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

Friday, December 2, 2016

Cougars lose D-man to Buffalo . . . New lease on life for Pats . . . Silvertips on top rung now


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F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) has signed for the rest of this season with Cracovia Kraków (Poland, PHL). This season, he was pointless in three games with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga) and had a goal and an assist in six games with the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite). . . .
F Kristaps Baževičs (Prince Albert, 2011-12) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, he had two goals and eight assists in 24 games on tryout contracts with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga).
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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have brought in D Brendan Guhle, 19, from the Prince George Cougars under emergency recall rules.
Guhle was acquired by the Cougars from the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 19. He was a second-round
pick by the Sabres in the NHL’s 2015 draft and has signed with them.
He has three goals in four games with the Cougars. In 19 total games this season, Guhle has five goals and two assists.
The Sabres are at home to the Boston Bruins this afternoon (Saturday).
Already without D Zach Bogosian and D Dmitry Kulikov, both with long-term injuries, the Sabres may have lost D Josh Gorges, a former captain of the Kelowna Rockets, who was injured blocking a shot on Thursday in a 5-4 victory over the New York Rangers. His status won’t be known until sometime this morning.
Guhle almost made the Sabres prior to the 2015-16 season, but was sidelined with a concussion after taking a hit from D Dion Phaneuf, who was then with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to this season, Guhle was one of the Sabres’ last cuts.
The Cougars are at home to the Victoria Royals this weekend. They played last night and will meet again tonight.
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D Matt Sozanski of the Moose Jaw Warriors left late in the second period of a 5-3 loss to the Raiders in Prince Albert on Friday night and didn’t return. Sozanski was checked hard by Raiders F Tim Vanstone and was slow in returning to the Moose Jaw bench.
Jeff D’Andrea of paNOW reported that a doctor was called to the Moose Jaw dressing room during the second period.
According to D’Andrea, Tim Hunter, the Warriors’ head coach, was asked why a doctor was needed. However, Hunter chose to downplay things . . . or was he just being a snarky sore loser?
Here, according to D’Andrea, is Hunter’s reply: ”Somebody’s got a hangnail and I don't know why they'd send a doctor over for it. That's just a trick they pull here in P.A., to get the fans all excited about how physical they think their team is. That's all.”
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The way has been cleared for the Regina Pats to serve as the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup tournament. The WHL team’s bid hinged on it having a new lease with Regina Exhibition Association Ltd., which operates the Brandt Centre, and that lease was agreed to on Friday. The Pats are one of three CHL teams — the others are the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals — on the short list of teams being considered as the host team for what will be the Memorial Cup’s 100th anniversary. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more on the Pats right here.
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JUST NOTES:

F Josh Bruce, 18, has joined the BCHL’s Power River Kings. Bruce, from Surrey, B.C., had one goal in four games with the Saskatoon Blades, before being traded to the Vancouver Giants. He was pointless in two games with the Giants. He also had one goal in three games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles this season. . . .
The host Whitecourt Wolverines set franchise records for goals and shots in a single game on Friday night. They unleashed a 66-shot attack in beating the Calgary Mustangs, 14-0. . . . The teams combined for 90 shots, which also is an AJHL single-game record. . . . Former Kamloops Blazers F Eric Krienke had three goals for the Wolverines. . . . Whitecourt scored five PP goals in 2:43 during a major penalty in the second period. 
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals, two of them into an empty net, and beat
LANE BAUER
the Saskatoon Blades, 4-1. . . . F Logan Christensen scored his seventh goal, at 11:59 of the first period, as the visitors took a 1-0 lead. . . . Edmonton D Will Warm (2) tied it at 3:21 of the third period, with F Lane Bauer providing the home side with a 2-1 lead at 15:00. . . . Bauer has goals in five straight games and has put in three straight game-winning goals. . . . Bauer, who has 18 goals, added an empty-netter at 18:27 and F Davis Koch, who also had two assists, added another at 19:21. He’s got seven goals. . . . D Aaron Irving had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Patrick Dea blocked 20 shots for the winners, while Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell turned aside 35. . . . The Oil Kings were 0-1 on the PP; the Blades were 0-5. . . . Edmonton (13-13-2) has won three in a row. . . . Saskatoon (10-17-2) had lost three straight (0-2-1). . . . The Blades had F Kirby Dach, the second overall pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, in their lineup for the second time this season and he earned an assist for his first career point. He is playing in his hometown for the midget AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. Dach made his WHL debut in Edmonton on Nov. 10. . . . Announced attendance: 8,154.
