G Brandon Glover of the Seattle Thunderbirds got the WHL a whole lot of publicity, including some pub at SI.com. However, it seems the league doesn’t believe in the axiom that no publicity is bad publicity.
Glover has been suspended for two games after getting into a scrap with G Austin Lotz of the Everett Silvertips on Saturday night. According to the WHL website, the suspension actually is “for game misconduct versus Everett.”
From that same game, the Thunderbirds drew a $500 fine for the goaltenders’ fight, and Seattle D Evan Wardley was suspended for two games after picking up his fourth game misconduct of the season.
Meanwhile, F Jordan Messier of the Moose Jaw Warriors was hit was a three-game suspension for a game misconduct he incurred in a game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Friday. Messier came off the bench during a line change and got involved in a scrap. . . . That suspension ends Messier’s WHL career as he is 20 and the Warriors have only three games remaining.
The Warriors also were fined $250 “for actions of player” in that game.
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The Tri-City Americans have added D Brandon Carlo, 16, to their roster for the rest of this season. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Carlo, from Colorado Springs, Colo, played this season with the U-16 Colorado Thunderbirds. He put up 47 points, including 10 goals, in 41 games. Carlo was a 10th-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. According to an Americans’ news release: “Under the USA Hockey/Hockey Canada/CHL agreement, Carlo will be limited to six games played for the remainder of the season, including the 2013 WHL playoffs.” . . .
The Americans also announced that they have added F Fraser Bulbuc, 18, to their roster. He had been with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. Bulbuc has played in four games with the Americans this season, scoring one goal.
The Kootenay Ice has added F Hudson Elynuik, 15, to its roster for the last four regular-season games. A third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, Elynuik played for the midget AAA Calgary Flames. . . .
The WHL’s draft lottery will be held on March 20. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders have added F Matteo Gennaro, 15, and D Brendan Guhle, 15, to their roster. Gennaro, a second-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, had 21 points in 30 games with the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders. He will stay with the Raiders through the weekend’s final regular-season games. Guhle, the third overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, played with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. He had five points in nine playoff games and will remain with the Raiders through the playoffs. . . .
F Henrik Samuelsson of the Edmonton Oil Kings has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. Samuelsson, the son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, was a first-round selection, 27th ovearll, in the 2012 NHL draft. He has 79 points, including 32 goals, in 67 games this season. Last season, the native of Scottsdale, Ariz., had 23 points in 28 regular-season games after joining the Oil Kings following the Christmas break. He added 14 points in WHL playoff games then was named to the Memorial Cup all-star team.
According to capgeek.com, D Joel Edmundson of the Kamloops Blazers will get NHL salaries of $642,500, $717,500 and $867,500 under the terms of the three-year deal he signed with the St. Louis Blues last week. His AHL salary would be $70,000 in each of the three seasons. Edmundson, a second-round selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft while he was with the Moose Jaw Warriors, also got a signing bonus of $277,500, payable in three annual instalments. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels have added F Jordan DePape, 20, to their roster. DePape, who hasn’t played since Nov. 11, left the Kamloops Blazers in order to undergo shoulder surgery. The Rebels acquired him as a free agent on Jan. 10 in the hopes that he would help them in the playoffs. . . . Red Deer has two games remaining, both against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
———






I will let you guess what was on TV last night . . .
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From Portland Winterhawks F Chase De Leo (@Dels9): “Bachelor season finale tonight, mixed emotions. Excited, but sad it's going to be over. Think with your head Sean, not your hammer. #WifedUp”
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From Brandon Wheat Kings D Nick Walters (@nickwalters3): “Lindsay Illl love you and treat you right”
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From former Portland F Brad Ross (@bross1818): “Wow Sean your an idiot can't believe you didn't pick Lindsay. I'm #heartbroken #idmarryyou”
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And then there was Bachelor fan Mike Fraser (@MikeFraser29), who scouts for the Brandon Wheat Kings but seems to have missed the finale: “Congrats to my alma mater, @ICGaels, for winning the MAAC men's basketball championship tonight and advancing to the NCAA tournament.”
———
From Shawneen Esson (@s_esson): “Seen 2 of the @SCBroncos packing bags at Safeway tonight! Pretty nice to see even if one was tweeting on the job! Lol”

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The Calgary Hitmen have released F Brendan Hurley, 19, apparently at his request. Hurley, from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., had 12 points in 31 games after joining the Hitmen from the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings in October.
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The Spokane Chiefs will be gunning for the franchise’s 1,000th victory when they meet the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday. . . . The Chiefs entered the WHL with a 6-3 loss to the host Blazers on Oct. 4, 1985. The Chiefs actually led that one 3-0 at 5:24 of the first period. . . . The Chiefs will play the 2,000th game in franchise history on Feb. 10 when the Victoria Royals pay a visit.
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Former WHL D Mike McBain (Red Deer, 1993-97) has been sentenced to four to 15 years in prison on Wednesday in Las Vegas for sexually assaulting a girl over a four-year period. . . . There’s more right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game’s first four goals and went on to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-2. . . . The fourth annual Hockey Hooky game -- it began at 11:30 a.m. -- drew 9,975 fans. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci scored his second goal and added an assist. A 17-year-old from Montrose, B.C., he has five points in 32 games. . . . F Sam Reinhart scored his 26th goal for the Ice. . . . Kootenay G Wyatt Hoflin, who turns 18 today, stopped 39 shots. . . .

