Carl is king with T-Birds ... Broncos, Silvertips take leads ... Blazers take Rockets to Game 6

F Kevin Undershute (Medicine Hat, Portland, 2004-08) has signed a one-year extension with Caen (France, Div 1). This season, in 24 games, he had four goals and a team-leading 16 assists.

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So #Kamloops, If @GlobalOkanagan wants to make fun of crowd size @blazerhockey games, you show up Sunday night, I'll send them a crowd shot pic.twitter.com/yDYARAaWCA

— Allen Douglas (@ADouglasPhotos) April 1, 2017

Shots fired!

The Global TV outlet based in Kelowna chose to do a story this week on attendance at Kamloops Blazers’ home games.

The story followed two home playoff games. In  those games, the Blazers played host to the Kelowna Rockets, with 3,878 fans in the Sandman Centre on Tuesday night and 4,297 there on Wednesday.

This season, the Blazers’ average attendance for 36 regular-season home games was 3,782. The Global piece was slugged: Where are the hockey fans in Kamloops?
Interestingly, the only hockey person to try to answer that question was Bruce Hamilton, the governor, president and general manager of the Rockets, who also is the WHL’s chairman of the board.

There wasn’t a comment from Stu MacGregor, the Blazers’ general manager who was at both home playoff games, nor was their a comment from Tom Gaglardi, the Blazers’ majority owner who attended Game 4.

It was interesting, too, that Hamilton wasn’t asked: Where are the hockey fans in Kelowna?

The Rockets averaged 6,082 fans per game in 2011-12, slipped to 5,358 in 2012-13, and haven’t been close to 6,000 since then. This season, they averaged 5,162 fans, down 80 from the previous season.

The Global piece is right here.

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Mike McKenzie has been named general manager of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, effective immediately. He takes over from Murray Hiebert, who wanted a lighter workload and now is the director of hockey operations. . . . McKenzie, the son of TSN’s Bob McKenzie, has been with the Rangers since 2012. He was an assistant coach for three seasons, before adding assistant general manager to his job description in 2015. . . . The Rangers had their season end Friday night, with a 6-2 loss to the host Owen Sound Attack, which won the series, 4-1. Ryan McGill, a former WHL player and coach, is the Attack’s head coach. . . . In another OHL series, the host London Knights beat the Windsor Spitfires, 2-1. Windsor still leads that series, 3-2, and is going home for Game 6 on Sunday afternoon.

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The junior B Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League have signed Steve Robinson as their new head coach. He replaces Judd Lambert, who stepped down earlier in the week after being head coach for nine of the past 10 seasons. . . . The Sockeyes finished their in their division this season, at 22-13-3-5. . . . This season, Robinson coached the midget A1 team in the Seafair Minor Hockey Association, which is in Richmond.

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After all, he's a hockey player.

Back at it. pic.twitter.com/QrxdfhRygg

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) March 31, 2017

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FRIDAY GAMES:

Interesting image from Tri City tonight. pic.twitter.com/ubxxlU03JP

— SpokaneChiefsFanPage (@gochiefsgoblog) April 1, 2017

At Kennewick, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds advanced to the second round with a 5-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans, who never held a lead as they were swept. . . . The Thunderbirds now await the

CARL STANKOWSKI

winner of a series between the Everett Silvertips and Victoria Royals. If it’s the Silvertips, they’ll start in Everett on April 7 and 8. If it’s Victoria, the series would begin in Kent, Wash., with games on April 8 and 9. . . . Tri-City has lost 10 straight playoff games, going back to 2014. . . . If you’re looking for a series MVP, how about Seattle G Carl Stankowski. He got into seven regular-season games, but stepped up with G Rylan Toth unable to answer the playoff bell. Toth led all WHL goaltenders with 36 regular-season victories. . . . Stankowski, who stopped 28 saves last night, went 4-0, 2.00, .932 in the series. . . . F Alexander True (2) gave the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 3:01 of the first period. . . . The Americans got even when F Kyle Olson (1) scored at 6:19. . . . F Nolan Volcan (2) put Seattle back out front at 19:59. . . . F Nolan Yaremko (1) got Tri-City even again, at 3:58. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls (3) broke the tie at 16:56. . . . Seattle got insurance from F Sami Moilanen (1) at 19:20 of the second. . . . True added an empty-netter at 18:33. . . . Seattle got two assists apiece from D Austin Strand, D Ethan Bear and F Keegan Kolesar, with Moilanen adding one. . . . Kolesar now leads the WHL’s playoff scoring race, with 11 points. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 27 shots for the Americans. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-3. . . . The Thunderbirds continue to be without F Mathew Barzal and G Rylan Toth, neither of whom has played since early March. As well, F Ryan Gropp missed his second straight game after taking a high hit from Tri-City D Dalton Yorke in Game 2. . . . Yorke sat out the second game of a two-game suspension last night. . . . Announced attendance: 3,020.

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More cow bells have arrived! Just $10 at the front doors! #whlplayoffs #MJvsSC #weplay4MJ #citymj pic.twitter.com/q401FdVGga

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) March 31, 2017

At Moose Jaw, F Lane Pederson scored twice to help the Swift Current Broncos to a 2-1 victory over the

LANE PEDERSON

Warriors. . . . The Broncos lead the series, 3-2, and get their first chance to wrap it up tonight in Swift Current. A seventh game, if needed, would be played Monday in Moose Jaw. . . . The Broncos also got a huge night from G Jordan Papirny, who finished with 34 saves. The Warriors had a 16-9 edge in second-period shots and it was 10-1 in the third. . . . Pederson scored his first two goals of the series in the second period, at 3:25 and 14:03. . . . Moose Jaw got its goal from F Brett Howden (2), on a PP, at 17:22 of the second period. . . . G Zach Sawchenko stopped 20 shots for Moose Jaw. . . . The Warriors were 1-6 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-2. . . . The Warriors had F Jayden Halbgewachs and F Noah Gregor in the lineup, both of them surfacing after head coach Tim Hunter threw them under the bus following Game 4. Hunter had threatened to scratch both players from the lineup, but didn’t. Perhaps their combined 161 points, including 77 goals, in the regular season had something to do with it. . . . Halbgewachs has a goal and two assists in this series, while Gregor is pointless. . . . The Broncos had D Noah King, 17, in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 4. They scratched D Dom Schmiemann. . . . Announced attendance: 4,465.