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At Everett, F Patrick Bajkov scored three straight second-period goals to spark the Silvertips to a 4-3
PATRICK BAJKOV
victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Silvertips (20-3-4) have won five and row and now lead the overall standings by one point over the Tigers (21-6-1), who had a 10-game winning streak snapped. . . . Everett now is 13-2-0 on home ice. . . . F Steve Owre (8) gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 6:47 of the first period. . . . Bajkov, who has 14 goals, tied it at 6:17 of the second period, provided a 2-1 lead at 6:32 and made it 3-1 at 10:44. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis notched his third goal, on a PP, with Bajkov getting the lone assist, at 13:12 and that one proved to be the winner. . . . The Tigers made it interesting on goals from D Brad Forrest (1) at 4:34 of the third period and F John Dahlstrom (14) at 8:24. . . . F Matt Fonteyne had two assists for Everett. . . . The Tigers got two assists from F Matt Bradley. . . . Bajkov turned in Everett’s first hat trick of the season. . . . Everett G Carter Hart blocked 23 shots. He went into the game having put up three straight shutouts. That streak ended at 193 minutes 48 seconds. . . . G Nick Schneider, who leads the WHL with 19 victories, stopped 20 shots for the Tigers. . . . Everett was 1-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-2. . . . Tigers F Zach Fischer left with a fighting major and game misconduct at 10:51 of the first period for what appears to have been ruled a one-man fight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,387.
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At Lethbridge, F Jordy Bellerive scored twice and added an assist to lead the Hurricanes to a 5-3 victory
JORDY BELLERIVE
over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The visitors led 2-0 in the first period on goals from F Akash Bains (5), at 6:06, and D Carson Sass (3), at 10:02. . . . Bellerive, who has eight goals, scored the Teddy Bear Goal at 14:00 of the first, sending both teams to their dressing rooms while the ice was cleared. . . . Bellerive then tied it, on a PP, at 19:05. . . . F Giorgio Estephan broke the tie 33 seconds into the second period and F Tyler Wong, with his 18th, on a PP, made it 4-2 at 5:36. . . . F Adam Musil (9) pulled the Rebels to within one at 13:13. . . . Estephan added insurance with his 14th goal at 18:18. It was an empty-netter. . . . Wong also had three assists, while D Brennan Menell had two and Estephan added one. . . . Estephan has 12 points, including six goals, over his past five games. . . . Wong has five goals and four assists over his past three games. . . . Red Deer D Colton Bobyk picked up an assist, running his assist streak to 12 games, the longest in the WHL this season. He has 15 assists in that stretch. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 28 shots for Lethbridge. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 28 for Red Deer. . . . Lethbridge was 2-5 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Hurricanes (13-11-3) have won six in a row. . . . The Rebels now are 13-12-4. . . . With G Riley Lamb scratched due to illness, the Rebels had G Byron Fancy backing up Petersen. Fancy, who will turn 16 on Jan. 1, is from Claresholm, Alta. A second-round pick by the Rebels in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, he is playing for the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Announced attendance: 4,979.
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At Prince Albert, the Raiders scored two empty-net goals and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-3. . . .
SIMON STRANSKY
Prince Albert (6-20-1) had lost nine in a row. It won for the first time since Nov. 4. . . . The Warriors (15-6-4) had won their previous two games. . . . Prince Albert built a 4-1 lead and then hung as the Warriors scored twice before F Simon Stransky scored his 10th goal into an empty net at 19:35. . . . D Brandon Armstrong gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 13:07 of the first period. . . . The Raiders scored the next four goals. . . . F Cavin Leth (6) tied it at 15:16 of the first period and Stransky snapped the tie at 17:46 of the second. . . . F Austin Glover got his seventh goal at 6:47 of the third period, with D Max Martin (4) scoring a shorthanded empty-netter at 18:08. That was Martin’s first goal since coming over from the Prince George Cougars in the deal that had D Brendan Guhle go the other way. . . . Moose Jaw F Nikita Popugaev got his 20th goal, on a PP, at 18:32 and F Jayden Halbgewachs made it 4-3 with his 20th goal at 18:45. . . . Popugaev, a sophomore from Russia, scored his 20th goal in his 26th game. Last season, he finished with 16 scores in 70 games. . . . Halbgewachs has 20 goals in 25 games. Last season, his second, he totalled 15 goals in 69 games. . . . Glover added an assist to his goal. . . . Popugaev also had an assist. . . . The Raiders got 33 saves from G Ian Scott. . . . G Brody Willms stopped 37 shots for the Warriors. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-5. . . . F Kolby Johnson was back in the Raiders’ lineup after a three-game absence. . . . Announced attendance: 2,463.
