Showing posts with label Jansen Harkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jansen Harkins. Show all posts

Friday, April 7, 2017

Barzal's return sparks T-Birds ... Pats tie series ... Tigers, Rockets win, too



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 Continuing with the report from Finland that started here yesterday . . .
Well, Game 6 went to double OT. Vantaa won 2-1, scoring with three seconds left in the second OT. The TuTo goalie got a major for "abuse of officials" plus a double game misconduct, one for "throwing a stick or object" and the second for "abuse of officials" at the end of the game. The winning goal was a power-play goal, so that may account for the "abuse of officials,” etc. . . . Vantaa wins the series 4-2 and plays SaPKo Savonlinna in the final.
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D Mark Rubinchik of the Saskatoon is on the roster of the team that will represent Russia at the IIHF U-18 World Championship in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia, next week. Rubinchik played for Russia at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial last summer. With the Blades, he had 23 assists in 63 games. . . . The Blades also will be represented as equipment manager Chad Scharff has been named to that role with Team Canada. . . . Russia opens the IIHF tournament against Sweden on April 13.
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F Jansen Harkins of the Prince George Cougars has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets, who selected him in the second round of the 2015 NHL draft. Harkins has joined the Manitoba Moose, the Jets’ AHL affiliate, and will spend the remainder of the season there. Harkins put up 242 points, including 75 goals, in 275 regular-season games over four seasons with the Cougars. He is Prince George’s all-time leader in assists (167) and points.
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F Reid Duke of the Brandon Wheat Kings has signed a PTO with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and will finish this season with them. Earlier, Duke, 21, signed an NHL contract with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who apparently are working on a deal to purchase an AHL franchise but haven’t yet announced it. This season, Duke had 71 points, 37 of them goals, in 59 games with the Wheat Kings.
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MORE ON THE MOVE: D Ondrej Vala of the Kamloops Blazers has joined the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Vala just completed his second WHL season. Vala, who will turn 19 on April 13, signed a three-year entry-level deal with Dallas in September. From Slovakia, he wasn’t selected in the NHL draft. . . . F Matt Phillips of the Victoria Royals will finish the season with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, which is affiliated with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. The Flames selected him in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . F Michael Spacek of the Red Deer Rebels has signed an ATO with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. The parent Winnipeg Jets selected him in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. He has yet to sign an NHL contract.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:





At Everett, F Mathew Barzal scored the game’s first goal and drew an assist on the winner in his first
MATHEW BARZAL
game in a month as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight in Everett. . . . Barzal, the Western Conference’s most outstanding player, last played on March 7. Originally, he was thought to have been out with the mumps, but the Thunderbirds never did release the results of his tests and it all turned into speculation that he had mononucleosis. . . . Barzal opened the scoring on a PP, at 2:07 of the second period, getting his own rebound and beating G Carter Hart. . . . Everett tied it on F Eetu Tuulola’s third goal, at 17:53. . . . Seattle went ahead 2-1 when F Tyler Adams (1) scored at 5:31 of the third period. . . . That set the stage for something of a wild finish. . . . With G Carter Hart on the bench for an extra attacker, Everett D Aaron Irving scored on a point shot through traffic at 18:22. . . . The Thunderbirds broke the tie 39 seconds later as F Donovan Neuls (4) scored on the rebound of a Barzal shot. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Alexander True, with Neuls adding one to his goal. . . . G Carl Stankowski ran his playoff record to 5-0 with 21 saves, nine fewer than Hart. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Everett was 0-2. . . . Barzal now has played in 34 WHL playoff games. He has put up 42 points, including 11 goals. . . . Seattle remained without F Ryan Gropp and G Rylan Toth. Gropp was injured in Game 2 of a first-round series with the Tri-City Americans. Toth hasn’t played since March 11. . . . Everett F Devon Skoleski played for the first time since March 19. . . . Announced attendance: 4,588.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets scored three goals in 95 seconds en route to a 4-2 victory over the Portland
CALVIN THURKAUF
Winterhawks. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Kelowna tonight. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf (1) opened the scoring at 3:42 of the second period. . . . F Kole Lind (2) made it 2-0 at 4:32, and F Reid Gardiner’s sixth goal upped that to 3-0 at 5:17. . . . The Rockets completed a four-goal second-period as F Dillon Dube (5) scored on a PP, at 16:08. . . . Portland got on the scoreboard when F Brad Ginnell (2) scored at 10:50 of the third period. . . . F Cody Glass (3) scored Portland’s second goal, on a PP with G Cole Kehler on the bench for an extra attacker, at 17:34. . . . Portland received another PP after that one and came close to scoring, with F Skyler McKenzie being stoned by G Michael Herringer and F Joachim Blichfeld hitting a post. . . . Thurkauf also had two assists, for a three-point outing, with Gardiner and Lind adding an assist each. . . . Herringer finished with 27 saves, while Kehler blocked 50 shots. . . . The Rockets had a 43-12 edge in shots — and that 4-0 lead — after two periods. . . . Kelowna was 1-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-5. . . . The Rockets’ penalty killers have allowed two goals in 37 opportunities in seven playoff games. . . . Announced attendance: 5,002.
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At Regina, the Pats scored the game’s last five goals as they beat the Swift Current Broncos, 6-2. . . .
AUSTIN WAGNER
The series is tied, 1-1, with Game 3 set for Monday in Swift Current. It will be televised by Sportsnet. . . . The Broncos had won the opener, 1-0 in OT, on Thursday night in Regina. . . . In Game 1, the Pats received only one PP opportunity. In Game 2, Regina was 2-10 with the man advantage and the Broncos, who were 2-5, know they can’t win by taking that many trips to the penalty box. . . . D Jonathan Smart (1) gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 9:36 of the first period. . . . The Broncos went ahead 2-1 on first-period PP goals from D Max Lajoie (1), at 12:35, and F Tyler Steenbergen (7), at 16:18. . . . The Pats tied it 43 seconds into the second period as D Connor Hobbs (2) counted on a PP. . . . The home team went ahead at 6:08 as F Nick Henry (2) also scored on the PP. . . . F Austin Wagner (5) added insurance at 14:28. . . . Regina F Robbie Holmes (1) and Wagner (6), into an empty net, added third-period goals. . . . Regina got two assists from F Sam Steel, with Henry and Hobbs adding one each. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi had two assists for the Broncos, with Steenbergen getting one. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 15 shots for the Pats, while the Broncos’ Jordan Papirny turned aside 34. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks, who totalled 250 points in 139 regular-season games over the last two seasons, left in the first period with an apparent left knee injury. He got bumped a couple of times in the neutral zone, went down and was slow leaving the ice. He came on the ice a few minutes later, test it and left for the dressing room. . . . The Pats scratched F Filip Ahl, but it isn't known if he was ill or injured. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.


