THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Tim Kraus (Vancouver, Regina, 2003-08) was released by the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). He had five goals and 12 assists in 23 games with the Stars this season.


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Brian Dueck is an actor from Swift Current who would love to be in the movie based on the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos. But that may not happen because, at this point, it is unlikely that filming will be done in Saskatchewan.
Matthew Liebenberg of the Prairie Post has that story right here.
———
The matchups if the playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton vs. Medicine Hat
Prince Albert vs. Lethbridge
Calgary vs. Swift Current
Saskatoon vs Red Deer

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland vs. Seattle
Kelowna vs. Everett
Kamloops vs. Tri-City
Victoria vs. Spokane
———
SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox scored twice as the Tigers got past the Kootenay Ice, 3-2. . . . F Curtis Valk forged a 1-1 tie with his 33rd goal, via the PP, at 5:19 of the second. . . . Cheek scored twice, at 6:48 and 9:52 of the third, giving him 16. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and an assist for the Ice. . . . The Tigers hold down the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot; they now are three points ahead of the Ice. . . .

In Swift Current, G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 38 shots and F Adam Lowry scored twice as the Broncos dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Edmonton had won its previous 11 games. . . . Lowry opened the scoring at 4:54 of the first period and closed it, on the PP, 55 seconds into the third. He’s got 36 goals. . . . D Reece Scarlett had three assists for the Broncos. . . . Swift Current was 2-for-9 on the PP. . . . Swift Current was playing its third game in as many nights; Edmonton was playing its third road game in four nights. . . .

In Everett, the Kelowna Rockets built up an early 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Rockets scored PP goals at 10:26 and 11:18 of the first period and then went up 3-0 at 14:04 as the home side took the game’s first five penalties, four of them coming in a two-minute span. . . . Kelowna had lost its last three games. . . . G Jackson Whistle stopped 27 shots for the Rockets. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison came up empty on a penalty shot attempt with his club trailing 3-2 late in the second period. . . . F Ryan Olsen got his 28th goal for the Rockets, while F Myle Bell had two assists. . . . The Rockets were playing their third game in three nights and their fourth in five. . . .

In Spokane, F Jamie Crooks scored twice to help the Victoria Royals to a 5-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Walker brothers, Jack and Ben, each scored for Victoria. . . . Crooks, whose second goal was shorthanded, has 28 goals. . . . Jack Walker has four snipes; Ben has 16. . . . Ben’s goal, via the PP, gave the visitors a 4-1 lead at 13:50 of the second. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll scored his 13th goal and drew two assists. . . . The victory lifted the Royals, who have won five in a row, out of a tie with the Chiefs for fifth in the Western Conference and into sole possession of fourth place.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Lewington, Medicine Hat

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Keegan Lowe, Edmonton
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From Calgary Hitmen D Jaynen Rissling (@riznasty09): “Please put Katy Perry back on the stage. pronto. that is all. #GrammyAwards”
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From Everett Silvertips D Ben Betker (@Betker5): “Taylor Swift looks as gorgeous as ever in the front row. #Grammys”