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At Prince George, F Jesse Gabrielle scored three times to lead the Cougars to a 4-2 victory over the
JESSE GABRIELLE
Victoria Royals. . . . Gabrielle, who has 16 goals, gave his guys a 1-0 lead 4:48 of the first period, only to have Victoria F Matt Phillips tie it, with No. 20, at 6:14. . . . Gabrielle put the Cougars out front again, at 14:39 of the second period. . . . The Royals tied it at 16:26 as F Regan Nagy scored his seventh goal. . . . Prince George F Colby McAuley (12) broke the tie at 17:21. . . . Gabrielle added insurance with his third goal of the game, at 4:10 of the third period. . . . The Cougars got three assists from F Jansen Harkins. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 25 shots to earn the victory over Griffen Outhouse, who stopped 26. . . . The Cougars were 0-6 on the PP; the Royals were 0-8. . . . Prince George (20-6-2), which started a seven-game homestand with the victory, has won three in a row. The Cougars are third in the overall standings, two points behind Everett and one back of Medicine Hat. . . . Victoria (14-13-2) has lost four straight. . . . The Cougars welcomed back D Sam Ruopp from an eight-game suspension, but were without D Brendan Guhle, who was recalled earlier in the day by the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . Announced attendance: 2,842.
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At Kent, Wash., F Scott Eansor’s OT goal gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Kootenay
SCOTT EANSOR
Ice. . . . Eansor, who has 13 goals, won it at 1:24 of the OT period. . . . D Fedor Rudakov (4) had given the Ice a 1-0 lead at 1:13 of the opening period. . . . Seattle took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Ethan Bear (9) at 2:17 of the first and Eansor, on a PP, at 7:26 of the second. . . . Kootenay bounced back to take a 3-2 lead when F Jake Elmer scored his second goal, at 16:13 of the second, and F Vince Loschiavo got his fifth at 18:48. . . . Seattle forced OT when F Matthew Wedman (4) scored at 11:59 of the third period. . . . The Thunderbirds got three assists from F Mathew Barzal and two from F Ryan Gropp, who now has 100 career helpers. . . . Bear added two assists to his goal. . . . Kootenay F Barrett Sheen had two assists. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth stopped 16 shots. Toth was back on the ice after watching for three games. . . . The Ice got 38 saves from G Jakob Walter. . . . The Thunderbirds had an 11-4 edge in shots in the second period and it was 17-3 in the third. . . . Seattle was 1-4 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-4. . . . The Thunderbirds (14-9-3) are 3-0-1 in their last four games. . . . The Ice (5-17-7) has lost five in a row. . . . Seattle lost F Donovan Neuls in the second period with an injury to his right leg. The Thunderbirds claim that Neuls was slashed on the knee. . . . Kootenay welcomed back F Max Patterson after an eight-game absence. . . . The Ice was without D Troy Murray, who is serving a four-game suspension after taking a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Nov. 27. F Artyom Baltruk of the Oil Kings, who absorbed Murray’s hit, didn’t play last night against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. . . . Announced attendance: 3,266.
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At Spokane, F Hudson Elynuik’s OT goal gave the Chiefs a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . .
HUDSON ELYNUIK
Elynuik scored his 11th goal at 4:32 of extra time. . . . The Rockets took a 1-0 lead when F Kole Lind scored his 15th goal, on a PP, at 1:37 of the second period. Lind has goals in six straight games and has scored at least once in nine of his past 10 outings. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto’s 10th goal tied the game at 6:21 of the third period. Elynuik drew an assist on that goal. . . . Spokane G Jayden Sittler blocked 35 shots in a terrific outing. . . . The Rockets got 19 saves from Michael Herringer. . . . Kelowna was 1-1 on the PP; Spokane was 1-5. . . . The Chiefs (11-10-5) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rockets (15-11-1) picked up their first loser point of the season. They are 2-0-1 in their last three games. . . . The Rockets continue to be without D Gordie Ballhorn, who injured a hand in a fight. Ballhorn could be gone for as long as two months, which is why the Rockets gave up D Jonathan Smart, 17, who was a first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, in a deal this week that got them D James Hilsendager, 19, and F Erik Gardiner, 17. Hilsendager played for the Rockets in this one; Gardiner, who is with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, will get into the lineup later this month when the Rockets travel through the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,579.
