Showing posts with label Logan Thompson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Logan Thompson. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

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


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


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

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

Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:35 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 5 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON 

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Friday, February 17, 2017

Second WHL team hit by mumps ... Cougars "being subsidized by ownership group" ... Goalie scores in AJHL


A second WHL team has been hit by the mumps. Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News reported via Twitter on Friday afternoon that the Medicine Hat Tigers had two players “diagnosed with mumps, while another two have been tested and quarantined.” . . . Apparently, one coach also has been impacted. . . . McCracken later reported that the two players who had been diagnosed were F John Dahlstrom and D Jordan Henderson, neither of whom played against the host Swift Current Broncos on Friday night. The Tigers also scratched F Zach Fischer and F Ryan Chyzowski. . . . Earlier this month, the Brandon Wheat Kings also had mumps in their dressing room. Their stricken players returned to the lineup earlier this week. . . . If you're wondering, Brandon played in Medicine Hat on Jan. 28. . . . The Tigers also remain without D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz, both of whom are recovering from broken legs suffered while blocking shots. Quenneville, however, is nearing a return. He was injured on Jan. 3 and now has been cleared for full-contact at practices.
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The Prince George Cougars have added Nick Drazenovic to their front office as director of player development. Drazenovic, who is from Prince George, played 281 games with the Cougars, putting up 214 points, including 77 goals. . . . He went on to a professional career that included 12 games in the NHL and more than 500 in the AHL. . . . “Nick will be responsible for developing our current roster players,” general manager Todd Harkins said in a news release, “while also spending one-on-one time with our prospects. He will monitor their progress year-round to ensure that when their time comes to join our team full-time that they are ready to make an impact.”
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There isn’t anything new to report regarding the Kootenay Ice and where they will play next season.
One thing is for certain, though. “We can't continue,” Jeff Chynoweth, the team’s president and general manager, told Jaimie Kehler of CBC News. “We are bleeding bad right now, averaging under 1,700 people a night. That just doesn't work in today's economics of the Western Hockey League.” . . . For now, there aren’t likely to be any developments before March 11 when the citizens of Nanaimo vote in a referendum that could allow the city to borrow $80 million for an events centre that would include an arena large enough for a WHL franchise. . . . Taking Note reported last month that the WHL is preparing two schedules for the 2017-18 season — one that includes Kootenay, and one that includes Nanaimo but not Kootenay. . . . Kehler’s story is right here. . . . The Ice stage Pink the Rink night on Friday and drew 2,690 fans to a 3-2 OT victory over the Saskatoon Blades.
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In Prince George, meanwhile, the EDGEPRO Sports and Entertainment group in its third season owning the Cougars. That group features Greg Pocock, Eric Brewer, Ray Fortier, Dan Hamhuis,
Ernest Ouellet and John Pateman. As the franchise’s president and governor, Pocock has morphed into the group’s public face.
The Cougars’ average announced attendance in 2013-14, the final season under owner Rick Brodsky, was 1,693. That number has reached 3,467 this season, but Pocock said that’s not enough.
“We are happy to see the continued growth of the attendance in our building,” he told play-by-play man Dan O’Connor and Hartley Miller, the analyst on home games, during a 4-3 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Monday afternoon. “It seems to be sustainable growth. It’s not people jumping on a bandwagon that are going to be here today and gone tomorrow.
“Having said that, this team is not making money. This team is being subsidized by the ownership group and that is not a circumstance that is going to continue indefinitely. We are behind in projections as far as numbers go. Although we are happy to see where we are it, we’re not satisfied where we are at either.”
There’s more from Pocock right here in a story that was posted by Miller.
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Jake Morrissey, a former WHL goaltender, scored a goal for the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders on Friday night. Morrissey, who made 32 saves, scored an empty-net goal at 19:59 of the third period to put the cap on a 3-1 victory over the visiting Camrose Kodiaks. . . . Morrissey, a 19-year-old from Saskatoon, made WHL stops with the Kelowna Rockets, Vancouver Giants, Saskatoon Blades and Medicine Hat Tigers.
