Taking Note: James Malm

Showing posts with label James Malm. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Royals get two positive tests . . . Blazers' pick joining Vees . . . Pats clinch top spot

The Victoria Royals confirmed on Monday that head coach Dave Lowry and D Mitchell Prowse have tested positive for mumps. At the same time, D Ralph Jarratt was cleared.

The team made the announcement on its Facebook page.

Lowry and Prowse, who had been isolated from the team as it awaited the test results, are expected to rejoin the Royals this week in preparation for a weekend home-and-home series with the Everett Silvertips.

Jarratt, meanwhile, is shown on the WHL’s weekly roster report as being out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

According to the team’s statement, “no further members of the Royals organization have been infected by the virus. Both Lowry and Prowse have recovered from their mild symptoms and have cleared the contagious stage.”

Lowry missed a third straight game on Tuesday as the Royals dropped a 5-3 decision to the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. With Lowry missing, assistant coach Dan Price again ran the bench, with help from assistant Doug Bodger, who usually works only home games.

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It seems that the mumps outbreak also has touched the BCHL.

Taking Note has been told that a player with the Penticton Vees was diagnosed with mumps two weeks ago. He was quickly isolated and the viral disease doesn’t appear to have spread within the organization.

The player in question returned to practice this week.

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F Massimo Rizzo will be joining the BCHL’s Penticton Vees for the remainder of their playoff run that begins Friday against the Merritt Centennials.

MASSIMO RIZZO

Rizzo was a first-round selection, 15th overall, by the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He played in three games with the Vees during the regular season.

Last season, Rizzo put up 137 points, including 60 goals, in 61 games with the Burnaby Winter Club’s Tier 1 bantam team. This season, with the BWC midget prep team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, he had 78 points, including 59 assists, in 43 games. Rizzo’s club will conclude its season this weekend, after which he will join the Vees.

Rizzo was pointless in his first three games with the Vees. Of course, F Tyson Jost didn’t get a point in his first three games with the Vees, either, when he was an AP in 2013-14 while playing for the major midget Okanagan Rockets.

Jost went on to enjoy 45- and 104-point seasons with the Vees before being the 10th overall selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2016 draft. Jost now is completing his freshman season at North Dakota.

The Hockey News, in its Future Watch issue, wrote: “. . . college coaches are swooning for him. Some say he’s better than Tyson Jost at the same age.”

Rizzo spent some time in mid-February on the U of Wisconsin campus in Madison. Maco Balkovec, his coach at BWC, was a Wisconsin defenceman for four seasons (1991-95).

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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Conrad Mitchell, who was a seventh-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. From Thorsby, Alta., Mitchell played this season with the minor midget AAA Leduc Oil Kings, recording 35 points, 17 of them goals, in 35 games.

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G Austin McGrath, 19, has committed to Cornell where he will play for the Big Red. McGrath, from Lloydminster, Alta., was a fourth-round selection by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. His WHL rights later ended up with the Edmonton Oil Kings, who dealt them to the Everett Silvertips on May 11 for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . McGrath played this season with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats.

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet spent the past week hunting and gathering. The result is the latest edition of 30 Thoughts and it’s right here.

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Rob Daum, a former WHL coach, has been dropped by the Linz Black Wings of the Erste Bank

Eishockey Liga after six seasons as their head coach. Daum, 59, was under contract with the Austrian club through 2017-18. . . . The Black Wings were eliminated from the Erste Banke playoffs on March 7. . . . Under Daum, the Black Wings won the EBEL championship in 2011-12, his first season with them. . . . With 237 victories during his time with Linz, Daum is No. 1 on the Erste Bank career list. He also was the league’s longest-serving coach. . . . “We are of the opinion that the club . . . needs a new direction after six years under the same coaching,” team president Peter Freunschlag said in a news release. . . . Daum coached in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders, Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1989-95).

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Dean Blais won’t be returning for a ninth season as head coach of the U of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. Blais and the school’s athletic department made the announcement Tuesday. . . . Blais, 66, was 146-133-30 with the Mavericks, appeared in two NCAA tournaments and reached the Frozen Four on one occasion. This season, UNO was 17-17-5. . . . UNO’s season ended Sunday with a ?? OT loss to the Western Michigan Mustangs, after which Blais seemed to indicate that he would be returning. It would appear, however, that something changed between then and Tuesday morning. . . . During a 10-season (1994-2004) stint at North Dakota, Blais won two NCAA championships. . . . Adam Wodon of College Hockey News has a whole lot more right here.

