Oilers sign potential Rockets coach . . . Tory backs city council candidate . . . Patterson gets married

F Colin Long (Kelowna, 2005-09) signed a one-year contract with Asplöven Haparanda (Sweden, Allsvenskan). Last season, with the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL), he had seven goals and six assists in 30 games. . . .
G Barry Brust (Spokane, Calgary, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). Last season, with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL), he was 2.15, .933 with two shutouts in 19 games; in 22 games with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL), he was 2.70, .916 with two shutouts. . . .
F Dylan Sylvester (Kootenay, 2004-10) signed a one-year contract with Dornbirn (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with the Vienna Capitals, he had 10 goals and seven assists in 48 games.
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Bruce Hamilton, the president and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets, thought that Ian Herbers might be his team’s next head coach.
That thought ended Sunday when the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers signed Herbers, until then the head coach of the U of Alberta Golden Bears, as an assistant coach.
On Monday afternoon, Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier, who covers the Rockets, tweeted that “Ian Herbers from University of Alberta has been hired by @EdmontonOilers as assistant coach to round out Todd McLellan's staff. “
Herbers, 47, has spent the past three seasons as head coach of the Golden Bears, who have won the last two CIS championships.
“We were very high on him,” Hamilton told Fisher. “He would’ve been a slam-dunk in my mind, but that’s the way it goes.
“Now we’ll go through and dig in a little deeper and try to get as much information as we can on each guy before we start to decide who I want to bring in (for interviews).”
Hamilton is working to find a replacement for Dan Lambert, who resigned last week after one season as the Rockets’ head coach. Lambert, who had been on staff as an assistant coach for five seasons before that, now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
McLellan is preparing for his first season as the Oilers’ head coach. He spent the past seven seasons as head coach of the San Jose Sharks.
McLellan and Herbers’ paths have crossed on numerous occasions.
They were both WHL players and played at the same time for one season, Herbers with the Swift Current Broncos and McLellan with the Saskatoon Blades. Later, they spent one season together with the IHL’s Cleveland Lumberjacks, McLellan as the head coach and Herbers one of the team’s defencemen.
As for the Rockets, Fisher reports that Hamilton has heard from more than 50 men who are interested in the job.
“We’ve got lots of real good possibilities,” Hamilton told Fisher. “I’m working my way through, trying to figure out who we’re interested in and researching them out.
“My first preference is to find somebody with some experience. If we don’t, then we’ll work our way down to the best young guy (who) is available.”
——
The Vancouver Giants made it official on Monday morning -- they have hired Tyler Kuntz to work as an assistant coach under new head coach Lorne Molleken. . . . Kuntz, 36, is from Lumsden, Sask. He spent the last five seasons with the UBC Thunderbirds, serving as head coach last season. . . . The Giants also said that Matt Erhart, who came on board as an assistant coach two years ago, “will remain on staff.”
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All of this means that there are a couple of high-profile CIS jobs available, what with UBC and Alberta, both of which play in Canada West, in need of head coaches.
The Alberta job will garner a lot of interest because it is the No. 1 hockey school in Canada. There is speculation, however, that Herbers will take, or be given, a one- or two-year leave of absence from the Golden Bears, so perhaps that will cut down at least a bit on the amount of interest in that job.
The UBC job isn’t as attractive, if only because the athletic department there has been in a state of upheaval in recent times. (For more on that, check out this piece right here, from October 2013, by Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun.)
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It isn’t often that WHL team officials get involved in civic politics, at least not in a fashion that would be visible to the public.
However, Bob Tory, who owns a piece of the Tri-City Americans and is the team’s governor and general manager, has stepped outside that safe zone.
On Monday, Tory tweeted: “I support Matt Boehnke for Kennewick City Council.”
Tory has been stumping for a new arena to replace the Toyota Centre, the Americans’ home arena that is located in Kennewick. It’s likely safe to assume that Boehnke would like to see a new arena, too.
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They don’t make them like Ken Stabler these days. The former quarterback of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders died last week at the age of 69. . . . In 1980, Pete Axthelm, one of sports writing’s all-time greats, wrote a terrific piece on Stabler. It’s right here.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Scott Gordon as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Gordon, 52, last coached with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach for three seasons (2011-14). Before that, he spent parts of three seasons as head coach of the New York Islanders. He also spent parts of six seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Providence Bruins. . . . The Flyers also announced that Riley Cote (Prince Albert, 1998-2002) will be back as an assistant coach with the Phantoms. Cote, 33, is preparing for his sixth season with the Phantoms. . . . Terry Murray had been the Phantoms’ head coach before he signed on as an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres.
——
Bill Muckalt was introduced Monday as the new general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, which plays out of Kearney, Neb. Muckalt, who played two seasons with the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials before going on to Michigan and then to a pro career, has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech. . . . With the Storm, he replaces Jim Hulton, now the head coach of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders.
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The NHL’s New Jersey Devils have signed F John Quenneville of the Brandon Wheat Kings to a three-year entry-level contract. Quenneville, 19, was the 30th overall selection in the NHL’s 2014 draft. Last season, the Edmonton native had 17 goals and 30 assists in 57 games.
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F Chase Lowry, a 15-year-old from Edmonton, has signed with the Red Deer Rebels. He was a third-round selection by the Rebels in the 2015 bantam draft. Last season, Lowry played for the bantam AAA South Side Athletic Club Lions, putting up 36 points, 16 of them goals, in 21 games.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors, one of four publicly owned WHL franchises, will hold their annual general meeting on Thursday, 7 p.m., at the Heritage Inn. A year ago, the Warriors announced a net profit of $61,566, down from $343,890 the previous season and $394,656 the season before that.
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I meant to post this Sunday night, but it slipped through the cracks. Nick Patterson, a friend who covers the Everett Silvertips for the Everett Herald, tweeted this . . .

