THE MacBETH REPORT:
Langnau (Switzerland, NL A) signed F Tyler Ennis (Medicine Hat, 2005-09) and D Jared Spurgeon (Spokane, 2005-10) to lockout contracts. Ennis had 15 goals and 19 assists in 48 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season, while Spurgeon had three goals and 20 assists in 70 games with the Minnesota Wild. They are childhood friends and were teammates in minor hockey in Edmonton. . . .
F Stepan Novotny (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) signed a one-year contract with Liberec (Czech Republic, Extrraliga). He had five goals and six assists in 34 games for Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL) last season. . . .
F Shay Stephenson (Red Deer, 2000-04) was released by Karlskrona (Sweden, Allsvenskan) by mutual agreement due to injury. He had no points in three games this season with Karlskrona. . . .
F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) signed a try-out contract with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, Oberliga). He had one assist in one game with Trnava (Slovakia, 1.Liga) this season. Last season, Rumpel had three assists in two games with Trnava and seven goals and 12 assists in 30 games with Frederikshavn (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga).
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When the WHL gathered its head coaches for an information session in Calgary last week, there was a lot of talk about dangerous hits, about not hitting players who are in vulnerable positions, about not hitting another player in the numbers, about the respect factor.
Judging by the number of ugly hits in the Kamloops Blazers’ 6-5 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday night, there is some work to be done.
Make no mistake about it – this was a nasty game. Not nasty in terms of ample stickwork and a number of fights (there was only one), but nasty because of some really dangerous hits.
It started four minutes into the first period when Kelowna F Colton Heffley hit Kamloops F Aspen Sterzer from behind.
Before the game was done, Kamloops D Tyler Hansen had twice been penalized for hits from behind, while Kelowna F Ryan Olsen also picked up one.
But two of the most egregious checks from behind weren’t called such; in fact, one of them didn’t even draw a penalty.
At 16:43 of the first period, Kelowna F Henrik Nyberg hit Kamloops D Tyler Bell in the back and wasn’t even penalized. Nyberg ended up falling on Bell, who went down awkwardly and appeared to injure his right knee. He returned to the bench for the last two periods but didn’t play again. Nyberg, a freshman from Sweden, ended up in a fight as Kamloops F Dylan Willick went straight to him. The only penalty assessed Nyberg was a fighting major.
At 10:11 of the second period, Kelowna D Myles Bell drilled Kamloops F Matt Needham from behind and was given a boarding minor.
Meanwhile, at 12:08 of the second period, Kelowna F Colton Sissons drove to the Kamloops net off the left wing. He made no attempt to pull up and barrelled into G Cole Cheveldave in the crease. Somehow, Sissons came out of this without a goaltender interference penalty; rather, he was penalized for roughing.
Cheveldave left the game after the second period with an undisclosed injury. Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said he couldn’t yet say whether Cheveldave was injured on that play. Charron wasn’t at all happy to be talking about Cheveldave being injured again. After all, Cheveldave’s last season ended late in Game 1 of a second-round series with Portland when he was run over by Winterhawks F Oliver Gabriel behind the net.
Last night, shortly after Sissons ran into Cheveldave, Kamloops F Jordan DePape had a chance to bury Kelowna G Jordon Cooke on a similar play, put pulled up short and skated past the side of the net.
The messages in all of this: The penalties for checking from behind have to be made stiffer. If that’s what it takes to make players think before they drill an opponent in the numbers, well, that’s what it’s going to take.
And the WHL officials need to work harder to protect the goaltenders. A few charging majors would be a good place to start.
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In seasons past, I have done game-by-game reviews. I’m not going to do that this season; it’s simply too time-consuming and most of the information I provided is available on the game sheets on the WHL website. . . . Instead, I will try to provide some highlights, injuries, tidbits, etc. . . . If you are at a game and see something of interest, email me at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca. . . .