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Matt Keetley wins the 50-50? Can they put him in goal?
— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) March 15, 2017

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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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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

BWK fall 6-3 to SC Broncos. Scored 3 or fewer goals in 12 of last 15 games. 3 they've scored more than 3 have been their only 3 wins. #bdnmb
— Bruce Luebke (@bluebkemedia) March 15, 2017

At Brandon, the Swift Current Broncos broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of goals 53 seconds apart late in the second period en route to a 6-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Broncos started with a pair of first-

CONNER CHAULK

period PP goals, from D Artyom Minulin (8), at 11:31, and F Tyler Steenbergen, at 17:54. . . . Steenbergen leads the WHL with 51 goals. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it on two second-period goals, 37 seconds apart, from F Tanner Kaspick (19), at 0:26, and F Nolan Patrick (20), at 1:03. . . . F Riley Stotts (8) snapped the tie at 15:46 and F Lane Pederson (24) made it 4-2 at 16:39. . . . The Broncos went ahead 5-2 when F Glenn Gawdin (25) counted at 6:32 of the third period. . . . Brandon F Ty Lewis scored his 30th goal, at 7:32. . . . The Broncos ended the scoring as F Arthur Miller (7) struck on a PP, at 12:19. . . . The Broncos got three assists from F Conner Chaulk and two from F Ryley Lindgren, with Pederson, Steenbergen and Minulin each had one. . . . Lewis added an assist to his goal. . . . The Broncos got 24 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . G Jordan Papirny, who played the first four-plus seasons of his WHL career with Brandon, wasn't able to make the trip east due to illness. He now has sat out three straight games. . . . With Papirny out, the Broncos had Bailey Brkin on the bench. The 6-foot-4 Brkin, 17, is from Sherwood Park, Alta. He played this season with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson stopped 36 shots. . . . Swift Current was 3-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-2. . . . D Kale Clague was among Brandon’s scratches, while D Aiden Mucenski made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings. Mucenski, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, is from Calgary. He had 20 points, 19 of them assists, with the midget AAA Calgary Flames this season. . . . D Colton Sissons was among Swift Current scratches. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Tyler Coulter to a charging major and game misconduct at 13:38 of the first period for a hit on Broncos F Kaden Elder. . . . The Broncos (38-21-10) have won three in a row. They also have won six straight on the road. Swift Current is third in the East Division, five points Moose Jaw with each team having three games remaining. They will wrap up the regular season with a home-and-home series on the weekend. . . . The Wheat Kings (30-29-10) have lost 12 of their past 15 games. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,009. . . . The Wheat Kings completed the roster of their 50th anniversary Dream Team with Ray Allison (1975-79), Bill Derlago (1974-78) and Brian Propp (1976-79) on the first line, with Brad McCrimmon (1976-79) and Ivan Provorov (2014-16) on the first defence pairing and Ron Hextall (1981-84) in goal.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Colton Kehler scored at 1:17 of OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory

COLTON KEHLER

over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Kehler has 17 goals this season. . . . This was Edmonton’s first victory since Feb. 15 when Kehler’s OT goal gave the Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the visiting Ice. . . . F Brett Davis (18) gave the home side a 1-0 lead 51 seconds into the second period. . . . Edmonton tied it when F Tyson Gruninger scored his second goal of the season at 19:46. . . . The Ice went back in front on F Jake Elmer’s seventh goal, at 4:46 of the third period. . . . Edmonton forced OT when F Davis Koch scored No. 21 at 6:51. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine blocked 20 shots. . . . The Ice got 32 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Edmonton was 0-1 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-2. . . . The Oil Kings (21-43-6) have lost their previous 12 games (0-10-2). . . . The Ice (14-43-12) has lost seven in a row (0-5-2). . . . Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 1,672.

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Butcher got a haircut. Says he should be a few MPH faster out there now
— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) March 15, 2017

At Medicine Hat, the Red Deer Rebels scored three shorthanded goals, two on the same penalty, en

BRANDON HAGEL

route to an 8-3 victory over the Tigers. . . . Red Deer, which clinched a playoff spot, broke it open with four goals, including two shorties, in a span of 2:15 in the third period. . . . The Tigers actually held a 2-1 lead halfway through the game, thanks to a pair of PP goals. . . . F Matt Bradley (34) gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 8:34 of the first period. . . . The Rebels tied it when F Lane Zablocki got his 27th goal, shorthanded, on a penalty shot, at 7:38 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat went back out front at 7:53 as F Zach Fischer got his 34th goal. . . . F Brandon Hagel got the Rebels even, again, at 10:34 and F Jordan Roy’s third goal put the visitors in front at 17:25. . . . Hagel’s 27th goal, at 6:42 of the third period, started the Red Deer explosion. . . . F Austin Glover scored his 21st at 7:46, with F Evan Polei (32) and F Michael Spacek (29) scoring shorties at 8:37 and 8:57, respectively. . . . F Max Gerlach added a PP goal for the Tigers, at 9:25, before Roy scored again, at 13:12. . . . Red Deer got three assists from D Jared Freadrich and two each from F Matt Campese and Hagel, with Polei, Glover and Spacek adding one each. . . . Hagel’s four-point night made him a point-a-game guy, with 63 points in 62 games. . . . Gerlach and Bradley had assists for the Tigers. . . . G Lasse Petersen earned the victory with 37 saves. . . . The Tigers got 14 saves on 18 shots from starter Michael Bullion, in 51:02, while Nick Schneder allowed four goals on seven shots in 8:57. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Rebels (29-28-12) are 4-0-2 in their past six games. They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Tigers (49-20-1) had won their previous three games. They will finish atop the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,089.

