they are to make a deep run into the spring. Toth leads the WHL in victories — he is 36-18-3 — and is fifth in GAA (2.75) and has a .902 save percentage. . . . On Saturday, G Matt Berlin played the last two periods for Seattle, as the Thunderbirds skated to a 6-3 victory. . . . Seattle, which leads the U.S. Division by one point over the Everett Silvertips, next is scheduled to play Wednesday in Spokane against the Chiefs.
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D Nolan Orzeck, a Calgarian, has signed with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice. A fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, Orzeck announced via Twitter that he had signed. Orzeck, who turned 16 on Feb. 20, played this season with the midget AAA Calgary Northstars, putting up five goals and six assists in 30 games.
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F Alex DeBrincat of the OHL’s Erie Otters had his 19-game goal-scoring streak end on Sunday in a 7-0 victory over the host Peterborough Petes. DeBrincat does hold a share of the OHL record for consecutive games with a goal. That record had been held by F Mike Ricci, who did it with the Petes in 1988-89. . . . DeBrincat, who is still riding a 24-game point streak, has 62 goals and 60 assists in 60 games. He leads the OHL scoring race by 18 points over line mate Taylor Raddysh. 
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A game in the Norwegian League playoffs on Sunday was decided in the eighth overtime period when Joakim Jensen scored to give the host Storhamar Dragons a 2-1 victory over the Sparta Warriors. . . . The Dragons lead the best-of-seven quarterfinal series, 3-2. . . . The game, which lasted 217 minutes 14 seconds, ended at 2:32 a.m. . . .
The longest game in WHL history lasted 136 minutes 56 seconds, with the Kootenay Ice beating the visiting Kamloops Blazers, 3-2, on March 25, 2003. F Colin Sinclair scored the winner in the fourth OT period. It was Game 3 of a first-round playoff series.
The longest game in NHL history was played on March 24, 1936. It ended at 16:30 of the sixth OT as F Mud Bruneteau scored to give the Detroit Red Wings a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Maroons in Game 1 of a 1936 Stanley Cup first-round game.
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Jason Stephens is the general manager and head coach of the junior B Golden Rockets, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
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If the playoffs began today . . . 
Eastern Conference
Regina vs. Calgary
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Seattle vs. Tri-City
Prince George vs. Victoria
Kelowna vs. Kamloops
Everett vs. Portland
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, the Hitmen took control of an Eastern Conference playoff spot with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen (28-31-10), who have won three straight games, hold down the
MATT DORSEY
conference’s second wild-card spot, three points ahead of the Saskatoon Blades. Calgary is fourth in the Central Division, two points behind the Red Deer Rebels, who hold a game in hand going into the final week of the regular season. . . . Red Deer is to visit the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday, then return home to meet the Hitmen on Wednesday. . . . The Blades will face the Pats in Regina on Tuesday. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky (23) gave the Oil Kings the lead at 14:40 of the first period. . . . Calgary F Tyler Mrkonjic (7) tied it at 18:23. . . . F Lucas Cullen’s fourth goal gave the Hitmen the lead at 16:31 of the second period, but Edmonton tied it 18 seconds later when F Jesse Roach scored his second goal. . . . Calgary put it away with the next three goals. F Matt Dorsey started it with his second goal, at 18:53 of the second period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro added insurance with No. 42 at 16:26, then F Beck Malenstyn (28) added the empty-netter at 19:20. . . . Calgary got two assists from F Jakob Stukel, with Dorsey adding one. . . . Dorsey, a 17-year-old from Wenatchee, Wash., who was a third-round pick in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. He has two goals and three assists in five games this season, after missing the past two seasons thanks to knee problems. . . . The Hitmen got 29 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . G Patrick Dea turned aside 32 shots for the Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 0-2. . . . The Oil Kings (20-43-6) have lost 12 in a row (0-10-2). . . . Announced attendance: 10,143.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks erased a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the game’s final six minutes to beat
CODY GLASS
the Everett Silvertips, 4-3. . . . F Cody Glass scored his 32nd goal and added two assists in the late flurry. . . . D Caleb Jones (9) scored while shorthanded at 14:21 of the third period to get Portland to within a goal. . . . Glass tied the score at 17:23. . . . F Skyler McKenzie won it with his 41st goal, at 19:47. . . . F Keegan Iverson, Portland’s captain, drew an assist on each of the last two goals. . . . The Silvertips had gotten out of the first period with a 2-0 lead on goals from F Brandson Hein (3), at 2:20, and F Matt Fonteyne (17), at 15:58. . . . The Winterhawks cut into that lead when F Lane Gilliss got his fifth goal, at 11:49 of the second period. . . . Everett F Eetu Tuulola (17) got that one back just 18 seconds later. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 32 shots for the Winterhawks. . . . Everett got 42 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Portland was 0-2 on the PP; Everett was 0-5. . . . The Winterhawks (38-27-4) moved into third in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the the Tri-City Americans, who have four games remaining. Portland has three games left. . . . Tri-City now holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, a point behind the Victoria Royals. . . . The Winterhawks and Americans are to meet Tuesday in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Everett (41-16-11) is second in the U.S. Division, one point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Announced attendance: 9,176.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Swift Current at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Edmonton vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Victoria vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Everett at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (ppd., from March 8)
Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:35 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Red Deer at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 5 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON 

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Friday, February 17, 2017

Second WHL team hit by mumps ... Cougars "being subsidized by ownership group" ... Goalie scores in AJHL


A second WHL team has been hit by the mumps. Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News reported via Twitter on Friday afternoon that the Medicine Hat Tigers had two players “diagnosed with mumps, while another two have been tested and quarantined.” . . . Apparently, one coach also has been impacted. . . . McCracken later reported that the two players who had been diagnosed were F John Dahlstrom and D Jordan Henderson, neither of whom played against the host Swift Current Broncos on Friday night. The Tigers also scratched F Zach Fischer and F Ryan Chyzowski. . . . Earlier this month, the Brandon Wheat Kings also had mumps in their dressing room. Their stricken players returned to the lineup earlier this week. . . . If you're wondering, Brandon played in Medicine Hat on Jan. 28. . . . The Tigers also remain without D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz, both of whom are recovering from broken legs suffered while blocking shots. Quenneville, however, is nearing a return. He was injured on Jan. 3 and now has been cleared for full-contact at practices.