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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, G Logan Thompson blocked 45 shots to lead the Wheat Kings to a 5-3 victory over the
Regina Pats. . . . Thompson stopped 21 of 23 shots in the third period as the Wheat Kings snapped a three-game losing skid (0-2-1). . . . Brandon scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Baron Thompson (3) opened the scoring at 1:42 of the first period. . . . F Nolan Patrick added his 14th at 3:54. . . . F Ty Lewis upped the lead to 3-0 with his 27th goal, on a PP, at 15:47 of the second period. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs got his guys started, on a PP, at 16:20. He leads all WHL defencemen with 26 goals. . . . Brandon D Schael Higson (4) got that one back, on a PP, at 18:58. . . . Regina made it interesting with two third-period goals. . . . F Austin Wagner got his 26th, at 1:34, and F Adam Brooks scored No. 32, on a PP, at 8:11. . . . The Wheat Kings hung on until F Stelio Mattheos got an empty-netter at 18:30. He’s got 23 goals. . . . Brandon got two assists from F Connor Gutenberg, with Matheos adding one to his goal. . . . Hobbs and Brooks each had two assists for Regina. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 24 shots for Regina as he lost for the first time in regulation this season. He now is 12-1-1. . . . The Wheat Kings were 2-3 on the PP; the Pats were 2-5. . . . Brandon (28-22-8) holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Regina (41-8-7) remains atop the overall standings, six points ahead of Medicine Hat with three games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 4,433.
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At Calgary, F Jakob Stukel scored at 1:52 of OT to give the Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . This was Calgary’s 20th trip to OT this season. The Hitmen are 7-8 in OT and 3-2 in shootouts. . . . The Hitmen had the only three shots of the extra time and won it on Stukel’s 18th goal of the season. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky’s 17th goal gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 9:20 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Andrei Grishakov’s sixth goal, at 7:58 of the second period. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean had two assists. . . . The Hitmen got 23 saves from G Trevor Martin. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea turned aside 33 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-2. . . . The Hitmen (21-26-10) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are two points out of a wild-card spot, but also trail third-place Red Deer by only three points in the Central Division. . . . The Oil Kings (20-33-5) have points in three in a row (2-0-1) after losing 16 in a row. They are nine points out of a playoff spot with 14 games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 6,945.
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At Kelowna, F Kailer Yamamoto scored at 1:01 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 5-4 victory over the Rockets. . . . Spokane G Jayden Sittler, who had an outstanding game, stopped Kelowna F Nick Merkley at one end and the Chiefs broke out 2-on-1 with Yamamoto scoring off a pass from Hudson Elynuik. . . . The Chiefs are 3-0-0 against Kelowna this season, winning three times in OT. . . Spokane scored the game’s first three goals, then surrendered three in a row. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 33rd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 8:47 of the first period, with F Ethan McIndoe (16) making it 2-0 at 12:24. . . . Elynuik’s 21st goal made it 3-0 at 1:30 of the second period. . . . The Rockets roared back to tie it with Merkley’s 18th goal starting the comeback at 6:39. . . . D Nolan Foote’s 15th goal cut the deficit to one at 17:12. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf tied it at 3:55 of the third period. . . . The Chiefs went back in front at 6:18 when F Hayden Ostir got No. 7. . . . Thurkauf tied it, scoring his second of the game and 29th of the season at 18:55, on a PP. . . . Yamamoto won it with his 33rd goal of the season. . . . Sittler, who also had an assist, finished with 45 saves. . . . The Rockets started G Michael Herringer, who gave up three goals on nine shots in 21:30. Brodan Salmond came on to stop 10 of 12 shots in 39:17. . . . Kelowna was 1-6 on the PP; Spokane was 0-1. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur was stitched up at the arena after being struck in the head by a puck off Foote’s stick in the second period. Nachbaur was back for the third period and no one who saw him during his playing days was surprised. . . . Spokane (25-24-9) is eight points out of a wild-card spot. . . . Kelowna (33-20-5) had won three straight. It is third in the B.C. Division, five points behind Kamloops. . . . Announced attendance: 4,836.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Vince Loschiavo’s goal at 2:16 of OT gave the Kootenay Ice a 3-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Loschiavo scored his 23rd goal of the season on Kootenay’s second shot of OT. . . . F Markson Bechtold had given Saskatoon a 1-0 lead with his seventh goal just 15 seconds into the game. . . . The Ice tied it when F Brett Davis got No. 16 at 13:10 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon went back out front at 5:00 of the third period as F Mason McCarty got his 16th goal. . . . The Ice tied it as F Noah Philp (7) scored at 14:45. . . . Kootenay G Jakob Walter earned the victory with a 28-save performance. . . . The Blades got 28 saves from Logan Flodell. . . . Saskatoon was 0-3 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-5. . . . Kootenay (13-35-10) had lost its previous seven games (0-5-2). It now has one more victory than it managed all of last season. . . . The Blades (23-26-8) have points in five straight (3-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 2,690.