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FRIDAY’S STUFF:
The Portland Winterhawks outshot the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds 30-2 in the first period and went on to drop a 5-2 decision. Seattle G Brandon Glover pitched a first-period shutout and finished with 55 saves. . . . Seattle had a 20-11 edge in shots in the second period. . . . The Winterhawks were 11-1-0 against Portland last season. . . . Portland D Seth Jones, whose first name really isn’t Highly Touted, made his WHL debut. “I thought he was good,” Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston told Paul Buker of The Oregonian. “I thought he controlled the play. He moved the puck well. He’s a big guy when he jumps up ice. It’s amazing how quick he is with his stick when he heads up ice. He’s got really good offensive skills.” . . . Jones’ father, Popeye, was in the stands. Popeye, an assistant coach with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, played for the Portland Trail Blazers in Memorial Coliseum. . . . “The fans are crazy, and they really support this hockey team,” Jones told Buker. “I’m an old guy. I started coming here in 1993 for basketball. I played in Memorial Coliseum. That’s how old I am.” . . .

LW Tim Bozon scored three goals, the last one in OT, to give the host Kamloops Blazers a 6-5 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . As noted earlier, this was a particularly nasty game. . . . Kamloops lost G Cole Cheveldave (undisclosed) and D Tyler Bell (knee) to injuries, both on aggressive plays by Kelowna players. Neither is expected to play tonight in Kelowna. . . . Rockets LW J.T. Barnett (knee) left during his first shift after throwing a hit deep in Kamloops territory. He won’t play tonight either. The Rockets claimed Barnett off waivers from Everett last week. Last season, Barnett suffered a knee injury while stretching prior to a game in Kamloops. He played that night, but the injury kept him out of action after that until playoffs. . . .

The host Moose Jaw Warriors overcame a 3-0 deficit and beat the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 in OT. The winning goal? F Andrew Johnson scored it on a penalty shot. . . . “I saw there was a gap there (between defenders) and I tried to split it. When the ref pointed for a penalty shot my heart almost stopped,” Johnson told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. . . . Swift Current D Reece Scarlett left the ice on a backboard after a hit from Moose Jaw F Justin Kirsch. Scarlett was on the ice for 10 minutes before being taken off. He gave the crowd the thumbs up as he left. . . . The Warriors successfully killed off two major penalties, the one to Kirsch for the hit on Scarlett and another to D Joel Edmundson who got tossed under the WHL’s new rule for instigating a fight off a faceoff. . . . Scarlett (@reecescarlett7) later tweeted: “Thanks for all the support. I am doing fine. Nothing seriously wrong. Just beyond stiff and sore. #bebacksoon.” . . .


Victoria F Stephen Hodges took a puck to the mouth in the warmup and then scored twice, both via the PP, and set up another as the Royals beat the Giants 6-4 in Vancouver. . . . Victoria D Joe Hicketts, the 12th overall pick in the 2011 draft, had a goal and an assist for the Royals in his first regular-season game. . . . Victoria scored six times on 18 shots. . . . Victoria head coach Dave Lowry, in his first season with the Royals, picked up the victory in the rink where he played his first NHL game with the Vancouver Canucks. They selected him 110th overall in the NHL’s 1983 draft. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels dropped a 3-2 decision to the Calgary Hitmen and lost D Mathew Dumba in the first period when he was tossed for a head hit on F Joe Kornelson. . . . Here’s Red Deer Advocate sports editor Greg Meachem: “It was the classic open-ice hit that Dumba has made his calling card, but also one that is being frowned upon by referees and the WHL head office and earned the third-year Rebel a major and game misconduct.” . . .

In Brandon, head coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk picked up his first victory as the Wheat Kings edge the Regina Pats, 3-2. . . . Gylywoychuk, a veteran assistant coach in Brandon, was named head coach of the Wheat Kings over the summer. . . . Gylywoychuk also played with the Wheat Kings. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades began their march to the 2013 Memorial Cup by beating the host Prince Albert Raiders 2-1 in a shootout. . . . Last season, the Raiders lost 19 games by one goal, which contributed mightily to their missing the playoffs. . . . The Raiders got their goal on the PP after Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls was given a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on D Zach Hodder. The Vancouver Giants selected Hodder with the 20th overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft. He had a short stay in Saskatoon last season and was making has Prince Albert debut in this one.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Madie Gylywoychuk (@Madietaylor99): “Congrats on the first win of the season @bdnwheatkings! Way to go Dad! @millchew.”
