Showing posts with label Kevin Davis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Davis. Show all posts

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Everett clinches division, conference titles . . . History in Prince George . . . Halbgewachs finishes with flurry



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WHAT WE KNOW . . . 

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Regina vs. Calgary: The Pats finished atop the overall standings; the Hitmen earned the conference’s second wild-card spot on Friday. Season series: Regina, 3-1-0; Calgary, 1-2-1. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Regina.
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon: The Tigers finished first in the Central Division; Brandon, the WHL’s defending champion, was in the conference’s first wild-card spot. Brandon will play home games in Dauphin, Man., as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair rules the Keystone Centre complex. Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-3-0. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Medicine Hat.
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current: The Warriors were second in the East Division, finishing five points ahead of the third-place Broncos. Season series: Moose Jaw, 4-2-0; Swift Current, 2-4-0. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Moose Jaw.
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer: The Hurricanes finished a comfortable second in the Central Division, 23 points ahead of the third-place Rebels. Season series: Lethbridge, 5-0-1; Red Deer: 1-4-1. Opens: Saturday and Sunday, in Lethbridge.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Everett vs. Victoria: The Silvertips led the U.S. Division and the Western Conference, so draw the second wild-card entry, the Royals, who have lost seven straight (0-6-1), including two in a row to Everett this weekend. Season series: Everett, 4-0-0; Victoria, 0-3-1.
Kelowna vs. Kamloops: The Rockets wound up second in the B.C. Division, one point behind the Prince George Cougars. The difference? One loser point — Prince George finished with six; Kelowna had five. The Blazers were five points in arrears of Kelowna. Season series: Kelowna, 4-6-0; Kamloops: 6-3-1. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Kelowna.
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WHAT WE DON’T KNOW . . . 


The combatants in two Western Conference series have yet to be decided, with the Prince George Cougars, who finished first in the B.C. Division, and the Seattle Thunderbirds, second-place finishers in the U.S. Division, awaiting opponents. One of them will get the Portland Winterhawks, the other the Tri-City Americans.
Portland goes into today’s games in third place, one point ahead of Tri-City. Both teams are at home, the Winterhawks to the Spokane Chiefs, who didn’t make the playoffs, and the Americans to the Everett Silvertips, who are the conference’s No. 1 seed.
A source has told Taking Note that there is some behind-closed-doors intrigue to a possible series featuring Prince George and Tri-City. According to the source, should that series transpire, the Americans want a 2-3-2 format, while the Cougars are asking for the traditional 2-2-1-1-1 format.
Stay tuned. . . .
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, the Wheat Kings, with six regulars scratched, were no match for Regina as the Pats wheeled their way to a 6-0 victory. . . . The Wheat Kings were without D Garrett Sambrook (ill), D Kale Clague, F
SAM STEEL
Tanner Kaspick, F Nolan Patrick, F Reid Duke and F Tyler Coulter (WHL suspension). Then they lost F Meyer Nell and D Daniel Bukac in the third period. . . . Bukac was injured at 13:44 of the third period on a hit by F Nick Henry, who drew a boarding major and game misconduct. . . . "When you look at it,” John Paddock, the Pats’ GM/head coach, told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post, the contact of the two guys happened quite a bit before the boards. I understand why it’s a boarding penalty, but there’s nothing malicious or dirty from Nick. He’s the kind of guy who’s probably going to win the gentlemanly player (award) in the next two years. But until we hear something for sure it’s something to be a little bit worried about. Everybody reads it differently.” . . . The game had no bearing on the final standings. . . . Regina (42-12-8) goes into the playoffs having won eight in a row. . . . Brandon (31-31-10) has lost two straight, having dropped a 6-1 decision in Regina on Friday night. . . . G Jordan Hollett recorded his second shutout of the season with 34 saves. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks had a goal, his 43rd, and two assists. Brooks, who won last season’s scoring title with 120 points, finished with 130 points, second to teammate Sam Steel, who had 131. Brooks led the WHL in assists, with 81. . . . Steel was blanked last night. . . . F Austin Wagner scored his 30th goal, giving the Pats six skaters with at least 30 goals. . . . D Connor Hobbs scored his 31st goal, to set a Pats’ single-season record for goals by a defenceman. He finished with one more than John Miner (1984-85). . . . D Jonathan Smart (3), F Dawson Leedahl (35) and F Filip Ahl (29) also scored. . . . Regina got two assists from each of D Sergey Zborovskiy and D Chase Harrison. . . . Regina won the season series, 6-1-1. . . . The Wheat Kings got 38 saves from G Logan Thompson. . . . Regina was 0-1 on the PP; Brandon was 0-7. . . . F Braden Schneider, the 12th overall selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with Brandon. From Prince Albert, he had 12 goals and 19 assists in 35 games with the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos this season. . . . F Robbie Holmes was among Regina’s scratches after he was suspended for one game under supplemental discipline — at hit on which Duke was injured — after Friday’s 6-1 victory over the visiting Wheat Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 5,621.
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At Calgary, the Hitmen scored the game’s last three goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice.
KYLE DUMBA
. . . The game didn’t mean anything to the final standings. . . . Calgary (30-32-10) has won two in a row, having posted a 6-1 victory over the host Ice on Friday. . . . The Ice (14-46-12) finished the season on a 10-game skid (0-8-2). . . . D Jake Bean gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead with his eighth goal, at 3:57 of the second period. . . . F Vince Loschiavo tied it with No. 28 at 12:11. . . . The Hitmen won it with three third-period goals. . . . G Andrei Grishakov (11) provided a 2-1 lead at 11:45. . . . F Matt Dorsey (3) added insurance at 14:20. . . . D Brady Reagan (7) got the empty-netter at 19:34. . . . Calgary got two assists from each of F Matteo Gennaro and F Mark Kastelic. . . . G Kyle Dumba stopped 16 shots for Calgary. . . . Ice G Payton Lee, in the final game of his WHL career, turned aside 30 shots. . . . Kootenay was 0-2 on the PP; Calgary was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen will meet the Regina Pats in the first round of the playoffs. . . . The Ice won’t participate. . . . Announced attendance: 11,410.
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At Everett, D Kevin Davis had three assists to lead the Silvertips to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals.
KEVIN DAVIS
. . . The victory allowed the Silvertips (44-16-11) to clinch first place in the Western Conference and the U.S. Division. . . . The Royals (37-29-6) will finish in the conference’s second wild-card spot, meaning they will meet the Silvertips in the first round. . . . Everett goes in having won three straight; Victoria has lost seven straight (0-6-1). . . . Last night, the Silvertips opened a 5-0 lead. . . . They really took control with three first-period goals, from F Brandson Hein (3), F Patrick Bajkov (29) and F Cal Babych (2). The latter two came via the PP. . . . F Riley Sutter (19) added a second-period PP goal, and F Matt Fonteyne made it 5-0 with his 20th goal at 19:46. . . . The Royals got third-period goals from F Vladimir Bobylev (9) and F Ethan Price (8). . . . D Aaron Irving and F Dominic Zwerger each had two assists for Everett. . . . The Silvertips got 25 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Victoria G Dylan Myskiw blocked 28 shots. . . . Everett was 3-6 on the PP; Victoria was 0-5. . . . Announced attendance: 7,989.