I don't often post personal stuff. But yeah, this just happened. pic.twitter.com/NvgK3Cb4Sh

— Nick Patterson (@NickHPatterson) July 12, 2015

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.

Wheat Kings into final . . . Rockets one win away . . . Rochester needs a coach

 

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings advanced to the WHL final with an 8-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Brandon won the series 4-1 to reach the championship series for the first time since the spring of 2005. . . . Brandon has won each of its three playoff series this spring in five games, taking out the Edmonton Oil Kings and Regina Pats

before Calgary. . . . The series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup will open in Brandon with games on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9. . . . The Wheat Kings outscored the Hitmen 29-13 in the five games, twice scoring eight goals and once getting nine. . . . For the second game in a row, the Wheat Kings broke it open with five goals in the second period. In Game 4, Brandon scored five times in 10:25. Last night, it was five times in 6:48. . . . The Hitmen took a 1-0 lead into the second period after F Pavel Karnaukhov scored his sixth goal, on the PP, at 17:22. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy tied it with his third goal at 8:35 of the second and D Ryan Pilon, with his first goal, put the Wheaties out front at 9:41. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick got his seventh goal 10 seconds later and the home team was off and running. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk scored twice, giving him 10, and added two assists, while F John Quenneville also scored twice, giving him 10. Patrick added two assists to his goal, and F Rihards Bukarts drew three assists. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini scored his 13th goal. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny turned aside 31 shots. . . . The Hitmen opened with Mack Shields in goal, after Brendan Burke had started the previous three games. . . . Shields surrendered three goals on 18 shots before Burke came on to give up four on 15. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his sixth goal, a shorthanded effort, into an empty net at 15:24 of the third. . . . Brandon was 2-for-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-3. . . . The referees were Brett Iverson and Sean Raphael. . . . Attendance was 5,337. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Kelowna, F Tyson Baillie scored at 14:55 of OT to give the Rockets a 2-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Rockets lead the Western Conference final, 3-2. They’ll play Game 6 in Portland’s Moda Center on Sunday. . . . Each team now is 3-1 in OT in these playoffs. . . . Despite giving up the winner, Portland G Adin Hill almost stole the show in OT. Kelowna had a 20-4 edge in shots in extra time. . . . Hill finished with 47