In Brandon, the Saskatoon Blades scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Wheat Kings, 5-1. . . . Saskatoon F Michael Ferland, who was acquired from Brandon at the trade deadline, broke a 1-1 tie at 2:10 of the second period. It was Ferland’s third goal of the season. . . .

In Regina, F Jordan Messier was the only one of eight circus shooters to score as the Moose Jaw Warriors beat the Pats, 3-2. . . . The Warriors scored twice in the first period; the Pats got two in the second. . . . Regina D Stephen Hak tied it with his second goal in 36 games at 18:43 of the second. . . . The Pats now have lost eight in a row. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants unloaded a 57-shot barrage as they dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-1. . . . F Jackson Houck scored twice for Vancouver, giving him 17, while F Brendan Rouse had a goal, his ninth, and two assists. . . . Vancouver D Arvin Atwal scored his first WHL goal and also earned his first assist. They came in his 16th game, 11 of which he has played this season. He also was plus-3. . . . Vancouver G Jared Rathjen stopped 22 shots, losing his shutout when F Mark McNeill scored his 20th goal, via the PP, at 6:08 of the third. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens went the distance, stopping 52 shots. . . .

In Swift Current, F Ryon Moser scored at 19:59 of the third period – there was 0.8 left on the clock – to gave the Broncos a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Adam Lowry led the Broncos with his 33rd goal and three assists. . . . Moser has 15 goals this season. . . . Broncos F Levi Bews, who hadn’t played since Dec. 30 because of a leg injury, scored his 15th goal in 39 games. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart scored his 20th and 21st goals to give the Hitmen a 3-2 lead early in the second. . . . Lowry tied it at 12:30 of the second and D Richard Nedomlel gave the home side a 4-3 lead at 2:33 of the third. . . . Calgary D Alex Roach, with his second of the night and 13th of the season, put his side out front at 4:23. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., Tri-City F Justin Feser had three assists as he played in his 300th consecutive regular-season game and the Americans beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-2. . . . Feser is riding the second-longest such streak in WHL history. The record (311) is held by D Dwayne Newman (Brandon, Victoria, 1987-92). . . . Feser drew assists on each of his club’s first three goals. . . . Tri-City G Luke Lee-Knight stopped 42 shots. . . . F Chase Witala scored both of Prince George’s goals, giving him 11. . . . The Americans lost F Tyson Dallman to an interference major and game misconduct at 10:08 of the first period. Prince George G Brett Zarowny was injured on the play and had to leave the game. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks gave up the game’s first two goals then roared back to beat the Kamloops Blazers, 5-2. . . . Earlier in the day, the Winterhawks appeared at No. 1 in the CHL’s weekly rankings, having unseated the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads by putting up three straight shutouts. . . . Portland F Nic Petan, the WHL’s leading scorer, broke a 2-2 tie at 5:20 of the third period. . . . Portland F Taylor Peters, in his 300th game, added insurance with a shorthanded goal at 15:20. . . . Petan had a goal, his 35th, and an assist, and was plus-3. He leads the WHL in assists (55) and points (90), and is tied for the goal lead with F Todd Fiddler of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic is second in points (85), with Kamloops F Colin Smith third, at 80. . . . Leipsic had a goal, his 33rd, and two assists. . . . Smith scored his 34th goal to give Kamloops a 2-0 lead at 16:24 of the first. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie scored once, running his points streak to 15 games. . . . The Blazers lost D Joel Edmundson to a headshot major and game misconduct in the first period. Portland F Adam (Samuel) De Champlain, who was the victim, didn't return to the game and was watching in street clothes in the second period.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Trent Ouellette, Regina
F Chase De Leo, Portland

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Joel Edmundson, Kamloops (major)
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From former Prince George Cougars captain Brock Hirsche (@bigsexytweet10), whose career is over due to shoulder problems: “Starting a new chapter in my life. Thank you so much Prince George for letting me live out my dream of playing in the Western Hockey League”

