Blazers won't replace departed coach ... Iverson inks pro deal ... Will Hossa have to retire?

F Rodrigo Ābols (Portland, 2015-17) has signed a two-year contract with Örebro (Sweden, SHL). Last season, with he had one assist in two games with the Portland WInterhawks (WHL), then moved east and had 18 goals and 32 assists in 52 games with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL). . . .

D Dalton Yorke (Kelowna, Prince Albert, Tri-City, 2012-17) has signed a one-year contract with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had 15 assists in 72 games with Tri-City. Yorke has dual German-Canadian citizenship. . . .

F Filip Ahl (Regina, 2016-17) has signed a one-year contract with Örebro (Sweden, SHL). Last season, he had 28 goals and 20 assists in 54 games with Regina.

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The Kamloops Blazers revealed on Tuesday that they won’t be replacing veteran assistant coach Terry Bangen. He left to join the Worcester Railers, an expansion team that will begin play in the ECHL in 2017-18.
Jamie Russell, who is a Kamloops native, is the general manager and head coach in Worcester and was able to get Bangen to head east.

The remainder of the Blazers’ coaching staff will remain intact, with Don Hay back for a fourth season. Hay will go into the 2017-18 season with 720 regular-season coaching victories, just 22 shy of the record held by Ken Hodge, who coached with the original Edmonton Oil Kings and the Portland Winterhawks.

Mike Needham is returning for a fourth season as Hay’s lead assistant, while Chris Murray is back for a fourth season in a part-time role. Dan De Palma will begin an eighth season as the club’s goaltending coach.

As well, Colin (Toledo) Robinson returns for a 13th season as the team’s athletic trainer. This will be his 22nd season in the WHL.

The Blazers also will have Matt Recchi back as the director of player personnel, with Ken Fox returning as head scout.

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F Keegan Iverson, the captain of last season’s Portland Winterhawks, has signed an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign, which is affiliated with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. . . . Iverson played 293 regular-season games over six seasons with the Winterhawks. He put up 190 points, including 80 goals. . . . Last season, as a 20-year-old, he had 26 goals and 44 assists in 55 games. . . . He also played for the Winterhawks as they won the WHL’s 2013 championship. . . . From St. Louis Park, Minn., Iverson was selected by the New York Rangers in the third round of the NHL’s 2014 draft but they never signed him.

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Stefan Burzan of Surrey, B.C., is the new general manager of the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He takes over from Rob Evers, who now is the team’s head coach. . . . Burzan, 22, was a sixth-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL’s 2009 bantam draft and played two games with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2011-12. . . . He presently is a business student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

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Hockey Canada has invited about 200 players and all kinds of support staff to various summer camps. For more info, including rosters, check out Hockey Canada’s website. At the same time, let’s banish all thoughts about summer hockey being a nuisance and admit that when the governing body gets involved like this it officially is declaring hockey a year-round thing. So, kids, forget about playing more than one sport and forget about golfing and fishing and ice cream at the Snack Shack. Hey, get back into the gym, then get the blades sharpened and hit the ice. There no longer is an off-season when it comes to hockey.

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Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada has filed his weekly 30 Thoughts, and he leads with a piece on former Portland Winterhawks F Marian Hossa. Friedman reports that Hossa has developed a nasty allergy, one that involves the hockey gear that he wears, and may have to retire. . . . That, and so much more, is right here.

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The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have named Jim Midgley as their new head coach. He takes over from Andre Tourigny, who left to become head coach of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. . . . Midgley spent the past six seasons with as an assistant coach in Halifax, one working alongside Tourigny and five with Dominique Ducharme. . . . Midgley also has been on the coaching staff of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, as well as the Acadia U Axemen.

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Kyle Adams is the new head coach of the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. Adams has junior A coaching experience in B.C., Alberta and the Maritimes. . . . He spent last season with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs as assistant GM/associate coach. . . . The Thunder recently underwent an ownership change. . . . Adams takes over from Jesse Dorrans, who resigned in May.

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Sissons hero as Broncos beat favoured Pats again ... Record for Portland's captain? ... Laxdal staying put

A question for WHL fans: Is F Keegan Iverson, the captain of the Portland Winterhawks, the first player in WHL history to play in at least one playoff game in each of six consecutive seasons? He dressed for one game as a 15-year-old. Now finishing up his 20-year-old season, he will play in his 69th career playoff game tonight at home against the Kelowna Rockets.

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On Friday, Sheldon Kennedy was in Red Deer taking part in a celebrity dance off that raised around $1 million for the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary and Central Alberta’s Sexual Assault Support Centre, which soon will have a child advocacy centre under its roof. . . . On Monday, Kennedy was in Winnipeg where the Manitoba government announced that the Respect in Schools program, which has been in Manitoba schools since 2011, has been renewed for three years and is to expand into First Nations and private schools. The program was developed by a group that was co-founded by Kennedy and Wayne McNeil. . . . Yes, it really is time for the WHL to add an award to its roster, one named in Kennedy’s honour, one that would go to a WHL grad who is making a difference.

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I would suggest that the next head coach of the Vancouver Canucks rent and not buy green bananas. Yes, Willie Desjardins, who was fired as head coach on Monday morning, deserved better, but such is the nature of the beast. The two men responsible for the roster, Trevor Linden and Jim Benning, provided Desjardins with a hodge-podge of players with which no one could have won. Then, when the season was over, Linden and Benning tsk-tsked and said all the right things, while Desjardins was kicked out the door. In truth, a coaching staff comprising Scotty Bowman, Toe Blake and Joel Quenneville couldn’t have brought that roster home any higher than 29th.

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One more thing about the Vancouver Canucks — it won’t be much better, if at all, next season. Unfortunately, the Sedin twins are a year past their best-before date and their ice time needs to go to younger players. But that’s not likely to happen before 2018-19. . . . Hey, Canucks fans, just don’t go having a drink every time you are told to “be patient” over the next two years.

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I don’t know what it means, if anything, but the Vancouver Canucks, under the ownership of Francesco Aquilini, and the Dallas Stars, who are owned by Tom Gaglardi, both fired their head coaches after failing to make the NHL playoffs this season. You may recall that Aquilini and Gaglardi once were part of a triumvirate, with Ryan Beedie, that hoped to purchase the Canucks. Aquilini went rogue and purchased the franchise on his own. Gaglardi sued, lost, and ultimately purchased the Stars out of bankruptcy. Unfortunately, things haven’t turned out the way either man had hoped.

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A note from Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post: “Good news: The Stanley Cup playoffs begin Wednesday. Bad news: At least two months of hockey panels. Please send all participants to the panel-ty box.”