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At Moose Jaw, F Simon Stransky’s 20th goal at 1:29 of OT gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 3-2 victory

SIMON STRANSKY

over the Warriors. . . . D Max Martin’s eighth goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 4:13 of the first period. . . . The Warriors tied it on D Dmitri Zaitsev’s second goal, on a PP, at 14:15. . . . The next two goals came in the third period. . . . F Parker Kelly (20) gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead at 3:09. . . . The Warriors forced extra time when F Noah Gregor got No. 25, at 18:54, with G Zach Sawchenko on the bench for an extra attacker. . . . F Curtis Miske had two assists for Prince Albert, while Kelly had one. . . . The Raiders got a big night from G Nick Schneider with 41 saves. . . . At the other end, Sawchenko stopped 31 shots. . . . The game featured two penalty shots, neither of which was successful. F Cavin Leth of the Raiders came up empty at 8:08 of the first period, with F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Warriors coming up short at 17:36 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-1 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . The Raiders improved to 20-43-7. . . . The Warriors (41-19-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and remain second in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,013.

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PATS WIN!!!!! @TheWHL REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS! 5-4 THE FINAL SCORE!!!#JoinTheRegiment pic.twitter.com/LccxHvXhad
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 15, 2017

At Regina, F Sam Steel and F Adam Brooks, the Pats’ big guns, combined for six points as the Pats beat

CONNOR HOBBS

the Saskatoon Blades, 5-4, to clinch first place in the WHL’s overall standings. . . . The Pats last finished atop the overall standings in the spring of 1974. That year, they went on to win the Memorial Cup at the Corral in Calgary. . . . Steel scored his 49th goal and added two assists, with Brooks chipping in three assists. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 127 points, seven more than Brooks, who won last season’s scoring title with 120 points. . . . Brooks leads the WHL in assists (81), three more than Steel. . . . The Blades, who are fighting for their playoff lives, took a 3-1 lead into the second period. . . . F Caleb Fantillo (5) gave Saskatoon a lead at 3:04 of the first period. . . . F Nick Henry (34) tied it with a PP goal at 5:38. . . . The Blades took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Dryden Michaud, his first WHL goal in his 27th game, at 16:23, and F Josh Paterson (16), at 16:51. . . . Regina F Jeff de Wit, celebrating his 19th birthday, got the Pats to within a goal with his ninth, at 3:43 of the second period. . . . Steel tied it at 13:37. . . . D Josh Mahura (17) gave Regina its first lead, at 18:16. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs, who also had an assist, scored his 29th goal, on a PP, at 15:22, for a 5-3 lead. Hobbs leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points (81). . . . Saskatoon made it interesting when F Michael Farren scored his seventh goal, on a PP, at 18:43. The Blades held a two-man advantage and then pulled G Logan Flodell for an extra attacker at the time. . . . Fantillo added an assist to his goal. . . . G Tyler Brown earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . Flodell stopped 30 shots. . . . Regina was 2-7 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-7. . . . The Pats (49-12-8) have won five in a row and have tied a franchise record with 49 victories. . . . The Blades (27-34-9) have lost three straight. They are three points out of a playoff spot and have just two games remaining. . . . Regina went 5-0-1 in the season series. . . . Announced attendance: 4,695.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Keegan Iverson ran his point streak to 10 games as he scored twice to help the

KEEGAN IVERSON

Portland Winterhawks to a 6-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Winterhawks (39-27-4) are third in the U.S. Division, three points clear of the Americans (38-28-3), who have lost five in a row. . . . Tri-City holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Victoria. . . . Iverson has put together seven two-point games in his past eight outings. In 53 games, he has 68 points, including 25 goals. . . . The Winterhawks took control with the game’s first four goals, three of them in the first period. . . . The first three goals came from F Skyler Mckenzie (42), Iverson, on a PP, and F Lane Gilliss (6). . . . F Jake Gricius (10) made it 4-0 at 6:49 of the second period. . . . F Kyle Olson scored Tri-City’s goal, his 20th, at 12:59 of the third period. . . . Iverson and F Brett Clayton (2) added late goals for Portland. . . . The Winterhawks got two assists from each of D Caleb Jones and F Ilijah Colina, with McKenzie adding one. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler turned aside 35 shots. . . . Tri-City got 31 stops from G Rylan Parenteau. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-6. . . . The Americans lost F Landon Fuller to a charging major and game misconduct at 9:41 of the first period. . . . Announced attendance: 3,092.

