Another WHL team looking for head coach . . . Brandon boys win two in OT . . . Royals still alive

pic.twitter.com/rb7fEKokHk
— Drive BC (@DriveBC) April 16, 2015

F Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000) has signed a two-year extension with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, as team captain, he had 19 goals and 17 assists in 46 games.
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THE COACHING GAME:

There now are three WHL teams without head coaches.
The Kootenay Ice joined the fray on Wednesday with the announcement that it won’t be renewing head coach Ryan McGill’s contract when it expires on June 30.
"At this time, we feel we need a fresh face and voice moving forward to lead our team,” Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president and general manager, said in a news release.
The Ice will be an awfully young team next season, so Chynoweth told Taking Note that a decision was made to find a new voice.
“Just looking at what we are losing this year, in terms of players, and how much of a step back I think we are going to take next (season) with a young and unproven team,” Chynoweth told Taking Note via text.
The Ice’s roster includes 11 players born in 1995 and three who were born in 1994. F Sam Reinhart isn’t expected back, while F Tim Bozon, F Austin Vetterl and F Levi Cable used up their junior eligibility.
McGill, 46, is from Sherwood Park, Alta.
This was McGill’s second stint as the Ice’s head coach. He was in his third season this time around; he also was head coach 1997-2002. In total, his record is 280-222-53. Under McGill, the Ice won the WHL championship in 1999-2000 and 2001-02, and the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2002.
Between his two tours of duty with the Ice, McGill was an AHL head coach for seven seasons and an assist with the NHL’s Calgayr Flames for two seasons.
The Ice went 37-31-4 this season to finish fourth in the Central Division and earn the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card berth. The Ice then lost a first-round series in seven games to the Calgary Hitmen.
You have to think that McGill will wait and see if any pro offers come his way before he decides on his next move.
Along with the Ice, the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants also are without head coaches.
Peter Anholt, who stepped in as GM and head coach in Lethbridge in mid-season, has said he won’t be back as head coach and will be hiring. In Vancouver, the Giants parted company with Claude Noel at season’s end. Noel also had been a mid-season replacement.
Last off-season, 10 of the WHL’s 22 teams made coaching changes.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Tanner Kaspick scored at 3:36 of OT to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Pats. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series, 3-1. Game 5 is scheduled for Brandon on Friday. . . . Kaspick, who is from Brandon, scored his first WHL playoff goal. He had one goal in 53 regular-season games. . . . Kaspick turned 17 on Jan. 28. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs was hit with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Regina D Ryan Pilon at 7:22 of the third period. . . . Pilon needed help leaving the ice. . . . Brandon scored once on the ensuing PP as F Peter Quenneville scored his third goal at 7:53. That tied the score 2-2. . . . Hobbs had scored Regina’s second goal, at 6:27 of the second, on a PP. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick scored the game’s first goal, his second, at 19:37 of the first period. . . . Regina D Colby Williams came out of the penalty box, took a breakaway pass from F Pavel Padakin and went into to score his third goal at 4:27 of the second. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 30 shots, 15 fewer than Regina’s Daniel Wapple. . . . Brandon was 1-for-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-for-3. . . . Earlier in the game, Brandon F Mark Matsuba (headshot) and D Ivan Provorov (boarding) were given minor penalties for fouls the Pats felt could have been majors. . . . “It’s tough but it is what it is,” Wapple told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “We can’t point fingers but at the same time there were a couple hits that definitely could have been more than a two-minute penalty and ours is a five-minute penalty. It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it now.” . . . Regina head coach John Paddock offered:“Clearly to us Provorov should not have been in the game and clearly (Tuesday) night Reid Duke shouldn’t have been in the game (after a cross-check to Adam Brooks). Those are things we have to deal with. You have to find a way. We found a way. We played good enough to win.” . . . Regina again was without D Sergey Zborovsky, who is serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk in Game 2. Zborovsky had his suspension set at three games on Wednesday, meaning he will be eligible to return for Game 6. . . . Hawryluk hasn’t played since being hit by Zborovsky, who took an interference major and game misconduct on the play. . . . Attendance was 5,161. . . . The Wheat Kings have played five road games in these playoffs and each of them has ended in a 3-2 score. Brandon is 4-1 in those games. Two of them have gone to OT and Brandon has won both. . . . BTW, F Jesse Gabrielle had been credited with the game-winning goal in Regina’s 3-2 victory on Tuesday night. Sometime after that game, it was changed to F Taylor Cooper. Both are former Wheat Kings.

