Showing posts with label Josh Brook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Josh Brook. Show all posts

Friday, January 27, 2017

Pats back on top rung . . . Warriors end Blades' run . . . Hurricanes have points in nine straight



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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Austin Wagner’s goal at 2:05 of OT gave the Regina Pats a 6-5 victory over the Hitmen. . . .
AUSTIN WAGNER
Regina held a 5-3 lead with 11:30 to play in the third period, but the Hitmen came back with two PP goals to force extra time. . . . F Jakob Stukel’s 15th goal, at 8:36, got Calgary to within a goal and D Jake Bean’s third goal of the game, and sixth of the season, tied it at 15:29. . . . Wagner won it with his 21st goal. . . . F Sam Steel, the WHL’s leading scorer, got Regina out to a 1-0 lead at 4:24 of the first period. . . . Bean gave the Hitmen the lead with goals at 14:08 and 14:59, the latter on a PP. . . . Regina took a 4-2 lead on second-period goals from F Jeff de Witt (7), on a PP, at 5:09; F Adam Brooks (26), on another PP, at 6:11, and F Dawson Leedahl (25), at 14:14. . . . Leedahl has goals in seven straight games. . . . F Luke Coleman (9) got the Hitmen to within a goal at 14:52, but Steel’s 36th goal restored the two-goal lead at 5:58 of the third period. . . . Steel, who also had two assists, leads the WHL with 87 points, five more than Brooks. . . . Regina got two assists from F Nick Henry and one each from Leedahl and Brooks. . . . F Matteo Gennaro drew three assists for Calgary, while F Andrei Grishakov and F Mark Kastelic had two. Bean added one to his first career hat trick. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 31 shots for Regina, one fewer than Calgary’s Trevor Martin. . . . Calgary was 3-9 on the PP; Regina was 2-6. . . . The Pats (32-6-7) have won three in a row. They have moved into a tie with the Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . The Hitmen (17-21-9) had points in each of their three previous games (0-1-2). They are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 9,316.
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At Everett, the Portland Winterhawks, with G Cole Kehler stopping 46 shots, scored the game’s first two
COLE KEHLER
goals and its last two as they beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . F Alex Overhardt got the visitors started with his ninth goal, shorthanded, at 10:44 of the opening period. . . . F Evan Weinger’s 14th goal, at 1:33 of the second, proved to be the winner. . . . F Dominic Zwerger scored his 20th goal for Everett, at 7:01. . . . Portland got insurance from F Brad Ginnell, who got his fourth goal at 11:12 of the third period. . . . F Ryan Hughes wrapped it up with his 21st, a shorthanded empty-netter, at 19:43. . . . Kehler won for the 17th time this season. He went into the season with four victories in 32 appearances with the Kamloops Blazers. With Portland, he’s played in 37 games. . . . Everett got 26 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . The Silvertips again were without D Noah Juulsen (undisclosed injury). . . . F Dawson Butt, who is from Buckley, Wash., made his WHL debut with the Silvertips. Butt, 16, plays for the U-16 Everett Jr. Silvertips. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The Winterhawks (24-21-3) have won two in a row and hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Silvertips (30-7-9) have been 2-0-1 in their previous three outings. They are third in the overall standings, two points behind the leaders. . . . Announced attendance: 5,114.
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At Kelowna, the Blazers got two goals from F Rudolfs Balcers and never trailed as they beat the Rockets,
RUDOLFS BALCERS
3-2. . . . F Lane Bauer gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead with his 27th goal — his second goal and 11th point in nine games since coming over from the Edmonton Oil Kings — at 1:26 of the first period. . . . D Lucas Johansen’s third goal, 28 seconds into the second period, got the Rockets even. . . . Balcers, who has 29 goals, gave Kamloops the lead at 5:02. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf (22) tied it, on a PP, at 14:29. . . . Balcers got the winner on a PP at 12:23 of the third period. . . . F Deven Sideroff had two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Nick Merkley drew two helpers for Kelowna, while Thurkauf got one. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 30 shots as he bounced back after getting pulled in the first period of a 6-4 loss to the Winterhawks in Portland on Tuesday. . . . Kelowna got 20 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Kelowna was 1-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-9. . . . The Rockets had F Reid Gardiner (undisclosed injury), F Dillon Dube (strep throat) and F Nolan Foote (ill) back in the lineup. . . . The Blazers (30-17-3) are second in the B.C. Division, five points ahead of the Rockets (27-18-4). . . . Announced attendance: 5,620.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Colton Kroeker had a goal and two assists to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 3-2 victory
COLTON KROEKER