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IN OTHER NEWS:
The Regina Pats have acquired F Adam Rossignol, 19, from the Swift Current Broncos for a 2013 bantam draft pick. The Broncos announced that pick as being conditional; according to the Pats, it’s a 12-rounder. . . . Rossignol, who was acquired by the Broncos form Kootenay Ice in January, had 21 points in 71 games last season. He was released by the Broncos earlier this week. . . . Rossignol played for Regina last night. . . .
The Broncos also announced Friday that they have released F Christian Magnus, 20. He came over from the Kootenay Ice on Jan. 9, 2011, as part of the  monster deal in which F Cody Eakin moved to the Ice. . . . Magnus, the ninth overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft, actually started with the Broncos, but was dealt to the Ice with D James Martin in exchange for F Michael Stickland and D John Negrin. There also were some draft picks in that deal. . . . Last season, Magnus had 24 points in 62 games with the Broncos. The announcement of his release came three days after Broncos F Graham Black (@GrahamBlack9) said farewell to Magnus via Twitter: “Going to miss my best friend on the swift current broncos @mr_mangus big beauty, unreal friend, and amazing line mate! We love you mags!!!” . . . The Broncos are left with F Chance Lund, F Ryon Moser and D Dalton Reum as their 20-year-olds. . . .
The Tri-City Americans have assigned F Brendan Persley, 19, to the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals, who acquired his rights last week from the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. . . . The Americans now are carrying 26 players, including two goaltenders and 15 forwards. . . .
F Brock Balson, 19, who was released this week by his hometown Kamloops Blazers, is back with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. Balson was released by the Prince Albert Raiders prior to the start of last season. He joined the SilverBacks and put up 19 points in 20 games. He then moved to the Blazers, for whom he had six points in 42 games. . . .
F Justin Maylan (Moose Jaw, Prince George, Prince Albert, 2007-12) has signed with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Maylan, 21, had 89 points, including 63 assists, with Prince Albert last season.
The Medicine Hat Tigers have assigned G Kenny Cameron, 19, to the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. Last season, Cameron backed up Tyler Bunz with the Tigers. His departure leaves the Tigers with Dawson MacAuley, 18, and Marek Langhamer, an 18-year-old Czech freshman, as the goaltenders. . . . Langhamer stopped 18 shots in last night’s 4-2 loss to the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .
Brian Wiebe, who covers the BCHL like a glove, reports that the Surrey Eagles have added D Tommy Stipancik, 18, who was released by the Saskatoon Blades. Stipancik had three points in 34 games with the Blades last season. . . . Wiebe also has F Brayden Low, 18, joining the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials after being dropped by the Seattle Thunderbirds. Low, who played four games with the Portland Winterhawks in 2010-11, had 16 points in 44 games with the Centennials last season.
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The OHL and the Windsor Spitfires have come to an agreement on disciplinary measures brought on by a violation of the league’s player recruitment policy. Originally, the Spitfires were fined $400,000 and had five draft picks taken from them. . . . The Spitfires appealed and recently met with OHL commissioner David Branch. . . . According to an OHL news release, “During the meeting . . . the Windsor Spitfires accepted that there were certain violations of the league’s recruitment policy.” . . . When all was said and done, the earlier decision was changed. The Spitfires have agreed to pay a fine of $250,000 and lose four draft picks – first-rounders in 2013 and 2016, and second-rounders in 2015 and 2017. . . . As a result of this agreement, the Spitfires won’t appeal the decision. . . . And here is the last line of the OHL news release: “Neither the League nor the Windsor Spitfires will be making any further comment in relation to this matter.” . . . So that takes care of that.
Bob Duff of the Windsor Star writes right here about how this means the Spitfires have “dropped their innocent act.”