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At Medicine Hat, F Steve Owre had a goal and three assists to help the Tigers to an 8-7 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers trailed 6-5 going into the third period, but tied it on F Mark
STEVE OWRE
Rassell’s 36th goal, on a PP, at 4:59. . . . F Egor Babenko (24) put Lethbridge back ahead at 5:20. . . . Medicine Hat F James Hamblin tied it with his second goal of the game, and 23rd this season, at 8:33. . . . D David Quenneville got the winner, on a PP, at 12:28. He’s got 23 goals. . . . Owre has 26 goals. . . . D Brad Forrest (3), F Mason Shaw (27) and F Max Gerlach (34) also scored for the Tigers, who got three assists from F Chad Butcher, who finished the season with 103 points, two from D Clayton Kirichenko and one each from Hamblin, Gerlach, Shaw and Rassell. . . . F Tyler Wong scored twice for Lethbridge, giving him 51, and added two assists. He is the first Lethbridge skater with 50 goals since F Shane Willis in 1997-98. . . . Wong and F Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos led the WHL in goals this season. . . . D Calen Addison (9), F Ryan Vandervlis (8), F Tanner Nagel (10) and F Alec Baer (15) had Lethbridge’s other goals. . . . Lethbridge got three assists from F Giorgio Estephan, two from each of Babenko and D Brennan Menell, and one from Addison. . . . All four goaltenders got into the game. . . . Medicine Hat starter Michael Bullion allowed three goals on 15 shots in the first period, but left when he reportedly felt ill. Duncan McGovern, who spent most of this season with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, gave up four goals on 23 shots over the last two periods. . . . The Tigers already are without G Nick Schneider, who the club said had returned home with an illness. . . . Lethbridge starter Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 24 shots in 22:30. Adam Swan finished up, stopping 17 of 21 shots in 35:51. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-5 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-2. . . . F Zach Fischer of the Tigers sat this one out with back spasms. . . . F Matt Bradley was among Medicine Hat’s scratches as he served a one-game suspension assessed after he took a spearing major and game misconduct during Friday’s 5-1 victory in Lethbridge. . . . The Tigers (51-20-1) have won two in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (44-21-7) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,390.
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At Moose Jaw, F Jayden Halbgewachs scored four times and added three assists to reach the 50-goal and 100-point marks, leading the Warriors to a 10-5 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
Warriors (42-21-9) had lost their previous five games (0-4-1). . . . The Broncos (39-23-10) finished third in the East Division, ?? points behind the Warriors. . . . The teams will open a first-round playoff series in Moose Jaw on Friday. . . . Halbgewachs, who finished with 101 points, became the WHL’s fifth 50-goal scorer and its fifth 100-point man this season. . . . F Riley Stotts (9) gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead 45 seconds into the first period. . . . F Brett Howden tied it at 3:35. . . . The Broncos went back out front at 7:15 as F Conner Chaulk scored his ninth goal, on a PP. . . . The Warriors took control with the next three goals, with Halbgewachs, F Noah Gregor (26) and Howden scoring. . . . Howden, who has 38 goals, completed a hat trick, on a PP, at 12:03 of the second period. He also had two assists. . . . Halbgewachs finished his scoring night with three goals in a span of 7:13 early in the third period. . . . F Justin Almeida (11) added another goal for Moose Jaw, while Gregor scored the game’s last goal, his second of the game. . . . Chaulk scored twice for the Broncos, with F MacKenzie Wight (1) and F Ryley Lindgren (27) also scoring. . . . The Warriors got three assists from F Brayden Burke, two from F Tanner Jeannot, and one from Almeida. . . . D Artyom Minulin had three assists for Swift Current, with F Aleksi Heponiemi getting two, and Lindgren one. . . . The Warriors got 16 stops from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Swift Current G Bailey Brkin made his WHL debut in this one, allowing 10 goals on 53 shots. With Jordan Papirny (mumps) out, Brkin has been backing up Taz Burman. . . . Brkin, 17, spent this season with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-6 on the PP; Swift Current was 2-4. . . . The Warriors have added D Matthew Benson, who turned 16 on Nov. 24, to their roster. From Vancouver, he had four goals and 10 assists in 30 games with the Delta Hockey Academy prep team this season. A list player, he was pointless in three earlier games with the Warriors. He went pointless last night, but was plus-2. . . . The Warriors were without F Thomas Foster, who served a one-game suspension that was handed down under supplemental discipline following Friday’s 2-1 loss in Swift Current. . . . The Broncos’ scratches included F Lane Pederson, who was injured on Friday, G Jordan Papirny (mumps), D Colby Sissons, D Max Lajoie, F Kaden Elder and F Ryan Graham, all of them key performers. . . . Matthew Gourlie, a contributor at the DUBnetwork.ca, tweeted later that Emanuel Viveiros, the Broncos’ head coach, said Papirny and Sissons have been cleared to return to practice. In fact, all of the absentees should be ready for Game 1. . . . The Warriors won the season series, 4-2-0. . . . Announced attendance: 3,781.
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At Prince Albert, the Raiders scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-1. . . . F Mason McCarty gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 21st goal, on a PP, at 5:39 of the first period. . . . The Raiders tied it when F Simon Stransky scored at 5:24 of the second period and took the lead on Stransky’s 22nd goal, on a PP, at 11:35. . . . F Curtis Miske added insurance with his 20th goal, on another PP, at 18:06. . . . The Raiders got third-period goals from F Adam Kadlec (5) and D Cody Paivarinta (2). . . . Miske and Stransky added an assist apiece. . . . G Ian Scott earned the victory with 24 saves, two fewer than Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm. . . . Prince Albert was 2-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-3. . . . Neither the Raiders (21-44-7) nor Blades (28-35-9) qualified for the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 2,953.
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At Prince George, the Cougars won the first B.C. Division title in their 23-year history in the northern city
DYLAN FERGUSON
with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The loser point was enough to clinch top spot in the division, one point ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Blazers won the game when F Brodi Stuart, who turned 17 on March 10, scored in the eighth round of the shootout. Because shootout goals aren’t counted in individual statistics, Stuart’s line will continue to show him with no goals in three games. . . . F Collin Shirley (28) gave Kamloops a 1-0 lead, on a PP, 23 seconds into the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it when D Brendan Guhle scored his 15th goal, at 14:56. . . . With the Blazers shooting first in the skills competition, F Lane Bauer gave them a 1-0 lead, only to have F Nikita Popugaev equalize. . . . F Nick Chyzowski scored for Kamloops in the sixth round, with the Cougars then getting a goal from F Kody McDonald. . . . That set the stage for Stuart, a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft who is from Langley, B.C. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 30 shots through OT for the Cougars. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson was chosen as the game’s first start, thanks to a 47-save performance. . . . Kamloops was 1-2 on the PP; Prince George was 0-4. . . . The Blazers went north without G Connor Ingram, F Deven Sideroff, F Luc Smith and D Dallas Valentine. . . . D Devan Harrison, a second-round pick in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, made his WHL debut with Kamloops. . . . The Cougars had won, 3-1, in Kamloops on Friday. . . . The Cougars (46-21-5) have won four in a row. They will meet either the Portland Winterhawks or Tri-City Americans in the opening round of the playoffs. . . . The Blazers (41-25-6) finished third in the B.C. Division and will meet Kelowna in the first round for the second straight season. The Rockets was a seven-game series a year ago. . . . Announced attendance: 5,806.