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.@AidanBarfoot will make his WHL debut for @WHLGiants tonight vs. Victoria. Becomes 8th Affiliate Player to suit up for Van this season.
— Brendan Batchelor (@Batchelor1040) March 14, 2017

At Langley, B.C., F James Malm scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 5-3 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Malm, who had two assists in 25 games last season, has 50

JAMES MALM

points, including 20 goals, in 66 games this season. . . . The Giants scored the game’s first two goals, from F Brayden Watts (7), at 3:03 of the first period, and Malm, at 9:48 of the second. . . . Victoria F Matt Phillips got his guys on the scoreboard at 9:58. . . . The Giants got that one back when D Jordan Wharrie got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 14:48. . . . The Royals cut the deficit to one when Phillips scored his 50th goal, on a penalty shot, at 1:16 of the third period. . . . The Giants went back up by two on F Ty Ronning’s 25th goal, at 2:39. . . . The Royals wouldn't go away, though, and F Blake Bargar cut the host’s lead to one with his sixth goal, at 7:06. . . . Malm iced it at 12:18. . . . Watts added two assists to his goal, with F Johnny Wesley and F Calvin Spencer also getting two assists apiece. . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck earned the victory with 39 saves. . . . The Royals got 28 stops from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . Vancouver was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals went 0-4-1 on a five-game road trip that included an introduction to mumps. Head coach Dave Lowry and defencemen Ralph Jarratt and Mitchell Prowse missed the last three games. . . . Victoria D Ryan Gagnon has tied the franchise record for career games played (318). F Brandon Magee played in 66 games with the Chilliwack Bruins and 252 with the Royals. Gagnon will break the record if he plays Friday against the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . F Jack Walker played in his 316th regular-season game with the Royals last night. . . . The Royals won eight of 10 games in the season series. . . . The Giants (20-43-6) had lost their previous eight games (0-7-1). . . . The Royals (37-27-6) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They are in possession of the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, a point ahead of Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 4,158.

FANTASTIC PHILLY! @mattphillips_8 becomes the first Royals player to score 50 goals in a single season with his penalty shot marker! pic.twitter.com/kUR8UqMMUW
— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) March 15, 2017

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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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Saturday, January 21, 2017

Take finances with grain of salt? ... Phillips fills hat again ... Milestone for Clouston as Tigers win

F Chris Langkow (Spokane, Saskatoon, Everett, 2005-10) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga), he had 10 goals and 18 assists in 41 games. He was granted his release for financial reasons this week. . . .

F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) has signed with Preussen Berlin (Germany, Oberliga). He had been on a tryout with Schönheide (Germany, Oberliga) in November. In four games, he had a goal and two assists.

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Like many of us, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News has looked over the financial information involving OHL and WHL teams that was released by the CHL on Thursday.

And what did he think?

“In an effort to get out in front of the story and win the case in the court of public opinion,” Campbell writes, “the Canadian Hockey League . . . released some of the financial information it had previously been trying to keep from the prying eyes of everyone outside its inner circle. It’s a curious move to say the least. And when you look at the numbers, you get the sense that the CHL is cherry picking on the same level as an out-of-shape beer leaguer who constantly hangs out at the opponent’s blueline.

“The CHL has crafted its message, complete with an expert opinion saying teams would have to consider ceasing operations if they had to pay players minimum wage, giving people just enough information to portray themselves as downtrodden philanthropists interested only in providing entertainment and helping young men realize their NHL dreams, without really telling us where the money trail actually leads. Well played.”

The releasing of these figures is part of the CHL’s attempts to neutralize attempts by around 370 present and former players to get the OK to move forward with class-action lawsuits in Alberta and Ontario aimed at forcing the major junior leagues to pay minimum wage, among other things.

“The WHL claimed revenues of just over $80 million in 2015,” Campbell notes. “The cost to pay the players minimum wage in that league would be about $300,000 per year per team for a total cost of about $6.6 million, which would amount to about 8.25 percent of total revenues.

“What business in any part of the real world would be able to claim revenues of more than $136 million, then try to convince people that it couldn’t afford to pay 850 of its employees minimum wage? Welcome to the world of junior hockey where it seems no matter how much money a team makes, its expenses seem to rise at the same rate. How the heck are these people ever expected to make a go of it?”

Campbell’s complete piece is right here.