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The QMJHL’s P.E.I. Rocket franchise will change its name to P.E.I. Islanders effective next season. The team held a rename-your-team contest and Islanders got 49 per cent of the votes. Also considered were Riptide and Confederation. . . . The change can’t take place yet because Reebok is just now working on changing logos and colours.

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Saturday . . .

“Brantt Myhres has been to the dark side . . . again and again and again and again . . . and again.
And now the 34-year-old former National Hockey League tough guy wants to give back, wants to share his knowledge, wants to help players who are struggling with substance abuse.”
So begins a solid story by John Down of the Calgary Herald. The entire story is right here and it’s a good read, providing yet more insight into the lives led by professional hockey’s enforcers.
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If you are wondering what happened to the QMJHL’s Lewiston Maineiacs, Kalle Oakes of the Lewiston Sun Journal has the story right here. It’s a column and it’s a good one. If you live in a city that has a WHL franchise, you definitely will want to read this piece.
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In Binghamton, N.Y., F Zack Smith (Swift Current, 2004-08) scored twice on Saturday night, leading the Senators to a 4-2 victory over the Houston Aeros in Game 5 of the AHL final. . . . The Senators lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, with Game 5 in Houston on Tuesday. . . . A seventh game, if needed, will be played in Houston on Thursday. . . . Binghamton G Robin Lehner posted a 3-0 shutout on Friday and stopped 41 shots one night later. . . . Attendance was 4,727. . . . Smith scored the game’s last two goals, breaking a 2-2 tie on the PP with nine seconds left in the second period and adding insurance at 15:56 of the third. . . . The Aeros were without F Cody Almond (Kelowna, 2005-09), who suffered a leg injury Friday, and then lost D Jared Spurgeon (Spokane, 2005-10) in Game 5. He didn’t return after taking a check in the second period.
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“Knowing your stance on WHL officiating it’s not surprising this has snuck by,” started the comment from an anonymous reader of this blog. He/she went on to point out that “former WHL referees Kelly Sutherland (Vancity product) and Steve Kozari (Penticton product) made the SCF and SCSF respectively.”
Honestly, I don’t know what to make of the start of the comment because it’s been a long, long time since I was critical of any WHL referee or linesman.
In the late 1970s/early 1980s I was often harshly critical of WHL referees. As a young sports journalist I likely thought it was the thing to do . . . the power of the pen and all that, I suppose.
And then one day the phone rang. It was Ed Chynoweth calling. The man who ran the WHL didn’t sound upset or angry, but it was obvious that this was a time for me to listen. He explained the WHL officiating system, pointing out how the league works to develop officials the same way it develops players.
More than that, though, Chynoweth reminded me that these on-ice officials are out there giving it their all. Sure, some of these guys have bad nights, but don’t you ever have a bad day/night at work?
Now . . . if the anonymous commenter — are there any other kind? — was referring to my opinion of the WHL’s two-man referee system, well, that’s entirely different.
I don’t like the two-man system, but, hey, I’m hardly alone. In fact, I would suggest that the vast majority of WHL general managers and head coaches are in the same boat.
I have long felt that the WHL would develop better referees quicker if it went back to the one-man system. That, however, is beating a dead horse because it won’t happen, at least it won’t as long as the NHL uses the two-man system.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Saturday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kyle Bruce (Kamloops, Prince Albert, Vancouver, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract extension with the Braehead Clan (UK Elite). He had 14 goals and 24 assists in 43 games with the Glasgow-based Clan this season. . . .
G Norm Maracle (Saskatoon, 1991-94) signed a one-year contract extension with Starbulls Rosenheim (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He posted a 2.51 GAA in 41 games this season. . . .
F Tyler Spurgeon (Kelowna, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract extension with Klagenfurt (Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 11 goals and 10 assists in 34 games this season.