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One more Vanstone-ian observation: “WHL officiating is maddeningly erratic in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the Regina Pats-Swift Current Broncos series on Friday, the referees were basically out for a skate. One night later, Game 2 was called by the book. Even so, an obvious check from behind was overlooked shortly before a lesser infraction led to a power play.”

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A lot of observers have Travis Green pencilled in as the next head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. After all, he is the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. But why not Mike Johnston, who is in his second go-round with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks? Yes, he was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he had a 58-37-15 record with them. Oh, he also owns a home in Blaine, Wash., which is just a slapshot from Vancouver.

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There now are five head-coaching vacancies in the NHL. Gotta think Ken Hitchcock gets one of them.

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A year ago, the Florida Panthers were seen as one of the NHL’s top, young teams. Then someone decided to juggle the deck chairs and now they’re a mess and out of the playoffs. Dale Tallon was in charge, then he wasn’t, now he is. But the scouting staff that had such a good track record is gone now, and there’s isn’t a head coach. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to put this Humpty Dumpty back together again.

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Olten (Switzerland, NL B) has announced that F Codey Burki (Brandon, 2002-07) has retired. Burki hasn’t recovered from a concussion suffered in practice in October 2015 and hasn’t played in a game since. In 2015-16, he was pointless in three games. . . .

F Petr Stoklasa (Tri-City, 2007-09) has signed a one-year extension with Val Vanoise Méribel (France, Division 1). This season, in 24 games, he had 13 goals and 18 assists. He also was the team captain.

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Derek Laxdal, a former head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, will return for a fourth season as head coach of the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars that plays out of Cedar Park, Texas. . . . Laxdal signed a three-year contract prior to the 2014-15 season. Although there is no news on a new deal, the organization has confirmed that he will return. . . . The Stars are 112-83-30 under Laxdal, although they won’t make the playoffs this season. After a 3-1 loss to the Charlotte Checkers on Sunday, they are 32-36-5. . . . Laxdal spent four seasons (2010-14) as head coach of the Oil Kings, winning two WHL titles and a Memorial Cup. Edmonton won at least 50 games in each of his last three seasons. In the four seasons, the Oil Kings were 182-83-23.

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Red Berenson has retired after 33 seasons as head coach of the U of Michigan Wolverines. He had an 848-426-92 record and won national titles in 1996 and 1998. . . . This season, the Wolverines were 13-19-3. . . . Berenson, 77, is a native of Regina. He played two seasons (1956-58) with the Pats, who then were in the SJHL, before playing three seasons at Michigan. He followed that with a pro career that ended after the 1977-78 season. He coached six seasons in the NHL before taking over as the Wolverines’ head coach for the 1984-85 season. . . . Berenson will remain with Michigan as an advisor to the athletic director.

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The Washington Capitals have signed F Beck Malenstyn of the Calgary Hitmen to a three-year entry-level contract. He was a fifth-round selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft. From Delta, B.C., Malenstyn had career highs in goals (32) and assists (24) this season.

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MORE ON THE MOVE: The Prince George Cougars now have five players off the roster in the AHL with F Jesse Gabrielle having joined the Providence Bruins. Gabrielle signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Boston Bruins in December. . . . Other Cougars in the AHL are F Radovan Bondra (Rockford IceHogs), D Brendan Guhle (Rochester Americans), F Jansen Harkins (Manitoba Moose) and F Colby McAuley (San Jose Barracuda). These four all played AHL games over the weekend. . . . Meanwhile, F Adam Musil of the Red Deer Rebels has joined the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.

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Ryan Miller, a former NFL offensive lineman, is working to piece his life back together. Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post writes: “Miller, 27, is finally speaking out about his tears, his migraines, his memory loss, his seizures, his depression, his anger, his compassion and, now, his hope. Almost two years after he was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome (PCS), he’s finally finding his way back to normalcy, or as close as he can get to it.” . . . Miller also has received help from former WHL enforcer Scott Parker and his wife, Francesca, who have started an organization, Parkers Platoon, that, Jhabvala writes, “was developed to help veterans, athletes and others cope with the symptoms of PCS and traumatic brain injury.” . . . Jhabvala’s complete story is right here.

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MONDAY’S GAME:

#WHL #REGvsSC:  @SCBroncos Colby Sissons is team's first defenseman to score playoff game winning goal of any type since Ian White, 3/23/04.

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) April 11, 2017

At Swift Current, D Colby Sissons scored at 1:46 of OT to give the Broncos a 2-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The Broncos lead the series, 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Swift Current. . . . This

COLBY SISSONS

was the second OT game of the series. The Broncos had won Game 1 on Thursdsay, 2-1, on a goal by F Ryley Lindgren at 15:12 of extra time. . . . Last night, Sissons gathered the puck in his zone and skated it up ice before firing a 56-foot wrist shot that beat G Tyler Brown through the legs as he was going to the ice. . . . Sissons, who turned 19 on Jan. 15, scored six goals in 63 games in the regular season. He has two goals in 10 playoff games. . . . F Dawson Leedahl’s fourth goal of the playoffs gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 3:03 of the second period. . . . The Broncos tied it at 5:10 when F Conner Chaulk, who is from Regina, scored his first goal, on a PP. . . . Sissons won it with the only shot by either team in OT. . . . Geoffrey Brandow noted on Twitter that Sissons is the first Swift Current defenceman to score an OT goal in a playoff game since Rocky Thompson beat the host Red Deer Rebels, 3-2, on April 4, 1997. . . . The Broncos got 33 saves from G Jordan Papirny on his 21st birthday. . . . Brown finished with 31 saves. . . . Swift Current was 1-4 on the PP; Regina was 0-2. . . . The Broncos were without F Mackenzie Wight and he also will miss Game 4. He was hit with a two-game suspension under supplemental discipline, having been held responsible for the hit on which Regina F Adam Brooks was injured in Game 2. . . . Brooks, with 250 points and a WHL scoring title over the past two seasons, made the trip to Swift Current with the Pats, who also were without F Filip Ahl for a second straight game. . . . Regina dressed F Kjell Kjemhus, 15, and had F Duncan Pierce back after he missed five weeks with a hairline fracture to an ankle. . . . With Wight gone, the Broncos put D Dom Schmiemann back into their lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890.

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TUESDAY GAMES (all times local):

Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 2-0)

Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m. (Swift Current leads, 2-1)

Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m. (Kelowna leads, 2-0)

Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

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Royals get two positive tests . . . Blazers' pick joining Vees . . . Pats clinch top spot

The Victoria Royals confirmed on Monday that head coach Dave Lowry and D Mitchell Prowse have tested positive for mumps. At the same time, D Ralph Jarratt was cleared.