over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs led 1-0 on F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 23rd goal, at 4:48 of the first period. . . . F Brett Davis tied it with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 5:17 of the second period. . . . F Vince Loschiavo’s 16th goal gave the Ice its first lead at 1:42 of the third period. . . . F Eli Zummack pulled the Chiefs into a 2-2 with his sixth goal at 4:04. . . . Kroeker broke the tie, on a PP, with his ninth goal, at 8:28. . . . D Cale Fleury had two assists for the Ice, while Davis and Lischiavo added one each. . . . Kootenay got a big night from G Jakob Walter, who made 38 saves. . . . Spokane got 33 stops from G Jayden Sittler. . . . The Ice was 2-4 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-3. . . . The Ice (12-30-8) had lost its previous three games. . . . The Chiefs (20-21-8) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. They are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Chiefs lost D Jeff Faith to a boarding major and game misconduct at 11:39 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 1,817.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored three times in each of the first two periods as they beat the Edmonton
MATT BRADLEY
Oil Kings, 7-2. . . . F Nicholas Bowman gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal, on a PP, at 1:39 of the opening period. . . . The Tigers responded with three goals before the period ended, with F Mason Shaw getting No. 17, D Dalton Gally scoring his first, and F Matt Bradley getting his 20th. . . . Gally, who turned 19 on Thursday, is a freshman from New Braunfels, Texas. His first goal came in his 37th game. . . . Bradley became the seventh 20-goal man on Medicine Hat’s roster. . . . F Adam Berg got Edmonton’s other goal, his fifth, at 6:51 of the second period. . . . The Tigers scored the game’s last three goals, with D Clayton Kirichenko (7), D Jordan Henderson (3) and F Steve Owre (18) finding the range. . . . Bradley, F Zach Fischer, Owre and F Chad Butcher had two assists apiece, with Henderson adding one. . . . F Riley Stadel had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 24 shots for the Tigers. He has 27 victories, which ties him for the WHL lead with Griffen Outhouse of the Victoria Royals. . . . The Oil Kings got 36 saves from G Josh Dechaine. . . . Edmonton was 1-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-3. . . . The Tigers (33-15-1) have won two in a row. They lead the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Oil Kings (18-26-4) have lost nine straight and are six points out of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 3,323.
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At Moose Jaw, D Josh Brook broke a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Warriors skated to a 4-2 victory
JOSH BROOK
over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Brook’s fifth goal, coming at 4:48, proved to be the winner. . . . F Spencer Bast (8) added insurance at 14:26. . . . Moose Jaw took a 1-0 lead when F Brett Howden scored No. 25, on a PP, at 11:57 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Jesse Shynkaruk’s 22nd goal tied it at 5:04 of the second period. . . . The Warriors went ahead on F Yan Khomenko’s 12th goal, at 11:56. . . . The Blades tied it again when D Bryton Sayers got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 14:44. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs, F Branden Klatt and F Justin Almeida each had two assists for the Warriors, while Howden had one. . . . F Braylon Shmyr had two assists for Saskatoon, with Sayers and Shynkaruk adding one each. . . . The Warriors got 21 saves from Zach Sawchenko, who won his 20th game of the season. He is the first goaltender in franchise to win at least 20 games in three straight seasons. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 22 shots for Saskatoon. . . .  Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . With G Brock Hamm out with an undisclosed injury, the Blades had G Joel Gryzbowski of the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars backing up Flodell. . . . Saskatoon, with four players injured and F Cole Johnson and F Dryden Michaud both ill, also brought in F Brandon Machado from the midget AAA CFR Bisons of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. . . . Moose Jaw (30-12-7) has won four in a row. It is second in the East Division, four points behind Regina. The Pats hold four games in hand. . . . Saskatoon (20-23-6) had won its previous five games. The Blades, who are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, are scheduled to play their next seven games at home. . . . Announced attendance: 3,717.
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At Prince Albert, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored three first-period goals and went on to a 5-4 victory
BRENNAN MENELL
over the Raiders. . . . F Tyler Wong’s 35th goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 3:11. . . . D Brennan Menell, who has nine goals, struck twice, at 4:54 and 16:27, for a 3-0 lead. . . . F Kolten Olynek (11) got the home side to within two 58 seconds into the second period. . . . F Jadon Joseph (2) restored Lethbridge’s three-goal lead at 2:10. . . . The Raiders got to within a goal by scoring twice in 14 seconds. F Cavin Leth counted at 11:06 and D Nick Heid got his second at 11:20. . . . F Ryan Bowen’s 10th goal, at 1:46 of the third period, stood up as the winner, after Leth got his second of the game, and 14th of the season, at 8:39. . . . Lethbridge also got two assists from each of Wong and D Brady Pouteau, while Menell added one. . . . F Tim Vanstone had two assists for the Raiders, with Heid and Olynek adding one each. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner blocked 35 shots. . . . G Nic Sanders, making his fourth straight start for the Raiders, gave up three goals on 11 shots in 16:27. Ian Scott came on in relief and stopped 17 of 19 shots in 42:08. . . . With Scott headed for the Top Prospects Game, the Raiders have brought in Curtis Meger from the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins to support Sanders through the weekend. . . . Prince Albert was 1-2 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-1. . . . The Raiders are without F Jody Stallard, who had goals in four straight games when he took a stick in the face that has forced him out of the lineup. But they had F Siimon Stransky back after a six-game absence. . . The Hurricanes (27-15-7) have points in nine straight games (7-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points out of first and 10 points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Raiders (11-35-5) have a three-game winning streak snapped. They are into their third straight weekend of playing three games in as many nights. . . . Announced attendance: 2,209.
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At Red Deer, F Michael Spacek had a goal and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-2 victory over the
CARSON SASS
Prince George Cougars. . . . Spacek opened the scoring with No 21, at 19:15 of the first period. . . . F Cameron Hausinger’s fifth goal increased the lead to 2-0 at 9:18 of the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it on goals from D Tate Olson (5), on a PP, at 17:19 of the second period, and F Jared Bethune (14), at 2:56 of the third period. . . . D Carson Sass snapped the tie with his fourth goal, on a PP, at 9:44. . . . The Rebels put it away on two goals from F Evan Polei, who has 22 goals. He scored at 13:14 and added an empty-netter at 19:13. . . . The Rebels got two assists from F Austin Glover. . . . Bethune also had an assist. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 30 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Cougars got 40 stops from G Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 1-3 on the PP; the Rebels were 1-6. . . . The Rebels (22-20-7) have won two straight. They are third in the Central Division, eight points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Cougars (34-14-3) are 1-1-1 in their last three. They are tied with the Regina Pats atop the overall standings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,571.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Donovan Neuls broke a 3-3 tie with a shorthanded goal at 8:47 of the third
DONOVAN NEULS
period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Neuls’ 10th goal was Seattle’s second shorthanded score of the game. . . . F Alexander True (15) had given the Thunderbirds a 3-1 lead at 10:29 of the second period. . . . The Americans tied the score on goals from F Jordan Topping (13), at 14:26 of the second period, and F Michael Rasmussen (32), on a PP, at 7:38 of the third period. . . . Seattle led this one 2-0 before the game was four minutes old. D Ethan Bear scored his 15th goal at 1:57 and D Turner Ottenbreit got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 3:19. . . . Rasmussen scored his first goal of the game at 17:48. . . . Ottenbreit and True each had an assist. . . . Rasmussen added an assist to his two goals. . . . It was the battle of the Rylans in goal, with Toth making 25 saves for Seattle and Parenteau stopping 26 shots for Tri-City. . . .  Seattle was 1-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 1-6. . . . The Thunderbirds continue to be without F Scott Eansor, while D Jarret Tyszka, who left Tuesday’s game in the first period, also was scratched. . . . The Thunderbirds (27-15-4) have won three in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, three points behind Tri-City with five games in hand. . . . The Americans (29-19-3) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,996, on Military Appreciation Night.
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JACK WALKER
At Langley, B.C., the Victoria Royals scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals got on the scoreboard when F Jack Walker scored his 23rd goal at 8:56 of the first period. . . . D Scott Walford added his third, on a PP, at 18:40. . . . F Ethan Price’s fifth goal, at 10:18 of the second period, extended Victoria’s lead. . . . Vancouver got its goal from F Tyler Popowich, his sixth, 54 seconds into the third period. . . . The Royals got 21 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, while Ryan Kubic turned aside 28 at the other end. . . . Victoria was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Royals (27-19-4) are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for third in the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants (27-28-4) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are 13 points out of the playoffs. . . . These same two teams will play again tonight and Sunday in Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 4.283.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince George at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Regina at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Brandon at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Prince George at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Kamloops at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 4 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.

