Showing posts with label Jeff D'Andrea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff D'Andrea. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Closing in on WHL playoffs . . . Raiders get No. 1 draft selection . . . Hockey Canada picks Hamilton


D Brett Carson (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2001-06) has signed a one-year extension with SaiPa Lappeenranta (Finland, Liiga). This season, he had three goals and five assists in 30 games.
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The WHL playoffs open on seven fronts on Friday night.
There are series previews available elsewhere, starting with dubnetwork.ca and whl.ca, so I’m not going to bother replicating any of that work.
Instead, here’s a quick look at each series and the injury implications, knowing full well that, like Sgt. Schultz, we’ll know nothing until Friday’s lineups are posted:
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WESTERN CONFERENCE

Everett (44-16-12, 1st in U.S., 1st in conference) vs. Victoria (37-29-6, 2nd wild-card): They’ll play Friday and Saturday in Everett. . . . The Silvertips swept the season series, going 4-0-0; the Royals were 0-3-1. . . . D Aaron Irving missed a couple of late-season games but has returned and will be a key for Everett. Their top three defencemen — Noah Juulsen, Kevin Davis and Irving — all are right-hand shots. . . . Everett F Devon Skoleski didn’t finish Sunday’s final game, while F Orrin Centazzo won’t play again this season. . . . Victoria F Tyler Soy missed a good chunk of time late in the season, but returned for the last couple of games. . . . The Royals may open without F Ryan Peckford, D Ralph Jarratt and D Chaz Reddekopp, all of whom are injured. Peckford is practising, while Jarratt is skating in a non-contact sweater. Reddekopp, who has a broken foot, won’t be there for the start of the series.
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Prince George (45-21-6, 1st in B.C.) vs. Portland (40-28-4, 1st wild-card): It starts with games Friday and Sunday in Prince George. . . . How competitive was the Western Conference? Portland is a wild-card entry with 40 victories. . . . In the season series, the Cougars were 2-2-0; the Winterhawks 2-1-1. . . . Prince George F Brad Morrison suffered an ankle injury in a Feb. 24 fight and hasn’t played since. He’s a point-a-game guy. . . . Portland F Cody Glass, who will be an early first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, missed the season’s last five periods. He had 94 points, including 32 goals, in 69 games. . . . The Winterhawks have been without F Evan Weinger, a 20-goal man, for 10 games. He last played on Feb. 24. . . . Portland might find motivation from the fact that it wanted a 2-3-2 format, but Prince George got the 2-2-1-1-1 it wanted, perhaps believed that the bus travel will wear on the Winterhawks. . . . The Cougars, who went wire-to-wire to win the B.C. Division, will get motivation from the fact it didn’t place one player on the conference all-star team or have anyone win an individual award. They also didn’t show up in the final CHL rankings.
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Seattle (46-20-6, 2nd in U.S.) vs. Tri-City (41-28-3, 3rd in U.S.): They’ll get started in Kent, Wash., on Friday and Saturday. . . . Seattle won the season series, 6-2-0. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal had 79 points, including 69 assists, in 41 games but hasn’t played since March 7 because of the mumps. Will he, or won’t he? We won’t know until Friday. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth led the WHL with 36 victories but last played on March 11. How badly injured is he? We’ll find out on Friday. . . . Two Tri-City forwards — Max James and Vladislav Lukin — are back from late-season injuries. Each played two of three weekend games and should be ready for Friday. However, F Nolan Yaremko is likely out after being injured in practice last week, and F Michael Rasmussen (wrist) won’t play in this series.
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Kelowna 45-22-5, 2nd in B.C.) vs. Kamloops (42-24-6, 3rd in B.C.): The series begins in Kelowna on Friday and Saturday. . . . Kamloops was 6-3-1 in the season series; the Rockets were 4-6-0. . . . Since the start of the 2015-16 exhibition season, these teams have met 30 times. Kelowna is 16-13-1 in those games; Kamloops is 14-14-2. . . . A year ago, the Rockets beat the Blazers in a seven-game first-round series, winning Game 7, 2-1, in OT on a goal by F Tomas Soustal. . . . The Rockets have been missing Soustal, a point-a-game guy who hasn’t played since he was injured while blocking a shot on March 1. . . . The Blazers are believed to be healthy.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE