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The WHL’s 20-year-old deadline arrives this afternoon.
Each WHL team has to declare a maximum of three such players by the deadline.
The Saskatoon Blades will have to make a move as they are carrying four 20s since acquiring F Adam Kambeitz from the Red Deer Rebels on Monday. The Blades also have D Connor Cox, F Josh Nicholls and F Brenden Walker on their roster.
The Portland Winterhawks also are carrying four 20s — G Cam Lanigan, G Mac Carruth, F Taylor Peters and D Troy Rutkowski. However, Carruth was just assigned to them by the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, so the Winterhawks have 14 days from his arrival to get down to four 20s.
The Medicine Hat Tigers’ roster also includes four 20s — F Kale Kessy, F Elgin Pearce, D Derek Ryckman and D Alex Theriau. The situation here isn’t what it seems, however, as Theriau is on the injury list as he recovers from offseason hip surgery and, as you will read further on, Kessy, while under a WHL suspension, no longer is with the Tigers.
Two other teams — the Kamloops Blazers and Prince Albert Raiders — are keeping close tabs on a couple of AHL camps.
D Austin Madaisky has spent the last two-plus seasons with the Blazers. He has signed an NHL contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets and is with their AHL affiliate, the Springfield, Mass., Falcons. He is one of 10 defencemen on their roster as Saturday’s season-opener approaches. The Blazers have three 20s on their roster in F Jordan DePape, F Brendan Ranford and F Dylan Willick.
At the same time, the Prince Albert Raiders are watching the camp of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs because D Antoine Corbin is there. If he returns to Prince Albert, the Raiders will have 14 days to make a move involving him, F Anthony Bardaro, D Davis Vandane or G Luke Siemens.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oil Kings are at the other end of the spectrum, with two 20s — F T.J. Foster and F Dylan Wruck.
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When F Jordan Messier woke up Tuesday, you can bet he was thinking about the Tri-City Americans’ approaching swing into the East Division.
It wasn’t long, however, before Messier had a head start.
The Americans, who will head east today, dealt Messier, 20, to the Moose Jaw Warriors yesterday, getting back a 2014 fourth-round bantam draft pick. He was packing his gear, while his former teammates were preparing to head east.
In six games this season, his fifth in the WHL, Messier has three points.
Messier, from Canmore, Alta., has 163 points in 270 regular-season games, all of them with the Americans. Tri-City selected him in the second round of the 2007 bantam draft.
He is expected to make his Moose Jaw debut on Saturday against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. The Americans, whose roster includes Jordan’s brother Marcus, 18, will play in Moose Jaw on Sunday.
Jordan met up with G Eric Comrie for lunch yesterday.
“I had a bite to eat with Eric and joked to let me slip one past him,” Messier told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. “It will be good to see the boys so soon. I will definitely come out hard for that one.”
The deal leaves the Americans with three 20-year-olds — D Drydn Dowd, F Justin Feser and F Jesse Mychan.
To stay at three 20-year-olds, the Warriors promptly released F Austin Bourhis, who had one assist and 17 penalty minutes in four games this season. Bourhis, from Kipling, Sask., has split 117 regular-season games between the Medicine Hat Tigers, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw.
The Warriors other 20-year-olds are F Justin Kirsch and D Kendall McFaull.
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The Everett Silvertips have traded F Ryan Chynoweth, 17, to the Tri-City Americans for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Chynoweth, the son of Kootenay Ice president/general manager Jeff Chynoweth, was the Silvertips’ first pick, going 24th overall, in the 2010 bantam draft.
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Ryan Chynoweth asked the Silvertips for a trade. Patterson also writes that the conditional pick “begins as a fifth-rounder, but could rise to as high as a third-rounder depending on how Chynoweth performs” in 2013-14.
Chynoweth, who was a healthy scratch for two weekend games, is pointless in four games this season. Last season, he had eight points, two of them goals, in 66 games.
If you’re wondering, there was no chance of his ending up with the Ice. Prior to the 2010 bantam draft, he told his father that he didn’t want to play at home. That holds true today.
“I never even pursued it,” Jeff Chynoweth told me via text yesterday. “It wouldn’t be fair to him or the team.”
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The Tri-City Americans were really busy yesterday, as they also dealt D Sam Grist, 19, to the Kamloops Blazers for a pair of bantam draft picks — a third-rounder in 2013 and a fifth-rounder in 2014. (For now, that fifth is the pick the Americans got from Everett for F Ryan Chynoweth. Of course, as noted, that pick could escalate to a third.)
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Grist is in his third WHL season. He has 15 points and 207 penalty minutes in 119 regular-season games.
“With the emergence of some of our younger defencemen like (Wil) Tomchuk and (Brodie) Clowes, who is close to returning to practice, we had to get our numbers down on defense,” Tri-City general manager Bob Tory said in a news release. “This move allows Sam to play on a good team, closer to home, while opening some ice time for our other players.”
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Following the Monday trade of F Adam Kambeitz, who was the team captain, the Red Deer Rebels have announced that F Turner Elson, 20, will wear the ‘C.’ Kambeitz, 20, was traded to the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Elson returned to the Rebels’ lineup last night in Swift Current after missing seven games with an undisclosed injury. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a finalist in the Small Business category of the 2012 Manitoba Business Awards, which are into the final stages. The Small Business division comprises those with fewer than 30 employees. . . . Brandon businesses were nominated by the Economic Development Brandon office and the Brandon Chamber of Commerce submitted the applications. . . . Winners will be announced on Oct. 18 at the annual awards gala in Winnipeg. . . .
The Everett Silvertips left on their East Division swing Tuesday and there were three goaltenders on the bus when it hit the highway. G Austin Lotz (groin) was injured Saturday and unable to play Sunday, but he is on the trip. Also on the trip are Cole Holowenko, who was sharing time with Lotz, and Daniel Cotton, who was acquired Sunday from  the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .
It seems that F Kale Kessy of the Medicine Hat Tigers is serving out his WHL suspension in the training camp of the AHL’s Portland Pirates. Kessy drew a 12-game suspension on Sept. 24 for a headshot major. Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News writes that “the Tigers quietly shipped off their fourth-most experienced player . . . two weeks ago. The only mention of the move from the team came in a note on their Oct. 2 injury report, found on the WHL’s website.” . . . Kessy, a fourth-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2011 draft, isn’t eligible to return to the Tigers’ lineup until Oct. 26. . . . D Ryan Pilon of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who was the subject of Kessy hit, hasn’t played since Sept. 22. . . . Rooney also reports that the Tigers should have freshman D Ty Stanton (undisclosed upper body injury) in the lineup tonight when they play host to the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
The Edmonton Oil Kings will be without F Stephane Legault for up to six weeks. He suffered a broken left foot when he blocked a shot by D Alex Roach during Sunday’s 6-5 OT loss to the Hitmen in Calgary. . . . The Oil Kings continue to be without D Keegan Lowe (knee), but he skated Tuesday. Lowe has missed four games. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades will honour former star Gerry Pinder on March 8 prior to a game against the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. He will have his number (7) retired. Actually, the number already is retired – F Brent Ashton wore it. Other numbers retired by the Blades are F Bob Bourne’s 12, F Wendel Clark’s 22, F Bernie Federko’s 15 and F Brian Skrudland’s 10. . . . Pinder played for the Blades in the early days. In fact, he set the WHL record for most points in one game (10) and that’s a mark that has been equalled but not broken. He had six goals and four assists in a 17-5 victory over the visiting Calgary Buffaloes on March 12, 1967. . . . Pinder put up 221 points in 109 games with the Blades.
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TUESDAY’S ACTION:
Sophomore F Brooks Maxwell scored his first goal of the season, a PP score at 17:30 of the third period, to break a 2-2 tie and give the Red Deer Rebels a 3-2 victory over the Broncos in Swift Current. . . . The Broncos (3-1-4) lost for the first time in regulation time this season. . . . It was a battle of import goaltenders, with Red Deer’s Patrik Bartosak, a Czech, and the Broncos’ Eetu Laurikainen, a Finn, each stopping 29 shots. . . . The Rebels ended up 3-2-1 on an swing through the East Division. . . . The Rebels will be without sophomore D Kayle Doetzel (broken jaw) for up to six weeks. He was injured on Oct. 3 in a 5-3 victory over the Blades in Saskatoon. . . .