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At Red Deer, the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Rebels, 4-1, winning on the road for the first time in
BRIAN HARRIS
regulation time since Dec. 28. . . . The teams will meet again today in Edmonton. . . . F Lane Zablocki gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 1:27 of the first period, but it was all Edmonton after that. . . . F Brian Harris scored his first WHL goal — it came in his fourth game — at 2:57. . . . D Anatolii Elizarov (7) put the visitors out front at 13:26. . . . F Riley Stadel, who hadn’t played since Feb. 12, scored his sixth goal — and first with Edmonton since moving over from the Kelowna Rockets in January — at 14:11, then drew an assist on F Graham Millar’s 12th goal, an empty-netter, at 18:27 of the third period. . . . Edmonton’s Robertson brothers — Matthew and Tyler — each had an assist. . . . G Josh Dechaine earned the victory with 33 saves. . . . The Rebels got 22 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky was among Edmonton’s scratches. . . . The Oil Kings (22-43-6) have won their past two games. . . . The Rebels (30-29-12) had points in each of their previous seven games (5-0-2). . . . Prior to the game, Red Deer trainer Dave (Radar) Horning was presented with a WHL Milestone Award. He was with the Prince Albert Raiders for three seasons before joining the Rebels for 1994-95. . . . Announced attendance: 7,135.
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At Kent, Wash., F Colton Veloso scored two goals and added an assist as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . The victory allowed the Winterhawks (40-27-4) to remain third in the
COLTON VELOSO
U.S. Division, a point ahead of the Tri-City Americans. Portland has won three in a row and eight of nine. . . . Seattle (45-20-6), which had won its previous four games, had its hopes dashed for a first-place finish in the division. . . . Veloso, who has 18 goals, gave his guys a 2-0 lead, scoring at 17:57 of the first period and 6:16 of the second. . . . F Ryan Gropp (35) scored for Seattle at 10:15. . . . The Winterhawks put it away with third-period goals from F Alex Overhardt (41) at 3:39 and D Keoni Texeira (12), an empty-netter, at 19:21. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 31 shots for Portland, six fewer than Seattle’s Matt Berlin. . . . Portland was 0-2 on the PP; Seattle was 0-3. . . . G Rylan Toth, who led the WHL with 36 victories, was among Seattle’s scratches. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal (suspected mumps) missed his fourth straight game, but the Thunderbirds got back F Scott Eansor after a 29-game absence. He last played on Jan. 14. Also returning was D Jarret Tyszka, who had been out since Feb. 24, and D Reece Harsch, out since March 4. . . . The Winterhawks lost F Cody Glass, their leading scorer, to an undisclosed injury in the game’s first half. He’s got 94 points, 32 of them goals, in 69 games. . . . Announced attendance: 6,173.
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At Spokane, F Jordan Topping and F Vladislav Lukin scored shootout goals to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Americans (40-28-3) are fourth in the U.S. Division, one
JORDAN TOPPING
point behind the Portland Winterhawks going into the final day of the regular-season. The Americans will entertain the Everett Silvertips, who have clinched first place, while the Winterhawks are at home to the Chiefs (26-33-12), who have lost nine straight (0-6-3). . . . The third-place team will meet Seattle in the first round; the fourth-place finisher will get the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot and hit the highway to face the B.C. Division-champion Prince George Cougars. . . . The Chiefs held 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3 leads in this one. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto’s 24th goal gave Spokane a 1-0 lead at 1:39 of the first period. A 20-year-old from Spokane, Yamamoto was playing his final WHL home game and his last home game with his brother, Kailer. . . . The Chiefs went up 2-0 on F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s goal, at 4:31. . . . Tri-City got its first goal from F Parker AuCoin, on a penalty shot, at 15:34. He’s got 21 goals. . . . D Ty Smith got that one back for Spokane on a PP, at 17:53. He’s got five goals. . . . The Americans pulled even on second-period goals from Topping (25), at 5:39, and Lukin (26), on a PP, at 15:50. . . . Anderson-Dolan put Spokane ahead again, with No. 39, at 8:54 of the third. . . . F Tyler Sandhu, who had let the game earlier for repairs after suffering a facial injury, forced OT with his 23rd goal, at 13:12. . . . F Riley Woods gave Spokane the edge with a goal in the first round of the shootout, but Topping scored in the second round and Lukin won it in the third. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto had two assists, with Keanu Yamamoto, Anderson-Dolan and Smith getting one each. . . . The Americans got two assists from Sandhu, and one from Topping. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 35 shots for Tri-City, four more than Spokane’s Donovan Buskey. . . . The Americans were 1-2 on the PP; the Chiefs were 1-5. . . . F Max James was back in Tri-City’s lineup on Friday, after a three-game absence. But he was scratched from this one. . . . Announced attendance: 10,118.
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At Langley, B.C., F Kole Lind scored his 30th goal and added an assist as the Kelowna Rockets downed
KOLE LIND
the Vancouver Giants, 5-2. . . . The Giants took a 1-0 lead when F Calvin Spencer scored his 16th goal, on a PP, at 7:19 of the first period. . . . Lind got that one back just 26 seconds later. . . . F Jordan Borstmayer put the Giants back out front at 8:08. . . . The visitors took a 3-2 lead before the period ended, with D Nolan Foote (19) scoring, on a PP, at 14:23 and F Leif Mattson adding his ninth goal, at 16:41. . . . D Devante Stephens (13) added insurance at 19:01 of the second period and F Reid Gardiner got his 18th goal in 28 games 11 seconds later. . . . F Carsen Twarynski had two assists for Kelowna. . . . G Michael Herringer had 29 stops and an assist for the Rockets. . . . Vancouver starter Ryan Kubic allowed five goals on 25 shots through two periods. David Tendeck stopped all seven shots he saw in the third period. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (45-22-5) will finish second in the B.C. Division and meet the Kamloops Blazers in the first round. . . . The Giants (20-45-6) didn’t qualify. . . . Announced attendance: 4,423.
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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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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Alberta Hall salutes Sutters . . . Seattle clings to U.S. lead . . . Rebels win keeps Blades alive


Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia) has left the KHL and will rejoin the Austria-based Erste Bank Liga as a full member for next season, the league announced Wednesday. Medveščak left Erste Bank Liga and spent the past four seasons in the KHL, making the playoffs once (its first year). Helsinki newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported that the KHL helps finance new clubs for three seasons and with the absence of league aid this season, Medveščak had serious financial difficulties.
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With the IIHF World Women’s Championship scheduled to be held in Plymouth, Wash., from March 31 through April 7, the defending champions it could be that the defending champions won’t be there. Players on the U.S. women’s national team said Wednesday that they will boycott the tournament if USA Hockey, that country’s governing body, doesn’t provide more support.
Team USA won its seventh title in nine years in Kamloops a year ago.
As Christine Brennan of USA Today points out right here, this is a scrap that USA Hockey can’t win.
Brennan writes:
“This simple act of defiance — so bold, so natural and so right — is an urgent call for change within the U.S. Olympic world in the 21st century, for respect for women in a sport led by men and for the acknowledgment of a job well done by a nation that craves winning more than almost anything else.
“It’s a timely call to action that was immediately praised by, among others, 1980 U.S. ‘Miracle on Ice’ team captain Mike Eruzione, who told the team on Twitter, ‘You have my support.’ ”
Even The Wall Street Journal has taken notice of this story, with Matthew Futterman filing this piece right here.