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At Lethbridge, F Tyler Wong scored the only goal of a three-round shootout to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The Royals had taken a 1-0 lead on F Blake Bargar’s fourth goal, at 10:03 of the first period. . . . Wong tied it with his 41st goal at 11:51. . . . Victoria went back out front when F Matt Phillips got his 41st, at 19:59. . . . The home side took a 3-2 lead on second-period goals from F Alec Baer (12), at 2:38, and F Egor Babenko (20), at 7:53. . . . The Royals tied it when F Regan Nagy counted at 11:24, only to have Lethbridge go back ahead on F Zak Zborosky’s 37th at 14:53. . . . Victoria forced OT when Nagy got his second of the game, and 15th of the season, at 18:29 of the third period. . . . Wong added an assist to his goal. . . . G Stuart Skinner blocked 35 shots for the winners. . . . Victoria got 36 saves from Griffen Outhouse. . . . Lethbridge was 0-1 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . The Hurricanes (35-16-7) have won two in a row. They are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat with a game in hand. . . . The Royals (31-23-5) have lost three straight (0-2-1). They are tied with Portland for the Western Conference’s wild-card spots. Victoria also is fourth in the B.C. Division, four points behind Kelowna. . . . Announced attendance: 4,653.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s first two goals and never trailed en route to a 4-3
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld got it started with his 25th goal just 59 seconds into the first period. . . . F Ryan Hughes scored his 24th goal at 1:16 of the second period, with Blichfeld getting the lone assist. . . . F Adam Musil (19) got Red Deer on the scoreboard, on a PP, at 2:47. . . . Portland got that one back as F Keegan Iverson got No. 16 at 12:24. . . . F Michael Spacek, who also had an assist, pulled the Rebels back to within a goal with his 25th, at 13:03. . . . F Jake Gricius restored Portland’s two-goal lead with No. 7 at 14:37. . . . D Jared Freadrich (6) added Red Deer’s third goal, at 14:12 of the third period. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 30 shots for Portland and also picked up an assist. . . . The Rebels got 40 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Red Deer was 2-6 on the PP; Portland was 0-5. . . . The Rebels went 0-3-0 on a three-game U.S. Division swing on which they were outscored 16-8. . . . The Winterhawks (32-23-3) have won two in a row. They are fourth in the U.S. Division, four points behind Tri-City. . . . The Rebels (23-27-9) have lost seven straight (0-6-1). They are third in the Central Division, three points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,724.