The team made the announcement on its Facebook page.

Lowry and Prowse, who had been isolated from the team as it awaited the test results, are expected to rejoin the Royals this week in preparation for a weekend home-and-home series with the Everett Silvertips.

Jarratt, meanwhile, is shown on the WHL’s weekly roster report as being out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

According to the team’s statement, “no further members of the Royals organization have been infected by the virus. Both Lowry and Prowse have recovered from their mild symptoms and have cleared the contagious stage.”

Lowry missed a third straight game on Tuesday as the Royals dropped a 5-3 decision to the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. With Lowry missing, assistant coach Dan Price again ran the bench, with help from assistant Doug Bodger, who usually works only home games.

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It seems that the mumps outbreak also has touched the BCHL.

Taking Note has been told that a player with the Penticton Vees was diagnosed with mumps two weeks ago. He was quickly isolated and the viral disease doesn’t appear to have spread within the organization.

The player in question returned to practice this week.

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F Massimo Rizzo will be joining the BCHL’s Penticton Vees for the remainder of their playoff run that begins Friday against the Merritt Centennials.

MASSIMO RIZZO

Rizzo was a first-round selection, 15th overall, by the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He played in three games with the Vees during the regular season.

Last season, Rizzo put up 137 points, including 60 goals, in 61 games with the Burnaby Winter Club’s Tier 1 bantam team. This season, with the BWC midget prep team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, he had 78 points, including 59 assists, in 43 games. Rizzo’s club will conclude its season this weekend, after which he will join the Vees.

Rizzo was pointless in his first three games with the Vees. Of course, F Tyson Jost didn’t get a point in his first three games with the Vees, either, when he was an AP in 2013-14 while playing for the major midget Okanagan Rockets.

Jost went on to enjoy 45- and 104-point seasons with the Vees before being the 10th overall selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2016 draft. Jost now is completing his freshman season at North Dakota.

The Hockey News, in its Future Watch issue, wrote: “. . . college coaches are swooning for him. Some say he’s better than Tyson Jost at the same age.”

Rizzo spent some time in mid-February on the U of Wisconsin campus in Madison. Maco Balkovec, his coach at BWC, was a Wisconsin defenceman for four seasons (1991-95).

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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Conrad Mitchell, who was a seventh-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. From Thorsby, Alta., Mitchell played this season with the minor midget AAA Leduc Oil Kings, recording 35 points, 17 of them goals, in 35 games. 

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G Austin McGrath, 19, has committed to Cornell where he will play for the Big Red. McGrath, from Lloydminster, Alta., was a fourth-round selection by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. His WHL rights later ended up with the Edmonton Oil Kings, who dealt them to the Everett Silvertips on May 11 for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . McGrath played this season with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats.

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet spent the past week hunting and gathering. The result is the latest edition of 30 Thoughts and it’s right here.

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Rob Daum, a former WHL coach, has been dropped by the Linz Black Wings of the Erste Bank 

Eishockey Liga after six seasons as their head coach. Daum, 59, was under contract with the Austrian club through 2017-18. . . . The Black Wings were eliminated from the Erste Banke playoffs on March 7. . . . Under Daum, the Black Wings won the EBEL championship in 2011-12, his first season with them. . . . With 237 victories during his time with Linz, Daum is No. 1 on the Erste Bank career list. He also was the league’s longest-serving coach. . . . “We are of the opinion that the club . . . needs a new direction after six years under the same coaching,” team president Peter Freunschlag said in a news release. . . . Daum coached in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders, Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1989-95).

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Dean Blais won’t be returning for a ninth season as head coach of the U of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. Blais and the school’s athletic department made the announcement Tuesday. . . . Blais, 66, was 146-133-30 with the Mavericks, appeared in two NCAA tournaments and reached the Frozen Four on one occasion. This season, UNO was 17-17-5. . . . UNO’s season ended Sunday with a ?? OT loss to the Western Michigan Mustangs, after which Blais seemed to indicate that he would be returning. It would appear, however, that something changed between then and Tuesday morning. . . . During a 10-season (1994-2004) stint at North Dakota, Blais won two NCAA championships. . . . Adam Wodon of College Hockey News has a whole lot more right here.

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Matt Keetley wins the 50-50? Can they put him in goal?

— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) March 15, 2017

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If the playoffs began today . . . 

Eastern Conference

Regina vs. Calgary

Medicine Hat vs. Brandon

Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current

Lethbridge vs. Red Deer

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Western Conference

Seattle vs. Tri-City

Prince George vs. Victoria

Kelowna vs. Kamloops

Everett vs. Portland

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

BWK fall 6-3 to SC Broncos. Scored 3 or fewer goals in 12 of last 15 games. 3 they've scored more than 3 have been their only 3 wins. #bdnmb

— Bruce Luebke (@bluebkemedia) March 15, 2017

At Brandon, the Swift Current Broncos broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of goals 53 seconds apart late in the second period en route to a 6-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Broncos started with a pair of first-

CONNER CHAULK

period PP goals, from D Artyom Minulin (8), at 11:31, and F Tyler Steenbergen, at 17:54. . . . Steenbergen leads the WHL with 51 goals. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it on two second-period goals, 37 seconds apart, from F Tanner Kaspick (19), at 0:26, and F Nolan Patrick (20), at 1:03. . . . F Riley Stotts (8) snapped the tie at 15:46 and F Lane Pederson (24) made it 4-2 at 16:39. . . . The Broncos went ahead 5-2 when F Glenn Gawdin (25) counted at 6:32 of the third period. . . . Brandon F Ty Lewis scored his 30th goal, at 7:32. . . . The Broncos ended the scoring as F Arthur Miller (7) struck on a PP, at 12:19. . . . The Broncos got three assists from F Conner Chaulk and two from F Ryley Lindgren, with Pederson, Steenbergen and Minulin each had one. . . . Lewis added an assist to his goal. . . . The Broncos got 24 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . G Jordan Papirny, who played the first four-plus seasons of his WHL career with Brandon, wasn't able to make the trip east due to illness. He now has sat out three straight games. . . . With Papirny out, the Broncos had Bailey Brkin on the bench. The 6-foot-4 Brkin, 17, is from Sherwood Park, Alta. He played this season with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson stopped 36 shots. . . . Swift Current was 3-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-2. . . . D Kale Clague was among Brandon’s scratches, while D Aiden Mucenski made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings. Mucenski, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, is from Calgary. He had 20 points, 19 of them assists, with the midget AAA Calgary Flames this season. . . . D Colton Sissons was among Swift Current scratches. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Tyler Coulter to a charging major and game misconduct at 13:38 of the first period for a hit on Broncos F Kaden Elder. . . . The Broncos (38-21-10) have won three in a row. They also have won six straight on the road. Swift Current is third in the East Division, five points Moose Jaw with each team having three games remaining. They will wrap up the regular season with a home-and-home series on the weekend. . . . The Wheat Kings (30-29-10) have lost 12 of their past 15 games. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,009. . . . The Wheat Kings completed the roster of their 50th anniversary Dream Team with Ray Allison (1975-79), Bill Derlago (1974-78) and Brian Propp (1976-79) on the first line, with Brad McCrimmon (1976-79) and Ivan Provorov (2014-16) on the first defence pairing and Ron Hextall (1981-84) in goal.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Colton Kehler scored at 1:17 of OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory

COLTON KEHLER

over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Kehler has 17 goals this season. . . . This was Edmonton’s first victory since Feb. 15 when Kehler’s OT goal gave the Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the visiting Ice. . . . F Brett Davis (18) gave the home side a 1-0 lead 51 seconds into the second period. . . . Edmonton tied it when F Tyson Gruninger scored his second goal of the season at 19:46. . . . The Ice went back in front on F Jake Elmer’s seventh goal, at 4:46 of the third period. . . . Edmonton forced OT when F Davis Koch scored No. 21 at 6:51. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine blocked 20 shots. . . . The Ice got 32 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Edmonton was 0-1 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-2. . . . The Oil Kings (21-43-6) have lost their previous 12 games (0-10-2). . . . The Ice (14-43-12) has lost seven in a row (0-5-2). . . . Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 1,672.

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Butcher got a haircut. Says he should be a few MPH faster out there now

— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) March 15, 2017

At Medicine Hat, the Red Deer Rebels scored three shorthanded goals, two on the same penalty, en

BRANDON HAGEL

route to an 8-3 victory over the Tigers. . . . Red Deer, which clinched a playoff spot, broke it open with four goals, including two shorties, in a span of 2:15 in the third period. . . . The Tigers actually held a 2-1 lead halfway through the game, thanks to a pair of PP goals. . . . F Matt Bradley (34) gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 8:34 of the first period. . . . The Rebels tied it when F Lane Zablocki got his 27th goal, shorthanded, on a penalty shot, at 7:38 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat went back out front at 7:53 as F Zach Fischer got his 34th goal. . . . F Brandon Hagel got the Rebels even, again, at 10:34 and F Jordan Roy’s third goal put the visitors in front at 17:25. . . . Hagel’s 27th goal, at 6:42 of the third period, started the Red Deer explosion. . . . F Austin Glover scored his 21st at 7:46, with F Evan Polei (32) and F Michael Spacek (29) scoring shorties at 8:37 and 8:57, respectively. . . . F Max Gerlach added a PP goal for the Tigers, at 9:25, before Roy scored again, at 13:12. . . . Red Deer got three assists from D Jared Freadrich and two each from F Matt Campese and Hagel, with Polei, Glover and Spacek adding one each. . . . Hagel’s four-point night made him a point-a-game guy, with 63 points in 62 games. . . . Gerlach and Bradley had assists for the Tigers. . . . G Lasse Petersen earned the victory with 37 saves. . . . The Tigers got 14 saves on 18 shots from starter Michael Bullion, in 51:02, while Nick Schneder allowed four goals on seven shots in 8:57. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Rebels (29-28-12) are 4-0-2 in their past six games. They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Tigers (49-20-1) had won their previous three games. They will finish atop the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,089.

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At Moose Jaw, F Simon Stransky’s 20th goal at 1:29 of OT gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 3-2 victory

SIMON STRANSKY

over the Warriors. . . . D Max Martin’s eighth goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 4:13 of the first period. . . . The Warriors tied it on D Dmitri Zaitsev’s second goal, on a PP, at 14:15. . . . The next two goals came in the third period. . . . F Parker Kelly (20) gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead at 3:09. . . . The Warriors forced extra time when F Noah Gregor got No. 25, at 18:54, with G Zach Sawchenko on the bench for an extra attacker. . . . F Curtis Miske had two assists for Prince Albert, while Kelly had one. . . . The Raiders got a big night from G Nick Schneider with 41 saves. . . . At the other end, Sawchenko stopped 31 shots. . . . The game featured two penalty shots, neither of which was successful. F Cavin Leth of the Raiders came up empty at 8:08 of the first period, with F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Warriors coming up short at 17:36 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-1 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . The Raiders improved to 20-43-7. . . . The Warriors (41-19-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and remain second in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,013.

——

PATS WIN!!!!! @TheWHL REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS! 5-4 THE FINAL SCORE!!!#JoinTheRegiment pic.twitter.com/LccxHvXhad

— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 15, 2017

At Regina, F Sam Steel and F Adam Brooks, the Pats’ big guns, combined for six points as the Pats beat

CONNOR HOBBS

the Saskatoon Blades, 5-4, to clinch first place in the WHL’s overall standings. . . . The Pats last finished atop the overall standings in the spring of 1974. That year, they went on to win the Memorial Cup at the Corral in Calgary. . . . Steel scored his 49th goal and added two assists, with Brooks chipping in three assists. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 127 points, seven more than Brooks, who won last season’s scoring title with 120 points. . . . Brooks leads the WHL in assists (81), three more than Steel. . . . The Blades, who are fighting for their playoff lives, took a 3-1 lead into the second period. . . . F Caleb Fantillo (5) gave Saskatoon a lead at 3:04 of the first period. . . . F Nick Henry (34) tied it with a PP goal at 5:38. . . . The Blades took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Dryden Michaud, his first WHL goal in his 27th game, at 16:23, and F Josh Paterson (16), at 16:51. . . . Regina F Jeff de Wit, celebrating his 19th birthday, got the Pats to within a goal with his ninth, at 3:43 of the second period. . . . Steel tied it at 13:37. . . . D Josh Mahura (17) gave Regina its first lead, at 18:16. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs, who also had an assist, scored his 29th goal, on a PP, at 15:22, for a 5-3 lead. Hobbs leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points (81). . . . Saskatoon made it interesting when F Michael Farren scored his seventh goal, on a PP, at 18:43. The Blades held a two-man advantage and then pulled G Logan Flodell for an extra attacker at the time. . . . Fantillo added an assist to his goal. . . . G Tyler Brown earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . Flodell stopped 30 shots. . . . Regina was 2-7 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-7. . . . The Pats (49-12-8) have won five in a row and have tied a franchise record with 49 victories. . . . The Blades (27-34-9) have lost three straight. They are three points out of a playoff spot and have just two games remaining. . . . Regina went 5-0-1 in the season series. . . . Announced attendance: 4,695.