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The seven Sutter brothers and their parents, Grace and Louis, will be among the 2017 inductees into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. The gala induction ceremony is scheduled for July 23 in Canmore. . . . Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Gary, Rich and Ron Sutter will go into the hall with six of them having totalled 4,994 regular-season NHL games. . . . The other 2017 inductees will be Mel Davidson, a former coach of the Canadian women’s national hockey team; Glen Sather, a former NHL player who made his name as the GM and head coach of the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers; former NHLer Bill Hay, who spent 15 years as chairman and CEO of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto; Tony Kollman, who had success in Alberta at a senior hockey player; and Perry Pearn, now an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks. . . . The Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Red Deer.
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They are going to have a party before the BCHL’s Penticton Vees play their final round-robin game in the Western Canada Cup on May 4. That’s because Paul Kariya and Brendan Morrison will be added to the team’s Ring of Honour in a pregame ceremony. . . . “The creation of the Ring of Honour was a huge part of our Western Canada Cup bid,” David Michaud, the WCC’s chairman, said in a news release. “We felt it would add tremendous character to the South Okanagan Events Centre, and the additions of Brendan Morrison and Paul Kariya were obvious choices for the WCC. We thank them for coming back and celebrating this big night in person with us.” . . . Kariya played two seasons (1990-92) with the Penticton Panthers, putting up 244 points, including 92 goals, in 94 games. . . . Morrison played with the Panthers in 1992-93, recording 94 points, 35 of them goals, in 56 games. . . . Kariya and Morrison both went on to successful NCAA and professional careers. . . . The WCC runs from April 29 through May 7 in Penticton. . . . Already in the Vees’ Ring of Honour: Ivan McLelland, George McAvoy, Grant Warwick, Bruce Affleck, Grant Mulvey, Larry Lund, Bob Nicholson, Gordie McKay, Kevin Maxwell, Chris Parker, Andy Moog, Rick Kozuback and Ray Ferraro.
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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.
If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
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Jon Rosen, a former radio voice of the Everett Silvertips, will do play-by-play tonight (Thursday) as the Los Angeles Kings play host to the Buffalo Sabres.
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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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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Kelowna, D Kevin Davis had a goal and two assists to help the Everett Silvertips to a 4-1 victory over
KEVIN DAVIS
the Rockets. . . . Davis scored his eighth goal of the season, on a PP, for a 1-0 lead at 5:30 of the first period. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube tied it with No. 20 just 11 seconds later. . . . D Aaron Irving’s 18th goal gave Everett a 2-1 lead at 9:26. . . . Everett’s other two goals came from F Dominic Zwerger, who has 28 goals. He scored at 8:38 of the second period and then added an empty-netter at 18:54 of the third. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots for Everett. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer blocked 25 shots. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-5. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner had a 15-game point streak come to an end. . . . The Silvertips (42-16-11) are second in the U.S. Division, one point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Rockets (43-22-5), who had scored at least three goals in 15 straight games, had won their previous seven games. They are second in the B.C. Division, two points behind the Prince George Cougars. Each team has two games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 5,073.
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At Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estephan scored three times and added an assist as the Hurricanes dumped the
GIORGIO ESTEPHAN
Kootenay Ice, 8-1. . . . The Hurricanes took control with four first-period goals, the first one from Estephan, on a PP, at 5:45. . . . F Alec Baer (14), F Jordy Bellerive (27) and D Calen Addison (8) also scored in the opening period. . . . Estephan got his second goal at 10:22 of the second period and completed the hat trick with his 35th goal of the season at 16:06 of the third period. . . . F Egor Babenko (23) and F Ryan Vandervlis (7), shorthanded, also scored for the winners. . . . The Ice got its goal from F Colton Kroeker (18) at 5:00 of the third period. . . . Babenko, Vandervlis and F Ryan Bowen each had two assists for the winners, with Baer adding one. . . . G Stuart Skinner earned the victory with 33 saves, four fewer than Kootenay’s Jakob Walter. . . . Lethbridge was 1-5 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-4. . . . The Hurricanes (44-19-7) had lost their previous two games. They will meet the Red Deer Rebels in a first-round playoff series. Lethbridge was 5-0-1 against Red Deer this season. . . . The Ice (14-44-12) has lost eight in a row (0-6-2). . . . Announced attendance: 3,617.
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At Moose Jaw, the Brandon Wheat Kings erased a 1-0 deficit and went on to beat the Warriors, 3-1. . . . This game was to have been played on March 8 but was postponed by impassable road conditions. . . .
LOGAN THOMPSON
With the victory, Brandon clinched the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, meaning the defending-champion Wheat Kings will draw the Central Division-champion Medicine Hat Tigers in the first round. . . . D Jett Woo had given the Warriors a 1-0 lead with his fifth goal at 8:49 of the second period. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it on F Connor Gutenberg’s 13th goal, at 12:49 of the second period, and went ahead when F Reid Duke got No. 37, at 14:17. . . . F Caiden Daley added insurance with his second goal of the season, at 13:27 of the third period. . . . G Logan Thompson stopped 28 shots for Brandon, with Brody Willms turning aside 21 at the other end. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Tyler Coulter, who drew a TBD suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Swift Current Broncos. He was suspended in October for two games after taking a checking-from-behind major. . . . Brandon also scratched D Kale Clague and F Tanner Kaspick, with undisclosed injuries, and D Garrett Sambrook (ill). . . . The Wheat Kings (31-29-10) had lost their previous 10 road games. . . . The Warriors (41-20-9) have lost four straight (0-3-1) for the first time this season. They are second in the East Division and will meet the third-place Swift Current Broncos in the first round. . . . Announced attendance: 3,108.
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At Red Deer, F Brandon Hagel scored twice and added two assists — for the second straight game — as
BRANDON HAGEL
the Rebels beat the Calgary Hitmen, 5-1. . . . Hagel, an 18-year-old from Morinville, Alta., has 67 points, including 29 goals, in 63 games. He has 11 points, seven of them goals, over his past four games. . . . The Rebels (30-28-12) wrapped up third place in the Central Division, setting up a first-round series with the second-place Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Red Deer has points in seven straight games (5-0-2). . . . The Hitmen (28-32-10) had won their previous three games. They could have clinched a playoff spot, eliminating the Saskatoon Blades, with a victory. . . . Hagel scored the game’s first two goals, both via the PP, at 12:51 of the first period and 2:48 of the second. . . . F Michael Spacek upped it to 3-0 with No. 30, at 11:48. . . . The Hitmen got a shorthanded goal from F Beck Malenstyn, who has 29 goals, at 14:25. . . . F Jordan Roy (5) and F Dawson Martin (10) added third-period goals for Red Deer. . . . D Colton Bobyk and Spacek each had two assists, with Martin adding one. . . . The Rebels got 26 stops from G Riley Lamb. . . . G Cody Porter turned aside 24 shots for Calgary. . . . Red Deer was 2-4 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . The Rebels (30-28-12) have points in seven straight (5-0-2). . . . The Hitmen (28-32-10) had won their previous three games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,221.