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The ECHL’s Quad City Mallards have fired general manager/head coach Terry Ruskowski, who was in his fifth season on the job. Phil Axtell, an assistant coach for two years, was named interim head coach, while the search for a full-time head coach gets started. . . . The Mallards were 19-16-2 and in fourth place in the seven-team Central Division at the time of the firing. However, they had lost six of their past seven games. . . . The Mallards were 160-122-31 under Ruskowski. . . . "I was shocked a little bit because we were still over .500," Ruskowski told Bobby Metcalf of the Quad-City Times. "We played the last three weeks really shorthanded with guys out of the lineup, guys called up, I was trying to patch things together until everybody got healthy. I think I would have probably understood if we had a full lineup and were semi-successful, I probably would have understood more but it was their decision. They hired me and I appreciate what they've done for me the last four to five years." . . . Ruskowski, 62, is from Prince Albert. He played three sesaons (1971-74) with the Swift Current Broncos before going on to a 15-year professional career in the WHA and NHL. He also spent two seasons (1989-91) in the WHL as the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

Cheering on @folkcarter and @victoriaroyals in #yyc. Good road win. pic.twitter.com/Yv7567fF8b
— Lindsay Folk (@LindsayFolk) January 21, 2017

At Calgary, F Matt Phillips, whose NHL rights belong to the Calgary Flames, scored three times and

MATT PHILLIPS

added an assist to help the Victoria Royals to a 7-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Phillips, who has 35 goals, had scored three goals on Thursday night as the Royals beat the host Edmonton Oil Kings, 6-3. He was a sixth-round pick by the Flames in the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Last night, the Royals jumped out to a 4-0 lead. F Vladimir Bobylev had a goal, his fifth, and two assists in that outburst, while Phillips scored twice and F Regan Nagy got No. 13. . . . F Beck Malenstyn (19) got the Hitmen on the scoreboard with a PP goal, at 5:01 of the second. . . . D Chaz Reddekopp (9) and D Ralph Jarratt (1) counted for Victoria at 7:14 of the second and 9:57 of the third period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro got his 26th for Calgary at 15:20. . . . Phillips completed his fifth career hat trick and third this season at 16:51. . . . Victoria F Tyler Soy had three assists, giving him seven in two games, while Bobylev also finished with three helpers. Reddekopp added one. . . . Gennaro and Malenstyn had an assist each. . . . The Royals got 25 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, who won for the 26th time. That ties him with Nick Schneider of the Medicine Hat Tigers for the WHL lead. . . . Calgary starter Kyle Dumba allowed five goals on 16 shots in 27:14, with Trevor Martin coming on to play 32:46 and stop 13 of 15 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals (26-18-4) have won four in a row. . . . The Hitmen (17-21-6) has won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 7,243.

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Both coaches take turns yelling at the refs
— Andy Eide (@AndyEide) January 21, 2017

At Everett, G Carter Hart stopped 33 shots as the Silvertips beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 1-0. . . . Hart

CARTER HART

posted his WHL-leading sixth shutout of the season and the 16th of his career. He was especially busy in the third period when the Thunderbirds held a 16-4 edge in shots. . . . The game’s lone goal came from F Orrin Centazzo, who scored No. 4, on a PP, at 9:14 of the first period. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth stopped 13 shots. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Seattle was 0-4. . . . The Silvertips had F Dominic Zwerger among their scratches, while Seattle continues without F Scott Eansor. . . . The Silvertips have added F Ethan Browne, 15, to their roster. He had been playing for the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. Everett selected Browne in the first round of the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Browne, who is from Sherwood Park, has 23 points, including seven goals, in 23 games with the Kings. Browne wasn’t in the lineup for this one. . . . The Silvertips (29-6-8) are second in the overall standings, two points behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Thunderbirds (24-15-6) had won their previous six games. They are third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Thunderbirds were fined $500 for a warm-up violation on Tuesday prior to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Silvertips. . . . Announced attendance: 6,867.

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At Kamloops, F Lane Bauer scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Blazers a 4-3 victory over

LANE BAUER

the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 33 shots through OT and made four more saves in the shootout. . . . Kamloops took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from F Garrett Pilon (11), at 1:21, and F Nic Holowko (3), at 10:31. . . . Portland tied it in the second period when D Keoni Texeira (9) scored at 6:48 and F Joachim Blichfeld got his 13th, at 8:22, on a PP. . . . Kamloops went back out front on F Rudolfs Balcers’ 25th goal, at 8:42. . . . The Winterhawks forced OT when F Colton Veloso (11) counted at 3:11 of the third period. . . . D Dallas Valentine had two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Cody Glass was outstanding for Portland and drew two assists. . . . G Cole Kehler, who was acquired from the Blazers prior to the season, stopped 30 shots. . . . Portland was 1-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-5. . . . The Winterhawks welcomed back D Caleb Jones and F Cody Glass, both of whom had been ill. . . . Kamloops (28-16-3) has won three in a row. It is second in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Portland (22-20-3) has lost four in a row (0-2-2), but still holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Winterhawks were fined $500 for “actions of team member” at Prince George on Wednesday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,630.