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Travis Green, it seems, will be the man in Portland for the duration of this season.
Green began the season as the Winterhawks’ assistant general manager/assistant coach. He has been the interim GM/head coach since Nov. 28, which is when the WHL suspended Mike Johnston for the remainder of this season, including the playoffs.
You will recall that the Winterhawks, who were convicted of what most observers felt were minor rules violations, also were banned from the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft, lost first-round draft picks in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and were fined $200,000.
The WHL held meetings in Las Vegas on Monday and Tuesday, during which the Winterhawks, with owner Bill Gallacher in attendance, made their case for some relief.
While there hasn’t yet been an announcement, I am told that there will be some relief, but none of it will involve the sentence handed to Johnston.
The Winterhawks apparently offered up apologies for what had transpired and expressed contriteness, all of which is expected to result in the reduction of some penalties but not Johnston’s reinstatement, not even for the playoffs.
Since Johnston was forced by the WHL to leave the team, the Winterhawks are 23-4-2, including last night’s 4-3 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen.
Still, the Winterhawks lead the WHL’s overall standings, by five points over the Kelowna Rockets and six over the Edmonton Oil Kings, are the only WHL team with a winning percentage above .800 (.824), and are the No. 1 team in the CHL’s weekly rankings.
———
Having started a stretch of four games in five nights last night with a 5-0 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets, the Spokane Chiefs have added D Adam Power to their roster. He had been with the junior B Spokane Braves, who play in the Kootenay International Junior League. Power, 17, is from Post Falls, Idaho. He had one assist in eight games with the Chiefs earlier this season. . . . The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder has two goals in nine games with the Braves
———
The Regina Pats, with a number of players out with injuries, have brought in D Sean Whelan, 18, from the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. Whelan, 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, has four points in 30 games with the Klippers. Whelan, from Moose Jaw, is to turn 19 on Monday. He was an 11th-round selection by the Pats in the 2009 bantam draft.
———
The Everett Silvertips, with eight players on the injury list, have added G Adam Todd, 18, D Kevin Davis, 15, and F Kyle Raymond, 16, to their roster, at least for tonight’s game in Kamloops against the Blazers. . . . Todd, who played 11 games with the Saskatoon Blades last season, has been with the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters. He will fill in for injured G Austin Lotz (ankle) and back up G Daniel Cotton. . . . The Silvertips had G Nik Amundrud, 15, with them for a bit, but he has been returned to the midget AAA Tisdale, Sask., Trojans. . . . Davis, who is from Kamloops and plays for the major midget Thompson Blazers, already has played four games with Everett this season. He was the 11th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Raymond has been brought in from the junior B Princeton, B.C., Posse of the Kootenay International Junior League.
———
What kind of a season has it been for the Everett Silvertips? Well, perhaps this note from Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald sums it up: “There’s been a revelation about defenceman Austin Adam. Adam has been out an extended period with lingering concussion symptoms. However, it was discovered that Adam has mononucleosis, and the mono may have been the cause of those symptoms. Of course, having mono means Adam will remain out for a while, but hopefully that means the concussion wasn't as severe as it appeared.”
———
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
Now that last night’s games are out of the way, folks can focus on the upcoming doubleheader in Kelowna between the Rockets (40-11-4) and Portland Winter hawks (43-8-3). . . . They’ll play Friday and Saturday nights in Kelowna. . . . Both teams lost last night, the Winterhawks falling 4-3 to the visiting Calgary Hitmen and the Rockets losing 5-0 to the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . The Rockets and Winterhawks haven’t met since Sept. 28 and 29 when they played a doubleheader in Portland. The Winterhawks won the opener 1-0 behind 31 saves from G Cam Lanigan, who now is with the Medicine Hat Tigers, and a goal from D Derrick Pouliot, who now is injured. The Rockets took the second game, 4-3, on F Zach Franko’s goal at 19:01 of the third period.

In Spokane, the Chiefs won the 1,000th game in franchise history, dropping the Kelowna Rockets, 5-0. . . . Kelowna had been 17-0-2 in its previous 19 outings. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 33 shots in earning his third shutout this season and the fifth of his career. . . . F Todd Fiddler scored his 36th goal and added two assists for the Chiefs, while F Mike Aviani scoed No. 24 and added two assists. . . . Chiefs D Brenden Kichton scored his 17th goal and added an assist. He is tied with Portland’s Troy Rutkowski for the goal lead among defencemen, and has the outright lead in assists (45) and points (62). . . .

In Portland, the Calgary Hitmen erased a 3-1 third-period deficit and beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 42 shots. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic took over the WHL goal-scoring lead, with his 37th, which gave his side a 3-1 lead at 17:30 of the second period. . . . F Ty Rattie had scored his 30th goal just 14 seconds earlier, via the PP. . . . Calgary captain Cody Sylvester scored 56 seconds into the third period, with F Brooks Macek tying the score at 6:57. . . . Sylvester won it with his 28th goal at 18:28. . . . Sylvester also had an assist. . . . Portland F Nic Petan, the WHL scoring leader, had one assist. . . . The Hitmen, who are five games into a nine-game road trip, had lost their last three games, the last two by shutout. . . . A tweet from Portland freelance writer Scott Sepich: “With the 4-3 win, @WHLHitmen have won 4 straight in Portland. Former Hawks coach Mike Williamson 2-0 with Hitmen in PDX.” . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski set a franchise record by playing in his 222nd consecutive game. The previous record had been held by D Andrew Ference (1994-99). . . .