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At Medicine Hat, G Michael Bullion stopped 16 shots in recording his first playoff shutout as the Tigers
MICHAEL BULLION
beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-0. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Medicine Hat tonight. . . . Shaw TV is covering this series in its entirety. . . . The Tigers have played five games in these playoffs, and won all of them. Bullion is 5-0, 1.80, .926. . . . F Steve Owre scored a goal, his second of the playoffs, and added two assists. . . . The Tigers went up 1-0 when F John Dahlstrom scored at 15:23 of the first period. . . . Medicine Hat took control with second-period goals from F Chad Butcher (2), at 5:42, and Owre, at 17:25. . . . F Zach Fischer (4) got the game’s last goal, at 15:01 of the third period. . . . Fischer and Butcher each had one assist, too. . . . Lethbridge took the game’s only four minor penalties. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-0 on the PP. . . . The Hurricanes got 33 saves from G Stuart Skinner. . . . D Brad Forrest remains out of the Tigers’ lineup with an undisclosed injury. . . . Announced attendance: 4,580.
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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 1-0)
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (Kelowna leads, 1-0)
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m. (Medicine Hat leads, 1-0)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:17 PM
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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Mumps still hanging around WHL? . . . Tigers sweep defending champs . . . Polei OT hero in Red Deer


F Jamie Lundmark (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 1998-2001) has signed a one-year extension with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 51 games, he had 26 goals and 25 assists. He led the team in goals and points, while serving as an alternate captain.
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 The mumps may not yet be through with the WHL.
Jon Keen, the voice of the Kamloops Blazers on Radio NL, wasn’t available for Game 4 of a series with the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday night.
Jeremy Bosch, who usually rides shotgun with Keen on home games, handled the play-by-play with Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week providing the analysis.
During the game, Taking Note was told by three sources that Keen has shown symptoms of mumps and has been placed in isolation awaiting test results.
Keen later told Taking Note that his situation is “very premature at this point.”
Keen is in his 14th season as a play-by-play voice in the WHL. Keen began his WHL career with the Swift Current Broncos before moving to Kamloops. He called his 1,000th game on March 8.
With the playoffs here, the Blazers, like other teams, have shut down the information highway, so it’s not known if there is anyone else in the organization with symptoms.
It could be that the Blazers are at least the sixth WHL team to be hit by the mumps, following the Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Swift Current Broncos and Victoria Royals.
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The WHL’s defending champions bowed out last night in Dauphin, Man. The Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2, to sweep the holders of the Ed Chynoweth Cup from the first round. . . . The Wheat Kings played all four games without F Nolan Patrick, who was injured in the second-last game of the regular season. . . . Brandon also was without veteran F Tanner Kaspick. . . . Patrick ended up playing only 33 games this season, putting up 46 points, including 20 goals. He underwent sports hernia surgery in July and missed almost all of training camp. He returned for the season’s first five games, then didn’t play again until Jan. 14. . . . He has been projected as the consensus No. 1 selection for the NHL’s 2017 draft through the entire season. It will be interesting to see if that holds up on June 23 in Chicago.
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The Tri-City Americans were without D Dalton Yorke, 20, for Game 3 of their series with the Seattle Thunderbirds on Wednesday night. Yorke drew a TBD suspension for a hit he delivered during the Game 2’s third period in Kent, Wash., on Saturday night. Yorke took a charging minor at 15:10 for a hit on F Ryan Gropp, who was scratched last night. The suspension came under supplemental discipline, meaning the Thunderbirds sent video to the league and asked for a review. When it comes to supplemental discipline, the injury factor carries a lot of weight. . . . While Yorke was scratched last night, F Vladislav Lukin returned to the Americans after missing Game 2. Tri-City also had F Nolan Yaremko back for this one. He missed the end of the regular season and the first two games of this series after being injured in practice.
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The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, again were without F Mathew Barzal and G Rylan Toth as they took a 2-0 edge into Game 3 last night. Barzal (mumps) hasn’t played since March 7. Barzal, the Western Conference’s player of the year, took the warmup prior to a March 10 game, then left for the dressing room before the anthem. Barzal hasn’t played since then. . . . Toth, who led WHL goaltenders with 36 victories in the regular season, was taken out of a game in Portland on March 11. At the time, it was said to have been for precautionary reasons. He hasn’t played since then. . . . F Ryan Gropp, who apparently was injured in Game 2 on a hit from Tri-City D Dalton Yorke, led the Thunderbirds in goals (35) and points (84) in the regular season.
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Regan Bartel, the play-by-play voice of the Kelowna Rockets, put this note on his blog Wednesday morning:
“The Rockets had their fair share of scoring chances in (Game 3 on Wednesday), but according to the Kelowna Rockets analytics team, the shot clock wasn't exactly true. The Rockets had 23 shots on net, not the 38 that were shining brightly on the Sandman Centre shot clock. If that indeed is true, 23 shots on net won't win you too many games against elite goaltending.”
Ahh, the games inside the playoff games!
