Conference finals resume tonight

1. It’s Canada versus Russia at the U-18 world championship in Finland this morning. If you’re near a TV set, the game is on TSN at 6 a.m. Pacific time.

2. I took the night off from watching hockey on TV. Felt like a breath of fresh air, too. Kept track of the scores via Twitter.

3. Matt Cooke? No. Not Matt Cooke.

4. Spent some time with the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. It was worth it just to see Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton go from first to third on a Joey Votto tapper back to the mound. Oh, and Hamilton hesitated going around second, too. . . . Hamilton may be faster than Cool Papa Bell who, legend has it, would get up to turn off the light before going to bed and be under the covers before it was dark.

5. Also saw Ike Davis, who was acquired by Pittsburgh from the New York Mets on Friday, hit a grand slam. That put him into the MLB record book as Elias reported that he is one of three players to have hit grand slams for two different teams against the same team in one season. (Earlier, he hit one for the Mets agains the Reds.) The others were Ray Boone and Mike Piazza. Coincidentally, Aaron Boone, one of Ray’s grandsons, was working the Reds-Pirates game for ESPN. Aaron says his grandfather’s nickname was Ike.

6. Phil Jackson, the president of the New York Knicks, fired head coach Mike Woodson and his five assistant coaches on Monday. Do all NBA teams employ six coaches? If so, is that the highest coach-per-player ratio on sports? BTW, the Knicks’ assistants were Dave Hopla, who was the shooting coach, LaSalle Thompson, Jim Todd, Darrell Walker and Herb Williams.

7. The Seattle Mariners have lost seven straight games. The Houston Astros snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory in Seattle last night. The visitors beat up on King Felix in the process. All of which is not a good sign for Mariners fans.

8. In the OHL, the Guelph Storm beat the host Erie Otters 7-1 to take a 3-0 edge in the Western Conference final. Kris Knoblauch, former head coach of the Kootenay Ice, is the Otters’ head coach.

9. A tweet from Adrian Dater (@adater) of the Denver Post: “Wild ‘media relations staff’ won't be making any Wild players available tomorrow. Mickey Mouse.” . . . Dater is trying to cover the NHL playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche and the Wild.

10. Cam Cole of the Vancouver Sun writes: “ ’Tis the season, once more, to celebrate the things humans will do to one another, and to themselves, in order to climb over their opponents’ cold, dead corpses to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.” . . . That column is right here.
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The WHL’s Western Conference final resumes in Portland tonight with the Winterhawks meeting the Kelowna Rockets. . . . In losing four regular-season games to Kelowna, the Winterhawks averaged 34.2 shots on goal. In erasing a 2-0 deficit and winning 5-4 in Kelowna on Saturday, the Winterhawks had 53 shots on goal. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic and D Derrick Pouliot each has at least one point in each of the team’s 11 playoff games. Leipsic has 21 points; Pouliot has 20. . . . Going back to the regular season, Leipsic is riding an 18-game point streak, while Pouliot’s is at 17. . . . Pouliot also has played in 75 playoff games, two shy of D Troy Rutkowski’s franchise record. F Shay Stephenson of the Red Deer Rebels (2000-04) holds the WHL record, having played in 87 playoff games.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have some added inspiration this season as they move towards what they hope will be a third straight appearance in the WHL’s championship final. As Alicja Siekierska of the Edmonton Journal writes right here, Kristians Pelss is “is never far from his former teammates’ minds and always close to their hearts.”
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 2-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 1 at Edmonton 3 (5,763)
Tuesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Portland, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
No games scheduled.
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From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “6 - Through 6 days, the NHL playoffs already have more overtime games this year (6) than the WHL does in a month of post-season (5).”
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From ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo): “The Red Sox drop to 9-11 with loss to the Orioles. Sox have never made the playoffs when starting first 20 games under .500 (@EliasSports).”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Clinton Pettapiece (Tri-City, Medicine Hat, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with the Dordrecht Lions (Netherlands, Eredivisie). He had 11 goals and 31 assists in 26 games with Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (ACAC) this season. Pettapiece finished third in scoring and led the league in assists. . . .