——

At Kennewick, Wash., F Keegan Iverson ran his point streak to 10 games as he scored twice to help the

KEEGAN IVERSON

Portland Winterhawks to a 6-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Winterhawks (39-27-4) are third in the U.S. Division, three points clear of the Americans (38-28-3), who have lost five in a row. . . . Tri-City holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Victoria. . . .  Iverson has put together seven two-point games in his past eight outings. In 53 games, he has 68 points, including 25 goals. . . . The Winterhawks took control with the game’s first four goals, three of them in the first period. . . . The first three goals came from F Skyler Mckenzie (42), Iverson, on a PP, and F Lane Gilliss (6). . . . F Jake Gricius (10) made it 4-0 at 6:49 of the second period. . . . F Kyle Olson scored Tri-City’s goal, his 20th, at 12:59 of the third period. . . . Iverson and F Brett Clayton (2) added late goals for Portland. . . . The Winterhawks got two assists from each of D Caleb Jones and F Ilijah Colina, with McKenzie adding one. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler turned aside 35 shots. . . . Tri-City got 31 stops from G Rylan Parenteau. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-6. . . . The Americans lost F Landon Fuller to a charging major and game misconduct at 9:41 of the first period. . . . Announced attendance: 3,092.

——

.@AidanBarfoot will make his WHL debut for @WHLGiants tonight vs. Victoria. Becomes 8th Affiliate Player to suit up for Van this season.

— Brendan Batchelor (@Batchelor1040) March 14, 2017

At Langley, B.C., F James Malm scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 5-3 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Malm, who had two assists in 25 games last season, has 50

JAMES MALM

points, including 20 goals, in 66 games this season. . . . The Giants scored the game’s first two goals, from F Brayden Watts (7), at 3:03 of the first period, and Malm, at 9:48 of the second. . . . Victoria F Matt Phillips got his guys on the scoreboard at 9:58. . . . The Giants got that one back when D Jordan Wharrie got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 14:48. . . . The Royals cut the deficit to one when Phillips scored his 50th goal, on a penalty shot, at 1:16 of the third period. . . . The Giants went back up by two on F Ty Ronning’s 25th goal, at 2:39. . . . The Royals wouldn't go away, though, and F Blake Bargar cut the host’s lead to one with his sixth goal, at 7:06. . . . Malm iced it at 12:18. . . . Watts added two assists to his goal, with F Johnny Wesley and F Calvin Spencer also getting two assists apiece. . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck earned the victory with 39 saves. . . . The Royals got 28 stops from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . Vancouver was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals went 0-4-1 on a five-game road trip that included an introduction to mumps. Head coach Dave Lowry and defencemen Ralph Jarratt and Mitchell Prowse missed the last three games. . . . Victoria D Ryan Gagnon has tied the franchise record for career games played (318). F Brandon Magee played in 66 games with the Chilliwack Bruins and 252 with the Royals. Gagnon will break the record if he plays Friday against the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . F Jack Walker played in his 316th regular-season game with the Royals last night. . . . The Royals won eight of 10 games in the season series. . . . The Giants (20-43-6) had lost their previous eight games (0-7-1). . . . The Royals (37-27-6) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They are in possession of the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, a point ahead of Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 4,158.

FANTASTIC PHILLY! @mattphillips_8 becomes the first Royals player to score 50 goals in a single season with his penalty shot marker! pic.twitter.com/kUR8UqMMUW

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) March 15, 2017

——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Everett at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (ppd., from March 8)

Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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Source: Barzal in isolation . . . Hitmen control playoff spot . . . Winterhawks shock Silvertips

With the WHL playoffs almost upon us, you can bet that those teams headed for the post-season are sweating bullets as they wait and wonder if they will hear from Mr. Mumps.

While the Victoria Royals wait to find out whether mumps has been riding along on their team bus, a source in the Seattle area told Taking Note on Sunday that “indications are that (Mathew) Barzal has the mumps. He’s in isolation as a precautionary measure but signs point to mumps.”

Barzal, arguably the WHL’s best forward, took the warmup prior to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Friday night, but then left for the dressing room and didn’t return. He was said to be experiencing flu-like symptoms. Barzal wasn’t in the lineup on Saturday as the Thunderbirds dumped the Winterhawks in Portland, 6-3.

Barzal has 79 points, including a career-high 69 assists, in 41 games. He began the season with the New York Islanders, who selected him in the first round of the NHL’s 2015 draft.

It seems feasible that any WHL coaches or players who don’t feel well from now through season’s end will be tested for mumps.

The Royals isolated head coach Dave Lowry and one player prior to a 6-2 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday. It now seems that there are at least two players involved. The Victoria Times Colonist has reported that D Ralph Jarratt and D Mitchell Prowse both have experienced flu-like symptoms, have undergone testing for mumps, and have been isolated.

The Royals, who next play Tuesday when they are to meet the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C., are awaiting test results on all three.

“It takes a couple of days and we’re still waiting to hear,” Royals general manager Cam Hope told the Times Colonist. “We’re still crossing our fingers and hoping it isn’t that and that it’s just the flu.”

The Giants lost 4-3 in Kamloops on Saturday. Vancouver chose not to use the new visitors’ dressing room, the same one that had been occupied by the Royals from Wednesday through Friday night. Instead, the Giants operated out of what had been the visitors’ room prior to this season. A new dressing room was built to facilitate the 2016 IIHF World Women’s Championship that was held in Kamloops a year ago.

Prior to this weekend, it was believed the mumps outbreak had been contained in the Eastern Conferece with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers and Swift Current Broncos having had issues.

The NHL’s Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks also have had players diagnosed with the mumps in the past two or three weeks.

——

With the WHL playoffs almost upon us, the Seattle Thunderbirds chose not to take any chances with G Rylan Toth on Saturday night. In a game against the Winterhawks in Portland, Toth stopped all 11 shots he faced in the opening period, but didn’t return for the second period. Originally, I reported that Toth left because of illness. That appears to have been in error. I have since been told that Toth has a “lower-body issue” and that his removal was simply a precaution. The Thunderbirds will be careful with this because he’s their horse and they need him if they are to make a deep run into the spring. Toth leads the WHL in victories — he is 36-18-3 — and is fifth in GAA (2.75) and has a .902 save percentage. . . . On Saturday, G Matt Berlin played the last two periods for Seattle, as the Thunderbirds skated to a 6-3 victory. . . . Seattle, which leads the U.S. Division by one point over the Everett Silvertips, next is scheduled to play Wednesday in Spokane against the Chiefs.