In Medicine Hat, F Jordy Stallard scored at 7:22 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . The Hitmen lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in Calgary. . . . Should Calgary win on Friday, last night’s game will have been the last one for the Tigers in the Arena. They will move into the Regional Event Centre next season. . . . Interestingly, attendance was 3,518 — not the usual 4,006. . . . Stallard, like Kaspick, is from Brandon. Stallard, 17, had six goals in 58 regular-season games; he has three goals in these playoffs. . . . Tigers D Ty Lewington scored the game’s first goal, his first, at 19:41 of the first period on a PP. . . . Calgary tied it when F Jake Virtanen scored his second goal, on a penalty shot, at 6:24 of the second. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson was awarded a penalty shot just 29 seconds after Virtanen’s goal. Peterson, however, lost control of the puck and wasn’t able to get off a shot. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields turned aside 35 shots, while Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer kicked out 20. . . . The Tigers had a 14-3 edge on shots in the third and 6-2 in OT. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-1. . . . F Adam Tambellini, the WHL’s leading playoff scorer, was among Calgary’s scratches. He has an undisclosed injury. The Hitmen continue to be without D Jake Bean and F Chase Lang. . . . The Tigers had F Chad Butcher (broken thumb) back after a five-game absence. As a result of his return, F Mark Rassell was scratched. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story right here for the Calgary Herald.

In Victoria, F Greg Chase scored at 5:30 of OT as the Royals stayed alive with a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna, which had won its first seven playoff games, holds a 3-1 edge in the series, with Game 5 scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night. . . . Chase has seven goals in these playoffs. . . . The Rockets had 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 leads before the Royals tied it with goals 24 seconds part in the third period. . . . F Jack Walker scored his second goal of the game and third of the playoffs at 10:42 and F Brandon Magee got his WHL-leading ninth goal at 11:06. . . . D Lucas Johansen, with his first goal, and F Tyson Baillie, with his sixth, gave the Rockets a 2-0 first-period lead. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll got his first goal at 17:47 to cut into the lead, but Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, with his sixth, got that one back 26 seconds later. . . . Walker and Kelowna F Tomas Soustal traded second-period goals. . . . Soustal, who had eight goals in 65 regular-season games, has four in eight playoff games. . . . Kelowna went 0-for-8 on the PP, including a chance in OT after Magee was penalized for goaltending interference at 0:18. . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic stopped 36 shots, 10 more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . The Royals were 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . F Alex Forsberg had two assists for Victoria, including one on the winner. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley wasn’t able to score on a penalty shot at 4:29 of the second period, with his side ahead 3-1. . . . Attendance was 4,909.
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There has been an interesting development in Regina where a company that is owned by co-owners of the Pats has registered a builders’ lien against the team's landlords, the Regina Exhibition Association. It all has to do with work done installing the Brandt Centre’s score clock earlier this season. . . . Austin M. Davis of the Regina Leader-Post has the story right here.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Brian King, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He was born in New Hampshire but now is from Golden, Colo. From the Silvertips’ news release: “King, 16, served as an alternate captain this season for the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders 16U AAA team based in Westminster, Colo. In 10 games at East Coast Elite League events, King scored six goals to lead the RoughRiders and tied for third on the team with seven points. Playing another 18 games in the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder had 11 points on three goals and eight assists. He attended USA Hockey’s 2014 Select 15 Development Camp last summer, notching a goal and an assist in five games.”
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Mike Stothers, who spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, is the AHL’s coach of the year. Stothers, 53, left the Warriors prior to this season to take over as head coach of the Manchester Monarchs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. . . . With three games still to play, the Monarchs are 48-16-6-3. They will go into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s top seed. . . . The AHL award is voted on by coaches and media members in each of the league’s 30 cities.
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Fans, despite what you may have heard the last couple days, the #OilKings will definitely be making the move to @RogersPlace in 2016
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) April 15, 2015

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Calgary names starter . . . Silvertips hurting on back end . . . Big hockey news in Los Angeles

The second round of the WHL playoffs opens tonight with four games.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post takes a series-by-series look right here and suggests who he feels might emerge to play in the two conference finals.
I was going to do my own, but, hey, I hired Harder while I was the sports editor in Regina, so I’ll just ride his picks because he obviously knows what he’s writing about . . . otherwise I wouldn’t have hired him. Right?
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The WHL has yet to release the complete schedule for a second-round series between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Calgary Hitmen. That series opens tonight in Medicine Hat. The dates for the first four games are set but the WHL, as of Thursday night, had yet to release dates for the last three games, if they are needed. . . . It looks like the series will follow a 1-2-1-1-1-1 format. . . . All four series in the second round begin tonight; the schedules, as we know them, are in the graphics below (all graphics done by Terry Massey).