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$123,851!!! A new record!
— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) January 21, 2017

At Prince George, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 34 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 2-1 victory

ZACH SAWCHENKO

over the Cougars. . . . Sawchenko turned aside all 12 shots he faced in the first period and all 14 in the third. . . . The game’s three goals came in a span of 3:47 in the second period. . . . F Spencer Bast (7) opened the scoring for Moose Jaw at 7:04. . . . F Brett Howden’s 24th goal, on a PP, at 9:32, gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . F Colby McAuley (16) scored for the Cougars at 10:51. . . . The Cougars got 20 saves from G Ty Edmonds. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-2. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle of the Cougars sat this one out as he completed a three-game suspension. D Sam Ruopp is still out with an undisclosed injury. . . . The game drew a sellout crowd with a 50/50 promotion. Canadian Tire started it off with $25,000 and by draw time the total was $123,851, meaning one fan won $61,425. . . . The Warriors (28-12-7) went 3-2-0 in the B.C. Division. They wind up a six-game road trip in Edmonton on Sunday. Moose Jaw is second in the East Division, two points behind the Regina Pats, who hold five games in hand, and five ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Cougars (33-13-2) had won their previous five games. They lead the overall standings. . . . Announced attendance: 5,896.

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At Red Deer, D Brayden Pachal scored on a PP at 14:51 of the third period to give the Prince Albert

BRAYDEN PACHAL

Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . The victory allowed the Raiders to snap an 11-game losing streak (0-8-3). . . . Pachal’s first goal of the season came in his sixth game with the Raiders since being acquired from the Victoria Royals. He went into the game with one career goal in 80 regular-season games. . . . F Jordy Stallard’s 12th goal gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead at 5:03 of the first period. . . . The Rebels took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from F Michael Spacek and F Evan Polei, each of whom scored his 20th goal. Spacek scored at 1:37, with Polei counting on a PP at 8:47. . . . The Raiders tied it when F Parker Kelly scored his eighth goal at 18:03 of the second period. . . . Stallard also had two assists, with Kelly getting one. . . . Spacek added an assist to his goal. . . . Prince Albert G Nic Sanders blocked 40 shots to earn his first victory with the Raiders. He had been 0-9-3 since being acquired from the Tri-City Americans on Oct. 13. . . . Red Deer’s Lasse Petersen stopped 24 shots. . . . Prince Albert was 1-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-5. . . . The Raiders continue to play without F Simon Stransky, F Tim Vanstone and F Drew Warkentine, all out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Raiders now are 9-34-5. . . . The Rebels (20-20-7) have lost four straight (0-3-1), but still are a comfortable third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,800.

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BREAKING: Congrats to Tigers Head Coach & GM @ShaunClouston on reaching his 300th career coaching victory!

READ: https://t.co/PGWdhmP5xV pic.twitter.com/q3zra2KGXB
— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) January 21, 2017

At Regina, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s first three goals and the last three as they beat the

STEVE OWRE

Pats, 8-5. . . . The Tigers (31-15-1) lead the Central Division; the Pats (29-6-7) are atop the East Division. . . . Medicine Hat got first-period goals from F Steve Owre, at 5:31, F Mark Rassell, at 10:03, and Rassell, again, at 11:14. Rassell has 20 goals. . . . Regina came back with PP goals from F Dawson Leedahl, at 14:22, and F Adam Brooks (25), at 18:54. . . . F John Dahlstrom restored Medicine Hat’s three-goal lead at 1:51 of the second period, but Regina’s Sam Steel (33) got that one back at 2:36. . . . Dahlstrom, who has 21 goals, scored again at 17:33 and the Tigers took a 5-3 lead into the third period. . . . Regina tied it on goals from F Jeff de Wit (6), at 4:57, and Leedahl (21), at 6:00. . . . Owre broke the tie with his 17th goal, at 8:44, and F Zach Fischer added two insurance goals, at 15:01 and 16:57. . . . Fischer has 26 goals. . . . Owre also had two assists, as did D Clayton Kirichenko, while F Chad Butcher drew three of them. . . . Steel added three assists for Regina, with D Dawson Davidson getting two. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 80 points, four more than Brooks. . . . Medicine Hat started with Nick Schneider in goal, but he left after giving up three goals on 13 shots in 22:36. Michael Bullion came on to get the victory with 26 saves on 28 shots. . . . The Pats got 25 saves from G Max Paddock, who lost for the first time in four decisions. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . These two teams have combined for 34 goals in three games — the Pats won 8-5 and 6-2 in Medicine Hat. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.

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At Saskatoon, F Josh Paterson’s shootout goal gave the Blades a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat

LOGAN FLODELL

Kings. . . . F Reid Duke scored for Brandon the first round of the skills competition, with F Jesse Shynkaruk tying it in the third round. Paterson scored in the fifth round. . . . The Blades got out to a 2-0 lead on goals from F Braylon Shmyr (25), at 7:32 of the first period, and F Caleb Fantillo (4), at 14:31 of the second. . . . F Stelio Mattheos scored his 16th goal, on a PP, at 4:08 of the third period to get Brandon to within one. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it with G Logan Thompson on the bench for the extra attacker as F Tanner Kaspick scored his 15th goal, at 18:57. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick missed a couple of shifts in the first period after taking an unpenalized hit from Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik. Patrick drew an assist on each Brandon goal. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 32 shots for the Blades. . . . Thompson made 32 saves for the Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon was 1-5 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-2. . . . The Blades (19-22-6) have won four in a row and are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points behind Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings (22-17-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 3,126.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Parker AuCoin had two goals and two assists to help the Tri-City Americans to a 7-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Tri-City led 4-0 at the game’s halfway mark. . . . AuCoin scored 41

