Tim Bozon's mother says 'merci' to Blades

Early Saturday, Helene Bozon, Tim’s mother, tweeted: “Not enough words to say MERCI @blades hockey”
That was in response to the huge card (pictured above) that the Saskatoon Blades had on hand at their Friday night game for fans to sign.
Other teams, including the Kamloops Blazers, Kootenay Ice and Portland Winterhawks, also are preparing ‘Get Well’ cards for Tim.
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Marc Dumont at habseyesontheprize.com reported this on Saturday morning:
“Prospect Tim Bozon's battle with meningitis continues to be an difficult fight, as doctors in Saskatoon have decided to

TIM BOZON

place him in an artificial coma to help slow down the progression of the disease.
“His critical condition has progressively worsened ever since it was announced he contracted the sickness a little over a week ago.”
Bozon, a forward with the Kootenay Ice, has been in Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon since Sunday. His parents, Helene and Philippe, arrived from Switzerland on Sunday.
Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Saskatoon Blades, told QMI Agency that Bozon was put into a medically induced coma on Thursday.
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With F Tim Bozon fighting meningitis in a Saskatoon hospital, these are not easy times for the Kootenay Ice.
However, congrats to everyone associated with the franchise, but especially to Jeff Chynoweth, the franchise’s majority owner, president and general manager. (If you are wondering, Chynoweth has been in Saskatoon, alongside Helene and Philippe Bozon, since Thursday.)
A Friday night victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers means the Ice will appear in the playoffs for a 16th straight season.
That, folks, is something!
The Ice was born as the Edmonton Ice and didn’t make the playoffs in either of its two seasons in the Edmonton capital. The franchise relocated to Cranbrook for the 1998-99 season and has made the playoffs each season since then. During that time, it has won three WHL championships and one Memorial Cup.
If you’re wondering about the WHL’s other franchises, here’s a look at each one and its longest stretch of qualifying for the playoffs:
Swift Current Broncos -- 31 (1974-2004; 18 in Swift Current; as Lethbridge Broncos, 1975-86)
Kamloops Blazers -- 24 (1982-2005; first two seasons as Kamloops Jr. Oilers)
Kootenay Ice -- 16 (1999-2014)
Kelowna Rockets -- 15 (1992-2006; first four seasons as Tacoma Rockets)
Medicine Hat Tigers -- 15 (1983-97)
Seattle Thunderbirds -- 14 (1990-2003)
Calgary Hitmen -- 13 (1998-10)
Brandon Wheat Kings -- 12 (2001-12)
Everett Silvertips -- 11 (2004-13; have made playoffs in each season of existence)
Saskatoon Blades -- 11 (1967-77)
Moose Jaw Warriors -- 10 (1997-2006)
Red Deer Rebels -- 10 (1996-2005)
Tri-City Americans -- 10 (2004-13; will be 11 if they qualify this season)
Vancouver Giants -- 10 (2003-12)
Portland Winterhawks 9 (1976-84; first season as Edmonton Oil Kings)
Prince Albert Raiders -- 9 (1984-92)
Prince George Cougars -- 9 (1975-83; all as Victoria Cougars)
Regina Pats -- 9 (1980-88)
Spokane Chiefs -- 9 (1990-98)
Lethbridge Hurricanes -- 7 (1979-85; all as Calgary Wranglers)
Victoria Royals -- 5 (2010-14)
Edmonton Oil Kings -- 4 (2011-14)
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Here’s a hockey-baseball note. . . . Regina’s Dustin Molleken, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-hander, is in camp with the Milwaukee Brewers. On Friday, he worked a scoreless ninth inning in a 6-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. He struck out one, without giving up a hit or a walk. . . . He is the son of Doug Molleken, a longtime WHL scout who now is the Saskatoon Blades’ director of player personnel. That means, of course, that Dustin is the nephew of Blades general manager Lorne Molleken.
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There are two days of the year when I really, really miss Saskatchewan, a province in which I spent 17 years. Today, as we ‘spring forward’ and I walk around our home and reset all the clocks, is one of them. And that will tell you that the day we ‘fall back’ is the other one.
So don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour . . . unless you live in Saskatchewan or any other place that has sensibly ignored that movement.
And I know that I will forget to reset either my watch or the clock in our car.
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The junior B Fernie Ghostriders of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League are looking for a general manager and head coach after visiting Splitsville with Dale Hladun after one season. . . . Fernie went 24-22-0-6 this season, finishing third in the Eddie Mountain Division. The Ghostriders then lost a best-of-five first-round series in four games to the Kimberley Dynamiters.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer (8)
Regina (2) vs. Prince Albert (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
(NOTE: Prince Albert, Red Deer and Brandon are tied for eighth, each with 71 points. Prince Albert has four games remaining; the other two have three games left.)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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SUNDAY’S WHL GAME (all times local):
Vancouver at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
