The Tri-City Americans have signed D Riley Hillis, 16, to a contract. Hillis, from Arvada, Colo., played last season with the U-16 Rocky Mountain Roughriders. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder picked up 22 points and 60 penalty minutes in 65 games. Hillis is with the Americans through the weekend and then will return home where he will play for the U-16 Colorado Thunderbirds.
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The Swift Current Broncos have signed D Max Lajoie, who was the 95th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Lajoie, 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, had 12 points and 18 penalty minutes in 33 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Royals last season.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have added Sean Brown to their coaching staff. Brown spent six season in the Edmonton Oilers’ organization, playing with the big club and the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. He retired as a player after spending 2010-11 in Germany. With the Oil Kings, he will work alongside head coach Derek Laxdal and assistant Steve Hamilton. . . . Brown takes over from Jesse Pearson, who spent last season on the coaching staff after ending his playing career due to post-concussion syndrome.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have a new goaltending coach. The Brandon Sun reports that Brent Zelenewich, a former Brandon U Bobcats goaltender, has taken over from Matt Cockell. Cockell, who is helping the Wheat Kings in training camp, has stepped aside because he also works with the Canadian women’s national team.
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The Vancouver Giants tweeted Friday that F Jordan Martinook, 20, has agreed to terms on a contract with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. Martinook, who blossomed into a 40-goal scorer last season, was the 58th overall selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports right here that Martinook has been told by the Coyotes that he won’t be back with the Giants.
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JUST NOTES: The Brandon Sun reports that the Brandon Wheat Kings were without two veteran forwards in Friday’s scrimmages. F Dominick Favreau and F Jens Meilleur are out with back woes. That can’t be good for Favreau, who is one of four 20-year-olds on Brandon’s roster. . . . F J.C. Lipon’s three goals helped the Kamloops Blazers to a 5-3 victory over the Victoria Royals in Maple Ridge, B.C., on Friday night. Lipon had a career-high 19 goals last season — he scored three in each of his first two seasons — and this was his first hat trick. In 187 regular-season games, he has four two-goal games.
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Slovakian F Juraj Bezuch had 21 points in 67 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, but, for whatever reason, he was released following the season. Now he’s in camp with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, who now have three import players, one over the limit. Not only that, but according to this story right here, Bezuch has been “dazzling” folks in the Kitchener camp.
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Fans of the QMJHL got good news earlier in the summer. Now it seems there soon may be the same good news for OHL fans. But there is no good news on this subject for WHL fans. . . . The trapezoid, which is gone from the QMJHL, is soon to be gone from the OHL, according to this piece right here. . . . The WHL has shown no signs of following suit and that's too bad. Because all the trapezoid does is penalize goaltenders who have worked hard to develop their puck-handling skills. It also prevents goaltenders from handling pucks in the corners and helping save defencemen from taking a beating from forechecking forwards.

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The OHL or the NCAA? Andrew Duffy of the Ottawa Citizen profiles a young hockey player who is faced with that decision right here.
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Looking for good read today? Here’s Jim Matheson’s Hockey World from the pages of the Edmonton Journal. It’s at least a two-cupper.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors held a 39-13 edge in shots and whipped the Regina Pats, 8-1, to even that series at 1-1. . . . Games 3 and 4 are to be played in Regina on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F Cody Beach and F Eric Arnold had two goals and an assist each for the Warriors, who scored once in the first period, three times in the second and four times in the third. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens lost his shutout to F Dyson Stephenson at 5:32 of the third. . . . Leading 3-0, the Warriors held a 19-4 edge in shots. . . . Warriors D Dallas Ehrhardt had one assist and was plus-5. . . . Warriors F Sam Fioretti had a goal and two helpers. . . . Moose Jaw took 64 of 118 penalty minutes. Referees Pat Smith and Chad Williams handed out nine misconducts. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers went 3-for-6 on the PP and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-3. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem was in on all five of his side’s goals, scoring twice and setting up three others. . . . The Tigers take a 2-0 lead to Saskatoon for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . The Tigers erased a 3-2 deficit with the game’s last three goals. . . . Etem scored two first-period power-play goals. . . . After F Josh Nicholls gave Saskatoon a 3-2 lead at 6:55 of the second, Medicine Hat D James Bettauer tied it at 16:28. . . . Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk broke the 3-3 tie at 14:32 of the third and F Curtis Valk added insurance at 19:54 on a PP. . . . Shinkaruk also had three assists. . . . Saskatoon was 0-1 on the PP. . . . The Blades continue to be without G Adam Todd (concussion), F Michael Burns (concussion) and D Tommy Stipancik (mononucleosis). They also were without D Darren Dietz, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension for a slashing major on Tigers F Emerson Etem late in Game 1. . . . An interesting note from Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades: In their history, the Blades have lost the first game of a series on the road on 13 occasions. Only once have they come back to win Game 2. That was in 1992 against the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored five times in the second period and beat the Victoria Royals, 7-4. . . . Kamloops took a 6-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Jordan DePape scored twice for Kamloops, the first coming on a penalty shot at 19:24 of the first period to give his side a 1-0 lead. . . . Kamloops F J.C. Lipon had two assists for the second straight game. . . . The Blazers take a 2-0 lead into Games 3 and 4 in Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Victoria F Taylor Crunk scored his first WHL goal. He was goal-less in 39 regular-season games. . . . Crunk, who turned 17 on Jan. 20, is a freshman from San Jacinto, Calif. . . . Kamloops had a 53-28 edge in shots on goal. . . . The Blazers were 2-7 on the PP; the Royals were 0-5. . . . Kamloops has won back-to-back playoff games for the first time since the spring of 1999 when Habscheid was its head coach. . . .