PARKER AuCOIN

seconds into the first period to get it started. D Juuso Valimaki (13) made it 2-0 at 12:08. . . . F Brett Leason’s second goal of the season ran the lead to 3-0 at 3:35 of the second period and F Kyle Olson (11) upped it to 4-0 at 9:55. . . . Kootenay got on the scoreboard when F Brett Davis (10) counted at 14:30. . . . Tri-City answered that with two more goals, from F Nolan Yaremko (5) at 15:46 and F Morgan Geekie (26) at 18:59. . . . The Ice made a game of it by scoring the next three goals. . . . F Reed Morison (1) scored at 19:25 of the second period, with F Austin Wellsby scoring the next two, at 1:21 and 10:06. He’s got six goals. . . . AuCoin added insurance with his 17th at 15:38. . . . Yaremko and D Parker Wotherspoon each had two assists, with Olson, Geekie and Leason adding one apiece. . . . F Jake Elmer and D Dallas Hines each had two assists for the Ice. . . . Wotherspoon now has 130 career assists, moving him into second place on the Americans’ career list among defenceman. He passed Darrell Hay (128) on Friday night and now trails only Tyler Schmidt, who recorded 132 over five seasons (2006-11). . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou blocked 25 shots. . . . Ice starter Payton Lee gave up four goals on 12 shots in 29:55. Jakob Walter came on in relief and stopped 10 of 13 shots in 30:05. . . . The Ice was 1-1 on the PP; the Americans were 0-2. . . . The game featured a brother act — F Peyton Krebs of the Ice and D Dakota Krebs of the Americans — and both were in the starting lineups. Their sister, Maddison, a country music artist, also was in the house and handled both anthems. . . . The Krebs family is from Okotoks, Alta. . . . The Americans (29-17-3) have won seven in a row and are second in the U.S. Division. This was the Americans’ first home game since they completed a 6-0-0 run through the East Division. . . . The Ice is 11-28-8. . . . Announced attendance: 3,543.

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At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning broke a 4-4 tie at 16:35 of the third period as the Vancouver Giants beat the Kelowna Rockets, 5-4. . . . Ronning’s 19th goal of the season was his second of the game. . . . The

JAMES MALM

Giants held 2-0 and 4-1 leads. . . . First-period goals from F Tristyn DeRoose (1), at 9:23, and F Brayden Watts (6), on a PP, at 16:22, provided the 2-0 lead. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf cut it to 2-1 at 18:36. . . . The Giants went up 4-2 on second-period goals from F James Malm (15), at 4:17, and Ronning, at 10:18. . . . The Malm goal actually was an own-goal scored by Kelowna F Carsen Twarynski, who hit the vacated net with a pass intended for a point man who wasn’t there while there was a delayed penalty being signalled against the Giants. . . . The Rockets then got goals from D Cal Foote (5), shorthanded, at 12:28 of the second and F Kyle Topping (9), just 1:05 later, to get to within one. . . . The Rockets tied it when F Rod Southam scored his 10th goal, on a PP, at 7:15 of the third period. . . . Malm added three assists to his goal, with Watts getting one. . . . Malm, a 17-year-old from Langley, had two assists in 25 games last season. This season, he’s got 15 goals and 22 assists in 43 games. . . . Foote had an assist for Kelowna. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 32 shots to earn the victory over Brodan Salmond, who blocked 20. . . . Kelowna was 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-6. . . . The Giants had F Dawson Holt (shoulder) and F Johnny Wesley (shoulder) back in their lineup after 13-game absences, but still are missing D Darian Skeoch and F Tyler Benson. Skeoch missed his 16th game; Benson missed his eighth straight game. . . . F Dillon Dube and F Reid Gardiner were among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . Vancouver (17-26-3) had lost its previous six games and is 10 points out of a playoff spot. . . . Kelowna (26-17-4) has lost three in a row (0-2-1) and is third in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Announced attendance: 4,366.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Calgary at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (Teddy Bear Game)

Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Monday, January 2, 2017

Chiefs, Pats swing deal . . . Raiders make another trade . . . Malm shoots Giants to victory

27% of Canadians wouldn't mind an early exit from the world juniors if it means they never have to see the Nike commercials ever again
— Stats Canada (@stats_canada) January 3, 2017

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WHL trades since Dec. 27:

Trades: 8.

Players: 14.

Bantam draft picks: 7.

Conditional bantam draft picks: 1.

(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).

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The reunion of long-time friends Rykr Cole and Dawson Davidson lasted about a week.

It ended Monday when the Regina Pats dealt Cole to the Spokane Chiefs.