In Brandon, F John Quenneville’s eighth goal broke a 1-1 tie and the Wheat Kings went on to a 4-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Axel Blomqvist pulled Lethbridge into a 1-1 tie at 19:46 of the first period. . . . Quenneville broke that tie at 15:52 of the second. . . . F Jens Meilleur scored twice for Brandon, giving him nine, while linemate Taylor Cooper had a goal and two assists and Tim McGauley, the third skater on the line, had three assists. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 36 shots. . . . With G Corbin Boes (knee) out of action, the Wheat Kings have brought back Jordan Papirny from the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Southgate Lions to back up Honey. . . . The Wheat Kings pulled into an 11th-place tie with the idle Regina Pats in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are nine points out of a playoff spot. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Michael Ferland scored the game’s first two goals and the Blades went on to a 7-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . With the victory, their sixth in a row, the Blades moved to within four points of the East Division-leading Raiders. . . . Ferland scored twice in 1:57 late in the first period and the Blades put it away with two goals 22 seconds apart in the opening minute of the second period. . . . F Shane McColgan scored 31 seconds into the period and F Matej Stransky made it 4-0 at 0:53. . . . Ferland has eight goals, McColgan has 12 and Stransky 28. . . . Blades F Brenden Walker, playing in his 250th regular-season game, had three assists. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov, making his 13th straight start, stopped 30 shots. . . .

In Prince George, the Red Deer Rebels scored twice in the circus and beat the Cougars, 4-3. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak made 50 saves through OT. . . . Rebels F Christian Stockl tied the game 3-3 with his third goal of the season at 10:10 of the third. . . . F Rhyse Dieno and F Dominik Volek scored the shootout goals to win it. . . . Cougars F Zach Pochiro scored twice, giving him 10, and added an assist. . . . D Jordan Harris, the 10th pick in the 2011 bantam draft, was in the Cougars’ lineup. He joined them from the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos a few weeks ago but was out with post-concussion syndrome. . . . D Mark McNulty was back in Prince George’s lineup after missing eight games with what is believed to have been a concussion. . . . The loser point lifted the Cougars to within three points of Seattle, which holds down eighth place in the Western Conference. . . . Red Deer is fourth in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of Saskatoon. . . . When the Rebels travelled into the U.S. Division earlier in the season, they weren’t able to play the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent) because the arena was booked for an ice show. So the Rebels now are on a three-game road swing. They opened last night in Prince George, will travel to Kent today and play the Thunderbirds there on Friday, and then will meet the Blazers in Kamloops on Saturday. . . .

In Victoria, F Jamie Crooks scored twice as the Royals beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . One night earlier, the Royals also beat the Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . The Royals were without F Alex Gogolev, their leading scorer, who suffered a skate cut to a leg in Tuesday’s game. . . . Crooks has 26 goals. . . . It was a five-point night for Victoria’s Walker boys, with Ben getting his 14th goal and adding two assists, and Jack drawing two assists. . . . The Royals are tied with Spokane for fifth in the Western Conference, a point behind the Tri-City Americans.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Colten Mayor, Calgary

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Tim Traber, Victoria
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Portland Winterhawks D Derrick Pouliot (@dpouliot51): “Off to Pittsburgh for a few days.”
Pouliot is rehabbing a high-ankle sprain. He has played one game since Jan. 11 and only four since Dec. 18. He was a first-round selection, eighth overall, by the Penguins in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He has 38 points and is plus-31 in 39 games with Portland.