In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 20 shots to lead the Winterhawks to a 4-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Carruth earned his 20th playoff victory. He is the only goaltender in Portland history with that many postseason victories. . . . Carruth has two career playoff shutouts. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 2-0 lead as the series heads to Kelowna for games on Tuesday and Thursday. . . . Portland was 2-8 on the PP and also got a shorthanded goal from F Brad Ross. . . . D Troy Rutkowski scored the game’s first goal at 7:30 of the first period on the PP. . . . F Ty Rattie, who had three goals in a 6-3 victory on Friday, had a goal and an assist in Game 2. . . . F Sven Baertschi set up two goals. . . . The Winterhawks again were without F Brendan Leipsic. . . . The Rockets continue to be without F Spencer Main (concussion) and D Mitchell Chapman (undisclosed). . . . Kelowna was 0-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets took 53 of 91 penalty minutes, including 23 to F Brett Bulmer. He took four minors, two of them for kneeing, and a kneeing major and game misconduct, the latter at 12:11 of the third period. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel got the old heave-ho 31 seconds into the second period. He took a slashing minor and was promptly tossed, perhaps for saying something to an official. . . . After Game 1, you may recall, Kelowna G Adam Brown made a point of grabbing the final puck and keeping it. So what happened after Game 2. Well, it seems Rutkowski picked it up off the ice. End of story. Right? Wrong. . . . Jim Beseda of The Oregonian reports that Portland D Joe Morrow took the puck from Rutkowski, “skated across the ice and flipped it in Brown's direction” as the Rockets headed to the dressing room. “You know,” Morrow said, “he deserved it, so he can have it back. And if he wants to keep doing that, he can keep every puck after we win from now on. That's his choice." . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game’s first five goals and went on to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 7-3. . . . Vancouver leads the series 2-0 with the next two games in Spokane on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . F Brendan Gallagher and F Marek Tvrdon each had two goals and two assists for Vancouver, while F Jordan Martinook had a goal and three assists. . . . Martinook has eight points in the first two games of this series. . . . The Giants also got two goals, both on the PP, from D Neil Manning. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored twice for Spokane. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 38 shots. . . . Vancouver was 3-7 on the PP; Spokane was 2-6. . . . Spokane D Brendan Kichton, who was struck in the face by a puck in the third period of Game 1, didn’t play in Game 2. He may have a broken jaw. . . . Kichton, a first-team all-star, is the Western Conference’s defenceman of the year. . . . The Giants are without D David Musil, who has undergone surgery to repair a broken scaphoid. . . . Vancouver inserted D Blake Orban, who played 43 regular-season games, into its lineup and took out D Reid Zalitach, a 2011 bantam draft pick. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored three PP goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Two of those PP goals came in the first period when the Americans spent 11:58 with a man advantage; the Silvertips didn’t get a power play. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison took an interference major and game misconduct at at 9:44 of the first period. . . . Tri-City scored twice on the ensuing power play. . . . Everett F Cody Fowlie took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 4:20 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland scored the game’s first goal at 10:21 of the first period. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin had two assists. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 17 shots, 16 fewer than Everett’s Kent Simpson. . . . Rimmer lost his shutout bid when D Ryan Murray scored at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Tri-City lost D Drydn Dow with an apparent arm injury after he was hit from behind by Everett F Manray Hayer, who was given a double minor. . . . The Americans lead 2-0 as the series goes to Everett for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports on Game 2 right here. You may have guessed that Everett head coach Mark Ferner wasn't impressed by the officiating.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Brayden Point, Moose Jaw.
F Cain Franson, Vancouver.
F Manraj Hayer, Everett (double minor).
F Cody Fowlie, Everett (major).
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Austin Madaisky, Kamloops.


