Showing posts with label Kolten Olynek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kolten Olynek. Show all posts

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Hitmen trim two 20-year-olds ... Rasmussen joins Team Canada's camp ... Ex-Royals coach stays in NHL

The last rays of a setting sun bounce off a cloud over
the Monte Lake fire on Thursday night.
We woke up to a whole lot of smoke on Thursday, but it apparently was coming from the Elephant Hill fire, which is the one that has caused so much damage in the Ashcroft/Cache Creek area, and not the Monte Lake fire that started late Wednesday afternoon. However, by late afternoon on Thursday most of the smoke had moved away from our area, leaving behind a beautiful evening. . . . However, there was quite a bit of air traffic between Kamloops and Monte Lake at the same time, so they obviously aren't out of the woods there just yet. . . . With high winds and high temps forecast -- we've been around 35 and are headed for at least 37 in a day or two -- the summer of fire doesn't appear to be anywhere near its end.
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THE MacBETH REPORT . . .

F Taylor Stefishen (Prince George, 2010-11) has signed a one-year contract with the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, he had 12 goals and 23 assists in 44 games with Dijon (France, Ligue Magnus). He led his team in assists and points.
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A LITTLE OF THIS . . .


The Calgary Hitmen are left with four 20-year-olds on their roster after G Cody Porter and D Jaydan Gordon cleared waivers. . . . That leaves the Hitmen with G Nick Schneider, F Jakob Stukel, F Matteo Gennaro and D Brady Reagan as the four remaining 20s on their roster. Each WHL team will have to declare a maximum of three 20s shortly after the new season begins. . . . Porter, from North Vancouver, was 14-16-3, 3.46, .888 in 34 appearances with the Hitmen last season. In 117 regular-season appearances, 42 with the Vancouver Giants and 75 with Calgary — he is 52-42-9, 3.30, .887. . . . Gordon, from Cochrane, Alta., had two goals and six assists in 70 games last season. He played his first two seasons with the Swift Current Broncos. In 172 career games, he has three goals and 13 assists. . . . Porter’s departure leaves Schneider as Calgary’s undisputed No. 1 goaltender. At the moment, veteran Kyle Dumba, 19, would appear to be No. 2 on the depth chart. Chance are, however, that the Hitmen won’t want to go into the season with a 19-year-old in a backup role. . . . Schneider, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers this summer, has signed an entry-level contract as a free agent with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, whose parent company also owns the Hitmen.
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F Michael Rasmussen has been added to Team Canada’s roster for the World Junior Showcase that is scheduled to begin today (Friday) in Plymouth, Mich. . . . Rasmussen, from the Tri-City Americans, had last season cut short by a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. His addition to the roster would seem to indicate that he now is healthy. . . . Rasmussen was added after F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants was forced to opt out. He apparently hasn’t yet fully recovered from sports hernia surgery in the spring. . . . F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has had at least two surgical procedures due to sports hernias, also isn’t able to take part. . . . Also unable to take part are F Gabe Vilardi of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and F Adam Mascherin of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
Meanwhile, G Carl Stankowski, who backstopped the Seattle Thunderbirds to their first WHL championship last season, was scratched from Hockey Canada’s U-18 selection camp in Calgary due to an undisclosed injury. His spot was filled by Kevin Mandolese of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. . . . Team Canada, under head coach Brent Kisio of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, will leave next week for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia. The tournament opens on Aug. 7.
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F Kolten Olynek, who played out his junior eligibility last season, has decided to attend the U of Western Ontario and play for the Mustangs in 2017-18. Olynek, who is from Saskatoon, was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. . . . He split last season between the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades. During his career, he also played with the Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs. . . . In 253 regular-season games, he had 32 goals and 45 assists.
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D Austin Adam, who played four seasons in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and Moose Jaw Warriors, is transferring to Simon Fraser U after spending one season at the U of Western Ontario. . . . The 6-foot-6 Adam, 22, is from Surrey, B.C. He had a goal and two assists in 28 games with the Mustangs last season. . . . SFU plays in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League.
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Mike Fraser, a veteran WHL scout who now works for the Brandon Wheat Kings, also has been writing a column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. Those columns have mostly revolved around the world of WHL scouts and there adventures. However, there has been a change at the Journal and Fraser has chosen to end his column-writing career, at least for now. His last column is right here.
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Really . . . I mean, really . . . how are we doing in Kamloops in this summer of flames? Well, it seems that old friend Jack Knox of the Victoria Times Colonist paid us a recent visit and he quite liked what he saw, except for the fact that his volunteer services weren’t needed, that is. . . . His last column is right here.
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If you’re a regular here, and even you aren’t, feel free to contribute to the feeding of the Drinnan family by making a donation to the cause. You are able to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).
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THE CONCUSSION REPORT . . .