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The playoffs are here so when a coach says that an injured player is OK and “he’ll be fine,” well, you take it with a grain of salt. . . . On Sunday, F Giorgio Estephan of the host Lethbridge Hurricanes left in the second period after taking a high-stick from F Michael Spacek of the Red Deer Rebels. Lethbridge head coach Brent Kisio told Dale Woodard of the Lethbridge Herald: “He’s fine. He’s good to go.” . . . Estephan was scratched from Game 3 in Red Deer last night.
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One player who was in the lineup last night in Red Deer was Rebels captain Adam Musil. He hadn’t played since March 4. The next day, he suffered an undisclosed injury in an off-ice incident — he later was seen with a walking boot on an ankle — and was listed as being out week-to-week.
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The Vancouver Giants didn’t make the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hard at work. On Wednesday, they announced the signing of F Cyle McNabb, a list player from Winnipeg. McNabb, who will turn 17 on Sept. 15, spent this season with the Rink Hockey Academy’s prep team, putting up nine goals and 16 assists in 29 games.
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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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F Travis Jost has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche, which selected him 10th overall in the NHL’s 2016 draft. This means Jost, who played two seasons with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, will leave the U of North Dakota Fighting Hawks after just one season. The Regina Pats hold his WHL rights, having acquired them from the Everett Silvertips. The Pats will be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup. Hmmm . . .
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It was a tough day for hockey at North Dakota. Earlier in the day, word got out that the school is axing its women’s program. The team was practising at the time that word leaked. . . . Brad E. Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, who covers UND hockey like sand covers a beach, reported that the women’s team had a recruit on campus at the time. Lauren Hennessey had left Boston at 5 a.m., for her UND visit. . . . The announcement came one day after USA Hockey reached an agreement with its women’s national team that averted a boycott of the IIHF World Championship that is to begin Friday in Plymouth, Mich. . . . UND also will be dropping men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.
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Coaching

 The junior B Mission City Outlaws of the 10-team Pacific Junior Hockey League announced Wednesday that co-coaches Mike Drouillard and Brad Veitch have retired. Veitch spent five years with the Outlaws; Drouillard was there for four seasons. . . . The Outlaws then named Mike Renner as their new head coach. Earlier in the day, the PJHL’s Port Moody Panthers had announced that Renner, the team’s interim head coach, wouldn’t be returning. That was announced by Peter Zerbinos, who took over as general manager on March 16. The Panthers finished 16-27-1 this season, putting them fifth in the five-team Tom Shaw Conference. . . . Mission was 18-22-4, which left it fourth in the Harold Brittain Conference.
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WEDNESDAY GAMES:

In Red Deer, F Evan Polei scored 48 seconds into the second OT period to give the Rebels a 4-3 victory
EVAN POLEI
over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Rebels hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Red Deer. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s last three goals, winning it on Polei’s second of the series. This was the first OT game of these WHL playoffs. . . . F Lane Zablocki had given Red Deer a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 2:44 of the first period. . . . The Hurricanes stormed back with three straight goals. . . . F Tyler Wong (2) scored on a PP at 8:51. . . . D Brennan Menell (1) gave the visitors the lead at 18:57 of the second period. . . . F Zak Zborosky (1) upped the lead to 3-1 at 3:10 of the third period. . . . F Brandon Hagel (2) scored on a PP at 16:53, getting the Rebels to within one goal. . . . Red Deer tied it when Zablocki scored his third goal of the series with 19.6 seconds left in the third period. . . . The Rebels got three assists from D Jared Freadrich and two from Polei. . . . Wong had two assists for Lethbridge, with Menell and Zborosky adding one each. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 49 shots for the Rebels, four more than Lethbridge’s Stuart Skinner. . . . Red Deer was 2-5 on the PP. . . . The Hurricanes were 1-2 on the PP. They had been 0-12 before Wong scored. . . . Announced attendance: 5,017.
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At Kennewick, Wash., D Ethan Bear and F Donovan Neuls each had five points as the Seattle Thunderbirds whipped the Tri-City Americans, 9-2. . . . The Thunderbirds hold a 3-0 lead in the series
DONOVAN NEULS
and can end it Friday in Kennewick. . . . The Americans switched goaltenders, going from Rylan Parenteau, who had started the first two games (0-2, 4.65, .875), and bringing Evan Sarthou off the bench. But Sarthou was lifted before the game was 11 minutes old, having allowed three goals on seven shots. . . . Bear, who finished with two goals and three assists, opened the scoring at 2:55. . . . F Scott Eansor (2) made it 2-0 at 7:48 and D Jarret Tyszka (1) upped it to 3-0 at 10:16. . . . Neuls, who scored his second goal and added four helpers, made it 4-0 at 12:03, with D Austin Strand (2) increasing the lead to 5-0 at 17:08. . . . Seattle also got goals from F Keegan Kolesar (3) and F Alexander True (1), with Bear later adding his second of the game and second of the series and Strand scoring his third. . . . F Austyn Playfair (2) and F Morgan Geekie (1) scored for the Americans. . . . True and Kolesar added three assists each. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski stopped 21 shots in running his record to 3-0 in relief of injured starter Rylan Toth. . . . Parenteau allowed six goals on 29 shots in 49:44. . . . Seattle was 3-7 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 2,632.