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The Wenatchee Wild won’t be joining the BCHL, at least not for the 2012-13 season. . . . The BCHL has denied the Wild’s request for entry, so the Wild has withdrawn its request for dormancy within the NAHL and owner Bill Stewart has said the team will play in that league next season. . . . The Wild is expected to continue its attempt to get into the BCHL, now aiming for the 2013-14 season. . . . The Wenatchee World reports: “The Wild has been pursuing a move to the BCHL for travel reasons. In the NAHL, its closest opponents are 920 miles away (Fresno, Calif., and Dawson Creek, B.C.), while all 16 BCHL teams are within 635 miles of Wenatchee.”
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The QMJHL has suspended Benoit Groulx, the head coach of the Gatineau Olympiques, for two games after he threw a few sticks and a garbage can during a game on Wednesday. . . . Groulx will miss his club’s last two regular-season games, both of them in Rouyn-Noranda against the Huskies.
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Winnipeg’s hockey community is mourning the death of Dave (The Wrecker) Hrechkosy. He died early this month from brain cancer. Doug Lunney of the Winnipeg Sun takes a look back right here.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Raiders, 4-1. . . . With the victory, the Warriors tied franchise records for victories (44) and points (96) set in 2005-06. The Warriors can break both those records tonight when the Raiders visit Moose Jaw. . . . F Brayden Point scored his first WHL goal for Moose Jaw. Point, the 14th overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, was playing in his fourth game. . . . Moose Jaw F Cam Braes scored his 40th goal. . . . F James Henry was among the Warriors’ scratches. Head coach Mike Stothers told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald that Henry was “attending to some personal issues.” Henry isn’t expected to play tonight either. . . . The Warriors have won three in a row. . . . The Warriors will be the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed but won’t know until tonight who will provide the first-round opposition. . . .

In Regina, F Michael Ferland scored twice to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Ferland has 47 goals, eight of which have been against the Pats. . . . He scored at 8:07 of the first and 8:28 of the second, the latter via the PP. . . . F Tanner Olstad scored for Regina, at 15:19 of the third. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had two assists. . . . Brandon is 5-2-0 against Regina this season. . . . The teams play again tonight in Brandon. . . . Brandon F Kevin Sundher (concussion) took the pregame skate and then was scratched. . . . With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair moving into their home arena, the Wheat Kings will play first-round playoff games at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. . . . The Wheat Kings are eighth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind Regina and Kootenay. . .

In Swift Current, F Josh Nicholls had two goals and an assist to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 5-3 victory over the Broncos. . . . Nicholls has 30 goals. . . . F Taylor Vause and F Brad Hoban, both 20 years of age, scored in their final home games with the Broncos. Vause has 37 goals; Hoban has 20. Vause also had two assists. . . . F Matej Stransky had his 38th goal and two assists for the Blades. . . . It was Scratch City before this one. . . . The Broncos, who were playing their final home game, also scratched six players, although three of those were due to numbers. . . . The Blades were without six players, including D Tommy Stipancik, who has been plagued by concussion-related problems and now has mononucleosis, and backup goaltender Adam Todd, who is injured. D Dalton Thrower also remains out, along with D Matt Pufahl and F Michael Burns. Todd was hit in the head by a puck during practice on Thursday and is expected to sit for at least 10 days with a concussion. The Blades had G Patrick Johnson, an 18-year-old from Saskatoon, on the bench. He played in the SJHL with the Kindersley Klippers and Melfort Mustangs this season. . . . You’re wondering about G Alex Moodie, who played so well for the Blades in January. His midget AAA Winnipeg Wild opened the best-of-five Manitoba league final last night with a 4-1 victory over the Southwest Cougars in the Manitoba capital. Game 2 is Sunday in Souris, Man. . . . The Blades won their 40th game and are one point ahead of Regina and Kootenay. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Tigers, 4-2. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson broke a 1-1 tie at 14:47 of the first period. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 36 shots. . . . The Tigers welcomed back D Spenser Jensen, who hadn’t played since Feb. 18 due to an injury. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem got his WHL-leading 61st goal at 19:56 of the third. . . . The Oil Kings have won 10 in a row. . . . The Oil Kings can clinch first place in the overall standings with a victory in Red Deer tonight. . . . The Tigers were 0-8 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-2. . . .

In Red Deer, F Adam Kambeitz broke a 2-2 tie at 13:12 of the third period as the Rebels beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . Kambeitz has 18 goals. . . . The Rebels dressed 15 skaters, three under the maximum. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot stopped 34 shots. . . . Medicine Hat is tied for third with Calgary but the Hitmen have one more victory. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Calgary Hitmen erased a 4-0 first-period deficit and beat the Kootenay Ice 6-5 in OT. . . . D Spencer Humphries won it with a PP goal just 59 seconds into OT. . . . The Ice took a 5-3 lead into the last minute of the third period. . . . Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick got his 34th goal at 19:03 and F Greg Chase tied it with his sixth goal at 19:18. . . . Bubnick had two goals. . . . Calgary got three assists from each of F Alex Gogolev and F Brooks Macek. . . . F Joey Leach had a goal, his 12th, and two assists for the Ice. . . . Calgary was 3-7 on the PP; the Ice was 1-3. . . . The Ice now is tied with Regina for sixth in the Eastern Conference. . . . Calgary is tied with Medicine Hat for third. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored six third-period goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 10-4. . . . The loss ended any chance the Cougars had of making the playoffs. . . . F Colin Smith scored three times for Kamloops. It was his first hat trick this season and the third of his career. He has 35 goals. . . . F Brandon Herrod had a goal and three assists for Kamloops, while linemates Jordan DePape had two goals and an assist, and Brendan Ranford added a goal and two helpers. . . . The Blazers were 3-5 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-3. . . . Cougars F Campbell Elynuik took a cross-checking major and game misconduct late in the third period and will be suspended for tonight’s rematch in Prince George. . . . The Blazers will be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference but don’t yet know who they will play. . . .