John Urschel sometimes was referred to as the smartest man in football. Urschel, 26, was in line to be the Baltimore Ravens’ starting centre in the upcoming season, that was before he surprised coaches, teammates and observers by announcing his retirement on Thursday. That decision came two days after researchers released the results of a study in which CTE was found in the brains of 110 of 111 deceased football players. . . . There’s more on Urschel’s decision right here.
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THE COACHING GAME . . .

Ben Cooper, a former WHL assistant coach, has signed on with the NHL’s Florida Panthers as their video coach. Cooper, 40, spent the past three seasons as the Vancouver Canucks’ video coach. Prior to that, he worked two seasons (2011-13) with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. . . . He also has experience with Hockey Canada, and was on the coaching staff of Canadian teams that won gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the 2009 World Junior Championship.
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TWEET OF THE DAY



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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:45 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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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:59 PM
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Rebels add veteran forward . . . Howden gets NHL deal . . . Constantine pays the piper


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F Waltteri Hopponen (Everett, 2013-14) has been loaned by HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, Liiga) to LeKi Lempäälä (Finland, Mestis) for one game. This season, he was pointless in 19 games with HPK, and he four goals and seven assists in 12 games with LeKi.
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The Red Deer Rebels acquired F Austin Glover, 20, from the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday, sending F D-Jay Jerome, 17, and a third-round selection in the 2017 draft the other way.
AUSTIN GLOVER
From Clavet, Sask., the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Glover had put up 12 goals and 14 assists in 35 games with the Raiders this season. He was a second-round pick by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2011 WHL draft. On Dec. 10, 2014, the Rockets sent him to Prince Albert in a deal that had D Josh Morrissey end up in Kelowna.
In 190 career regular-season games, Glover has 41 goals and 73 assists.
The Rebels now have three 20s, with D Colton Bobyk and F Evan Polei the others.
Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, obviously his club is capable of making some noise between now and season’s end. Why else give up a youngster and a third-round pick? When the deal was made, the Rebels were 17-14-6 and third in the Central Division, one point behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes and four ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. Perhaps Glover’s experience will add some discipline and consistency to the Rebels’ game.
D-JAY JEROME
The 6-foot-0, 170-pound Jerome, from Lethbridge, had five goals and three assists in 23 games with the Rebels. He fits into a Prince Albert lineup that is in full rebuild mode.
With Glover gone, the Raiders had an opening for a 20-year-old, so they have brought back F Kolten Olynek, a native of Saskatoon who had been claimed off waivers by the Saskatoon Blades earlier in the season. The Blades later released him.
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Olynek has played 217 regular-season games, and has 25 goals and 36 assists. He had played 46 games with the Raiders last season, after starting with the Spokane Chiefs, and three this season, totalling nine goals and 11 assists. He was a second-round pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2011 bantam draft.
With the Raiders, he joins F Cavin Leth and F Tim Vanstone as the 20s.
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F Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. He was a first-round selection, 27th overall, in the NHL’s 2016 draft. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Howden went into last night’s games with 32 points, including 16 goals, in 21 games with the Warriors this season. From Oakbank, Man., he had 143 points, including 63 goals, in 162 career regular-season WHL games. . . . Later on Wednesday, Howden was named the game’s first star as the host Warriors posted a 4-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. He scored his 17th goal of the season in that one.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers were without F Chad Butcher on Wednesday night as he served a one-game suspension after he was hit with a charging major and game misconduct on Tuesday night during a 5-4 shootout victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. Butcher was tossed at 5:55 of the second period. Originally, the penalty on the on-line scoresheet was for a headshot, but it later was changed. . . . 
The Regina Pats played without D Connor Hobbs on Wednesday night in Brandon after he was given a one-game suspension for a kneeing major and game misconduct during a 7-4 victory over the visiting Wheat Kings on Tuesday. Hobbs had himself a busy night before leaving, as he scored a goal and also was involved in two fights. . . .
Kevin Constantine, the head coach of the Everett Silvertips, has been fined $500 by the WHL after he was tossed from a Tuesday night game against the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. Constantine was given a game misconduct after protesting, apparently too vehemently, a diving penalty that had been given to Everett F Dominic Zwerger in the second period.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed D Samuel Stewart, 16, to a WHL contract. The 6-foot-0, 190-pound Stewart, from Winnipeg, is playing for the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. He has five assists in 22 games. 
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:48 PM
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Sunday, November 13, 2016