Regina (52-12-7, 1st in East, 1st in conference, 1st overall) vs. Calgary (30-32-10, 2nd wild-card): They’ll get started with games in Regina on Friday and Saturday. . . . Regina won the season series, 3-1-0; Calgary was 1-2-1. . . . The Pats go into the playoffs on an eight-game winning streak. . . . Regina F Jake Leschyshyn (knee) won’t play again this season. The Pats will be without F Nick Henry for Game 1 as he serves a one-game WHL suspension. . . . The Hitmen are believed to be healthy.
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Medicine Hat (51-20-1, 1st in Central) vs. Brandon (31-31-10, 1st wild-card): The Wheat Kings open defence of the Ed Chynoweth Cup in Medicine Hat on Friday and Saturday. . . . The Tigers won the season series, 3-1-0. . . . Medicine Hat may get back two defencemen — Kristians Rubins and Ty Schultz. Both have been out with injuries but have been taking part in full practices this week. . . . Brandon D Garrett Sambrook hasn’t played since Feb. 24. The Wheaties say he is out with an illness that isn’t mumps. . . . F Reid Duke, who led the Wheat Kings in goals (37) and assists (71), was injured in a 7-1 loss to host Regina on Friday and didn’t play in the Pats’ 6-0 victory in Brandon on Saturday. . . . Brandon also was without F Tanner Kaspick, D Kale Clague and F Nolan Patrick on Saturday. However, all four of those players returned to practice this week. . . . The Wheat Kings will get F Tyler Coulter back from a one-game suspension.
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Lethbridge (44-21-7, 2nd in Central) vs. Red Deer (30-29-13, 3rd in Central): They’ll get started in Lethbridge on Saturday and Sunday. . . . The Hurricanes were 5-0-1 in the season series; the Rebels were 1-4-1. . . . Two of the Hurricanes’ top forwards — Matt Alfaro and Zak Zborosky — have played once (March 15) since March 4. Both are point-a-game players. . . . Red Deer won’t have D Alex Alexeyev, F Adam Musil or F Reese Johnson. F Grayson Pawlenchuk is skating but hasn’t been cleared for contact after January shoulder surgery. D Austin Pratt is doubtful.
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Moose Jaw (42-21-9, 2nd in East) vs. Swift Current (39-23-10, 3rd in East): It begins with games in Moose Jaw on Friday and Saturday. . . . The Warriors won the season series, 4-2-0. . . . Despite being 175 km apart on the Trans-Canada Highway, these rivals haven’t met in the playoffs since Moose Jaw won a six-game series in 1999. . . . The Warriors may have F Spencer Bast available after a late-season injury. . . . For their final regular-season game, the Broncos’ scratches included G Jordan Papirny, (mumps), F Lane Pederson, D Colby Sissons, D Max Lajoie, F Kaden Elder and F Ryan Graham. Emanuel Viveiros, the Broncos’ head coach, has said they should have all of them back for Game 1, with the exception of Graham.
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The Prince Albert Raiders won the WHL’s draft lottery on Wednesday, meaning they moved up two spots and now hold the first selection the bantam draft that is scheduled for May 4 in Calgary.
In the standings, the Raiders had finished ahead of the last-place Kootenay Ice, which now has the second pick, and the Vancouver Giants, who have the third pick.
The Edmonton Oil Kings are in the fourth spot, followed by the Saskatoon Blades and Spokane Chiefs. The rest of the first round is in the inverse order of the final regular-season standings, as are the remaining rounds.
The Raiders also hold an option on the Kelowna Rockets’ first-round selection, thanks to a deal in which F Reid Gardiner headed west. The Raiders have to exercise that option this draft or in 2018. Prince Albert also holds two second-round picks and three in the third round.
When Jeff D'Andrea of paNOW asked Curtis Hunt, the Raiders’ general manager about the possibility of trading the No. 1 pick, the response was:
“My track record proves that I’ll trade just about everything. I haven’t thought about it, but if it worked for us now and in the future, I think you have to consider everything moving forward.”
The Raiders haven’t held the first selection since 2001. That’s when they took F Kyle Chipchura, who went on to total 165 points, including 59 goals, over four seasons with them.
Some observers have D Kaiden Guhle, a 6-foot-1, 170-pounder from Sherwood Park, Alta., as the favourite to go first overall. The Raiders selected his brother, Brendan, with the third overall pick in the 2012 draft. He was dealt to the Prince George Cougars this season.
Here is the first-round order for the 2017 bantam draft, as of Wednesday night
1. Prince Albert
2. Kootenay
3. Vancouver
4. Edmonton
5. Saskatoon
6. Spokane
7. Calgary
8. Brandon
9. Swift Current (from Red Deer)
10. Saskatoon (from Victoria)
11. Portland
12. Tri-City
13. Swift Current
14. Kamloops
15. Moose Jaw
16. Lethbridge
17. Kelowna (Prince Albert has option)
18. Prince George
19. Seattle
20. Everett
21. Medicine Hat
22. Red Deer (from Regina)
NOTES: Portland is in the first round with its own selection for the first time since Nov. 28, 2012, when the WHL took away first-round picks in five straight drafts, starting in 2013. That was after ruling that the Winterhawks had violated rules regarding player benefits. . . . Prince Albert holds an option on Kelowna’s first-round pick in 2017 or 2018. . . . Swift Current holds Red Deer’s first-round pick from a Dec. 27, 2015 trade in which F Jake Debrusk went to the Rebels, with F Lane Pederson among the pieces going to the Broncos. . . . Saskatoon has Victoria’s first-round pick from a Jan. 6, 2015 deal in which F Alex Forsberg went to the Royals. . . . Red Deer has Regina’s first-round selection from a Jan. 10 deal that involved, among other things, D Josh Mahura and F Jeff de Wit going to the Pats for F Lane Zablocki and D Dawson Barteaux. . . . To keep up on WHL trades involving draft picks, visit Alan Caldwell’s blog, Small Thoughts at Large, right here.
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The WHL also announced its all-star teams and some of its award winners on Wednesday. For a look at those lists, visit whl.ca.
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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.
If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
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The U of Saskatchewan Huskies of 2016-17 had some 23 players on their roster who played in the WHL. You may have seen the Huskies on action on TV last weekend. They were in Fredericton, N.B., where they lost the Canadian university final, 5-3, to the U of New Brunswick Varsity Reds on Sunday. . . . But there was more to the story than that. It seems the Huskies ‘adopted’ a young hockey player, Carson Ferdinand, and gave him the thrill of a lifetime by making him part of the team. . . . It’s a nifty story — especially when you consider that Carson’s mother is a swim coach at UNB — and Darren Zary of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix has it all right here.
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Steve Ewen of Postmedia tweeted Wednesday morning that F Ty Ronning of the Vancouver Giants “says he’s signed a PTO with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers.”
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Ronning was a seventh-round selection by the Rangers in the NHL’s 2016 draft.
The son of former NHL F Cliff Ronning, Ty had 53 points, including 25 goals, in 68 games with the Giants this season. He led them in goals and points, and was selected as the team’s MVP.
In 215 regular-season games, he has 134 points, including 66 goals.
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Hockey Canada has named Darren Rumble, the head coach of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, as head coach of the team that will play in the 2017 IIHF U-18 World Championship. . . . Rumble, a former assistant coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds (2012-13), was an assistant coach with Hockey Canada’s U-18 team at the 2015 and 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup summer tournaments. . . . Rumble’s assistant coaches at the World Championship will be Steve Hamilton of the Edmonton Oil Kings and Stephane Julien of the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix. . . . Jory Stuparyk of the Oil Kings will be the video coach, with Hockey Canada’s Fred Brathwaite the goaltending consultant. . . . The 10-team U18 World Championship is scheduled for Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia, from April 13-23. Canada is in a pool with Finland, Latvia, Slovakia and Switzerland. The other pool features Belarus, Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden and the U.S.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed F Chance Adrian to a WHL contract. From Dalmeny, Sask., he was a seventh-round pick by the Red Deer Rebels in the 2014 bantam draft. He was dropped and the Cougars added him to their protected list in December. . . . Adrian, who won‘t turn 18 until Nov. 16, had 46 points, including 19 goals, in 43 games with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts this season.
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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.
If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
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“At some point, you just have to suck it up and play.” . . . That’s how Mike Fraser, the writing scout, starts this week’s column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. Fraser, who scouts for the Wheat Kings, spends a lot of time in Western Canada’s arenas, and he sees it all. . . . You don’t want to miss his latest work and it’s right here.
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Elliotte Friedman leads this week’s 30 Thoughts with a look at the staredown that is doing on between USA Hockey and its national women’s team. As he points out. the American women are tying to get what Canada’s national women’s team already has. . . . That’s all right here.
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Griffin Foulk, who played in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Swift Current Broncos (2012-16), is from Broomfield, Colo. These days, he’s attending Colorado U and has walked on with the school’s football team, the Buffaloes. "It was one of those things where I elected to forego college hockey and try and go professional at the age of 16, and it kind of came time this past fall to make the call to get my education," Foulk, 21, told Adam Dunivan of BoCoPreps.com. "But I love competing, I love working hard and it's just second nature to me. Coming here, having an opportunity to try out . . . I'm just dipping my toes in the water right now but I hope to make something of it." . . . Dunivan’s story is right here. 
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MONDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 1, best-of-seven series)
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.
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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)
Red Deer at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:04 PM
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Thursday, February 9, 2017