F Lane Scheidl scored in OT to give the host Regina Pats a 3-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Scheidl’s fourth goal of the season came at 4:28 of extra time, just 28 seconds after the Pats had killed off a Portland PP. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt was huge with a 34-save effort. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 21 shots. G Mac Carruth, assigned to the team by the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks after a stint in camp with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, was on the bench, leaving Cam Lanigan as a healthy scratch. . . . Portland F Taylor Peters forced OT with his first goal of the season at 16:55 of the third. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders continued to write the WHL’s best early-season success story as they ran their winning streak to seven games with a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. . . . The Raiders now are 7-0-1. . . . According to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts), the Raiders last won seven in a row in February/March of 1999. . . . D Sawyer Lange, a sophomore from Prince Albert, scored his third goal in eight games and it stood up as the winner. He had one goal in 58 games last season. . . . The Hurricanes actually opened the scoring when veteran F Russell Maxwell scored 21 seconds into the game. That was the first time in seven games this season that Lethbridge had scored the game’s first goal. . . . Prince Albert F Mike Winther, who hadn’t played since Sept. 28 because of a groin injury, scored his first goal of the season. . . . The Raiders went 4-0 on a swing that took them to Edmonton, Calgary, Cranbrook and Lethbridge.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Portland F Joey Baker

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
F Ryan Chynoweth (@RChynowethh) has a scoop: “Going to miss the boys so much :(. Excited for a new start in tri city's!”
Chynoweth’s tweet announced his trade from Everett to Tri-City well in advance of either team issuing a news release.