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The Prince George Cougars have added Nick Drazenovic to their front office as director of player development. Drazenovic, who is from Prince George, played 281 games with the Cougars, putting up 214 points, including 77 goals. . . . He went on to a professional career that included 12 games in the NHL and more than 500 in the AHL. . . . “Nick will be responsible for developing our current roster players,” general manager Todd Harkins said in a news release, “while also spending one-on-one time with our prospects. He will monitor their progress year-round to ensure that when their time comes to join our team full-time that they are ready to make an impact.”
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There isn’t anything new to report regarding the Kootenay Ice and where they will play next season.
One thing is for certain, though. “We can't continue,” Jeff Chynoweth, the team’s president and general manager, told Jaimie Kehler of CBC News. “We are bleeding bad right now, averaging under 1,700 people a night. That just doesn't work in today's economics of the Western Hockey League.” . . . For now, there aren’t likely to be any developments before March 11 when the citizens of Nanaimo vote in a referendum that could allow the city to borrow $80 million for an events centre that would include an arena large enough for a WHL franchise. . . . Taking Note reported last month that the WHL is preparing two schedules for the 2017-18 season — one that includes Kootenay, and one that includes Nanaimo but not Kootenay. . . . Kehler’s story is right here. . . . The Ice stage Pink the Rink night on Friday and drew 2,690 fans to a 3-2 OT victory over the Saskatoon Blades.
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In Prince George, meanwhile, the EDGEPRO Sports and Entertainment group in its third season owning the Cougars. That group features Greg Pocock, Eric Brewer, Ray Fortier, Dan Hamhuis,
Ernest Ouellet and John Pateman. As the franchise’s president and governor, Pocock has morphed into the group’s public face.
The Cougars’ average announced attendance in 2013-14, the final season under owner Rick Brodsky, was 1,693. That number has reached 3,467 this season, but Pocock said that’s not enough.
“We are happy to see the continued growth of the attendance in our building,” he told play-by-play man Dan O’Connor and Hartley Miller, the analyst on home games, during a 4-3 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Monday afternoon. “It seems to be sustainable growth. It’s not people jumping on a bandwagon that are going to be here today and gone tomorrow.
“Having said that, this team is not making money. This team is being subsidized by the ownership group and that is not a circumstance that is going to continue indefinitely. We are behind in projections as far as numbers go. Although we are happy to see where we are it, we’re not satisfied where we are at either.”
There’s more from Pocock right here in a story that was posted by Miller.
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Jake Morrissey, a former WHL goaltender, scored a goal for the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders on Friday night. Morrissey, who made 32 saves, scored an empty-net goal at 19:59 of the third period to put the cap on a 3-1 victory over the visiting Camrose Kodiaks. . . . Morrissey, a 19-year-old from Saskatoon, made WHL stops with the Kelowna Rockets, Vancouver Giants, Saskatoon Blades and Medicine Hat Tigers.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, G Logan Thompson blocked 45 shots to lead the Wheat Kings to a 5-3 victory over the
Regina Pats. . . . Thompson stopped 21 of 23 shots in the third period as the Wheat Kings snapped a three-game losing skid (0-2-1). . . . Brandon scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Baron Thompson (3) opened the scoring at 1:42 of the first period. . . . F Nolan Patrick added his 14th at 3:54. . . . F Ty Lewis upped the lead to 3-0 with his 27th goal, on a PP, at 15:47 of the second period. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs got his guys started, on a PP, at 16:20. He leads all WHL defencemen with 26 goals. . . . Brandon D Schael Higson (4) got that one back, on a PP, at 18:58. . . . Regina made it interesting with two third-period goals. . . . F Austin Wagner got his 26th, at 1:34, and F Adam Brooks scored No. 32, on a PP, at 8:11. . . . The Wheat Kings hung on until F Stelio Mattheos got an empty-netter at 18:30. He’s got 23 goals. . . . Brandon got two assists from F Connor Gutenberg, with Matheos adding one to his goal. . . . Hobbs and Brooks each had two assists for Regina. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 24 shots for Regina as he lost for the first time in regulation this season. He now is 12-1-1. . . . The Wheat Kings were 2-3 on the PP; the Pats were 2-5. . . . Brandon (28-22-8) holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Regina (41-8-7) remains atop the overall standings, six points ahead of Medicine Hat with three games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 4,433.
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At Calgary, F Jakob Stukel scored at 1:52 of OT to give the Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . This was Calgary’s 20th trip to OT this season. The Hitmen are 7-8 in OT and 3-2 in shootouts. . . . The Hitmen had the only three shots of the extra time and won it on Stukel’s 18th goal of the season. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky’s 17th goal gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 9:20 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Andrei Grishakov’s sixth goal, at 7:58 of the second period. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean had two assists. . . . The Hitmen got 23 saves from G Trevor Martin. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea turned aside 33 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-2. . . . The Hitmen (21-26-10) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are two points out of a wild-card spot, but also trail third-place Red Deer by only three points in the Central Division. . . . The Oil Kings (20-33-5) have points in three in a row (2-0-1) after losing 16 in a row. They are nine points out of a playoff spot with 14 games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 6,945.