In Spokane, F Burke Gallimore’s 100th career goal, at 15:51 of the third period, gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . With Gallimore driving to the net, a Colin Jacobs centring pass went off one of his skates and over Spokane G Eric Williams. Video review determined there wasn’t a kicking motion involved and the goal stood. . . . F Dylan Walchuk gave the Chiefs a 3-2 lead at 13:08 of the second period. . . . Seattle F Colin Jacobs tied it with 31 seconds left in the period. . . . F Marek Kalus scored his 20th goal for Spokane. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 36 shots. . . . The loss means the Chiefs will finish fifth in the Western Conference and meet the No. 4 Vancouver Giants in the first round. . . . The Thunderbirds, with two games remaining, are tied with Everett for eighth but can still finish seventh. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans clinched the Westerm Conference and U.S. Division pennants with a 4-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . D Zach Yuen broke a 1-1 tie with his 12th goal at 15:35 of the third period. . . . F Adam Hughesman iced it with two late goals, giving him 50 on the season. . . . That gives the Americans two 50-goal men for the first time since 1994-95 (Daymond Langkow and Terry Ryan). . . . Hughesman also had an assist and now has 350 career points. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin had two assists as he ran his point streak to 22 games, matching the franchise record set by Colton Yellow Horn in 2007-08. . . . Shinnimin leads the WHL with 133 points, 14 more than Brandon F Mark Stone. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland drew one assist, running his assist streak to 19 games. . . . The Americans won their 50th game, the first CHL team to get there this season. It is the second time in franchise history the Americans have won 50; they also did it in 2007-08. . . . The Americans are one point behind Edmonton, which leads the overall standings. . . . Everett is tied for eighth with Seattle and the teams meet tonight in Kent, Wash. A Seattle victory clinches a playoff spot and eliminates Everett. . . . An Everett victory would mean Seattle would have to win in Portland on Sunday to force a sudden-death playoff game. If it comes to that, Everett would play Seattle in Kent on Tuesday. . . . If Seattle wins both its remaining game, it finishes seventh, with Victoria eighth. . . .

In Victoria, G Keith Hamilton stopped 37 shots to lead the Royals to a 3-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Royals had beaten the visiting Winterhawks 4-3 on Wednesday. . . . After the game, Portland D Derrick Pouliot tweeted: “Sick of Victoria.” . . . F Mike Forsyth broke a 1-1 tie at 5:40 of the third period. He has three goals this season. . . . F Jamie Crooks added insurance with his 37th at 7:28. . . . F Dakota Conroy had a goal, his 11th, and an assist for Victoria. . . . F Dominic Turgeon, the son of former NHLer Pierre Turgeon, made his WHL debut with the Winterhawks. . . . The Royals clinched a playoff spot. They will finish seventh or eighth in the Western Conference. . . . The Winterhawks will be the third seed in the Western Conference and will open at home to the No. 6 Kelowna Rockets on Friday. . . . Portland and Kelowna met in the second round last season, with the Winterhawks winning in six games. . . .

In Vancouver, F Jordan Martinook scored his third goal of the game, and 40th of the season, at 1:05 of OT to give the Giants a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Martinook, who also had an assist, at tied the game at 15:13 of the third on a PP. . . . F Marek Tvrdon had three assists for Vancouver. . . . Kelowna took a 3-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Brett Bulmer had a goal, his 34th, and two assists for Kelowna. . . . The Giants clinched home-ice advantage in their first-round series with the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Rockets, the sixth seed in the Western Conference, will be in Portland to open a first-round series on Friday.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Matej Stransky, Saskatoon.
F Curtis Valk, Medicine Hat.
D Tanner Muth, Kootenay
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Justin Hickman, Seattle.
D Drydn Dowd, Tri-City.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Brandon (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Kootenay (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Regina (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Saskatoon (5)
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Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Everett/Seattle (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Victoria (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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TODAY’S GAMES:
Regina at Brandon
Kootenay at Calgary
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw
Edmonton at Red Deer
Swift Current at Saskatoon
Vancouver at Kelowna
Kamloops at Prince George
Everett at Seattle
Spokane at Tri-City
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SUNDAY’S GAME
Seattle at Portland
(End of regular season)