F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) signed a one-year contract with the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite). He had two goals and four assists in 14 games with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) this season. . . .

G Tomas Vosvrda (Medicine Hat, 2007-08) signed a two-year contract with Olomouc (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) after signing a tryout contract on Monday. He had a 3.38 GAA and a .890 save percentage in 11 games with Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) before being assigned on loan to Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), where he posted a 2.59 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 30 games.
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1. Police in Riga, Latvia, confirmed Saturday that it was the body of former Edmonton Oil Kings F Kristians Pelss that was found in the Daugava River on Friday. Pelss had finished this season with the Oklahoma City Barons, the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate. The Oilers had selected him in the seventh round of the NHL’s 2010 draft. . . . Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal has more right here. . . . Dave (Crash) Cameron of the Edmonton Sun has memories right here.

2. If you were wondering, Mitch Love has one year left on his contract as an assistant coach with the Everett Silvertips. Love told me via text on Saturday that he is “definitely looking forward to learning a ton from KC.” . . . That would be head coach Kevin Constantine, not Harry Wayne Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band fame.

3. The Syracuse Crunch is taking the AHL final for the Calder Cup back home. The Crunch dumped the host Grand Rapids Griffins 5-2 on Saturday night. The Griffins still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for Tuesday night at the War Memorial in Syracuse. . . . Former WHLers Brett Connolly and Tyler Johnson each scored for the Crunch, while F Triston Grant had a goal for Grand Rapids.

4. Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reports that sophomore F Parker Bowles of the Tri-City Americans isn’t likely to play until at least mid-November after undergoing shoulder surgery on May 30. Bowles, who had 44 points, including 21 goals, as a freshman, finished the season with a left shoulder that kept popping out of place. “It just kept popping out and it would go back in by itself,” Bowles told Fowler. “It was too loose and had to be repaired.” . . . Bowles is expected at Tri-City’s training camp late in August, but isn’t expected to be cleared to play until sometime in November.

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1. It seems I am not the only person to be at least a bit concerned with the WHL's penchant for secrecy. . . . Small Thoughts At Large has a bone to pick with the WHL and it has to do with more apparent secrecy by the league and its teams. The last straw was the trade made Thursday by the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades. It was announced as one player having been swapped for another player and two bantam draft picks. But it turns out that really wasn’t the case. Or was it? . . . Check out Small Thoughts At Large over there on the right.
smallatlarge.blogspot.ca/

2. The Tri-City Americans have named the Toyota Center locker-room used by the on-ice officials in honour of Alfred (Fred) Vallee, a long-time goal judge who died on June 6 at the age of 71. Vallee had been a goal judge since the Americans’ first game in 1988. . . . It is moves like this that keep the Americans at the top of the class.

3. Todd Harkins is the Prince George Cougars’ new head scout and director of player personnel. . . . Harkins, a former NHLer, replaces Wade Klippenstein, who resigned prior to the 2013 bantam draft citing philosophical differences with management. . . . Harkins is the father of  F Jansen Harkins, who was taken second overall in the 2012 bantam draft by the Cougars. . . . Todd Harkins has scouted for the Cougars in the Vancouver area and worked a few games as an assistant coach last season while Jason Becker was with Team Pacific at the U17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . As head coach of the Vancouver-Northwest Giants, Harkins won two B.C. Major Midget Hockey League championships. . . . The Cougars also announced that, according to a news release, “Western-area scout Ron Gunville and Pacific-area scout Bob Simmonds will have expanded roles as scouting directors in their respective territories."

4. F Taylor Makin, who played three WHL seasons (Prince George, Vancouver, 2009-12), has committed to attend Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., and play for the Axemen. . . . Makin played out his junior eligibility this season with the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits, putting up 50 points in 50 regular-season games and then helping them win the RBC Cup as national champions.

5. It seems that Alain Vigneault, who was deposed as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks following the season, is going to be the next head coach of the New York Rangers. . . . He withdrew from consideration for that post with the Dallas Stars on Friday. . . . Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported late last night that Vigneault has the “inside track” on the head-coaching position with the New York Rangers and that a contract “offer may be forthcoming.” . . . Katie Strang of ESPNNewYork.com reports right here that the Rangers “have zeroed in on” Vigneault.