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At Prince Albert, the Everett Silvertips scored three second-period goals, two of them via the PP, and went on to beat the Raiders, 3-1. . . . F Eetu Tuulola (14) opened the scoring at 5:14 and F Riley Sutter (16) made it 2-0, on a PP, just 45 seconds later. . . . When F Patrick Bajkov scored his 23rd goal on another PP, at 12:44, it was 3-0. . . . The Raiders got their goal from F Curtis Miske, on a PP, at 18:11 of the third period. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots for Everett. . . . The Raiders got 33 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . The Silvertips were 2-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 1-5. . . . The Raiders lost F Kolby Johnson to a charging major and game misconduct 16:14 of the second period after an open-ice hit on F Orrin Centazzo in the neutral zone. . . . The Silvertips are 4-1-0 and have outscored opponents 12-6 on a six-game East Division swing that ends tonight (Saturday) in Swift Current. . . . Everett (35-12-10) has won four in a row and leads the U.S. Division by three points over Seattle. . . . Prince Albert (15-39-5) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,014.
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At Swift Current, G Jordan Papirny made 42 saves to lead the Broncos to a 3-1 victory over the
Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Papirny turned aside all 15 shots he faced in the first period and 14 of 15 in the second. He is 5-5-2, 2.97, .911 since coming over from the Brandon Wheat Kings in January. . . .   The Broncos got a pair of first-period goals from F Aleksi Heponiemi, at 15:18 and 18:08, the latter via the PP. He’s got 23 goals in his freshman season. . . . F Riley Stotts made it 3-0 with his seventh goal, at 8:48 of the second period. . . . The Tigers got their goal from F Mark Rassell (27), on a PP, at 18:52 of the second. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 31 shots for the Tigers. . . . Swift Current was 1-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . The Tigers were able to dress only 16 skaters as they scratched four players with illness and two with broken legs. . . . Swift Current (30-18-9) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). It is third in the East Division, five points behind Moose Jaw with a game in hand. . . . Medicine Hat (41-17-1) had a five-game winning streak come to an end. It leads the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . Announced attendance: 2,244.
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At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went
on to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle took a 1-0 lead on D Ethan Bear’s 23rd goal, on a PP, at 2:56 of the first period. . . . The Americans responded by taking a 4-1 lead. . . . F Morgan Geekie’s 32nd goal, on a PP, at 6:48, tied it. . . . D Dakota Krebs scored his second goal of the season, at 9:26, to give the home side the lead. . . . F Tyler Sandhu increased the lead to 3-1 with his 16th goal, at 17:04 of the second period. . . . D Dylan Coghlan’s 12th goal, on a PP, at 19:19, provided more insurance. . . . F Keegan Kolesar (19) got Seattle to within two goals 17 seconds into the third period. . . . Sandhu and Geekie each added an assist for Tri-City. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Ryan Gropp each had two assists for Seattle. Gropp had his goal streak end at eight games, but is on a 15-game point streak. . . . G Rylan Parenteau earned the victory with 25 saves. . . . Seattle also got 25 saves from G Rylan Toth. . . . Each team was 2-5 on the PP. . . . The Americans (34-23-3) have won three in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds (36-17-5) are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Announced attendance: 3,408.
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At Langley, B.C., the Kamloops Blazers broke a 1-1 tie with four second-period goals in a span of
6:06 and went on to beat the Vancouver Giants, 6-1. . . . F Calvin Spencer sent the Giants out to a 1-0 lead with his 12th goal at 1:53 of the first period. . . . The visitors tied it when F Quinn Benjafield scored No. 12 at 10:25. . . . Kamloops blew it open with the four second-period scores. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers scored two of them, at 7:29, on a PP, and 13:06. He’s got 33 goals. . . . F Lane Bauer’s 33rd goal made is 3-1 at 9:19. . . . F Garrett Pilon (15) upped it to 5-1 at 13:35. . . . The Blazers got their final goal from F Nick Chyzowski (15) at 1:38 of the third period. . . . The Blazers got two assists from each of F Deven Sideroff and F Collin Shirley, with Chyzowski and Bauer adding one each. . . . The Blazers got 24 saves from G Connor Ingram. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 33 for the Giants. . . . Kamloops was 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Blazers (35-19-6) are second in the B.C. Division, four points behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Giants (18-36-5) have lost four in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,321.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince Albert at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Prince George at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 6:05 p.m.