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At Kelowna, F Kailer Yamamoto scored at 1:01 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 5-4 victory over the Rockets. . . . Spokane G Jayden Sittler, who had an outstanding game, stopped Kelowna F Nick Merkley at one end and the Chiefs broke out 2-on-1 with Yamamoto scoring off a pass from Hudson Elynuik. . . . The Chiefs are 3-0-0 against Kelowna this season, winning three times in OT. . . Spokane scored the game’s first three goals, then surrendered three in a row. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 33rd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 8:47 of the first period, with F Ethan McIndoe (16) making it 2-0 at 12:24. . . . Elynuik’s 21st goal made it 3-0 at 1:30 of the second period. . . . The Rockets roared back to tie it with Merkley’s 18th goal starting the comeback at 6:39. . . . D Nolan Foote’s 15th goal cut the deficit to one at 17:12. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf tied it at 3:55 of the third period. . . . The Chiefs went back in front at 6:18 when F Hayden Ostir got No. 7. . . . Thurkauf tied it, scoring his second of the game and 29th of the season at 18:55, on a PP. . . . Yamamoto won it with his 33rd goal of the season. . . . Sittler, who also had an assist, finished with 45 saves. . . . The Rockets started G Michael Herringer, who gave up three goals on nine shots in 21:30. Brodan Salmond came on to stop 10 of 12 shots in 39:17. . . . Kelowna was 1-6 on the PP; Spokane was 0-1. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur was stitched up at the arena after being struck in the head by a puck off Foote’s stick in the second period. Nachbaur was back for the third period and no one who saw him during his playing days was surprised. . . . Spokane (25-24-9) is eight points out of a wild-card spot. . . . Kelowna (33-20-5) had won three straight. It is third in the B.C. Division, five points behind Kamloops. . . . Announced attendance: 4,836.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Vince Loschiavo’s goal at 2:16 of OT gave the Kootenay Ice a 3-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Loschiavo scored his 23rd goal of the season on Kootenay’s second shot of OT. . . . F Markson Bechtold had given Saskatoon a 1-0 lead with his seventh goal just 15 seconds into the game. . . . The Ice tied it when F Brett Davis got No. 16 at 13:10 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon went back out front at 5:00 of the third period as F Mason McCarty got his 16th goal. . . . The Ice tied it as F Noah Philp (7) scored at 14:45. . . . Kootenay G Jakob Walter earned the victory with a 28-save performance. . . . The Blades got 28 saves from Logan Flodell. . . . Saskatoon was 0-3 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-5. . . . Kootenay (13-35-10) had lost its previous seven games (0-5-2). It now has one more victory than it managed all of last season. . . . The Blades (23-26-8) have points in five straight (3-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 2,690.
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At Lethbridge, F Tyler Wong scored the only goal of a three-round shootout to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The Royals had taken a 1-0 lead on F Blake Bargar’s fourth goal, at 10:03 of the first period. . . . Wong tied it with his 41st goal at 11:51. . . . Victoria went back out front when F Matt Phillips got his 41st, at 19:59. . . . The home side took a 3-2 lead on second-period goals from F Alec Baer (12), at 2:38, and F Egor Babenko (20), at 7:53. . . . The Royals tied it when F Regan Nagy counted at 11:24, only to have Lethbridge go back ahead on F Zak Zborosky’s 37th at 14:53. . . . Victoria forced OT when Nagy got his second of the game, and 15th of the season, at 18:29 of the third period. . . . Wong added an assist to his goal. . . . G Stuart Skinner blocked 35 shots for the winners. . . . Victoria got 36 saves from Griffen Outhouse. . . . Lethbridge was 0-1 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . The Hurricanes (35-16-7) have won two in a row. They are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat with a game in hand. . . . The Royals (31-23-5) have lost three straight (0-2-1). They are tied with Portland for the Western Conference’s wild-card spots. Victoria also is fourth in the B.C. Division, four points behind Kelowna. . . . Announced attendance: 4,653.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s first two goals and never trailed en route to a 4-3
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld got it started with his 25th goal just 59 seconds into the first period. . . . F Ryan Hughes scored his 24th goal at 1:16 of the second period, with Blichfeld getting the lone assist. . . . F Adam Musil (19) got Red Deer on the scoreboard, on a PP, at 2:47. . . . Portland got that one back as F Keegan Iverson got No. 16 at 12:24. . . . F Michael Spacek, who also had an assist, pulled the Rebels back to within a goal with his 25th, at 13:03. . . . F Jake Gricius restored Portland’s two-goal lead with No. 7 at 14:37. . . . D Jared Freadrich (6) added Red Deer’s third goal, at 14:12 of the third period. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 30 shots for Portland and also picked up an assist. . . . The Rebels got 40 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Red Deer was 2-6 on the PP; Portland was 0-5. . . . The Rebels went 0-3-0 on a three-game U.S. Division swing on which they were outscored 16-8. . . . The Winterhawks (32-23-3) have won two in a row. They are fourth in the U.S. Division, four points behind Tri-City. . . . The Rebels (23-27-9) have lost seven straight (0-6-1). They are third in the Central Division, three points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,724.
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At Prince Albert, the Everett Silvertips scored three second-period goals, two of them via the PP, and went on to beat the Raiders, 3-1. . . . F Eetu Tuulola (14) opened the scoring at 5:14 and F Riley Sutter (16) made it 2-0, on a PP, just 45 seconds later. . . . When F Patrick Bajkov scored his 23rd goal on another PP, at 12:44, it was 3-0. . . . The Raiders got their goal from F Curtis Miske, on a PP, at 18:11 of the third period. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots for Everett. . . . The Raiders got 33 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . The Silvertips were 2-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 1-5. . . . The Raiders lost F Kolby Johnson to a charging major and game misconduct 16:14 of the second period after an open-ice hit on F Orrin Centazzo in the neutral zone. . . . The Silvertips are 4-1-0 and have outscored opponents 12-6 on a six-game East Division swing that ends tonight (Saturday) in Swift Current. . . . Everett (35-12-10) has won four in a row and leads the U.S. Division by three points over Seattle. . . . Prince Albert (15-39-5) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,014.
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At Swift Current, G Jordan Papirny made 42 saves to lead the Broncos to a 3-1 victory over the
Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Papirny turned aside all 15 shots he faced in the first period and 14 of 15 in the second. He is 5-5-2, 2.97, .911 since coming over from the Brandon Wheat Kings in January. . . .   The Broncos got a pair of first-period goals from F Aleksi Heponiemi, at 15:18 and 18:08, the latter via the PP. He’s got 23 goals in his freshman season. . . . F Riley Stotts made it 3-0 with his seventh goal, at 8:48 of the second period. . . . The Tigers got their goal from F Mark Rassell (27), on a PP, at 18:52 of the second. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 31 shots for the Tigers. . . . Swift Current was 1-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . The Tigers were able to dress only 16 skaters as they scratched four players with illness and two with broken legs. . . . Swift Current (30-18-9) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). It is third in the East Division, five points behind Moose Jaw with a game in hand. . . . Medicine Hat (41-17-1) had a five-game winning streak come to an end. It leads the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . Announced attendance: 2,244.