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At Regina, D Connor Hobbs tied a franchise record for goals in a season by a defenceman as the Pats defeated the Swift Current Broncos, 6-2. . . . Hobbs scored his 30th goal of the season, on a PP, at 16:21
DAWSON LEEDAHL
of the second period, tying John Miner (1984-85) for that mark. . . . The Pats also set a franchise record for victories in a season (50). They had shared that record with the 1980-81 team. . . . The Pats took a 3-0 lead into the second period on goals from F Adam Brooks (40), F Dawson Leedahl (34) and D Sergey Zborovskiy (7). . . . The Broncos cut into the home team’s lead when F Lane Pederson got his 25th, at 3:15 of the second period. . . . But the Pats responded with the next three goals, from F Nick Henry (35), on a PP, Hobbs, and F Filip Ahl (26). . . . F Ryley Lindgren (26) got the Broncos’ last goal on a third-period PP. . . . The Pats got three assists from F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL with 130 points, seven more than Brooks, the defending scoring champion. . . . Brooks also had two assists, for a three-point night, as did Leedahl. Henry added one assist. . . . F Glenn Gawdin had two assists for the Broncos. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 24 shots for Regina. . . . The Broncos got 35 stops from G Taz Burman. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-6. . . . F Kaden Elder was among the Broncos’ scratches, after being injured in Tuesday’s 6-3 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. He was injured on a play in which Brandon F Tyler Coulter drew a charging major and game misconduct. . . . The Broncos also scratched G Jordan Papirny (ill) for a fourth straight game. . . . Regina (50-12-8) has won six in a row and will meet either the Calgary Hitmen or Saskatoon Blades in the first round. . . . Swift Current (38-22-10) had won its previous three games. The Broncos will finish third in the East Division and meet the Moose Jaw Warriors to start the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 5,366.
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At Spokane, the Seattle Thunderbirds hung on to first place in the Western Conference and the U.S. Division with a 4-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . F Taylor Ross (7) gave the home boys a 1-0 lead at 11:00
RYAN GROPP
of the first period. . . . Seattle responded with the next three goals. . . . F Ryan Gropp tied it, on a PP, at 17:27. . . . The Thunderbirds took the lead at 2:08 of the third period when F Zack Andrusiak scored his sixth goal. . . . Gropp, who has 34 goals, upped it to 3-1 at 3:15. . . . Gropp equalled his career-high for goals in a season that he set last season. In the past three seasons, he has scored 30, 34 and 34 goals. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 37th goal got the Chiefs to within one at 5:29. . . . Seattle D Austin Strand iced it with his ninth goal, at 9:02. . . . F Keegan Kolesar had two assists for Seattle. He has 32 assists in 52 games, beating his single-season high of 31 that he had in 64 games last season. . . . In the absence of F Mathew Barzal, who is being tested for the mumps virus, F Alexander True played in the middle between F Keegan Kolesar and F Ryan Gropp on Seattle’s big line. . . . Asked if he had seen test results on Barzal, Seattle GM Russ Farwell, who was in Spokane with his team, responded: “Not as of yet.” . . . G Carl Stankowski stopped 15 shots for Seattle. . . . At the other end, Donovan Buskey blocked 32 shots in his first career WHL start. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . Aside from Barzal, the Thunderbirds also scratched G Rylan Toth, D Jarret Tyszka, D Reede Harsch and F Scott Eansor. . . . The Thunderbirds (45-19-6) have won four in a row. They have a one-point lead over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Chiefs (26-33-10) have dropped seven straight (0-6-1). . . . Announced attendance: 4,102.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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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.
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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.
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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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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:16 PM
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Sunday, March 5, 2017

Saturday night in the WHL . . .

What follows is a quick look at Saturday’s happenings on the ice in the WHL.
As I posted here in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I was at the Kamloops stop for Tom Cochrane’s Mad Mad World Tour on Saturday night.
Yes, it was louder than at any Blazers’ game this season.
The show’s highlight? Well, we were in the third row from the front. A woman seated directly in front of us got up to dance during the show’s second half and somehow ended up on the stage. She and her male companion were last seen being escorted from the building.
Seriously, it was quite a show. Cochrane proved that he really is Canada’s Bruce Springsteen. At the age of 63, Cochrane still brings it.
The tour, which also features Red Rider, is in Prince George on Monday night.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Everett, the Silvertips scored three times in the game’s first eight minutes en route to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Everett scored three times on its first six shots, forcing Seattle to replace starting G Rylan Toth, who is having a banner season, with Carl Stankowski, who stopped 33 of 34 shots in 51:25. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 15 shots for Everett. . . . Seattle remains with D Ethan Bear, F Scott Eansor and D Jarret Tyszka. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis had two assists, the first of which was his 100th career point. He is quietly having a giant offensive season, with six goals and 45 assists in 64 games. Previously, he had three goals in each of the past two seasons. In 2014-15, he had career highs in assists (22) and points (25). . . . The victory allowed Everett (39-14-11) to move back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Seattle (41-19-6). . . . Everett has eight games remaining, two more than Seattle. . . . Announced attendance: 8,249.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 first-period deficit and beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . F Dillon Dube scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 15, while F Reid Gardiner scored his 14th goal as he ran his point streak to 12 games. Since joining the Rockets, he has 30 points in 22 games. . . . Cal Foote of the Rockets and Tri-City’s Juuso Valimaki, two of the WHL’s top defencemen, each had two assists. . . . The Rockets (40-21-5) have won four in a row and now are second in the B.C. Division, four points behind Prince George and three ahead of Kamloops. . . . Kelowna has six games remaining, one more than those two teams. . . . The Americans (38-25-3) are third in the U.S. Division, five points ahead of Portland, which has a game in hand. . . .  Announced attendance: 5,521.
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At Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last three goals, all in the second-half of the third period, and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-3. . . . F John Dahlstrom, who has 27 goals, gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead with a goal at 10:34 of the second period. . . . The Warriors, who had led 2-0, won it on goals from F Noah Gregor (22), F Tanner Jeannot (18) and F Thomas Foster (20), who scored twice. . . . F Brayden Burke had two assists for the winners. . . . Moose Jaw (40-17-8) is comfortably in second place in the East Division. It has won eight straight games and is six points behind Regina and 12 ahead of Swift Current. . . . The Tigers (46-19-1) had won their previous four games. They are second in the overall standings, three points behind Regina, which holds two games in hand. Medicine Hat leads the Central Division by two points over Lethbridge, with each team having six games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 3,458.
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At Portland, G Cole Kehler stopped 12 shots to record the shutout as the Winterhawks beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-0, to sweep their tripleheader. . . . Kehler has two shutouts this season, the first two of his career. . . . Vancouver was outshot 11-1 in the first period and 12-3 in the third. . . . The Giants went 0-6 in its two tripleheaders, losing three to the Victoria Royals before dropping three straight with Portland. . . . F Keegan Iverson had two assists, and has four goals and four assists over his past five games. . . . Each of the Winterhawks’ scorers — F Cody Glass, F Joachim Blichfeld and F Ryan Hughes — now has 27 goals. . . . Portland (35-26-4) holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points behind Victoria, and is fourth in the U.S. Division, five points behind Tri-City. . . . Vancouver (19-41-6) will miss the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 5,903.