WHL in court: More facts and figures from big business of junior hockey


F J.T. Barnett (Vancouver, Kamloops, Everett, Kelowna, 2008-13) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Timrå (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, he was pointless in one game with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL), had seven goals and three assists in 24 games with Zvezda Chekhov (Russia, Vysshaya Liga, CSKA farm team), and was pointless in three games with Amur Khabarovsk (Russia, KHL). . . . He was traded by CSKA to Amur on Dec. 13, then released by Amur on Jan 30.
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 I was wrong — oh, was I! — when I wrote earlier in the week that the biggest story involving the WHL over the next while would involve the future of the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook and the City of Nanaimo’s desire to build a new arena.
No . . . no . . . no!
The biggest story — and it’s huge — continues to unfold in a Calgary courtroom.
If you’re late to this, about 400 present and former major junior hockey players are seeking certification for a class-action lawsuit that, if successful, would result in WHL and OHL teams, which operate under
the CHL umbrella, having to pay minimum wage and assorted other benefits such as vacation pay.
This week, lawyers have been arguing both sides in a Calgary courtroom. Early on, Justice Robert Hall ordered the unsealing of financial statements and tax returns once certain personal information has been redacted, a process that now is underway.
In the meantime, some information is starting to trickle out.
On Thursday, we got our first glance at a tax-related document when Justice Hall gave permission for the media to look at and report on the Portland Winterhawks’ tax return for the period June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016.
For that period, the Winterhawks declared gross revenues of US$5,657,050 and a net loss of $191,955, numbers that didn’t sit well with Ted Charney, a lawyer representing the players in this case.


According to the Form 1120 filed by the Winterhawks, they paid $382,568 in “compensation of officers” and $1,737,330 in salaries and wages. All told, $771,409 was paid in rent and $1,671,881 went to “other deductions,” for which there isn’t an explanation provided.
Total deductions added up to $5,607,710, leaving that net loss of $191,995.
According to the WHL’s attendance report for 2015,16, the Winterhawks drew 252,124 fans to 36 home games, an average of 7,004 per game. Only the Calgary Hitmen, at 8,217, had a higher average attendance.
Late last year, Justice Hall ordered teams to produce financials and tax returns for five years, starting with 2011.
In 2014,15, Portland’s average attendance was 6,980, while it was 7,329 in 2013-14, 6,687 for 2012-13, and 6,075 for 2011-12.
We haven’t yet seen earlier tax returns, but according to a report for the plaintiffs by forensic accountant Ronald Smith, the Winterhawks, under “compensation of officers,” paid out $263,025 in 2012, $292,375 in 2013, $354,781 in 2014 and $393,468 in 2015.
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Included in the same Ronald Smith-prepared chart that contained Portland’s “compensation of officers” were annual “management fees” paid by the Red Deer Rebels.
According to this chart, the Rebels, starting in 2012 and running through 2016, paid “management fees” of $652,600, $400,000, $700,000, $725,000 and $1,490,000, respectively.
Smith wrote: “Based on the large increase in the fiscal 2016 management fees, it appears that a significant portion of those management fees may be a distribution of profit.”
Red Deer management — the franchise is owned by Brent Sutter, who also is the team’s general manager and head coach — hasn’t commented.

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Rick Westhead, a senior correspondent for TSN, was tweeting again (@rwesthead) Thursday. Here are a few:
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After perusing all of these numbers and more, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News wrote:
“We’re beginning to see why the Canadian Hockey League was so desperate to keep the details of its financial situation away from the prying eyes of the media and public. But if you’re going to pay the vast majority of your employees poverty wages, you’re also going to have to justify it by opening your books for all to see.
“And what we’re seeing so far doesn’t look great for the CHL.”
As all of this continues to unfold in that Calgary courtroom — it had been hoped things would wrap up today (Friday), but they now are expected to run through Wednesday and perhaps longer — people are learning that major junior hockey is big business.
“In the coming days,” Campbell wrote, “we’re about to find out that there is some big money out there in junior hockey and not much of it is going to the players. We’re going to learn that teams are paying their non-playing employees hundreds of thousands of dollars, even more than a million dollars, while many of the players earn $50 a week. For most teams, the amount they pay in salaries and benefits to non-players dwarfs the entire expense budget (which includes equipment, travel and scholarships), and in many cases is double the entire amount they spend on players.”
There was some interesting news involving the Kelowna Rockets, too, as Campbell pointed out that Smith’s report indicates the Rockets “have a wholly-owned subsidiary that provides the team with bussing services, which means transportation costs are being paid to a company that the Rockets already own.”
Smith wrote: “We do not know if the subsidiary is profitable or not.”
In the coming days, we are going to learn that nothing is cut and dried about any of this business. The more we hear and read, the more we realize that major junior hockey is a large, multi-faceted business with a whole lot of layers. What you are seeing when you walk into an arena and the puck is dropped is only the tip of the iceberg.
Campbell’s complete piece is right here.
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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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JUST NOTES:

The Prince Albert Raiders have lost F Jordy Stallard, 19, for the rest of this season after he underwent shoulder surgery on Monday. The Brandon native is at home recovering. . . . Jeff D’Andrea of paNOW reports that the Raiders have more injury issues, too. “Rookie Carson Miller missed Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to the Medicine Hat Tigers,” D’Andrea wrote, “and will be evaluated for a shoulder injury on Friday. Drew Warkentine was withdrawn from Wednesday’s game due to a lower body injury.” . . .
Meanwhile, the Saskatoon Blades have one forward ready to return from injury, with another close to getting back in the lineup. F Mason McCarty has missed 27 games with a knee injury but should play tonight against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. McCarty had 14 goals and nine assists in 26 games when he was injured on Nov. 25. . . . Meanwhile, F Markson Bechtold, who was injured in his third game after being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs, is close to returning but isn’t expected to play tonight. . . . However, Ryan Flaherty of Global-TV in Saskatoon tweeted Thursday that F Caleb Fantillo was “hurt at practice today. Blades back down to 19 skaters.” . . . 
F Michael Rasmussen, a 32-goal scorer and a projected first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, has an undisclosed injury and isn’t expected to play tonight against the host Seattle Thunderbirds and may also miss Saturday’s game in Spokane against the Chiefs. . . .
The Vancouver Giants, coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Cougars in Prince George on Wednesday, are scheduled to meet the Rockets in Kelowna tonight. The Rockets have beaten the Giants in each of their last 21 meetings in Kelowna, going back to March 19, 2011. . . . The Rockets likely will be a little ornery, having lost 6-0 to the host Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday.
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THURSDAY GAMES:

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

Everett at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Regina at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
Kamloops at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:43 PM
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Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Blades stun Wheaties . . . Ferguson sharp for Blazers . . . Pats win battle of leaders