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At Swift Current, F Ryan Graham scored twice and added an assist to lead the Broncos to a 5-1 victory
RYAN GRAHAM
over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Graham had a goal and four assists in 11 games with the Saskatoon Blades when he was dealt to Swift Current. In five games with the Broncos, he has seven goals and five assists. . . . F Matteo Gennaro (7) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 7:19 of the first period. . . . Broncos D Artyom Minulin tied it with the Teddy Bear Goal at 13:24 of the first period, forging a 1-1 tie. . . . F Kaden Elder (5) broke the tie at 18:55. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen then took over the WHL goal-scoring lead with his 21st goal at 7:43 of the second period. He has 21 in 29 games after putting up 20 in 67 games last season. Later in the night, Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen scored his 21st, moving into a tie with Steenbergen. . . . Graham put it away with unassisted goals at 13:02 and 16:57 of the second. . . . F Lane Pederson had two assists for the Broncos. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean returned from a hand injury to draw an assist. A late returnee from the camp of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, Bean hadn’t played since Oct. 14 when he was injured in his third game of the season. . . . G Travis Child stopped 27 shots to earn the victory. . . . Calgary got 15 saves from Cody Porter. . . . The Hitmen were 1-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . The Broncos (15-8-6) have won two straight. . . . The Hitmen (8-13-2) have lost four in row. This was Game 1 in a four-game East Division swing. . . . Announced attendance: 1,990.
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At Kennewick, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks earned points in an eighth straight game as they beat
KEEGAN IVERSON
the Tri-City Americans, 5-2. . . . The Winterhawks (15-12-1) are 7-0-1 in their last eight outings. . . . The Americans (16-11-2) have lost two in a row. . . . F Vladislav Lukin (14) gave the Americans a 1-0 lead just 11 seconds into the game. . . . Portland followed that with four straight goals. . . . F Evan Weinger (10) tied the score at 17:29 and F Colton Veloso (7) provided a 2-1 lead just 1:06 later. . . . D Henri Jokiharju (3) added insurance at 4:21 of the second period and F Skyler McKenzie (16) made it 4-1 at 5:46. . . . Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen got his 21st goal, on a PP, at 2:24 of the third period. He and Swift Current F Tyler Steenbergen are tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead. . . . Portland F Joachim Blichfeld added an empty-netter at 17:51. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Portland got two assists from each of F Keegan Iverson and F Ryan Hughes, with Blichfeld and Veloso adding one each. . . . G Michael Bullion blocked 26 shots for Portland, six fewer than Tri-City’s Evan Sarthou. . . . Tri-City was 1-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 2,857.
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DYLAN PLOUFFE
At Langley, B.C., D Dylan Plouffe scored at 1:49 of OT to give the Vancouver Giants a 2-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Plouffe, who has two goals, scored while a delayed penalty call was going against Brandon. Plouffe, in his second season, has four goals in 88 career regular-season games. . . . Vancouver D Matt Barberis scored his fifth goal at 6:11 of the first period. . . . Brandon tied it on D James Shearer’s fourth goal, on a PP, at 14:01 of the third period. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 25 shots for the Giants, while the Wheat Kings got 22 saves from Logan Thompson. . . . Brandon is 1-6 on the PP; Vancouver is 0-5. . . . The Giants (11-16-2) had lost their previous six games (0-4-2). . . . The Wheat Kings (13-9-4) are 1-0-1 in a B.C. Division swing that continues in Kelowna tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,239.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GOALS:

Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 first period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Vancouver at Kamloops, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Brandon at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Calgary at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Portland, 2 p.m.
Victoria at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City Americans, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
TBG: Teddy Bear Game.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:03 PM
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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Pats roll in Edmonton ... Balcers' brace beats Everett ... Walter sparks Ice ... Bondra fills hat

F Dominik Volek (Regina, Red Deer, Vancouver, 2011-14) has been assigned on loan by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) to České Budějovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) for one month. This season, he was pointless in one game with Sparta Prague. . . .
F Ben Walker (Victoria, 2011-14) has signed a tryout contract with České Budějovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Last season, he had a goal and two assists in 16 games with the Manitoba Moose (AHL), and seven goals and four assists in 36 games with the Tulsa Oilers (ECHL).