Everett at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Red Deer vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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Friday, February 10, 2017

Thunderbirds fly into U.S. lead . . . Pats' streak now at 10 . . . 'Cane train rolls past Raiders


The Prince Albert Raiders revealed on Thursday that F Jordy Stallard, 19, won’t play again this season after undergoing shoulder surgery on Monday. On Friday, the Raiders said that F Carson Miller also has had shoulder surgery and his season is over. As well, F Drew Warkentine is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury that “will likely keep him out for the remainder of the season.” . . . Warkentine, from Prince Albert, was injured during a 3-2 loss to the host Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday. He had two goals and four assists in 32 games and had only recently returned from another injury. . . . Miller, from Yorkton, Sask., turned 17 on Friday. He had seven goals and 12 assists in 46 games as a freshman. He was a first-round selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, G Logan Thompson stopped 34 shots, 18 of them in the first period, as the Wheat Kings beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-1. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Rylan
LOGAN THOMPSON
Bettens (4), at 2:06, and F Tyler Coulter (24), on a PP, at 19:24. . . . The Silvertips got to within a goal when F Eetu Tuulola (12) scored at 4:31 of the third period. . . . Everett G Mario Petit stopped 27 shots. . . . Brandon was 1-2 on the PP; Everett was 1-5. . . . This was Game 1 of Everett’s six-game East Division swing. To prepare, they visited Souris, the hometown of general manager Garry Davidson, on Thursday where they curled and walked the famous Swinging Bridge. . . . The Wheat Kings, who issued a news release earlier in the week saying they had been hit by the mumps, dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. F Caiden Daley, F Reid Duke and F Cole Reinhardt are ill, while F Tanner Kaspick and F Linden McCorrister have undisclosed injuries. . . . D Noah Juulsen and D Lucas Skrumeda both returned to Everett’s lineup. . . . The Silvertips have seven Manitobans on their roster; five of them were in the lineup. . . . The Wheat Kings (27-20-7) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot and are five points behind the third-place Swift Current Broncos in the East Division. . . . The Silvertips (31-12-10) slipped to second in the U.S. Division, a point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. Everett holds one game in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 4,866.
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At Calgary, F Mark Rassell scored three times to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Rassell, who is from Calgary, has 26 goals, including his first WHL hat trick. . . . The Hitmen
MARK RASSELL
actually led this one 2-0 before the game was three minutes old. . . . D Jaydan Gordon scored his first goal of the season at 1:45. It was his second career goal and came in his 154th game. . . . F Tristen Nielsen added his second goal of the season at 2:51. . . . The Tigers tied it on a pair of PP goals from Rassell, at 6:16 and 13:48, then took the lead when D Jordan Henderson scored his fifth goal at 5:53 of the second period. . . . F Zach Fischer added insurance with No. 28 at 10:19. . . . Rassell completed his hat trick at 6:03 of the third period. . . . F Matt Bradley (26) and D Clayton Kirichenko (9) also scored for the Tigers, who got three assists from F Max Gerlach. . . . F Steve Owre and F Chad Butcher each added two assists for the winners, with Kirichenko and Henderson getting one apiece. . . . The Tigers got 19 saves from G Nick Schneider. . . . Calgary starter Trevor Martin allowed three goals on 16 shots in 25:53. Kyle Dumba finished up, stopping 10 of 14 shots in 34:07. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-1. . . . The Tigers (39-16-1) have won three in a row. They lead the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Hitmen (19-26-9) have lost three straight and are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,560.