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I asked Blazers HC Don Hay to give me his cliche' heading into game five - an elimination game. "One die all die".

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) April 1, 2017

At Kelowna, the Kamloops Blazers got 32 saves from G Connor Ingram as they stayed alive with a 4-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . Kelowna holds a 3-2 lead in the series. They’ll return to Kamloops for Game

CONNOR INGRAM

6 on Sunday. A seventh game, if needed, would be played in Kelowna on Tuesday. . . . The Blazers won Game 3, 4-1, at home on Tuesday, then dropped a 1-0 decision on Wednesday. . . . After five games, Ingram is 2-3, 2.01, .951. . . . Ingram, who turned 20 on Friday, has played in 12 playoff games, all against the Rockets. He is 5-7, 2.98, .944. . . . F Reid Gardner (2) gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead at 11:05 of the first period, meaning this was the first time in the series that the team scoring first didn’t win. . . . F Garrett Pilon, who signed a three-year entry level contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals on Thursday, pulled the Blazers even with his first goal at 17:46. . . . Pilon also drew an assist on a goal from F Quinn Benjafield (2) at 1:22 of the second period that gave Kamloops the lead. . . . The visitors put it away with third-period goals from F Rudolfs Balcers (2), at 5:32, and F Collin Shirley (1), shorthanded, at 12:22. . . . Kelowna had been the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not have allowed a shorthanded goal this season. . . . Benjafield added an assist to his goal. . . . The Blazers got 15 saves from Ingram in the second period and 10 more in the third. . . . The Rockets were 0-4 on the PP. . . . The Blazers were 0-8 on the PP; they now are 1-28 in the series. . . . The Blazers had F Luc Smith in their lineup for the first time in this series and he picked up an assist. Smith had suffered an undisclosed injury late in the regular season. . . . Jon Keen, the radio voice of the Blazers, didn’t make the trip, so missed his second straight game after showing symptoms of mumps. He isn’t expected to return for Sunday’s game, but hopes to be back if there is a Game 7. . . . The Rockets chose not to make head coach Jason Smith or players available for post-game interviews, according to Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier, “due to fear of the mumps.” Post-game quotes from head coach Jason Smith were made available via Kevin Bain, Kelowna’s media relations manager. . . . Announced attendance: 5,547.

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Sweater / suit combo update:

Tips 14-4 .... 1-0 playoff OT 👍 pic.twitter.com/y7gx2anOD0

— Mike Benton (@Benton_Mike) April 1, 2017

At Everett, F Eetu Tuulola scored at 7:02 of the first OT to give the Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the

EETU TUULOLA

Victoria Royals. . . . The Silvertips lead the series, 3-2, with Game 6 in Victoria on Sunday afternoon. . . . Everett got the game’s first goal with F Matt Fonteyne (2) scoring at 5:14 of the second period. . . . Victoria tied it 48 seconds later when F Carter Folk scored his first goal. . . . The Silvertips went back out front when F Patrick Bajkov got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 19:59. . . . Victoria F Jared Dmytriw (1) forced OT with a goal at 14:20 of the third period. . . . Tuulola won it with his second goal of the series. . . . The Silvertips got two assists from each of D Kevin Davis and F Dominic Zwerger, with Bajkov and Fonteyne adding one each. . . . Bajkov and Zwerger, who has eight assists, now have 10 points apiece, one point off the playoff scoring lead. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 17 shots for the Silvertips. . . . At the other end, Griffen Outhouse blocked 33 shots. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-1. . . . The Silvertips welcomed F Riley Sutter back to their lineup, but they remain without F Devon Skoleski. . . . The Royals continue to be without F Jack Walker and D Scott Walford. . . . Announced attendance: 3,833.

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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Red Deer leads, 3-1)

Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m. (Swift Current leads, 3-2)

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WHL comes down on Cougars . . . Changes to Team WHL . . . Pats' offence really on fire

The Prince George Cougars got hit with suspensions totalling 11 games and fines totalling $1,500 for silliness that occurred at the end of a 6-4 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night. . . . D Sam Ruopp, the team captain, drew an eight-game suspension for engaging in what was a one-man fight “with an unsuspecting opponent.” That opponent was F Steve Owre of the Tigers. Eight games is believed to be the longest suspension handed out by the WHL since April 11, 2014, when Victoria F Brandon Magee got 12 games after being hit with a match penalty — he twice cross-checked opponents in the head — during a playoff game with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Kody McDonald got three games for a slashing major and game misconduct that he took as the game ended. He viciously hacked at Medicine Hat F Chad Butcher at a faceoff. . . . The Cougars were fined $1,000 and head coach Richard Matvichuk got touched for $500 “for actions of players at end of game,” according to the WHL.

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The WHL has scratched F Dillon Dube of the Kelowna Rockets, F Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors and F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings from the team that will meet a touring Russian side next week in Prince George (Monday) and Edmonton (Tuesday). . . . All three veterans are out with injuries. . . . Added to Team WHL’s roster were F Brad Morrison (Prince George Cougars), F Lane Pederson (Swift Current Broncos) and F Mason Shaw (Medicine Hat Tigers). . . . For whatever reason, the pooh-bahs have chosen to snub Matt Phillips of the Victoria Royals, who may be the best forward in the WHL. . . . Patrick, the consensus No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2017 NHL draft, hasn’t played since Oct. 11 and has skated in only six of Brandon’s 16 games. He has sports hernia surgery in July and missed most of training camp.

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F Ethan Leyh of Anmore, B.C., has committed to attend the U of Wisconsin where he will play for the Badgers. Leyh, 15, was an eighth-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He is playing for the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs. Leynh had 13 points, including eight goals, in six games going into the weekend.