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F Taylor Sanheim of the Calgary Hitmen has been hit with a TBD suspension by the WHL office after he took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct against the host Everett Silvertips on Tuesday night. . . . Sanheim hit Everett D Noah Juulsen from behind late in the first period. Juulsen went to the dressing room, then returned for the start of the second period. He played a couple of PP shifts, picking up an assist on one of the four goals Everett scored on the major penalty, then left the game. He took off his gear and watched the remainder of the game from the press box.
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The Portland Winterhawks have acquired F Ty Westgard, 18, from the Victoria Royals for a conditional 10th-round selection in the 2019 WHL bantam draft.  Westgard, from White Rock, B.C., has one goal in two games this season. He has been out with an undisclosed injury since early in the season. . . . Last season, Westgard had three assists in 21 games with the Royals, and 22 points, seven of them goals, in 25 games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. . . . He was an eighth-round pick by Victoria in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Westgard won’t be joining the Winterhawks, at least not immediately. Rather, he has been added to Surrey’s roster, as has F Josh Bruce, 18, who was acquired by the Vancouver Giants from the Saskatoon Blades on Oct. 19. . . . Surrey also dealt D Trent Huitema, 18, to the Prince George Spruce Kings for future considerations. Huitema began the season with the Spokane Chiefs, but was released on Nov. 5 and joined the Eagles.
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Coaching
The junior B Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League fired general manager and head coach Geoff Goodman on Wednesday. The Posse also fired associate coach Lance Vaillancourt. . . . Goodman had been in his second season with the Posse. . . . The Posse is 5-15-2 and in fifth place in the five-team Okanagan Division. . . . There was no indication given Wednesday night as to who now is running the Posse’s bench.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Edmonton, the Regina Pats erased a 2-0 deficit and went on to beat the Oil Kings, 4-2. . . . If was
CHASE HARRISON
Regina’s first road game on a trip that will take it into the B.C. Division. . . . The Pats (15-0-3) have won 11 in a row and remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost in regulation time. . . . Regina is on the longest undefeated streak to begin a season in franchise history. . . . The Oil Kings (8-10-2) had won their previous three games. . . . Edmonton’s two-goal lead came on goals from F Davis Murray (2), at 18:30 of the first period, and F Lane Bauer (11), at 4:45 of the second. . . . Regina F Sam Steel cut the deficit in half with his 17th goal, on a PP, at 19:45. He’s got goals in six straight games. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs tied it with his seventh at 13:07 of the third period. . . . Pats D Chase Harrison broke the tie with his fifth goal, at 17:38. . . . F Nick Henry of the Pats got the empty-netter at 19:52. . . . Steel also had two assists, while Hobbs added one to his goal. . . . Harrison now is riding a WHL-high 13-game point streak, while F Adam Brooks, who had one assist, is on a 12-game streak. . . . Regina G Jordan Hollett stopped 15 shots in running his record to 6-0-1. . . . The Oil Kings got 39 saves from Patrick Dea. . . . Regina was 1-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-1. . . . Announced attendance: 5,698.
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At Kamloops, F Rudolfs Balcers scored his second goal of the game just 11 seconds into OT to give the
RUDOLFS BALCERS
Blazers a 2-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Balcers was offside off the OT-opening face-off. He and F Deven Sideroff created a 2-on-1 off the ensuing faceoff, then played give-and-go, with Balzers tucking the winner into an open net. . . . The Latvian freshman has 13 goals. . . . Sideroff drew two assists. . . . Everett got its goal from F Orrin Centazzo, his first WHL score, at 12:12 of the second period. . . . Balcers tied it at 15:31 of the second. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram was sharp, with 33 saves, while Everett’s Carter Hart stopped 21. . . . Ingram and Hart both are expected to be invited to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp next month. . . . Everett was 0-1 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-3. . . . The Blazers improved to 12-10-1. . . . The Silvertips are 15-2-4, including 7-0-3 in their last 10. The loser point moved them into a tie with the idle Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . The Silvertips are 6-0-1 in their last seven visits to Kamloops. In its last 13 games against Kamloops, Everett is 11-0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 3,515.