Blazers have work to do . . . Deja vu for Wheaties' Mattheos . . . Pats win streak hits 10

The Kamloops Blazers headed into the weekend knowing that a real test awaited them. The next three games would be a true measuring stick.
They were looking at three games, against the Prince Albert Raiders, Prince George Cougars and Everett Silvertips.
The Blazers easily passed the first one on Friday, as they posted a 5-2 victory over the Raiders, who
Don Hay, the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers, was
impressed with the Prince George Cougars
on Saturday night.(Photo: Christopher Mast, mastimages.com)
were victimized by some shaky goaltending and whose skill level doesn’t match up with what’s in the Kamloops lineup.
But the look on head coach Don Hay’s face after Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the Cougars told you all you needed to know about Part 2.
No, it wasn’t pretty.
(In fact, it matched the worst shutout loss on home ice in franchise history. The Blazers also suffered 7-0 home losses to the Spokane Chiefs on Feb. 17, 2010, and Everett on Dec.7, 2013.)
The Cougars had dropped a 4-2 decision to the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C., on Thursday night. Prince George head coach Richard Matvichuk responded by having his guys on the ice on Friday at 9 a.m. Yes, he skated them hard.
By Saturday night, his charges were well-rested but you can bet that the memory of Friday morning coming down was fresh in their minds. They knew, too, that they needed a victory to at least maintain a piece of first place in the overall standings.
So the Cougars came out and dominated the Blazers in every aspect of the game. They go into the week atop the standings, one point ahead of Everett and the Regina Pats.
“They didn’t give us a chance to make plays,” Hay said. “Give them credit.”
Hay added that he was “not happy with our performance.”
How unhappy was he? The Blazers finished the first and second periods on the power play. In both instances, Hay had his pluggers on the ice, while his gunners sat and watched.
The Cougars came out of the first period with a 3-0 lead, with the first of those goals coming while they were shorthanded.
The visitors upped that lead to 4-0 with another shorthanded goal at 14:21 of the second period.
“We were a little bit better in the second period,” Hay said. “But their fourth goal was another shorthanded goal. Shorthanded goals really take away your momentum.
“We have to be better if we want to compete against the top teams.”
He mentioned Prince George, Everett and the Pats, who are scheduled to play in Kamloops on Nov. 25. Regina has yet to lose in regulation time as it heads out on a six-game road trip.
The Cougars, meanwhile, were most impressive on Saturday as they beat the Blazers for the second time in a week, having won 4-2 at home on No 5.
Asked what he felt was the difference between these Cougars and recent editions, Hay mentioned “discipline” and “more focus on how they have to play the game.”
The Cougars really were disciplined, although they rarely, if ever, were challenged physically by the Blazers. Prince George also had its way around the Kamloops net with Connor Ingram and Dylan Ferguson, the home team’s goaltenders, spending a lot of time on their butts or pressed up against the cross-bar.
As Hay said, his club didn’t play with much “spirit . . . and that was really disappointing.”
The Silvertips will play in Kamloops on Wednesday, just 24 hours after playing host to the Calgary Hitmen.
Everett is 14-2-3, including a 6-0-2 run in its last eight outings.
Kamloops (11-10-1) is 5-4-1 in its last 10.
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If you have ever wondered about what it costs to run an arena, Steve Hunter of the Kent Reporter has a piece right here about the ShoWare Centre, the home of the Seattle Thunderbirds, and how it lost $312,298 through the end of this year’s third quarter. That actually is good news because it is more than $300,000 better than projections. . . . Hunter writes: “Fans at concerts and hockey games are known to spend lots of money on concessions, which increased the food and beer sales. Food sales brought in $542,349 for the first nine months, about $207,000 above projections. Beer sales were at $686,681, nearly $230,000 higher than budget.”
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, F Stelio Mattheos scored in a shootout to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . On Saturday night, it was Mattheos’s shootout goal that gave the Wheat Kings a 4-3
LANE PEDERSON
