And some observers are beginning to wonder if cracks are starting to show.
As recently as a week ago, the sale of the WHL franchise by long-time owner Rick Brodsky to a group headed by Prince George
businessman Greg Pocock was believed to be a slam dunk. Pocock’s group includes NHL defencemen Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis, both of them former Cougars.But now I am told that nothing has been signed, no money has changed hands, and patience may be wearing thin.
At one time there was a second local group interested in purchasing the Cougars, that one believed to include T.J. Grewal, the father of Cougars defenceman Raymond Grewal.
A source familiar with the situation told me late last night that while Brodsky has been negotiating strictly with the Pocock group, he has had “a thought” about seeing if there is any other interest alive in the community.
True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, has been rumoured as a potential WHL franchise owner, if only because of the success the Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton Oil Kings have had under the ownership umbrella of NHL teams in those cities.
If TNSE, indeed, is interested in owning a franchise, you wonder if it might get involved with Brodsky at this particular time.
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F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice is scheduled to be released from Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon this morning.
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| TIM BOZON |
Bozon, who turned 20 while in RUH, was hospitalized on March 1 when he was diagnosed with Nesseria meningitis. His parents, Helene and Philippe, the latter a former NHL player, have been with him since arriving from their home in Switzerland on March 2.
For part of time, Tim was in critical condition and in a medically induced coma.
Also on Thursday, Bozon tweeted this:
“Would like to thank everyone for this amazing support! Couldn't do it without you guys! Thank you so much from everyone in the @TheWHL”
And this:
“And most important my teammates in @WHLKootenayICE that have been with me since day one #loveyouguys”
It is anticipated that Bozon will be in Cranbrook in time to take in Game 6 of the Ice’s first-round series with the Calgary Hitmen. A 6-5 victory in Calgary on Thursday night has the Ice leading the best-of-seven affair, 3-2. Bozon is to take part in a ceremonial faceoff prior to that game.
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A trust fund has been established to assist the Bozon family with medical- and rehabilitation-related costs with which they now are faced.
You are able to make a donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch in Western Canada.
Should you live outside of that area and want to donate, please mail donations to:
Western Hockey League
c/o Tim Bozon
Father David Bauer Arena
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary AB
T2N 3Y9
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Meanwhile, in Brandon, Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk spent a lot of Thursday undergoing tests at the Brandon Regional Health Centre.
Hawryluk was taken to the hospital in an ambulance on Wednesday night, after he scored
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| JAYCE HAWRYLUK |
Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reported Thursday evening that “optimism and relief are slowly replacing the worry” over Hawryluk’s situation.
“We don’t know a lot today other than everything’s gone well,” Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner, general manager and head coach, told Henderson. “Jayce is completely normal, feeling fine. Of course, they’re doing lots of different tests to see if there’s anything that they can identify as a concern or a cause of what happened, and we haven’t been given any feedback as to how any of that has gone other than to have been told there’s no red flags, nothing alarming at this point.
“So we’re optimistic that it’s not as serious as what these things sometimes can be or what you sometimes let your mind fear.”
According to McCrimmon, Hawryluk, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, experienced light-headedness and breathing problems immediately after the game. He is from Roblin, Man., which is about 200 km northwest of Brandon,
The Wheat Kings held a team meeting last night to discuss the situation, with management looking to put the players’ minds at ease.
“I think lots of the players themselves have been in contact with Jayce today, so I think that gives them some peace of mind,” McCrimmon told Henderson.
Hawryluk leads Brandon with eight points in the four games against Regina. He led the Wheat Kings with 64 points in 59 regular-season games.