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At Prince Albert, F Parker Kelly and F Cavin Leth each had four points and G Ian Scott earned the shutout as the Raiders beat the Kootenay Ice, 8-0. . . . The Ice had lost 4-0 in Saskatoon on Friday night. . . . Kelly scored twice, the second one on a penalty shot, and added two assists. He’s got 16 goals. . . . Leth had a goal, shorthanded, and two assists. He has 22 goals. . . . Scott stopped 25 shots in putting up his second shutout of the season and third of his career. . . . Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs. . . . The Raiders (18-41-7) are 21st in the overall standings, five points ahead of the Ice (14-40-10). . . . Announced attendance: 2,177.
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At Prince George, F Jansen Harkins became the franchise’s all-time scoring leader in a 6-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Harkins had a goal and three assists, as he ran his career points total to 240 in 270 regular-season games. That broke the record that had been held by F Chase Witala (2011-16), who had 239 points in 302 games. Harkins tied the record with his 20th goal of the season and broke it with an assist on a third-period PP. . . . Prince George got big nights from the McTwins, too, with F Colby McAuley scoring twice and adding two assists, while F Kody McDonald had a goal and two helpers. . . . Cougars F Jesse Gabrielle scored his 30th goal, the second season in a row that he has reached that mark. . . . The Cougars had a season-high 57 shots on goal just one night after unleashing 50 shots in an 8-4 victory over the visiting Blazers. The home side scored five second-period goals in each game. . . . Prince George put 11 pucks behind Blazers G Connor Ingram in 91:07 over the two nights. . . . Kamloops (38-23-6) went into the weekend in second place in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Cougars (42-20-5). The Blazers headed home in third place, seven points behind Prince George and three behind the second-place Kelowna Rockets. . . .  Announced attendance: 3,969.
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At Red Deer, the Swift Current Broncos clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 OT victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Swift Current won the season series, 4-0, with three of the victories coming in extra time. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi’s 25th goal pulled the Broncos into a tie at 17:18 of the third period. The Finnish freshman then drew the primary assist on F Tyler Steenbergen’s 46th goal, the winner, 52 seconds into OT. . . . The Broncos (33-20-10) are headed to a third-place finish and a first-round clash with Moose Jaw in the East Division. . . . The Rebels (26-28-11) are third in the Central Division, only three points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,926.
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At Regina, the Calgary Hitmen added to the league-leading Pats’ woes by hanging a 6-3 loss on them. . . . F Beck Malenstyn and F Luke Coleman each had a goal and two assists for Calgary, which took a 4-1 lead into the second period. . . . Calgary held a 16-9 edge in shots in the first period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro scored his 39th goal, shorthanded, for Calgary. . . . Malenstyn has 25 goals; Coleman has 14. . . . Regina got two goals from Adam Brooks, who has 35. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba was terrific, with 32 saves, 14 of them in the third period. . . . Regina had F Filip Ahl and D Jonathan Smart back from injuries, but F Duncan Pierce (ankle) left in the second period. . . . The Hitmen (25-20-10), who had lost three straight, hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point ahead of Saskatoon. . . . The Pats (44-12-8) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) for the first time this season. They lead the overall standings by three points over Medicine Hat with two games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 5,546.
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At Saskatoon, the Lethbridge Hurricanes erased a 4-2 deficit to beat the Blades, 5-4 in OT. . . . D Brennan Menell’s 12th goal, at 0:54 of OT, won it. . . . F Giorgio Estephan, who had the lone assist on the winner, was in on the last three goals. He had the primary assist on F Zak Zborosky’s 41st goal, at 1:47 of the third period, then tied the score with No. 30, at 11:13. . . . Earlier, Estephan had scored his 29th goal. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong had three assists, becoming the WHL’s third 100-point man this season. He's now at 101. . . . The Blades got three goals from F Braylon Shmyr, who has 32. . . . The Hurricanes (42-17-7) have won six straight and now are two points behind Central Division-leading Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (25-31-9) have points in two straight (1-0-1) and are one point out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,413.
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At Victoria, the Royals clinched a playoff spot with a 4-3 OT victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Matt Phillips scored the winner at 2:42 of extra time. . . . He had two goals, giving him 46, and an assist. Phillips tied the Royals’ single-season record for goals that had been set last season by F Tyler Soy, who remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. The franchise record (51) is held by F Ryan Howse (Chilliwack Bruins, 2010-11). . . . F Hudson Elynuik scored two PP goals for Spokane. He’s got 25 goals. . . . The Royals (37-23-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1). They are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind Kamloops. Victoria plays its next five games on the road, including two in Kamloops and two in Kelowna. . . . The Chiefs (26-29-9) are 12 points away from a playoff spot with eight games to play. . . . Announced attendance: 6,059.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Regina at Brandon, 4 p.m.
Kootenay at Moose Jaw, 4 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 1:23 PM
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Saturday, February 25, 2017

Silvertips, Americans streaking ... Tigers retire Lysiak's No. 9 ... Hitmen stun Rebels


Steve Ewen, who covers the Vancouver Giants for Postmedia, revealed Saturday morning that he is preparing for a second battle with cancer.
Ewen, one of the good guys, has fired up his blog again — Crush the Tumour with Humour.
On Saturday, he started a post with:
“I have a surgery some time this week to put a pin in my left leg. Hopefully it doesn't clash with the rods in my back.
“The cancer is back. Multiple myeloma. I had been in remission for six years, but when I was diagnosed with a solitary plasmacytoma in 2010 we were told that there was a good chance that it would return. We received recurrence rates of anywhere between 30 and 70 per cent then.”
Keep Steve and his wife, Carol-Ann, in your thoughts and prayers, and feel free to visit with him at his blog, which is right here.
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More WHL teams have postponed or cancelled fan-related events due to the mumps scare that is going through the league.
The Regina Pats were to have had a post-game skate with fans after their Sunday game with the visiting Swift Current Broncos. But that has been cancelled, and hopefully will be rescheduled.
Meanwhile, the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club was informed that player appearances at the Les Schwab in the Pearl District and Southeast scheduled for Monday have been postponed and will be rescheduled at dates to be determined.
The Winterhawks/Burgerville events scheduled for March 6 are on, but could be impacted should the mumps situation continue much longer.
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The Vancouver Giants have signed D Austin King-Cunningham to a WHL contract and he made his WHL debut in Victoria against the Royals on Saturday night. . . . A list player, King-Cunningham is from Pilot Butte, Sask. He had three goals and eight assists in 33 games with Battlefords Stars of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League this season. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder led the SMAAAHL in penalty minutes, with 161. . . . The Stars didn’t make the playoffs, so King-Cunningham is free to join the Giants.
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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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SATURDAY’S GAMES:



At Everett, the Silvertips clinched their 14th straight playoff berth as they beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-1.