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At Portland, F Jansen Harkins scored once and added four assists to lead the Prince George Cougars to
JANSEN HARKINS
a 6-1 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Cougars lead the series, 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Portland. They’ll be back in Prince George for Game 5 on Saturday. . . . F Skyler McKenzie (2) gave the Winterhawks a 1-0 lead just 14 seconds into the first period. Who knew the home side wouldn’t score again? . . . Harkins (2) tied it at 8:26 and F Kody McDonald (1) put the Cougars out front, on a PP, at 12:36. . . . F Colby McAuley (1) scored at 17:42 for a 3-0 lead. . . . D Tate Olson (1), F Brogan O’Brien and McAuley (2) added Prince George’s other goals. . . . D Brendan Guhle and F Nikita Popugaev each had two assists for the winners, with McAuley getting one. . . . The Cougars got 37 stops from G Ty Edmonds. . . . Portland starter Cole Kehler allowed six goals on 38 shots in 47:35. Shane Farkas finished up by stopping all seven shots he faced in 12:25. . . . Prince George was 2-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 4,585.
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At Dauphin, Man., the Medicine Hat Tigers ended a goal-less game with two scores in the first two
DAVID QUENNEVILLE
minutes of the third period en route to a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Tigers swept the best-of-seven series and eliminated the defending champions. . . . Medicine Hat had a 37-15 edge in shots through two periods but couldn’t get the puck past Brandon G Logan Thompson. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko finally solved Thompson, scoring his third goal of the series 24 seconds into the third period. . . . D David Quenneville made it 2-0 at 1:31. . . . F Reid Duke got Brandon to within a goal, on a PP, at 3:11. . . . Quenneville replied with his third goal of the series, on a PP, at 12:09. . . . The Wheat Kings got another PP goal, this one from D Kale Clague (1), at 15:48. . . . The Tigers got 23 saves from G Michael Bullion, who went the distance in all four games. . . . Thompson finished with 51 saves. . . . Brandon was 2-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat 1-5. . . . The Wheat Kings took their first-round home games to Credit Union Place in Dauphin because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has taken over the Keystone Centre complex. . . . Announced attendance: 1,825.
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At Kamloops, G Michael Herringer stopped 24 shots to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 1-0 victory over
MICHAEL HERRINGER
the Blazers. . . . The Rockets lead the series, 3-1, with a chance to end it at home on Friday night. . . . Exactly on year earlier, on March 29, 2016, Herringer stopped 40 shots in a 1-0 victory in Kamloops. . . . Last night, Herringer saved the victory with a terrific push across save on Kamloops F Collin Shirley late in the third period. Herringer was trying to smother the puck on the right side of his crease, when it squirted loose. Shirley corralled it behind the net and came out the other side. Herringer somehow got his left pad to the post and stopped the stuff attempt. . . . Herringer now has two shutouts in this series — the Rockets won the opener, 4-0 — and four in his post-season career. . . . Dillon Dube, the best forward on the ice in this one, scored the game’s only goal, at 2:37 of the second period. He’s got three goals in the four games. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram put on quite a show, stopping 48 shots. The Rockets held a 40-14 edge in shots after two periods. . . . Steve Yzerman, the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was in the house. The Lightning selected Ingram in the third round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Kelowna was 0-3 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-7. . . . The Blazers, who beat the visiting Rockets 4-1 on Tuesday night, now are 1-20 on the PP in the four games. . . . The Blazers remain without F Luc Smith, who was hurt in the second-last game of the regular season. . . . Announced attendance: 4,297.
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At Victoria, G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 30 shots as the Royals beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-1. . . .
GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
That series is 2-2 as it heads back to Everett for Game 5 on Friday. Game 6 is scheduled for Victoria on Sunday. . . . Last night, F Regan Nagy (1) gave Victoria a 1-0 lead at 5:03 of the first period and F Dante Hannoun (1) made it 2-0 at 19:16 of the second. . . . Everett got within a goal when F Patrick Bajkov scored his fourth goal of the series, on a PP, at 16:05 of the third period. . . . Everett held a 10-7 edge in shots in the first period and 11-7 in the second. . . . The Silvertips got 18 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals again played without F Jack Walker and D Scott Walford, both of whom have undisclosed injuries. . . . The Silvertips continue to be without F Riley Sutter and F Devon Skolenski, who also have undisclosed injuries. Sutter is believed to be close to returning. . . . Announced attendance: 4,637.
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At Swift Current, F Ryley Lindgren scored three times to lead the Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Moose
RYLEY LINDGREN
Jaw Warriors. . . . The series is tied 2-2 as it heads back to Moose Jaw for Game 5 on Friday night. They’ll be back in Swift Current for Game 6 on Saturday. . . . The Broncos took control with three goals in the first nine minutes of the first period. . . . Lindgren scored twice, at 0:59 and 2:03, with F Tyler Steenbergen making it 3-0 at 8:57. . . . The Warriors made it interesting with a pair of early second-period PP goals, F Brett Howden (1) counting at 1:16 and D Josh Brook (1) finding the range at 2:25. . . . Steenbergen added his fourth goal of the series, on a PP, at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Lindgren iced it with his third goal of the game, and fourth of the series, on a PP, at 19:45. . . . The Warriors got two assists from each of F Jayden Halbgewachs and F Brayden Burke. . . . Swift Current got 30 stops from G Jordan Papirny, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 20. . . . The Broncos were 2-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 2-6. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890. . . . Darren Steinke, the travelling blogger, was on hand for this one. His blog is right here.