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A huge thank you to all who took the time to send birthday wishes to Dorothy. The last thing she said before she fell asleep on Wednesday night was: “I hope you didn’t post anything about my birthday because people don’t want or need to know that.” . . . Whoops! I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. . . . Her reaction on Thursday morning as she opened her email on her tablet was worth it. I also made sure she saw the comments and likes that were left on my Facebook account. . . . What did I get her for her birthday? A plane ticket to Brandon so that she can spend a week with her best friend. Yes, it's a return ticket! No, I'm not going.
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The Red Deer Rebels, who lost a first-round series in five games to the Medicine Hat Tigers, will be the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup, so they know they’ll playing in May. Still, Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner/GM/head coach, had a message for his players this week. . . . “It’s going to be a big year for our team and organization. It’s great that (the Memorial Cup) is being hosted here, it’s great for the city, our fans and the organization,” Sutter told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “But the reality is, as I told them, we have to have the mindset that it doesn’t matter where it’s being played. We have to want to win our league next (season), be an elite team in our league. We want to go to the Memorial Cup as an elite team and that has to be our motivation for the summer.” . . . Meachem takes a look at the Rebels’ future right here.
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G Mack Shields will start for the Calgary Hitmen as they open a second-round series against the Tigers in Medicine Hat tonight. G Brendan Burke, who was injured in Game 6 of Calgary’s seven-game victory over the Kootenay Ice, wasn’t able to practice Thursday, so remains out on a day-to-day basis.
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Kevin Constantine, the head coach of the Everett Silvertips, has said that he likely will have to get by without D Tristen Pfeifer for the rest of this season. Pfeifer, an 18-year-old from Phoenix, didn’t finish the Game 6 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane on Tuesday night. The Silvertips won that game 2-1 in triple OT, but Pfeifer didn’t play at all in the extra time. . . . The Silvertips will entertain the Portland Winterhawks in Games 1 and 2 of their second-round series tonight and Saturday. . . . On Thursday, Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald wrote that Constantine told him Pfeifer “is probably done for the season.” . . . Meanwhile, Everett D Noah Juulsen, who left Tuesday’s game in the first period, wasn’t on the ice Thursday. It sounds as though he won’t start the series, but might return before it’s over. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl also didn’t skate Thursday. He missed the last three games against Spokane and isn’t likely to be in the lineup tonight.
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After playing tonight and Saturday in Everett, the Silvertips and Portland Winterhawks will take four days off. They will play at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland on Thursday and Friday (April 16 and 17). . . . The Coliseum isn’t available earlier due to a national craft brewers conference having the facility booked on Tuesday, with another event in there on Wednesday. . . . So, you’re wondering, why don’t the Winterhawks simply move the games into the Moda Center? Well, it seems that Garth Brooks -- remember him? -- is in that building for a five-day run (April 12-16).
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It doesn’t appear that F Morgan Klimchuk will be in Brandon’s lineup tonight as the Wheat Kings open against the visiting Regina Pats. Klimchuk, a high-end performer, didn’t play in the last two games of Brandon’s five-game victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round. The Wheat Kings acquired him from Regina in January. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that Brandon F Nolan Patrick was back on skates Thursday for the first time since the end of that first round. . . . The Pats remain without F Sam Steel (ankle), whose season may be over. Regina D James Hilsendager has two games of a three-game suspension left to serve.
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Shaw TV will show the entire second-round series between the Kelowna Rockets and Victoria Royals. It begins with games tonight and Saturday in Kelowna. . . . You’ll get Dan Russell calling the play, with analysis by Bill Wilms. The telecasts also will feature hosts Andy Neal and Stu Walters.
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The biggest news of the day as far as the WHL is concerned came out of Los Angeles where the NHL’s Kings announced the formation of the LA Kings High School Hockey League. . . . Something like that can only be good for the development of the game in California, meaning a bigger and deeper talent pool in the seasons to come. . . . Tryouts for the league begin in May. . . . Jim Fox, a former NHLer who now is a broadcaster with the Kings, is the commissioner. . . . Notes from the Kings’ news release: West Ranch High School in Santa Clarita is the first high school to field a team; more teams will be announced this spring; the league will be run by the Kings Hockey Development Department; hockey players in Grades 9-12 are eligible; and the League is set to begin play in September.
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A study that was published in March in the Journal of Athletic Training has provided a link between concussions and depression. Not only that, but the study’s results show how depressive symptoms increased in athletes who suffered more than one concussion. . . . “Considering that these athletes will likely have multiple concussions in their careers and that a large percentage already displayed clinically significant depression after 1 isolated concussion, our results are concerning,” the authors wrote in the report. . . . Maxwell Strachan of Huffington Post has the story right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Ken Pearson, the general manager and head coach of the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers, has signed a two-year extension. The Flyers were 31-17-12 this season. . . . Pearson is 283-182-54 in nine seasons as the Flyers’ head coach. . . . He also has coached the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues, the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits and the SJHL’s North Battlefords North Stars. At some point in 2015-16, he will stand behind a junior A team’s bench for the 1,000th time. He will go into the season having coached in 966 games, 710 of them in the MJHL. . . . He has 401 MJHL coaching victories, behind only Don MacGillivray and Doug Stokes.
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Oh man, I REALLY hope Don Cherry tries to say "Laurent Brossoit" on Saturday night.
— Marc Majeau (@MarcMajeau) April 10, 2015