If you are wondering whether Hawryluk will play in Game 4 tonight, it is in the hands of doctors, who as of last night hadn’t provided team management with any kind of prognosis.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds will be without F Jaimen Yakubowski tonight as they travel to Everett in search of a first-round sweep of the Silvertips. . . . Yakubowski drew a one-game WHL suspension after taking a double minor for checking from behind in Game 3 on Tuesday in Kent, Wash. Yakubowski hit Everett D Noah Juulsen in the first period. Juulsen left the game and didn’t return. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Juulsen didn’t practice on Thursday, so likely won’t play tonight. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets have a 3-1 series lead going into tonight’s game with the Tri-City Americans. The game will be televised in Canada by Sportsnet. . . . Kelowna F Myles Bell left Game 4 late in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. As Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reported, “The Rockets were not forthcoming about his status for tonight’s game.” . . . Fowler also reports that Tri-City F Jessey Astles “took a puck to the foot at the end” of Game 4. Americans head coach Jim Hiller, who almost always is forthcoming, told Fowler that Astles is expected to play tonight, but may not be well enough to take a regular shift. . . .
The ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors have signed two former WHLers, both of whom played for the Alberta Golden Bears, who won the Canadian university championship on Sunday. D Ian Barteaux (Kootenay, 2005-09) and D Colin Joe (Kelowna, Saskatoon, 2004-09) both played five seasons with the Golden Bears.
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
(Edmonton wins, 4-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.
Saturday: Prince Albert 3 at Edmonton 5 (6,534)
Sunday: Prince Albert 1 at Edmonton 3 (6,584)
Tuesday: Edmonton 4 at Prince Albert 3 (2,881)
Wednesday: Edmonton 6 at Prince Albert 2 (2,727)
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite; F Reid Petryk, day-to-day.
Prince Albert: D Graeme Craig, indefinite.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Brandon leads, 3-0)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.
Saturday: Brandon 6 at Regina 3 (6,200)
Sunday: Brandon 8 at Regina 4 (5,014)
Wednesday: Regina 4 at Brandon 5 (3,547)
Friday: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Regina vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: F Jayce Hawryluk, day-to-day; F Peter Quenneville, day-to-day.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 3-2)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.
Thursday: Kootenay 5 at Calgary 2 (6,649)
Saturday: Kootenay 0 at Calgary 5 (9,019)
Monday: Calgary 7 at Kootenay 6 (OT) (1,992)
Tuesday: Calgary 4 at Kootenay 5 (2,102)
Thursday: Kootenay 6 at Calgary 5 (6,826)
Saturday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Calgary: F Cal Babych, day-to-day; F Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
(Series tied, 2-2)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 2-2-0; Swift Current, 2-2-0.
Friday: Swift Current 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,512)
Saturday: Swift Current 2 at Medicine Hat 4 (3743)
Tuesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Swift Current 3 (2,840)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 2 at Swift Current 3 (OT) (2,890)
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, indefinite; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
(Kelowna leads, 3-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Tri-City, 0-3-1.
Saturday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,827)
Sunday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,041)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 4 (2,010)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Tri-City 3 (2,189)
Friday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
(Portland wins, 4-0)
Season series: Portland, 4-0-0; Vancouver, 0-3-1.
Friday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 4 (9,756)
Saturday: Vancouver 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Tuesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 3 (5,680)
Wednesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 1 (5,142)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; G Jared Rathjen, day-to-day; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
(Victoria wins, 4-0)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.
Saturday: Spokane 1 at Victoria 2 (OT) (6,615)
Sunday: Spokane 3 at Victoria 4 (OT) (4,629)
Wednesday: Victoria 6 at Spokane 1 (3,412)
Thursday: Victoria 4 at Spokane 2 (3,711)
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
Spokane: D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
(Seattle leads, 3-0)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett 1 at Seattle 2 (4,650)
Sunday: Seattle 3 at Everett 1 (4,150)
Tuesday: Everett 3 at Seattle 4 (OT) (5,176)
Friday: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite.