victory in Swift Current. . . . Last night, Mattheos was the only one of six shooters to score in the circus. . . . The Wheat Kings led 2-0 on goals from D Jordan Wharrie (2) at 9:58 of the second period and D James Shearer (3), on a PP, at 3:36 of the third. . . . F Connor Gutenberg assisted on both goals. . . . F Lane Pederson pulled the Broncos into a tie with goals at 10:18 and 19:50 of the third period, the latter coming on a PP. Pederson has 10 goals. One night earlier, he also scored twice in the third period. . . . G Logan Thompson stopped 36 shots for Brandon. . . . Swift Current got 33 shots out of G Taz Burman. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-5 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-7. . . . The Wheat Kings again were without F Nolan Patrick, who now has been out more than 30 days while listed as being day-to-day. . . . Brandon (10-7-3) has won three in a row. . . . The Broncos (10-6-5) have lost three straight (0-1-2). . . . Announced attendance: 2,971. . . . Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Broncos, reports that F Arthur Miller didn’t play after being injured in Saturday’s game and F Calvin Spencer left Sunday’s game. . . . The Broncos already were without F Glenn Gawdin, F Riley Stotts, F Conner Chault and D Matthew Stanley.
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At Lethbridge, F Kolten Olynek scored two goals to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Olynek was a second-round pick by Lethbridge in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Blades
KOLTEN OLYNEK
(9-11-1) had lost the first two games of a three-game Alberta swing. . . . The Hurricanes (7-9-3) have lost three straight (0-2-1). . . . This was the Hurricanes’ first game since they traded F Brayden Burke, their leading scorer, to the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . F Tyler Wong put Lethbridge out front 1-0 with the 100th goal of this career at 8:52 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Mason McCarty (14), at 15:18, and F Ryan Graham (1), on a PP, at 14:15 of the second period. . . . Wong forged a 2-2 tie with his ninth goal, on a PP, at 1:41 of the third period. . . . Saskatoon put it away with three straight goals. Olynek got his fifth at 11:53, F Wyatt Sloboshan (2) struck on a PP at 14:33, and Olynek added an empty-netter at 17:30. . . . F Dylan Cozens (1) got Lethbridge to within two at 19:55. . . . The Blades got two assists from each of F Logan Christensen and D Nolan Reid, while McCarty added one to his goal. . . . D Brennan Menell and F Jadon Joseph each had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 27 shots for Saskatoon, while Stuart Skinner blocked 28 at the other end. . . . The Blades were 2-4 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 3-8. . . . Announced attendance: 3,306. . . . From Les Lazaruk, the veteran radio voice of the Blades: “That ended an eight-game losing streak for the Double Blue, head-to-head against the Hurricanes. It was also the first time, in 13 occasions, that the Blades won this season when allowing the first goal of the game.”
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At Regina, F Sam Steel moved back into the WHL scoring lead with four points to lead the Pats to an 8-4 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Steel scored his 16th goal and added three assists. His 34 points
ADAM BROOKS
now have him three ahead of F Mason Shaw of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . F Austin Pratt gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 9:35 of the first period. . . . The Pats then scored the next four goals. . . . D Chase Harrison (4) tied the game at 16:35 — he is on a WHL-best 12-game point streak — and F Adam Brooks (7) put the Pats in front at 19:59. . . . D Connor Hobbs (5) made it 3-1 just 48 seconds into the second frame and F Filip Ahl (15) upped it to 4-1 at 7:49. . . . Steel and F Dawson Leedahl assisted on each of the first three goals. . . . D Carson Sass got Red Deer to within two with his second goal, on a PP, at 9:57. . . . However, Regina came back with two goals before the period ended, with Steel and Ahl each scoring No. 16. . . . Goals from F Jeff de Wit (3) and F Brandon Hagel (8) again pulled Red Deer to within two in the third period. . . . Regina put it away with goals from Hobbs (6) and F Jake Leschyshyn (10) in the last five minutes. . . . Brooks added two assists to his goal. The reigning WHL scoring champion has 25 points, including 18 assists, in 11 games. . . . Regina got two assists from F Lane Zablocki and one from Leschyshyn. . . . F Evan Polei had two assists for Red Deer, with Hagel getting one. . . . G Tyler Brown, in his third straight start, stopped 17 shots for the Pats. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen made 53 saves. . . . The Rebels were 2-6 on the PP; the Pats were 1-5. . . . The Pats (14-0-3), who open a six-game road trip in Edmonton on Wednesday, continue to roll along as the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost in regulation time. The Pats now have won 10 in a row and are one victory away from matching the franchise’s best start — 14-0-4 (four ties) in 1964-65 when they were in the SJHL. . . . WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) points out on Twitter that the Pats “have now scored 6 or more goals in 7 of their last 9 games. Putting up at least 3 in all 17 games so far this season.” . . . The Rebels slipped to 10-9-2. Red Deer played three games on the weekend, winning one and being outscored 20-14. . . . “We’ve given up 20 goals on this road trip and that’s ridiculous,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ GM and head coach, told Greg Meachem for a story that is right here. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484. It was the Pats’ second sellout of the season.