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.

Liong tells his story . . . Papirny, Wheaties blank Tigers . . . Hitmen roar through Portland

F Justin Taylor (Medicine Hat, Red Deer, 1999-2001, 2003-04) has been released by Mörrum (Sweden, Division 1) at his request. In 18 games, he had six goals and five assists. Mörrum assistant GM Jens Svensson: “(Taylor) wanted to stay but, unfortunately, his wife could not.” Taylor’s wife didn’t receive a Swedish residence permit.
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I hope my story will help people who are going through a similar situation. If I can affect even one young kid, that's all that matters.
— Dickson Liong (@DLLiong) February 26, 2015

If you only do one thing today, click on this link right here and spend three minutes of your day watching a CTV Vancouver story on Dickson Liong, a young writer who covers the Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Giants, and whose stories you sometimes read on this blog. . . . He’s a good friend and he is a truly great story. . . . Go ahead and watch his story. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
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Bob Brown, the architect behind the Kamloops Blazers’ three Memorial Cup titles in the early 1990s, will be inducted into the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame on April 11. Brown was the general manager of a community-owned team that became was a major junior dynasty in the late 1980s and into the ’90s, winning the 1992, 1994 and 1995 Memorial Cups. . . . During Brown’s run, the Blazers won 10 Western Conference titles and five WHL championships. . . . With Brown at the helm, the Blazers were 13-6 in Memorial Cup games, 108-54 in the WHL playoffs and 484-202-33 in regular-season play.
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Danny Schur, a film-maker from Winnipeg, is working on a documentary about Terry Sawchuk, one of the greatest of all NHL goaltenders. Terry Sawchuk — The Winnipeg Years is filming now and, hopefully, will be ready for the start of the 2015-16 season. . . . Sara Calnek of CBC News has more right here.
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An unnamed hockey father from Kamloops may be charged following an altercation with on-ice officials who worked a BCHL game between his son’s team, the Merritt Centennials, and the host Penticton Vees on Feb. 20. Joe Fries of the Penticton Herald reports that RCMP are investigating the incident. Fries’ story is right here.
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The Prince George Cougars completed their three-day tour of minor hockey association’s on Wednesday by presenting the folks in 100 Mile House with a cheque for $1,500. The Cougars, who are on their way to Kent, Wash., and a Friday night date with the Seattle Thunderbirds, did the same thing in Quesnel and Williams Lake earlier in the week. In all three communities, the Cougars took part in minor hockey practices, chalk talks, autograph signings, etc. . . .
According to Brett Smith of the Prince Albert Daily Herald, Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid “guaranteed his team would make the playoffs” during a Wednesday breakfast session with season-ticket holders. . . . The Raiders are nine points out of a playoff spot as they head into two games in Alberta this weekend. They’ll play in Red Deer on Friday and Edmonton on Sunday. Prince Albert has 12 games remaining in the regular season. . . . Smith’s story is right here. . . .
It will be a year on Sunday since Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon was diagnosed with Neisseria meningitis. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post checks in with Bozon right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna (11 games remaining) won at home to stay two points ahead of Brandon atop the WHL’s overall standings. . . . Victoria (11) lost in Kelowna, but will finish second in the division.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett (11) lost on the road and Portland (11) picked up a loser point at home. Everett leads the division by three points over Portland. . . . Portland is seven points ahead of third-place Seattle (12). . . . Spokane (13) won at home and holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of idle Tri-City (11).
EAST DIVISION: Brandon (11) won at home and remained two points behind Kelowna, which leads the WHL’s overall standings. . . . Regina (12) picked up a loser point at home and remains second, a comfortable nine points ahead of Swift Current (11), which lost on the road.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (11) won on the road and now leads the division by four points over Medicine Hat (11), which lost on the road. . . . Red Deer (12) won on the road and trails Medicine Hat by six points, but is four points ahead of Kootenay (10), which also won on the road. . . . Kootenay holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, seen points ahead of Edmonton (11), which lost at home.
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In Brandon, G Jordan Papirny, in his 100th WHL regular-season appearance, stopped 32 shots to help the Wheat Kings to a 5-0 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Papirny has six career shutouts, five of them this season. . . . F Rihards Bukarts’ 26th goal, at 15:58 of the second period, stood up as the winner. Bukarts scored twice. . . . D Eric Roy, F John Quenneville and F Tim McGauley each had two assists. . . . McGauley’s point streak now is at 17 games. He has 36 points, including 24 assists, during that stretch. . . . D Ivan Provorov returned to Brandon’s lineup after a six-game injury-related absence. He scored his 13th goal and also had an assist. . . . The game marked the last time, barring a playoff meeting, that the three Quenneville brothers will play in the same WHL game. John, 18, and Peter, 20, who had one assist, play for the Wheaties; David, 16, is a defenceman with the Tigers. . . . G Logan Thompson returned from a case of pink eye to back up Papirny. G Alex Moodie remains out with a suspected concussion. . . . The Wheat Kings (45-10-6), who won the season series 4-0-0, have won two in a row. . . . The Tigers (37-21-3) have lost three in a row. . . .