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THURSDAY GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m. (Red Deer leads, 2-1)
Regina at Calgary, 7 p.m. (Regina leads, 3-0)
Prince George at Portland, 7 p.m. (Prince George leads, 2-1)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:16 AM
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Sunday, March 5, 2017

Saturday night in the WHL . . .

What follows is a quick look at Saturday’s happenings on the ice in the WHL.
As I posted here in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I was at the Kamloops stop for Tom Cochrane’s Mad Mad World Tour on Saturday night.
Yes, it was louder than at any Blazers’ game this season.
The show’s highlight? Well, we were in the third row from the front. A woman seated directly in front of us got up to dance during the show’s second half and somehow ended up on the stage. She and her male companion were last seen being escorted from the building.
Seriously, it was quite a show. Cochrane proved that he really is Canada’s Bruce Springsteen. At the age of 63, Cochrane still brings it.
The tour, which also features Red Rider, is in Prince George on Monday night.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Everett, the Silvertips scored three times in the game’s first eight minutes en route to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Everett scored three times on its first six shots, forcing Seattle to replace starting G Rylan Toth, who is having a banner season, with Carl Stankowski, who stopped 33 of 34 shots in 51:25. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 15 shots for Everett. . . . Seattle remains with D Ethan Bear, F Scott Eansor and D Jarret Tyszka. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis had two assists, the first of which was his 100th career point. He is quietly having a giant offensive season, with six goals and 45 assists in 64 games. Previously, he had three goals in each of the past two seasons. In 2014-15, he had career highs in assists (22) and points (25). . . . The victory allowed Everett (39-14-11) to move back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Seattle (41-19-6). . . . Everett has eight games remaining, two more than Seattle. . . . Announced attendance: 8,249.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 first-period deficit and beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . F Dillon Dube scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 15, while F Reid Gardiner scored his 14th goal as he ran his point streak to 12 games. Since joining the Rockets, he has 30 points in 22 games. . . . Cal Foote of the Rockets and Tri-City’s Juuso Valimaki, two of the WHL’s top defencemen, each had two assists. . . . The Rockets (40-21-5) have won four in a row and now are second in the B.C. Division, four points behind Prince George and three ahead of Kamloops. . . . Kelowna has six games remaining, one more than those two teams. . . . The Americans (38-25-3) are third in the U.S. Division, five points ahead of Portland, which has a game in hand. . . .  Announced attendance: 5,521.
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At Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last three goals, all in the second-half of the third period, and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-3. . . . F John Dahlstrom, who has 27 goals, gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead with a goal at 10:34 of the second period. . . . The Warriors, who had led 2-0, won it on goals from F Noah Gregor (22), F Tanner Jeannot (18) and F Thomas Foster (20), who scored twice. . . . F Brayden Burke had two assists for the winners. . . . Moose Jaw (40-17-8) is comfortably in second place in the East Division. It has won eight straight games and is six points behind Regina and 12 ahead of Swift Current. . . . The Tigers (46-19-1) had won their previous four games. They are second in the overall standings, three points behind Regina, which holds two games in hand. Medicine Hat leads the Central Division by two points over Lethbridge, with each team having six games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 3,458.
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At Portland, G Cole Kehler stopped 12 shots to record the shutout as the Winterhawks beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-0, to sweep their tripleheader. . . . Kehler has two shutouts this season, the first two of his career. . . . Vancouver was outshot 11-1 in the first period and 12-3 in the third. . . . The Giants went 0-6 in its two tripleheaders, losing three to the Victoria Royals before dropping three straight with Portland. . . . F Keegan Iverson had two assists, and has four goals and four assists over his past five games. . . . Each of the Winterhawks’ scorers — F Cody Glass, F Joachim Blichfeld and F Ryan Hughes — now has 27 goals. . . . Portland (35-26-4) holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points behind Victoria, and is fourth in the U.S. Division, five points behind Tri-City. . . . Vancouver (19-41-6) will miss the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 5,903.
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At Prince Albert, F Parker Kelly and F Cavin Leth each had four points and G Ian Scott earned the shutout as the Raiders beat the Kootenay Ice, 8-0. . . . The Ice had lost 4-0 in Saskatoon on Friday night. . . . Kelly scored twice, the second one on a penalty shot, and added two assists. He’s got 16 goals. . . . Leth had a goal, shorthanded, and two assists. He has 22 goals. . . . Scott stopped 25 shots in putting up his second shutout of the season and third of his career. . . . Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs. . . . The Raiders (18-41-7) are 21st in the overall standings, five points ahead of the Ice (14-40-10). . . . Announced attendance: 2,177.