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Stop the presses! Stop the presses!!
That party to honour the WHL’s Mr. 3,000? Put it on hold. At least for a few days.
The Medicine Hat News reports that Bob Ridley, the radio voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers, won’t be broadcasting his 3,000th game tonight with the Kootenay Ice in town.
That, according to The News, will be No. 2,998.
Which means that Ridley will call No. 3,000 on Saturday night when the Tigers are in Lethbridge. (No. 2,999 will come on Friday when the Tigers meet the Ice in Cranbrook.)
No matter. They are going to go ahead and salute the play-calling bus driver tonight, as well they should.
Besides, as pointed out here the other day, when you throw in playoff and Memorial Cup games, Ridley long ago went past 3,000.
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I don’t know the process involved in nominating someone for the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. But should someone who is involved in that process happen to read this, I would suggest that Bob Ridley would be a worthy recipient.
According to the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award page on Facebook, the award is “presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career. The award winners are selected by the NHL Broadcasters' Association.”
I would suggest that Ridley more than meets that criteria.
Failing that, he should be nominated for the Bus Drivers’ Hall of Fame.
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Peter Maher, the radio voice of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, recently called his 3,000th game. So he knows what that is all about.
But he can’t comprehend what Bob Ridley has done and continues to do.
"It's a real tribute to his stamina and his abilities to be able to travel as much as they do and broadcast all those games," Maher, who is a Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winner, told Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald.
"And driving the bus on top of all that? I can't comprehend doing what he's done.
"Pretty incredible."
Odland’s complete story is right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks have welcomed back Dean (Scooter) Vrooman as their director of corporate sponsorships. Vrooman was the radio voice of the Winterhawks for 25 seasons (1982-2007) before leaving the organization during its dog days prior the franchise being purchased by Bill Gallacher. Since then, Vrooman had been working with First Independent Bank in Vancouver, Wash. According to a news release, “In his new role, Vrooman will work with Rich Franklin and Garrett McFall to develop strong corporate partnerships for the organization.” . . . Vrooman is expected to make the occasional appearance on radio broadcasts; after all, his son, Todd, is the club play-by-play voice and broadcast communications manager.
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Medicine Hat Tigers G Tyler Bunz has had his impaired driving case move to Morinville, Alta., and put over to March 22. Bunz, whose NHL rights belong to the Edmonton Oilers, was to have been in court Monday in St. Albert, Alta., after being charged there in May 2011. Bunz, 21, was a fifth-round selection by the Oilers in the NHL’s 2010 draft.
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F Jordan Messier of the Tri-City Americans has been suspended for three games under supplemental discipline. He wasn’t penalized for whatever happened during a Saturday game against the Silvertips in Everett. Sometime after the game, the Silvertips requested supplemental discipline from the WHL office. . . . Messier began his suspension by sitting out Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks in Portland.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed D Michael Zipp to a WHL contract. Zipp, a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, is in Everett working out with the team . . . A native of Edmonton, Zipp played for the midget AAA Canadian Athletic Club team. He had eight assists and 32 penalty minutes in 34 games.
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The 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be played at the Halifax Metro Centre, home of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, on January 16.
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From Elliotte Friedman’s highly popular weekly notes package, 30 Thoughts:
27. The Ontario Hockey League is going to have some kind of additional fighting penalty next season, but elimination of fisticuffs isn't going to happen. "I'm 99 per cent in favour of abolishing it, but I'm worried about 'the rat' taking over junior hockey," said one GM. Said another: "I don't hate fighting, I hate the bull (bleep) that comes with it." He's referring to staged fights, players taunting via social media and guys who can't do anything else.
28, The other thing they want to eliminate is fisticuffs after clean hits. Limiting the number of fighting majors a player can get during the season should cut down those kinds of brawls. Let's say the maximum is 10. Fight number 11 gets two games. Fight number 12 is four, and so on. You'd probably cut down on a lot of that.
29. Will the OHL do this on its own? Yes, if necessary. The WHL has little interest and the QMJHL is a tossup.
Friedman’s complete piece is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have added D Colton Waltz, 16, to their roster. He spent the season with the AJHL's Bonnyville Pontiacs. A third-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft, Waltz had 12 points, three of them goals, in 41 games with the Pontiacs. In five playoff games, he had a goal and an assist.
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According to the WHL’s weekly roster report, the Portland Winterhawks have added F Dominic Turgeon to their roster. The son of former NHLer Pierre Turgeon, Dominic was a third-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft and has signed a WHL contract. He is out of the Colorado Thunderbirds’ program.
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According to that same roster report, the Brandon Wheat Kings are without veteran G Brandon Anderson. The reason he is out is shown as “personal.” No further details are available although, as I understand it, Anderson is expected back within 10 days. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that the Wheat Kings, who meet the Pats in Regina tonight, had F Tyrel Seaman (concussion) back at practice on Tuesday. Seaman was hurt Nov. 25, came back for one game after Christmas and hasn’t played since then. . . . Brandon F Kevin Sundher (concussion) has played one game since Feb. 14 and didn’t practise yesterday.
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In the BCHL, the Penticton Vees whipped the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters 10-0 on Tuesday for their 41st consecutive victory. That broke the Canadian junior record that had been shared by the Sudbury Wolves (1989-90) and the now-defunct Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (1999-2000). . . . The victory also was the Vees’ 53rd of the season and that’s a BCHL record. . . . As the hockey gods would have it, last night’s victory came on the 57th anniversary of the biggest victory in Penticton hockey history. On the afternoon of March 6, 1955, the Vees beat Russia 5-0 in Krefeld, Germany, to win the world amateur championship.
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D Mike Hellyer (Prince Albert, 2003-07) has signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Hellyer, a 25-year-old from Brandon, has spent the last four seasons with the U of Manitoba Bisons, whose season ended last weekend. Hellyer had 18 points in 26 games with the Bisons this season. In four seasons there, he had 82 points in 110 games.
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The Saskatoon Blades are scheduled to get their captain back tonight. D Duncan Siemens, who has missed 13 games with a concussion, should be in the lineup tonight as the Blades meet the Raiders in Prince Albert. . . . Siemens was injured on Feb. 4 on a hit from Medicine Hat Tigers F Brendan Hurley, who later drew a six-game suspension. . . . The Blades, who have lost four in a row and eight of 10, won just four of 13 games with Siemens sidelined.
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F Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks, who knows his way around a keyboard, has seen the movie Goon and he offers up a player’s view right here.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, F Adam Rossignol broke a 3-3 tie at 15:10 of the third period as the Broncos beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . Rossignol, 18, played the first 39 games of this season with the Ice, before being traded to the Broncos. . . . He has eight goals this season, two in 28 games with Swift Current. . . . F Christian Magnus had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist and also was plus-4 for the Broncos. Magnus’s second goal gave the Broncos a 3-2 lead at 19:38 of the second. . . .. F Joe Antilla, with his 13th, tied it for the Ice at 12:04 of the third. . . . Broncos G Jon Groenheyde, named the CHL’s goaltender of the week earlier in the day, stopped 32 shots, two more than the Ice’s Nathan Lieuwen. . . . The Ice is fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Calgary and just one up on Regina. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Phil Tot snapped a 1-1 tie at 11:19 of the third period to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 decision over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo turned aside 37 shots, 22 more than Moose Jaw’s Luke Siemens. . . . Tot has 14 goals this season. . . . F Russ Maxwell gave Lethbridge a 1-0 lead at 19:28 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw F Cody Beach equalized at 4:04 of the third. . . . The result prevented Moose Jaw from clinching first place in the East Division. . . . The Warriors hold a 12-point lead over second-place Regina in the division. . . . Moose Jaw is six points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. Each team has six games remaining. They are scheduled to meet tonight in Edmonton. . . .