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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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Friday morning rumour from a solid Saskatoon hockey and business source: The Blades are for sale.@Chasenpucks39

— Rod Pedersen (@rodpedersen) November 4, 2016

To clear this up I have no idea what's going on in Saskatoon. If you are trying to contact me, save a call. No interest in this rumor https://t.co/SB8IasNGUQ

— Kelly Chase (@Chasenpucks39) November 4, 2016

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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

With tonight's start @jordanpapirny has played 173 regular season games as a Wheat King surpassing Glen Hanlon! Congrats Paps! pic.twitter.com/Cckw4zI5C3

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) November 5, 2016

At Brandon, D Kale Clague’s third goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie at 9:57 of the third period and the

KALE CLAGUE

Wheat Kings beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . This was a rematch of last season’s championship final, which the Wheat Kings won in five games. . . . Last night, F Ty Lewis got Brandon on the board with his ninth goal, at 8:51 of the first period. . . . Seattle took the lead with two third-period goals, F Nolan Volcan scoring his sixth just 28 seconds in, and D Turner Ottenbreit getting his second, on a PP, at 1:51. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos, with his seventh, forced OT at 3:48 of the third. Clague drew the primary assist on the goal. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 36 shots, nine more than Rylan Toth of Seattle. . . . Seattle was 1-10 on the PP; Brandon was 0-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (7-6-3) had lost their previous four games (0-4-1). . . . The Thunderbirds (6-7-1) had won two in a row. They are 3-2-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Seattle lost D Ethan Bear with a spearing major and game misconduct at 8:28 of the first period. Chances are that he will be suspended at least for tonight’s game against the Warriors in Moose Jaw. . . . Announced attendance: 3,640.

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At Kamloops, F Deven Sideroff scored once and drew three assists to lead the Blazers to a 5-2 victory

DEVEN SIDEROFF

over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Sideroff has 10 goals and seven assists in 17 games. . . . The Blazers took control of a 0-0 game with two second-period goals and one early in the third. Sideroff got the game’s first score, at 5:54 of the second, with F Collin Shirley making it 2-0 at 9:04. His eighth goal came via the PP. . . . Kamloops D Ondrej Vala’s fourth goal, at 7:03 of the third period, turned out to be the winner. . . . D Dylan MacPherson got his first goal, at 11:49, to get the Tigers to within two, but Kamloops F Rudolfs Balcers put it away with two goals, giving him nine. . . . F Mark Rassell later scored his 11th for the Tigers. . . . Balcers added an assist to his goals, while F Nick Chyzowski and F Garrett Pilon each had two helpers. . . . The line of Pilon between Sideroff and Balcers totalled nine points. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram, who went into the game first in the WHL in save percentage (.936) and second in GAA (2.01) stopped 36 shots. He really was sharp again, this time with Hockey Canada goaltending consultant Fred Brathwaite looking on. . . . The Tigers got 38 saves from G Duncan McGovern. . . . The Blazers (10-8-1) are 2-0-1 in their last three outings. . . . The Tigers (11-5-1) have won their previous three games, all on the road. . . . The Blazers had beaten the Tigers 5-1 in Medicine Hat on Oct. 8. . . . The Tigers were 1-2 on the PP; the Blazers were 1-4. . . . Kamloops was without three injured veteran defencemen — Dawson Davidson, Shaun Dosanjh and Dallas Valentine. . . . The Blazers added D Tylor Ludwar, 17, to their roster for this game — he acquitted himself quite well — and Saturday’s in Prince George. A native of Regina, he has eight points, including five goals, in six games with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. . . . Announced attendance: 3,749, the second-largest crowd this season.

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Another so-close scoring opportunity with many flailing hands in the crowd #mjwarriors vs #edmontonoilkings #thewhl #UnfinishedBusiness pic.twitter.com/u4rjmdSHTV

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) November 5, 2016

At Moose Jaw, F Tanner Jeannot broke a 1-1 tie at 4:12 of the third period as the Warriors beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Jeannot has five goals. . . . F Noah Gregor gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 17:10 of the first period, with his sixth goal, on a PP. . . . Edmonton F Davis Koch got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 16:01 of the second period. . . . The Warriors got an insurance goal from F Ryan Bowen, his fifth, at 8:38 of the third. . . . F Nikita Popugaev had two assists for the Warriors. . . . G Zach Sawchenko had another strong game for the Warriors, with 36 saves. . . . The Oil Kings got 22 stops from Patrick Dea. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-4. . . . The Warriors (11-3-2) have won four straight. . . . Edmonton now is 5-9-2. . . . F Tate Popple, 16, made his WHL debut with the Warriors. From Brandon, Popple has 18 points, including 10 goals, in 11 games with the midget AAA Wheat Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 3,019.

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At Prince Albert, G Ian Scott stopped 22 shots to earn the shutout as the Raiders beat the Kootenay Ice,

IAN SCOTT

6-0. . . . It was Scott’s first shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . The game featured the two teams with the league’s poorest records. As a result of the outcome, the Raiders (5-11-1), who had lost their previous four games, moved a point ahead of the Ice (3-10-4), which has lost two straight. . . . F Tim Vanstone scored the game’s first goal, his fourth, at 9:35 of the first period. . . . F Sean Montgomery, scored twice, giving him five goals, with F Cavin Leth (2), F Cole Fonstad (2) and F Adam Kadlec (2) adding one each. . . . F Simon Stransky had two assists, with Vanstone adding one. . . . Ice G Payton Lee stopped 33 shots. . . . The Raiders were 2-4 on the PP; the Ice was 0-3. . . . The Raiders scratched F Luke Coleman with an undisclosed injury. He has been hot, too, having scored three of the team’s last six goals going into this game. . . . Announced attendance: 2,109.

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Friday night at the opera ... pic.twitter.com/rQZ2MXPA5J

— Rob Vanstone (@robvanstone) November 5, 2016

At Regina, the Pats scored six first-period goals, including two shorthanded scores on the same penalty kill, en route to a 9-6 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Regina (12-0-3) has won eight in a row, the franchise’s longest winning streak since it won nine straight in 2001-02. . . . The Pats, the WHL’s highest-scoring team, were coming off a 10-goal game, having beaten the visiting Kootenay Ice, 10-2, on Wednesday. . . . The Blades (7-9-1) have lost two in a row. . . . The Pats came out of the first period with a 6-2 lead, with F Sam Steel in on three of those goals. He had two goals, giving him 14, and a league-high 28 points. . . . The Blades got to within two, at 6-4, on second-period goals from F Michael Farren (3) and F Gage Ramsey (2). . . . Regina F Filip Ahl’s 10th goal, on a PP at 15:57, gave his guys a three-goal lead. . . . F Logan Christensen (4) scored for Saskatoon, on a PP, at 17:52. . . . Regina put it away with third-period goals from Ahl, on a PP, at 4:15, and F Adam Brooks (6) at 7:29. . . . Saskatoon F Caleb Fantillo closed out the scoring with his first goal at 16:22. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn scored his ninth goal and had three assists for Regina, with D Chase Harrison scoring his third goal and adding one assist and F Austin Wagner getting No. 3 and an assist. . . . Ahl ended up with the winner, his WHL-leading fifth, while Wagner now has a league-leading four shorthanded goals. . . . Brooks added three assists to his goal, with D Connor Hobbs also getting three assists. . . . Fantillo also had an assist, while D Nolan Reid had two of them. . . . G Tyler Brown turned aside 34 shots for Regina. . . . Saskatoon starter Brock Hamm gave up six goals on 17 shots in the first period. Logan Flodell played the last two periods, stopping 27 of 30 shots. . . . Regina was 4-8 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-6. . . . Regina took 78 of the game’s 155 penalty minutes. Ch-ch-ching! There was a line brawl at 17:11 of the third period that resulted in 107 penalty minutes. . . . The teams don’t play each other again until Dec. 10 in Regina. . . . Announced attendance: 5,658.