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Wednesday, August 3, 2016

New site great news for WHL fans . . . Beijing businessman buys BCHL franchise

The hockey community really is close-knit. Just ask me. Almost three years after my wife, Dorothy, underwent a kidney transplant, hockey people — scouts, fans, coaches, players, owners, general managers, player agents et all — regularly ask me about her.
A while ago, I had occasion to speak with Willie Desjardins, the head coach of the NHL’s Vancouver
Canucks. His first words? “How is your wife?”
On Wednesday, I received a text from Travis Green, the head coach of the AHL’s Utica Comets. He wondered how things were going.
Mark Holick, Mark Ferner, Cam Hope, Bruno Campese, Colin Priestner, Craig Demetrick, Glen Hanlon, Bob Tory, Dan De Palma, Dave Lowry, Vaughn Karpan, Bob Lowes and on and on . . .
Everyone asks about Dorothy, and I make certain that every single greeting gets passed along. Oh, if you could only see the smile every time I let her know that someone has asked about her.
Well, she is doing really well, well enough that she now is preparing to take part in her third straight Kidney Walk. The Kamloops walk is scheduled for Sept. 25.
If you would like to support her, as many of you have done in the past, please click right here and make a donation. All the money goes to the Kidney Foundation, an organization that has done so much for us and one that Dorothy is proud to support.
Over the previous two walks, you have helped Dorothy raise more than $5,000.
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If you are a follower of the WHL, this one’s for you. . . . Paul Figler and the gang at WHL Stats have graduated to something bigger and better. They are calling it DubNetwork.ca. . . . Figler writes: “We’ve decided to bring in an editor and some writers so that you can get information that goes beyond what the league provides. There will be interviews, editorials, scouting reports and more.” . . . It is in its infancy, but it’s right here and here’s hoping that there are great things ahead.
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Hockey Canada has added D Josh Brook of the Moose Jaw Warriors to the roster of the team that will play in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup that opens Monday in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia. . . . Brook, 17, is from Roblin, Man. He will replace D Jacob Paquette of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, who is injured. . . . Brook’s addition means the WHL has six players on Canada’s 22-man roster, the others being G Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders), D Jonathan Smart (Kelowna Rockets), F Jordy Bellerive (Lethbridge Hurricanes), F Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings) and F Michael Rasmussen (Tri-City Americans). . . . Canada, which has won this tournament each of the past eight years, is in Group B with Russia, Slovakia and Sweden. Canada will meet Czech Republic in a tuneup on Saturday. Canada begins tournament play on Monday against Slovakia.
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F Carson Dimoff revealed via Twitter on Wednesday that he has committed to St. Lawrence U, where he will play for the Saints. . . . Dimoff, 17, is from Scottsdale, Ariz. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder played last season in Salzburg, Austria. He had 25 points, including 12 goals, with Salzburg’s U-18 team and four goals and an assist with a U-20 side. . . . Dimoff was a seventh-round selection by the Everett Silvertips in the 2014 bantam draft.