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At Edmonton, G Jordan Hollett stopped 23 shots as the Regina Pats skated to a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . With the victory, the Pats became the first WHL team this season to clinch a
JORDAN HOLLETT
playoff spot. . . . Hollett, who made his 12th start of the season, usually backs up Tyler Brown. Hollett improved his record to 11-0-1. . . . F Nicholas Bowman (7) gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 6:07 of the first period. . . . The Pats then scored the next three goals. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan (8) tied it at 12:43, with F Filip Ahl getting his 23rd at 14:29. D Dawson Davidson made it 3-1 at 6:29 of the second period. . . . Edmonton D Conner McDonald’s fifth goal got Edmonton back to within a goal at 17:55. . . . Davidson and McDonald both started this season with the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Regina F Nick Henry ran his goal streak to five games with No. 26 at 7:19. . . . D Connor Hobbs completed the scoring with his 24th goal — he leads WHL defencemen in goals — at 17:00. . . . Hobbs also had an assist. . . . Regina F Sam Steel, the WHL’s scoring leader, picked up one assist, giving him 97 points. Regina F Adam Brooks, who is second to Steel with 91 points, also had an assist. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 34 shots. . . . Regina was 1-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-4. . . . Edmonton D Will Warm didn’t play after being hit with a three-game suspension after he took a charging major and game misconduct against the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday. Swift Current F Lane Pederson, who was on the receiving end of that hit, was scratched by the Broncos last night in Red Deer. . . . F Jeff de Wit was back in Regina’s lineup after serving a two-game suspension. . . . Prior to the game, the Oil Kings added a pair of defencemen to their roster — Matthew Robertson and Jayden Platz. . . . Robertson, a first-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, is the younger brother of Oil Kings F Tyler Robertson. Matthew had five goals and 11 assists in 26 games with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . Platz had seven assists in seven games with the Northern Alberta X-Treme prep team. He was a second-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Robertson played against Regina, while Platz didn’t. . . . Regina swept the season series, 4-0-0. . . . The Pats (39-6-7) have won 10 straight games. They lead the overall standings by six points over the Medicine Hat Tigers. Regina also has four games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (18-32-4) have lost 16 in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 11,833.
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At Kelowna, F Nolan Foote scored three times and G Brodan Salmon recorded the shutout as the Rockets dumped the Vancouver Giants, 6-0. . . . Foote, whose father, Adam, is a former NHL
NOLAN FOOTE
defenceman, has 14 goals in his freshman season. His brother, Cal, a defenceman, is a teammate in Kelowna. . . . Nolan, who won’t turn 17 until Nov. 29, won’t be eligible for the NHL draft until 2019. . . . F Erik Gardiner opened the scoring with his third goal, on a PP, at 5:23 of the first period. His brother, Reid, drew the secondary assist on the goal. . . . Foote scored the next two goals, both on the PP, at 7:21 of the first and 4:17 of the second. . . . F Leif Mattson scored twice for Kelowna, giving him five goals, with Foote completing the hat trick at 2:36 of the third. . . . The Rockets got two assists form F Kole Lind. . . . Salmond stopped 22 shots in record his second shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic stopped 50 shots. . . . The Rockets were 3-7 on the PP; the Giants were 0-6. . . . The Rockets have won 22 straight from the Giants in Kelowna, dating to March 19, 2011. . . . F Bartek Bison made his debut with the Giants after being acquired from the Prince George Cougars a month ago. An 18-year-old from Amsterdam, Netherlands, he had been sidelined with a brain injury since Dec. 3. . . . Kelowna (31-20-4) is tied with the Victoria Royals for third in the B.C. Division, six points behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Giants (18-33-5) are 1-7-2 in their past 10 games. . . . Announced attendance: 5,163.
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At Lethbridge, F Alec Baer scored twice as the Hurricanes got past the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-2. . . .
ALEC BAER
Baer, a 19-year-old from St. Louis Park, Minn., has 11 goals in 52 games this season. He has eight goals in 13 games with Lethbridge after being acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Baer opened the scoring at 14:30 of the first period. . . . Prince Albert tied it when F Tim Vanstone (9) scored, shorthanded, at 5:30 of the second period. . . . F Matt Alfaro gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead with his 15th goal, at 4:50 of the third period, and F Zak Zborosky, who also had an assist, made it 3-1 with No. 34, on a PP, at 14:42. . . . The Raiders cut the deficit to one when F Curtis Miske scored his 12th goal, at 18:36. . . . Baer put it away with an empty-netter at 19:18. . . . G Stuart Skinner earned the victory with 37 stops. . . . At the other end, Ian Scott turned aside 30 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 1-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-5. . . . F Tyler Wong, the Hurricanes’ captain, picked up one assist in his 300th regular-season game. . . . The Hurricanes were without G Ryan Gilchrist (flu), so had Adam Swan from the midget AAA Interlake Lightning backing up Skinner. From Ashern, Man., Swan was an 11th-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The Hurricanes (33-15-7) have won nine in a row and have points in 15 straight games (13-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Raiders (13-38-5) have lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,177.