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At Spokane, F Michael Spacek’s 10th goal, on a PP at 4:31 of OT, gave the Red Deer Rebels a 4-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Red Deer held 2-0 and 3-2 leads before Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto forced extra time with his 11th goal at 16:32 of the third period. . . . Two Rebels — F Jordan Roy and D Ethan Sakowich — scored their first goals to give the visitors a 2-0 lead after one period. . . . Spokane tied it on goals from F Hudson Elynuik (5) and F Keanu Yamamoto (4), the former at 4:32 of the second and the latter 57 seconds into the third period. . . . D Austin Pratt gave Red Deer a 3-2 lead, with his sixth goal, at 7:59. . . . Spacek also had two assists. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from F Curtis Miske. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 29 shots for the Rebels, with Jayden Sittler stopping 26 for the Chiefs. . . . The Rebels were 1-3 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-5. . . . Red Deer (9-7-2) had lost four in a row. . . . The Chiefs (6-6-4) are 3-0-2 in their last five games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,603.

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At Swift Current, F Tyler Steenbergen scored at 3:53 of OT to give the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the

TYLER STEENBERGEN

Calgary Hitmen. . . . Steenbergen, who has 13 goals, including three in OT, also scored in OT on Saturday as the Broncos beat the visiting Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. . . . Steenbergen has four goals and two assists over his last three games. . . . F Carsen Twarynski, who has six goals, scored twice for Calgary, giving it a 1-0 lead 50 seconds into the game tying the game 2-2 at 19:33 of the third period. The second one came with G Cody Porter on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Broncos F Aleksi Heponiemi’s fifth goal pulled the Broncos into a 1-1 tie at 1:15 of the first period. . . . Broncos D Max Lajoie got his second goal, on a PP, at 15:44 of the second period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro and F Jordy Stallard each had two assists for Calgary. . . . G Travis Child earned the victory with 25 saves, three more than Porter. . . . The Broncos were 1-4 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-3. . . . Swift Current (10-5-3) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . The Hitmen (5-5-2) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 1,858.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Michael Rasmussen scored twice and added an assist to help the Tri-City

MICHAEL RASMUSSEN

Americans to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Rasmussen, who has 14 goals, opened the scoring at 1:11 of the first period. . . . Portland F Ryan Hughes got his fifth goal at 4:15. . . . The Americans took control with the next three goals in a span of 5:04. F Morgan Geekie (7) scored on a PP at 11:21, Rasmussen counted at 13:34 — he’s got eight goals in four games against Portland — and F Parker AuCoin (6) got a shorthanded score at 16:25. . . . The Winterhawks got to within a goal when D Carter Czaikowski got his first goal at 12:39 of the second period and F Keegan Iverson (7) scored at 17:36. . . . Geekie got the empty-netter at 19:49. . . . G Rylan Parenteau blocked 31 shots for the Americans. . . . Tri-City D Juuso Valimaki had two assists. . . . Portland starter Cole Kehler was beaten three times on five shots in 13:34. Michael Bullion finished up with 25 saves on 26 shots in 44:51. . . . Tri-City was 1-7 on the PP; Portland was 0-5. . . . The Americans (10-6-1) have won two straight. . . . The Winterhawks (8-9-0) have lost six in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,909.

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At Langley, B.C., F Nick Merkley had two goals and an assist to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-4

NICK MERKLEY

victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Rockets enjoyed 2-1 and 4-2 leads but it was a goal by F Kole Lind, his seventh, that broke a 4-4 tie at 16:50 of the third period. . . . F Alec Baer, who had two goals and an assist, gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 6:56 of the first period. . . . Kelowna took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Calvin Thurkauf (7) and Merkley, at 10:09 and 12:46 of the first. . . . Vancouver D Darian Skeoch tied it with his first goal, at 17:15. . . . The Rockets took a 4-2 lead when F Tomas Soustal (7) and D Braydyn Chizen (1) struck for shorthanded goals just three seconds apart — yes, three seconds — at 14:15 and 14:18 of the second period. . . . Baer’s second goal, and second of the season, at 15:49 of the second cut the deficit to one, and F Johnny Wesley’s fourth goal, at 8:42 of the third period, tied it. . . . Merkley got the empty-netter at 18:44. . . . The WHL record for quickest two goals is two seconds. F Pavel Brendl and F Brad Moran set that record with the Calgary Hitmen on Oct. 3, 1998. Brendl’s goal came into an empty net as the Hitmen beat the Red Deer Rebels, 6-4. . . . Soustal and Thurkauf each had two assists. . . . F James Malm had two assists for Vancouver. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 30 shots for the victory. . . . The Giants got 31 stops from Ryan Kubic. . . . Kelowna was 2-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-5. . . . The Rockets improved to 10-8-0, while the Giants are 7-11-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,286. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Curtis Hunt, the Prince Albert Raiders’ general manager, was in the building.

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Round 11:

VIC: @KaidOliver roofs a backhand! ✔
LET: Lindgren is stopped by @outhouse40! ✖

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) November 5, 2016

At Victoria, F Kaid Oliver’s goal ended an 11-round shootout and gave the Royals a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker scored two goals, at 1:39 and 18:46 of the first period. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Lethbridge got two goals from F Jesse Zaharichuk, who has eight, at 13:55 of the second period and 16:27 of the third. . . . The Royals scored four times in the shootout, with the Hurricanes getting three. . . . Kaid, a 16-year-old from White Rock, B.C., has one goal and one assist in 19 games. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse stopped 36 shots. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner turned aside 25 shots. That included stopping Victoria F Matt Phillips on a penalty shot at 1:23 of OT. . . . The Royals were 1-3 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-1. . . . Victoria (10-7-2) is 2-0-2 in its last four games. . . . Lethbridge (7-7-3) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,494.