KEVIN DAVIS
. . . The Silvertips have qualified for the playoffs in every season they have played in the WHL. . . . Everett got off to a quick start when F Matt Fonteyne scored his 16th goal just 54 seconds into the first period. . . . F Patrick Bajkov made it 2-0 with No. 25 at 5:56. . . . Everett went ahead 3-0 on F Eetu Tuulola’s 16th goal, at 9:36 of the third period. . . . Kamloops F Lane Bauer scored his 36th goal at 19:14. . . . The Silvertips got two assists from D Kevin Davis. . . . Everett G Carter Hart finished with 35 saves. This was the second time since Feb. 17 that Hart lost a shutout late in a game with the other team’s goaltender on the bench for an extra attacker. It happened on Feb. 17 in a 3-1 victory over the host Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Late in the game, Hart took a shot at an empty Kamloops net. “He missed the net by quitre a bit,” Everett head coach Kevin Constantine told Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald, “but you’ve seen goalies lately, pulled goalie situation and the puck gets dumped in. If they get a shot they go for it. Maybe with a one-goal lead you try not to do that because it’s an icing, but with a three-goal lead why not? It certainly got a rise out of the crowd.” . . . G Dylan Ferguson stopped 24 shots for the Blazers. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Silvertips (38-12-10) have won seven in a row. They lead the U.S. Division by three points over Seattle with two games in hand. . . . The Blazers (37-21-6) have lost two straight. They are second in the B.C. Division, five points behind Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 6,377.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., the Lethbridge Hurricanes opened up a 4-0 first-period lead en route to a 5-3 victory
TYLER WONG
over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Tyler Wong scored twice in that first period, giving him a WHL-leading 45 goals, and D Brennan Menell had three assists. . . . Wong opened the scoring at 6:23, with F Tanner Nagel (8) making it 2-0 at 8:48. . . . F Matt Alfaro, who was acquired from the Ice in January, scored at 9:29 and Wong, on a PP, made it 4-0 at 17:23. . . . D Brennan Riddle drew assists on the first two goals. . . . The Ice didn’t fold, though, and cut the deficit to one. . . . D Troy Murray (4) got it started at 3:54 of the third period. . . . F Colton Kroeker got his 15th goal, shorthanded, at 8:46, and D Cale Fleury (10) scored on a PP at 10:49 to get the Ice to within one. . . . Alfaro iced the victory with his 22nd goal, into an empty net, at 19:21. . . . The Ice got two assists from F Vince Loschiavo. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 30 shots for Lethbridge. . . . G Payton Lee, who picked up an assist, turned aside 22 shots for Kootenay. . . . The Hurricanes were 1-3 on the PP; the Ice was 1-4. . . . Lethbridge (38-17-7) has won two in a row. The Hurricanes are second in the Central Divison, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . Kootenay (13-38-10) has lost three straight. . . . Announced attendance: 1,709.
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At Medicine Hat, G Michael Bullion stopped 26 shots to lead the Tigers to a 4-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Prior to the game, the Tigers celebrated the career of F Tom Lysiak as they retired his
MICHAEL BULLION
sweater number (9). F Zach Fisher, who had been wearing No. 9, has switched to 39. During the ceremony, Fischer took off the No. 9 sweater and presented it to Lysiak family members. . . . Bullion, who was acquired from the Portland Winterhawks in January, posted his second shutout in five starts and the second of his career. . . . D David Quenneville opened the scoring, on a PP, when he scored his 21st goal at 9:29 of the first period. . . . F Mason Shaw (25) made it 2-0 at 16:57. . . . F Chad Butcher assisted on both goals. . . . The Tigers got to 3-0 when F Mark Rassell scored his 30th at 13:33 of the second period. . . . F Gary Haden (7) closed out the scoring at 2:19 of the third period. . . . Rassell also had an assist. . . . Brandon got 45 stops from G Logan Thompson. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-6 on the PP; Brandon was 0-3. . . . The two teams at the heart of the WHL’s mumps situation had three players missing due to illness — F James Hamblin and D Jordan Henderson of the Tigers and F Baron Thompson of the Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Ty Lewis to an undisclosed injury during this one. . . . Medicine Hat (44-18-1) has won two in a row. The Tigers are second in the overall standings, six points behind Regina which has three games in hand. . . . Brandon (28-25-9) has lost four straight (0-3-1). It holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost eight straight road games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,489.

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At Moose Jaw, the Warriors snapped a 2-2 tie with three third-period goals and went on to beat the Swift Current Broncos, 5-2. . . . F Noah Gregor, in his first game since Jan. 7, gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead with
NOAH GREGOR
No. 21 at 8:52 of the second period. . . . D Josh Brook (8) made it 2-0 at 18:23. . . . The Broncos tied the game with two late second-period goals despite being outshot 21-5 over the 20 minutes. . . . F Ryley Lindgren got No. 18 at 19:12 and F Glenn Gawdin (22) tied the score at 19:38. . . . The Warriors took a 3-2 lead when F Tanner Jeannot (16) scored at 8:15 of the third period. . . . F Thomas Foster added insurance with his 18th goal, at 12:23, and F Brayden Burke, in his first game since Feb. 8, got the final goal, his 17th, at 15:40. . . . Jeannot also had two assists, while Foster had one. . . . The Warriors got 25 stops from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . At the other end, Jordan Papirny turned aside 38. . . . Swift Current was 0-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-3. . . . F Mackenzie Wight, an 18-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., made his Swift Current debut. The Broncos acquired him from the Seattle Thunderbirds in December for F Tyler Adams, 19, and an undisclosed conditional pick in the 2019 bantam draft. Earlier in the season, he was pointless in six games with the Thunderbirds, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 WHL bantam draft. Wight has been playing with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. He had six goals and six assists in 27 games. . . . The Broncos were without F Lane Pederson, who sat out the first of a two-game suspension after he took a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Regina F Robbie Holmes during the Pats’ 7-0 home-ice victory on Friday night. Holmes left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. . . . The Warriors (37-17-8) have won five in a row. They are headed to a second-place finish in the East Division as they are 13 points behind Regina and 12 ahead of third-place Swift Current. . . . The Broncos (30-20-10) have lost three straight (0-2-1). They are five points ahead of fourth-place Brandon. . . . The Broncos lost 7-0 in Regina on Friday, played in Moose Jaw on Saturday and are back in Regina for a Sunday game. . . . Announced attendance: 3,829.
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At Prince Albert, the Raiders broke a 1-1 tie with two early third-period goals as they defeated the
KOLTEN OLYNEK
Saskatoon Blades, 4-2. . . . F Cavin Leth had given the home team a 1-0 lead with his 19th goal, on a PP, at 10:05 of the first period. . . . F Michael Farren (6) got Saskatoon even at 10:55 of the second period. . . . The Raiders regained the lead when F Simon Stransky got No. 17 at 4:48 of the third. . . . F Kolten Olynek, who also had an assist, got his 12th goal, at 6:52, for a 3-1 lead. . . . The Blades got to within a goal when F Braylon Shmyr (29) scored at 18:04. . . . The Raiders iced it on F Curtis Miske’s 17th goal, into an empty net, at 19:32. . . . G Ian Scott earned the victory with 21 saves, two more than Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell. . . . The Raiders were 1-2 on the PP; the Blades were 0-7. . . . Saskatoon has won four of six games from Prince Albert this season. . . . The Blades are 0-5-1 and have been outscored 24-10 in their past six road appearances. . . . Prince Albert (17-40-6) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). . . . Saskatoon (24-30-8) is two points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 2,396.