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At Prince George, F Jansen Harkins became the franchise’s all-time scoring leader in a 6-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Harkins had a goal and three assists, as he ran his career points total to 240 in 270 regular-season games. That broke the record that had been held by F Chase Witala (2011-16), who had 239 points in 302 games. Harkins tied the record with his 20th goal of the season and broke it with an assist on a third-period PP. . . . Prince George got big nights from the McTwins, too, with F Colby McAuley scoring twice and adding two assists, while F Kody McDonald had a goal and two helpers. . . . Cougars F Jesse Gabrielle scored his 30th goal, the second season in a row that he has reached that mark. . . . The Cougars had a season-high 57 shots on goal just one night after unleashing 50 shots in an 8-4 victory over the visiting Blazers. The home side scored five second-period goals in each game. . . . Prince George put 11 pucks behind Blazers G Connor Ingram in 91:07 over the two nights. . . . Kamloops (38-23-6) went into the weekend in second place in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Cougars (42-20-5). The Blazers headed home in third place, seven points behind Prince George and three behind the second-place Kelowna Rockets. . . .  Announced attendance: 3,969.
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At Red Deer, the Swift Current Broncos clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 OT victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Swift Current won the season series, 4-0, with three of the victories coming in extra time. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi’s 25th goal pulled the Broncos into a tie at 17:18 of the third period. The Finnish freshman then drew the primary assist on F Tyler Steenbergen’s 46th goal, the winner, 52 seconds into OT. . . . The Broncos (33-20-10) are headed to a third-place finish and a first-round clash with Moose Jaw in the East Division. . . . The Rebels (26-28-11) are third in the Central Division, only three points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,926.
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At Regina, the Calgary Hitmen added to the league-leading Pats’ woes by hanging a 6-3 loss on them. . . . F Beck Malenstyn and F Luke Coleman each had a goal and two assists for Calgary, which took a 4-1 lead into the second period. . . . Calgary held a 16-9 edge in shots in the first period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro scored his 39th goal, shorthanded, for Calgary. . . . Malenstyn has 25 goals; Coleman has 14. . . . Regina got two goals from Adam Brooks, who has 35. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba was terrific, with 32 saves, 14 of them in the third period. . . . Regina had F Filip Ahl and D Jonathan Smart back from injuries, but F Duncan Pierce (ankle) left in the second period. . . . The Hitmen (25-20-10), who had lost three straight, hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point ahead of Saskatoon. . . . The Pats (44-12-8) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) for the first time this season. They lead the overall standings by three points over Medicine Hat with two games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 5,546.
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At Saskatoon, the Lethbridge Hurricanes erased a 4-2 deficit to beat the Blades, 5-4 in OT. . . . D Brennan Menell’s 12th goal, at 0:54 of OT, won it. . . . F Giorgio Estephan, who had the lone assist on the winner, was in on the last three goals. He had the primary assist on F Zak Zborosky’s 41st goal, at 1:47 of the third period, then tied the score with No. 30, at 11:13. . . . Earlier, Estephan had scored his 29th goal. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong had three assists, becoming the WHL’s third 100-point man this season. He's now at 101. . . . The Blades got three goals from F Braylon Shmyr, who has 32. . . . The Hurricanes (42-17-7) have won six straight and now are two points behind Central Division-leading Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (25-31-9) have points in two straight (1-0-1) and are one point out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,413.
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At Victoria, the Royals clinched a playoff spot with a 4-3 OT victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Matt Phillips scored the winner at 2:42 of extra time. . . . He had two goals, giving him 46, and an assist. Phillips tied the Royals’ single-season record for goals that had been set last season by F Tyler Soy, who remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. The franchise record (51) is held by F Ryan Howse (Chilliwack Bruins, 2010-11). . . . F Hudson Elynuik scored two PP goals for Spokane. He’s got 25 goals. . . . The Royals (37-23-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1). They are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind Kamloops. Victoria plays its next five games on the road, including two in Kamloops and two in Kelowna. . . . The Chiefs (26-29-9) are 12 points away from a playoff spot with eight games to play. . . . Announced attendance: 6,059.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Regina at Brandon, 4 p.m.
Kootenay at Moose Jaw, 4 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 1:23 PM
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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Gropp burning it up with T-Birds ... Silvertips win in Regina ... Cougars beat Chiefs on funky ice