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At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went
on to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle took a 1-0 lead on D Ethan Bear’s 23rd goal, on a PP, at 2:56 of the first period. . . . The Americans responded by taking a 4-1 lead. . . . F Morgan Geekie’s 32nd goal, on a PP, at 6:48, tied it. . . . D Dakota Krebs scored his second goal of the season, at 9:26, to give the home side the lead. . . . F Tyler Sandhu increased the lead to 3-1 with his 16th goal, at 17:04 of the second period. . . . D Dylan Coghlan’s 12th goal, on a PP, at 19:19, provided more insurance. . . . F Keegan Kolesar (19) got Seattle to within two goals 17 seconds into the third period. . . . Sandhu and Geekie each added an assist for Tri-City. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Ryan Gropp each had two assists for Seattle. Gropp had his goal streak end at eight games, but is on a 15-game point streak. . . . G Rylan Parenteau earned the victory with 25 saves. . . . Seattle also got 25 saves from G Rylan Toth. . . . Each team was 2-5 on the PP. . . . The Americans (34-23-3) have won three in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds (36-17-5) are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Announced attendance: 3,408.
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At Langley, B.C., the Kamloops Blazers broke a 1-1 tie with four second-period goals in a span of
6:06 and went on to beat the Vancouver Giants, 6-1. . . . F Calvin Spencer sent the Giants out to a 1-0 lead with his 12th goal at 1:53 of the first period. . . . The visitors tied it when F Quinn Benjafield scored No. 12 at 10:25. . . . Kamloops blew it open with the four second-period scores. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers scored two of them, at 7:29, on a PP, and 13:06. He’s got 33 goals. . . . F Lane Bauer’s 33rd goal made is 3-1 at 9:19. . . . F Garrett Pilon (15) upped it to 5-1 at 13:35. . . . The Blazers got their final goal from F Nick Chyzowski (15) at 1:38 of the third period. . . . The Blazers got two assists from each of F Deven Sideroff and F Collin Shirley, with Chyzowski and Bauer adding one each. . . . The Blazers got 24 saves from G Connor Ingram. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 33 for the Giants. . . . Kamloops was 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Blazers (35-19-6) are second in the B.C. Division, four points behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Giants (18-36-5) have lost four in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,321.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince Albert at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Prince George at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 6:05 p.m.
Everett at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Red Deer vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:49 PM
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Saturday, January 28, 2017

Player, family need our help ... Records for Harkins, Sandhu, Wotherspoon, Outhouse ... 'Hawks stun Rockets


F Blair Jones (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2002-06) has been released by the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). He had seven goals and 12 assists in 30 games.
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 Brevin Gervais, a fourth-round selection by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2015 bantam draft, underwent
BREVIN GERVAIS
emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops on Friday.
Gervais, a defenceman who also is a terrific baseball player, turned 17 on Jan. 15. From Prince George, he was playing with the junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. The 6-foot-2, 17-pounder had two goals and eight assists in 36 games.
According to a Facebook posting that included a link to a gofundme site, Gervais underwent a nine-hour operation. The posting indicated that he “has shown great signs since then but still faces a long road to recovery.”
His family indicated that he “has opened eyes for a longer period of time and responded on both sides of body moving both legs and both hands.”
If you would like to help out the family cover travel expenses, the gofundme site is right here.
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D Cale Fleury of the Kootenay Ice was named Saturday as an injury replacement for the Top Prospects Game that is scheduled for Monday in Quebec City. From Calgary, Fleury is in his third season with the Ice. He has eight goals and 22 assists in 49 games. . . . Fleury replaces D Jarret Tyszka of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who was injured in a game on Tuesday and hasn’t played since then.
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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.
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The WHL didn’t schedule any games for Wednesday and Thursday of last week, but is playing right through the Top Prospects Game that is scheduled for Monday in Quebec City.
So if one of your favourite players isn’t in the lineup for the next day or three, it may have nothing to do with an injury.
The WHLers who are scheduled to play in the TPG: D Cale Fleury, Kootenay Ice; D Cal Foote, Kelowna Rockets; F Cody Glass, Portland Winterhawks; D Henri Jokiharju, Portland; F Jake Leschyshyn, Regina Pats; F Kole Lind, Kelowna; F Stelio Mattheos, Brandon Wheat Kings; D Artyom Minulin, Swift Current Broncos; F Nolan Patrick, Brandon; F Nikita Popugaev, Prince George Cougars; F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City Americans; G Ian Scott, Prince Albert Raiders; G Stuart Skinner, Lethbridge Hurricanes; D Juuso Valimaki, Tri-City; and F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane Chiefs.
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I stopped being a typical fan a long time ago. That’s what more than 40 years in sports journalism does to you. I can sit at home and watch a game and talk to the TV screen. But I can’t go to a game and watch live with anything but a critical eye. . . . In a piece right here at seattlepi.com, Jim Moore explains all of that and more.
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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.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:


At Edmonton, F Jansen Harkins wrote his name in the Prince George Cougars’ record book during an 11-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Harkins drew three assists, the first of which allowed him to become
JANSEN HARKINS
Prince George’s all-time assists leader with No. 153. The previous record had been held by F Troy Bourke (2009-14). . . . F  Radovan Bondra gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 1:16 of the first period. . . . The Oil Kings tied it on D Will Warm’s eighth goal at 2:28. . . . The Cougars went back out front at 6:15 when F Jesse Gabrielle (23) scored, on a PP, at 6:15. . . . Edmonton tied it again, this time on a goal from F Tyler Robertson (12) at 14:14. . . . The Cougars then scored the next seven goals, including three more in the first period. . . . Bondra added another goal, giving him 25, while F Colby McAuley also scored twice. He’s got 18. D Tate Olson (6), F Brad Morrison (20), F Brogan O’Brien (9), F Kody McDonald (11) and D Josh Anderson (1) also scored. . . . The Cougars got two assists from each of D Sam Ruopp, McAuley, O’Brien, McDonald and F Jared Bethune. . . . Morrison picked up one assist, the 100th of his career. . . . F Graham Millar had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Nick McBride blocked 19 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Oil Kings started G Patrick Dea, who was beaten eight times on 29 shots in two periods. Josh Dechaine gave up three goals on 15 shots in one period. . . . The Cougars went 4-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-3. . . . According to Corey Graham, the radio voice of the Oil Kings, it was the third time in franchise history that they have allowed 11 goals in one game. . . . The Cougars (35-14-3) are tied with Regina atop the overall standings, but the Pats have six games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (18-27-4) have lost 10 in a row and haven’t won since the Jan. 10 trade deadline. They are six points out of a wld-card spot. . . . These same teams will meet again this afternoon in Edmonton. That may have had something to do with the teams combining for 106 penalty minutes, 65 to the Oil Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 9,321.