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Canadian university hockey is perhaps the country’s greatest sporting secret, and there was a classic game at Rutherford Arena in Saskatoon on Sunday evening.
It was Game 3 in the best-of-three Canada West final between the U of Calgary Dinosaurs and the Saskatchewan Huskies.
The Huskies finally won it, 2-1, when D Brett Ward scored at 6:33 of the third OT period before 999 fans. Ward is a former WHLer, who played with Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Chilliwack (2004-09).
The stars of this game, however, were goaltenders Dustin Butler of Calgary and Ryan Holfeld of Saskatchewan, both of whom also played in the WHL.
The Huskies will represent Canada West at the CIS national tournament in Fredericton, N.B., March 22-25.
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The Tri-City Americans have added three young forwards to their roster. . . . Parker Bowles, who turned 17 on Jan. 25, spent the season with the major midget Okanagan Rockets, who play out of Kelowna.  Bowles played one game with the Americans earlier this season. . . . Justin Gutierrez, a 16-year-old from Anchorage, was added from the Los Angeles Selects under-16 midget team. Gutierrez, who has one WHL game under his belt, is the younger brother of former WHL F Moises Gutierrez. . . . Beau McCue, who turned 17 on Jan. 3, is from Missoula, Montana. He played for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, a U-16 team.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
(If you’re on Twitter, you should be following @WHLFacts)
In Calgary, F Brady Brassart scored twice to help the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Brassart has 25 goals this season. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen scored his third goal of the season — his first on home ice. Virtanen, the first overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, was playing in his seventh game. His PP goal gave Calgary a 2-0 lead at 12:11 of the first period. . . . F Adam Kambeitz had a goal, his 16th, and an assist for Red Deer, as did F Jon Persson, who has 23 goals. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover stopped 13 shots in picking up his 20th victory of the season. Chris Driedger, Calgary’s other goaltender, has 22 victories. . . . It is the first time in franchise history that the Hitmen have had two goaltenders with 20 victories in the same season. . . . The Rebels were playing their third game in three nights with an injury-decimated lineup. On top of all the other injuries, they lost F Chad Robinson (knee) on Friday and he missed the last two weekend games. . . . The Hitmen now can finish no lower than fourth in the Eastern Conference. They are two points behind the third-place Medicine Hat Tigers with each team having three games remaining. . . .

In Vancouver, F Jordan Martinook scored at 2:50 of OT to give the Giants a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Martinook scored twice, giving him 37 this season. His first goal, at 5:03 of the third, gave Vancouver a 4-3 lead. . . . Victoria D Hayden Rintoul forced OT when he scored his 17th goal with 22.2 seconds left in the third. . . . Vancouver F Marek Tvrdon, who scored twice in a 3-2 victory in Kamloops on Saturday, added two more goals. He’s got 29. . . . Martinook and Tvrdon also had an assist apiece. . . . F Brandon Magee scored twice for Victoria, giving him 23. . . . The Giants now are fourth in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs, who hold two games in hand. . . . With the loser point, the eighth-place Royals are three points ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Victoria also is one point behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . 

In Kent, Wash., F Connor Honey’s goal with 4.6 seconds left in OT gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Honey has seven goals. . . . F Josh Winquist of Everett had tied the score 2-2 with his 19th goal at 5:01 of the second. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 30 shots, 16 fewer than Everett’s Kent Simpson. . . . Seattle has four games remaining and is three points out of a playoff spot. . . . Everett has three games remaining, all on the road, and is seventh, a point ahead of Victoria and four in front of Seattle. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-4. . . . The Forsberg brothers, Jesse and Alex, gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead with goals at 11:59 and 14:28 of the first period. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman scored at 0:34 and 7:16 of the second — he’s got 46 — to pull his guys even. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin, the WHL’s leading scorer, broke the tie at 19:11 of the third and added an empty-netter at 19:29. . . . Shinnimin has 57 goals. He also is riding a 20-game point streak, the longest in the WHL this season. He had a 21-game streak last season. . . . Shinnimin also had two assists, and now has 129 points and a 13-point lead atop the scoring derby. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland had one assist, running his assist streak to 17 games. . . . The game featured a clash of goaltenders who were swapped for each other prior to the season. Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 17 shots in winning his 30th game. He came on in relief of Eric Comrie with the Ams trailing 3-1. . . . This is the sixth straight season in which a Tri-City goaltender has won at least 30 games. . . . Drew Owsley of the Cougars stopped 25 shots. . . . The Americans are back on top of the Western Conference, by one point over the idle Portland Winterhawks, and in a tie for first place overall with the idle Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Cougars are 10th in the Western Conference. Each of the three teams they are chasing earned at least one point last night. The Cougars now are five points out of a eighth place with three games remaining.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Zane Jones, Victoria.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Brandon (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Saskatoon (7)
Medicine Hat (3) vs. Regina (6)
Calgary (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Victoria (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Everett (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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MONDAY’S GAMES
None.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES
Red Deer at Medicine Hat
Prince Albert at Saskatoon
Spokane at Seattle
Prince George at Tri-City