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LEADERS

POINTS: F Sam Steel, Regina, 28; F Mason Shaw, Medicine Hat, 27; F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane, F Nikita Popugaev, Moose Jaw, F Cody Glass, Portland, each 24.

GOALS: Steel, F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City, each 14; F Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current, 13; F Zak Zborosky, Kootenay, 12; Yamamoto, 11.

ASSISTS: Shaw, 22; F Brayden Burke, Lethbridge, 18; F Chad Butcher, Medicine Hat, Glass, each 17; D Chase Harrison, Regina, 16.

VICTORIES: Nick Schneider, Medicine Hat, Griffen Outhouse, Victoria, each 10; Carter Hart, Everett, Ty Edmonds, Prince George, Michael Herringer, Kelowna, each 9.

GAA: Hart, 1.89; Connor Ingram, Kamloops, 2.01; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, 2.31; Logan Flodell, Saskatoon, 2.38; Cody Porter, Calgary, 2.46.

SAVE %: Ingram, .937; Flodell, .931; Hart, .926; Logan Thompson, Brandon, .922; Outhouse, .920.

——

SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Edmonton at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Seattle at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

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

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

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

Blades open trek with win in Kelowna . . . Pratt, Benson, Phillips, Henry fill hats . . . Silvertips win again

The Battle of Alberta: Where the Oilers and Flames join forces against gigantic killer flies. pic.twitter.com/769s355ZtU

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) October 15, 2016

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G Lasse Petersen, acquired by the Red Deer Rebels from the Everett Silvertips on Thursday, ran into weather problems so wasn’t able to travel in time to join his new teammates on Friday. . . . The right here.

Rebels entertained the Moose Jaw Warriors last night. . . . Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach in Red Deer, acquired Petersen because G Tyson Verhelst, 19, who was picked up from the Spokane Chiefs, looks to be out on a long-term basis. . . . “It’s an unfortunate situation with Tyson and we don’t know what his future is going to bring,” Sutter told Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com. “He’s back home now and will be evaluated on a regular basis. We couldn’t be left in a position where we’re hoping he might be back in two or three weeks, a month, whatever. It’s such an unknown thing.“It’s unfortunate for Tyson, but we needed to move forward and add someone to the group and we were fortunate enough to acquire a goalie who has some experience in the league.” . . . Meachem’s complete story is

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F Lane Pederson’s three-year entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes carries NHL salaries of US$610,000, $685,000 and $685,000, according to generalfanager.com. . . . Pederson, who plays for the Swift Current Broncos, agreed to the deal on Thursday. . . . The AHL salary in each of the three years is $70,000. . . . There also is a $105,000 signing bonus, payable in three annual installments.

——

F Landon Quinney, 18, has signed with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. He was released earlier this season by the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Last season, the Las Vegas native had 16 points, including three goals, in 69 games with the Warriors. . . . Last night, in his first game, he picked up on assist and won four of five faceoffs in a 4-2 victory over the host Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. . . . His father, Ken, and brother, Gage, both are former WHLers. . . . 

——

Brennan Tutt, who had a brief stint with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2009-10, is one of three men in custody after what, according to the St. George, Utah, News, “is believed to be the biggest meth bust in Utah history.” . . . Tutt, 24, is from Airdrie. . . . The three were pulled over near Provo after police officers, with the help of a dog, found 236 pounds of methamphetamine, some steroids and $66,000. . . . According to The News, the meth had “an estimated wholesale value of $1.5 million and a street value of between $7 million and $15 million.” . . . Tutt was pointless during his stint with the Thunderbirds. . . . The News story is right here.

——
The Tri-City Americans have dropped D Landon Fuller from their roster. He now is with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Fuller, 17, is from 100 Mile House, B.C. He was pointless in one game this season. He got into two games last season and also was pointless. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Fuller was a fifth-round selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft.

——

If you aren’t familiar with Joe Pelletier’s Greatest Hockey Legends.com, you should be. It’s a great place to drop by and visit whenever you get the urge to look into the game’s past. Pelletier also keeps tabs on hockey-related books as they come available and oftentimes offers up his thoughts on them. Right here, he takes a look at The Hockey Scribbler, which was written by George Bowering, a native of Penticton, B.C., who is a prolific writer.

———

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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#Leafs Johnny Bower: "I went to church and lit candles so Rocket wouldn't score on me. He scored two that night. I stopped going to church!"

— Dave Stubbs (@Dave_Stubbs) October 14, 2016

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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

Glover snipes to end the Raiders' drought and give the Green and Gold a 3-2 overtime victory pic.twitter.com/8gTCJ1BP7G

— Jeff D'Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) October 15, 2016

At Brandon, F Austin Glover scored 45 seconds into OT to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Glover has five goals this season. . . . F Luke Coleman gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 3:08 of the first period, only to have Brandon F Ty Lewis tie it at 14:24. . . . F Nic Holowko put the Raiders back out in front at 15:02 of the second period. . . . The Wheat Kings forced OT when F Ty Kaspick scored his sixth goal, on a PP, at 12:58 of the third period. . . . F Simon Stransky had two assist for the Raiders. . . . Kaspick and Lewis had an assist each. . . . G Ian Scott turned aside 32 shots for the Raiders, two fewer than Brandon’s Logan Thompson. . . . The Wheat Kings were 2-5 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-2. . . . Prince Albert (3-5-0) snapped a three-game losing skid. . . . Brandon (2-3-2) has lost three in a row. . . . The Wheat Kings scratched F Nolan Patrick, giving him what is believed to be his second maintenance day of the young season. He missed most of training camp after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia in July. . . . Announced attendance: 3,518.

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Thankfully the home scoreless drought is over. Tyler Robertson ended it 201:05.