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At Portland, F Joachim Blichfeld erased a 4-2 third-period deficit and then scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Portland erased 3-1 and 4-2
JOACHIM BLICHFELD
deficits to get it to OT. . . . The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead on F Hudson Elynuik’s 19th goal, at 5:12 of the first period. . . . F Cody Glass (25) tied it, shorthanded, at 15:06. . . . Spokane went ahead 3-1 as F Taylor Ross got his fifth goal at 15:50 of the first and F Keanu Yamamoto (20) counted on the PP at 3:34 of the second. . . . The Winterhawks cut the deficit to one on D Henri Jokiharju’s seventh goal, at 5:04. . . . But the Chiefs got that one back when F Jared Anderson-Dolan ran his goal-scoring streak to six games with No. 30, at 12:02. . . . Blichfeld, who now has 21 goals, scored at 7:51 and 15:31 of the third period to force OT. . . . Jokiharju assisted on both of those goals. . . . Blichfeld was the first to go in the shootout and scored the only goal. He has four game-winners in Portland’s past seven games. . . . Portland F Alex Overhardt also had two assists. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from F Kailer Yamamoto and one each from Keanu Yamamoto and Elynuik. . . . G Cole Kehler earned the victory, coming on in relief to stop all 17 shots he faced in 32:58. Starter Shane Farkas was beaten four times on 17 shots in 32:02. . . . The Chiefs got 46 saves from Dawson Weatherill. . . . Spokane was 1-4 on the PP; Portland was 0-2. . . . The Winterhawks (30-22-3) hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, 10 points ahead of Spokane. . . . Portland also is two points behind the Tri-City Americans, who are third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Chiefs (22-23-9) have points in two straight (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 8,388.
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At Red Deer, F Tyler Steenbergen scored three goals to take over the WHL goal-scoring lead as the Swift
TYLER STEENBERGEN
Current Broncos beat the Rebels, 4-1. . . . Steenbergen, from Sylvan Lake, Alta., which is next door to Red Deer, has 43 goals, one more than F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Broncos took a 2-0 lead on goals from Steenbergen, at 1:17 of the first period, and F Glenn Gawdin (19), at 11:14 of the second. . . . The Rebels got to within one as F Lane Zablocki (18) scored, on a PP, at 9:26 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen got that one back 27 seconds later and completed his hat trick into an empty net at 19:34. . . . F Riley Stotts has two assists for the Broncos. . . . G Taz Burman earned the victory with 26 saves. . . . The Rebels got 28 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Red Deer was 1-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-6. . . . The Rebels were without F Adam Musil, who was serving a one-game suspension for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of Wednesday’s 7-3 loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Rebels also were fined $500 for Musil’s indiscretion. . . . The Broncos (29-17-8) have won four straight. They are third in the East Division, six points behind the Moose Jw Warriors with two games in hand. . . . The Rebels (23-24-8) have lost three in a row and are third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,665.