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At Lethbridge, G Jakob Walter stopped 40 shots and F Zak Zborosky and D Cale Fleury each scored
ZAK ZBOROSKY
twice to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Walter, who earned his first WHL victory, stopped 20 shots in the third period as the Ice spent most of it with a 2-0 lead. . . . Zborosky, who has 16 goals, struck at 16:37 of the second period and 4:12 of the third for a 2-0 lead. . . . Fleury’s third goal made it 3-0 at 17:49. . . . Lethbridge F Tanner Nagel got his second goal, at 18:01 of the third. . . . Fleury added the empty-netter at 19:23. . . . The Hurricanes got 29 saves from G Stuart Skinner. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Ice (4-12-5) had lost its previous five games (0-4-1). The victory lifted the Ice over the Prince Albert Raiders and out of the WHL basement. . . . The Hurricanes (7-10-3) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . Ice D Troy Murray had one assist and was plus-4. . . . F Ryan Bowen, who was acquired by Lethbridge from Moose Jaw in the deal that had F Brayden Burke move to the Warriors, made his debut with the Hurricanes. . . . F Peyton Krebs, the first overall selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Ice. He drew the primary assist on Zborosky’s second goal. . . . Announced attendance: 2,696.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Tyler Sandhu had a goal and his 100th career assist to help the Tri-City
TYLER SANDHU
Americans to a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Americans (14-7-1) have won two straight. . . . The Hitmen (7-8-2) have lost three in a row and been outscored 20-4 in the process. . . . Tri-City scored the game’s first five goals. . . . F Morgan Geekie got it started with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 13:01 of the first period. . . . D Parker Wotherspoon made it 2-0 with his fifth goal, on another PP, at 8:46 of the second. . . . The Americans then got a shorthanded score from Sandhu, his second goal this season, at 19:32. . . . D Juuso Valimaki, with his fourth, and F Michael Rasmussen, with his WHL-leading 18th, added third-period goals for the winners. . . . Tri-City got three assists from F Vladislav Lukin. . . . Valimaki, Geekie and Rasmussen each had one assist. . . . Americans G Evan Sarthou, in his first home start of the season, blocked 24 shots. He lost his shutout bid when D Micheal Zipp (2) scored at 11:48 of the third period. . . . Kyle Dumba stopped 17 shots for Calgary. . . . Tri-City was 2-7 on the PP; Calgary was 0-6. . . . In its last three games, the Hitmen have surrendered nine PP goals on 17 opportunities, and they have surrendered three SH goals. . . . Tri-City opened a nine-game homestand with this victory. It now is 7-1-0 at home. . . . The Hitmen continue to be without D Jake Bean (hand). They also were without F Taylor Sanheim (suspended). . . . Announced attendance: 2,909.
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At Langley, B.C., F Radovan Bondra scored three times and added an assist as the Vancouver Giants
RADOVAN BONDRA
opened up a 4-0 lead en route to a 5-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Bondra, who has 15 goals, opened the scoring at 6:48 of the first period. . . . D Matt Barberis (3) made it 2-0 at 8:21 and Bondra scored on a penalty shot at 10:34. . . . F Thomas Foster’s fourth goal, at 2:07 of the second period, gave the home side a 4-0 edge. . . . The Raiders, who are 0-4-0 on a B.C. Division trip that ends Friday in Prince George, got their first goal from F Cole Fonstad (3) at 16:03. . . . Bondra completed his hat trick at 8:37 of the third. He had 15 goals in 58 games last season. . . . Prince Albert made it close on two late goals from F Cavin Leth (3) and F Sean Montgomery (6). . . . F Ty Ronning had two assists for Vancouver, while Foster added one. . . . Fonstad also had an assist for the Raiders. . . . Vancouver got 24 saves from G David Tendeck. . . . Raiders starter Ian Scott gave up four goals on 11 shots in 22:07, with Nick Sanders coming on in relief to stop 11 of 12. Scott has failed to finish each of his last three starts and four of five. . . . The Raiders were 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-2. . . . The Giants improved to 10-12-0. . . . Prince Albert now is 5-15-1. . . . Announced attendance: 2,878.
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THURSDAY’S GAME (all times local):


Moose Jaw at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.