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MONDAY’s WHL GAMES (all times local):
No games scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Saskatoon at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Spokane at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, D Colby Harmsworth scored the winning goal as the Calgary Hitmen got past the Blades, 2-1. . . . Harmsworth, 18, is from Saskatoon and played his midget AAA hockey there with the Contacts. He has four goals in 67 games this season, after going scoreless in 46 games as a freshman last season. . . . D Alex Roach scored his 11th goal for Calgary. . . . D Jordan Thomson scored his first goal with the Blades. It came on the PP, ending a 0-for-25 spell. That goal cut Calgary‘s lead to 2-1 but that was as close as the Blades would get. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 43 shots. . . . The Blades have lost eight straight games and 10 in a row at home. . . . D Ayrton Nikkel was among Saskatoon’s scratches. He left Friday’s 6-1 loss to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Hitmen, with five players out, dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. F Cal Babych, F Radel Fazleev, F Linden Penner, F Connor Rankin and F Mike Winther all are out with undisclosed injuries. . . . Calgary was playing its fourth game in five nights. . . . The Hitmen (45-17-7) are tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings (47-18-3) atop the Eastern Conference. But the Oilers have two more victories and also hold a game in hand. . . . The Blades (16-47-5) are 11th in the conference. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and two assists as the Kootenay Ice beat the Regina Pats, 3-1. . . . Descheneau set up the game’s first two goals, both on the PP. . . . D Jagger Dirk scored his 10th goal at 3:23 of the first period and F Luke Philp got his 28th at 11:33 of the third. . . . F Sam Reinhart assisted on both goals, as well. . . . Descheneau scored his 42nd goal into an empty net at 19:07. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored for Regina at 16:55 of the third, giving him 29. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 27 shots, one fewer than Regina’s Dawson MacAuley. . . . The Ice won the season series 3-1-0. . . . During the game, the Ice lost D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel to injuries. Cross was injured during a second-period fight with Regina D Jesse Zgraggen. . . . Prior to the game, Phil Andrews, the radio voice of the Pats, tweeted: “Kyle Burroughs and Colby Williams will both miss tonight's game against the Kootenay Ice after taking high hits (Friday) in Lethbridge.” . . . The Ice (39-25-4), with back-to-back victories, is fifth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Pats (38-25-6) lead the East Division by three points over Swift Current. The team finishing first in the East Division will be the conference’s No. 2 seed when the playoffs open. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Jay Merkley and F Graham Black each scored twice as the Swift Current Broncos dumped the Hurricanes, 5-3. . . . Merkley has 30 goals; Black has 33. . . . Black tied the game 2-2 at 3:38 of the second period and then broke the tie at 15:33. . . . Swift Current scored all five of its goals in the second period, with the last three coming in a span of 1:33. . . . D Julius Honka had three assists for the Broncos, while F Coda Gordon scored his 25th goal and added two helpers. . . . The Hurricanes, who have lost 11 in a row, got a goal, his 14th, and an assist from F Brady Ramsay. . . . G Stuart Skinner, the 17th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, has joined the Hurricanes and was on their bench and made his WHL debut by playing the third period. He stopped all 11 shots he faced. He spent the season with the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Athletics, going 13-5-0, 2.74, .916. The Athletics’ season is over so he was free to join the Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos swept the season series, 4-0. . . . Swift Current (35-25-9) is sixth in the Eastern Confernce, three points behind the Kootenay Ice, and has clinched a playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes (12-52-5) have three games remaining in the franchise’s most abysmal season. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti scored 26 seconds into the game and the Warriors went on to a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . It was the Warriors’ third straight victory. . . . Fioretti scored twice, giving him 19 goals, as did F Jack Rodewald, who has 25. . . . F Curtis Lazar scored his 39th for the Oil Kings. It came at 3:47 of the third with his side trailing 3-0. . . . F Brayden Point and F Tanner Eberle each had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . Edmonton was playing its 500th regular-season game since it entered the WHL as an expansion franchise. . . . Warriors G Justin Paulic stopped 31 shots. . . . Edmonton F Mads Eller was among Edmonton’s scratches. He left Friday’s game with Brandon after absorbing a hit from Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk. He was ejected with a charging major and has received a ‘tbd’ suspension. . . . The Warriors (20-40-9) are 10th in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Oil Kings (47-18-3) are tied atop the conference with the Calgary Hitmen, but Edmonton has two more victories and that’s the first tiebreaker. . . . 