6. “Does every truck commercial claim to be ‘Truck of the year’?” wonders Prince Albert Raiders D Josh Morrissey in a Friday night tweet. . . . Ain’t that the truth!


7. The AHL final, with the Calder Cup on the line, isn’t over. The Syracuse Crunch scored a 3-2 victory over host Grand Rapids on Friday night, leaving the Griffins with a 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven series. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for tonight in Grand Rapids.



8. The Vancouver Canucks have cut a deal to operate their AHL affiliate in Utica, N.Y., as the Comets. . . . Chris Creamer at sportslogos.net has more right here, including a look at logos and sweaters. . . . The Canucks AHL affiliate had been the Chicago Wolves. However, Vancouver purchased the Peoria Rivermen franchise from the St. Louis Blues and has moved it to Utica. . . . That will kill, at least for now, the rumours of the Canucks taking their AHL farm team to Abbotsford, B.C., which is home to the Heat, a franchise hooked up with the Calgary Flames.

9. A body was recovered Friday from the Daugava River in Riga, Latvia, and, while a positive identification isn’t expected until early next week, it seems it most likely is that of Kristians Pelss, the former Edmonton Oil Kings forward who went missing this week. Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.

10. Scott Winkler, the 23-year-old Dallas Stars prospect who was found dead at his family’s home in Norway on Wednesday, was the son of Rod Winkler, a former Brandon University Bobcats hockey player. . . . Rod, who is from Milestone, Sask., played for the Bobcats under head coach Andy Murray and then went on to play in Norway.
On Friday morning, Rod posted this message on this story by Joe Paisley that appeared on the Colorado Spring Gazette’s website:
“My family would like to thank everyone for their very kind thoughts. Seeing all the messages from Scott’s team mates, friends and the players he played against truly shows what a great and wonderful hockey world we live in.
“Scott we love you with all our hearts!

“Rod, Anne Karin and Karina Winkler”
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THE COACHING GAME:
The OHL’s Sarnia Sting has promoted associate coach Trevor Letowski into the position as head coach. . . . Letowski, 36, signed a three-year contract. He replaces Jacques Beaulieu, who was fired late last month. . . . Letowski is a former Sting player who had a nine-season NHL career. . . . Beaulieu had been general manager and head coach. The team is operating without a GM now, preferring to do it by committee, at least for now. . . . Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has more right here.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Curtis Huppe (Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with the Guildford Flames (England, Premier). He had 29 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Flames this season. . . .
F Daniel Rakos (Swift Current, 2005-07) signed a multi-year contract (length not announced) with Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had one goal and four assists in 27 games for Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. . . .
F Zdenek Bahensky (Saskatoon, 2004-06) signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 17 goals and seven assists in 47 games for Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season.
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If you have been paying attention to the NHL playoffs, you will have noticed that Alex Ovechkin, not that long ago one of the league’s most exciting players, has had his playing time somewhat limited of late.
That is, of course, because Washington head coach Dale Hunter is getting paid to win games and not to entertain hockey fans. Therefore, as the NHL slides back into another dead puck era, shot blockers are more important than shooters.
Ovechkin, then, has become almost a situational player. When the Capitals are behind, Ovechkin’s ice time increases; when they are nursing a lead, Ovechkin’s bench time increases.
A couple of tweets from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe:
“Alex Ovechkin on the bench. Ladies and Gents: we give you the parakeet in the coal mine. For $200 a seat.”
“Today's NHL would have Guy Lafleur on fourth line and PK duty.”
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The Central league’s Laredo Bucks have ceased operations. According to a press released from the team: “The Bucks have struggled with declining attendance over several seasons. Even though drastic changes to the seating structure, amongst other areas, did make an improvement last season, it was not enough to keep the franchise going.” . . . The ownership group maintains a franchise in the Central league, but it will be dormant from this point. . . . The Bucks’ final roster included former WHL G Torrie Jung.
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Former WHL D Bruin McDonald has committed to play next season for the Simon Fraser University Clan, which plays in the B.C. Intercollegiate league. McDonald, 20, has played in the WHL with the Prince George Cougars and Spokane Chiefs, and also played with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques.
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Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, revealed last month on Dan Russell’s Sportstalk, Vancouver radio station CKNW’s talk show, that D Neil Manning would be attending UBC and playing for the Thunderbirds. He has been accepted into the Sauder School of Business. The Giants made it official with an announcement on Tuesday. . . . Manning is the only player in franchise history to have played five complete seasons with the Giants. He played out his eligibility this season and holds the franchise record for regular-season games played (310). . . . The Thunderbirds are coached by Milan Dragicevic, a former WHL defenceman and Giants head coach.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Former WHL player and coach Terry Virtue no longer is with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. Virtue had been an associate coach under head coach Greg Ireland. In 2009-10, Virtue, who had been on the Tri-City Americans’ staff, signed with the Attack and worked as an assistant coach under Mark Reeds as the Attack won the OHL championship. Virtue’s contract was up after this season and, according to Bill Walker of the Owen Sound Sun Times, they reached a mutual decision to part company. Virtue likely is looking for something closer to home as he lives in West Virginia, where his family stayed over the winter.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Jordan Davies, 15, who played this season with the Sherwood Park NIC Squires of the Alberta minor midget league. He had 27 points in 38 games and was named the team’s top defenceman. Davies was added to Portland’s protected list after attending its training camp prior to this season. . . .
The Winterhawks flew into Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon to begin preparations for Game 1 of the WHL final on Thursday night.
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F Kristians Pelss of the Edmonton Oil Kings has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft. Pelss, a Latvian, had 50 points, including 28 goals, in his second season with the Oil Kings. . . .
The Oil Kings will be without F Dylan Wruck (shoulder) for the remainder of this season. He is to undergo surgery at some point this week. . . . Wruck, a 19-year-old from Saskatoon, had 80 points, including 21 goals, in 66 games this season, his third with the Oil Kings. He had four points in eight playoff games.
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Here are the dates for the WHL’s championship final (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 4: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 6: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8: at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Thursday, May 10: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.