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The Eastern Conference finalists have been decided. The Kootenay Ice, having swept the top-seeded Saskatoon Blades, will be in Medicine Hat on Friday to open against the Tigers, who ousted the No. 2 Red Deer Rebels on Saturday night. . . . The Tigers finished third in the conference, while the Ice was fourth. . . . Meanwhile, the two Western Conference series resume tonight. The Portland Winterhawks taking a 3-2 lead into Kelowna to face the Rockets. And, in Kennewick, Wash., the Spokane Chiefs and host Tri-City Americans clash in a series that is 2-2.
In Kelowna, the Rockets will be without D Colton Jobke, who will serve a one-game WHL suspension. That’s for a boarding major he incurred in Game 5 for a hit on Portland F Brad Ross.
The Rockets have added D Madison Bowey, a 15-year-old from Winnipeg, to fill the vacated roster spot. A second-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft, Bowey had one assist in three regular-season games with the Rockets.
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On Saturday night in Red Deer, F Kellan Tochkin’s goal at 9:32 of overtime gave the Medicine Hat Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Tigers won the second-round series 4-1 and now will meet the Kootenay Ice in the Eastern Conference final. That series opens with games in Medicine Hat on Friday and Saturday nights. . . . Red Deer, the conference’s second seed, led this one 4-1 after F John Persson scored on the PP at 2:21 of the third period. . . . F Boston Leier (2:44) and F Linden Vey (9:41) scored to get the Tigers close and F F Emerson Etem tied it at 15:46. . . . Vey and Etem each had a goal and two assists. . . . F Cole Grbavac scored his ninth goal of the playoffs for Medicine Hat. He has 16 points in 11 games, after finishing the regular season with 28 points, including 13 goals, in 67 games. . . . The Rebels went into the game having scored just three goals in the first four games. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots, while Dawson Guhle turned aside 28 for the Rebels. . . . Red Deer lost started Darcy Kuemper to a high ankle sprain in Game 3. . . . Attendance was 6,225.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Medicine Hat F Wacey Hamilton.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed G Cole Cheveldave, a list player from the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Cheveldave, who turns 18 on June 8, had a 2.90 GAA nad a .917 save percentage, and was honoured as the AJHL’s rookie of the yer. . . . The Victoria Salmon Kings erased a 1-0 deficit with three second-period goals and went on to beat the host Utah Grizzlies 4-2 last night. The Salmon Kings lead the ECHL second-round series 2-0 as the series heads for Victoria and games Wednesday, Friday and, if necessary, Saturday. F Kiel McLeod, a former captain of the Kelowna Rockets, scored Victoria’s third goal, while Tommy Maxwell, who played for the Medicine Hat Tigers, got the fourth one. . . . The AHL’s Providence Bruins will have a new head coach next season as Rob Murray has been told he won’t be back for a fourth season. . . . The ECHL’s Elmira Jackals also are looking for a head coach. GM Robbie Nichols, who took over behind the bench from Malcolm Cameron in February, is moving aside. He’ll stay on as GM but won’t coach.
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A note from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: “Rookie Jared Spurgeon, a revelation on the (Minnesota) Wild blue-line because of his IQ on the ice, only had one penalty in his 53 games. He’s one of only three defencemen (Bill Quackenbush and Tomas Kaberle are the others) in history who’ve played at least 50 games in a season to do that. How do you not get, say, six hooking penalties in a season?” . . . Spurgeon is a product of the Spokane Chiefs.
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Doug McConachie, a friend and a former sports editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, is dying. The pancreatic cancer isn’t going to let go and he knows it. Cam Hutchinson of the StarPhoenix, a longtime friend and co-worker, captures McConachie's personality, including that infectious laugh, in today’s good read and it’s right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

The drive to the WHL’s trade deadline has started.
It didn’t begin earlier in the week when the Tri-City Americans cut deals with the Everett Silvertips and Kelowna Rockets, because those were driven by Tri-City’s need to trim a 20-year-old from its roster.
No, the drive to the Jan. 10 deadline began late Friday morning with a deal between the Americans and Regina Pats.
For the second straight season, RW Carter Ashton, a first-round selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL’s 2009 draft, is on the move.