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At Kelowna, F Joachim Blichfeld scored at 19:56 of the third period to give the Portland Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Rockets. . . . Blichfeld, a freshman from Frederikshavn, Denmark, also had two assists.
JOACHIM BLICHFELD
The 18-year-old has 38 points, 16 of them goals, in 40 games. . . . The Rockets held a 4-1 lead early in the second period before Portland roared back. . . . F Nick Merkley (12) gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 2:53 of the first period, only to have F Colton Veloso tie it with his 12th goal, on a PP, at 3:58. . . . The Rockets got the next three goals, with D Gordie Ballhorn (2) scoring at 13:45 and F Kyle Topping (10) counting at 14:34. F Reid Gardiner got his third goal at 4:29 of the second period. . . . Merkley assisted on the last two of those goals. . . . F Skyler McKenzie started the comeback with his 31st goal, on a PP, at 8:34 of the second. . . . F Ryan Hughes (22) cut the deficit to one at 9:25 of the third period and F Jake Gricius (4) tied it at 12:51 of the third period. . . . McKenzie also had two assists, including one on the game-winner. The second one was his 100th career point. . . . McKenzie, who turned 19 on Jan. 20, has 59 points in 49 games. He went into this season with 41 points, including 12 goals, in 138 games. . . . G Shane Farkas, who turned 18 on Jan. 12, stopped 31 shots. The Penticton, B.C., native is 2-2-0. . . . The Rockets got 31 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Portland was 2-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-5. . . . The Winterhawks (25-21-3) have won three in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Rockets (27-19-4) have lost two straight and have fallen to fourth in the B.C. Division, two points behind the Victoria Royals. Kelowna does hold down the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,318.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jakob Stukel and D Jake Bean enjoyed four-point nights as the Calgary Hitmen
JAKOB STUKEL
dumped the Kootenay Ice, 8-3. . . . Stukel scored once, his 16th, and added three assists, while Bean recorded four assists. . . . The Hitmen actually fell behind 2-1 in the first period before opening the second period with four straight goals. . . . Calgary took a 1-0 lead when F Matteo Gennaro scored, on a PP, at 1:01. . . . F Vince Loschiavo and F Brett Davis (12) scored PP goals, at 9:20 and 11:18, to give the Ice that 2-1 edge. . . . Stukel tied it with another PP goal, at 1:19 of the second period and F Luke Coleman (10) gave Calgary the lead at 3:41. . . . Goals from F Andrew Fyten (5) at 4:23 and F Tyler Mrkonjic (5) at 10:50 put the visitors in control. . . . Loschiavo added another goal, his 18th, and also had an assist. . . . Gennaro ended up with two goals, giving him 31 this season. He has 21 goals in January. Last season, he totalled a career-high 18 goals in 42 games with the Prince Albert Raiders and 28 with Calgary. . . . F Beck Malenstyn (20) and F Mark Kastelic (9) also scored for the Hitmen. . . . Calgary got three assists from D Vladislav Yeryomenko, two from F Andrei Grishakov, and one each from Coleman and Mrkonjic. . . . F Colton Kroeker had two assists for the Ice, giving him five points in two games, while D Dallas Hines had two and Davis added one. . . . G Trevor Martin stopped 15 shots for Calgary. . . . Ice starter Jakob Walter allowed seven goals on 27 shots over 50:06, with Payton Lee stopping five of six shots over 9:54. . . . The Hitmen were 3-4 on the PP; the Ice was 3-6. . . . Calgary (18-21-9) had lost four in a row (0-1-3). It now is one point out of a wild-card spot. . . . The Ice slipped to 12-31-8. . . . Announced attendance: 1,783.
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At Medicine Hat, F Matt Bradley had a goal and two assists to help the Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Tigers had to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the latter part of the second p
MATT BRADLEY
eriod. . . . Medicine Hat took a 1-0 lead on F Mason Shaw’s 18th goal, at 2:13 of the first period. . . . Brandon took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Connor Gutenberg (11), on a PP, at 1:58 of the second and F Ty Lewis (23) at 13:05. . . . The Tigers tied it at 13:49 when F James Hamblin scored his 12th goal and took the lead at 19:33 on F Ryan Jevne’s goal. . . . Bradley upped the lead to 4-2 with his 21st goal, on a PP, at 3:46 of the third. . . . F Tanner Kaspick’s 16th goal, at 4:00, got Brandon to within a goal, but the Tigers put it away with goals from F Chad Butcher, his 22nd, at 16:50 and an empty-netter from Jevne, his second goal of the game and eighth of the season. . . . F Zach Russell (3) scored for Brandon at 19:08. . . . The Tigers got two assists from D Kristans Rubins. . . . The Tigers lost Hamblin and Shaw in the first period, both leaving while bleeding from facial injuries. . . . Hamblin, who was injured when he was checked and fell into the boards, returned. Shaw didn’t return after taking a skate to the face. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 18 shots for the Tigers, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson turned aside 29. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-4. . . . Medicine Hat (34-15-1) has won three in a row and is tied with the Everett Silvertips for third place in the overall standings. . . . The Wheat Kings (23-19-5), who play their third game in fewer than 48 hours today in Calgary, have lost two in a row. They are in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,732.