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The expressions and body language from Nathan MacMaster of the Tri-City
Americans and Cole Wedman and Eric Williams of the Spokane Chiefs
say it all in this photo from Saturday's game in Kennewick, Wash.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Mark Santorelli (Chilliwack, 2006-08) signed a two-year contract extension with Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had 11 goals and 24 assists in 48 games with Tingsryd this season. . . .
F Dustin Johner (Seattle, 1999-2004) signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Djurgården Stockholm (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had 23 goals and 18 assists in 50 games with Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan) this season. Djurgården GM and head coach Charles Berglund: "Dustin is a very good two-way centre who is good defensively and offensively, on the penalty kill and power play. He has delivered in Allsvenskan two years running. This is very important for us. He has been through this before and we need that kind of player on our team." Johner's 23 goals was fifth best in Allsvenskan this season. Djurgården was relegated to Allsvenskan from Elitserien earlier this week.
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“With former Edmonton Oil Kings goalie Doug Soetaert stupidly being cashiered as GM with the Western Hockey League Everett Silvertips, with a rebuilding team that still made the playoffs, where will he wind up? There’s talk that Marc Habscheid, who has the coach/GM job in Victoria, might want to just be coach. Maybe Soetaert will wind up there.” That’s from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. His complete weekend Hockey World is right here.
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Kevin Parnell of the Kelowna Capital News wants to write hockey stories, but the Rockets are done for the season. So what does he do? He profiles referee Steve Papp right here.
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The ECHL lost a franchise on Friday when the Chicago Express folded, effective immediately. The Express’ roster included a couple of former WHLers in D Taylor Ellington and F Ryley Grantham. . . . All players on the Express roster now are unrestricted free agents. . . . The ECHL is expected to add teams in Orlando and San Francisco for 2012-13.
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In the AHL, the Norfolk Admirals ran their amazing streak to 25 straight victories last night as they dropped the visiting Binghamton Senators, 4-1. . . . F Tyler Johnson, who played out his eligibility with the Spokane Chiefs last season, scored his 31st goal of the season for the Admirals. . . . Former Spokane goaltender Dustin Tokarski stopped 30 shots for the victory. . . . The Norfolk roster also features D Radko Gudas (Everett), D Scott Jackson (Seattle) and F Brandon Segal (Calgary).
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The Seattle Thunderbirds and their fans are mourning the death of Scott Lowe, one of their off-ice officials. Lowe was 54 when he lost a battle with ALS, which also is known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He referee hockey for almost 40 years and worked as an off-ice official for WHL games for more than 20 years. . . . “He was a really nice guy and conscientious about his duties,” I was told last night. . . . A celebration of Lowe’s life is scheduled for April 22. . . . There are more details right here.
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The gang in Prince George that is well on its way to turning the World Baseball Challenge into a major event on the international sporting calendar has been nominated for three Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance PRESTIGE awards. WBC co-chair Jim Swanson, who covered the Prince George Cougars for years as sports editor of the Prince George Citizen, is one of three nominees for the CSTA’s community service award. . . . Ted Clarke of the Citizen has more right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
(If you want WHL facts and stats, get on Twitter and follow @WHLFacts)