saves, five more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . Baillie’s eighth goal, and his second OT goal this spring, came off some good work by F Dillon Dube, a 16-year-old from Cochrane, Alta. . . . Baillie also scored the OT goal, 58 seconds into extra time, in Game 2 against the Victoria Royals. . . . Riley Stadel, a defenceman who has been turned into a forward due to Kelowna’s injury situation, scored the game’s first goal at 17:35 of the first period. . . . Portland F Nic Petan ran his point streak to 16 games with the game-tying goal at 16:27 of the third period. He’s got 10 goals. . . . That 16-game streak tied the franchise record set a year ago by F Brendan Leipsic. . . . Petan also tied the WHL record for most career playoff games. This was his 87th game — it’s the fifth season in a row in which the Winterhawks have played into May. He now shares the record with F Shay Stephenson (Red Deer, 2000-04). . . . In four seasons, Stephenson played in 22, 23, 23 and 19 playoff games. Petan has played in 7, 22, 21, 21 and 16 games. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-2 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-1. . . . The referees were Adam Byblow and Steve Papp. . . . The Rockets had F Justin Kirkland back after a two-game absence with an apparent illness. The Rockets haven’t said if it was an upper- or lower-body illness. . . . Kelowna lost F Tyrell Goulbourne in the second period after he checked Portland F Keegan Iverson. Goulbourne left the ice immediately and may have suffered a skate cut to his left leg. . . . One fan who was seated near Kelowna’s bench tweeted that Goulbourne “was screaming in pain as he got on the bench.” . . . Attendance was 6,261. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.
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In the OHL, the host Oshawa Generals bounced the North Bay Battalion 4-1 to take a 3-2 lead in that semifinal series. Oshawa F Cole Cassels had a goal and an assist. They’ll play Game 6 in North Bay on Sunday. . . . The Erie Otters lead the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 3-2 in the other series. They’ll meet in Game 6 tonight in Erie.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The Buffalo Sabres have fired Chadd Cassidy, who was the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. He had been head coach since February 2013, taking over from Ron Rolston, when the latter was promoted to the Sabres. . . . The Americans went 29-41-6 this season and didn’t make the playoffs. . . . The announcement was made by Sabres general manager Tim Murray. According to Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: “The Sabres organization did not make Murray available to explain why he fired Cassidy, whose contract expires at the end of the season. They have not made Murray available since the Amerks season ended on April 17.” . . . Oklobzija also wrote: “Assistant coaches Chris Taylor, John Wroblewski and Bob Janosz weren't mentioned in the news release so it is not known if they will be retained.”
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Incredible night in Brandon yet again! The #BWK have advanced to the #WHL Finals for the first time in 10 years! pic.twitter.com/ApGnvgoVaA

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) May 2, 2015

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.

Wheaties rout Hitmen . . . Calgary coach tossed . . . Rockets come back for victory

F Jason Bast (Moose Jaw, 2005-10) has signed a one-year contract with Visp (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL), he had 30 goals and 22 assists in 52 games. He also saw some AHL action, going pointless in two games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and earning one assist in four games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

pic.twitter.com/IRlGwjhqX6
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2015