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If you clicked on the NHL website last night, right there at the top was this: #hockeyisback.
It is the epitomy of arrogance.
I’m sorry, Gary Bettman and Co., hockey never left. You left. The NHL left. For four months.
So, please, why not show some respect for every other hockey league in the world and dump that slogan. After all, they all kept playing. You didn’t.
So why don’t you go back into your negotiating rooms and come out with another slogan?
Like . . . #lockoutisover.
Or . . . #secondlockoutineightyearsisover.
Or . . . #thirdlockoutin18yearsisover.
Or . . . #dateofnextlockoutnotyetdecided.
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As you may be aware, the Kelowna Rockets have won 17 straight games on home ice. The 2002-03 Rockets hold the Kelowna record of 18. . . . A note from a fan in Lakewood, Wash., points out that the 1992-93 Rockets won 24 straight home games. Yes, the Rockets were hanging out in Tacoma in those days.
That was the WHL record until the next season when the Kamloops Blazers won 29 in a row at home. That stands as the record today.
The Rockets spent four seasons (1991-95) in Tacoma before relocating to Kelowna.
It would seem there still are Rockets fans in Tacoma, just like there still are Bruins fans in Chilliwack.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, D Josh Morrissey scored twice, the second one coming at 1:58 of OT, as the Raiders beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-3. . . . Morrissey, who scored the game’s first and last goals, has 12 scores this season. . . . Red Deer D Haydn Fleury forced OT with a goal at 19:59 of the third. . . . Red Deer F David Volek had cut into a 3-1 deficit with his fifth goal at 11:57 of the third. . . . Prince Albert F Mark McNeill, who missed Friday’s 3-1 loss in Swift Current with the flu, scored his 15th goal in the second period. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos won their fourth straight game, beating the Calgary Hitmen, 4-3. . . . F Colby Cave got the winner, breaking a 3-3 tie at 9:47 of the third period. It was his 12th goal this season. . . . The Hitmen erased a 2-0 deficit and led 3-2 until D Richard Nedomlel got his second goal of the season, on a PP, at 13:38 of the second. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry scored his 29th goal of the season and added an assist as he ran his point streak to 20 games, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . The Hitmen had won six in a row. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Edmonton Oil Kings built a 2-0 lead and went on to a 2-1 victory over the Blades. . . . F Brandon Baddock got his sixth goal for Edmonton at 8:32 of the second and D Keegan Lowe scored his ninth at 17:01, on the PP. . . . Blades F Josh Nicholls became the first WHLer to 30 goals this season when he scored at 9:56 of the third. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 34 shots. . . . Saskatoon F Nathan Burns, who had missed two games with a concussion, returned to the lineup. . . . The Blades took issue with a second-period hit by Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson on Nicholls. There was no penalty, but Nicholls told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that it was from the blind side. Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ GM/head coach, told Nugent-Bowman he expects the WHL office to “take a long look at” the hit. . . .

In Brandon, F Tim McGauley’s shorthanded goal in the second period stood up as the winner as the Wheat Kings edged the Regina Pats, 2-1. . . . All three goals were scored in a span of 5:17 in the second period. . . . F Chad Robinson gave Brandon a 1-0 lead on the PP at 10:42. . . . McGauley got his 13th goal at 15:21. . . . F Carson Samoridny got Regina on the board on the PP at 15:59. . . . F Nick Buonassisi had two assists for Brandon. . . . Regina was without D Colby Williams, with a hand injury. He blocked a shot with the palm of one hand during a 6-1 loss to visiting Calgary on Friday. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk had five points to lead the Tigers to a 10-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge led 3-2 in the second period when Valk scored at 13:09 and 19:04, the latter on the PP, to move out front. . . . Valk was in on the Tigers’ last five goals, scoring the first two and earning assists on the next three. . . . F Elgin Pearce added his 19th goal and three assists for the Tigers, while F Hunter Shinkaruk got goals No. 24 and 25. . . . Tigers D Tyler Lewington had a goal, his first of the season, and an assist, and was plus-5. . . . Lewington’s goal was his first in the WHL and it came in his 86th regular-season games. . . .

In Prince George, D Sam Grist scored at 3:01 of OT as the Kamloops Blazers got past the Cougars, 2-1. . . . Grist has four goals this season. . . . F Dylan Willick gave the Blazers the lead four minutes into the first period. . . . F Colin Jacobs tied it for the Cougars at 1:06 of the third on a PP. . . . Prince George, which beat the Blazers 1-0 on Friday, got the game’s first five PPs and was 1-for-5. The Blazers got the last two and were 0-for-2. . . . Kamloops had lost its previous two games. . . .