Everett: F Kohl Baum, indefinite; D Noah Juulsen, day-to-day; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, F Sam Reinhart had a goal and four assists to help the Kootenay Ice to a 6-5 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Ice leads the series 3-2 and has an opportunity to win it at home on Saturday night. . . . Calgary got on the board first, when F Adam Tambellini scoed at 2:04 of the first period, on a PP. It was the fourth time in five games that Calgary scored first. . . . The Ice scored the next three goals and the Hitmen chased for the rest of the night. . . . F Jaeden Descheneau, who had two goals and an assist, tied the game at 5:56 of the first, via the PP, and Reinhart made it 2-1 at 19:15. . . . Ice F Levi Cable stretched the lead to 3-1 just 55 seconds into the second period. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson got one back at 2:44, but Ice F Matt Alfaro restored the two-goal lead at 5:18, at which time Calgary G Chris Drieder, who gave up four goals on 10 shots, was relieved by Mack Shields, who would stop 10 of 14. . . . Ice F Luke Philp, at 6:23, and Calgary D Kenton Helgesen, at 18:28, on the PP, traded goals and the Ice had a 5-3 lead. . . . Descheneau then scored what seemed a controversial goal as TV replays appeared to show no time left on the clock when the puck crossed the goal line. However, the goal was allowed after video review, with the WHL later explaining that there was a discrepancy between the official clock and the one seen on the TV replays. . . . Calgary scored twice in the third period, with F Greg Chase and Tambellini each getting their fourth of the series, but it wasn’t able to equalize. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin went the distance, stopping 26 shots. That included an unsuccessful penalty shot by Helgesen. . . . Calgary was 2-for-5 on the PP; Kootenay was 1-for-4. . . . Ice D Landon Cross, who came back from an undisclosed injury during the series and then left Game 4 with an apparent injury, was back for this one. . . . These two teams have combined for 45 goals in five games, with Calgary owning 23 of them. . . . Reinhart has been in on 14 of the Ice’s 22 goals; he leads playoff scorers with 14 points. Descheneau has 13. . . . Reinhart and F Brendan Leipsic of the Portland Winterhawks lead in goals (5). Descheneau and Reinhart lead in assists (9).
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Here is the statement from the WHL office on Descheneau’s second goal, which stood up as the game-winner:
“The video evidence in the Video Goal Judge booth clearly showed the puck had crossed the line with 0.1 seconds remaining on the clock. The Video Goal Judge booth is considered the official time clock when reviewing goals and is the same system utilized by the NHL.”
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Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge), who operates the blog Small Thoughts at Large, tweeted: “So a clock seen by only 1 or 2 people is the official time and what the rest of the world sees is not. There has to be a better system.”
Caldwell followed that with: “It may be the right call but the optics of this are terrible for the league.”
In Spokane, the Victoria Royals won a series for the first time in franchise history, beating the Chiefs 4-2 to sweep the first-round affair. . . . The Royals, the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, are likely to meet the No. 2 Portland Winterhawks in the second round. . . . Royals F Austin Carroll broke a 2-2 tie with his third goal of the series, and second winner, at 10:06 of the third period. . . . F Logan Nelson, 20, who was scratched from Game 1, scored his third goal of the series to add insurance at 15:41. He also had an assist, as did Carroll. . . . Spokane D Tyson Helgesen scored his first playoff goal for Spokane, at 19:02 of the first period and also had an assist. Oddly, he scored about the same time that his brother, Kenton, was scoring for the Hitmen in Calgary. . . The Royals led 2-1 after the first period and took that lead into the third, when F Connor Chartier pulled the Chiefs even at 3:32. . . . Victoria D Jordan Franson had a goal, his second, and an assist, while F Steven Hodges drew two assists. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL’s regular-season scoring champ, was held to one assist in the four games. In four regular-season games against the Royals, Holmberg and F Mike Aviani had a combined 22 points. Aviani had two assists in the series. . . . “"They say good players find holes and I didn't find them this series," Holmberg told Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. "It's going to haunt me for a while, that's for sure." . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 32 shots, while Spokane’s Eric Williams turned aside 17. . . . The Royals were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-3. . . . Prior to this series, the Royals had lost two first-round series, while in their previous life as the Chilliwack Bruins they had dropped four first-round series. In those six series, they had gone 6-24.
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From Jeff Peel (@peel23): “Good luck to @lpeel34 tonight! Remember: talk is cheap and it takes money to buy oats!”
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From Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg (@mitchholmberg17): “Speechless.”