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At Saskatoon, F Kirby Dach scored his first two WHL goals to help the Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Dach, who turns 16 on Jan. 21, was the second-overall selection in the 2016
KIRBY DACH
WHL bantam draft. He is from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., and was added to the Blades’ roster earlier in the week. This was his fifth game this season with Saskatoon. . . . F Josh Paterson (12) gave Saskatoon a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 12:13 of the first period. . . . Dach made it 2-0 at 14:29 of the second period. . . . The Warriors tied it on goals from F Thomas Foster (15), shorthanded, at 15:33 of the second and D Josh Brook (2) just 32 seconds into the third. . . . Dach snapped the tie at 6:18, with F Mason McCarty adding insurance with the empty-netter, at 19:39. . . . Saskatoon G Logan Flodell stopped 22 shots on his 20th birthday. . . . The Warriors got 29 saves from G Brody Willms. . . . Saskatoon was 1-6 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-4. . . . McCarty was back in Saskatoon’s lineup after missing 27 games with a knee injury. . . . Saskatoon scratched six players with “upper-body” injuries, while the Warriors scratched four with “lower-body” injuries. . . . Saskatoon was without D Jake Kustra and F Braylon Shmyr, both out with brain injuries, along with F Cam Hebig, F Markson Bechtold, F Lukus Mackenzie and F Caleb Fantillo. Fantillo was injured in practice on Thursday. . . . Moose Jaw was missing D Colin Paradis, F Jaxan Kaluski, F Brayden Burke and F Noah Gregor. . . . The Blades (22-26-6) have won two in a row. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Warriors (32-16-8) had been 1-0-1 in their previous two games. They are second in the East Division, 13 points behind the Regina Pats. . . . Announced attendance: 3,182.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds moved into first place in the U.S. Division with a 6-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Seattle (34-15-5) won its 10th straight game — it is 10-0-1 in its past 11
KEEGAN KOLESAR
games — and now leads the Everett Silvertips by one point. Everett opened a six-game East Division trip with a 2-1 loss in Brandon. . . . F Jordan Topping (16) gave the Americans a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 9:55 of the first period. . . . Seattle responded with the next four goals. . . . F Donovan Neuls (11) tied it, on a PP, at 12:38 and F Keegan Kolesar (15) gave the Thunderbirds the lead at 15:13, also on a PP. . . . There were 15 PPs in this one. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear’s 20th goal, on a PP, made it 3-1 at 12:15 of the second period and F Sami Moilanen added his 17th just nine seconds later. . . . Parker Wotherspoon scored his ninth goal, on a PP, at 16:24, and set the Americans’ franchise record for career points by a defenceman. Wotherspoon has played in 263 games (2012-17). He had shared the record with Tyler Schmidt, who put up 165 points in 320 games (2006-11). . . . The Thunderbirds got third-period insurance from F Ryan Gropp (20), at 3:23, and F Alexander True (17), at 15:44. . . . Gropp has goals in five straight game and points in 11 in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds got three assists from each of Kolesar and F Mathew Barzal, while Bear and Gropp added one apiece. . . . The Thunderbirds got 18 saves from G Rylan Toth. . . . Tri-City starter Evan Sarthou was beaten six times on 40 shots in 55:44. Rylan Parenteau finished up with three saves in 4:16. . . . Seattle was 3-8 on the PP; Tri-City was 2-7. . . . D Jarret Tyszka was back in Seattle’s lineup, but the Thunderbirds had two players — D Turner Ottenbreit and Moilanen — not finish the game, both apparently the victims of high hits. . . . Tri-City was without injured F Michael Rasmussen, a 32-goal man. . . . The Americans (31-22-3) have lost two in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, seven points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . Announced attendance: 5,308.
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At Victoria, F Jack Walker and F Tyler Soy scored shootout goals to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the
GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
Kamloops Blazers. . . . This one featured two of the WHL’s top goaltenders. . . . Griffen Outhouse turned aside 41 shots for the Royals, earning his WHL-leading 30th victory this season. He is in his second season and has a combined 48-21-7 record. . . . The Blazers got 20 saves from Connor Ingram. . . . F Matt Phillips gave the Royals a 1-0 lead with his 39th goal, at 7:21 of the first period. . . . The Blazers tied it when D Ondrej Vala struck for his ninth goal, on a PP, at 11:09. . . . Vala has goals in three straight games. . . . Kamloops was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-5. . . . The Royals (31-21-4) had lost their previous two games. They are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for third in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kamloops. . . . The Blazers (33-18-6) have points in their past four games (2-0-2). . . . The same two teams will meet again tonight in Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 4,466.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Everett at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Regina at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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