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And now for something completely different. . . . Ray Zhang, a businessman who is from Beijing, has purchased the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . Here’s Zhang, from a news release: “This transaction is the first time someone from China has purchased an overseas hockey franchise. It will open the door for hockey families in China to learn about Canadian hockey firsthand. This link to Canadian hockey will prove valuable to encourage all of our young hockey players in China.” . . . According to Kent Rothbauer of the Cowichan Valley Citizen: “Zhang purchased the majority share of the team from former owner Cory Wanner, the Saskatchewan oilfield tradesman who bought into the club in 2013. Zhang's family plans to relocate to Duncan.” . . . Rothbauer’s story is right here.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Coaching
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, have added three new faces to head coach Clark Donatelli’s staff. . . . J.D. Forrest and Chris Taylor have signed on as assistant coaches, while Madison Nikkel is the new video coach. . . . Jay Leach, the associate coach last season, and video coach Sean Andrake have moved on to other organizations. . . . Last season, Forrest, 35, coached with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He also has coached in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . Taylor, 44, spent the previous four seasons on the staff of the AHL’s Rochester Americans. . . . Nikkel has been working with the Boston College Eagles for the past four years.
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Ryan Ward has joined the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds as an assistant coach. He will work with head coach Drew Bannister and associate coach Joe Cirella. Ward spent the past two seasons as a video coach with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. . . . He also worked four seasons as video co-ordinator with the NHL’s New York Islanders.
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Keith McCambridge has joined the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers, as an assistant coach. . . . McCambridge, 42, spent the past five seasons as the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps (2011-15) and Manitoba Moose (2015-16). . . . McCambridge, who is from Thompson, Man., played four seasons (1991-95) in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos and Thompson Blazers. He helped the Blazers win the 1995 Memorial Cup.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Marquette left his mark . . . Rebels captain close to return . . . Warriors stay alive



Dale Marquette, a former WHL coach and player who died on the weekend, definitely left an impression.
“Sorry to hear about the passing of Dale Marquette,” Greg Hutchings wrote on Facebook. “I played one game with him and did not know him well. I remember him for being real good to me at WK training camps.”
Hutchings played three WHL seasons (Brandon, Lethbridge, 1988-91).
Marquette, 47, died of complications from diabetes. He played four seasons in the WHL (Lethbridge, 1984-86; Brandon, 1986-88). He had 103 points, including 51 goals, in 1987-88.
Marquette was head coach of the Prince George Cougars in 1995-96.
In 2000-01, he was the head coach of the BCHL’s Quesnel Millionaires.
In an email, Aaron Wilbur, the managing director of The Coaches Site Ltd., wrote: “Was really sad to read about the passing of Dale Marquette. Dale gave me my break in coaching. He hired me to be his assistant in Quesnel when I was 20 years old and had zero experience. We ended up having the best season in franchise history that season. It was a fun ride. Have more stories from that season than the rest of my hockey career combined. . . . Dale was a good guy with a big heart.”