D Filip Novák (Regina, 1999-2002) has signed for the rest of this season with České Budějovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Earlier this season, he had a goal and two assists in nine games with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), and three assists in 11 games with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). . . .
F Roman Tománek (Calgary, Seattle, 2004-06) has been loaned by mutual agreement by Banská Bystrica to Dukla Trenčín (both Slovakia, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He had a goal and three assists in 17 games with Banská Bystrica.
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I have the same thought every year as the World Junior Championship gets rolling: Boy, there are some bad games in this tournament and we always forget about them in the excitement of its approach. . . . Turns out I’m not alone in such a thought. . . . Actually, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News goes a step or two further right here, where he wonders if the WJC has “jumped the shark.”
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Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press writes that it’s time for Hockey Canada to take the World Junior Championship back to where it belongs — cities that support major junior hockey. That piece is right here.
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F Josh Uhrich, who has played in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Saskatoon Blades and Seattle Thunderbirds, has signed with the Miramichi Timberwolves of the junior A Maritime Hockey League. . . . Uhrich, 20, put up 59 points, including 26 goals, in 264 regular-season WHL games. This season, with the junior B Saskatoon Quakers, he had 54 points, 21 of them goals, in 21 games. . . . His brother Brayden, 19, joined the Timberwolves last season, and put up 28 points, 15 of them goals, in 19 games. This season, he’s got 39 points, including 24 goals, in 29 games. . . . Brayden has played seven WHL games, all with the Blades. . . . The Uhrich boys are from Rosetown, Sask. . . . The Timberwolves (17-10-2) are tied with the Dieppe Commandos for first place in the six-team North Division.
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Mike Fraser, a veteran WHL scout who now works with the Brandon Wheat Kings, also writes a weekly column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. This week, Fraser, a former goaltender, takes a look at the pressure Canadian hockey fans place on the national junior team’s goaltenders. That piece is right here.
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Rob Vanstone is the sports columnist at the Regina Leader-Post. Tim Vanstone is the captain of the Prince Albert Raiders. They connected the other day following a game in Regina. Are they related? The results are right here.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet/Hockey Night in Canada filed his weekly 30 Thoughts on Tuesday and it’s right here.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, D Libor Hajek scored twice early in the third period as the Saskatoon Blades erased a 2-1
LIBOR HAJEK
deficit and went on to beat the Wheat Kings, 4-2. . . . Hajek, who was cut by the Czech Republic team prior to the World Junior Championship, tied the score at 2:31 of the third period and gave the Blades the lead at 4:11. He’s got three goals this season. . . . Saskatoon F Jesse Shynkaruk (13) opened the scoring 31 seconds into the second period. . . . Brandon F Connor Gutenberg, back after a one-game absence, pulled his guys into a tie with his seventh goal, on a PP, at 2:56. . . . D Jordan Wharrie (3) gave the Wheat Kings a 2-1 lead at 7:00. . . . F Braylon Shmyr iced it for the Blades with an empty-netter at 19:42 of the third period. He’s got 21 goals, eight of them in his last six games. . . . Shmyr also had an assist. . . . The Blades got 25 stops from G Brock Hamm, while Brandon’s Jordan Papirny turned aside 38 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-5 on the PP; the Blades were 0-3. . . . The Blades are 2-3-1 in the season series. This was the fourth and final game in Brandon. . . . Saskatoon (15-20-6) is 2-0-2 in its past four games and has closed to within four points of a wild-card spot. . . . Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, reports that Saskatoon had been 0-7-1 in Brandon since last winning, 5-4 in OT, on Nov. 25, 2014. . . . Brandon (18-16-4) had won its previous three games and is tied with the Red Deer Rebels for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots. Red Deer also is tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings for third in the Central Division. . . . F Nolan Patrick remains out of the Wheat Kings’ lineup. Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun reports: “Patrick is back in the Wheat City skating but no firm timetable has been set for his return.” . . . Announced attendance: 3,550.
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At Kamloops, G Dylan Ferguson stopped 36 shots to lead the Blazers to a 5-2 victory over the Tri-City
DYLAN FERGUSON
Americans. . . . Ferguson, 18, was making his 11th straight start with G Connor Ingram (Canada) at the World Junior Championship. There were a number of NHL scouts on hand, at least some of them there they had had limited viewing of Ferguson in the past. He has a late birthday to will be eligible for the 2018 NHL draft. . . . Ferguson, the WHL’s goaltender of the month for December, stopped 15 shots in the third period when the Americans tried hard to get back into the game. . . . Kamloops scored three times before the game was nine minutes old. . . . F Travis Walton got his fourth goal at 2:05, with F Collin Shirley (17) scoring at 3:39, and F Jermaine Loewen getting his fifth, on a PP, at 8:22. . . . F Michael Rasmussen (28) got the Americans on the scoreboard at 17:19. . . . Kamloops F Nick Chyzowski (11) stretched the lead at 6:30 of the second period. . . . F Jordan Topping (4) got the Americans back to within two at 9:32. . . . The Blazers got the empty-netter from F Deven Sideroff (24) at 19:26 of the third period, while shorthanded. . . . Shirley added two assists to his goal, while Chyzowski and Sideroff added one each. . . . Topping also had an assist. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 19 shots. . . . Kamloops was 1-2 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-2. . . . Kamloops F Garrett Pilon was among the scratches. He’s out with an undisclosed injury, joining F Matt Revel. . . . Also missing from the Kamloops lineup were Ingram, F Rudolfs Balcers and D Ondrej Vala, all of whom are at the WJC. . . . This was the final game of the season series. The Blazers went 3-1-0, while the Americans were 1-2-1. . . . Kamloops (24-15-2) now is second in the B.C. Division, two points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. They’ll play in Kamloops on Friday and in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . The Americans (22-17-3) had won their previous two games. The Americans are second in the U.S. Division. . . . Kamloops head coach Don Hay recorded his 699th regular-season victory. . . . Heather McVie-Gaunt, a Pittsburgh-based opera singer with ties to Kamloops, made her annual appearance and sang both anthems. That was the highlight of this night. . . . Announced attendance: 3,290.
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At Medicine Hat, the Regina Pats scored three times before the game was seven minutes old en route to
SAM STEEL
a 6-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . The game featured the leaders of the East and Central Divisions. . . . Regina (26-3-7) has points in six straight (5-0-1) and leads the overall standings by three points over the Prince George Cougars and Everett Silvertips. . . . The Tigers (27-12-1) have lost two in a row and trail Regina by four points. . . . Regina is 2-0-0 against Medicine Hat with two games left in the season series. . . . Regina F Sam Steel opened the scoring just 49 seconds into the game. F Jake Leschyshyn made it 2-0 with his 15th goal, at 4:44, and F Austin Wagner (19) added another at 6:18. . . . F Steve Owre got the Tigers on the scoreboard with his 11th goal, at 7:42 of the second period. . . . Regina responded with three more goals. . . . F Dawson Leedahl (16) counted on a PP at 8:54, D Connor Hobbs (16) scored at 10:59, and Steel got his 27th, on a PP, at 18:03. . . . Medicine Hat F Ryan Jevne (5) got the game’s last goal 41 seconds into the third period. . . . Steel also had an assist, while F Adam Brooks had two. They now are tied for the lead in the WHL scoring race, each with 65 points. . . . F Nick Henry added three assists for the Pats, while Leedahl had two and Hobbs one. . . . Owre also had an assist for the Tigers. . . . G Tyler Brown earned his 18th victory with 36 saves. . . . Medicine Hat starter Nick Schneider gave up three goals on five shots in 6:18. Michael Bullion, acquired Sunday from the Portland Winterhawks, stopped 25 of 28 shots in 53:41. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan, acquired by the Pats from the Spokane Chiefs on Monday, was pointless in his Regina debut. . . . Regina was 2-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-6. . . . Announced attendance: 3,329.
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At Prince Albert, F Jayden Halbgewachs and F Nikita Popugaev scored shootout goals to give the Moose
BRAYDEN BURKE
Jaw Warriors a 6-5 victory over the Raiders. . . . F Brayden Burke scored three goals and added an assist for the Warriors. He gave his side a 1-0 lead just 36 seconds into the game, made it 2-1, on a PP, at 8:46, and broke a 4-4 tie at 11:45 of the third period, on another PP. He’s got 10 goals. . . . F Luke Coleman (7) gave the Raiders a 3-2 at 10:41 of the first period. . . . The Warriors went on top 4-3 on goals from F Brett Howden (18), on a PP, at 9:47 of the second period and F Tanner Jeannot (12), at 13:37. . . . F Curtis Miske scored for the Raiders at 9:24. It was his first game after being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs. Miske drove from Spokane to Fernie, B.C., on Monday, then to Calgary on Tuesday, from where he flew into Saskatoon. . . . After Burke gave the Warriors a 5-4 lead, the Raiders forced OT when F Carson Miller scored his fifth goal, at 18:10. . . . Howden had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . Coleman and Miller each had an assist for the Raiders. . . . G Zach Sawchenko stopped 31 shots to earn the victory, while Prince Albert’s Nic Sanders blocked 32. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-6 on the PP; Prince Albert was 1-3. . . . The Warriors are 5-1-0 and the Raiders are 1-3-2 in the season series that has two games remaining. . . . Moose Jaw (22-9-7) has points in four straight (2-0-2) and is tied with the Swift Current Broncos for second in the East Division. . . . The Raiders (8-29-3) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . Announced attendance: 1,755. . . . Jeff D’Andrea of paNOW has a game story right here.
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At Swift Current, the Broncos scored the game’s last four goals to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-4. . .
CALVIN SPENCER
. F Calvin Spencer gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 3:00 of the first period. . . . The Hurricanes responded with four straight goals. . . . F Giorgio Estephan scored twice, at 4:39 and 15:27 of the first period, giving him 21 goals. . . . D Igor Merezhko’s first WHL goal, at 5:08 of the second, on a PP, gave the visitors a 3-1 lead. . . . F Tyler Wong, with his 26th, made it 4-1 at 7:13. . . . Broncos F Tyler Steenbergen began the comeback with No. 27, at 7:32. . . . D Max Lajoie got the Broncos to within one, at 4-3, with his seventh goal, at 13:42. . . . D Colby Sissons (5) tied it just 32 seconds later. . . . Spencer broke the tie with his ninth goal, on a PP, at 3:34 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen and Lajoie each added one assist. . . . F Colton Kroeker and D Brendan Menell had two assists each for the Hurricanes, while Estephan had one. . . . G Travis Child stopped 29 shots for the Broncos, nine fewer than Lethbridge’s Stuart Skinner. . . . The Hurricanes were 2-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 2-6. . . . D Artyom Minulin, who scored the OT goal in the Broncos’ 5-4 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors on Sunday, was scratched. . . . The Broncos (22-11-7) have won three in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (20-14-5) had won their previous two games. They are second in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 1,669.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Vancouver at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Lethbridge at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:02 PM
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Friday, December 2, 2016