In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored two third-period goals 13 seconds apart and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . F Calder Brooks broke a 1-1 tie with his 14th goal at 15:42 and F Leon Draisaitl got his 35th at 15:55. . . . Draisaitl, who is eligible for the 2014 NHL draft, has 41 points, including 16 goals, over his past 21 games. . . . F Collin Valcourt drew two assists for the Raiders. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts scored the game’s first and last goals, giving him 27. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride, who has started five of his side’s last six goals, stopped 22 shots, 12 fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Jens Meilleur and F Peter Quenneville, both of whom are injured, and F Jayce Hawryluk, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension after being ejected from a game on Friday night. . . . Also missing from Brandon’s lineup was owner/GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon, who was ill. . . . The Raiders (33-30-5), who have won four in a row, are tied with the Red Deer Rebels and Brandon Wheat Kings for seventh in the Eastern Conference. One of those teams won’t make it. . . . Brandon (31-29-9) has lost four in a row. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Tigers to a 5-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Valk broke a 2-2 with his second goal, his 43rd of the season, 54 seconds into the second period, on a PP. . . . He had No. 44 into an empty net at 18:47 of the third. . . . F Wyatt Johnson scored his 13th goal and added two assists for the Rebels. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 40 shots, in the process becoming, according to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) the first goaltender in franchise history to make more than 2,000 saves in one season. . . . The Tigers (42-23-4) are fourth in the Eastern Conference and likely to finish there. . . . The Rebels (33-31-5) are tied with Prince Albert and Brandon for the conference’s last two playoff spots. . . .

In Portland, F Brendan Leipsic snapped a 1-1 tie at 7:36 of the second period and the Winterhawks went on to a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . This was a first-round playoff preview. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 45th goal and added an assist, while F Chase De Leo got his 39th goal. . . . Portland G Adin Hill, a 17-year-old from Calgary, made his second WHL start, and his third appearance, stopping 28 shots as he ran his record to 3-0-0. Corbin Boes, 20, was injured in Friday’s 7-3 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds and couldn’t go. Brendan Burke, 18, who has been out with mononucleosis and last played on Feb. 10, was on the bench. . . . The Winterhawks (50-13-5) have won 50 games for a second straight season and the third time in four seasons. . . . Vancouver (31-27-10) is seventh in the Western Conference. . . .

In Prince George, F Mitch Holmberg scored three times and added an assist as the Spokane Chiefs bounced the Cougars, 8-0. . . . Holmberg leads the WHL with 60 goals, the first WHL player to get there since F Layne Ulmer had 63 for the 2000-01 Swift Current Broncos. . . . Holmberg’s four points left him with a WHL-leading 113, five more than Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani scored his 35th goal and added three assists, while F Keanu Yamamoto had three assists. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 28 shots for his fourth shutout this season and the 10th of his career. Williams, 20, is 31-17-4 this season and 96-74-14 in his career. . . . The Chiefs were 3-for-8 on the PP. . . . The Chiefs (38-24-6) are fifth in the Western Conference, two points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and one ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Cougars (26-36-8) are four points out of the conference’s last playoff spot with two games remaining. . . .

In Kelowna, G Jordon Cooke stopped 20 shots to help the Rockets to a 7-0 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . This may have been a first-round playoff preview. . . . Cooke, who is 38-6-4, has four shutouts this season and nine in his career. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley got the game’s first goal, his 23rd, at 9:23 of the first period on a PP. . . . Kelowna was 4-for-4 on the PP. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou turned aside 39 shots. . . . The Rockets (54-10-4), who lead the overall standings, have won 27 home games and 27 on the road. . . . The Americans (28-32-8) are eighth in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Prince George. . . .

In Kent, Wash., Everett F Josh Winquist set a single-season franchise record for goals as the Silvertips beat the host Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . Winquist scored his 43rd goal into an empty net at 18:15 of the third, breaking the record of 42 that had been set by Shane Harper in 2009-10. . . . Winquist broke a 1-1 tie at 13:02 of the second period with his 42nd goal and F Dawson Leedahl gave the visitors a two-goal lead with his seventh at 16:12 on the PP. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz was stellar, making 31 saves. . . . F Zane Jones, a trade deadline acquisition, scored his first goal for Everett. He was playing his fourth game since returning to the lineup. He had been out since Jan. 18. . . . The Silvertips (36-23-9), who have won six in a row, are sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind Spokane. Each team has four games remaining. . . . Seattle (39-22-6) is fourth in the conference, two points ahead of Spokane. . . .