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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Prince George at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Red Deer at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.



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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:44 PM
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Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Cougars on top of CHL heap . . . Blades add veteran forward . . . Tigers stun Warriors in OT

The Prince George Cougars went to bed on Wednesday night knowing — apologies to Frank Sinatra — they are kings of the hill, top of the heap. . . . At No. 8 in the CHL rankings a week ago, the 
Cougars were No. 1 when the latest list was released yesterday. . . . Under new head coach Richard Matvichuk, who must be the most popular man in Prince George these days, the Cougars are 6-0-0, the first such season-opening streak in franchise history. They won their first four games on the road, then took a doubleheader from the visiting Kelowna Rockets last weekend. . . . Next up for the Cougars? A visit from the Vancouver Giants. They’ll play Friday and Saturday nights. The Giants, who lost 3-2 to the visiting Victoria Royals last night, now are 1-5-0. . . . Other WHL teams in the top 10: 5. Brandon Wheat Kings (1-1-1); 8. Regina Pats (3-0-1). . . . The Everett Silvertips, who beat the visiting Tri-City Americans 3-1 last night to go to 4-0-1, garnered an honourable mention. . . . The rankings are selected by a panel of anonymous NHL scouts.
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The Prince Albert Raiders placed F Kolten Olynek, 20, on waivers and the arch-rival Saskatoon Blades claimed him on Wednesday. The two teams are scheduled to meet tonight (Thursday) in Saskatoon and Olynek, who skated with the Blades on Wednesday, is expected to play. . . . This season, Olynek, who is from Saskatoon, had two goals and an assist in three games with the Raiders. . . . Olynek was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2011 bantam draft. He also has played with the Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs. In 189 regular-season games, he has 20 goals and 31 assists. . . . With Olynek’s arrival, the Blades have four 20-year-olds on their roster, although F Ryan Graham has yet to play this season, thanks to an undisclosed injury. He is likely to be out for a few more weeks. . . . The two other 20s are D Bryton Sayers and F Jesse Shynkaruk. . . . Olynek and Shynkaruk were teammates with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. . . . The Raiders put Olynek on waivers in order to get down to the maximum three 20s — F Austin Glover, G Rylan Parenteau and F Tim Vanstone. The Raiders also have F Reid Gardiner on their roster, but he is in camp with the AHL’s Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins.
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The Regina Pats have dropped F Erik Gardiner, 17, from their roster and he will join the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. Gardiner was a second-round selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. . . . Last season, the Humboldt native led the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League in scoring, with 59 points, including 21 goals, in 43 games. . . . Gardiner was pointless with the Pats this season, having dressed for two of their four games. . . . He is the younger brother of F Reid Gardiner, 20, who played the past four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders.
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BCHLRich Murphy, a Minnesota-based businessman, is in the process of finalizing the purchase of majority ownership of the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters. For $600,000, Murphy will get 90 per cent of the franchise; the non-profit society that has been operating the team will retain 10 per cent. The Smoke Eaters are about $400,000 in debt. . . . The team has been community-owned, but the society wasn’t able to find a local buyer. Murphy is the president and CEO of Midwest Railcar Corp. . . . His son, Ryan, 18, has two goals in eight games in his freshman season with the Smokies. . . . Kari Lee Campbell has more right here from the Nelson Daily.
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JUST NOTES:

The Everett Silvertips have named F Noah Juulsen as the 13th team captain in franchise history. Juulsen, 19, is from Surrey, B.C. He is into his fourth season with the Silvertips. . . .
Nathan Van Oosten of Vancouver, who is a WHL linesman, has been selected to work at the 2017 World Junior Championship. The tournament runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Montreal and Toronto. . . . 
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Coaching
BCHLRick Lanz, a former assistant and head coach with the Tri-City Americans, has joined the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles as an assistant coach. He replaces Colin Hemingway, who left the team for family reasons. . . . Lanz, who also is a former Eagles head coach, will work with Blaine Neufeld, Surrey’s GM and head coach. . . . Nick Greenizan of the Peace Arch News has more right here.
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Check out this video of illusionist Darcy Oake in action . . .  

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Everett, D Noah Juulsen, named the captain earlier in the day, had a goal and an assist to help the Silvertips to a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . This was the second of three straight games between these teams. The Americans won 3-2 at home on Sunday. They will play the third game on Friday in Everett. . . . Last night, F Max James gave the Americans a 1-0 lead at 14:41 of the first period. . . . The Silvertips pulled even when F Dominic Zwerger scored a PP goal at 1:31 of the second period. . . . Everett (4-0-1) won it with two third-period goals. F Graham Millar’s fifth goal, at 14:40, proved to be the winner. . . . Juulsen added an empty-netter at 19:32. . . . Everett G Carter Hart blocked 15 shots. At the other end, Back Warm turned aside 30. . . . The Americans (2-3-0) were 0-2 on the PP; the Silvertips were 1-4. . . . Everett is without F Eetu Tuulola (shoulder). He was injured in a game against the host Americans on Sunday and will be out for up to a month. . . . Announced attendance: 2,733.
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At Lethbridge, the Kelowna Rockets exploded for five goals in the third period as they beat the Hurricanes, 6-3. . . . Rockets F Calvin Thurkauf’s PP goal forged a 2-2 tie at 2:33 of the third. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong snapped the tie with a PP goal at 9:05. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind tied it at 11:23 and Thurkauf’s second goal of the game, at 13:22, proved to be the winner. . . . Thurkauf added an assist to his brace of goals, while F Tomas Soustal had a goal and an assist. . . . The Rockets (2-4-0) welcomed F Nick Merkley back to their lineup. He picked up one assist. Merkley, 19, last played on Feb. 5 against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. He suffered a torn ACL during that game and needed surgery on his right knee. He did play in two exhibition games with the Arizona Coyotes, who selected him in the first round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. . . . At the same time, though, the Rockets are without F Dillon Dube, 18, who suffered a sprained knee while with the Calgary Flames. He could be out for a month. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 24 shots, three more than Stuart Skinner of the Hurricanes (3-2-0). . . . The Rockets were 2-4 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 2-8. . . . Announced attendance: 3,099.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers, who trailed 4-0 early in the third period, got a goal from F Max Gerlach at 1:25 of OT to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-4. . . . Moose Jaw F Jayden Halbgewachs’ fourth goal, at 19:37 of the second period, gave the visitors a 4-0 lead. . . . The Tigers got rolling with three goals in a span of 43 seconds in the third period. F Zach Fischer got it started with his fourth goal, at 5:03. F John Dahlstrom scored at 5:24 and F Mason Shaw got the home boys to within a goal at 5:46. . . . Fisher tied it with a PP goal at 17:48. . . . Shaw added an assist to his goal, while F Steve Owre had two assists. . . . The Warriors got a goal and an assist from F Nikita Popugaev and two assists from F Noah Gregor. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 18 shots for the Tigers (4-1-0), while Zach Sawchenko turned aside 56 for Moose Jaw (3-0-2). . . . The Tigers held a 27-6 edge in shots in the third period. . . . Each team was 1-2 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 3,845.