In Spokane, F Mitch Holmberg scored twice to help the Chiefs to a 4-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Holmberg, who also had an assist, now has 27 goals. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton scored his 14th goal and added two assists. He leads all WHL defencemen in assists (39) and points (53). Only Portland D Troy Rutkowski has more goals, with 15. . . . There was only one minor penalty in the game, that to Ice G Mackenzie Skapski for hooking. Holmberg scored the game’s first goal on the ensuing PP. . . .

In Everett, G Brendan Burke turned aside 31 shots to help the Portland Winterhawks dump the Silvertips, 8-0. . . . Burke, the son of former NHL G Sean Burke, has two career shutouts. . . . The Winterhawks, with only five losses in regulation time, have won 14 in a row. They have won 35 of their last 37 games. . . . The Winterhawks are 7-0-0 versus Everett this season. . . . D Troy Rutkowski had two goals and an assist for the Winterhawks, who got a goal and two assists from F Nic Petan, and three assists from F Ty Rattie. . . . Rutkowski is on a five-game goal streak, which is somewhat amazing for a defenceman. He also has 14 points over a seven-game point streak. . . . Petan, who has 29 goals, is the WHL’s leading scorer, his 74 points giving him a three-point edge on teammate Brendan Leipsic, who had his 28th goal and and assist. . . . With 14 straight victories, the Winterhawks are one victory shy of the franchise single-season record that is shared by the 1979-80 and 1997-98 teams. . . . Portland next plays Friday when it entertains Lethbridge. . . . The eight-goal differential was Everett’s worst loss this season. . . .

In Vancouver, D Brett Kulak’s ninth goal of the season at 3:01 of OT gave the Giants a 4-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Vancouver F Travis McEvoy had forced OT when he scored his second goal of the season at 9:40 of the third. . . . The Giants had lost their previous four games; the Rockets had their eight-game winning streak come to an end. . . . F Jackson Houck scored twice for Vancouver, giving him 13. He also had an assist. . . . The Rockets led this one 2-0 just 1:42 into the first period. . . . F Jason Trott, in his first game with Vancouver, had two assists, as did F Cain Franson. . . . The Rockets were without F Myles Bell, who drew a TBD suspension for a hit from behind in Friday’s 6-3 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Jamie Crooks scored three times as the Victoria Royals beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-2. . . . Seattle has lost 13 games in a row. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 37 shots. . . . Crooks has 21 goals this season. . . . The Royals scored the game’s first four goals, the last three on the PP. . . . Seattle then scored twice, but Crooks iced it with his 20th at 4:37 of the third and his 21st into an empty net at 18:58 while shorthanded. . . . The game was delayed for 16 minutes at 10:26 of the third period to replace a shattered pane of glass.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Brady Gaudet, Red Deer
F Brady Brassart, Calgary
D Sam Grist, Kamloops
F Tristan Sieben, Vancouver

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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From Kelowna Rockets F Zach Franko (@Franky_939), and you can guess where he’s from: “Gotta love going to play in the worst city on earth @colton_es15 @rolsen94 #tata #winnipegsbetter”
The Rockets were en route to Vancouver for a game with the Giants.

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Blazers, Lipon move to the top rung