In Red Deer, the Calgary Hitmen escaped with a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Brady Brassart scored his 22nd goal at 9:53 of the second period to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. . . . F Chase Clayton stretched the lead with his 12th at 17::32 of the third. . . . D Mathew Dumba got his 19th at 19:55 of the third. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover stopped 33 shots, seven fewer than Red Deer’s Deven Dubyk. . . . The Hitmen, who won for the 40th time this season, are fourth in the Eastern Conference and now are five points clear of Kootenay and just two behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Rebels are eight points out of the conference’s final playoff spot but have just six games left. . . . Red Deer got F Cory Millette back from injury but are still missing seven regular contributors. . . .

In Prince George, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Cougars, 3-1. . . . F Austin Daae got the Cougars on the board with his second goal at 3:27 of the second. . . . The Thunderbirds then got second-period goals from D Brad Deagle, his third, and F Luke Lockhart, his 13th. . . . F Connor Sanvido finished it off with his seventh at 11:01 of the third. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 21 shots. . . . G Drew Owsley of the Cougars turned aside 23 shots. . . . Prince George F Alex Forsberg reteurned after an 11-game absence with an injury. . . . Cougars D Cody Carlson will play in his 300th game as the teams meet again tonight. . . . The Thunderbirds are ninth in the Western Conference, just one point behind Everett, which holds down the last playoff spot. . . . The loss hurts the Cougars’ chances. They are 10th, five points out of a playoff spot with six games remaining.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Eastern Conference:
Moose Jaw at Edmonton: The top two teams in the Eastern Conference meet. The Oil Kings have won five in a row.
Kootenay at Medicine Hat: The Ice is fifth, one point ahead of Regina. The Tigers are third, two points ahead of Calgary.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert: The Blades, who have lost four in a row and eight of 10, are one point ahead of Brandon.
Brandon at Regina: The Wheat Kings were in Regina on Saturday when the Pats erased a 4-0 deficit with the game’s last six goals. Brandon is eighth, three points behind Regina and one in back of Saskatoon. Regina F Jordan Weal has 109 points, the most by a Pats skater since Ronald Petrovicky put up 113 in 1997-98.
Western Conference:
Portland at Kamloops: The Winterhawks lead the overall standings by one point over Edmonton and Tri-City, and three on Kamloops, which has clinched the B.C. Division title.
Tri-City at Vancouver: The Americans are coming off a 4-3 victory in Portland on Sunday. The Giants are tied with Spokane for fourth; they will meet in the first round but don’t yet know who has home-ice advantage.,
Kelowna at Spokane: The Rockets took two from Kamloops on the weekend and know they will finish sixth. The Chiefs are 3-0-1 in their last four.
Victoria at Everett: The Royals, who are starting a four-game road trip with this one, are seventh, one point ahead of the Silvertips.
Seattle at Prince George: The Thunderbirds beat the Cougars 3-1 last night. Seattle is ninth, one point behind Everett and four up on Prince George.

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Blazers prove capable of running with big dogs