Cougars lose D-man to Buffalo . . . New lease on life for Pats . . . Silvertips on top rung now


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F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) has signed for the rest of this season with Cracovia Kraków (Poland, PHL). This season, he was pointless in three games with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga) and had a goal and an assist in six games with the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite). . . .
F Kristaps Baževičs (Prince Albert, 2011-12) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, he had two goals and eight assists in 24 games on tryout contracts with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga).
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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have brought in D Brendan Guhle, 19, from the Prince George Cougars under emergency recall rules.
Guhle was acquired by the Cougars from the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 19. He was a second-round
pick by the Sabres in the NHL’s 2015 draft and has signed with them.
He has three goals in four games with the Cougars. In 19 total games this season, Guhle has five goals and two assists.
The Sabres are at home to the Boston Bruins this afternoon (Saturday).
Already without D Zach Bogosian and D Dmitry Kulikov, both with long-term injuries, the Sabres may have lost D Josh Gorges, a former captain of the Kelowna Rockets, who was injured blocking a shot on Thursday in a 5-4 victory over the New York Rangers. His status won’t be known until sometime this morning.
Guhle almost made the Sabres prior to the 2015-16 season, but was sidelined with a concussion after taking a hit from D Dion Phaneuf, who was then with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to this season, Guhle was one of the Sabres’ last cuts.
The Cougars are at home to the Victoria Royals this weekend. They played last night and will meet again tonight.
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D Matt Sozanski of the Moose Jaw Warriors left late in the second period of a 5-3 loss to the Raiders in Prince Albert on Friday night and didn’t return. Sozanski was checked hard by Raiders F Tim Vanstone and was slow in returning to the Moose Jaw bench.
Jeff D’Andrea of paNOW reported that a doctor was called to the Moose Jaw dressing room during the second period.
According to D’Andrea, Tim Hunter, the Warriors’ head coach, was asked why a doctor was needed. However, Hunter chose to downplay things . . . or was he just being a snarky sore loser?
Here, according to D’Andrea, is Hunter’s reply: ”Somebody’s got a hangnail and I don't know why they'd send a doctor over for it. That's just a trick they pull here in P.A., to get the fans all excited about how physical they think their team is. That's all.”
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The way has been cleared for the Regina Pats to serve as the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup tournament. The WHL team’s bid hinged on it having a new lease with Regina Exhibition Association Ltd., which operates the Brandt Centre, and that lease was agreed to on Friday. The Pats are one of three CHL teams — the others are the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals — on the short list of teams being considered as the host team for what will be the Memorial Cup’s 100th anniversary. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more on the Pats right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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JUST NOTES:

F Josh Bruce, 18, has joined the BCHL’s Power River Kings. Bruce, from Surrey, B.C., had one goal in four games with the Saskatoon Blades, before being traded to the Vancouver Giants. He was pointless in two games with the Giants. He also had one goal in three games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles this season. . . .
The host Whitecourt Wolverines set franchise records for goals and shots in a single game on Friday night. They unleashed a 66-shot attack in beating the Calgary Mustangs, 14-0. . . . The teams combined for 90 shots, which also is an AJHL single-game record. . . . Former Kamloops Blazers F Eric Krienke had three goals for the Wolverines. . . . Whitecourt scored five PP goals in 2:43 during a major penalty in the second period. 
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals, two of them into an empty net, and beat
LANE BAUER
the Saskatoon Blades, 4-1. . . . F Logan Christensen scored his seventh goal, at 11:59 of the first period, as the visitors took a 1-0 lead. . . . Edmonton D Will Warm (2) tied it at 3:21 of the third period, with F Lane Bauer providing the home side with a 2-1 lead at 15:00. . . . Bauer has goals in five straight games and has put in three straight game-winning goals. . . . Bauer, who has 18 goals, added an empty-netter at 18:27 and F Davis Koch, who also had two assists, added another at 19:21. He’s got seven goals. . . . D Aaron Irving had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Patrick Dea blocked 20 shots for the winners, while Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell turned aside 35. . . . The Oil Kings were 0-1 on the PP; the Blades were 0-5. . . . Edmonton (13-13-2) has won three in a row. . . . Saskatoon (10-17-2) had lost three straight (0-2-1). . . . The Blades had F Kirby Dach, the second overall pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, in their lineup for the second time this season and he earned an assist for his first career point. He is playing in his hometown for the midget AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. Dach made his WHL debut in Edmonton on Nov. 10. . . . Announced attendance: 8,154.
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At Everett, F Patrick Bajkov scored three straight second-period goals to spark the Silvertips to a 4-3
PATRICK BAJKOV
victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Silvertips (20-3-4) have won five and row and now lead the overall standings by one point over the Tigers (21-6-1), who had a 10-game winning streak snapped. . . . Everett now is 13-2-0 on home ice. . . . F Steve Owre (8) gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 6:47 of the first period. . . . Bajkov, who has 14 goals, tied it at 6:17 of the second period, provided a 2-1 lead at 6:32 and made it 3-1 at 10:44. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis notched his third goal, on a PP, with Bajkov getting the lone assist, at 13:12 and that one proved to be the winner. . . . The Tigers made it interesting on goals from D Brad Forrest (1) at 4:34 of the third period and F John Dahlstrom (14) at 8:24. . . . F Matt Fonteyne had two assists for Everett. . . . The Tigers got two assists from F Matt Bradley. . . . Bajkov turned in Everett’s first hat trick of the season. . . . Everett G Carter Hart blocked 23 shots. He went into the game having put up three straight shutouts. That streak ended at 193 minutes 48 seconds. . . . G Nick Schneider, who leads the WHL with 19 victories, stopped 20 shots for the Tigers. . . . Everett was 1-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-2. . . . Tigers F Zach Fischer left with a fighting major and game misconduct at 10:51 of the first period for what appears to have been ruled a one-man fight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,387.
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At Lethbridge, F Jordy Bellerive scored twice and added an assist to lead the Hurricanes to a 5-3 victory
JORDY BELLERIVE
over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The visitors led 2-0 in the first period on goals from F Akash Bains (5), at 6:06, and D Carson Sass (3), at 10:02. . . . Bellerive, who has eight goals, scored the Teddy Bear Goal at 14:00 of the first, sending both teams to their dressing rooms while the ice was cleared. . . . Bellerive then tied it, on a PP, at 19:05. . . . F Giorgio Estephan broke the tie 33 seconds into the second period and F Tyler Wong, with his 18th, on a PP, made it 4-2 at 5:36. . . . F Adam Musil (9) pulled the Rebels to within one at 13:13. . . . Estephan added insurance with his 14th goal at 18:18. It was an empty-netter. . . . Wong also had three assists, while D Brennan Menell had two and Estephan added one. . . . Estephan has 12 points, including six goals, over his past five games. . . . Wong has five goals and four assists over his past three games. . . . Red Deer D Colton Bobyk picked up an assist, running his assist streak to 12 games, the longest in the WHL this season. He has 15 assists in that stretch. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 28 shots for Lethbridge. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 28 for Red Deer. . . . Lethbridge was 2-5 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Hurricanes (13-11-3) have won six in a row. . . . The Rebels now are 13-12-4. . . . With G Riley Lamb scratched due to illness, the Rebels had G Byron Fancy backing up Petersen. Fancy, who will turn 16 on Jan. 1, is from Claresholm, Alta. A second-round pick by the Rebels in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, he is playing for the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Announced attendance: 4,979.
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At Prince Albert, the Raiders scored two empty-net goals and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-3. . . .
SIMON STRANSKY
Prince Albert (6-20-1) had lost nine in a row. It won for the first time since Nov. 4. . . . The Warriors (15-6-4) had won their previous two games. . . . Prince Albert built a 4-1 lead and then hung as the Warriors scored twice before F Simon Stransky scored his 10th goal into an empty net at 19:35. . . . D Brandon Armstrong gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 13:07 of the first period. . . . The Raiders scored the next four goals. . . . F Cavin Leth (6) tied it at 15:16 of the first period and Stransky snapped the tie at 17:46 of the second. . . . F Austin Glover got his seventh goal at 6:47 of the third period, with D Max Martin (4) scoring a shorthanded empty-netter at 18:08. That was Martin’s first goal since coming over from the Prince George Cougars in the deal that had D Brendan Guhle go the other way. . . . Moose Jaw F Nikita Popugaev got his 20th goal, on a PP, at 18:32 and F Jayden Halbgewachs made it 4-3 with his 20th goal at 18:45. . . . Popugaev, a sophomore from Russia, scored his 20th goal in his 26th game. Last season, he finished with 16 scores in 70 games. . . . Halbgewachs has 20 goals in 25 games. Last season, his second, he totalled 15 goals in 69 games. . . . Glover added an assist to his goal. . . . Popugaev also had an assist. . . . The Raiders got 33 saves from G Ian Scott. . . . G Brody Willms stopped 37 shots for the Warriors. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-5. . . . F Kolby Johnson was back in the Raiders’ lineup after a three-game absence. . . . Announced attendance: 2,463.
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At Prince George, F Jesse Gabrielle scored three times to lead the Cougars to a 4-2 victory over the
JESSE GABRIELLE
Victoria Royals. . . . Gabrielle, who has 16 goals, gave his guys a 1-0 lead 4:48 of the first period, only to have Victoria F Matt Phillips tie it, with No. 20, at 6:14. . . . Gabrielle put the Cougars out front again, at 14:39 of the second period. . . . The Royals tied it at 16:26 as F Regan Nagy scored his seventh goal. . . . Prince George F Colby McAuley (12) broke the tie at 17:21. . . . Gabrielle added insurance with his third goal of the game, at 4:10 of the third period. . . . The Cougars got three assists from F Jansen Harkins. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 25 shots to earn the victory over Griffen Outhouse, who stopped 26. . . . The Cougars were 0-6 on the PP; the Royals were 0-8. . . . Prince George (20-6-2), which started a seven-game homestand with the victory, has won three in a row. The Cougars are third in the overall standings, two points behind Everett and one back of Medicine Hat. . . . Victoria (14-13-2) has lost four straight. . . . The Cougars welcomed back D Sam Ruopp from an eight-game suspension, but were without D Brendan Guhle, who was recalled earlier in the day by the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . Announced attendance: 2,842.