In Regina, F Jaedon Descheneau scored in the fifth round of a shootout to give the Kootenay Ice a 5-4 victory over the Pats. . . . With the Ice shooting first, he was the only scorer in the shootout. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs forced OT with his second goal of the season, but his first since being acquired by Regina from Medicine Hat in January, with 45.2 seconds left in the third period. . . . The Pats led 2-0 after one period and 3-1 early in the second. . . . Descheneau scored his 29th goal at 8:25 of the second, F Sam Reinhart got No. 16 at 19:27, and F Tim Bozon gave his guys a 4-3 lead with his 29th at 11:11 of the third. . . . F Austin Vetterl and D Rinat Valiev, the latter returning after missing a game with the flu, each had two assists for the Ice. . . . F Taylor Cooper had a goal, his 23rd, and two assists for the Pats, while freshman F Sam Steel scored his 16th goal. He now has a team-high 50 points, in 55 games. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 32 shots, five fewer than Regina’s Daniel Wapple. . . . The Pats were without F Austin Wagner, who is expected to be out for up to two weeks. He was injured Monday when he collided with teammate Colby Williams. . . . The Ice (32-27-3) is 4-0-2 in its last six games. . . . Regina (33-19-8) had won its previous four games. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Cameron Hebig and F Brett Stovin each scored twice as the Blades dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 6-2. . . . Hebig, who also had an assist, has 16 goals; Stovin has 27. . . . Blades F Nick Zajac had two assists. . . . The Blades led 2-0 at 7:11 of the first period and were ahead 3-1 and 6-1 at the intermissions. . . . F Colby Cave got his 29th goal for the Broncos, while F Jake DeBrusk had two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Brock Hamm turned aside 46 shots. . . . Saskatoon was 1-for-1 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-for-3. . . . The Blades (18-39-4) snapped a four-game losing streak (0-3-1). . . . The Broncos (30-26-5) had won their previous three games. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . .

In Edmonton, D Haydn Fleury broke a 1-1 tie at 6:41 of the third period as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Oil Kings, 2-1. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer scored his 20th goal at 9:09 of the second period, on a PP. . . . Red Deer F Adam Musil tied it with his 12th goal, at 5:19 of the third, on a PP. Fleury drew the primary assist. . . . Rebels G Rylan Toth stopped 40 shots, 19 more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . The Rebels remain without F Conner Bleackley, their captain. Brent Sutter, the Rebels' GM and head coach, told the Red Deer Advocate that Bleackley may be out up to three more weeks. . . . Red Deer (31-20-9) had lost its previous two games. . . . The Oil Kings slipped to 27-28-6. . . .