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
After dining on the struggling Prince George Cougars three times last week, the Kamloops Blazers spent Wednesday night playing with the big dogs.
The big dogs discovered that there is another husky in the neighbourhood.
Goaltender Cole Cheveldave turned aside 30 shots and centre Colin Smith scored twice as the Blazers dumped the Tri-City Americans 3-2 in a WHL game that had some zip to it at Interior Savings Centre.
The Blazers (29-10-3) continue to lead the B.C. Division and now are just three points in arrears of the Americans (32-8-0), who lead the overall standings, the Western Conference and the U.S. Division.
The Americans arrived in Kamloops having won a franchise-record 13 straight games. They hadn’t tasted defeat since Nov. 30 when they dropped a 6-2 decision to the Rockets in Kelowna.
This was the first of three games in four nights for the Blazers. The Seattle Thunderbirds are here Friday night, followed by the Everett Silvertips on Saturday. And the Lethbridge Hurricanes will be here Wednesday.
Those three teams have combined for 39 victories in 123 games.
Last night’s game, then, was the litmus test for the Blazers, who had outscored the Cougars 13-1 in the three-game sweep.
In the end, the Blazers passed the test (give them an A-plus) with defenceman Tyler Hansen’s first goal of the season — and the fourth of his 161-game career — which up as the winner.
Hansen’s shot from the point got through goaltender Ty Rimmer’s legs at 17:37 of the third period. That came just seconds after Kamloops forward Brandon Herrod fired wide on a glorious opportunity from the slot. Winger Brendan Ranford corraled the loose puck off the end boards, fed it to Hansen and his shot got through traffic and through goaltender Ty Rimmer.
Kamoops forward Colin Smith scored the game’s first two goals, his 21st of the season coming early in the first period and No. 22 at 1:07 of the third.
The second goal was official after a video review that looked at the position of Smith’s stick as he redirected a point shot by Tyler Bell.
The Blazers later lost a video review after Ranford finished off a 2-on-1 by getting the puck to the Tri-City net. Americans forward Brendan Shinnimin and Rimmer ended up in the crease with the puck somewhere underneath them. Ranford signalled as though he had scored, but the call on the ice was ‘no goal’ and video review didn’t find conclusive evidence to overturn that decision.
Given a 2-0 lead by Smith, it looked as though Cheveldave might make that score hold up and escape with a shutout. But the Americans, who twice had staged third-period rallies during the winning skein, weren’t able to equalize.
The visitors twice got to within one, on goals by forwards Jesse Mychan, in his first game since coming over from the Everett Silvertips, and Jordan Messier.
After the Blazers got that two-goal lead early in the third period they were pretty much in control, thanks to Cheveldave’s steady play.
On this night, Cheveldave did it all, directing traffic — if you were there you heard him yelling: “Who’s got who? Who’s got who?” — and stopping pucks. The 18-year-old freshman from Calgary now boasts a 21-5-3 record. Not only is he in the rookie-of-the-year conversation, but if this keeps up — and why shouldn’t it? — he’ll be in the player-of-the-year chatter.
JUST NOTES: Attendance was 4,069. . . . The Blazers have equalled last season’s victory total when they went 29-37-6 and missed the playoffs. . . . The Blazers and Americans will next meet Jan. 21 in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Tri-City was 1-5 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-4. . . . Tri-City head coach Jim Hiller was behind the bench for his 400th regular-season game last night. This was No. 184 with the Americans; the other 216 were with the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Smith: Two goals in big game; 2. Cheveldave: He’s the man; 3. D Zach Yuen, Tri-City: A horse for the visitors. . . . The Blazers got solid games from a number of players, none better than Bell, who made a lot of correct decisions, and F Cole Ully, who had a couple of early scoring chances. . . . NHL Central Scouting released its midseason rankings yesterday and Kamloops F Tim Bozon is at No. 39 among North American skaters. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur got his 500th WHL coaching victory as the host Chiefs beat the Everett Silvertips 6-1 last night.

Brock Otten from ohlprospects.blogspot.com — there’s a link over there on the right — is beating the drum for an interesting suggestion.
“I can already hear you saying it. In fact, I'm prepared to read your comments that tell me just that,” he begins. “I'm going to try and convince you that the OHL (and CHL) should increase the number of Import players allowed on each team's roster.”
If you are interested in the rest of his argument, check out his blog.
But I, for one, would be all for that.
And I would go two steps further . . .
I would do away with the provision that a 20-year-old import player takes up two spots — one as an import and one as a 20-year-old. (Teams are allowed to list two imports and three 20-year-olds on their rosters; a 20-year-old import thus takes up two of those five spots.)
I also would allow teams to keep four or five 20-year-old players. I would push for five, but would settle for four.
“The question is,” Otten writes, “would the league not benefit from increasing the quality of its talent base?”
Oh, boy, would it ever.
I have never been able to understand how it is that teams in the CHL will spend money to develop players and then cut one of them loose when he turns 20, not because he isn’t good enough to play, but because they are only permitted to keep three players in his age group.
The same holds true for imports. With the money spent on recruiting imports, getting all the paperwork done, flying them back and forth . . . why cut one loose because he’s 20 years of age when he still has another season in him?
Of course, it is doubtful that the CHL ever will go to three import players or more than three 20-year-olds.
Why not?
Because the CHL and its teams will argue that they are in the business of developing players.
While I would certainly agree with that, I would argue that they also are in the entertainment business. And given a little more maturity the product that now is being presented to the paying customers could be a whole lot better than it is today.
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JUST NOTES: F Ryan Johansen, who still is eligible to play for the Portland Winterhawks, scored twice as the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday night. Johansen has five goals, including all three of CBJ’s game-winners. That is one off the league lead, held by Vinny Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have picked up F Teal Burns, 19, from the Prince Albert Raiders for a sixth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Burns, who is from Victoria, opened this season with the Vancouver Giants, before being dealt to the Raiders. He has eight assists and eight penalty minutes in 16 games. He also has played for the Portland Winterhawks, who selected him in the eighth round of the 2007 bantam draft. . . . With F Tyler Maxwell, 20, having asked for a trade and subsequently been sent home, Everett had an opening for a player with WHL experience. . . .
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In Kamloops, the Blazers outshot the Edmonton Oil Kings 22-1 in the second period as they posted a 5-2 victory. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Griffin Reinhart and F Klarc Wilson, both of whom were injured in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Rockets in Kelowna on Friday. Edmonton D Mark Pysyk didn’t return after the first period in Kamloops. . . . According to Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal, Reinhart and Pysyk have upper body injuries — there is a real epidemic of those in the WHL this season — and Wilson has, uhh, a lower body owwie. . . . 