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings broke a 2-2 tie with three straight second-period goals en route to a 9-4 victory over the Calgary
Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series 1-0 with Game 2 in Brandon tonight. . . . The Wheat Kings set a single-game high for goals by a team in these playoffs. Calgary and the Portland Winterhawks each have had an eight-goal game this spring. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini needed help leaving the ice after going hard into the end boards with the score 2-2 in the second period. He missed a few shifts and while he was gone the Wheat Kings scored three times. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored his fifth playoff

goal on a PP at 9:02, with F Braylon Shmyr adding his first of two goals at 12:17 and F Nolan Patrick getting his fifth at 12:39. . . . Shmyr just happens to be from Calgary. . . . The Wheat Kings, who had the game’s first six shots, had taken an early 2-0 first-period lead as F Jayce Hawryluk, who had missed the previous three games, scored his sixth goal and set up F John Quenneville for his fifth, via the PP. . . . The Hitmen tied it on goals from F Pavel Kamaukhov, his fourth, at 17:34 of the first and F Beck Malenstyn, his first, at 5:26 of the second. . . . John Quenneville finished with two goals and three assists, giving him 14 points in 11 games. D Eric Roy and F Rihards Bukarts, the latter having returned after a three-game absence, each had three assists. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his fifth goal and added two assists. . . . Shmyr’s goals were his first of the playoffs. . . . Brandon D Reid Gow added two assists. . . . Brandon was 3-for-9 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-6. . . . Calgary F Chase Lang, who missed the last three games of the second round, left in the third period with an apparent right leg injury after Brandon F Duncan Campbell fell on him. . . . Hawryluk left the game late in the second period after blocking a shot by Calgary D Travis Sanheim. Hawryluk returned early in the third period. . . . Brandon D Kale Clague didn’t come out of the dressing room to start the second period, while F Tanner Kaspick didn’t finish the game, either. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields, who surrendered four goals on 19 shots, wasn’t on the Hitmen bench in the third period. . . . G Brendan Burke came on to give up five goals on 22 shots. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny turned aside 34 shots. . . . F Reid Duke was among the Wheat Kings’ scratches, while F Connor Rankin, a 20-year-old with nine goals in these playoffs, didn’t play for the Hitmen. . . . Brandon D Colton Waltz returned after missing the last three second-round games. . . . Calgary took 46 of the game’s 76 penalty minutes. . . . The referees were Adam Byblow and Chris Crich. . . .

Hitmen coach Mark French is headed to the room, but not before a stick slam and toss.
— Robert Henderson (@HendoRob) April 25, 2015

Ch-ch-ching! Calgary head coach Mark French was ejected in the third period after banging on the boards with a stick and then tossing a stick onto the ice. . . . Brandon head coach Kelly McCrimmon has won 61 playoff games, moving him into a tie for ninth with Dean Clark on the all-time list. Don Hay is No. 1, with 103. . . . Attendance was 5,028. . . . Shaw TV is televising this series in its entirety.
Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 deficit with two goals 46 seconds apart in the second period and went on to beat the Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Kelowna. . . . The Rockets took their first lead when F Rourke Chartier got his eighth goal at 15:56 of the second period.