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The Kelowna Rockets, who lead the WHL’s overall standings, put a three-game winning streak on the line tonight as they play host to the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Rockets are without F Tyson Baillie, who has an undisclosed injury. Baillie, 18, has 55 points, including 22 goals, in 56 games. In his third season, he has a career-high 33 assists. He is four goals and one point from career highs set last season. . . . The Rockets are hoping that D Jesse Lees, who hasn’t played since Jan. 31, will return this weekend when they play a doubleheader in Prince George. Injuries have limited Lees, 18, to 37 games this season.
The Red Deer Rebels have lost F Lukas Sutter, 20, for the remainder of this season. According to the Rebels, he is in need of reconstructive shoulder surgery. He had 23 points, 10 of them goals, in 45 games. In 265 career regular-season games, Sutter put up 126 points, including 55 goals. . . . The Winnipeg Jets selected Sutter in the second round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. He is the son of former NHLer/WHLer Rich Sutter.
The Vancouver Giants are in Alberta this week, starting tonight against the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. D Dalton Thrower (ankle) has missed 11 games and won’t play tonight. However, Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Giants general manager Scott Bonner expects Thrower, the team captain, to return before the end of the regular season. . . . The Giants have added D Matt Barberis, a first-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft, to their roster. Barberis, from Surrey, plays for the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League. He turned 16 on Jan. 19.
D Colton Waltz of the Brandon Wheat Kings drew a TBD suspension under supplemental discipline for an unpenalized hit on F Dryden Hunt in the first period of Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Pats in Regina. Hunt left the game in the first period and didn’t return. Hunt, who has a history of brain injuries, is shown on the WHL injury report as being out indefinitely with an “upper body“ injury. . . . F Carter Amson of the Lethbridge also drew a TBD suspension after taking a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct in a 12-0 loss to the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Monday. . . . Meanwhile, D Macoy Erkamps of the Hurricanes got a one-game sentence for a kneeing major and game misconduct he incurred during Saturday’s 8-1 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen. He served that suspension on the weekend. . . . F Jessey Astles of the Tri-City Americans got hit with a seven-game sentence for a headshot major and game misconduct he took during Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the host Spokane Chiefs. In its reasons for discipline, the WHL stated: “The player targeted the opponent’s head . . . The player jumped to make the hit . . . The player is a repeat offender . . . The opponent was not injured on the play.” . . . Astles’ suspension equals the longest handed down by the WHL office this season. On Dec. 17, Portland Winterhawks F Brendan Leipsic got a seven-game suspension after taking a match penalty during a Dec. 14 game against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds.
The exact phrasing is that Sportsnet continues “its tradition as the exclusive broadcaster of the CHL and MasterCard Memorial Cup in Canada.”
In Portland, the Winterhawks ran their franchise-record winning streak to 17 games as they beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-1. . . . Prince George F Todd Fiddler got the game’s first goal, at 6:49 of the first period, via the PP, but the visitors never scored again. That was Fiddler’s 40th goal this season. . . . Portland got a goal, his 41st, and two assists from F Oliver Bjorkstrand. He tied the game on a PP at 19:49 of the first. . . . D Derrick Pouliot, who scored twice, gave the Winter hawks a 2-1 lead at 19:56 of the second, also on a PP. He’s got 17 goals. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists. He has at least one assist in 13 straight games, the longest such streak in the WHL this season. . . . Petan leads the WHL in points (102), two more than F Mitch Holmberg of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Bjorkstrand is third, with 91 points. . . . Portland F Dominic Turgeon picked up an assist, giving him a seven-game point streak. He’s got 12 points in those seven games. . . . With G Brendan Burke (ill) still out, Corbin Boes started again for Portland and came up with 30 saves. . . . Portland was 3-for-7 on the PP; Prince George was 1-for-6. . . . It’s worth noting that Portland F Adam De Champlain is shown on the WHL injury report as being out four to six weeks, after having been listed as day-to-day. . . . Portland will go for 18 in a row on Friday when it plays host to the Kamloops Blazers. . . .
20, from the NHL's Los Angeles. . . . Roach played three games with the ECHL's Ontario Reign, earning three assists. . . . The Kings signed him as an undrafted free agent. . . . Roach, from Quesnel, B.C., has 83 points, 23 of them goals, in 184 games with the Hitmen. . . . His return leaves the Hitmen with four 20-year-olds, one over the roster limit. They will have 14 days to move Roach, D Jesse Zgraggen, F Brady Brassart or D Jaynen Rissling.