In Portland, F Sven Bartschi’s goal just 30 seconds into OT gave the Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Winterhawks had beaten the visiting Chiefs 6-5 in a shootout on Friday. . . . Portland has won five straight. . . . Bartschi had a goal and two assists; he has 30 points, including 23 helpers, in 13 games. . . . Portland’s Ty Rattie, who plays on a line with Bartschi, had two goals and two assists. . . . Rattie has 14 points in five November games, picking up at least two points in each game. . . . Interestingly, the team’s 20-year-old captains — Portland D William Wrenn and Spokane F Darren Kramer — duked it out at 12:23 of the first period. It was Wrenn’s second fight in 51 games; Kramer has had 54 in 83 games. . . .

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings won their third straight game, beating the Prince Albert Raiders, 7-4. . . . The Wheat Kings had won 4-1 in Prince Albert on Wednesday night. . . . The victory lifted Brandon (14-6-2) into first place in the Eastern Conference. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had two goals and two assists, moving back into the lead in the WHL points race, with 46. He is two ahead of Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem. . . . D Ryan Pulock, who is having an all-star season, had two goals and an assist. He has 28 points, tops among defencemen. . . . Brandon was 4-for-6 on the PP. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos built up a 3-0 lead and hung on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 3-2. . . . The Warriors had won seven in a row. . . . F Shea Howorko, a 17-year-old from Regina, scored his second goal of the season and it stood up as the winner. He has two goals in 22 games, both of them coming in his last two outings; last season, he had one in 61. . . .

In Cranbrook, D Joey Leach had two goals as the host Kootenay ice bounced the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-1. . . . Leach has four goals this season. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 13 shots. . . . Seattle finished 2-4-0 on its swing through the Central Division. . . .


In Lethbridge, F Jordan Messier had two goals and an assist to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 7-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 13 shots for his fourth straight victory. . . . The Americans held an 18-0 edge in shots in the third period. . . . He was beaten by F Nick Buonassisi on a second-period penalty shot. . . . The Americans went 3-0 on their brief trip into the Central Division and six in a row overall on the road. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Matej Stransky had two goals — he’s got 12 — as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Tigers, 5-1. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem was held pointless for the second time this season. . . . Saskatoon F Jake Trask broke a 1-1 tie at 14:09 of the first period as the Blades scored the game’s last four goals. . . . F Chris Collins was back in Saskatoon’s lineup after missing three weeks with a broken thumb. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips scored two PP goals early in the second period and went on to beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-2. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz earned his first WHL victory as Everett ended a six-game losing streak. Lotz stopped 21 shots in his third start. . . . Prince George F Charles Inglis, the enigmatic one, took a charging major at 19:56 of the first period. Everett F Ryan Harrison scored PP goals at 3:28 and 4:48 of the second period. . . . Inglis is certain to hear from Richard Doerksen, who handles discipline for the WHL. Inglis served a 10-game suspension for a check to the head earlier this season. . . . Everett F Josh Birkholz left the game after the Inglis hit. . . . Everett F Jesse Mychan also can expect a phone call after taking a major for a check to the head at 14:08 of the second period. . . . Mychan also is a repeat offender, having served a two-game sentence for a check to the head in the exhibition season and another two-gamer late in October. . . . The Cougars lost F Brock Hirsche and D Jesse Forsberg to injuries during the game. . . .

In Vancouver, F Marek Tvrdon scored 56 seconds into OT to give the Giants a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Vancouver D Neil Manning forced OT with a PP goal at 5:00 of the third period. . . . It was Manning’s first goal this season. . . . Tvrdon has 10. . . . The Giants are 9-1-1 at home. . . .

In Victoria, the Rebels got a goal and three assists from D Alex Petrovic as they won their third game in four nights, beating the Royals, 7-4. . . . The Rebels beat the Rockets 6-4 in Kelowna on Wednesday, then dumped the Blazers 5-3 in Kamloops on Friday. . . . Overall, Red Deer has won six straight. . . . Victoria was again without F Kevin Sundher (undisclosed). . . .
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Could it be that while the WHL has been working on educating its players on the harm that can be caused by checks to the head, it has forgotten about the nastiness of hits from behind?
Well, there were a gawd-awful 10 checking-from-behind minors handed out on Saturday night, which means it’s time to bring back the nightly count.
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (10):
Kenton Miller, Moose Jaw
Richard Nedomlel, Swift Current
Carter Proft, Spokane
Alessio Bertaggia, Brandon
Mitchell Moroz, Edmonton
Tyler Alos, Seattle
Mitch Topping, Tri-City (double minor)
Mason Burr, Red Deer
Austin Carroll, Victoria
———
Bryant Perrier, who no longer is the general manager and head coach of the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives, says he is being “hung out to dry” over a hazing incident that has enveloped that team.
Perrier has spoken with Dan Lett of the Winnipeg Free Press, and that story is right here.
———
Are you wondering how something like the Penn State sexual abuse scandal could happen? Ron Bracken, a former sports editor of the Centre Daily Times, writes about just that right here. And it has everything to do with transparency, or lack of same.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
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