He hit the cross-bar on a breakaway, with the puck then bouncing in off G Adin Hill. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand opened the scoring on Portland’s first shot of the game, 35 seconds in. It was his WHL-leading 11th goal of these playoffs. . . . D Adam Henry upped the lead to 2-0 at 18:00 with his fourth goal. . . . Kelowna D Madison Bowey got his fifth goal, shorthanded, at 1:38 of the second and F Justin Kirkland, with his first, tied it at 2:24. Kirkland was playing only his second game of these playoffs. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 30 shots, 13 fewer than Hill. . . . Each team was 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . The referees were Matt Kirk and Chris Schlenker. . . . The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who placed Draisaitl with the Rockets in January, were well-represented with Bob Nicholson, Peter Chiarelli, Craig MacTavish and Kevin Lowe all on hand. . . . Draisaitl had one assist, on Kirkland’s goal. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had one assist as he ran his point streak to 12 games. Petan played in his 83rd career playoff game. That is two shy of D Derrick Pouliot’s franchise record (2010-14). The WHL record his held by F Shay Stephenson, who played in 87 playoff games with the Red Deer Rebels (2000-04). . . . Bjorkstrand scored his 35th career playoff goal, moving into No. 2 in franchise history. He passed F Brendan Leipsic and trails only F Ty Rattie, who had 50. . . . The Winterhawks now have lost Game 1 of all three of their playoff series this spring. . . . Portland freelancer Scott Sepich notes that “since 2011, the Winterhawks are 8-0 in Game 2s after losing Game 1.” . . . Attendance was 5,871; a sellout is 6,007. . . . It will be interesting to see what tonight’s attendance is as this game will be up against Game 6 between the Vancouver Canucks and host Calgary Flames. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Conor MacEachern, a list player who spent this season with the Cariboo Cougars of the British Columbia Major Midget Hockey League. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder had 17 points, including four goals, in 33 games with the Cougars. They won the prestigious Mac’s Tournament in Calgary and he was named the top defenceman. . . . MacEachern, who will turn 17 on Aug. 12, is from Charlottetown, P.E.I. The Winterhawks placed him on their protected list in December.
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Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald takes a look at the offseason that awaits the Everett Silvertips and how much depends on a decision yet to be made by F Auston Matthews, who is in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . That piece is right here.
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In the OHL, F Connor McDavid had two goals and two assists, leading the Erie Otters to a 6-3 victory over the host Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. The Western Conference final is 1-1. . . . McDavid had scored three times in a 6-3 loss on Thursday. . . . McDavid has 30 points, 16 of them goals, in 11 playoff games. . . . They’ll play again Sunday, this time in Erie, and the game will be televised by Sportsnet. . . . In the Eastern Conference final, the North Bay Battalion went into Oshawa and beat the Generals, 6-1, in the opener. They’ll play again Sunday in Oshawa.
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In the QMJHL, the host Rimouski Oceanic beat the Val-d’Or Foreurs 4-3 in overtime in Game 1 of their semifinal. They’ll play again today in Rimouski. Last night, F Anthony DeLuca won it with his third goal of the game, and sixth of the playoffs, on a PP, at 1:50 of OT. DeLuca had forced OT with a goal at 18:55 of the third period. . . . In the other semifinal, the visiting Quebec Remparts beat the Moncton Wildcats 4-1 on Thursday night. Game 2 is scheduled for today in Moncton.
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Former WHL G Andy Desautels (Everett, Prince Albert, 2010-13), who has played out his junior eligibility, will attend the U of Regina and play for the Cougars. Desautels is from White City, Sask., which is just east of Regina. He was a fifth-round selection by the Everett Silvertips in the 2009 bantam draft. He played the last two seasons with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors.
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The @CoachStanButler on @OHLBattalion fans: "We call them the 7th Man. They never take a shift off, unlike some of our guys." #OHLplayoffs
— Neate Sager (@neatebuzzthenet) April 25, 2015

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.

Wheaties take out defending champs . . . Pats, Rockets complete sweeps . . . Big night in P.G.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Edmonton, F John Quenneville scored at 8:58 of the second OT to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Brandon won the series, 4-1. . . . The Oil Kings are the defending Memorial Cup champions. They also had won three straight Eastern Conference playoff titles. . . . The Wheat Kings will meet the Regina Pats in the second round. That series will begin April 10 and 11 in Brandon. . . . Quenneville, who is from Edmonton, won it with his third goal of the series. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley opened the scoring at 14:10 of the first period, on a PP. . . . The Oil Kings tied it on a goal from F Ben Carroll, at 10:05 of the second, and took the lead when F Brett Pollock scored at 12:55, on a PP. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy scored at 5:01 of the third period and that’s the goal that forced OT. . . . Wheat Kings G Jordan Papirny was terrific in making 42 saves, 18 more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . Brandon was 1-for-1 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-for-6. . . . When the Oil Kings look back at this game, this will point a finger at a PP unit that failed to scored during 3:12 of 5-on-3 play. . . . McGauley’s goal was Brandon’s sixth PP score in the five games. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Morgan Klimchuk for a second straight game. . . . Klimchuk and D Ryan Pilon, whose ice-time was limited in Game 4 and the first half of Game 5, can use the time off. . . . F Mads Eller returned to Edmonton’s lineup after a one-game absence, and D Blake Orban, who left in the third period of Game 4 after taking a puck to the face, also played. Orban needed eight stitches to repair the damage. . . . Attendance was 4,253. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here.