In Lethbrige, F Jessey Astles had two goals and two assists as the Tri-City Americans dropped the Hurricanes, 8-1. . . . The Hurricanes have played 17 games this season and won only two of them. They are 2-12-3 and already nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . Astles, who has a career-high four goals this season, went into the game with two assists in 16 games. He also was plus-4. . . . Going into this season, Astles had seven goals in 179 games. . . . F Devon McAndrews, who joined the Americans from the AJHL this week, had a goal, his first, and two assists. He also finished plus-4. He had two assists in 13 games with the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 24 shots for the victory; his brother Ty, 16, scored his first WHL goal. . . . The Americans have points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . F Parker Bowles scored for a second straight game for the Americans. He had missed the season's first 18 games as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. . . .
In Prince George, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game's last three goals and beat the Cougars, 4-1. . . . Kelowna F Carter Rigby picked up an assist in his first game this season after recovering from shoulder woes. . . . The Rockets had beaten the host Cougars 7-6 in a shootout on Friday night. . . . Kelowna (11-2-2) has won four straight and leads the B.C. Division by three points over the Victoria Royals (10-8-1), who have played three more games. . . . F Tyrell Goulbourne was scratched by the Rockets after suffering an undisclosed injury on Friday. . . .
In Victoria, the Royals scored the game's first three goals and beat the Red Deer Rebels, 3-1. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges, who played his first game of the season on Friday, drew two first-period assists. He had been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. . . . This was the first time in four opportunities that Victoria head coach Dave Lowry had earned the victory over Red Deer GM/head coach Brent Sutter. Lowry was an assistant under Sutter for three seasons with the NHL's Calgary Flames. . . .
In Swift Current, the Broncos scored six third-period goals and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 7-6. . . . Saskatoon actually took a 5-1 lead into the third period. . . . Swift Current F Graham Black tied it at 11:36 of the third period and F Connor Sanvido won it at 19:15. . . . Black finished with two goals and two assists, getting a goal and two helpers in the third period. . . . Saskatoon F Matt Revel scored a natural hat trick, getting three goals in 10:53, the first coming in the first period and last two in the second. . . . Swift Current had a 23-7 edge in third-period shots. . . . Saskatoon F Nikita Scherbak, a Russian freshman, ran his point streak to 11 games with a first-period assist. . . . Tweet from Blades radio voice Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice): "I believe it was the late, great Jack Buck who said it, but I can't believe what I just saw. @bladeshockey L 7-6 in Swift. Led 5-1 after 40." . . . The Broncos have won four in a row; the Blades have lost four straight. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Dakota Conroy scored at 2:53 of OT to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Raiders D MacKenzie Johnston had forced extra time with a goal at 16:47 of the third period. It was his first goal of the season. . . . Johnston, 20, who was acquired last month from the Kelowna Rockets, has nine goals in 246 career games. . . . The Raiders (11-6-1) lead the East Division and are one point behind the Eastern Conference-leading Medicine Hat Tigers (11-3-2). . . .
In Everett, G Daniel Cotton stopped 16 shots as the Silvertips blanked his old club, the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-0. . . . Cotton has three career shutouts, one this season. . . . All of his shutouts have been with Everett. He played 18 games with Seattle -- one in 2010-11 and 17 in 2011-12 -- before he ended up in Everett. . . . F Josh Winquist scored twice, giving him 13 on the season. . . . Everett held a 12-2 edge on shots in the first period and 11-5 in the second. . . . The Silvertips (11-3-2) are three points off the U.S. Division lead. . . . The Silvertips have added F Darcy DeRoose, 18, to their roster, although he didn't play in this one. A native of Weyburn, Sask., he had been with the SJHL's Estevan Bruins, for whom he had 12 points, eight of them goals, in 14 games. Earlier in his career, he played three games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl didn't play as he is awaiting word on a suspension after a checking-from-behind major in Friday's 6-3 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Seattle was without F Roberts Lipsbergs (undisclosed injury) and D Evan Wardley, who is awaiting word on a suspension after he took out Portland F Adam De Champlain one night earlier during a 5-2 loss in Kent, Wash. . . . 