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite) announced that F Brad Voth (Medicine Hat, 1996-2002) has been forced to retire due to injury. He had eight goals and 12 assists in 33 games this season for the Devils. This season was Voth's seventh with the Devils. You can read the retirement announcement right here.
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
From a reader of the blog . . .
I had the pleasure of attending a game Friday night between the Winterhawks and Silvertips. I saw you deliver a video message to Brent Peterson, which was nice.
At 0:17 of the 3rd period, the puck apparently entered the Portland net, but play continued. At the end of this portion of play, a high-sticking double minor was assessed to (Portland defenceman) Joe Morrow as play was reviewed by the replay booth. A goal was awarded to the Silvertips, and the clock was rewound to the time of the goal.
My question is this: Why did the high-sticking penalty stand?
If Team A scores a goal, but play goes on and Team B scores an apparent goal at the other end, the first goal counts and all play between that point and the next whistle (and review) is treated as void — but not a penalty? This doesn't seem to make sense.
In this case, the scoresheet reads as though Morrow high-sticked a player, then Everett scored on the delayed call. What actually took place on the ice is that Morrow was found guilty of high-sticking sometime after the Everett goal, yet at a point of the game that was played twice.
It is unclear to me how Everett is awarded the goal AND the power play in this situation.
Thank you for your time.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Quinton Howden scored three goals to lead the Warriors past the Prince Albert Raiders, 7-2. . . . The Warriors opened a 2-0 first-period lead on two Howden goals, only to have the Raiders tie it early in the second. . . . F Mark McNeill had a goal and an assist for the Raiders, the goal coming on a penalty shot. . . . The Warriors then scored the game’s last five goals. . . . F Kenton Miller got his 20th, Howden got his 20th and F Cam Braes got his 30th. . . . The victory lifted the Warriors, who lead the East Division, to within four points of the Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .

In Regina, the Lethbridge Hurricanes opened up a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Pats. . . . F Nick Buonassisi gave the visitors a 3-0 ledge at 6:04 of the third period. . . . The Pats closed the gap to 3-2 when F Dominik Volek scored at 19:12 of the third. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo stopped 45 shots, while Regina’s Adam Beukeboom turned aside 10. . . . Regina held a 16-3 edge in shots in the first period and 22-3 in the third. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Hunter Shinkaruk reached the 40-goal plateau to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Blades. . . . Shinkaruk scored three times, once in each period, with two of them on the PP. . . . He also had an assist. . . . Tigers F Curtis Valk added two goals, giving him 21, and an assist. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem had two assists. . . . The Tigers lost F Brendan Hurley to a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 19:10 of the first period. Saskatoon D Duncan Siemens, who was on the receiving end, didn’t return to the game. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Dylen McKinlay scored three times to carry the Kootenay Ice to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . McKinlay has 14 goals. . . . Ice F Max Reinhart (foot) missed his fourth straight game. . . . Ice F Jesse Ismond had three assists. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 28 shots. . . . McKinlay has 35 points in 46 games, including 10 in his last four outings. . . .

In Swift Current, F Mark Stone scored two goals, including the 100th of his career, and added three assists as the Brandon Wheat Kings bounced the Broncos, 6-3. . . . F Michael Ferland and D Ryan Pulock each added a goal and two assists for Brandon. . . . The Broncos led 2-1 in the first period and 3-1 in the second, but gave up the last five goals. . . . The loss dropped the Broncos 10 points behind Brandon, which holds the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . Brandon D Brodie Melnychuk played in his 300th regular-season game, all with the Wheat Kings. He had a goal, his fourth this season and the 21st of his career, and was plus-4. . . .

In Red Deer, Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick had perhaps the best night of his career as the Hitmen beat the Rebels, 6-2. . . . Bubnick, 20, scored twice and added three assists, while going plus-5. . . . He has 24 goals. . . . Bubnick is one goal and three assists from career highs. He has 53 points in 53 games. . . . Calgary D Kenton Helgesen, who had one assist, also was plus-5. . . . F Trevor Cheek also scored twice for Calgary. He’s got 18 goals. . . . The Hitmen have won 15 of their last 17 games. . . .

In Portland, F Jordan Martinook broke a 2-2 tie at 19:31 of the third period as the Vancouver Giants beat the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . The loss ended Portland’s franchise-record home-ice winning streak at 19 games. . . . Martinook has 30 goals in 53 games, after scoring 11 in 72 last season. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 47 shots. . . . Vancouver F Marek Tvrdon scored twice, including his 20th goal at 12:59 of the third to give his side a 2-1 lead. . . . Portland F Taylor Peters got that one back just 55 seconds later. . . . The teams play again Monday in Portland. . . . Vancouver is 3-0-0 against Portland this season. . . . Jim Beseda of the Oregonian reports that the Winterhawks sat F Brad Ross “for the second consecutive night for disciplinary reasons.” . . . Portland F Ty Rattie wasn’t on the bench for the third period after taking a hit to the head. . . . Rattie has a WHL-leading 87 points, one more than Brandon F Mark Stone and Regina F Jordan Weal. . . .