——

D Nolan Orzeck, a Calgarian, has signed with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice. A fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, Orzeck announced via Twitter that he had signed. Orzeck, who turned 16 on Feb. 20, played this season with the midget AAA Calgary Northstars, putting up five goals and six assists in 30 games.

——

F Alex DeBrincat of the OHL’s Erie Otters had his 19-game goal-scoring streak end on Sunday in a 7-0 victory over the host Peterborough Petes. DeBrincat does hold a share of the OHL record for consecutive games with a goal. That record had been held by F Mike Ricci, who did it with the Petes in 1988-89. . . . DeBrincat, who is still riding a 24-game point streak, has 62 goals and 60 assists in 60 games. He leads the OHL scoring race by 18 points over line mate Taylor Raddysh. 

——

A game in the Norwegian League playoffs on Sunday was decided in the eighth overtime period when Joakim Jensen scored to give the host Storhamar Dragons a 2-1 victory over the Sparta Warriors. . . . The Dragons lead the best-of-seven quarterfinal series, 3-2. . . . The game, which lasted 217 minutes 14 seconds, ended at 2:32 a.m. . . .

The longest game in WHL history lasted 136 minutes 56 seconds, with the Kootenay Ice beating the visiting Kamloops Blazers, 3-2, on March 25, 2003. F Colin Sinclair scored the winner in the fourth OT period. It was Game 3 of a first-round playoff series.

The longest game in NHL history was played on March 24, 1936. It ended at 16:30 of the sixth OT as F Mud Bruneteau scored to give the Detroit Red Wings a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Maroons in Game 1 of a 1936 Stanley Cup first-round game.

——

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———

It's embarrassing to see parents yelling at Refs and kids at a Midget AA game. I told a guy to zip it and people cheered. Just Stop already!

— Jason Stephens (@JStephensRD) March 12, 2017

Jason Stephens is the general manager and head coach of the junior B Golden Rockets, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

———

If the playoffs began today . . . 

Eastern Conference

Regina vs. Calgary

Medicine Hat vs. Brandon

Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current

Lethbridge vs. Red Deer

—

Western Conference

Seattle vs. Tri-City

Prince George vs. Victoria

Kelowna vs. Kamloops

Everett vs. Portland

——

SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, the Hitmen took control of an Eastern Conference playoff spot with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen (28-31-10), who have won three straight games, hold down the

MATT DORSEY

conference’s second wild-card spot, three points ahead of the Saskatoon Blades. Calgary is fourth in the Central Division, two points behind the Red Deer Rebels, who hold a game in hand going into the final week of the regular season. . . . Red Deer is to visit the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday, then return home to meet the Hitmen on Wednesday. . . . The Blades will face the Pats in Regina on Tuesday. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky (23) gave the Oil Kings the lead at 14:40 of the first period. . . . Calgary F Tyler Mrkonjic (7) tied it at 18:23. . . . F Lucas Cullen’s fourth goal gave the Hitmen the lead at 16:31 of the second period, but Edmonton tied it 18 seconds later when F Jesse Roach scored his second goal. . . . Calgary put it away with the next three goals. F Matt Dorsey started it with his second goal, at 18:53 of the second period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro added insurance with No. 42 at 16:26, then F Beck Malenstyn (28) added the empty-netter at 19:20. . . . Calgary got two assists from F Jakob Stukel, with Dorsey adding one. . . . Dorsey, a 17-year-old from Wenatchee, Wash., who was a third-round pick in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. He has two goals and three assists in five games this season, after missing the past two seasons thanks to knee problems. . . . The Hitmen got 29 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . G Patrick Dea turned aside 32 shots for the Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 0-2. . . . The Oil Kings (20-43-6) have lost 12 in a row (0-10-2). . . . Announced attendance: 10,143.

——

.@WashWizards You guys in a hurry to leave? 🚮 pic.twitter.com/EleKlMKB3R

— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) March 12, 2017

At Portland, the Winterhawks erased a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the game’s final six minutes to beat

CODY GLASS

the Everett Silvertips, 4-3. . . . F Cody Glass scored his 32nd goal and added two assists in the late flurry. . . . D Caleb Jones (9) scored while shorthanded at 14:21 of the third period to get Portland to within a goal. . . . Glass tied the score at 17:23. . . . F Skyler McKenzie won it with his 41st goal, at 19:47. . . . F Keegan Iverson, Portland’s captain, drew an assist on each of the last two goals. . . . The Silvertips had gotten out of the first period with a 2-0 lead on goals from F Brandson Hein (3), at 2:20, and F Matt Fonteyne (17), at 15:58. . . . The Winterhawks cut into that lead when F Lane Gilliss got his fifth goal, at 11:49 of the second period. . . . Everett F Eetu Tuulola (17) got that one back just 18 seconds later. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 32 shots for the Winterhawks. . . . Everett got 42 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Portland was 0-2 on the PP; Everett was 0-5. . . . The Winterhawks (38-27-4) moved into third in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the the Tri-City Americans, who have four games remaining. Portland has three games left. . . . Tri-City now holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, a point behind the Victoria Royals. . . . The Winterhawks and Americans are to meet Tuesday in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Everett (41-16-11) is second in the U.S. Division, one point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Announced attendance: 9,176.

——

MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

——

TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Edmonton vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Victoria vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Everett at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (ppd., from March 8)

Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

——

THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

——

FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:35 p.m.

Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

——

SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Kelowna vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

——

SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Edmonton, 4 p.m.

Spokane at Portland, 5 p.m.

Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.

Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 5:05 p.m.

END OF REGULAR SEASON 

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Is there local offer for Ice? . . . Russians coming to Swift Current, Moose Jaw . . . Everett back on top

Here's the most awesome thing I've seen in awhile. My buddy Craig Cunningham is making amazing progress in his rehab. This kid is a winner pic.twitter.com/Id0mErdN0y

— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) March 9, 2017

———

As if there was any doubt, we now know — officially — with which side of the Nanaimo arena referendum the WHL is riding.

WHL commissioner Ron Robison was quoted in a statement that was issued Tuesday: “Should (Nanaimo) approve the construction of a new events centre facility (that) meets WHL standards, a WHL franchise will enter into a 20-year lease and begin operating out of the Frank Crane Arena next season.”

That promise is said to be included in a memorandum of understanding agreed to and signed by the City of Nanaimo and the WHL. The league has told the City that a Nanaimo franchise would include ownership “of the highest calibre” and that an ownership group would include a local flavour. However, no specifics were included in the statement.

On Wednesday, a source told Taking Note that “there is an offer, and has been for some time, to keep the Ice in Cranbrook.”