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At Prince Albert, F Cavin Leth tied the game and then set up the winning goal as the Raiders beat the Moose Jar Warriors, 5-4. . . . Moose Jaw overcame a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead, only to have Leth tie
CAVIN LETH
the score with his 15th goal, shorthanded, at 4:12 of the third period. . . . The Raiders won it when Leth set up F Cole Fonstand for his ninth goal, on a PP, at 13:35. . . . F Justin Almeida had given Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead at 4:12 of the first period. . . . Prince Albert responded with three straight goals. . . . F Parker Kelly (9) scored at 7:34 of the first period, with F Curtis Miske getting his 10th at 8:15. F Simon Stransky’s 14th goal, on a PP, 15 seconds into the second period gave the home said a 3-1 lead. . . . The Warriors skated to a 4-3 lead with goals from F Brayden Burke, his 16th, on a PP, at 4:03; Almeida, with his second of the game and sixth of the season, at 4:47, and F Thomas Foster (13), at 1:18 of the third period. . . . Stransky also had an assist. . . . Foster and Burke each had an assist for the Warriors. . . . The Raiders got 27 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . Moose Jaw starter Brody Willms allowed three goals on 11 shots in 20:15. Zach Sawchenko finished up by stopping 12 of 14 shots in 38:26. . . . Prince Albert was 2-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-5. . . . The Raiders improved to 12-35-5. . . . The Warriors (30-13-7) had a four-game winning streak come to an end. They are second in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 2,023.
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At Red Deer, G Tyler Brown stopped 31 shots in leading the Pats to a 4-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . Brown earned his 20th victory — he is 20-4-6 — in his first appearance since Jan. 13. . . . The Pats
TYLER BROWN
scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Filip Ahl got it started with No. 22, on a PP, at 7:40 of the first period. . . . F Adam Brooks made it 2-0 with another PP goal, this one at 19:43. . . . Regina had a 17-4 edge in first-period shots. . . . Brooks scored again, giving him 28, at 3:17 of the second period. . . . Red Deer’s goal game from F Adam Musil, his 18th, on a PP, at 5:49 of the second. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan got Regina’s last goal, his fifth, at 3:18 of the third. That was Sloboshan’s first goal in 11 games with the Pats since being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs on Jan. 2. . . . Sloboshan also had an assist. . . . The Rebels got 34 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Regina was 2-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-5. . . . The Rebels lost D Alexander Alexeyev with an injury to his right leg in the third period. Later, Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, told reporters that “he’s in quite a bit of pain right now. I’m not sure exactly what it is. It doesn’t look good, though.” . . . Regina (33-6-7) has won four in a row and remains tied with the Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . The Rebels (22-21-7) had won their previous two games. They are third in the Central Division, six points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 5,505.
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At Saskatoon, F Jordy Bellerive scored two goals to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 3-1 victory over
JORDY BELLERIVE
the Blades. . . . The Hurricanes now have points in 10 straight games (8-0-2). . . . F Zak Zborosky’s 32nd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 16:21 of the second period. . . . Bellerive made it 2-0 at 17:49. . . . The Blades got to within a goal when D Jake Kustra scored his first goal at 18:14. . . . That was Kustra’s second career goal and came in his 85th game. . . . Bellerive put it away with a shorthanded goal at 12:14 of the third period. He’s got 23 goals. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 27 shots for the Hurricanes as he improved to 4-2-2 this season. With G Stuart Skinner away at the Top Prospects Game, the Hurricanes didn’t list a backup goaltender on the online game sheet. . . . The Blades got 27 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . Lethbridge was 0-4 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-7. . . . The Hurricanes (28-15-7) are a comfortable second in the Central Division. . . . The Blades (20-24-6) have lost two straight after winning five in a row. They are in the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot but hold only a one-point lead over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 4,124.
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At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear scored at 18:51 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie and give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Everett, the league’s least-penalized team,
ETHAN BEAR
surrendered a 2-1 lead on two PP goals in the second half of the third period. . . . The Silvertips took a 1-0 lead when F Dominic Zwerger scored his 21st goal at 16:00 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar tied it at 3:56 of the second period. . . . Everett went back out front when F Patrick Bajkov got No. 21 at 15:20. . . . That lead held until 12:54 of the third period when Kolesar got his second goal of the game, and 10th of the season, tipping in a Bear shot on a PP. . . . Bear then won it with his 16th goal of the season. . . . F Mathew Barzal had three assists, while Kolesar had one. . . . Bajkov also had an assist. . . . Seattle G Matt Berlin, in his first start since Dec. 28, stopped 21 shots. . . . The Silvertips got 27 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Seattle was 2-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-2. . . . The Thunderbirds (28-15-4) have won four straight. They are third in the U.S. Division, three points behind the Tri-City Americans and with five games in hand. . . . The Silvertips (30-8-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are tied for third in the overall standings, four points from the top rung. . . . F Dawson Butt, a 16-year-old from Buckley, Wash., played his second game with the Everett. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Dawson is the son of Jamie Butt, who played four seasons (1992-96) with the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets. . . . Announced attendance: 5,075.
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At Kennewick, Wash., D Dylan Coghlan and F Kyle Olson each had a goal and three assists as the Tri-City Americans skated to an 8-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Tri-City took control of this one with
TYLER SANDHU
three goals before the game was five minutes old. . . . Olson scored his 13th goal at 1:27 of the first period, with Coghlan getting No. 8 at 2:16 and D Parker Wotherspoon counting his eighth, while shorthanded, at 4:26. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 24th goal got Spokane on the scoreboard at 5:59, but the Americans got that one back when F Vladislav Lukin scored his 20th goal at 9:36. . . . F Hudson Elynuik (18) pulled the Chiefs to within two at 9:00 of the second period, but F Jordan Topping restored the three-goal margin with his 14th just three minutes later. . . . Spokane F Eli Zummack (7) made it 5-3 at 16:44. . . . The Americans put it away with three third-period goals. . . . F Tyler Sandhu got his 13th goal, and his 200th career point, at 13:25. He has split 298 regular season games between Tri-City, the Everett Silvertips and Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Morgan Geekie (27) and F Vladislav Lukin (21) added goals before the period ended. . . . Geekie also had two assists, with Topping, Lukin and Wotherspoon picking up one apiece. . . . Wotherspoon’s assist was No. 132 in his career, tying him for first in the franchise’s record book with Tyler Schmidt (2006-11). . . . Anderson-Dolan and Elynuik had an assist each for Spokane. . . . G Rylan Parenteau blocked 35 shots for the Americans. . . . G Dawson Weatherill gave up six goals on 19 shots in 42:16 for the Chiefs, with Jayden Sittler stopping two of four shots in 17:44. . . . The Americans were 0-1 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-4. . . . Tri-City (30-19-3) had lost its previous two games. It is second in the U.S. Division, six points behind the Everett Silvertips, who have five games in hand. . . . Spokane (20-22-8) has lost three in a row (0-2-1) and is five points from a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,015.