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At Prince Albert, F Cody Glass scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Winterhawks (4-2-0) are 1-1-0 on their East Division tour. They lost 7-3 to the Swift Current Broncos on Tuesday. . . . Glass, a 17-year-old sophomore, had 27 points, including 10 goals, in 65 games last season. This season, he has a WHL-leading 12 points, nine of them assists, in six games. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first four goals and took a 4-0 lead into the third period. . . . The Raiders (2-3-0) then scored three times, cutting the deficit to 4-3 on F Simon Stransky’s fourth goal at 10:28. . . . Portland F Joachim Blichfeld got the empty-netter at 18:39. . . . Blichfeld also had an assist, while F Keegan Iverson had two assists. Portland F Colton Veloso ran his goal streak to three games. . . . The Winterhawks got 25 saves from G Cole Kehler. . . . Prince Albert starter Rylan Parenteau gave up four goals on 22 shots in 33:17. Ian Scott came on to block all 17 shots he saw. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . Raiders D Loch Morrison was back after missing three games with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Winterhawks scratched Latvian F Rodrigo Abols, 20, for a third straight game. . . . Portland D Jake Hobson, in his first WHL season, is from Prince Albert. He is the son of Doug Hobson, who played on the Raiders’ 1985 Memorial Cup-winning team. . . . Announced attendance: 1,859.
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At Red Deer, the Rebels erased a 3-0 first-period deficit with five straight goals en route to a 5-4 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Blazers led this one 2-0 on two goals by F Deven Sideroff in the first five minutes of the first period. . . . Kamloops F Matt Revel upped the lead to 3-0 at 19:37. . . . Red Deer F Austin Pratt cut into the lead with goals at 10:11 and 10:50 of the second period. . . . F Akash Bains pulled the Rebels (2-2-2) even with 57.9 seconds left in the period. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel scored shorthanded at 5:36 of the third period, and D Josh Mahura got the eventual winner at 9:32. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers got the Blazers (2-4-0) back to within a goal at 18:38. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb, an 18-year-old freshman from Rivers, Man., came on in relief to start the second period and stopped 32 of 33 shots. Starter Trevor Martin gave up three goals on 14 shots. . . . Kamloops got 34 saves from G Connor Ingram. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 4,123.
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At Langley, B.C., F Jack Walker scored three goals to lead the Victoria Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Walker, who went into the game without a goal in his first two games, opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the game. . . . The Giants then took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from F Ty Ronning, at 3:40, and F Brendan Semchuk, his third, at 5:45. . . . Walker tied the score on a PP at 10:29 of the second. He got the eventual winner at 2:04 of the third period. . . . It was the third three-goal game of Walker’s career. The 20-year-old from Edina, Minn., had one in each of the past two seasons. . . . D Ryan Gagnon had two assists for the Royals (2-4-0). . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 28 shots for Victoria, while Ryan Kubic blocked 25 for the Giants (1-5-0). . . . Victoria was 1-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,127.
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THURSDAY’S GAME (all times local):

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

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