— Corey Graham (@CoreyGraham) October 15, 2016

At Edmonton, F Matt Phillips scored three times and added two assists to lead the Victoria Royals to

MATT PHILLIPS

a 6-1 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Phillips, who has six goals, opened the scoring at 8:38 of the first period. He made it 3-0 at 8:18 of the second, on a PP, and got his third goal, on another PP, at 9:54. . . . It was his second career hat trick, the other coming last season. . . . Phillips added an assist on F Tyler Soy’s goal, his fifth, on a PP at 12:03 of the first period. . . . Soy also had two assists. . . . The Royals were 3-7 on the PP, scoring three straight to take a 4-0 lead. . . . The Oil Kings were 1-4 on the PP. . . . F Jack Walker had a goal and an assist for the winners. . . . The Royals (5-5-0) got 39 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, while G Patrick Dea stopped 36 for Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings (3-5-1) have lost the first two games of a seven-game homestand. . . . Announced attendance: 7,176.

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4am in England, but its friday so I'm watching the @BladesHockey game of course What better way to spend the middle of the night #risewithus

— Dallon McCarty (@DallonMcCartyMA) October 15, 2016

At Kelowna, G Logan Flodell stopped 36 shots and F Jesse Zaharichuk and F Mason McCarty each scored twice to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . This was the first

LOGAN FLODELL

game of a B.C. Division swing for the Blades, who were 0-3 in their last three visits to Kelowna. . . . Saskatoon (5-2-1) is 4-0-1 in its last five starts. . . . Kelowna (3-6-0) has lost two in a row. . . . Shynkaruk, who basically walked into Saskatoon’s camp and asked for a tryout, has five goals this season. He opened the scoring on a PP at 10:20 of the first period. . . . F Kole Lind, who had both Kelowna goals, tied it at 13:14. . . . McCarty gave the visitors the lead with his fourth goal, on a PP, at 19:00. . . . Shynkaruk upped the lead to 3-1 at 3:50 of the third period. . . . Lind got the Rockets to within a goal at 18:36, but McCarty got the empty-netter at 19:15. . . . Flodell was sharp as the Rockets held a 30-11 edge in shots over the last two periods. . . . G Brodan Salmond stopped 13 shots for Kelowna. . . . The Blades were 2-5 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-2. . . . F Kaleb Fantillo, acquired by the Blades from the Medicine Hat Tigers on Thursday, didn’t play. . . . F Jake Kryski (ill) was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . F Leif Mattson, acquired earlier in the month from the Brandon Wheat Kings, was in the Rockets’ lineup for the first time. . . . Announced attendance: 4,678.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., D Connor Hobbs scored at 1:26 of OT to give the Regina Pats a 5-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Nick Henry, who has four goals, scored three times and added an assist for

CONNOR HOBBS

the Pats. His third goal, at 13:32 of the third period, forced OT. . . . Henry’s second goal, on a PP at 7:14 of the second period, gave Regina a 3-1 lead. . . . The Ice came back to take a 4-3 lead as F Matt Alfaro scored shorthanded at 11:39, F Vince Loschiavo scored at 17:31 and F Zak Zborosky, who is from Regina, scored his second goal of the game, on a PP, at 5:44 of the third period. . . . Zborosky has nine goals, second in the WHL to Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen, who has 10. . . . F Sam Steel had three assists for Regina, while F Dawson Leedahl and Hobbs each had a goal and an assist. . . . Alfaro added an assist to his goal. . . . Regina G Jordan Hollett blocked 19 shots, while the Ice’s Payton Lee turned aside 52. . . . Kootenay was 1-6 on the PP; Regina was 1-7. . . . The Pats (5-0-3) are the only one of the WHL’s 22 teams not have lost in regulation time. . . . The Ice (1-5-3) has lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 1,668.

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At Lethbridge, F Tyler Benson scored three times, including the OT winner, as the Vancouver Giants got past the Hurricanes, 4-3. . . . Benson’s fifth goal, on a PP, won it just 39 seconds into extra time. It

TYLER BENSON

also gave him his first WHL hat trick. . . . F Jesse Zaharichuk gave Lethbridge a 1-0 lead at 11:42 of the first period. . . . Benson tied it at 13:22. . . . F Ryley Lindgren put the home side ahead 2-1 with his sixth goal, on a PP, at 16:32. . . . Benson tied it 58 seconds into the second period. . . . F Brayden Burke, who also had two assists, gave Lethbridge a 3-2 lead at 14:01. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Semchuk forced OT with his fourth goal, on a PP, at 7:29 of the third period. . . . In 2015-16, a freshman season short-circuited by injury, Semchuk had a goal and an assist in 28 games. He has four goals and an assist in 11 games this season. . . . If you’re a WHL follower, you are aware of Benson’s injury woes. This season, he has five goals and four assists in six games. . . . F Thomas Foster had two assists for Vancouver. . . . The Giants got 25 saves from G Ryan Kubic, two fewer than Ryan Gilchrist of Lethbridge. . . . Vancouver was 2-4 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 1-5. . . . D Darian Skeoch had an assist for Vancouver; D Brennan Menell had an assist for Lethbridge. The two were involved in a trade earlier in the season. . . . The Giants (4-7-0) have won three in a row in Alberta. . . . The Hurricanes (5-2-2) have points in four straight (2-0-2). . . . Vancouver F Johnny Wesley was tossed with a headshot major and game misconduct at 3:21 of the second period. . . . Announced attendance: 3,267.

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At Medicine Hat, F Chad Butcher and F Mason Shaw each scored two goals and added an assist to help the Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . After F Jakob Stukel gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 1:50 of the first period, the Tigers erupted for five straight goals. . . . The Tigers got two assists from each of F Zach Fischer, F Steve Owre and F John Dahlstrom, with D David Quenneville and F Matt Bradley each adding a goal and an assist. . . . F Matteo Gennaro had a goal and an assist for Calgary. . . . The Tigers got 22 saves from G Nick Schneider. Calgary starter Cody Porter stopped 19 of 21 shots before leaving at 1:58 of the second period with an undisclosed injury. Kyle Dumba came on and allowed five goals on 18 shots. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-9 on the PP; Calgary was 1-7. . . . The Tigers (6-3-0) snapped a two-game losing skid. . . . The Hitmen (3-3-0) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 3,731.