RYKR COLE

RILEY WOODS

Cole and Davidson both are from Moosomin, Sask. They were reunited on Dec. 25 when Davidson found out that the Kamloops Blazers had traded him to the Pats.

“He’s my best friend, pretty much,” Davidson told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post after the trade. “We’re both from Moosomin. We played midget together in Moose Jaw and roomed together for a year. I saw him a lot over the break. When I got traded, I instantly called him.

“It’s going to be fun to reunite. He’s a great guy and an unbelievable leader. I’m looking forward to playing with him again.”

Cole told Harder: “He let me know he got traded to Regina and I was pretty excited. He came over and

WYATT SLOBOSHAN

we talked about it. I’ve been showing him around Regina a bit. It’s nice to have a guy coming in that you know, especially with Dawson being one of my really good buddies.”

While Cole and Davidson were enjoying the reunion, F Wyatt Sloboshan was choosing not to return to the Spokane Chiefs after the Christmas break.

On Tuesday, the Chiefs dealt Sloboshan, 19, who had been acquired from the Saskatoon Blades, and a third-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft to the Pats for Cole, a 19-year-old forward, and F Riley Woods, 18.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Sloboshan, from Vanscoy, Sask., has played 30 games this season, 29 of them with Saskatoon. He had four goals and 12 assists with the Blades — he was the team’s captain — and was pointless in one game with Spokane. In 146 career games, he has 91 points, including 33 goals. He was a third-round pick by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2012 bantam draft.

Cole, from Moosomin, Sask., was a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The 6-foot-0, 185-pounder had six goals and seven assists in 34 games this season. He put up 27 goals and 30 assists in 166 career games.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Woods, a list player from Regina, had six goals and seven assists in 28 games with the Pats this season. In 59 career games, he has 15 goals and 12 assists.

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The Prince Albert Raiders have acquired F Curtis Miske, 19, from the Spokane Chiefs for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 WHL bantam draft. . . . The Chiefs, having acquired F Rykr Cole and F Riley Woods earlier in the day from Regina, had to make a move to get their roster down to 25 players. . . . Miske, from Beaumont, Alta., had five goals and nine assists in 28 games this season. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder played in 154 regular-season games with the Chiefs, scoring 22 goals and adding 36 assists. The Chiefs had selected him in the second round of the 2012 bantam draft. . . . This was the 13th trade made by the Raiders this season.

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The Medicine Hat Tigers, having acquired G Michael Bullion, 19, from the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday, have dropped G Duncan McGovern, 16, from their roster. He will join the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. . . . The Tigers picked up Bullion as veteran support behind starter Nick Schneider, who leads the WHL with 25 victories. . . . With the Tigers, McGovern, who is from Winnipeg, was 2-4-0, 4.06, .858. McGovern was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.

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F Taylor Sanheim, a former WHL player, now is with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. They acquired Sanheim, 20, from the MJHL’s Portage Terriers on Monday, with F Ty Barnstable, 18, going the other way. . . . Sanheim had 12 goals and 39 assists in 132 career regular-season games with the Calgary Hitmen. This season, he had two goals and five assists in 18 games with the Hitmen when he was released.

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The Moose Jaw Warriors will be without D Dmitri Zaitsev when they meet the Raiders in Prince Albert tonight (Tuesday). He has been suspended for one game “for game misconduct” during a 2-1 OT loss to the visiting Wheat Kings on Saturday night.

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Apparently everyone's New Year's resolution was to pay more for gas this year. Should be an easy one to keep.
— 22Minutes (@22_Minutes) January 3, 2017

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MONDAY’S GAME:

At Calgary, F James Malm scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Vancouver Giants a 5-4

JAMES MALM

victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Giants erased a 4-2 third-period deficit to force OT. . . . D Dylan Plouffe (4) got the visitors to within a goal at 4:44, with D Matt Barberis tying it with his seventh goal, at 18:49. . . . The Giants grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second period on goals from F Ty Ronning (14), at 5:17, and F Tyler Benson (11), at 6:06. . . . Calgary appeared to take control by scoring the game’s next four goals. . . . F Jakob Stukel (12) got the Hitmen started at 9:09 of the second period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro followed that with two goals, his 13th and 14th, at 16:48, on a PP, and 50 seconds into the third period. . . . F Beck Malenstyn’s 16th goal gave Calgary a 4-2 lead at 2:46 of the third. . . . Benson also had one assist. . . . Gennaro and Stukel each had two assists, while Malenstyn added one. . . . Vancouver got 34 stops from G David Tendeck. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba made 36 saves. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-4. . . . The Giants (15-20-3) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Hitmen (14-17-5) have points in three straight (1-0-2). . . . F Evan Patrician, a 15-year-old from Calgary, made his WHL debut with the Giants, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2016 bantam draft. He plays for the midget AAA Calgary Flames. . . . Announced attendance: 7,026.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Saskatoon at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Tri-City at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Regina at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016