In Swift Current, G Daniel Wapple stopped 24 shots and F Adam Brooks had two goals as the Regina Pats beat the Broncos, 4-0. . . . The Pats won the series 4-0 and will play the Brandon Wheat Kings in the second round. . . . This will be Regina’s first trip to the second round since the spring of 2007. . . . The last time Regina swept a playoff series? In 1998, the Pats swept the Moose Jaw Warriors from a first-round series. . . . The shutout was Wapple’s first this season and his first career playoff shutout. . . . Brooks scored the game’s first goal, shorthanded, at 11:53 of the second period. . . . He also had a shorthanded score in Game 3. . . . Brooks added his second goal at 15:16 of the second for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Patrick D’Amico had a goal and an assist for the Pats. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 37 shots. . . . Regina was 1-for-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-for-3. . . . Swift Current D Dillon Heatherington was back in action. He took the warmup for Game 3 on Tuesday but illness prevented him from playing, even though he stayed on the bench. . . . The Broncos were without F Jake DeBrusk, who likely has a concussion after taking a hit from Regina D James Hilsendager in Game 3. Hilsendager, who wasn’t penalized, was hit with a TBD suspension yesterday, so didn’t play in Game 4. . . . Attendance was 2,523.

In Cranbrook, F Connor Rankin scored three times before the second period was 13 minutes old and the Calgary Hitmen went on to a 7-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Hitmen lead the series 3-1 and get their first opportunity to end it at home on Friday. The game will be televised by Shaw. . . . Rankin opened the scoring 1:12 into the first period with his second goal of the series. His second goal, at 3:49 of the second, gave Calgary a 3-1 lead. He completed the hat trick with a PP goal at 12:56 of the second, as Calgary took a 5-1 lead. . . . F Adam Tambellini, who scored three times, including in OT, in Game 3, had an assist on each of Rankin’s goals. Tambellini also scored his fifth goal of the series, this one an empty-netter. In the four games to date, he has nine points. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen had two assists, while D Travis Sanheim had a goal and an assist. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke stopped 28 shots in going the distance. In each of Calgary’s first two victories, head coach Mark French had changed goaltenders in mid-stream. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin turned aside 34 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-for-6 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-5. . . . F Jon Martin and F Zak Zborosky were among the Ice’s scratches. . . . D Jake Bean remains out of Calgary’s lineup. . . . Attendance was 2,147, an increase of 21 from Game 3.

In Red Deer, G Rylan Toth stopped 34 shots to lead the Rebels to a 2-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Medicine Hat holds a 2-1 lead in the series. They’ll play Game 4 tonight in Red Deer. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Medicine Hat on Saturday. . . . The teams have combined for seven goals in three games. . . . Last night, the Rebels scored the game’s first two goals. . . . F Scott Feser opened the scoring at 12:10 of the first period. . . . F Wyatt Johnson upped the lead to 2-0 at 8:34 of the third. . . . The Tigers got a goal from F Cole Sanford at 11:53, but weren’t able to pull even. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 29 shots. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-for-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-2. . . . Bob Ridley, the long-time radio voice of the Tigers, called his 401st playoff game last night. That includes 20 Memorial Cup games. . . . Attendance was 5,371.

In Spokane, F Jake Mykitiuk scored in the second OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 2-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips now lead the series, 2-1. They’ll play Friday in Spokane and Saturday in Everett. . . . Mykitiuk, who scored four goals in 40 regular-season games, finished off a 3-on-2 break to win it at 2:07 of the second OT. . . . The Chiefs drew first blood when F Adam Helewka scored his third goal of the series at 14:19 of the first period. . . . Everett F Brayden Low forced OT with a goal 52 seconds into the third period. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 45 shots, nine more than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . Each team was 0-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Silvertips were without D Ben Betker, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 2. But they did get back D Tristen Pfeifer, who hadn’t played since Feb. 27 because of an undisclosed injury. . . . Attendance was 3,624. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here.