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At Prince George, F Jesse Gabrielle scored twice and added an assist as the Cougars skated to a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Cougars also became the first B.C. Division to clinch a
JESSE GABRIELLE
playoff spot this season. . . . F Jared Bethune gave the home boys a 1-0 lead with his 18th goal, at 4:27 of the first period. . . . Gabrielle upped that to 2-0 at 12:01. . . . D Conner McDonald’s sixth goal, on a PP, at 19:08 got the Oil Kings to within a goal. . . . Gabrielle’s 29th goal, on a PP, restored the Cougars’ two-goal lat at 15:17 of the second period. . . . F Tyler Robertson’s 15th goal, also on a PP, pulled Edmonton back to within a goal, at 18:10. . . . The Cougars put it away with third-period goals from F Josh Curtis (8), at 5:47, and F Radovan Bondra (29), on a PP, at 6:37. . . . The Cougars got two assists from each of F Jansen Harkins and Bondra, with Bethune adding one. . . . G Nick McBride earned the victory with 31 saves. . . . At the other end, Josh Dechaine stopped 42 shots in his second straight start. . . . The Cougars had beaten visiting Edmonton, 4-1, on Friday. . . . Prince George was 2-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 2-5. . . . F Brad Morrison (undisclosed injury) was among Prince George’s scratches. Also out was F Colby McAuley, who got a two-game suspension after taking a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit on F Ty Gerla of the Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday night. Gerla was a scratch on Saturday night. . . . F Max Kryski, 16, made his WHL debut with the Cougars. He is the younger brother of F Jake Kryski of the Calgary Hitmen. Max, from Kelowna, has been playing for the Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . The Cougars (40-19-5) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They lead the B.C. Division by five points over Kamloops. Each team has eight games remaining; they will play each other four times. . . . The Oil Kings (20-38-5) have lost six in a row (0-5-1). They went 0-4 on a trip into the B.C. Division and were outscored 26-4 in the process. . . . Announced attendance: 5,805.
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At Red Deer, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last six goals and beat the Rebels, 6-3. . . . The Calgary onslaught included five goals on 26 third-period shots. . . . The Rebels seemed to take control
LUKE COLEMAN
with three second-period goals. . . . F Austin Pratt (14) started it at 5:34, before F Lane Zablocki scored twice, giving him 23, at 8:31 and 18:20. . . . Calgary got some life when F Matteo Gennaro got his 36th goal, on a PP, at 19:09. . . . F Andrei Grishakov’s 10th goal allowed the Hitmen to get within one goal just 23 seconds into the third period. . . . F Luke Coleman, who is from Red Deer, tied the game at 5:58. . . . D Jameson Murray put the Hitmen out front with his first WHL goal at 7:58. Murray, from Kelowna, turned 18 on Feb. 10. He scored his first goal in his 30th game. . . . D Brady Reagan (5) added insurance, on a PP, at 12:35. . . . Coleman put it away with his 13th goal at 13:33. . . . The Hitmen got two assists from each of D Jake Bean, D Micheal Zipp, D Vladislav Yeryomenko and F Mark Kastelic, while Reagan had one. . . . F Adam Musil had two helpers for the Rebels. . . . G Trevor Martin stopped 34 shots for Calgary. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen stopped 41. . . . Calgary was 2-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-1. . . . The Hitmen (24-27-10) moved two points ahead of Saskatoon in the race for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Rebels (25-28-10) had points in each of their previous three games (2-0-1). Red Deer is third in the Central Division, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . These teams will meet again this afternoon in Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 5,355.

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At Kent, Wash., F Ryan Gropp scored the game’s first two goals and the last one as the Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Kelowna Rockets, 5-3. . . . Gropp provided Seattle with a 2-0 lead as he
RYAN GROPP
scored on two of its first three shots, at 3:26 and 5:42 of the first period. The second of those goals came via the PP. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear stretched the lead to 3-0, on a PP, at 3:32 of the second period. . . . F Dillon Dube got Kelowna on the scoreboard with his 11th goal, scoring on a penalty shot at 7:26. . . . F Keegan Kolesar (21) scored another Seattle PP goal, this one at 9:47. . . . F Reid Gardiner got his ninth goal for Kelowna, on a PP, at 8:38 of the third period. . . . Gropp completed his hat trick, for a 5-2 lead, with an empty-netter, on a PP, at 18:53. . . . F Kyle Topping (12) scored Kelowna’s final goal, at 19:37. . . . Gropp also had an assist, while F Mathew Barzal drew four assists and Kolesar had two. That line combined for 10 of Seattle’s 15 scoring points. . . . Bear also had an assist as he ran his career point total to 187. That ties him with Craig Channell for second on the franchise list for career points by a defenceman. Shea Theodore holds the record (212). . . . Bear has at least a point in 11 straight games, the longest active streak in the WHL at the moment, while Kolesar is at 10 games. . . . Dube added an assist to his goal. . . . The Thunderbirds got 36 stops from G Rylan Toth, while Kelowna’s Michael Herringer blocked 19. . . . Toth is tied for the WHL lead in victories (32) with Griffen Outshouse of Victoria. . . . Seattle was 4-9 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-4. . . . D Jarret Tyszka was among Seattle’s scratches after he was injured in Friday’s 7-3 loss to the host Tri-City Americans. . . . Seattle (39-18-5) is second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Kelowna (36-21-5) had points in each of its previous seven games (6-0-1). It is third in the B.C. Division, three points behind Kamloops and four ahead of Victoria. . . . The Rockets, who beat the Blazers 8-2 in Kamloops on Friday, finish their weekend Sunday afternoon in Spokane. . . . Announced attendance: 5,313.
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At Spokane, F Tyler Sandhu scored three goals and added an assist as the Tri-City Americans dumped
TYLER SANDHU
the Chiefs, 5-1. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto scored the game’s first goal, getting No. 35 at 10:58 of the opening period. . . . Sandhu, who has 20 goals, tied the game at 14:41 of the first and put his side ahead at 11:27 of the second period. . . . F Jordan Topping added insurance at 9:55 of the third period. . . . Sandhu completed his hat trick at 12:45 and Topping (23) closed out the scoring with an empty-netter, at 19:30. . . . The Americans got four assists from F Morgan Geekie and two from D Juuso Valimaki, with Topping adding one. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 33 shots for Tri-City. . . . The Chiefs got 21 saves from G Jayden Sittler. . . . G Donovan Buskey was on the bench in support of Sittler. Buskey, who turned 17 on Jan. 29, is from North Vancouver, B.C., and was a third-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2015 bantam draft. Buskey has been playing for the major midget Vancouver Northwest Giants. . . . Buskey replaced G Dawson Weatherill, who was scratched. . . . The Americans (38-23-3) have won seven in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, four points behind Seattle. . . . The Chiefs (25-26-9) have lost two straight. They are nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 9,331.
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At Victoria, F Jared Dmytriw scored twice to help the Royals to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. .
JARED DMYTRIW
. . The Royals went ahead 1-0 when F Vladimir Bobylev scored his seventh goal, at 1:30 of the first period. . . . Dmytriw made it 2-0 at 8:55. . . . It went to 3-0 at 9:37 of the second period when Dmytriw got his 12th goal. . . . Victoria got three assists from F Matt Phillips. . . . F Calvin Spencer (14) scored his 14th goal, on a PP, at 15:52 of the second period. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 31 shots in posting his 32nd victory of the season. That ties the Royals’ single-season record that was set last season by Coleman Vollrath. . . . G David Tendeck stopped 20 shots for the Giants. . . . Vancouver was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-2. . . . The Royals (34-23-5) have points in four straight games (3-0-1). They are in possession of the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . The Giants (19-38-5) have lost two in a row. . . . The Royals had beaten the Giants, 6-4, in Langley, B.C., on Friday night. The two teams will complete their weekend tripleheader today in Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 7,006, on Pink in the Rink night.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Swift Current at Regina, 4 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Saskatoon, 4:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Spokane, 5:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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