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At Victoria, F Dante Hannoun and F Matt Phillips had two goals each to help the Royals to a 7-1 victory
DANTE HANNOUN
over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals had beaten the Giants, 3-1, in Langley, B.C., on Friday night. . . . They’ll play again today, 5:05 p.m., in Victoria. . . . F Jordan Borstmayer’s fourth goal gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 12:58 of the first period. . . . Victoria scored the next seven goals. . . . Phillips tied it with No. 36 at 17:52 and Hannoun gave the home team a 2-1 lead with his 16th at 6:03 of the second period. . . . Phillips later got No. 37. He’s second in the WHL, one behind F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Royals also got goals from D Scott Walford (4), F Ethan Price (6) and F Carter Folk (4). . . . Victoria got two assists from each of D Chaz Reddekopp and F Regan Nagy, with Walford and Phillips adding one apiece. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots to pick up his WHL-leading 28th victory, one more than Nick Schneider of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He has started a franchise record 23 straight games. He broke the previous record (21), that had been held by Lucas Gore (Chilliwack Bruins, 2010-11). . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck turned aside 26 shots. . . . Victoria was 1-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Royals (28-19-4) have won two straight and have moved into third in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kamloops Blazers and two ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Giants (17-29-4) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) and seven of eight since the trade deadline. . . . Announced attendance: 5,604.
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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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:37 PM
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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Cougars forward gets NHL deal . . . Blazers, Raiders cut deal . . . Silvertips back on top

JESSE GABRIELLE
F Jesse Gabrielle of the Prince George Cougars has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Gabrielle, 19, had 19 goals and 11 assists in 25 games with the Cougars this season. . . . Last season, he put up 75 points, including 40 goals, in 72 games with the Cougars. In 214 regular-season games — he also has played with the Regina Pats and Brandon Wheat Kings — Gabrielle has 175 points, including 94 goals. . . . From Moosomin, Sask., Gabrielle was a fourth-round pick by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL draft. . . . Gabrielle was a fifth-round selection by the Wheat Kings in the 2012 WHL bantam draft.
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The Kamloops Blazers have acquired F Nic Holowko, 19, from the Prince Albert Raiders for a conditional sixth-round selection in the WHL’s 2018 bantam draft. Holowko, who is from Burnaby, B.C., is expected to join the Blazers today (Monday) and play on Tuesday against the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . Holowko had been scratched from each of the Raiders’ last five games. He last played on Nov. 30 in a 5-1 loss to the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Holowko had two goals and five assists in 26 games with the Raiders, who acquired him from the Seattle Thunderbirds on Sept. 15 for F Layne Bensmiller and a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . In two seasons with Seattle, he had 11 goals and 18 assists in 135 games. . . . Holowko adds some depth and experience to a lineup that lost veteran F Matt Revel, 20, to an undisclosed injury during a 3-2 victory over the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Saturday night. Revel will miss at least the last five games of what is a six-game Central Division road trip.
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F Riley McKay of the Spokane Chiefs has been hit with a TBD suspension for a one-man fight during a game against the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C., on Saturday night. . . . This is the third one-man fight suspension in the WHL this season; the first two drew eight and five games. D Sam Ruopp of the Prince George Cougars has served his eight-game sentence, while F Zach Fischer of the Medicine Hat Tigers in in the middle of his five-game suspension.
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Shayne Sanborn, a coach with the Omaha AAA hockey organization, was killed in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 in Iowa on Saturday. The accident also claimed the lives of brothers Jamison, 14, and Gavin, 11, Steckler of Audubon, Iowa. . . . The Omaha AAA organization put this statement on its Facebook page: "Words cannot express our sorrow and grief today with the passing of under 14 assistant coach Sanborn. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this difficult time. He was a valued member of our coaching staff and will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Shayne." . . . There is more on the accident right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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Coaching
Two former coaches of the junior B Princeton Posse are suing the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team for what they claim are unpaid wages. The Penticton Herald, in a story by Erin Christie, reports that Geoff Goodman, a former general manager and head coach, and his assistant coach, Lance Vaillancourt, have filed separate lawsuits in small claims court in Penticton. Goodman is claiming $13,333, while Vaillancourt wants $3,000. . . . Both men were fired by the Posse on Nov. 16. . . . Christie’s story is right here.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Jakob Stukel scored the only goal of the shootout as the Hitmen beat the Kamloops
JAKOB STUKEL
Blazers, 3-2. . . . Blazers F Collin Shirley forced OT with his 100th career goal at 18:27 of the third period, on a PP, as the visitors erased a 2-0 first-period deficit. Shirley had picked up his 200th career point one night earlier in Edmonton. . . . In fact, Calgary led 2-0 before the game four minutes old. . . . F Matteo Gennaro (11) scored 32 seconds into the game and F Jordy Stallard (5) made it 2-0 at 3:11. . . . Kamloops F Deven Sideroff scored his 17th goal at 5:31 of the third period to halve the deficit. . . . The Blazers got two assists from F Garrett Pilon, who has figured in the team’s last five goals. Kamloops beat the Oil Kings, 3-2, in Edmonton on Saturday night. . . . The Hitmen got 31 saves from G Kyle Dumba, who also stopped all three shooters in the circus. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson made 33 stops as he started his eighth game of the season and his second in a row, with Connor Ingram at the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. Ferguson hadn’t started two straight since the first two games of the season. . . . Ferguson also drew an assist on Shirley’s goal. . . . Kamloops was 1-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . The Hitmen (12-15-2) are without D Jake Bean (Team Canada). . . . Kamloops (18-12-2) has points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . The Blazers are 1-0-1 on a six-game Central Division trek. . . . Announced attendance: 7,825.