In Victoria, the Royals scored three times in the game’s first 6:05 and then hung on to beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Taylor Crunk scoed his eighth goal of the season nine seconds into the opening period. . . . D Brett Cote got his sixth at 4:09, via the PP, and freshman F Tyler Soy scored his 13th at 6:05. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham got his side on the board with his 11th goal at 5:54 of the third and F Matt Revel added his 15th, via the PP, at 15:55. . . . The game drew 7,006 fans, giving the Royals their second straight sellout. They beat the Blazers 5-1 on Friday in front of 7,006 fans. . . . The Royals went 7-1-0 against Kamloops this season. . . . Soy, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, has eight points, including six goals, in eight games against Kamloops this season. He also scored twice in a preseason game. . . . Victoria has 47 victories and 98 points with four games remaining. In their eighth season, five in Chilliwack as the Bruins (remember them?) and three in Victoria, the franchise has yet to reach 50 victories or 100 points. . . . An interesting stat from the Royals: With D Joe Hicketts in the lineup, Victoria’s defence corps has produced 26 per cent of its offence. Hicketts missed 36 games earlier in the season; with him gone, that number was 18. . . . The Royals (47-17-4) will finish third in the Western Conference. . . . The Blazers (13-51-5) will set a Kamloops franchise record for fewest victories.
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From Aaron Matthies (@Matthies2): “I’m a @WHLpats season tix holder,and cheering for the pats (Saturday night), but we are all on the same team when we #PrayforBozon!”

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Hitmen back in first; Raiders, Rebels in dead heat

There were a couple of backup goaltenders with ties to the WHL on NHL benches on Tuesday night. That’s Pat Conacher Jr. (top), who backed up Vancouver starter Eddie Lack in Phoenix after the Canucks traded Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers. Conacher is the son of Pat Conacher, who was an assistant coach with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) in 2010-11 and the Regina Pats’ head coach in 2011-12. He now is director of hockey operations with the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ AHL affiliate. Conacher Jr. also is a scout with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. Meanwhile, in Edmonton, former Portland Winterhawks/Kamloops Blazers G Kurtis Mucha backed up the Oilers’ Ben Scrivens after they sent Ilya Bryzgalov to the Minnesota Wild. Mucha now plays for the U of Alberta Golden Bears and is a second-team Canada West all-star. (Top photo: Sportsnet screen grab; bottom photo: Edmonton Oilers)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Josh Green (Medicine Hat, Swift Current, Portland, 1993-98) has signed a one-year extension with Tappara Tampere (Finland, Liiga). In 41 games, he has 29 points, including 20 goals. Seventeen of those 20 goals have come at even strength. Green made the announcement of the extension himself, in Finnish in a video posted on the Tappara website.
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F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice remains in a Saskatoon hospital, where he is being treated for meningitis.
On Tuesday morning, he parents, Helene and Philippe, posted this on their son’s Twitter account:
“Our Timmy is keeping fighting but...thank you so much for your wonderful wishes.helene and Phil Bozon”
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
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“We’re not for sale, nobody’s come, again, to talk to us about the sale of the hockey team. The board of directors of the hockey team are in charge of running the hockey team and that’s what we’re doing.” And, he added, the team hasn’t been sold. . . . That was Brian Wichers, the vice-president of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, in conversation with Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald. . . . Oh, Wichers also said the franchise still will be community-owned when next season gets here. . . . Purcell’s piece is right here.
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The Kamloops Blazers are nearing the end of their 10-game stint away from home. They returned to Kamloops on Sunday morning, following a three-game swing into Alberta. But they remain out of Interior Savings Centre because of the Tim Hortons Brier. The Blazers, who are 1-6-0 in their last seven games, are to play the Giants in Vancouver tonight. Kamloops is expected to be without D Sam Grist and F Chase Souto, both of whom left a Friday game in Calgary with undisclosed injuries and didn’t play Saturday in Medicine Hat. . . .
The Giants are likely to be without D Dalton Thrower (ankle), G Jared Rathjen and F Dominik Voley, the latter two with undisclosed injuries. Thrower, who skated on Monday but left the ice after tweaking the ankle again, was wearing a walking boot on Tuesday. Thrower will sit out for the 17th straight game tonight. . . .
Prospera Credit Union, the home of the Kelowna Rockets, will maintain naming rights to Prospera Place in Kelowna for five more years, through January 2019. The credit union and RG Properties Ltd. made the announcement Tuesday morning. Prospera Place, built by RG Properties, opened in 1999 and the credit union has held naming rights since 20-03.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Calgary (1) vs. Red Deer/Prince Albert (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Edmonton (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Calgary at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Regina, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s first five goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Calgary moved back into first place in the Eastern Conference with the victory. . . . The Hitmen have won three in a row and have points in 13 straight. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart had a goal, his 34th, and an assist as he ran his point streak to 16 games. . . . Calgary D Ben Thomas also had a goal, his sixth, and an assist. He has three goals in four games against Brandon. . . . F Connor Rankin of Calgary, who scored his 20th goal, via the PP, in the second period, left the game favouring a shoulder. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 23 shots. He lost his shutout bid at 18:31 of the third period when F Rihards Bukarts scored his 24th goal. . . . The Hitmen were 2-for-4 on the PP. They have at least one PP goal in each of their last 13 games. . . . Calgary (44-15-7) is atop the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Brandon (31-27-9) is seventh, four points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . .

In Swift Current, F Jay Merkley broke a 3-3 tie at 17:04 of the third period as the Broncos beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 4-3. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had two goals, giving him 32, and an assist for the Oil Kings, his second goal, at 6:50 of the third period, giving them a 3-1 lead. . . . F Nate Burns scored his 24th at 12:58 and F Colby Cave tied the score with his 31st at 13:21. . . . Merkley has 28 goals this season. . . . F Jake DeBrusk had two assists for the Broncos, who got 26 saves out of G Eetu Laurikainen. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 31 shots. . . . The Broncos (34-25-9) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Oil Kings (45-17-3) are two points behind Calgary and hold a game in hand. . . .

In Prince Albert, D Josh Morrissey and F Leon Draisaitl each scored twice to help the Raiders to a 9-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Draisaitl, who has 32 goals, also had two assists. . . . Morrissey, who has 25 goals, added one helper. . . . Raiders D Tomas Andrlik had three assists. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 27 shots. With Zach Sawchenko, their other goaltender, unavailable because of illness, the Warriors had Logan Morhart of the midget AA Prince Albert Raiders on their bench as an emergency backup. The only way they could have lifted Paulic was due to injury. . . . F Brayden Point scored twice, giving him 31, for the Warriors. . . . Prince Albert G Nick McBride, making his third start in the team’s last four games, made 19 saves. He stopped F Torrin White on a first-period penalty shot. . . . The Raiders last scored nine times in a game when they beat the visiting Regina Pats 9-4 on Jan. 9, 2013. . . . The Raiders (31-30-5) are tied with the Red Deer Rebels for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Warriors (17-40-9) are 2-7-1 in their last 10. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 32 shots as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-0. . . . Bartosak has seven shutouts this season and 13 in his career. He is tied with Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings for the WHL lead this season. . . . Three of Bartosak’s shut outs this season have been against the Ice, all of them in Cranbrook. . . . According to Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, it was the sixth time Kootenay has been shut out this season and the third time on home ice, both of which are franchise records. . . . F Aspen Sterzer and F Rhyse Dieno each had a goal and an assist. Sterzer has 26 goals, while Dieno, who got an empty-netter, has 23. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 28 shots. . . . The Ice dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Red Deer (31-30-5) is tied with Prince Albert for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. Each team has five games remaining. . . . The Ice (37-25-4) is fifth in the conference, one point ahead of Swift Current. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips scored two first-period goals 22 seconds apart and went on to a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . F Jujhar Khaira, with his 16th, and D Ben Betker, with his sixth, scored at 11:07 and 11:29 of the first period to get the home boys started. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored twice, giving him 41, and added an assist. . . . Khaira also had two assists. . . . Winquist is within one of the franchise records for goals in one season (Shane Harper, 2009-10). . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 23 shots, losing his shootout on goal by F Justin Kirkland, his 15th, at 4:49 of the third period. . . . Everett had a 38-24 edge in shots. . . . Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, called his 1,000th Kelowna game. Back in the day, he also did 360 games with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Silvertips, who have won four in a row, had lost eight straight to the Rockets. . . . Everett (34-23-9) is sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Kelowna (52-10-4) leads the overall standings.
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From Brad Robson (@BKCanes): “The @WHLHurricanes send their prayers to @timbozon94 , his family & to the @WHLKootenayICE organization. #keepfighting”
Robson, the general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, echoes the sentiments of the hockey world.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Lukowich: No hard feelings

Brian Costello of The Hockey News has a neat story right here about a one-game backup goaltender who was hoping that a particular AHL game would turn into a blowout. It didn't happen, but he still got to live a dream.
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The Kootenay Ice won their 30th game of the season on Saturday, the 16th straight season it has won at least that many games. . . . The Prince George Cougars have won six straight games for the first time since October 2005. Something will have to give today as the Cougars play host to the Portland Winterhawks, who have won 12 in a row. . . . The winning streak has the Cougars within two points of the Tri-City Americans, who hold down the Western Conference's last playoff spot. The Americans meet the Blazers in Kamloops this afternoon.
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MONDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Tri-City at Kamloops, 2 p.m.
Portland at Prince George, 2 p.m.
Victoria at Vancouver, 2 p.m.
Seattle at Kelowna, 2:05 p.m.
(NOTE: It’s a holiday in B.C., as we enjoy Family Day.)
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
At Everett, F Josh Winquist scored twice to lead the Silvertips to a 3-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Winquist broke a 1-1 tie at 17:15 of the second period, then added his 36th goal of the season at 2:00 of the third. . . . He also drew an assist on F Matt Pufahl's goal, his 12th, on a first-period 5-on-3. . . . F Marcus Messier got the Chiefs to within 3-2 at 13:51 of the third, but the visitors couldn't beat G Austin Lotz for the equalizer. Lotz finished with 16 stops. . . . This was the eighth time these teams have met this season and it was the first time Spokane didn't open with G Eric Williams. Instead, Garret Hughson got the start and he finished with 23 saves. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL's leading scorer, was held pointless. . . . Winquist has career highs in goals, assists (40) and points (76), all in 51 games. Last season, in 51 games, he had 51 points, 24 of them goals. He now has 199 career regular-season points in 285 games. . . . . . . The Chiefs continue to be without F Liam Stewart (foot). . . . The Chiefs will play eight of their next 10 at home. . . . The Silvertips (27-21-8) are seventh in the Western Conference, one point behind the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Chiefs (32-19-5) are fifth, six points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and six ahead of Vancouver. . . .