In Prince George, F Shane McColgan had a goal and two assists to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 4-1 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Rockets, who beat the host Cougars 2-1 on Friday with McColgan scoring the winner, scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Prince George G Devon Fordyce stopped 45 shots, 31 more than Kelowna’s Adam Brown. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Kamloops Blazers scored one goal in each period and beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . The Blazers swept the four-game season series from Seattle. . . . Seattle F Colin Jacobs opened the scoring at 7:26 of the first period. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford tied it with his 29th goal at 13:22. . . . F Cole Ully gave the Blazers the lead at 19:40 of the second period. . . . Kamloops G Cam Lanigan stopped 38 shots, two fewer than Seattle’s Calvin Pickard. . . . Seattle has lost five in a row. . . . The Blazers continue to lead the overall standings, two points ahead of the Tri-City Americans and four up on the Edmonton Oil Kings, who didn’t play Saturday. . . . The Americans are scheduled to play in Kamloops on Wednesday. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans erased a 2-0 deficit in the second period and beat the Victoria Royals, 6-3. . . . The victory was Tri-City head coach’s Jim Hiller’s 200th as a WHL head coach. He has 128 of those with the Americans, the rest with the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . F Jamie Crooks, with his 29th, and F Brandon Magee, with his 18th, gave the Royals a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. . . . The Americans scored three times before the second was over and added three more early in the third. . . . F Adam Hughesman had two goals and two assists for the Americans, while F Brendan Shinnimin added a goal and three assists. They each have 31 goals. . . . The Americans won the season series, 3-1. . . .
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Cody Beach, Moose Jaw.
F James Henry, Moose Jaw.
F Brendan Hurley, Medicine Hat (major).
F Patrick Holland, Tri-City.
D Keegan Kanzig, Victoria.
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SATURDAY’S CHECK-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Cody Beach, Moose Jaw.
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The Seattle Times is reporting today that talks are ongoing that could result in NBA and NHL franchises for Seattle, if a facility is built south of Safeco Field. The complete story is right here.


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The Brandon Wheat Kings have lost G Corbin Boes indefinitely with a broken hand. Boes, 18, was injured in Thursday’s 7-3 loss to the Oil Kings in Edmonton. Boes is 11-5-1, 3.00, .908 this season. . . . G Brandon Anderson now will do the bulk of the Brandon goaltending — he went the distance in a 5-3 victory over the Rebels in Red Deer on Friday night. Jordan Papirny, a first-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, is backing up Anderson this weekend. Papirny plays for the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Athletics. . . .
F Sven Bartschi of the Portland Winterhawks will join the Swiss national junior team for its camp prior to the World Junior Championship that opens on Boxing Day in Calgary and Edmonton. . . .
D Colin Archer (Red Deer, 2007-11) has joined the Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars, who play in the Avalon East senior league. They are based in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador. . . . Archer, the Rebels’ captain for the last three seasons, transferred from McGill University to Acadia University but has to sit out a year before returning to the CIS level.
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FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS . . .
In Swift Current, the Broncos overcame a 3-1 third-period deficit and beat the Kelowna Rockets, 4-3, in a shootout. . . . Broncos F Taylor Vause scored his side’s last two goals, the first one shorthanded at 8:17, and the second at 15:48. He has 18 goals. . . . Going into the game, the Broncos had but one victory in 18 tries when trailing after two periods. . . . In the six-round shootout, F Adam Lowry scored to give the home side a 2-1 edge. . . . Broncos G Austin Smith relieved starter Jon Groenheyde (ill) at 11:52 of the first period and got the victory. Smith stopped 14 of 15 shots. . . . Kelowna D MacKenzie Johnston, who is from Swift Current, beat Groenheyde shorthanded from inside the Rockets’ blue-line. . . . The Broncos had an 18-2 edge in third-period shots. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Lane Scheidl’s goal at 2:57 of OT gave the Regina Pats a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . It was interesting that the Pats emptied their bench and celebrated right in front of the Moose Jaw bench. . . . The Pats, who had lost 10 straight in Moose Jaw, trailed this one 2-0 going into the third period. . . . F Chandler Stephenson, at 3:18, and D Ricard Blidstrand, at 2:57, got Regina even. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal drew assists on the first and third goals. . . . F Eric Arnold scored the Teddy Bear goal at 10:22 of the first period. . . . Regina was without D Brandon Underwood, who has an ankle injury and won’t play again until after Christmas. He was injured blocking a shot in a 2-0 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Sunday. . . .