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At Everett, F Dominic Zwerger burned his former team for two goals and an assist as the Silvertips beat
DOMINIC
ZWERGER
the Spokane Chiefs, 5-3. . . . Zwerger, who has 13 goals, scored at 3:14 of the first period and 1:27 of the second as Everett took a 2-0 lead. . . . The Chiefs got on the scoreboard when F Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored at 4:25 of the second, but Everett F Graham Millar (7) got that one back at 9:43. . . . Anderson-Dolan then scored his 16th goal  and 29th point, in 31 games at 10:25. He finished last season with 14 goals and 12 assists in 65 games. In his last four games, he has six goals and two helpers. . . . F Riley Sutter (10) restored the home team’s two-goal edge, on a PP, at 3:44 of the third period. . . . The Chiefs got back to within one on F Keanu Yamamoto’s 13th goal, at 7:47. That ran his point streak to 12 games. . . . Everett F Connor Dewar (3) got the empty-netter at 18:57. . . . F Patrick Bajkov D Kevin Davis and F Matt Fonteyne each had two assists for the Silvertips. . . . Everett got 24 saves from G Mario Petit. . . . Spokane starter Jayden Sittler surrendered three goals on 14 shots in 29:43. Dawson Weatherill finished up, allowing a goal on 12 shots. . . . Everett was 2-4 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . This was the third game in three nights — and the fourth in five nights — for both teams. Each team went 2-1-1. . . . The Chiefs are 2-1-1 in the season series; the Silvertips are 2-2-0. . . . Everett is without G Carter Hart and D Noah Juulsen, both of whom are in camp with Canada’s national junior team. . . . The Silvertips (22-4-5) moved atop the overall standings, one point ahead of the idle Regina Pats (21-2-6), who hold two games in hand. . . . The Chiefs (13-12-6) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . . Announced attendance: 3,502.
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At Lethbridge, F Tyler Wong drew three assists in helping the Hurricanes to a 6-5 victory over the
STUART SKINNER
Kelowna Rockets. . . . This was a strange one in that the Rockets scored the game’s first and last goals. In between, Lethbridge scored three times, then Kelowna struck for three, and finally the Hurricanes scored three in a row. . . . Kelowna F Conner Bruggen-Cate’s first goal, at 1:35 of the first period, got it started. . . . The Hurricanes then struck three times, with D Brennan Menell (6) scoring at 2:28, D Calen Addison (5) at 5:20 and F Jordy Bellerive (13), on a PP, at 6:46. . . . The Rockets roared back with three of their own, two of them from F Calvin Thurkauf, who has 17 goals, and one from D James Hilsendager, who got his first. . . . The next three goals went to Lethbridge. F Colton Kroeker (5) tied the game, 4-4, at 13:41 of the second period. F Tanner Nagel (6) provided a 5-4 lead at 10:26 of the third period. F Egor Babenko (9) scored on a PP at 15:03. . . . F Nolan Foote (6) got Kelowna back to within a goal at 16:42. . . . Addison, Bellerive and Kroeker each added an assist to their goals. . . . D Cal Foote and F Kole Lind each had three assists for the Rockets, with Bruggen-Cate and Hilsendager each adding one. . . . Thurkauf has eight goals and two assists over his past four games. . . . G Stuart Skinner earned the victory with 38 stops. . . . Kelowna starter Michael Herringer was beaten three times on four shots in 6:46. Brodan Salmond came on to stop 28 of 31 in 52:14. . . . Lethbridge was 2-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-3. . . . The Rockets are without F Nick Merkley and F Dillon Dube, both of whom are at the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . Lethbridge (18-11-4) is 11-0-1 in its past 12 games. . . . The Rockets (19-12-1) had been 6-0-1 in their previous seven outings. . . . Announced attendance: 3,015.
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At Saskatoon, the Blades scored the game’s last four goals as they beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-3. . .
LUKUS MacKENZIE
. The Warriors led 3-1 early in the second period but weren’t able to put it away. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs, who leads the WHL with 27 goals, scored twice and added an assist for Moose Jaw. His goal-scoring streak now is at nine games and his 47 points leave him one off the WHL lead. . . . D Josh Brook (3) gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead 28 seconds into the game. . . . Saskatoon F Braylon Shmyr (13) tied it, on a PP, at 5:39. . . . Halbgewachs then scored twice, at 18:25 of the first and 4:57 of the second period. . . . F Brayden Burke drew assists on both goals as he ran his point streak to nine games. . . . F Lukus MacKenzie pulled the Blades to within one, at 9:37 of the second period. . . . MacKenzie then tied it with his third goal of the season, at 2:35 of the third period. . . . D Jordan Henderson broke the tie with his first goal, at 17:47, and F Kolten Olynek (7), who also had an assist, added a shorthanded empty-netter, at 19:59. . . . F Michael Farren and F Logan Christensen had two assists each for Saskatoon as they set up MacKenzie’s goals. . . . The Blades got 29 saves from G Brock Hamm. . . . Brody Willms stopped 33 shots for the Warriors. . . . Saskatoon was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-4. . . . F Brett Howden (Team Canada) and D Matt Sozanski (hangnail/shoulder) were among Moose Jaw’s scratches as it dressed only 16 skaters. The Warriors also are without head coach Tim Hunter, who is with Team Canada. . . . Moose Jaw F Noah Gregor had a 10-game point streak come to an end. . . . Saskatoon (13-18-2) has won two straight and closed to within two points of a wild-card playoff spot. . . . Moose Jaw (18-7-5) had been 3-0-1 in its previous four games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,202.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kelowna at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
——

TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.
Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3. 
Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.
Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.
Dec. 10: D Josh Thrower, 12:13 1st period, Prince Albert 4 at Moose Jaw 5 (SO).
Dec. 10: F Nick Bowman, 13:38 2nd period, Kamloops 3 at Edmonton 2.
Dec. 10: D Troy Murray, 1:51 2nd, Kelowna 7 at Kootenay 3.
Dec. 10: F Max Gerlach, 5:26 1st period, Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 7.
Dec. 10: F Skyler McKenzie 2:21 1st, Everett 2 at Portland 5.
Dec. 10: F Josh Curtis, 6:02 2nd period, Seattle 4 at Prince George 6.
Dec. 10: F Tyler Sandhu, 0:36 1st period, Victoria 3 at Tri-City 4.

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