While Victoria goaltender Partik Polivka looks for the puck, defenceman
Keegan Kanzig goes after Kamloops forward Chase Souto during the
second period at Interior Savings Centre on Wednesday.
(Murray Mitchell/Kamloops Daily News)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
It was Wednesday, 8:38 p.m., when the WHL website updated and moved Kamloops Blazers left-winger JC Lipon to the top of the points race.
And who saw that coming 18 months ago?
Lipon scored once and added an assist last night as the Blazers took care of business, shutting down the Victoria Royals 5-2 at Interior Savings Centre.
The victory allowed the Blazers (6-0-1) to move past the Royals (6-3-0) and into first place in the Western Conference.
The Blazers took a 3-0 lead into the second period of this one, thanks to Lipon’s first-period score and goals by Colin Smith and Brendan Ranford in the middle frame.
During the period, the home boys owned a 17-0 edge in shots in goal.
Victoria head coach Dave Lowry, obviously trying to spark his charges, changed goaltenders to start the third, with Coleman Vollrath taking over from Partik Polivka.
It worked, too, as the Royals outshot the Blazers 13-3 in the first 13 minutes of the final period and 17-7 for the 20 minutes. But, in the end, that 3-0 hole was too much for the visitors to overcome.
Tim Bozon and Cole Ully scored for the Blazers in that third period, while Jamie Crooks and Taylor Crunk counted for the Royals.
Crooks spoiled Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave’s shutout attempt just 53 seconds into the third period when he fired home a quick centring pass from behind the net.
Cheveldave, however, deserves full marks for this one. Without three or four tremendous stops in the third period — a pad save on defenceman Tyler Stahl and stopping Luke Harrison on the rebound at 15:10 come to mind — the outcome may have been different. The Blazers’ sophomore goaltender finished with 25 stops.
This was a physical game with some great hits, none better than a collision featuring Lipon and Victoria defenceman Tyler Stahl in the first period. The two came together violently enough that both ended up airborne.
It just might be that these two teams are developing a rivalry with some emotion in it.
Like when Victoria defenceman Keegan Kanzig dropped stick and gloves in an attempt to get Kamloops forward Chase Souto to fight midway through the second period. A few cross-checks to Souto’s upper body and a couple of punches to the head brought only a minor penalty from referee Steve Papp. As Kanzig was led to the penalty box, Souto, on his way to the Kamloops bench, gave him a little wave. For that, Souto was hit with a misconduct.
By game’s end, Papp had given the Blazers 41 of 66 penalty minutes. All told, Papp gave out nine roughing minors and six for unsportsmanlike conduct.
But back to Lipon.
It’s not all that long go when he was a wakeboarder who played hockey. As a wakeboarder, he was of national calibre. As a hockey player, well, he was a scrapper who had started his WHL career with back-to-back three-goal games.
This morning, Lipon awoke as the WHL’s co-leading scorer, with 14 points, including five goals. He is tied with Kelowna Rockets defenceman Myles Bell, who has been playing some forward this season.
Lipon, a 19-year-old Reginan, has found magic with Bozon and Smith. The result was a 65-point season in 2011-12 and a fast start to this campaign.
At 6-0-1, the Blazers are one of three WHL teams not to have lost in regulation time, and people are starting to notice. They showed up at No. 3 — up from No. 6 — in the CHL rankings that were released yesterday, behind only two QMJHL teams — the Quebec Remparts (7-1-0) and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (6-1-1).
The Blazers are back at it Friday against the visiting Spokane Chiefs (5-1-0), who won 6-4 in Kelowna last night. Game time is 7 p.m.
The Blazers may add two veteran defencemen to their lineup for that one. Tyler Hansen, who hasn’t played since Sept. 22 because of a concussion, could return to action, while Sam Grist, a 19-year-old acquired Tuesday from the Tri-City Americans, is expected to make his Kamloops debut.
JUST NOTES: Attendance was 4,025. . . . The Royals, who won 24 games all of last season, have put up six victories already. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. D Ryan Rehill, Kamloops: A force on back end, and plus-4; 2. D Marek Hrbas, Kamloops: Veteran leadership; 3. Cheveldave: Gives his guys confidence. . . . The Royals had six American-born players in their lineup last night. Only the Portland Winterhawks, with nine, have more Americans on their roster. . . . Austin Madaisky, 20, who is eligible to return to the Blazers, is one of 10 defencemen still with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons. Head coach Brad Larsen said yesterday he doesn’t plan changes until after opening the regular season with games Saturday and Sunday.

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.