In Kennewick, Wash., F Gage Quinney scored on Kelowna’s 71st shot to give the Rockets a 5-4 victory in OT over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Rockets won the series, 4-0, and now await the winner of a series between the Victoria Royals and Prince George Cougars. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 66 shots. . . . “We expect nothing less (from Comrie),” Kelowna D Madison Bowey told Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier. “He stood on his head for most of the series and he always gives his team
a chance to win, and he did just that. Kudos to him for hanging in there
and playing every 60 minutes to the fullest and to his best ability. He’s
a great goalie, for sure.” . . . Quinney’s first goal of the series came at 18:32 of the first OT period. . . . The Americans led 2-0 and 4-1 in this one. . . . The Rockets tied it on two goals by Bowey, at 18:13 of the second period, on a PP, and 37 seconds into the third period, and one from F Rourke Chartier, at 18:49 of the second. . . . That was Chartier’s second goal of the game and fourth of the series. . . . Bowey’s second goal tied the game 4-4. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-7 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-for-5. . . . The Rockets held a 15-0 edge in shots halfway through the first period. . . . D Dylan Coghlan scored the game’s first goal on Tri-City’s first shot, at 11:28 of the first period. . . . D Riley Stadel and F Nick Merkley each had two assists for Kelowna. . . . Coghlan and F Tyler Sandhu each had a goal and two assists for the Americans, with F Brian Williams adding two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle was gone after surrendering four goals on 19 shots. He left at 17:57 of the second after F Beau McCue’s shorthanded goal gave the home side a 4-1 lead. . . . Michael Herringer relieved Whistle and stopped all 11 shots he faced. . . . Comrie, 19, is likely to be assigned by the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets to the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps. . . . Kelowna F Chance Braid and Tri-City F Max James were tossed for fighting just four seconds into the first period. Chances are there will be suspensions from that situation. . . . The Americans scratched F Justin Gutierrez. He may be concussed after taking a hit to the head from Kelowna F Tyson Baillie during the first period of Game 3 on Tuesday. The hit went unpenalized. . . . Attendance was 2,819.

In Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Victoria leads the series, 2-1. . . . They’ll play Game 4 in Prince George tonight. Game 5 is scheduled for Victoria on Saturday night. . . . This was the first playoff game in Prince George since the spring of 2011. It was the Cougars’ first playoff victory since 2007 when they got to the Western Conference final. . . . F Chase Witala opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 13:23 of the first period. . . . F Jari Erricson, on the PP, and D Sam Ruopp added goals in the first half of the second. . . . The Royals got to within one before the period ended on a PP goal by F Tyler Soy, at 13:22, and F Logan Fisher’s goal at 14:06. . . . Prince George F Brad Morrison provided insurance with a goal at 6:06 of the third. . . . Ruopp and Erricson each had an assist. . . . Each team was 1-for-4 on the PP. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 22 shots, 16 fewer than Victoria G Coleman Vollrath. . . .  Attendance was 4,202.
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A scoring change means that Kootenay F Tim Bozon didn’t tie an Ice single-game playoff record on Tuesday night. Originally, Bozon was credited with six points, including two goals, in the Ice’s 8-7 OT loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen. That would have tied F Jaedon Descheneau’s franchise record set a year ago. However, a scoring change on the Ice’s seventh goal resulted in Bozon losing an assist. Ironically, the assist was given to Descheneau.
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#OilKings file off the ice for last time this season after heartbreaking double OT loss pic.twitter.com/nMNVPD69w5
— Brian Swane (@SunBrianSwane) April 2, 2015

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