CARTER ASHTON

Ashton was dealt Friday by the Pats to the Americans, along with a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick, for F Tanner Olstad, F Nils Moser, a 2011 first-round bantam draft pick and second- and fifth-round picks in the 2012 bantam draft.
It was a year and a day ago, on Dec. 9, 2009, that the Lethbridge Hurricanes dealt Ashton and F Craig Orfino to the Pats for F Graham Hood, F Tayler Balog, a 2010 second-round bantam draft pick and a 2011 first-round bantam pick.
Moser, a 17-year-old from Canmore, Alta., was a second-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft. He has one goal in 20 games this season, after earning three points in 38 games last season.
Olstad, an18-year-old from Calgary, had three points in 20 games with the Americans.
Ashton, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, is the son of Brent Ashton (Saskatoon, 1975-79). Carter is in Toronto in the selection camp of the Canadian national junior team. In 29 games this season, he has 27 points and 44 penalty minutes.
In 206 regular-season WHL games, he has 137 points and 267 penalty minutes. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2006 bantam draft.
The bottom line is this: The Americans get bigger up front; the Pats, who aren’t likely to make the playoffs and have begun the rebuilding process, get badly needed draft picks.
For more on the deal, check out Greg Harder’s coverage right here at the Regina Leader-Post’s website.
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D Jared Spurgeon, a product of the Spokane Chiefs, is making quite an impression with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Check out this story by Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune right here.
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Some highlights from Friday’s WHL games . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Dylan Hood had a goal and three assists to lead the Warriors to a 6-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Quinton Howden scored twice and added an assist for Moose Jaw, while F Spencer Edwards had a goal and two helpers. . . . Howden has 21 goals now. . . . F Elgin Pearce counted three times for the Ice, giving him five this season. . . . Pearce, an 18-year-old from Port Coquitlam, B.C., had three goals in 45 last season as a freshman. . . . F Magnus Christian had three assists for the Ice, with F Joe Antilla scoring once, setting up two others and finishing plus-4. . . . Attendance was 2,650. . . . The Ice was without F Kevin King, its leading scorer, thanks to an infected elbow. . . .
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In Saskatoon, F Jake Trask scored his second goal of the game at 1:44 of OT as the Blades came from behind to beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-4. . . . Trask, who is from Saskatoon, was acquired earlier from the Kamloops Blazers. This was his sixth goal of the season. . . . Blades F Matej Stransky forced OT with a PP goal at 19:50 of the third period. . . . F Parker Stanfield had given Everett a 4-3 lead with his second goal of the game on the PP, at 16:31 of the third. . . . This was the Blades’ first home game after a 4-1-0 jaunt through the B.C. Division. . . . Everett led 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and 4-3. . . . Everett F Tyler Maxwell had a goal and three assists. . . . F Curtis Hamilton had two assists for Saskatoon in his last game before leaving for the Canadian junior team’s selection camp. . . . Ev erett G Kent Simpson stopped 40 shots. . . . Attendance was 6,112.
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In Calgary, F Kris Foucault scored 25 seconds into OT as the Hitmen beat the Regina Pats, 4-3. . . . Regina is 0-5 in OT this season. . . . Calgary trailed this one 3-0 at 9:36 of the second period as the Pats got shorthanded goals from F Thomas Frazee and Garrett Mitchell, and an score from Dyson Stevenson at 9:36. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick got a PP goal for Calgary before the second period ended, and F Justin Kirsch got another at 2:08 of the third. . . . D Matt MacKenzie tied it with his second of the season at 7:53. . . . MacKenzie also had two assists, as did Regina F Lane Scheidl. . . . The Eastern Conference’s two poorest teams combined for 29 shots, 16 by the Hitmen. . . . These teams will play an outdoors game at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium on Feb. 21. . . . Attendance was 7,680. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk, the fifth overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft, drew an assist for Regina. He isn’t eligible to play full time, but took F Carter Ashton’s spot on the Pats’ foster for this one. Klimchuk is from Calgary. . . . Neither of the forwards Regina acquired from the Tri-City Americans in the Ashton deal — Nils Moser or Tanner Olstad — was in Regina’s lineup. They likely will play tonight against the Rebels in Red Deer. . . .