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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:25 PM
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Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Red Deer drops goaltender . . . Blades, Giants create two homecomings. . . . Everett makes some moves


The Red Deer Rebels released G Trevor Martin, 20, on Wednesday. They had placed him on waivers and he was released after he cleared. . . . The Rebels acquired Martin from the Saskatoon Blades in
2014-15. He was 19-9-3 in 42 regular-season appearances with the Rebels. In three appearances this season, Martin was 0-1-1, 4.14, .888. . . . The move leaves the Rebels with two 20s — F Evan Polei and D Colton Bobyk. It also leaves them with two goaltenders — Lasse Pettersen, 19, who was acquired last week from the Everett Silvertips and has yet to make his Red Deer debut, and Riley Lamb, an 18-year-old freshman. . . . The Rebels also acquired G Tyson Verhelst, 19, from the Spokane Chiefs this month. But Verhelst, who suffered at least two concussions last season, is out long-term with an undisclosed upper-body injury. . . . With Pettersen expected to play for Denmark at the 2017 World Junior Championship, the Rebels are likely to bring in Byron Fancy to support Lamb when necessary. Fancy, who will turn 16 on Jan. 1, is from Claresholm, Alta., and is playing with the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes. He was a second-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . The Rebels had a pair of 20-year-old goaltenders on their roster earlier in the season. They dealt Rylan Toth to the Seattle Thunderbirds and now Martin is gone.
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If this blog had sound effects, you would be listening to Hagood Hardy playing The Homecoming right now, thanks to a Wednesday afternoon deal made between the Saskatoon Blades and Vancouver Giants. . . . In a swap of 18-year-old forwards, the Blades dealt Josh Bruce to the Giants for Gage Ramsay. Bruce is from Surrey, B.C., while Ramsay is from Saskatoon. . . . Bruce has one goal in four games with the Blades this season. . . . Ramsay has one assist in six games with the Giants. He was a third-round pick by the Giants in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . The Blades are to meet the Giants in Vancouver tonight (Wednesday), but neither is expected to play for his new team.
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According to Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald, F Brad Goethals has left the Everett Silvertips and
returned to his Manitoba home for “personal reasons.” The Silvertips acquired Goethals, 18, from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Oct. 11, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft. Goethals led the Manitoba Midget Hockey League in scoring last season, with 74 points, including 41 goals, in 43 games for the Eastman Selects. . . . The Silvertips have recalled D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, to fill a hole created by an undisclosed injury to F Orrin Centazzo. He apparently was injured during Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the host Spokane Chiefs. . . . Last season, Fairbrother was named the top defenceman in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League (Elite 15s) while with the Burnaby Winter Club. . . . Fairbrother started this season with the Silvertips but joined the Vancouver-North West Giants of the B.C. Midget Major Junior Hockey League after not getting into any WHL games. He was expected to join the Silvertips in time for tonight’s game in Kelowna against the Rockets.
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Hockey Canada announced the roster for its Deutschland Cup team on Wednesday. That roster, which includes a handful of ex-WHLers, is right here. . . . It is great to see Dave King back with Hockey Canada as the head coach of its entry. His staff will include former Spokane Chiefs assistant coach Mike Pelino (1997-99). He’s in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk. . . . The tournament runs Nov. 4-6 in Augsburg Germany.


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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 3:11 PM
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Thursday, September 8, 2016

Chiefs get Carter . . . Cougars change imports . . . A conversation with M.J.



My wife, Dorothy, is one of the co-honourees — along with her friend Margaret Thompson — of the 2016 Kamloops Kidney Walk. Each year, the walk salutes someone who has worked to shine a light on kidney transplants and organ donorship. Dorothy, who had a kidney transplant almost three years ago, will take part in her third straight Kidney Walk on Sept. 25.
The hockey community, especially those of you who stop by here, have always been terrific in supporting her. If you would like to be part of her team and sponsor her, please click right here.

F J.T. Barnett (Vancouver, Kamloops, Everett, Kelowna, 2008-13) assigned by CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL) to their farm club, Zvezda Chekhov (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). . . .
F James Wright (Vancouver, 2005-10) has signed a one-year contract with Admiral Vladivostok (Russia, KHL). Last season, with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), he had 14 goals and 27 assists in 73 games. . . . There now are three former Vancouver Giants with Admiral: Wright, Jon Blum, and Mikhail Fisenko. All were teammates in 2008-09.
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Scott Carter is the new general manager of the Spokane Chiefs. He takes over from Tim Speltz, who left after 26 years in the position. Speltz now is the director of western area scouting with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
Carter, who turned 55 on Thursday, was born and raised in Penticton. He helped bring the junior A 
Vees back to relevancy and was their managing partner. He also did a stint as president and general manager, and was named the BCHL’s executive of the year in 2005.