In Swift Current, G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 24 shots to help the Broncos to a 3-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Finnish sophomore has four shutouts this season and five in his career. . . . This was the first time this season that Brandon was blanked. . . . F Nathan Burns ended a scoreless game with a shorthanded goal at 1:47 of the second period. He's got 21 goals this season. . . . Broncos D Brycen Martin had two goals, giving him six. . . . Brandon was 0-for-8 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-for-3. . . . These teams have met four times since Jan. 17 and in each instance they were playing for first place in the East Division. They evenly split the four games. . . . The are scheduled to meet again March 2 in Swift Current. . . . The Broncos (28-21-8) now lead the East Division, by two points over the Wheat Kings (28-21-6). . . . How important is first place in the division? As the leader, the Broncos are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference at the moment. The Wheat Kings now are sixth, two points behind the Kootenay Ice and one ahead of the Regina Pats.
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From Vancouver freelancer Dickson Liong (@DLLiong): "Former Lethbridge assistant coach Brad Lukowich on his release: 'It's for the good of (both parties). There are no hard feelings.' "
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From Darren Steinke (@MHND_Steinke) of the Medicine Hat News: "The sister of #Medhat Tigers centre Markus Eisenschmid is @TEisenschmid #23 on Germany's women's Olympic team."

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Reinhart, Valk put streaks on line tonight

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Stefan Warg (Seattle, Prince Albert, 2008-10) signed a two-year deal with Skellefteå (Sweden, SEL) and is to join the team immediately. This season, he had one assist in 21 games with the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) and two assist in three games with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). . . .
F Eric Schneider (Tri-City, 1995-96) has signed for the rest of this season with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Bentley, Alta., Generals (Chinook Sr.), he had five points, including three goals, in two games. Last season with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL), he had nine points, three of them goals, in 13 games. He started last season with Bentley, putting up 13 points, including three goals, in 10 games and then signed with Hamburg to finish season.
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Everett is off to Kent, Wash., for a game against the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent) tonight. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips were short five forwards at practice on Monday, with Logan Aasman (finger), Manraj Hayer (undisclosed), Jujhar Khaira (undisclosed), Zane Jones (undisclosed) and Tyler Sandhu (undisclosed) all sitting out. All are likely to sit out again tonight. . . . Patterson also notes that D Ben Betker (undisclosed) practised Monday and may play tonight.
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D Dylan Busenius of the Saskatoon Blades is scheduled to play in his 300th regular-season game later this week. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
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TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have lost eight of their last 10 games and find themselves eight points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot as they play host to the Swift Current Broncos tonight. The Broncos lead the season series 4-1-1. . . . Andrew Schopp of the Prince Albert Daily Herald looks at the Raiders’ recent struggles right here. . . . The Eastern Conference is going to be rather interesting down the stretch and the three-point games are likely to have a huge impact. Going into tonight’s play, the Edmonton Oil Kings have 75 points and the Calgary Hitmen have 70. After that, it’s the Medicine Hat Tigers (61), Brandon Wheat Kings and Swift Current (60), Regina Pats (59), Kootenay Ice (58) and Red Deer Rebels (57). They all have played 51, 52 or 53 games. . . . While the Raiders are bordering on next-year country, the Moose Jaw Warriors, Saskatoon Blades and Lethbridge Hurricanes already are there. In the Western Conference, the Kamloops Blazers won’t make the playoffs, while the Prince George Cougars, who are six points out with 17 games remaining, have a tough task ahead of them. . . . All told, 16 of the WHL’s 22 teams have winning percentages above .500. That number was 17 before Prince Albert’s tailspin took them to 23-25-3. . . . F Nikita Scherbak, the WHL’s leading freshman scorer, remains out of Saskatoon’s lineup as the Blades are in Cranbrook to meet the Kootenay Ice tonight. . . . F Sam Reinhart of the Ice takes a 10-game point streak into that game while, in Regina, F Curtis Valk of the Medicine Hat Tigers goes into tonight’s game with the Pats on a 10-game run. Reinhart has 18 points, including eight goals, in those 10 games, while Valk has 15 points, 10 of them goals. It’s the second time this season that Valk has put together a 10-game streak. . . . The longest point streak this season, 18 games, belongs to Everett F Josh Winquist.