In Kamloops, D Brett Kulak's shootout goal gave the Vancouver Giants a 4-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . The Giants have won four of five, with the victories all coming on the road. In the last week, they won twice in Kamloops and twice in Prince George. . . . Blazers F Nick Chyzowski, 16, scored his first two WHL goals, pulling his side into 2-2 and 3-3 ties in the third period. He is the son of former Blazers F Dave Chyzowski. . . . F Aspen Sterzer had three assists for Kamloops. . . .
In Spokane, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 11 games with a 3-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The defending-champion Winterhawks have the WHL's best record, at 14-3-1. . . . Portland has won six in a row on the road. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the game's first goal to run his point streak to 12 games. . . . Portland F Nic Petan drew an assist on that goal and is riding an 11-game point streak. . . . Petan finished with three assists. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg had his season-opening point streak stopped at 17 games. He put up a league-leading 42 points over that stretch. . . . The Winterhawks next play Wednesday against the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . . The Chiefs (12-5-0) are three points in back of the Winterhawks.
The NHL had one of its dimmer moments Saturday when it announced that Philadelphia Flyers G Ray Emery wouldn't be suspended for his Friday night assault on Washington Capitals G Braden Holtby. . . . Apparently, the NHL doesn't have a rule that covers an assault on an unwilling dance partner. . . . John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal gives the NHL a few jabs 
Pats? The Pats drew only 3,254 spectators for Wednesday’s WHL East Division first-place showdown with the Prince Albert Raiders, who won 3-1.
F Lauris Darzins (Kelowna, 2004-06) signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL). He had four goals and eight assists in 24 games with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL) this season. Darzins also was captain of the Latvian national team at the world championship last month, where he had five goals and one assist in seven games. He also was Latvia’s leading scorer at the 2014 Olympics Qualifying Tournament with three goals and two assists in three games. Latvia won its group and qualified for Sochi. . . .
agenda. That annual two-day meeting apparently was held in Vancouver and ended Wednesday. (Allow me to ask once again: Why not hold the annual meeting in one of the league’s smaller cities, providing a hotel or two and a restaurant or three with some offseason business? Or perhaps it could have been held in Portland where it might have received far more media attention than it did in Vancouver.)
sixth-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Astles had two points in 26 games with the Blades. He missed a lot of the season after suffering a skate cut to one wrist during a November game against the Regina Pats. The injury required surgery. Astles, a sixth-round selection by Kelowna in the 2008 bantam draft, played three seasons with the Rockets He was dealt to the Blades last summer.
6. The OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds have signed general manager Kyle Dubas to a two-year extension, taking him through 2015-16. Dubas, 27, is a Sault Ste. Marie native who signed with the team in April 2011. . . . Earlier, the Greyhounds picked up an option on head coach Sheldon Keefe and now have him signed through 2014-15.
8. The Grand Rapids Griffins closed to within one victory of the AHL championship with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Syracuse Crunch last night. . . . The Griffins lead the best-of-seven final for the Calder Cup, 3-0. Game 4 is scheduled for Friday night in Grand Rapids. . . . F Jan Mursak broke a 2-2 tie at 15:11 of the third period. . . . Game 4 will be available on AHL Live, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, and ESPN America). Game time is 7 p.m. ET. . . . Attendance for Game 3 was 10,102.
Coyotes. Will they stay, or will they go? And if they go, what is their destination? . . . Interestingly, Campbell has former Tampa Bay Lightning co-owner Oren Koules involved in a group that is “lurking in the background.” . . . Campbell also speculates that the Coyotes could end up relocating to Tacoma. Why Tacoma? Because Seattle’s Key Arena no longer has ice-making equipment or an accessible chilling system. That would precede a move to Seattle, should Chris Hansen get a new arena built for an NBA franchise that he hasn’t yet obtained. . . . Campbell doesn’t suggest an owner should the Coyotes end up Tacoma/Seattle, but I have to wonder if Bill Gallacher, who owns the Portland Winterhawks, would be involved.
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