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One more quick one of @AJPratt14 's awesome reaction to scoring his hat trick goal. @Rebelshockey win 6-4. Next up: @WHLKootenayICE pic.twitter.com/SIJ6qSu5Lz

— Zach Cormier (@zcormierphoto) October 15, 2016

At Red Deer, F Austin Pratt scored three times to lead the Rebels to a 6-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Pratt gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead at 4:43 of the second period and tied the score 3-3 at

AUSTIN PRATT

17:14. He completed his first WHL hat trick at 12:43 of the third period, giving the Rebels a 5-4 lead in the process. . . . A 17-year-old from Lakeville, Minn., Pratt has eight points, including five goals, in nine games. Last season, as a freshman, he had eight goals and four assists in 56 games. . . . After Pratt tied the game at 3-3, Red Deer F Adam Musil gave his guys the lead at 18:23 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw F Luka Burzan’s second goal of the game, on a PP, tied it at 1:25 of the third. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel had three assists, with D Colton Bobyk and F Michael Spacek each getting a goal and an assist. . . . The Warriors got two goals and an assist from F Jayden Halbgewachs, and two assists from each of F Nikita Popugaev and D Matt Sozanski. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb made 23 saves, six fewer than the Warriors’ Brody Willms. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-8 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Rebels (4-3-2) have won two straight. . . . The Warriors are 4-2-2. . . . F Grayson Pawlenchuk played in his 200th regular-season game with the Rebels. . . . The Warriors lost F Tanner Jeannot with a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit on Red Deer D Alexander Alexeyev at 14:08 of the first period. . . . Announced attendance: 4,389.

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At Kent, Wash., F Kody McDonald scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Prince George Cougars a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Cougars (9-2-0) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Thunderbirds (2-3-1) have lost two straight. . . . Seattle led this one 2-0 on goals by F Nolan Volcan, at 8:32 of the first period, and F Sami Moilanen, 20 seconds into the second, on a PP. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle’s fourth goal got the Cougars to within one at 8:47 of the second period and F Jansen Harkins’ first goal tied it at 12:15. . . . F Brad Morrison had two assists for the Cougars, while Gabrielle also had an assist. . . . Prince George was 2-4 on the PP; Seattle was 1-5. . . . G Ty Edmonds, 20, stopped 23 shots for the Cougars, one more than Carl Stankowski, 16, of the Thunderbirds. . . . According to TBird Tidbits, the Cougars were “10-2-0 in their last 12 regular-season visits to Kent” prior to last night. . . . With four 20-year-olds on their roster, following the return of F Ryan Gropp, the Thunderbirds have to scratch one each game. Last night, G Rylan Toth drew the short straw. . . . Announced attendance: 3,068.

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Dominic Zwerger back in Spokane. And says hello. pic.twitter.com/WbTcuJbTJ2

— Mike Benton (@Benton_Mike) October 14, 2016

At Spokane, F Patrik Bajkov’s second goal of the game, 24 seconds into OT, gave the Everett Silvertips a 4-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . F Brian King gave Everett a 1-0 lead at 3:14 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs took a 2-1 lead on two goals from F Kailer Yamamoto, who has six goals. He scored on a PP at 16:02 of the second and added his other goal at 9:30 of the third. . . . Bajkov, who has four goals, tied it at 13:59 and D Noah Juulsen gave the visitors the lead, on a PP, 10 seconds later. . . . The Chiefs forced OT when F Markson Bechtold scored a shorthanded goal at 18:52. . . . F Dominic Zwerger, who was acquired by Everett from Spokane as the Chiefs got down to three 20-year-olds, had two assists, while Juulsen added one to his goal. . . . D Ty Smith had two assists for Spokane, while Yamamoto and Bechtold had one each. . . . G Mario Petit stopped 27 shots for Everett, 10 more than Spokane’s Jayden Sittler. . . . Everett was 2-5 on the PP; Spokane was 1-1. . . . The Silvertips (7-1-1) have won three in a row. . . . The Chiefs (2-4-1) have lost two straight. . . . Chiefs F Hunter Elynuik left with a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Devon Skoleski at 13:06 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 4,423.

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Ams play Taking Care of Business after beating Kamloops

— Dylan Bumbarger (@dylandb) October 15, 2016

At Kennewick, Wash., G Rylan Parenteau made 28 saves to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 4-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Parenteau, 20, got the start after being acquired from the

MICHAEL RASMUSSEN

Prince Albert Raiders on Thursday. He joined his new team that night. . . . The Americans got two goals from F Michael Rasmussen, who leads the WHL with 10 scores. . . . He opened the scoring at 10:13 of the first period, on a PP, then set up a PP goal by D Parker Wotherspoon, at 17:05. . . . F Nick Chyzowski got Kamloops on the board at 12;16 of the second, but Rasmussen got that one back at 16:53. . . . F Travis Walton, with his first WHL goal, got the Blazers to within one at 8:03 of the third. . . . The Americans put it away when F Parker AuCoin scored at 19:02. . . . Rasmussen has 10 goals in eight games. Last season, he scored 18 times in 63 games. . . . G Connor Ingram turned aside 33 shots for the Blazers. . . . The Americans were 2-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-3. . . . The Americans (5-3-0) have won three in a row and are 4-0-0 at home. . . . The Blazers (4-6-0) had won their previous two games. . . . Tri-City head coach Mike Williamson now has 498 regular-season coaching victories. . . . Announced attendance: 2,758.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

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

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

Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

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

Brandon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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

——

SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Calgary, 2 p.m.

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

Now that was entertainment! . . . Blades get forward from Tigers . . . Another NHL deal on Broncos' roster

Just a couple of football guys watching hockey. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/pvDiWd3maW

— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) October 14, 2016

G Patrik Polívka (Victoria, 2012-14) has been assigned on loan by Plzeň (Czech Republic, Extraliga) to Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) for the remainder of the season. This season, with Plzeň, he was 3.20 and .895 in two games. On loan to Klatovy (Czech Republic, 2. Liga), he had a 4.14 GAA in one game. . . . 

F Anthony Ast (Vancouver, Medicine Hat, 2010-15) has been released by Duisburg (Germany, Oberliga) at his request. He had a goal and an assist in six games. A Duisburg news release indicates that Ast requested his release in order to return to Canada "to take advantage of scholarship opportunities.”

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The Portland Winterhawks played their sixth game in nine nights on Wednesday, finishing an East Division swing with a 5-4 OT victory over the Regina Pats.

The game featured 103 shots on goal, 52 by Regina.

Neither of the head coaches was selected as one of the stars, but they should have been.

Why?

Because both men — Mike Johnston of the Winterhawks and John Paddock of the Pats — understand

JOHN PADDOCK

that while they are in the business of developing players, they also are in the entertainment business. As such, there is pressure on them to fill the seats.