F Mitch Wahl (Spokane, 2005-10) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan). Wahl was released by Västervik (Sweden, Allsvenskan) earlier Tuesday, after recording six goals and eight assists in 23 games. He started the season with with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga), scoring a goal and adding three assists in 16 games.
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 The Saskatoon Blades have added Cliff Mapes to their front office as vice-president of business operations. Mapes has been working as a branch manager with Prairie Mobile Communications in Calgary. Prior to that, the Saskatoon native spent 10 years with the Regina Pats, where he was the Eastern Conference’s recipient of the Marketing/Business Award for 2013-14. . . . Meanwhile, on the ice, the Blades hope to have F Markson Bechtold back in their lineup tonight (Wednesday) when they meet the visiting Everett Silvertips. He last played on Dec. 27. Bechtold, 20, was acquired from the Spokane Chiefs but played in only three games before being injured. He has one goal with the Blades, after recording five goals and three assists in 13 games with the Chiefs.
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The Regina Pats have signed F Kjell Kjemhus, 15, to a WHL contract. Kjemhus, from Grande Prairie, Alta., was a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. . . . He is playing at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. He has a goal and four assists in 10 games with the prep team, and three assists in 14 games with the U-18 team that plays in the NAPHL.
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D Jacob Bernard-Docker has committed to the U of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for the 2018-19 season. Docker, who will turn 17 on June 30, is from Canmore, Alta. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has 18 points, including six goals, in 46 games with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. . . . Bernard-Docker was a fifth-round selection by the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft.
F Jordan Xavier, 19, has committed to the U of Alaska-Anchorage where he will play for the Seawolves. Xavier was a fifth-round pick by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2012 bantam draft. From Calgary, he has 20 points, seven of them goals, in 19 games with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. He started the season with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs, earning 16 goals and 14 assists in 30 games.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings are scheduled to entertain the Kootenay Ice in the eighth annual Hockey Hooky game this morning. . . . The Oil Kings go into the game with one defenceman suspended and four on their injury list, all with “upper-body” injuries. . . . Will Warm will complete a WHL suspension by sitting out today’s game. . . . The Oil Kings show Jordan Dawson as day-to-day, Brayden Gorda out one week, Wyatt McLeod out indefinitely and Riley Stadel TBD. . . . McLeod appeared to injury a shoulder during Sunday’s 3-2 OT victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. The Oil Kings ended a franchise record-tying 16-game losing skid with that victory so will be trying to get a winning streak going today. They have beaten the Ice three times so far this season; this being the era of the loser point, it must be pointed out that the Ice is 0-2-1 in the season series.
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The WHL has suspended F Jared Dmytriw of the Victoria Royals for three games after he took a headshot major and game misconduct during a 3-1 loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday night. . . . Dmytriw will miss Victoria’s three-game Central Division swing that features games against the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight, Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday and and Kootenay Ice on Saturday. . . . Dmytriw hit F Deven Sideroff, who missed the Blazers’ 4-0 loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Monday afternoon. Sideroff is expected to return Friday when the Blazers meet the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. . . . D Ondrej Vala of the Blazers will miss that game as he completes a suspension that was set at two games on Tuesday. He was suspended under supplemental discipline, apparently for a cross-check that took Victoria F Tyler Soy out of Saturday’s game. Soy is shown on the WHL roster report as being out week-to-week and wasn’t on the Royals’ bus when it headed for Alberta. F Ryan Peckford (undisclosed injury) didn’t make the trip, either. 
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Always on the hunt for fresh angles, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman begins his weekly 30 Thoughts in a car with Rob DiMaio, who played with the Kamloops Blazers and Medicine Hat Tigers, and his family. DiMaio now is director of player personnel with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. Yes, it’s interesting stuff, and it’s all right here.
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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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Coaching

 Rod Aldoff has returned as head coach of the SPHL’s Pensacola Ice Flyers. He replaces Kevin Hasselberg, who was fired on Monday. . . . Aldoff, a 46-year-old Lethbridge native, had been Pensacola’s hed coach coach for the previous three seasons, winning two SPHL championships in the process. He left the Ice Flyers last summer to join the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, at the time an affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. However, the Oilers sold the ECHL franchise and the new owners released Aldoff, who was kept on with the NHL team as a scout. . . . The Ice Flyers were 15-15-5 and seventh in the 10-team league when Hasselberg was fired.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Moose Jaw, F Jayden Halbgewachs moved back into a tie for the WHL’s goal-scoring lead as he helped the Warriors to a 3-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Halbgewachs gave the Warriors a
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
1-0 lead at 10:27 of the first period when he scored his 43rd goal. He is tied with F Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos for the goal-scoring lead. . . . F Brett Howden (29) increased the lead to 2-0 at 2:06 of the second period, with Halbgewachs drawing an assist. . . . The Wheat Kings halved the deficit as F Stelio Mattheos (22) counted at 5:43. . . . Moose Jaw put it away on F Yan Khomenko’s 13th goal, at 18:19 of the third period. . . . The Warriors got 15 saves from G Zach Sawchenko, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson turned aside 31 shots. . . . The Warriors had a 12-1 edge in shots in the first period and it was 17-7 in the second. . . . Brandon was 0-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-3. . . . The Warriors had D Colin Paradis back in their lineup, but D Josh Thrower was scratched. They continue to be without F Brendan Burke and F Noah Gregor. . . .For the first time in more than a week, the Wheat Kings didn’t have any players scratched due to illness. . . . This was the first time in seven games between these teams that overtime wasn’t needed. Moose Jaw is 4-0-3 in the series; Brandon is 3-1-3. . . . The Warriors (33-17-8) had lost their previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Wheat Kings (27-21-8) had points in each of their previous four games (2-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 3,155.
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At Prince George, the Cougars erased a 1-0 deficit with six straight goals and went on to score a 7-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . One night earlier, the Chiefs had post a 4-3 victory. Following that game, fans were allowed to go out onto the ice and show their artistic touch. The teams played on that painted ice in this one. . . . 