Kudos to the WHL for putting a link from its website to DubNation, the online magazine that is loaded with WHL-related information. . . . It’s produced by Doyle Potenteau of Kelowna, a veteran hockey writer who follows the Rockets for the Daily Courier. . . . If you haven’t checked out the March edition, get on over to whl.ca and give it a look.
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D Cody Carlson of the Prince George Cougars has signed an ATO with the Central league’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. The team announced the signing Tuesday morning. Carlson had 39 points in 72 in his final season of junior eligibility. . . . G Damien Ketlo, who played out his WHL eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, stopped 27 shots to record his first pro shutout and was the game’s first star last night as the ECHL’s Colorago Eagles, who play out of Loveland, beat the visiting Ontario Reign, 3-0. . . . F Spencer Asuchak of the Cougars made his pro debut in that game. Asuchak, 20, had two shots on goal.
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The Spokane Chiefs confirmed Tuesday morning that D Brenden Kichton has had surgery to repair a broken jaw suffered Friday in Game 1 of their series with the Vancouver Giants. Kitchton was struck in the face by puck early in the third period. He has undergone surgery and is awaiting medical clearance to travel to his family’s home in Spruce Grove, Alta. . . . Kitchton is a first team Western Conference all-star and the conference’s defenceman of the year.
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Another hockey career has come to a sudden end because of concussions. Matt Eagles, the captain of the St. Thomas University Tommies men’s hockey team, has had to walk away from the game. That story is right here. St. Thomas U is in Fredericton, N.B.
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Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail has written an interesting piece about the impact that concussions may have on the NHL playoffs.
“More and more,” he writes, “you get the sense that the 2012 NHL playoffs may well be The Concussion Games, a two-month marathon that could twist and turn on how many times players in (Daniel) Sedin’s category get clocked in the head and are forced out of a team’s lineup.”
That complete column is right here.
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If you read anything today, make it this piece right here. It’s columnist Dave Kindred remembering the legendary Furman Bisher, who left us earlier this month.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers fired head coach Regg Simon on Tuesday. He promptly told Mark Emmert of t he Des Moines Register that it was “one of the happiest days of my life, and I’m glad it happened now rather than later.” . . . Simon is the fourth coach to be fired in the 16-team USHL this season. . . . The Buccaneers are 20-27-4 and in danger of missing the playoffs. . . . A replacement should be named today.
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TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES:
(If you want WHL facts and stats, get on Twitter and follow @WHLFacts)
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Let’s get this out of the way early. . . . The Spokane Chiefs came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Portland Winter Hawks in the spring of 1996. That is the only time in WHL history a team has done that. . . . There are six playoff games scheduled for tonight and the Saskatoon Blades, Everett Silvertips and Victoria Royals all are down 3-0. . . .
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In Winnipeg, F Mark Stone had a goal and an assist to lead the Wheat Kings to a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings, the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed, hold a 3-1 series lead over the No. 3 Hitmen and can wrap up the series in Winnipeg on Thursday night. . . . Game 6, if needed, would be played in Calgary on Sunday. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock also had a goal and an assist. . . . The Wheat Kings are playing their first-round home games at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has taken over Westman Place in Brandon. . . . F Cody Sylvester, Calgary’s captain, returned after missing the first two games with an undisclosed injury. The Hitmen remain without F Victor Rask (leg). . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover came in for Chris Driedger with the Wheat Kings leading 3-0 at 1:53 of the second. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 32 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,563, 15 fewer than attended Game 3. . . .

In Saskatoon, Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem scored all of his club’s goals as the Tigers beat the Blades 3-2 in overtime. . . . This was the first overtime game of this season’s playoffs and it ended at 9:42 as Etem scored his sixth goal of the series. . . . Etem has scored or assisted on the Tigers’ last 10 goals. He leads all playoff scorers, with 10 points, and is tied with Portland F Ty Rattie, each with six goals. . . . The Tigers hold a 3-0 edge and can wrap it up tonight in Saskatoon. . . . Blades F Matej Stransky forced OT with his first goal at 16:52 of the third. . . . F Michael Burns scored Saskatoon’s first goal. He was playing his first game after missing seven with a concussion. . . . Tigers F Dylan Bredo drew two assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 32 goals, one fewer than Saskatoon’s Andrej Makarov. . . .

In Regina, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored five first-period goals and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Pats. . . . The Warriors take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 tonight in Regina. . . . Moose Jaw D Joel Edmundson scored 23 seconds into the first period and F Quinton Howden made it 2-0 just 27 seconds later. . . . Howden also had two assists. . . . F James Henry had two assists for the Warriors. . . . F Lane Scheidl got his first two goals of the series for Regina. . . . Moose Jaw F Cody Beach served a one-game suspension for making derogatory comments to the Regina bench in Game 2. . . . Moose Jaw D Travis Brown sat out with an undisclosed injury. . . . Regina F Andrew Rieder left during his first shift with an apparent shoulder injury. He missed the last 16 games of the regular season with a shoulder problem. . . .