Who would have thought the second round of the WHL playoffs would get off to such a bizarre start?
F Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers led the WHL with 61 regular-season goals. But he got tossed from Game 1 against the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Friday night after going knee-to-knee with F Torrin White. Before the game, Etem was hit was a ‘tbd’ suspension so wasn’t in the lineup last night as the Warriors won 6-1 to take a 2-0 lead in that series.
Meanwhile, the Kamloops Blazers, on the advice of a team doctor, didn’t dress G Cole Cheveldave for Game 2 against the Winterhawks in Kamloops. That meant that G Cam Lanigan, 19, made his playoff debut as the Blazers dropped a 4-1 decision. . . . Cheveldave, a second-team Western Conference all-star, was injured at 18:36 of the third period on Friday when he was hit by Portland F Oliver Gabriel, who was killing a penalty with a 4-3 lead. Cheveldave moved into the trapezoid to play the puck and an on-rushing Gabriel chose not to pull up and ran over the goaltender. Gabriel, like Etem, sat out last night with a ‘tbd’ suspension. . . . The Winterhawks Booster Club was selling ‘Free Ollie’ buttons at its table last night. . . . No one with the Blazers is using the ‘c’ word, choosing to say only that Cheveldave has an “upper-body injury.” . . .

Cheveldave finished Game 1 but was re-examined by a team doctor following breakfast on Saturday. At that point, the doctor recommended that Cheveldave not play. . . . The Blazers had G Taran Kozun backing up Lanigan. Kozun started the season with the Blazers and made two starts before being assigned to the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. . . . Lanigan, in his fourth WHL season, joined the Blazers last season from the Edmonton Oil Kings in a deal that had G Jon Groenheyde go the other way. Lanigan ended up backing up Cheveldave after the latter, the AJHL’s rookie of the year with the Drumheller Dragons last season, took the reins and wouldn’t let go. . . . Prior to last night, Lanigan last played on March 17 in the Blazers’ last regular-season game, a 4-2 loss to the Cougars in Prince George.
By the way, the Winterhawks also were fined $250 for what the WHL calls a warmup violation. The WHL didn’t identify a particular incident, but observers did see Portland F Sven Baertschi flip a puck in the direction of Kamloops F Tim Bozon. The two are friends from Switzerland.
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In Edmonton, the Oil Kings won their 17th straight game, beating the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3. . . . Edmonton leads the series 2-0 with Games 3 and 4 scheduled for Brandon on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . The Wheat Kings, who played their first-round home games in Winnipeg, haven’t played in Westman Place since March 17. The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair was in the arena during the first round of WHL playoffs. . . . Last night, the Oil Kings erased a 2-1 deficit with three goals in 2:27 midway through the second period. . . . Edmonton F Kristians Pelss tied it with his second of the game at 8:28. . . . F Travis Ewanyk gave Edmonton the lead at 9:54 and F Jordan Peddle added another goal at 10:55. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock scored at 19:59 of the second to get Brandon to within one. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 26 shots, five fewer than Brandon’s Corbin Boes. . . . Each team was 0-for-3 on the PP. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last six goals and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 6-1. . . . The Warriors lead the series 2-0 with the next two games in Medicine Hat on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 18:02 of the first. . . . Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden scored at 9:50 and 10:35 of the second and the Warriors were off and scoring. . . . Moose Jaw D Kendall McFaull had four assists and was plus-4. . . . Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath had one assist and also was plus-4. . . . The Warriors held a 40-15 edge in shots. Medicine Hat had four shots on goal in each of the last two periods. . . . In the two games, the Warriors hold an 83-32 advantage in shots on goal. . . . With F Emerson Etem suspended, the Tigers dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . . Moose Jaw F Torrin White, who was hit by Etem, didn’t play last night. . . . Medicine Hat F Dylan Bredo, who took a major for a check to the head in Game 1, wasn’t suspended. . . . The Warriors had D Travis Brown back in their lineup after he missed four games. . . . The Tigers dressed F Cole Sanford and D Kyle Becker. Sanford, 16, is from Vernon, B.C., and played for the junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies. Becker, who turned 18 on Jan. 24, got into 11 games with the Tigers this season, but played most of the season with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans built up a 2-0 lead and hung on for a 2-1 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs. . . . The series is 1-1 as it heads to Spokane for games on Wednesday and Friday. Game 5 is scheduled for Kennewick on Saturday. . . . F Adam Hughesman opened the scoring at 13:21 of the first period and F Justin Feser added another at 4:01 of the third. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored on a PP at 18:35 of the third period. Holmberg has eight goals in these playoffs. . . . The Chiefs had won five straight playoff games. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin drew a first-period assist, meaning he has at least one point in each of his last 29 games. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 23 shots, eight fewer than Spokane’s Eric Williams, who lost for the first time in six starts. . . . The Chiefs came awfully close to forcing OT when D Corbin Baldwin’s point shot got past Rimmer at the game-ending buzzer. However, video review showed that time had expired before the puck entered the net. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks broke open a scoreless game with three goals in 2:01 and went on to beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-1. . . . Portland takes a 2-0 series lead into Games 3 and 4 in Kamloops on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi opened the scoring at 19:14 of the second period. F Taylor Leier made it 2-0 just 56 seconds into the third and F Cam Reid upped it to 3-0 at 1:15. . . . Baertschi finished up with two goals. . . . Linemates Ty Rattie and Marcel Noebels each had one assist. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth made 39 saves. . . . Kamloops was 0-7 on the PP and now is 0-11 in the series. . . . With F Oliver Gabriel suspended, the Winterhawks inserted F Jason Trott into the lineup and moved F Joe Baker into Gabriel’s usual spot alongside Taylor Peters and Taylor Leier. . . . The Winterhawks have scored nine goals in the two games, with seven of them coming in the two third periods.
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For today’s good read, we take you to the Seattle Times where Danny O’Neil writes about the latest chapter in the life of Ryan Leaf. That piece is right here.

Tri-City goaltender Ty Rimmer and Spokane F Todd Fiddler appear to be
crawling for cover after a Friday night collision during a WHL playoff
game in Kennewick, Wash.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

Stephen Hume, a columnist with the Vancouver Sun, has written a piece expounding the theory that NHL arenas are unsafe workplaces.
“Researchers recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal a study examining seven seasons from 1997 to 2004. It identified 559 ‘concussions,’ ” he writes. “Headaches afflicted 71 per cent; dizziness 34 per cent; nausea 24 per cent; neck pain 23 per cent; blurred vision 22 per cent. One victim in five suffered amnesia and 18 per cent lost consciousness. This is brain damage. It can be permanent. It can be cumulative. It destroys lives.
“May I ask an impertinent question? When will authorities responsible for occupational health and safety turn their attention to the professional hockey rink, which, after all, is a workplace and therefore subject to regulation?”
Hume’s complete column is right here.
And while you’re reading it, ask yourself this question: If NHL workplaces are unsafe, what is the situation in junior hockey, where players get paid a pittance and don’t have a players’ association that presumably will protect their best interests?
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FRIDAY’S WHL GAMES:
(If you want WHL facts and stats, get on Twitter and follow @WHLFacts)