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In Lethbridge, F Ryan Howse had two goals to help the Chilliwack Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Howse has 22 goals. . . . He scored two PP goals as five of the game’s seven goals came with the man advantage. . . . Lethbridge F Mitch Maxwell got his 10th goal on a penalty shot at 19:48 of the third period. . . . Chilliwack F Roman Horak had three assists, while F Robin Soudek had a goal and two helpes. . . . Howse gave the Bruins a 2-0 first-period lead. The Hurricanes tied it with two PP goals — from F Cam Braes and F Austin Fyten. The Bruins then got third-period goals from Soudek, at 13:41, and F Jamie Crooks, at 15:41, to win it. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 35 shots. . . . Attendance was 2,826. . . .
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In Red Deer, F Evan Bloodoff and F Geordie Wudrick each scored twice to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Rockets were without head coach Ryan Huska, who is serving as an assistant coach with Canada’s national junior team. Assistant coach Ryan Cuthbert, a former Rockets captain, will serve as head coach, with help from assistant Dan Lambert, in Huska’s absence. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s first four goals and took a 4-0 lead into the third period. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 37 shots. That included a penalty shot by F Colten Mayor at 7:57 of the third period. . . . Bloodoff has six goals; Wudrick has 15. . . . Attendance was 4,057. . . .
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In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford scored his WHL-leading 26th goal of the season as the Blazers edged the Swift Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . Ranford’s goal, which broke a scoreless tie 49 seconds into the second period, was the Teddy Bear goal. . . . Ranford also had an assist and now is tied with Medicine Hat Tigers F Linden Vey for the WHL points lead, with 49. . . . F Cody Eakin scored both Swift Current goals and now has 18 on the season. He leaves from Vancouver today for the Canadian junior team’s selection camp. . . . The game was delayed for about 15 minutes in the third period after Swift Current F Killian Hutt, 19, went into convulsions following a hit by F Jordan DePape. Hutt was conscious and have movement in his limbs as he left the ice on a stretcher and was taken to hospital. . . . DePape was given a charging major and game misconduct. . . . The Broncos were 0-for-7 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-for-1. . . . Attendance was 4,332. . . . 
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In Portland, the Winterhawks broke open a scoreless game with three second-period goals and went on to a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi, the WHL’s top scorer among freshmen, got his 20th goal at 3:30 of the second, on a PP, to get it started. . . . F Brad Ross added his 14th at 7:46 and F Spencer Bennett made it 3-0 with his 10th at 14:25. . . . It was Portland’s second victory in eight games. . . . F Spencer Asuchak, with his 10th, scored for Prince George at 18:44 of the second. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 22 shots. . . . Prince George G Ty Rimmer turned aside 26 shots, including Ross on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Attendance was 5,441. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin scored once and added two assists as the host Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . Shinnimin scored at 1:10 of the first period and it was Tri-City’s Teddy Bear goal. . . . F Mason Wilgosh and F Justin Feser each added two assists. . . . F Adam Hughesman helped out with his 16th goal and an assist. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley stopped 22 shots, losing his shutout bid to F Charles Wells at 11:39 of the second. Wells has eight goals this season. . . . F Carter Ashton, acquired by Tri-City from the Regina Pats on Friday, wasn’t in the Americans’ lineup. He is in Toronto preparing for the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . The Americans were 2-for-10 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 4,776. . . . The teams meet  again tonight in Kent, Wash. The Thunderbirds will be without G Calvin Pickard (13-9-7), who is off to the Canadian junior team selection camp. . . .