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At Kent, Wash., F Scott Eansor’s OT goal gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Kootenay
SCOTT EANSOR
Ice. . . . Eansor, who has 13 goals, won it at 1:24 of the OT period. . . . D Fedor Rudakov (4) had given the Ice a 1-0 lead at 1:13 of the opening period. . . . Seattle took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Ethan Bear (9) at 2:17 of the first and Eansor, on a PP, at 7:26 of the second. . . . Kootenay bounced back to take a 3-2 lead when F Jake Elmer scored his second goal, at 16:13 of the second, and F Vince Loschiavo got his fifth at 18:48. . . . Seattle forced OT when F Matthew Wedman (4) scored at 11:59 of the third period. . . . The Thunderbirds got three assists from F Mathew Barzal and two from F Ryan Gropp, who now has 100 career helpers. . . . Bear added two assists to his goal. . . . Kootenay F Barrett Sheen had two assists. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth stopped 16 shots. Toth was back on the ice after watching for three games. . . . The Ice got 38 saves from G Jakob Walter. . . . The Thunderbirds had an 11-4 edge in shots in the second period and it was 17-3 in the third. . . . Seattle was 1-4 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-4. . . . The Thunderbirds (14-9-3) are 3-0-1 in their last four games. . . . The Ice (5-17-7) has lost five in a row. . . . Seattle lost F Donovan Neuls in the second period with an injury to his right leg. The Thunderbirds claim that Neuls was slashed on the knee. . . . Kootenay welcomed back F Max Patterson after an eight-game absence. . . . The Ice was without D Troy Murray, who is serving a four-game suspension after taking a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Nov. 27. F Artyom Baltruk of the Oil Kings, who absorbed Murray’s hit, didn’t play last night against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. . . . Announced attendance: 3,266.
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At Spokane, F Hudson Elynuik’s OT goal gave the Chiefs a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . .
HUDSON ELYNUIK
Elynuik scored his 11th goal at 4:32 of extra time. . . . The Rockets took a 1-0 lead when F Kole Lind scored his 15th goal, on a PP, at 1:37 of the second period. Lind has goals in six straight games and has scored at least once in nine of his past 10 outings. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto’s 10th goal tied the game at 6:21 of the third period. Elynuik drew an assist on that goal. . . . Spokane G Jayden Sittler blocked 35 shots in a terrific outing. . . . The Rockets got 19 saves from Michael Herringer. . . . Kelowna was 1-1 on the PP; Spokane was 1-5. . . . The Chiefs (11-10-5) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rockets (15-11-1) picked up their first loser point of the season. They are 2-0-1 in their last three games. . . . The Rockets continue to be without D Gordie Ballhorn, who injured a hand in a fight. Ballhorn could be gone for as long as two months, which is why the Rockets gave up D Jonathan Smart, 17, who was a first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, in a deal this week that got them D James Hilsendager, 19, and F Erik Gardiner, 17. Hilsendager played for the Rockets in this one; Gardiner, who is with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, will get into the lineup later this month when the Rockets travel through the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,579.
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At Swift Current, F Ryan Graham scored twice and added an assist to lead the Broncos to a 5-1 victory
RYAN GRAHAM
over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Graham had a goal and four assists in 11 games with the Saskatoon Blades when he was dealt to Swift Current. In five games with the Broncos, he has seven goals and five assists. . . . F Matteo Gennaro (7) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 7:19 of the first period. . . . Broncos D Artyom Minulin tied it with the Teddy Bear Goal at 13:24 of the first period, forging a 1-1 tie. . . . F Kaden Elder (5) broke the tie at 18:55. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen then took over the WHL goal-scoring lead with his 21st goal at 7:43 of the second period. He has 21 in 29 games after putting up 20 in 67 games last season. Later in the night, Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen scored his 21st, moving into a tie with Steenbergen. . . . Graham put it away with unassisted goals at 13:02 and 16:57 of the second. . . . F Lane Pederson had two assists for the Broncos. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean returned from a hand injury to draw an assist. A late returnee from the camp of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, Bean hadn’t played since Oct. 14 when he was injured in his third game of the season. . . . G Travis Child stopped 27 shots to earn the victory. . . . Calgary got 15 saves from Cody Porter. . . . The Hitmen were 1-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . The Broncos (15-8-6) have won two straight. . . . The Hitmen (8-13-2) have lost four in row. This was Game 1 in a four-game East Division swing. . . . Announced attendance: 1,990.
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At Kennewick, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks earned points in an eighth straight game as they beat
KEEGAN IVERSON
the Tri-City Americans, 5-2. . . . The Winterhawks (15-12-1) are 7-0-1 in their last eight outings. . . . The Americans (16-11-2) have lost two in a row. . . . F Vladislav Lukin (14) gave the Americans a 1-0 lead just 11 seconds into the game. . . . Portland followed that with four straight goals. . . . F Evan Weinger (10) tied the score at 17:29 and F Colton Veloso (7) provided a 2-1 lead just 1:06 later. . . . D Henri Jokiharju (3) added insurance at 4:21 of the second period and F Skyler McKenzie (16) made it 4-1 at 5:46. . . . Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen got his 21st goal, on a PP, at 2:24 of the third period. He and Swift Current F Tyler Steenbergen are tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead. . . . Portland F Joachim Blichfeld added an empty-netter at 17:51. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Portland got two assists from each of F Keegan Iverson and F Ryan Hughes, with Blichfeld and Veloso adding one each. . . . G Michael Bullion blocked 26 shots for Portland, six fewer than Tri-City’s Evan Sarthou. . . . Tri-City was 1-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 2,857.
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DYLAN PLOUFFE
At Langley, B.C., D Dylan Plouffe scored at 1:49 of OT to give the Vancouver Giants a 2-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Plouffe, who has two goals, scored while a delayed penalty call was going against Brandon. Plouffe, in his second season, has four goals in 88 career regular-season games. . . . Vancouver D Matt Barberis scored his fifth goal at 6:11 of the first period. . . . Brandon tied it on D James Shearer’s fourth goal, on a PP, at 14:01 of the third period. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 25 shots for the Giants, while the Wheat Kings got 22 saves from Logan Thompson. . . . Brandon is 1-6 on the PP; Vancouver is 0-5. . . . The Giants (11-16-2) had lost their previous six games (0-4-2). . . . The Wheat Kings (13-9-4) are 1-0-1 in a B.C. Division swing that continues in Kelowna tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,239.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GOALS:

Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 first period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Vancouver at Kamloops, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Brandon at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Calgary at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Portland, 2 p.m.
Victoria at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City Americans, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
TBG: Teddy Bear Game.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:03 PM
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