That source claims that a local group has “met the price set by the Chynoweth family, but now has been told by the Chynoweths and the league that the offer won’t be considered until after the results of the referendum are known.”

Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s governor, president and general manager, couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday night.

A referendum will be held in Nanaimo on Saturday, with voters being asked:

“Are you in favour of the City of Nanaimo Council adopting Loan Authorization Bylaw 2017 No. 7237 which will authorize Council to borrow a sum not exceeding $80,000,000, repayable over a period of no more than 20 years, for the development and construction of an event centre that will include an ice arena and other related entertainment, cultural and recreation facilities?”

Taking Note was told a while ago that the WHL is preparing two 2017-18 schedules, one that includes the Ice and one that has a Nanaimo franchise in place of Kootenay.

——

If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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——

The Brandon Wheat Kings were to have played the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Wednesday night, but the game was postponed in the aftermath of what may have been the worst blizzard in that area since 1959. . . . The game was rescheduled for March 15. . . . At the time of the announcement, the Trans-Canada Highway was open from Virden into Saskatchewan, but remained closed from Brandon to Virden. However, there still were an untold number of abandoned big rigs, trucks and cars along the highway, all of which could have interfered with traffic.

——

The 2017 CIBC Canada-Russia Series will stop in Swift Current and Moose Jaw this time around. The six-game series is to run from Nov. 6 through Nov. 16, starting in Moose Jaw on Nov. 6 and Swift Current on Nov. 7. . . . The OHL’s games are scheduled for Owen Sound on Nov. 9 and Sudbury on Nov. 13. The QMJHL stops will be in Charlottetown on Nov. 14 and Moncton on Nov. 16. . . . This will be the 15th annual series, with CHL teams holding a 58-19-7 edge. The Russians have sent better teams as the series has gone on and have won three series since 2010. The CHL won the 2016 series, 13-5. . . . Of the players who played in 2016, 15 were with Team Canada at the 2017 World Junior Championship, while 14 were on the Russian team. Canada won silver, with Russia taking the bronze medal.

——

The Prince Albert Raiders have added F Nikita Krivokrasov, 16, to their roster for the remainder of this season. Krivokrasov was in training camp with the Raiders prior to this season and signed with them at that time. He had 14 goals and 18 assists in 22 games with the U-16 Rocky Mountain Roughriders this season. He is the son of former NHLer Sergei Krivokrasov. Nikita was born in Moscow, Russia, but played some minor hockey in North America so isn’t classified as an import player.

——

Hockey Canada broke with tradition on Wednesday and has returned the 2017 national junior team coaching staff for another go-round. Dominique Ducharme, the head coach of the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, is the head coach, with  Tim Hunter of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and Kris Knoblauch of the OHL’s Erie Otters back as assistant coaches. . . . The trio was behind Canada’s bench in January when it won a silver medal, losing the gold to Team USA. . . . “This is a unique opportunity to return an entire coaching staff that came within a shot of winning gold last year,” Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams, said in a news release. “The Program of Excellence Policy Committee unanimously agreed that it was in the best interest of the program to keep this coaching staff together and that their experience will provide us the best opportunity of winning gold in 2018.” . . . The 2018 tournament is scheduled to be held in Buffalo, N.Y.

———

After 30 yrs with @Milshockey trainer, Dave "Melly" Melnychuk is retiring. Thanks for everything Melly, truly one of a kind & great friend pic.twitter.com/EQwah0QJbQ

— Benny Walchuk (@BennyGX94Sports) March 9, 2017

———

If the WHL playoffs began today . . . 

Eastern Conference

Regina vs. Saskatoon

Medicine Hat vs. Brandon

Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current

Lethbridge vs. Red Deer

—

Western Conference

Everett vs. Portland

Prince George vs. Victoria

Kelowna vs. Kamloops

Seattle vs. Tri-City

——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

#ForeverAHitmen @aladd16 Raised to the rafters at #Saddledome in #Calgary pic.twitter.com/1Z3wvzOcQV

— WHL on Shaw TV (@WHLonShawTV) March 9, 2017

At Calgary, the Saskatoon Blades took control of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, at least for now, with a convincing 6-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Blades (27-31-9) have points in four straight (3-0-1) and now lead the Hitmen (25-31-10) by three points as they scrap over the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Saskatoon scored the game’s first six goals, two of them shorthanded, as they skated to victory. . . . F Kirby Dach (6) opened the scoring at 5:08 of the first period. . . . The Blades took control with three second-period goals, from F Gage Ramsay (8), F Mason McCarty (19) and F Josh Paterson (15), the latter shorthanded. . . . F Chase Wouters (6), shorthanded, and D Bryton Sayers (7) also scored for Saskatoon. . . . Calgary got late goals from F Mark Kastelic (11) and F Matteo Gennaro (40). . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk had two assists for Saskatoon, with Paterson adding one. . . . Kastelic also had an assist for Calgary. . . . It is interesting that the Blades got their goals from six players from six different age groups — Dach, born in 2001; Wouters, 2000; Paterson, 1999; Ramsay, 1998; McCarty, 1997; Sayers, 1996. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 16 shots for Saskatoon. . . . Calgary starter Cody Porter allowed four goals on 13 shots in 32:27. Kyle Dumba finished up by stopping 11 of 13 shots in 27:33. . . . Calgary was 0-2 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-5. . . . Announced attendance: 7,607.

——

At Kamloops, the Blazers snapped a 2-2 tie with three goals in the first half of the third period en route to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The victory lifted the Blazers (39-23-6), who are

JOE GATENBY

third in the B.C. Division, five points ahead of the fourth-place Royals (37-25-5). Kamloops is three points behind the second-place Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Royals and Blazers will meet again Friday in Kamloops. . . . Victoria took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Matt Phillips, his 47th, at 1:37, and F Ethan Price (7), at 14:43. . . . Phillips now holds the Royals’ record for goals in a single season. He had shared the record with F Tyler Soy, who scored 46 times last season. The franchise record is held by Ryan Howse, who scored 51 times for the Chilliwack Bruins in 2010-11. . . . Kamloops scored the next five goals. . . . D Joe Gatenby halved the deficit with his seventh goal, at 14:59. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers tied it at 16:33 of the second period. . . . F Collin Shirley (27) broke the tie at 1:03 of the third period. . . . The Blazers then broke it open with two goals 22 seconds apart, from F Quinn Benjafield (14), on a PP, at 8:35, and Balcers, his 37th, at 8:57. . . . Gatenby, who also had an assist, was the best player on the ice. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 27 shots, while