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The Red Deer Rebels hope to have F Conner Bleackley, their captain, back for their last two regular-season games, a home-and-home series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Bleackley (groin) hasn’t played since Feb. 6 in Vancouver. He won’t play tonight in Calgary, meaning he will have missed 18 games. . . . “We’ve been really careful with how we’ve handled this just because of the type of injury it is,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ GM and head coach, told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “He skated for 25 minutes (Monday) and today (Tuesday) we’ll try to get him to go longer. If that goes well then (Wednesday) he’ll skate on his own and on Thursday he can go full practice. If all goes well, then hopefully we can have him for the weekend. That’s our goal.”
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The Calgary Hitmen have added D Aaron Hyman, 16, and G Kyle Dumba to their roster for the remainder of the season. . . . The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Hyman was a third-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. From Calgary, he spent the last two seasons with the midget AAA Calgary Flames. . . . Dumba was a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. The younger brother of Minnesota Wild D Matt Dumba, who played in the WHL with Red Deer and Portland, Kyle played this season at the Edge School in Calgary. He was named the Canadian Sport School Hockey League’s top goaltender. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors have added D Josh Brook to their roster for the rest of this season. Brook, from Roblin, Man., was the fourth overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He had 36 points, including nine goals, in 32 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Wilcox, Sask.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (2 games remaining) won in Regina last night and now leads the overall standings by four points over Kelowna (3). The Wheaties last finished first overall in 1995-96. . . . The Wheat Kings will play the conference’s second wild-card team, likely Edmonton, in the first round. . . . In Moose Jaw on Friday.
2. Regina (2) will finish second in division. Will meet third-place team in first round. . . . At home to Prince Albert on Friday.
3. Swift Current (2) lost in Moose Jaw last night and now leads the Warriors by two points. . . . In Lethbridge on Friday night.
4. Moose Jaw (2) now is two points behind Swift Current. . . . Should the Broncos and Warriors end up tied, there would be a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. Swift Current has a 32-31 edge. . . . Moose Jaw entertains Brandon on Friday.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Calgary (3) completed a franchise-record 11-game road trip with a one-point lead over second-place Medicine Hat. . . . At home to Red Deer tonight.
2. Medicine Hat (3) trails Calgary by one point. Each team has 42 victories. . . . In Prince Albert tonight.
3. Red Deer (3) got to within one point of first place, but now is four points behind Medicine Hat and five in arrears of Calgary. . . . In Calgary tonight.
4. Kootenay (3) holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Edmonton. . . . In Lethbridge tonight.
5. Edmonton (2) is in the second wild-card spot, three points behind Kootenay. . . . At home to Red Deer on Friday.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (3) has clinched first place in the Western Conference. . . . Trails Brandon by four points in the race for first place in the overall standings. The first tiebreaker is victories and Brandon has the edge (52-51) at the moment. . . . At home to Seattle tonight.
2. Victoria (2) will finish second and meet the division’s third-place team in the first round. . . . At home to Everett on Friday.
3. Prince George (3) is two points ahead of Kamloops. . . . All three of its remaining games are against Kamloops, starting tonight and Friday in Prince George.
4. Kamloops (3) has two playoff options. It is two points behind third-place Prince George in the division and is tied with Tri-City (3) for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Will meet Prince George three times this week — tonight and Friday in Prince George, and Saturday in Kamloops.
5. Vancouver (2) has one victory in its last 10 games and is hanging on by a hangnail. It is four points out of the conference’s second wild-card spot but has only two games remaining, both against Kelowna. . . . At home to the Rockets on Friday.
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U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (3) leads the division by two points over Portland. . . . In Victoria on Friday.
2. Portland (4) is two points off the pace with a game in hand. . . . In Spokane tonight as it closes with four games in five nights.
3. Seattle (3) trails Portland by nine points so won’t finish second. . . . Is seven points ahead of Spokane. . . . In Kelowna tonight.
4. Spokane (4) is seven points behind Seattle and has clinched at least the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . At home to Portland tonight.
5. Tri-City (3) is tied with Kamloops for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . At home to Portland on Friday.
(NOTE: If two teams tie for a conference’s last playoff spot, those teams will have a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. . . . That scenario could play out in the East Division. It also may happen in the B.C. Division and/or Western Conference. For example, should Tri-City and Kamloops end up tied for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, a play-in game will be played at the home of the team with the most victories. Tr-City leads, 29-27. . . . Should Prince George and Kamloops finish tied for third in the B.C. Division, the first tiebreaker is total victories. Prince George has a 29-27 edge. However, if one of those two teams would miss the playoffs in that situation, a play-in game would be held. . . . Clear as mud. Right?)
——

IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Calgary vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer
——
Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City/Kamloops
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
———

TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Moose Jaw, F Torrin White broke a 1-1 tie at 2:17 of the second period and the Warriors went on to a 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Brett Howden scored twice for Moose Jaw, giving him 21, while D Tyler Brown had three assists and was plus-5. . . . White, who has 17 goals, also had two assists, while F Jesse Shynkaruk and F Jiri Smejkal each had a goal and an assist. D Austin Adam helped out with two assists. . . . Smejkal has 12 goals; Shynkaruk has nine. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point scored his 36th goal after undergoing concussion protocol following a first-period collision with teammate Tanner Jeannot. . . . F Jake DeBrusk got No. 39 for the Broncos. . . . Warriors G Zach Sawchenko was sharp, with 41 saves. . . . F Tanner Eberle, listed as day-to-day on the injury report that was released earlier in the day, was back in Moose Jaw’s lineup. . . . F Jaimen Yakubowski didn’t play for the Warriors. . . . The Warriors (31-34-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Broncos (32-33-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story right here. . . .

The Regina Pats were the St. Pats last night as they wore special uniforms
for a St. Patrick's Day game with visiting Brandon.

(Terry Massey photo)
In Regina, F Nolan Patrick returned to Brandon’s lineup and scored twice, leading the Wheat Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Pats. (Actually, they were the St. Pats for one game only). . . . F Braden Christoffer opened the scoring, getting his 26th goal for the Pats just three minutes into the first period. . . . Patrick, who hadn’t played since Feb. 15, tied it at 6:41. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville broke the tie with his 27th goal at 5:03 of the second. . . . Patrick got his 28th goal at 5:39 of the third. . . . Former Pats F Morgan Klimchuk got his 33rd goal into an empty net at 18:13. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny made 24 saves, three fewer than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-for-6. . . . The Wheat Kings (52-11-7) have won five in a row. . . . The Pats (37-23-10) are 2-1-1 in their last four games. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 3-3 tie with four third-period goals as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 7-3. . . . The Americans, trailing 3-1, tied the score with two shorthanded goals late in the second period. . . . F Beau McCue scored his 25th goal of the season at 16:10 and F Justin Gutierrez got No. 11 at 18:46. . . . Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs broke the tie with his 15th goal at 6:15 of the third and D Shea Theodore added his 12th, shorthanded, at 7:35. . . . Lipsbergs provided more insurance with a goal at 13:36. . . . Seattle also got three goals from F Scott Eansor. He scored twice in the first period, at 0:13 and 9:27, then filled his hat for the first time with an empty-netter at 15:09 of the third. he’s got 14 goals. . . . That was Seattle’s first three-goal game this season. . . . Eansor also had an assist, giving him his first four-point game. . . . F Nolan Volcan assisted on each of Eansor’s goals for his first three-point game. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Calvin Spencer each had two assists for Seattle. . . . F Alexander True, listed as day-today on the injury report earlier in the day, returned to the Thunderbirds’ lineup. . . . Seattle (35-25-9) had lost its previous game. . . . The Americans (29-37-3) have lost two in a row.
——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Medicine Hat at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
——

THURSDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled.
——

FRIDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
——

SATURDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
——

SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Kootenay at Calgary, 2 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.
Everett at Spokane 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON
———




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