In Moose Jaw, D Joel Edmundson scored twice as the Warriors skated to a 2-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers in Game 1 of their second-round series. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Moose Jaw tonight. . . . The game took a bizarre twist at 3:37 of the first period when Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem, who led the WHL in regular-season goals, was ejected with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a knee-to-knee hit on Moose Jaw F Torrin White. White, a freshman and a stepson of Medicine Hat head coach Shaun Clouston, did come back but only for about a five-second shift. He would seem to be doubtful for tonight. . . . “I was going to finish my check and he moved out of the way and put himself in a vulnerable position. I didn’t expect him to move out of the way,” Etem told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “I’m one of the least-penalized players in the league. I haven’t got a game misconduct in my three years here so hopefully (the league) takes that into consideration.” . . . F Dylan Bredo, who plays on Etem’s line, got tossed 40 seconds into the second period with a major and game misconduct for a check to the head of F Sam Fioretti. . . . The Warriors weren’t able to score on either extended PP. . . . Edmundson scored at 8:11 of the second and 11:41 of the third. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk got his guys on the board with a PP goal at 19:06 of the third. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots, while Moose Jaw’s Luke Siemens turned aside 16. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-3 on the PP but two of those totalled 10 minutes in duration. . . . The Tigers were 1-2. . . . With the game being televised by Shaw, it wasn’t a sellout at Mosaic Place. Attendance was announced at 4,598. The Warriors’ three first-round games with the Regina Pats all were sellouts (4,714). . . . The Warriors remain without D Morgan Rielly (knee) and D Travis Brown, who sat out the last three games of the series with Regina. . . . Medicine Hat is without F Kale Kessy, F Gavin Broadhead and F Jayden Hart. The team says they have upper-body injuries; all are thought to have concussions. . . . Medicine Hat F Chad Labelle left in the third period with an apparent shoulder injury.

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings built up a 2-0 lead and hung on for a 2-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in that series tonight in Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings now have won 16 straight games, including five in a row in the playoffs. . . . Edmonton F Kristians Pelss scored at 9:08 of the first period and F Dylan Wruck upped it to 2-0 at 3:45 of the second via the PP. . . . Brandon D Brodie Melnychuk, in the playoffs for a fifth straight season, got the visitors on the board at 8:23 of the third. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 28 shots, 17 fewer than Brandon’s Corbin Boes. . . . The Wheat Kings had F Rene Hunter back in the lineup after he missed 11 games with an inury. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Mitch Holmberg scored at 1:06 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 3-2 victory over the host Tri-City Americans. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Kennewick. . . . Holmberg, who scored off a 3-on-1 rush following a neutral zone turnover, has a team-leading seven goals this playoff season. . . . It should be no surprise that these teams ended up in OT. That has happened in nine of the last 14 (and 12 of 17) playoff games between these teams. . . . Holmberg, who was plus-3, has two OT goals this playoff season, having scored the winner in a 3-2 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants in Game 4 of that first-round series. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 30 shots as he won his fifth straight game. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin had a goal and an assist for Tri-City. He has at least one point in 28 straight games. . . . He scored at 8:05 of the first period on a PP. . . . The Chiefs took the lead on goals by F Mike Aviani, at 16:22 of the second, and F Darren Kramer, at 2:39 of the third. . . . F Mason Wilgosh pulled Tri-City into a 2-2 tie at 14:34 of the third. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 35 shots. . . . Tri-City was 1-7 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-3. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks scored four third-period goals and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 5-3. . . . Game 2 is tonight in Portland. . . . The Winterhawks erased a 3-1deficit with three goals in a 5:45 span in the third period. . . . F Sven Baertschi scored at 9:02, with F Ty Rattie tying it at 10:09 and F Brad Ross getting the eventual winner on the PP at 14:47. . . . Ross later added an empty-netter. . . . Rattie had two goals and two assists. He leads the WHL with 17 points, including 12 goals, in only five games. . . . Baertschi had a goal and three assists. . . . F Marcel Noebels, the third member of that line, had two assists. He has 10 points, all assists, in five games. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 41 shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth won his fifth straight game with 26 stops.

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