In Portland, D Jake Bean scored at 1:36 of OT as the Calgary Hitmen beat the Winterhawks, 5-4. . . . Bean’s sixth goal won it after the Winterhawks had a chance to win it on a late PP. . . . (There was post-game chatter that Calgary F Elliott Peterson may have re-directed Bean’s point shot). . . . The Hitmen trailed 2-0 at 15:51 of the first period and 4-1 early in the second. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen scored his 18th goal at 15:08 of the second and D Ben Thomas got his sixth at 17:53. . . . Calgary F Kenton Helgesen forced OT with his 19th goal, shorthanded, at 12:17 of the third period. . . . F Chase Lang had two assists for Calgary, including the only one on the winner. . . . Helgesen also had an assist, as did Virtanen. . . . F Adam Tambellini scored his 42nd goal for Calgary. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists. He now is tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead, with 46. He also has at least a goal in 10 straight games, one shy of the Portland franchise record. The WHL record (18) was set by F Cliff Ronning of the New Westminster Bruins in 1984-85. . . . Portland D Anton Cederholm and F Nic Petan each had two assists, while F Chase De Leo got his 30th goal. . . . The game featured two goaltenders who were traded for each other in January — Evan Johnson was making just his second appearance for Portland; Brendan Burke made his 11th appearance with Calgary. . . . On this night, Burke left in the second period after giving up four goals on 22 shots. Mack Shields came on to stop all 22 shots he faced. . . . Johnson stopped 33 shots. . . . Portland was 2-for-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-4. . . . Calgary (38-18-5) is 4-0-0 on an 11-game road swing. The Hitmen have won six in a row and 15 of 16. . . . Portland (36-20-5) is 5-0-2 in its last seven. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 first-period deficit and beat the Victoria Royals, 4-2. . . . F Austin Carroll, with his 35th, and F Greg Chase, with No. 18, gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . D Madison Bowey got the Rockets on the board with his 15th at 5:57 of the second and F Chase Braid tied it with his 11th, via the PP, at 15:07. . . . F Leon Draisaitl gave Kelowna its first lead, with his 12th, at 13:22 of the third. . . . Rockets F Tyson Baillie iced it with his 35th goal, shorthanded, at 15:57. . . . F Cole Linaker had two assists for the Rockets. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-for-7. . . . F Rourke Chartier, who is tied for the WHL’s goal-scoring lead, was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . Kelowna (47-10-4) had split two games in Victoria last weekend. . . . The Royals are 33-24-4. . . .

In Spokane, F Calder Brooks scored twice and added an assist to lead the Chiefs to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Nikita Scherbak gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 16:55 of the second period. He’s got 25 goals. . . . Brooks tied it with 17.6 seconds left in the period and then gave the Chiefs the lead at 7:09 of the third, on a PP. He’s got 18 goals. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka iced it with his 32nd, an empty-netter, at 19:58. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped 23 shots, seven fewer than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . The Chiefs (28-27-4) snapped a three-game losing skid. . . . The Silvertips slipped to 37-18-7.
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THURSDAY’S GAME

(all times local)
Edmonton at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
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Alex Smidt with @WHLKootenayICE forward and @CanadiensMTL prospect @timbozon94. Both overcame meningitis pic.twitter.com/OMd9zaJfr2
— Regina Pats (@WHLpats) February 26, 2015

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Saturday in the WHL: Four shutouts, three shootouts and a six-point game

There was a lot of hockey news during the week, a lot of it involving the AHL and ECHL. Mark Spector of Sportsnet takes a look at what all transpired and also tosses in a few notes. That’s all right here.
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So . . . there were these two high school girls hockey teams playing a game in Fargo, N.D., on Friday. Spectators and school officials noticed the Zamboni wasn’t being operated in the usual smooth way. It wasn’t long before police arrived, arrested the driver for suspicion of DUI. . . . There is more right here.
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If you’re into numbers, here’s a Saturday night NHL note for you. G Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks wears No. 31. He stopped 31 shots in a 2-0 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. It was Niemmi’s 31st career shutout. He is 31 years of age. Saturday was Jan. 31. . . . Seriously.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, G Mack Shields stopped 26 shots to lead the Hitmen to a 5-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Shields has two shutouts this season and five in his career. . . . F Jake Virtanen had a goal, his 14th, and three assists. . . . F Adam Tambellini scored twice, giving him 37, and added an assist. He’s got 14 points, 11 of them goals, in his last seven games. . . . D Jake Bean tied the Calgary franchise record for points in a freshman season. Bean had one assist, giving him 32 points in 40 games. Bean now shares the record with Matt Kinch (1996-97). . . . F Connor Rankin’s 26th goal, at 1:42 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . “We were reluctant to get traffic and reluctant to put pucks on net,” Steve Hamilton, the Oil Kings’ head coach, said on the team’s website. “Quite honestly, just didn’t have a ton of time or space today, and it’s a credit to Calgary. They did a good job of executing their game plan, and we didn’t generate much.” . . . The Hitmen (29-17-5) have won a season-high six in a row and now are second in the Central Division, one point ahead of Red Deer. Calgary has put up three shutouts in its past five games. . . . The Oil Kings (24-22-6) had won their previous two games. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Ivan Provorov earned four assists, all on the PP, as the Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Warriors, 6-0. . . . He’s got 50 points, including 39 assists, in 45 games. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 21 shots as he picked up his 30th victory of the season and his fourth shutout. In his career, he has five shutouts. He is 30-7-4 this season. . . . Wheat Kings F Tim McGauley drew three assists. He also got into a scrap with Moose Jaw F Brayden Point. . . . Brandon F Steve Patrick scored his 23rd goal. Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun notes: “Patrick has 23 goals in his first WHL season, matching the number scored by his father, Steve, in his rookie season with Brandon in 1978-79.” . . . Brandon was 4-for-6 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-for-4. . . . Moose Jaw F Jesse Shynkaruk took an interference major and game misconduct at 10:23 of the third period. Brandon F John Quenneville was the victim on that play. He left the game and didn’t return. . . . The Wheat Kings beat the visiting Warriors 6-4 on Friday. . . . G Alex Moodie was among Brandon’s scratches after suffering an undisclosed injury on Friday. He has an undisclosed injury. . . . Thomas Spence, an 18-year-old from Moose Jaw, served as Brandon’s backup last night. Spence, who plays for the junior B Regina Capitals, spent a night on the Calgary Hitmen bench on Jan. 6. . . . The Wheat Kings (37-9-5) are 8-0-1 in their last nine games. . . . The Warriors (20-27-4) have lost three in a row and are seven points out of a playoff spot. . . .