“It was a highly entertaining game,” Paddock told columnist Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post. “The fans all got their money’s worth, because there was a lot of up and down the ice at a fast pace. There were nine goals and it was full entertainment, for sure.

“There won’t be many games probably played like that, I don’t think. But saying that, there’s a lot of games to be played and there’s a lot of good teams to play against.”

Vanstone writes: 

“Paddock and his coaching counterpart, Mike Johnston, should take a bow after Wednesday’s sublime skating spectacle. The Pats’ bench boss noted that the Winterhawks have done an effective job of enticing American-born players to play for them, and displays such as that of Wednesday are a fine recruiting tool.”

As Paddock told Vanstone: “I think it helps that if you have a game like that, players want to come and play for you. They want to be involved in an entertaining game. They don’t want to be skating backwards in the neutral zone all the time and defending. They want to go. They want to pressure. They want to go after it.”

As Vanstone points out, “That is entirely in tune with Paddock’s philosophy.”

More from Paddock:

MIKE JOHNSTON

“The style of hockey that’s in vogue in the game today can be and is entertaining. You have to have a lot of good players to do it. (Portland) really played an outstanding game. We want to play an up-tempo game. We want to have the puck a lot. We want to put pucks to the net a lot. If you do that, it lends to entertainment.”

Meanwhile, Greg Harder of The Leader-Post spoke with Johnston.

“We are a very fast team and we can move the puck and we can get in behind people,” Johnston told him. “We have to play a fast hungry game or we just can’t stay with those teams.”

Why does Johnston want his club playing that way?

“It’s really hard to defend against (a fast team) so you have to have guys who are quick on the backcheck and take away space from the skilled players. But it’s an enjoyable game, I’m sure, for people watching rather than trapping it up, slugging it out. You got your money’s worth tonight.”

Oh, for more games like that one . . . and more coaches who think like Johnston and Paddock.

Vanstone’s column is right here.

Harder’s game story is right here.

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Really excited to be joining @BladesHockey ! Can't wait to get things going and see what the future holds!

— Caleb Fantillo (@calebfantillo) October 13, 2016

CALEB FANTILLO

The Saskatoon Blades have acquired F Caleb Fantillo, 18, from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a sixth-round pick in the 2019 WHL bantam draft. . . . Fantillo, from Coquitlam, B.C., was a sixth-round selection by the Tigers in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had 12 points, including six goals, in 63 games. This season, he has two assists in five games. . . . The Blades arrived in Kelowna on Thursday and will open a B.C. Division tour against the Rockets tonight (Friday). . . . The Blades are hoping that the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Fantino can add some grit to their lineup. In 70 games (2013-15) with the Vancouver-Northeast Chiefs of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League, he totalled 89 points, including 54 goals, and 200 penalty minutes.

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Speaking of the Blades, here’s a tip of the cap to Russ Smart, one of their scouts who has been around the WHL since the early 1980s. . . . He started out as an area scout out of central Alberta for the Prince Albert Raiders and was part of their organization when they won the 1985 Memorial Cup. Later, he moved on to the Lethbridge Hurricanes where he worked under Wayne Simpson, Terry’s brother, and Bob Bartlett. . . . By 1992-93, he was the assistant GM and director of player personnel with the Victoria Cougars. He remained with the Cougars through 2008-09 by which time they had been in Prince George for 15 seasons. . . . He then spent six seasons scouting for the Vancouver Giants and now is into his second season with the Blades. . . . Smart lives in Red Deer these days, but winters in Arizona where, yes, he spends time scouting in the area that produced Auston Matthews. . . . D Jonathan Smart, who is in his second season with the Kelowna Rockets, is Russ’ grandson. Jonathan’s father is former Jason Smart, who played with the Raiders and Blades (1986-90) and now is an RCMP officer.

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Dream come true signing my first NHL contract with the @ArizonaCoyotes . So grateful for all the support I've received along the way!

— Lane Pederson (@LanePederson) October 13, 2016

LANE PEDERSON

F Lane Pederson of the Swift Current Broncos has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. He was an undrafted free agent. He went to camp with the Anaheim Ducks prior to the 2015-16 season, then was with the Coyotes prior to this season. . . . Pederson, a 19-year-old from Saskatoon, has nine points, seven of them assists, in seven games this season. He had 34 points, 14 of them goals, in 37 games with the Broncos last season, after being acquired from Red Deer as part of a deal in which F Jake DeBrusk joined the Rebels. Pederson had put up 21 points, six of them goals, in 35 games with Red Deer. . . . In 144 regular-season games, including 65 with the Seattle Thunderbirds, who picked him in the fifth round of the 2012 bantam draft, he has 84 points, including 30 goals. . . . Pederson is the third player on the Broncos roster to have signed an NHL deal in the last few days. D Colby Sissons signed with the New Jersey Devils, while D Max Lajoie got a deal done with the Ottawa Senators.

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The U of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey teams play in a facility that opened in 1929. It’s little wonder, then, that the university has begun fund-raising with plans of building a $41-million multi-purpose facility that will include an arena and a double gymnasium. The new facility is to be called Merlis Belsher Place after Belsher, a U of S graduate with degrees in commerce and law, donated $12.25 million to the fund-raising drive. . . . Darren Zary of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.

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Hockey at the CIS level is one of Canada’s best-kept secrets in a lot of markets. But now there is a place on the Internet that you are able to visit if you want to keep up on what’s happening with any number of former WHL players. The Attacking Zone belongs to Victor Findlay and it’s look back at Week 1 is right here.

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JUST NOTES:

D Micheal Zipp has been named the 24th captain in the history of the Calgary Hitmen. Zipp, 20, is into his fourth season with the Hitmen. . . .

If you’re keeping track, F Mathew Barzal wasn’t in the lineup last night as the New York Islanders opened their NHL season with a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers. Barzal, 19, is eligible to return to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . 

The Red Deer Rebels have dropped D Jacob Herauf, 16, from their roster. He is expected to join the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. A first-round pick by the Rebels in the 2015 bantam draft, he was pointless in our games.

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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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Just as Rusty Staub was about to score a stunning upset victory, Marty and Mark Howe jumped in and beat the hell out of him. pic.twitter.com/ucyByv5yPD

— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) October 13, 2016

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince Albert at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Victoria at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

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

Vancouver at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

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

Moose Jaw at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

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

Everett at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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

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