MATT PHILLIPS

Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse, in his 60th appearance of the season, blocked 45. . . . Kamloops was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 0-2, including a five-minute PP early in the first period. . . . This one featured a fight six seconds into the game between F Jared Dmytriw of the Royals and Kamloops F Deven Sideroff. Both players received fighting majors and game misconducts. Flash back to Feb. 11. Dmytriw was given a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Sideroff. Sideroff missed one game; Dmytriw drew a three-game suspension. . . . Don Hay, the Blazers’ head coach, said that he “forgot about that situation” and that had he remembered he likely wouldn’t have had Sideroff in the starting lineup. . . . Just 1:28 later, Kamloops D Andrej Vala was handed a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev, who needed help getting off the ice but returned to the game. . . . There’s history there, too, as Vala was given a two-game suspension, under supplemental discipline, for a hit on Victoria F Tyler Soy in that Feb. 11 game. Soy has yet to return to the Royals’ lineup. . . . Hay said he didn’t think Vala’s hit was worth a major, “especially with (Bobylev) coming back, but the ref has to make the call right then.” . . . Jon Keen, who calls the play-by-play of Blazers games on Radio NL, worked his 1,000th game — 499 with the Swift Current Broncos and 501 with Kamloops. . . . Announced attendance: 3,896.

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At Lethbridge, D Brady Poteau scored at 3:50 of OT to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 victory over the

BRADY POTEAU

Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Poteau’s first goal of the season came in his 45th game. He started the season with the Regina Pats, recording two assists in 18 games. He now has a goal and nine assists in 27 games with Lethbridge. . . . F Tyler Wong had given the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with his WHL-leading 49th goal at 18:33 of the second period. . . . Wong is riding an 11-game point streak. He has 10 goals and 16 assists over that stretch. . . . D Conner McDonald (8) pulled Edmonton even at 11:02 of the third period. . . . F Egor Babenko drew assists on both Lethbridge goals. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist turned aside 26 shots for the winners. . . . The Oil Kings got 27 stops from G Josh Dechaine. . . . Edmonton was 0-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-4. . . . F Brian Harris, 18, has joined the Oil Kings, although he didn’t play in this one. He had been with the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. He had 15 goals and 11 assists in 60 games with the Stampeders. The Oil Kings selected Harris in the 11th round of the 2014 WHL bantam draft. . . . Lethbridge (43-17-7) has won seven in a row. . . . The Oil Kings (20-41-5) have lost nine straight (0-8-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,471.

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At Portland, F Cody Glass scored twice and added two assists, leading the Winterhawks to a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Glass, who will be a first-round pick in the NHL’s 2017

CODY GLASS

draft, has 89 points in 64 games. . . . With the victory, the Winterhawks clinched a playoff spot. They presently hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points behind the Victoria Royals. . . . The Winterhawks (36-26-4) have won four in a row and are three points ahead of the third-place Tri-City Americans in the U.S. Division. . . . The Cougars (42-21-5) had won their previous two games. They lead the B.C. Division by two points over the Kelowna Rockets, who hold a game in hand. . . . Glass, who has 29 goals, gave Portland a 1-0 lead at 5:36 of the first period, and F Skyler McKenzie (38) made it 2-0 at 8:53. . . . The Cougars stormed back to take a 3-2 lead, thanks to goals from F Aaron Boyd (9), on a PP, at 13:08, D Brendan Guhle (14), at 18:48, and F Jesse Gabrielle (31), on another PP, just 56 seconds into the second period. . . . Portland took control with the next three goals, from F Keegan Iverson (22), at 10:56 of the second period, Glass, at 3:43 of the third, and F Joachim Blichfeld (28), at 8:09. . . . F Colby McAuley got the Cougars back to within one, at 8:44. He’s got 26 goals. . . . Iverson added an assist to his goal, giving him four straight two-point games. . . . Portland got two assists from each of D Caleb Jones and D Henri Jokiharju. . . . F Radovan Bondra drew three assists for the visitors, with Gabrielle and Guhle each getting one. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler blocked 29 shots, four fewer than Ty Edmonds of the Cougars. . . . Prince George was 2-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 7,024.

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At Spokane, G Carter Hart stopped 17 shots in recording his ninth shutout of the season as the Everett Silvertips beat the Chiefs, 4-0. . . . Hart now has 19 shutouts in his career. The WHL record for career

CARTER HART

shutouts (26) is held by Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver Giants, 2005-09). With 19, Hart is tied for sixth in WHL history. . . . F Cal Babych gave the Silvertips a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the season, at 5:48 of the first period. Babych, who turned 20 on Jan. 18, spent most of this season with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. He was playing in his fifth game with the Silvertips. . . . F Devon Skoleski (14) made it 2-0 at 8:16. . . . The Silvertips got their other goals from F Dominic Zwerger (25), at 4:53 of the second period, and D Aaron Irving (7), at 5:57. . . . F Sean Richards drew two assists. . . . The Chiefs got 32 saves from G Jayden Sittler. . . . Each team was 0-6 on the PP. . . . The Silvertips (40-14-11) moved back into first place in both the Western Conference and U.S. Division, one point ahead of the idle Seattle Thunderbirds. Everett still holds two games in hand. . . . The Chiefs (26-30-10) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) and now have been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2006. . . . Announced attendance: 3,721.

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At Swift Current, F Riley Krane’s first WHL goal stood up as the winner as the Regina Pats beat the Broncos, 4-2. . . . Krane, who turned 17 on Jan. 24, is from Dawson Creek, B.C. An eighth-round

RILEY KRANE

pick in the 2015 bantam draft, he scored his first goal in his fourth game. He played this season with the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who play out of Prince George. . . . F Bryan Lockner gave the Pats a 1-0 lead at 1:38 of the first period. He’s got four goals. . . . The Broncos pulled even on F Lane Pederson’s 21st goal, at 14:51. . . . Regina went back out front on F Dawson Leedahl’s 33rd goal, at 4:49 of the second period. . . . Krane scored at 8:05. . . . Pederson added his second goal of the game, on a PP, at 16:06 of the third period. . . . Regina F Wyatt Sloboshan provided the insurance with an empty-netter at 19:29. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Regina got three assists from F Adam Brooks, with Sloboshan and Leedahl adding one apiece. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 31 shots. . . . The Broncos got 34 stops from G Taz Burman. . . . Swift Current was 1-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-2. . . . The Broncos lost F Owen Blocker to a kneeing major and game misconduct at 9:29 of the first period. . . . F Austin Wagner (ill) was among Regina’s scratches. . . . The Pats are 4-0-0 in Swift Current this season. . . . Regina (46-12-8) has won two in a row. . . . Swift Current (35-21-10) had a five-game winning streak snapped. . . . Announced attendance: 2,209.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Red Deer vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Brandon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Prince George vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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