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Rockets run table in East Division

THE MacBETH REPORT:


D Logan Pyett (Regina, 2003-08) was traded by Vityaz Podolsk to Admiral Vladivostok (both Russia, KHL) for F Mathias Porseland. In 33 games with Vityaz Podolsk, Pyett had five goals and five assists. . . .


D Nikolai Ladygin (Medicine Hat, Tri-City, 2001-02) has signed for the rest of this season with the Hull Stingrays (England, UK Elite). He started this season with the Generals Kiev (Ukraine, PHL); no statistics are available. Last season, he had six points, two of them goals, in 35 games with Yuzhny Ural Orsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga).
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The WHL’s Christmas no-trade period began at midnight on Sunday and runs through midnight on Dec. 27.
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TUESDAY:
In Prince Albert, F Bryson Gore broke a 2-2 tie with two third-period goals to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . F Reid Gardiner pulled the Raiders into a 2-2 tie at 3:14 of the third period. . . . Gore than struck for his fourth and fifth goals of the season, at 12:06 and 18:28, the latter into an empty net. . . . Raiders D Dylan Busenius got his side to within one at 19:21 of the third. . . . The Warriors, who have won two in a row, had three defencemen — Travis Brown, Jesse Forsberg and Reid Zalitach — each get two assists. . . . The Raiders have lost seven in a row and now are tied with the Red Deer Rebels for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . 

In Swift Current, the Broncos overcame an early 2-0 deficit with five straight goals and went on to dump the Kamloops Blazers, 6-3. . . . Kamloops got PP goals from F Cole Ully and F Aspen Sterzer at 11:10 and 11:51 of the first. . . . Ully has 15 goals; Sterzer has 14. . . . The Blazers were without F Chase Souto who suffered a suspected brain injury in a fight with F Bryson Gore of the host Moose Jaw Warriors on Sunday. . . . F Colby Cave got the Broncos even with his 19th and 20th goals, at 3:35 and 10:47 of the second. The latter came via the PP. . . . Cave also had an assist, while F Graham Black had three helpers. . . . F Collin Shirley had two assists for Kamloops. . . . The Blazers finished 3-3-0 on their East Division swing, but lost the last two. . . . The Broncos had lost four in a row. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Kelowna Rockets finished running the East Division table as they dropped the Blades, 7-1. . . . Kelowna, which has won 12 in a row, went 6-0 on its East Division trek. . . . The Rockets set a franchise record with their 13th straight road victory. . . . Kelowna (28-3-2) leads the overall standings by eight points over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Blades have lost 11 straight. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s last six goals. . . . F Carter Rigby scored twice for Kelowna, while D Mitchell Wheaton had a goal and three assists and F Rourke Chartier, who is from Saskatoon, had a goal and two helpers. . . . Kelowna held a 51-28 edge in shots. . . . Rockets G Jackson Whistle stopped 27 shots. . . . Kelowna F Myles Bell had a goal and an assist. He totalled seven goals and three assists on the six-game jaunt. Prior to the trip, he had one goal in eight games. . . . The Blades were without F Logan Harland, F Brett Stovin, F Collin Valcourt and F Nick Zajac, all of whom are injured. As well, D Nelson Nogier suffered an undisclosed injury Sunday in Edmonton and, according to the Blades, “is expected to miss several weeks.” . . . Thus, the Blades had three prospects arrive in time for this game. D Turner Ottenbreit, a 16-year-old from Yorkton, Sask., was a 12th-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. F Parker Smyth, 15, was a second-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft, while F Cody Prevost, 16, is a list player. Smyth, from Red Deer, is a nephew to Edmonton Oilers F Ryan Smyth. . . .

In Calgary, the Hitmen scored the game’s first six goals and went on to a 6-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The Hitmen have points in their last 10 games (9-0-1) and now lead the Eastern Conference by two points over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Calgary F Greg Chase scored twice, giving him 19 goals, while F Radel Fazleev had three assists. . . . The Hitmen were 2-for-4 on the PP and also had two shorthanded goals. . . . Earlier Tuesday, the NHL’s Calgary Flames announced they had signed Regina F Morgan Klimchuk to a three-year entry-level contract. Klimchuk, a Calgarian who is out with a hip injury suffered in the Subway Super Series, was the 28th overall pick in the 2013 NHL raft. He has 29 points, including 12 goals, in 26 games. His contract is worth US$832,500. A $92,500 signing bonus is payable each season. The AHL salary is $70,000. . . .