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In Vancouver, F Blake Gal scored the lone goal of the shootout as the Spokane Chiefs got past the Giants, 3-2. . . . Gal was the only one of the six shooters to find the range. . . . The goal was allowed after video review; it seems that G Mark Segal kicked the puck into his own net in the process of trying to make the save. . . . The Giants held a 2-0 lead halfway through the first period on goals by F Michael Burns — it was the Teddy Bear goal — and F Brendan Gallagher, his 25th. . . . F Tyler Johnson got his 20th, at 19:52 of the first, on a PP, to get the Chiefs on the board. . . . D Jared Cowen, who leaves today for the selection camp of Canada’s national junior team, tied it at 18:59 of the second, on a PP. . . . The Chiefs were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Giants were 0-for-2. . . . Segal stopped 43 shots, 23 more than Spokane’s James Reid. . . . Attendance was 12,263. . . . Giants D Luke Fenske (shoulder) returned after a seven-game absence, but they were without D David Musil, who suffered a hairline fracture in his right leg last week.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Kootenay D Joey Leach
Kelowna F Max Adolph

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.comTaking Note on Twitter

Some Sunday stuff . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Atlant Mytishchi (Russia KHL) after securing his release from Spartak Moscow (Russia KHL). He has two goals and five assists in his 23 games this season with Spartak. . . . As a side note, Obsut was signed by Spartak last season at the insistence of Spartak's then-head coach, Milos Riha. Riha was fired in October and now is the head coach of Atlant. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) re-signed with Timrå (Sweden Elitserien) after the club had released him earlier this month. Svensson almost signed with Dusseldorf (Germany DEL), but Dusseldorf withdrew the offer at the last minute. It was then that Timrå decided that it would re-open discussions. Svensson has three goals and six assists in 24 games this season.
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Hockey Canada will announce the roster for its selection camp this morning. That camp runs in Toronto, Dec. 11-15. . . . The television network RDS reports that the QMJHL will have six players invited — F Louis Leblanc (Montreal Juniors), F Michael Bournival (Shawinigan Cataractes), F Sean Couturier (Drummondville Voltigeurs), D Brandon Gormley (Moncton Wildcats), D Simon Despres (Saint John Sea Dogs) and G Olivier Roy (Acadie-Bathurst Titan). . . . Gormley, a first-round pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2010 draft, went down with a knee injury on the weekend. Reports are that he could be on the shelf for a month, which would be a big loss for Canada. . . . The camp begins December 11th and runs through to the 15th. Canada is scheduled to play exhibition matches against Switzerland in Oshawa on December 20, Sweden in Toronto on December 21 and Finland in Kitchener on December 23. The real fun begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Russia.
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Switzerland has released its 28-player pre-tournament roster, and it includes forwards Sven Bartschi and Nino Niederreiter of the Portland Winterhawks and D Dave Sutter of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The tournament is in Buffalo this time, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . The Kamloops Blazers are expecting to lose C Dalibor Bortnak to the Slovakian team that will play in Buffalo.
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The NHL’s Minnesota Wild has recalled D Jared Spurgeon (Spokane, 2005-10) from the AHL’s Houston Aeros. Spurgeon, who turns 21 today, had nine points and 10 penalty minutes in 21 games with the Aeros. But eight of those points have come in his last eight games. He also scored the shootout winner in a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday. Spurgeon signed with the Wild as a free agent on Sept. 22. He will wear No. 26 with the Wild which is to play the Flames in Calgary tonight.
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In Sunday’s only WHL game, Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk had the lone shootout goal as the Medicine Hat Tigers got past the host Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . F Linden Vey scored his 18th goal for the Tigers. He leads the WHL with 47 points. . . . The Winterhawks got goals from their Swiss connection — Nino Niederreiter, with his eighth, and Sven Bartschi, with No. 18. . . . Bartschi tied the score 2-2 at 19:11 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots, including eight in overtime. . . . Portland held an 8-0 edge in OT shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 20 shots. . . . The Winterhawks have lost three straight games, all of them this weekend and two of them in shootouts. . . . Attendance was 2,318. Who was to know there were so many CFL fans in the Portland area? . . . The Winterhawks are at home Wednesday when the Kootenay Ice, one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, drops by for a visit.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Zero.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca  gdrinnan.blogspot.com  Taking Note on Twitter