In Calgary, the Hitmen erased a 3-0 deficit and beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-4, but they had to go to a shootout to get it done. . . . F Cody Sylvester, Calgary’s captain, got the winner. . . . Prince Albert F Mark McNeill forced OT when he scored on a penalty shot at 7:43 of the third. McNeill will stay in Calgary for the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . McNeill scored on the penalty shot after the Hitmen counted four straight goals to take a 4-3 lead. . . . Sylvester was the last shooter in the three-rounder and the only one to score. . . . The Hitmen swept the four-game season series from the Raiders. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Scott McKay scored twice as the Medicine Hat Tigers dumped the Kootenay Ice, 6-4. . . . McKay has five goals. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk got his 27th for Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice has lost four in a row. . . . The Tigers are 2-0 against the Ice, having won 2-1 at home on Oct. 18. . . . The teams will meet again tonight in Medicine Hat in the Tigers’ Teddy Bear game. . . . Medicine Hat was without F Boston Leier (concussion) for a second game. He was injured Dec. 3 against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. . . .

In Red Deer, the Brandon Wheat Kings erased a 2-0 deficit and beat the Rebels, 5-3. . . . Brandon got two goals and an assist from F Mark Stone, who leads the WHL with 65 points. Stone has played 33 games so is dangerously close to two-points-a-game territory. . . . Brandon G Brandon Anderson stopped 40 shots. . . . The Rebels have lost 12 in a row. . . . Red Deer led 2-0 on two early PP goals when Stone scored his 26th and 27th goals. . . . Brandon went on to take a 4-2 lead. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot, the starter with Patrik Bartosak injured, stopped 24 shots. . . . The Rebels got all three of their goals on the PP. . . . Rebels D Alex Petrovic had a goal and two assists. . . .

In Victoria, F Jamie Crooks scored three times to help the Royals to an 8-5 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Hurricanes led 2-0, trailed 3-2, led 4-3, were tied 4-4, and led 5-4 before giving up the game’s last four goals. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee broke a 5-5 tie at 1:17 of the third, just 31 seconds after Crooks tied it on the PP. . . . Victoria F Kevin Sundher had two goals and two assists. He now has 21 goals. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges scored the game’s last goal on a penalty shot. . . . Crooks has 15 goals in 33 games, after scoring 19 last season and 21 in 2009-10, both with the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . It was Crook’s second hat trick of the season and second of his career. . . . Victoria F Zane Jones scored the Teddy Bear goal. . . .

In Everett, F Anthony Bardaro had two goals and an assist, leading the Chiefs to a 5-2 victory over the Silvertips, who have lost eight in a row. . . . Everett D Ryan Murray (high ankle sprain) played for the first time since Oct. 19. He missed 19 games. Murray took a regular shift and drew an assist. . . . He is to head to Calgary today for the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . Bardaro has 16 goals. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart, the son of you know who and you know who, scored his second goal. . . . Silvertips F Josh Birkholz took a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct at 2:30 of the first period in Kamloops on Wednesday, but wasn’t suspended. He is Everett’s leading scorer and opened the scoring with his 12th goal of the season. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Drew Owsley stopped 24 shots to carry the Prince George Cougars to a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Owsley has three shutouts this season — two by 1-0 counts — and 12 in his career. . . . The game’s only goal came from D Cody Carlson, his fourth, on a PP at 21 seconds of the second period. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 37 shots. . . . Seattle took 53 of 105 penalty minutes. . . . Cougars F Campbell Elynuik will be hearing from the WHL office after taking a boarding major and game misconduct at 3:11 of the third period. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock was back for the first time since suffering a non-displaced fracture of his first rib on Nov. 26 in Kamloops. . . . Seattle also had F Colin Jacobs in the lineup for the first time this season. He suffered an undisclosed injury while in the Buffalo Sabres’ prospects camp. . . .

In Vancouver, F Jordan Martinook scored three times to help the Giants to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Martinook’s third goal, into an empty net, was his 20th of the season. . . . Martinook has 20 goals in 32 games. Last season, he had 11 in 72 games. . . . He also has 26 points, two fewer than he finished with last season. . . . Martinook, a 19-year-old from Leduc, Alta., has two career hat tricks, both this season. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 46 shots. . . . Martinook left the game late in the second period after stopping a shot on the inside of his left knee. He was back to start the third period. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi ran his point streak to nine with an assist. He has 21 points over those nine games. . . . Assistant coach Glen Hanlon picked up his first WHL coaching victory. He’s running the Giants with head coach Don Hay in Calgary. Hay is head coach of the Canadian national junior team. . . . Hanlon, a goaltender back in the day, was asked about Morrison’s performance. “It’s his job to stop the first 50, isn’t it?” a laughing Hanlon told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province. . . . D Brett Kulak scored the Teddy Bear goal at 2:54 of the first period. . . . Vancouver D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen  completed a three-game WHL suspension by sitting last night.
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The Victoria Times Colonist has used its editorial page to call for an end to fighting in hockey. That editorial is right here.
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Brett Popplewell has the story of The Team That Disappeared and it’s right here, from Sportsnet Magazine. Popplewell tells the story of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the team that was lost in a plane crash on Sept. 7. This has been a week of devastating reads and this is one more from that category.
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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. And have a Merry Christmas.