Carter was a co-founder of the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame, which is based in Penticton. He was inducted into the hall in 2012.
In the business world, he became involved with Vaughn Custom Sports in 1983, and has been part-owner and president since 1996.
In 1994, he helped bring the Western Professional Hockey League into being, later selling his shares in order to become a full partner in Vaughn.
He also has scouted for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. Most recently, he has done consulting work with the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, working with the academies to help them maintain certain standards.
“We draft and sign what we call ‘Chief type’ players,” Brett said in a news release, “and wanted a guy that would fit into that culture but also bring new ideas. We’re always looking for ways to get better. The more I got to know Scott and checked in with his references, it was clear that we made the right choice.”
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The Prince George Cougars added one import to their roster while dropping another on Thursday. . . . F Yan Khomenko, 18, of St. Petersburg, Russia, is in, while Swedish F Axel Jonsson Fjallby is out. . . . The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Khomenko had five goals and four assists in 45 games with the Everett Silvertips last season. They selected him in the CHL’s 2015 import draft. . . . Fjallby, 18, was a fifth-round pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2016 NHL draft. The Cougars selected him in the CHL’s 2016 import draft. He is likely to play this season with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. . . . Prince George’s other import is sophomore F Bartek Bison, who is from Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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The Saskatoon Blades have signed F Logan Doust to a WHL contract. Doust, from North Vancouver, was a ninth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. He played last season with the North Shore Winter Club’s bantam AAA team. His regular-season stats aren’t available, but Small Thoughts At Large has him with a goal and three assists in five games at the St. Albert tournament and two goals in five games with the Wild at the U-16 B.C. Cup. . . . The Blades also signed F Josh Bruce, 18, who is from Surrey, B.C. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder had 28 points, including 12 goals, in 39 games with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed F Jayden Davis and F Connor Lyons, both of whom are list players. . . . Davis, who will turn 17 in November, is from Alameda, Sask. Last season, his second with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder had 23 points, 10 of them goals, in 39 games. . . . Lyons, 17, is a list player from Lethbridge. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder played last season with the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes, putting up 23 points, including seven goals, in 34 games. His father, Corey, is a former Hurricanes forward.
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The Kootenay Ice has signed F Blake Allan, a third-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. Allan, from Humboldt, Sask., had 40 points, including 18 goals, in 30 games with the bantam AA Humboldt Broncos last season.
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Portland-based journalist Dwight Jaynes is the host of a podcast these days — the Podfather Godcast — and he interviewed Mike Johnston, the vice-president, general manager and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, the other day. There is lots right here, including Johnston’s being fired last season from his position as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. As usual, Johnston is open and honest.
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It is going on a year since former Brandon Wheat Kings scoring star Brian Propp had a stroke. Today, after a month in Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia and a whole lot of hard work, and with some help from a “robotic gait-training system,” Propp is well on the road to recovery. He now is working at giving back. . . . Brian Hickey of PhillyVoice has more right here.
www.phillyvoice.com/recovering-stroke-former-flyer-brian-propp-establishes-scholarship-program/
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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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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

In Kennewick, Wash., F Devon Skoleski’s goal ended a six-round shootout and gave the Everett Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks (3-0-1). F Orrin Centazzo also scored for Everett (2-2-1) in the shootout, while F Skyler McKenzie did the same for Portland. The Winterhawks held 3-0 and 4-1 leads, only to have Everett score three straight goals. F Brian King got the Silvertips’ last two goals, at 8:30 and 15:33 of the third period. F Connor Dewar scored his fourth goal of the preseason for the Silvertips. F Graham Millar had three assists for Everett. Portland got two goals from F Bronson Sharp and two assists from McKenzie. . . . F Jansen Harkins scored his second goal 53 seconds into OT to give the Prince George Cougars a 5-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. The Cougars held 3-0 and 4-3 leads, only to have F Jared Legien force OT with his second goal of the game at 19:26 of the third period. F Jesse Gabrielle and D Max Martin each had three assists for the Cougars (2-2-0). The Ice (0-0-1) got two assists from F Max Patterson. . . .
In Prince Albert, F Simon Stransky had a goal and two assists to lead the Raiders to a 5-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. F Drew Warkentine and F Reid Gardiner had two assists each for the winners. The Blades got two assists from D Anthony Bishop. Saskatoon held a 42-26 edge in shots. The Raiders are 1-1-0; the Blades 2-2-0.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:15 PM
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