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 32nd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 1:21 of the first period. . . . F Jared
JANSEN HARKINS
Bethune (17) tied it at 13:37. . . . The Cougars moved out front when F Aaron Boyd scored his eighth goal, shorthanded, at 15:33. . . . The Cougars scored four straight goals in the third period, getting them from F Kody McDonald (12), F Jansen Harkins (18), F Colby McAuley (20) and F Brad Morrison (21). The first two came via the PP. . . . Spokane got its second goal from F Ethan McIndoe (15), with F Jackson Leppard (2) also scoring for the Cougars. . . . Harkins, F Radovan Bondra and D Tate Olson each had two assists for the winners. . . . G Nick McBride earned the victory with 28 saves. . . . At the other end, Dawson Weatherill stopped 29 shots. . . . Prince George was 2-7 on the PP; Spokane was 0-5. . . . The Cougars are without D Brendan Guhle (ankle), who is listed as being out week-to-week. . . . Prince George (38-17-4) has lost its previous two games (0-1-1). . . . Spokane (24-24-9) had points in its past four games (3-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,675.
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At Regina, the Everett Silvertips grabbed a 1-0 lead before the game was three minutes old and went on
BRIAN KING
to a 4-2 victory over the Pats. . . . D Aaron Irving’s 16th goal, at 2:24 of the first period, got Everett out to a quick start. . . . F Brian King (3), who also had an assist, gave Everett a 2-0 lead at 11:14 of the second period. . . . Regina got to within a goal when F Filip Ahl got No. 24 at 16:51. . . . However, Everett scored twice before the second period ended. . . . D Noah Juulsen, who also had an assist, scored his 10th goal at 17:55. . . . F Patrick Bajkov (22) made it 4-1 at 19:49. . . . Regina’s second goal came from F Dawson Leedahl (27), at 2:41 of the third period. Leedahl, 20, was acquired from Everett prior to the season. . . . Regina F Sam Steel picked up an assist on Leedahl’s goal, making him the WHL’s first 100-point scorer this season. . . . The Silvertips got 26 saves from G Carter Hart, who won for the 22nd time this season. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown made 27 saves. . . . Regina was 0-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . Everett (33-12-10) is 2-1-0 on its six-game East Division swing. . . . Regina (40-7-7) had won 11 straight games. . . . Announced attendance: 5,458.
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At Kent, Wash., F Ryan Gropp continued his hot streak with a goal and two assists as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-1. . . . Gropp ran his goal-scoring streak to eight games and
RYAN GROPP
his point streak to 14.  He has 11 goals in those eight games, and 31 points in the 14 games. . . . He also has put up six straight multi-point games. . . . Gropp now has 24 goals and 37 assists in 51 games. Last season, he finished with 34 goals and a career-high 36 assists in 66 games. . . . Gropp got Seattle out to a 1-0 lead at 13:29 of the first period. . . . F Keegan Kolesar made it 2-0 with his 18th goal 26 seconds into the second period. . . . At 2:37 of the second, Gropp set up F Alexander True for his 19th goal, on a PP. . . . Red Deer D Colton Bobyk got his guys on the scoreboard at 2:55. He’s got six goals. . . . Seattle F Elijah Brown finished the scoring with his second goal, at 9:08 of the third. . . . The Thunderbirds got two assists from F Mathew Barzal, while Kolesar had one. . . . Barzal has points in seven straight games, with a goal and 19 assists. He also has six straight multi-point games. . . . Kolesar, the third member of what right now is the WHL’s best forward unit, has points in six straight, with six goals and six assists in that stretch. He has goals in five straight games. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 16 shots in earning his 29th victory, one off the league lead. . . . . Red Deer starter Riley Lamb allowed three goals on 19 shots in 22:37. Lasse Petersen came on in relief, stopping 15 of 16 shots in 27:23. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Thunderbirds (36-16-5) remain atop the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Rebels (23-25-9) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . This was Seattle’s sixth game in eight nights. The Thunderbirds won five of them, the only loss coming on Monday afternoon when they were beaten 6-3 by the host Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Thunderbirds signed F Cody Savey, 15, on Monday and he made his WHL debut in a 6-3 loss to the Rockets in Kelowna later in the day. He was in the lineup again on Tuesday. If you would like to learn more about Savey, there a good piece right here. . . . Announced attendance: 4,263.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kootenay at Edmonton, Hockey Hooky, 11:30 a.m.
Victoria at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Everett at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Red Deer vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:08 PM
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