In Kelowna, F Sven Baertschi and F Ty Rattie each had two goals and two assists as the Winterhawks doubled the Rockets, 6-3. . . . Portland leads 3-0 and can finish it in Kelowna on Thursday. . . . Rattie and Baertschi have nine points apiece in the series. Rattie is tied for the WHL lead in goals, with six, while Baertschi and teammate Marcel Noebels are tied for the WHL lead, with seven assists. . . . Noebels had three assists last night. . . . Rattie and Baertschi each was plus-4. . . . Portland ended it with two empty-netters. . . . Rattie broke a 2-2 tie at 19:19 of the second period and Baertschi gave the visitors a 4-2 lead at 3:55 of the third. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 38 shots, two fewer than Kelowna’s Adam Brown. . . . D Damon Severson had two goals for Kelowna, but finished minus-5. . . . The last time Kelowna has been swept? That hasn’t happened since 1994 when the franchise was in Tacoma, Wash., and lost four straight to Portland. . . . The Winterhawks had F Brendan Leipsic back in their lineup after he missed the first two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland D William Wrenn, who was kneed by Kelowna F Brett Bulmer in Game 2, also played. Bulmer, who was given a kneeing major on that play, served the first game of a ‘tbd’ suspension. . . .

In Spokane, D Corbin Baldwin gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead at 15:56 of the third period and they hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Giants lead the series 2-1 going into Game 4 tonight in Spokane. . . . The Chiefs got first-period goals from D Reid Gow and F Blake Gal. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson cut into that lead with his fourth goal of the series at 3:48 of the second. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher got his team’s second goal at 17:30 of the third. . . . The Chiefs turned to Eric Willians in goal after going with Mac Engel in the first two games. Williams made 26 saves, one more than Vancouver’s Adam Morrison. . . . Giants F Jordan Martinook wasn’t able to beat Williams on a penalty shot with 5:48 left in the third period and the Chiefs leading 2-1. . . . Vancouver added F Anthony Ast to its lineup and scratched F Alex Kuvaev. . . . The Chiefs were without D Brenden Kichton (broken jaw). . . .

In Everett, G Ty Rimmer stopped 23 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 4-0 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Americans hold a 3-0 series lead and can end it tonight in Everett. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin, the WHL scoring champ, scored his first two goals of the series as he ran his point streak to 26 games. . . . He scored the game’s first goal at 1:41 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland, who led the WHL in assists during the regular season, took a clipping major and game misconduct at 13:28 of the first period. . . . There was only one minor penalty called in the game, that an elbowing infraction by Everett F J.T. Barnett. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 27 shots. . . . The Silvertips were without F Ryan Harrison and F Manraj Hayer, both of whom were serving suspensions. Harrison is eligible to return tonight; Hayer’s suspenskon was ‘tbd’ . . . The Americans were without D Drydn Dow (broken arm), who was hurt on the check by Hayer. . . . Tri-City F Jesse Mychan left in the second period with a leg injury. . . .

In Victoria, the Kamloops Blazers scored six second-period goals and went on to a 7-5 victory over the Royals. . . . Kamloops holds a 3-0 lead and can win the series tonight in Victoria. . . . The Blazers haven’t won a playoff series since the spring of 1999 when they beat the Tri-City Americans in the Western Conference final. . . . The Royals got three goals from F Jamie Crooks, the first playoff hat trick in Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria franchise history. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham broke a 4-4 tie with his first playoff goal, a shorthanded effort, at 17:26 of the second period. . . . Blazers F J.C. Lipon stretched the lead to 6-4 with a PP goal at 18:48 of the second. Lipon also had two assists, his third straight game with two helpers. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith had a goal and three assists. . . . Kamloops has scored 18 goals in this series, 14 of them in second periods. . . . The Blazers were 3-6 on the PP and also scored two shorthanded goals. . . . Victoria was 0-4 on the PP. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 18 shots, while the Victoria duo of Jared Rathjen and Keith Hamilton combined for 26 saves. Rathjen started and left after Needham’s goal. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber, the team captain, suffered a skate cut to one of his legs and spent the night in hospital. He is to be re-examined and re-evaluated today but isn’t expected to play tonight. . . . According to Mike Walker of CHEK-TV, the teams also combined to hit seven goalposts.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Vanscourt, Vancouver.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Kiefer McNaughton, Vancouver.

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