In Saskatoon, G Nik Amundrud stopped 29 shots to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . He’s got three shutouts this season. . . . D Brycen Martin, who came to Saskatoon from the Broncos, and F Brett Stovin each had a goal and two assists as the Blades scored three PP goals. . . . Martin has five goals; Stovin has 20. . . . The Blades were 3-for-9 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-5. . . . The Broncos remain without D Dillon Heatherington (4-6 weeks), F Coda Gordon (1-3 weeks), D Jordan Harris and F Cole Johnson. The latter two are out indefinitely. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . . The Blades improved to 15-31-3 and now are 2-3-0 in the season series. . . . The Broncos (23-23-5) had beaten the visiting Blades 6-2 on Friday and are 3-1-1 in the season series. . . . Swift Current is third in the East Division, seven points ahead of Moose Jaw. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . He’s got 17 points, including seven goals, in 11 games since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Draisaitl was selected third overall by the Oilers in the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart was selected second overall by the Buffalo Sabres. He had his 10-game point streak ended by the Rockets. . . . Kelowna G Rourke Chartier opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 5:22 of the first period. He’s got 41 goals, moving him back into a tie with Medicine Hat F Cole Sanford for the WHL lead. . . . Rockets D Riley Stadel and F Tyson Baillie each had two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 25 shots as he earned his 30th victory of the season. He is 30-7-3. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . . The Rockets (39-8-4) are 5-0-1 in their last six outings. They continue to lead the overall standings by three points over Brandon. . . . The Ice (27-24-1) holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of Edmonton. . . .

In Red Deer, the Prince Albert Raiders got the shootout’s only two goals to beat the Rebels, 6-5. . . . Red Deer trailed 5-2 early in the third period but staged a three-goal comeback to force OT. . . . F Riley Sheen scored twice, giving him 15, and F Conner Bleackley tied it 5-5 with his 24th goal at 13:13. . . . The Raiders got shootout goals from F Simon Stransky and F Reid Gardiner to win it. . . . Gardiner scored twice in regulation, giving him 24 goals. . . . Raiders D Jesse Lees drew three assists. . . . Sheen also had an assist for a three-point night. . . . D Colton Bobyk had three assists for the Rebels and F Connor Gay had two. . . . The Raiders were 2-for-4 on the PP; the Rebels were 2-for-3. . . . Prince Albert was without D Mackenze Stewart. He got a ‘tbd’ suspension after taking a cross-checking major and game misconduct in Friday’s 10-1 loss in Calgary. . . . The Raiders (21-28-1) are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Rebels (27-15-8) have lost three in a row (0-1-2) and now are third in the Central Division, one point behind Calgary. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Austin Wagner’s two goals helped the Regina Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . F Pavel Skumatov got the Hurricanes on the board first, scoring his fifth goal at 19:56 of the first period. . . . The Pats took control with four goals in 6:01 in the second half of the second period. . . . F Adam Berg got it started with his first goal at 10:24. Wagner, who has 16 goals, gave Regina the lead at 13:30 and F Sam Steel gadded his 12th goal, on the PP, at 15:01. F Patrick D’Amico ended the onslaught with his 15th at 16:25. . . . Regina F Taylor Cooper scored his 20th goal on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Lethbridge was able to dress only 16 skaters. Included in its scratches was F Tyler Wong. . . . The Pats held a 48-30 edge in shots. . . . The Pats (27-17-6) snapped a six-game losing skid (0-3-3) and appear headed to a second-place finish in the East Division. . . . The Hurricanes (12-31-6) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Vancouver, the Kamloops Blazers scored on their first two shootout attempts and took a 3-2 victory over the Giants. . . . F Cole Ully and F Jake Kryski gave the Blazers a 2-0 lead in the shootout and that was that. . . . Ully had scored his 25th goal at 1:38 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson tied it with his 12th goal at 19:57. . . . Blazers D Marc McNulty got his sixth goal at 13:18 of the second. . . . Vancouver F Zane Jones forced OT with his 24th goal at 14:10 of the third. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 32 shots, two more than Vancouver’s Cody Porter. . . . The Blazers had D Ryan Rehill back after a one-game suspension, but D Michael Fora and D Patrik Maier remain out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Blazers (20-26-6) are third in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of Vancouver and four up on Prince George. . . . The Giants (20-28-3) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . .

In Prince George, G Taran Kozun stopped 20 shots to help the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Kozun has eight shutouts in his career, two this season. . . . F Ryan Gropp scored his 20th goal of the season 15 seconds into the second period. . . . Seattle F Calvin Spencer scored his fifth goal at 10:10 of the first and it proved the winner. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had one assist, moving him into a tie with Craig Channell for the franchise record for most career points by a defenceman. . . . The Cougars were without F Josh Anderson and D Josh Connolly, both of whom drew ‘tbd’ suspensions for incidents in Friday’s game that was won, 9-2, by the Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle (25-19-6) has won two in a row and is third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Cougars (20-31-2) have lost 12 straight (0-10-2). . . .

In Portland, F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored three goals and added three assists as the Winterhawks doubled the Everett Silvertips, 6-3. . . . The Silvertips took a 2-1 lead into the second period and nursed it until Bjorkstrand scored his second goal at 19:50. . . . Portland then outscored the visitors 4-1 in the third, with Bjorkstrand getting his 35th goal and drawing assists on the other three goals. . . . Winterhawks F Nic Petan scored once, his 10th, and added three assists, while F Paul Bittner, the third member of that line, had three assists. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two goals, giving him 26. . . . Only five Winterhawks earned at least a point. . . . Bjorkstrand has 70 points in 40 games. A truly gifted offensive talent from Herning, Denmark, he has 242 points, including 116 goals, in 174 regular-season games. Including 42 playoff games, he has 296 points, 140 of them goals. . . . The Silvertips got a goal, his sixth, and two assists from D Noah Juulsen. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 22 shots, eight fewer than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . Portland was 1-for-2 on the PP; Everett was 2-for-4. . . . The Winterhawks (31-19-3) have won eight in a row and now are one point behind the U.S. Division-leading Silvertips (31-15-4). . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., D Jack Walker had the only goal of a shootout to give the Victoria Royals a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Tri-City F Richard Nejezchleb forced OT when he scored with 52.1 seconds left in the third period and G Eric Comrie on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Nejezchleb scored twice in this one, giving him 15. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase had given his side a 2-1 lead with his 15th goal at 1:39 of the third period. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 22 shots, seven fewer than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . The Royals (28-20-4) are headed to a second-place finish in the B.C. Division. . . . The Americans (24-24-3) have lost three in a row. They are fifth in the U.S. Division but hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . .

In Spokane, D Jason Fram came through in a big way for the Chiefs as they got past the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Fram forced OT with his ninth goal of the season on a PP at 11:04 of the third period. He then scored the game-winner in the shootout. . . . F Dryden Hunt scored for the Tigers in the shootout, with F Dominic Zwerger scoring for the Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs had been outscored 18-1 in their previous five games. . . . Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review reported that Spokane forwards “had been scoreless for more than 344 minutes, back to a Jan. 16 game at Everett.” . . . F Liam Stewart ended that dry spell at 17:29 of the first period. . . . That goal ended a team scoreless drought of more than 223 minutes. . . . Talk about high drama! Tigers F Cole Sanford, who is tied for the WHL lead with 41 goals, was presented with a penalty shot with 28 seconds left in the third period and the score 3-3. Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped him. . . . Medicine Hat D Ty Stanton had a goal, his sixth, and two assists. . . . The Chiefs (24-21-4) had been 0-6-1 in their previous seven games. They had been blanked in three straight games. . . . The victory lifted Spokane into sole possession of fourth place in the U.S. Division, four points behind Seattle and one ahead of Tri-City. . . . The Central Division-leading Tigers (35-12-3) had a six-game winning streak snapped.

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