In Edmonton, the Victoria Royals fell behind early but roared back for a 5-3 victory over the Oil Kings, who had won their previous nine games. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 37 shots. . . . Royals F Brandon Magee had a goal, his 12th, and two helpers. The goal was an EN. . . . F Mitch Moroz gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead, with his 21st goal, at 4:30 of the first. . . . F Matt Dykstra, a 16-year-old from Edmonton, pulled Victoria even with his first WHL goal in his third goal this season at 11:37 and F Axel Blomqvist gave the Royals the lead, with his 11th, at 16:36. . . . Victoria scored four straight goals before Edmonton cut the lead to 4-3. . . . The Royals took the game’s first five minor penalties, all in the second period, but surrendered only one PP goal. . . . Victoria went 3-1-1 on a road swing that featured stops in Vancouver, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Edmonton. . . . The Royals are tied for third with the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference, just two points behind the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Oil Kings trail the Eastsern Conference-leading Calgary Hitmen by two points. . . .

In Cranbrook, Lethbridge F Reid Duke scored the only goal of the shootout as the Hurricanes got past the Kootenay Ice, 5-4. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski had stopped 27 straight shootout attempts when Duke scored. . . . The Ice led this one 3-1 at 4:16 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge tied it on goals by F Kolten Olynek, at 10:04 of the first, and Duke, at 14:20, on the PP. . . . F Tim Bozon gave the Ice a 4-3 lead with his 11th goal at 14:51 of the second. . . . F Giorgio Estephan pulled Lethbridge even, with his sixth goal, at 10:20 of the third. . . . The Ice was able to dress only 15 skaters, while the Hurricanes went with 17. . . . Kootenay is without D Jagger Dirk, F Ryan Chynoweth, D Tanner Faith and D Rinat Valiev, all out with injuries, and F Sam Reinhart, who is with Canada’s national junior team. . . . Attendance was 1,934. According to Jef Hollick, the Ice’s radio voice, it was the “smallest crowd in team history.” . . .

In Red Deer, F Lukas Sutter scored twice and F Conner Bleackley had a goal and two assists as the Rebels beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-2. . . . F Curtis Valk opened the scoring for the Tigers, getting his 15th goal, on the PP, at 1:33 of the second. . . . The Rebels scored the next four goals, with Sutter getting his sixth and seventh, and Bleackley adding his 17th. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak kicked out 46 shots. . . . Red Deer was without four of its top six scorers — F Matt Bellerive, F Rhyse Dieno and F Brooks Maxwell are injured, while F Dominik Volek is in the Czech Republic national junior team’s selection camp. . . . Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate, also reports that Red Deer F Vukie Mpofu left after the warmup. Mpofu a 17-year-old freshman, was injured during a Monday practice and apparently aggravated the injury during the warmup. . . . F Brayden Burke, a 16-year-old from Edmonton, made his WHL debut with the Rebels. He was a seventh-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . The Rebels have won three straight and now are tied with the Prince Albert Raiders for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Branden Troock scored twice and set up another as the host Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Tri-City Americans, 5-2. . . . Troock, who was plus-4, has 7 goals. . . . F Alexander Delnov helped Seattle with a goal, his 16th, and three assists. He was plus-4. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp, the third member of that line, had one goal, his fifth, and also was plus-4. . . . Seattle is 9-1-0 in its last 10 and is just four points behind the U.S. Division-leading Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Thunderbirds dressed 16 skaters. Among the scratches was F Keegan Kolesar, who took a headshot from Portland F Brendan Leipsic on Saturday. Leipsic drew a seven-game suspension. . . . The Americans have lost four in a row. . . .

In Portland, F Josh Winquist scored twice as the Everett Silvertips halted a four-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Silvertips had lost six of seven. They also had dropped 16 straight regular-season decisions in Portland. . . . Winquist, whose second goal was into an empty net, has 26 goals. . . . According to the WHL website, Everett G Austin Lotz made 14 saves in the game’s first 26:37, then was replaced by Daniel Cotton, who stopped seven of nine shots. . . . According to the Everett Herald, Lotz was injured “after taking a knee to head from Portland’s Shane McColgan.” The Herald has the injury occurring late in the first period, with Lotz not returning for the second. Lotz, according to the newspaper, stopped all seven shots he saw, with Cotton coming in to stop 13 of 15. . . . Earlier in the day, Portland F Brendan Leipsic was suspended for seven games for a headshot on Seattle F Keegan Kolesar. Leipsic, who has 43 points, 20 of them goals, in 29 games, will be eligible to return on Jan. 8 against the host Silvertips. . . . Leipsic served a three-game suspension earlier this season


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